Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

As catchments become increasingly impervious, urban stormwater pollutant loads, erosional force, and flooding increases. The practice of stormwater management is critical environmental protection that became regulated by the US federal government in the 1970s. With the need to attenuate peak flow rates and reduce the excess stormwater volumes generated from impervious catchments, stormwater control measures (SCMs) were developed such as stormwater detention basins, retention ponds, drainage ditches, and subsurface stormwater detention. Having a variety of SCMs available provides stakeholders with the ability to target specific aspects of stormwater management, including runoff quantity, runoff quality, or other ecosystem services. Regulations have evolved over time to have a greater emphasis on stormwater quality. As such, SCM design has evolved to address pollutant removal in stormwater. Green infrastructure (GI) practices, also called low impact development (LID) SCMs, have gained popularity for stormwater management since the start of the 21st century and incorporate principles of ecological engineering into stormwater management. Examples of GI include a variety of practices that use infiltration through filter media such as rain gardens, bioretention cells (BRCs), and high rate biofiltration (HRBF), permeable pavements, green roofs, and constructed stormwater wetlands (CSWs). The use of GI has benefits in addition to peak flow, volume, and pollutant reduction such as creating habitat for pollinators, cooling urban spaces, and adding attractive green space. Pollutant removal mechanisms vary between GI practices with some systems providing greater sedimentation and treatment of particulates and some providing greater treatment of dissolved pollutants through microbially-mediated transformation, plant uptake, and/or adsorption. Performance of SCMs varies based on design, site characteristics (e.g. topography, soil texture and infiltration capacity, depth to wa (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Environment and Natural Resources

Departing from literature on social-ecological fitness and social-ecological network analysis, this dissertation explores the degree to which social-ecological theory reflects underlying social processes of issue engagement and partnership evaluation and identifies pathways for future research to engage practitioners with social-ecological network data. In total, the research presented in this dissertation shows that social-ecological network analysis and theory can both be strengthened by participant engagement and qualitative analyses and can be translated into actionable information that practitioners can use to inform their management decisions. This research – which includes three consecutive empirical studies (chapters 2 through 4) – presents one of the first comprehensive accounts of confirming social-ecological network theory with participant populations. Each of the three chapters seeks to determine how practitioners navigate social-ecological interdependence by assessing whether practitioners' strategies align with social-ecological motifs that are commonly used in empirical network analyses (i.e., small-scale network structures that impart theoretically important processes). Further, all three empirical chapters analyze separate components of a dataset pertaining to climate change adaptation governance in Columbus, Ohio, which is a system comprised of over one hundred unique stakeholder organizations, 19 climate adaptation-related issues, and their interconnections. In the first chapter, I explore how community-engaged network tools can help to overcome fragmentation in environmental governance systems. I helped to develop a network tool that offers personalized partnership recommendations to practitioners that would close “collaborative gaps,” which are instances where two actors who manage the same issue(s) fail to collaborate with one another. Results from focus group conversations with practitioners suggest that engaged network tools can be 1) hampere (open full item for complete abstract)

BS, Kent State University, 2024, College of Public Health

Air pollution disproportionately affects minoritized populations, which has been studied extensively in environmental justice, public health, and environmental policy research. However, due to the complex nature of air pollution management, it is especially difficult to keep under control. While strides have been made since the environmental protection agency (EPA) was formed in 1970, current air pollution levels are still accelerating climate change and those who are producing the most emissions are experiencing the least of their effects. For this research, I examined what is currently hindering progress in air pollution management. I looked at where siloing, or the separation between fields, exists in current air pollution management, and how communication between air pollution experts, community members, and industries can be improved to reduce emissions. After analyzing historical newspaper articles from Northeast Ohio between the years 1870-2020 and conducting interviews with air pollution experts in the fields of environmental justice, environmental policy, and public health, I examined how siloing has evolved over time, and how it shaped the siloing that exists today. I found that siloing is a complex issue with extensive historical context, and that it is faced in nearly every aspect of air pollution regulation. With these findings, I propose strategies to more effectively manage air pollution.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Anthropology

Collaborative approaches to biodiversity conservation and management are increasing across the Pacific and are often pushed for by Pacific Islanders as a method for increasing their sovereignty in environmental governance. Simultaneously, collaborative approaches to conservation and management have been critiqued for prioritizing scientific knowledges and for burdening Indigenous and other marginalized populations. In Kanaky/New Caledonia, a southwestern Pacific archipelago, the Indigenous Kanak have also pushed for collaborative approaches to conservation and management. Kanaky/New Caledonia was officially colonized by France in 1853 and remains a French Overseas Territory. Yet, the territory has had an ongoing Indigenous decolonization movement for decades, resulting in increasing levels of political autonomy from France. In this dissertation, I examine the interface between Indigenous sovereignty and collaborative biodiversity conservation/management in Kanaky/New Caledonia based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in 2022 through three interconnected body chapters written as standalone journal articles. The introduction and conclusion of the dissertation describe the major themes present across the chapters. In the introduction, which constitutes the first chapter, I draw on an experience snorkeling in the lagoon to consider how my own relationality influences my approach to my research, while also describing some of the major social dynamics surrounding conservation and management practices in the territory. Chapter two argues that the French military has always been invested in social-ecological management and explores how their relationship with the Kanak has shifted over 170 years from one of violent conflict to environmental governance partnerships. In chapter three, I analyze five co-management plans from the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Kanaky/New Caledonia's lagoons, using both discourse analysis and content analysis to examine how different actors invo (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2024, Management

In a world grappling with energy poverty, Africa, especially sub-Saharan Africa, faces profound challenges marked by extreme disparities in energy access. Study 1 advocates for the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles as a linchpin for alleviating energy poverty by enhancing reliability and affordability and catalyzing low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It emphasizes the urgent need for a shared language among diverse stakeholders to pursue sustainable energy solutions. Study 2 introduces "coopetition" as a groundbreaking strategy across 54 African nations, combining cooperation and competition to drive energy access while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Challenging prevailing assumptions about the direct influence of financial development through official development assistance and foreign direct investment, the study highlights the pivotal role of transparent regulations and risk mitigation in fostering sustainable energy solutions. Study 3 further explores the interplay of coopetition and climate policy, introducing a model encompassing the Sustainable Development Index, GDP Growth Rate, and Corruption Perception Index. Coopetition emerges as an independent variable, moderated by climate policy, revealing a nuanced understanding of collaborative efforts' impact on energy poverty and emissions. The tripartite exploration underscores the call for a harmonious symphony of ESG principles, coopetition strategies, and tailored collaborations to illuminate the path toward a sustainable and equitable energy future for Africa.

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 2023, Biological Sciences

Annually, rivers and channels need dredging to clear shipping avenues and port systems. This dredge sediment (DS) is removed and stored for dewatering or disposal into the system. Several states across the U.S. recently banned open water disposal and are looking for alternatives. Experiments have shown that landfill, environmental, and agricultural landscape restoration with reclaimed DS applied yields beneficial results. Cities, including Toledo, Ohio, aim to manage their DS accumulation with beneficial utilization. DS amendment is a new practice when applied to agricultural environments in Western Lake Erie. This pilot experiment is one of many in the Midwest looking at supplementing agricultural soils with DS. Examining the potential for bioaccumulation in soils amended with DS is imperative. We utilized mesocosm experiments mimicking agricultural fields in a greenhouse to examine this potential impact of DS amendment, and measured soil, and millipede (Narceus spp.), tissue composition from five treatments of varying farm soil to dredge soil. We derived final concentration values from a partial aqua digestion assay where inductive coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was determined and expressed in mg/kg of a wide variety of elements and metals. Results showed concentrations for Ca, Mg, and Zn in millipede tissue increased with higher concentrations of dredge sediment. With an increased level of DS, concentrations of Al, Fe, Cu, Mn, and Cr in millipede tissue decreased. Concentrations for Co and Cd were undetectable with increasing levels of DS. As, Pb and Na were found in trace amounts but not in a consistent pattern as DS increased. As for soil samples collected at harvest, we found that Ca, Cd, Cr, Mg, K, and Mn concentrations increased with higher DS. Al, Co, and Cu in soils decreased with increasing DS. Several elements showed differences between varying levels of DS used from soil samples. Zn, Pb, Mg, and Mn, Ca in ratios of 0% DS to 100% (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, Environment and Natural Resources

Mountain ecosystems and communities are undergoing profound changes driven by a complex interplay of environmental, economic, and sociocultural factors, including climate change, natural hazards, land use change, and rapid infrastructure development. These interconnected changes have far-reaching impacts on local livelihoods, the supporting ecosystems, and the overall sustainability of mountain social-ecological systems. While community resilience has been promoted as a collective capacity to navigate change and advance development, empirical studies on its effectiveness within mountain communities remain limited. To bridge this knowledge gap, this dissertation embarks on an ethnographic and citizen science study in the Hindu-Kush Himalayan region, employing a mixed-methods approach comprising interviews, interventions, and ethnography. This dissertation presents an exploration of community resilience within the context of complex mountain social-ecological systems. By illuminating the significance of social capital and participatory knowledge engagement, the study unveils pathways towards community resilience. A novel conceptual diagram aids in untangling the essence of community resilience as a collective capacity, while subsequent case studies dissect the interactions among critical capacities such as social capital, knowledge, and learning. The dissertation underscores the necessity for context-specific approaches and capacity dynamics, as well as the ethical and political dimensions inherent in community resilience initiatives. This work not only enriches the understanding of community resilience from conceptualization to practical application but also provides actionable insights for effective development interventions. Moreover, the empirical study, conducted in a mountain community and employing digital mapping techniques, offers a small-scale perspective on how to facilitate effective learning and knowledge sharing. To finish, this dissertation research (open full item for complete abstract)

PHD, Kent State University, 2023, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of History

Based on a critical reading of colonial archives and extensive use of oral sources, this dissertation argues that indigenous custodians of the landscape in semi-arid regions of the Zimbabwean Lowveld have a longstanding experience of harnessing their environmental literacy and detailed knowledge of nature to combat climate change. Starting with colonial encounters and contested boundaries of knowledge in Southern Rhodesia (present day Zimbabwe) since the early twentieth century, I demonstrate that oral traditions survived the onslaught of colonialism and offered new generations ways of responding to climate change. I use empirical examples to demonstrate that indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) have been obscured under the veneer of colonial historiography, hence, the importance of recovering African cultural achievements and indigenous agency to the historical record. This dissertation examines the adoption of various coping strategies and sustainable agricultural practices initiated by indigenous people to promote climate smart agriculture and identifies the factors that influence adoption of certain adaptive practices. Water has been a central and defining factor of Africa's development trajectory. A growing body of literature has demonstrated that agricultural yields have been declining in developing countries, including Zimbabwe, due to the impacts of climate change. Indigenous experiences, conceptions and perceptions have played a vital role in the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices. Indigenous farmers are at peace with modernity and modernization, but in the absence of modern technologies and state support, they have been going back to traditional forms of development. The interrelated objectives of climate change mitigation, adaptation and food security were simultaneously sustained through the hybrid integration of indigenous and modern farming practices in agricultural production and sustainable development planning. Indigenous knowledge sys (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 0, Mechanical and Systems Engineering (Engineering and Technology)

This research presents a novel multi-objective mathematical model for the design of a three-echelon sustainable supply chain network comprising suppliers, assemblers, and customers. The research aims to optimize three sustainability functions, namely economic, environmental, and social aspects. The proposed integrated optimization model addresses four key decision areas: (1) locating assembly plants and determining their manufacturing capacity and line configurations, (2) selecting transportation modes for the delivery of parts from suppliers to assemblers and the final product to customers, (3) supplier selection, and (4) choosing the source of energy from a range of conventional and renewable options. This research investigates the interactions between sustainability objectives by analyzing the results obtained through a Pareto frontier approach. The study aims to enable decision-makers to select their preferred option from a range of scenarios. To showcase the practical application of the proposed optimization model, a case study involving a US truck manufacturer is conducted. The findings of the study reveal the trade-offs that exist among the sustainability criteria, providing decision-makers with a variety of alternatives to align their business strategies accordingly. The proposed problem is a multi-objective mixed-integer non-linear programming model that incorporates chance constraints to account for energy usage uncertainties in the assembly plant. The integration of robots within assembly plants introduces variability in energy consumption. Factors such as specific robot tasks, variations in product mix or production volumes, and the condition of robot components can all influence energy usage. In order to effectively address these uncertainties, it is essential to formulate appropriate constraints as chance constraints. By incorporating chance constraints, the model can consider the probabilistic nature of energy usage and ensure (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2023, Natural Resources

One of the critical questions in the field of environment and natural resources from a policy perspective is to understand how collaborative processes and beneficial working relationships can lead to improved urban farming practices. While the topic has received attention by scholars across the nation, research on this topic is lacking regarding urban agriculture in low-income settings of Columbus Ohio. In this thesis, I will examine the perceived barriers that historically underserved urban farmers encounter in low-income settings. Specifically, I study the Community Growers Network (CGN), a new collaborative initiative that brings together urban farmers to work on creative solutions to solve their problems. Through interviews and participant observation, I uncover and explain the variables that limit urban agriculture production and help establishing stronger collaborative relationships between urban farmers. According to the interviews there are a plethora of challenges that urban farmers face; however, in this thesis I only highlighted the challenges that were common amongst all interviewees which are, 1) Land management, 2) Access to proper infrastructure, 3) Labor force (access to volunteers), 4) Access to funding 5) Access to specialized knowledge, and 6) Pest control and soil management. I find that he CGN is, in general, well equipped to help farmers face these challenges, and that the inner structure of the network is conducive to such solutions. I conclude by discussing the limitations of this study and potential areas of development for future research. I highlight not only the academic value of these findings, but also the value for individuals working in the development of urban farming in Columbus Ohio.

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2023, Environmental Studies (Voinovich)

Agricultural nutrient pollution is a significant cause of impairment in American surface waters. Wetland restoration projects in agricultural watersheds can provide an effective sink for excess nutrients and potentially improve downstream water quality. Ohio University has partnered with The Stream and Wetlands Foundation to conduct water quality monitoring during the restoration of Bloody Run Swamp, a wetland in a former agricultural field near Columbus, Ohio. This thesis serves as an analysis of the initial water quality impacts of this restoration project. The restoration of Bloody Run Swamp did not significantly impact total dissolved phosphorus, orthophosphate, TKN, or ammonia concentrations. In contrast, both nitrate/nitrate and total dissolved nitrogen concentration and loads were significantly reduced during construction. This may have been due to the dry weather during construction and the removal of drainage tiles from Bloody Run Swamp. Future water quality monitoring is needed to determine the long-term impacts of this restoration project.

Bachelor of Science (BS), Ohio University, 2023, Environmental Studies

Ramps are a type of Onion found throughout the Appalachian region. They have been valued by Native American and Appalachian people for thousands of years, but have recently gained popularity with foodies. This popularity has led to an increase in harvesting, which puts pressure on ramp populations. This thesis deconstructs the impact that the foodie movement has had on ramps and their traditional users, as well as how ramps are perceived as a source of authenticity for foodies to consume. These ideas parallel greater trends of Appalachian resource extraction, media portrayal, and economic and cultural exploitation.

Master of Science in Chemistry, Youngstown State University, 2023, Department of Biological Sciences and Chemistry

X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy is a good analytical method for determination of both trace and major elements in different samples, it has the important advantages of allowing direct analysis of soils and sediments and is also non-destructive. The major aim of this study was to develop an XRF method for the determination of total metal concentrations in soils and sediments. Limit of detection and limit of quantitation were used as the figures of merit to evaluate the method. Standard Reference materials: NIST-2586, NIST-2587, NIST-1645 and NIST-1645 were used for calibration. Different calibration methods were explored. background corrected peak height to Background corrected Compton peak height ratio had the highest correlation coefficient (0.99) for Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, Al, Cr, Ca and Pb. The method was applied to measure 120 sediment samples that were collected from the yellow creek watershed Poland, Ohio. The results of the XRF method were compared with those obtained by ICP-MS. Al, Mn, Zn, Fe and Cu had good agreement. A sequential extraction approach was developed for characterizing the availability of metals in the water from the sediments. Ca and Mn were found to be easily extracted under weakly acidic conditions.

MFIS, Kent State University, 2023, College of the Arts / School of Fashion

​ The fashion industry's overproduction, environmental impact, global sourcing, fast fashion business model, and labor exploitation make the current system unsustainable (Bick et al., 2018; EPA, 2023; WWF, 2023). The industry needs to shift toward supporting practices promoting environmental and social protection, to ameliorate these global problems. As competition for natural resources increases, executives will need the strategies of sustainability officers, experts, and research to guide the response toward ethical and equitable solutions. This study investigates how sustainable leaders in the fashion industry conceptualize and implement sustainable practices. Most research revolves around the importance of consumer perception, education, circular economy, and innovation toward advancing sustainable objectives. However, much of the current academic literature overlooks the sustainability leaders in the industry that set, communicate, and evaluate their companies' sustainability agendas. This disconnect suggests a research gap focused on how firm strategies and systems thinking support sustainability in the fashion sector. The research aims to identify how sustainable fashion leaders implement systems and best practices to achieve sustainable objectives through a knowledge discovery lens. A semi-structured qualitative interview method was used to explore the topic. The transcripts of the qualitative interviews were analyzed using NVivo software to facilitate the coding and analysis of data generated from the interviews. The targeted questions aim to identify Knowledge Discovery activities or strategies used to move sustainable objectives forward; the goals of this study are to explore: (1) What are the conceptualizations of sustainability in the fashion industry for sustainability leaders and their organizations? (2) How do those leaders and organizations discover the necessary knowledge to implement those conceptualizations? The findings suggest that sustainable (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2023, Environment and Natural Resources

Bycatch is one of the leading threats facing aquatic organisms, worldwide. Pesticide bycatch can occur when nontarget species are incidentally killed during chemical applications that target noxious species. The common mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus) is a declining, river-dwelling salamander that is susceptible to bycatch from 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol or TFM applications. TFM is used to control the invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) and is responsible for large scale die-offs of common mudpuppies in the Great Lakes region, but the long-term consequences of these die-offs are not well understood. Matson (1990) found a 29% decline in the mudpuppy population in Ohio's Grand River following a TFM application and predicted that the population could decline by 75% if subjected to four applications in twelve to twenty years. We returned to Matson (1990)'s study site in the Grand River, Ohio to conduct a capture-mark-recapture study to estimate current mudpuppy population size, survival, growth rates, and demographics in 2021 and 2022. To compare results with a mudpuppy population unexposed to TFM, we conducted a mark-recapture study in Alum Creek, Ohio from 2020 to 2023. We used Population Viability Analysis to reveal potential impacts of TFM application on the Grand River population under plausible bycatch scenarios. Following the first year of mark-recapture surveys, federal biologists treated the Grand River with TFM in April 2022. We observed mudpuppy mortality in the Grand River following TFM treatment and detected a possible decline in the estimated population size in 2022. Population size was comparable between the Grand River and Alum Creek, and Grand River mudpuppies appeared to reach sexual maturity at a younger age and attain a smaller adult size. Smaller adults could lead to reduced fecundity, higher predation, or lower competitive ability. Using population viability analyses, we found that the population was likely to decline or become extinct when (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science (M.S.), University of Dayton, 2023, Biology

The structure and composition of forest ecosystems throughout eastern North America has been determined by historical disturbances and successional processes. The white oak group (Leucobalanus) was an important species culturally for Indigenous Peoples of eastern North America for hundreds of years and has been highly valued by European colonizers of the 18th and 19th centuries. The white oak tree (Quercus alba) is a geographically widespread species in eastern North America that has historically been a forest dominant. In addition to popular human uses, Q. alba acorns are an important resource for wildlife. Over the past century, despite being a canopy dominant, Q. alba along with other oaks have exhibited a striking lack of regeneration and recruitment into the canopy across much of its range. This regeneration failure has been associated with a dramatic increase in the importance of shade-tolerant maple species (Acer spp.). A transition from oak-to-maple dominance could have largescale effects on biodiversity, wildlife, and soil characteristics. A variety of explanations for this oak-to-maple dominance shift have been offered in the scientific literature, predominant among these is the multiple interactive drivers hypothesis that asserts historical oak dominance was created by the interaction of multiple disturbance processes. Much remains unknown about the causes of oak-to-maple dominance shift and the multiple drivers hypothesis has not been fully vetted. In this Thesis I sought to examine factors that led to formation of Q. alba dominated forests over the past century by focusing on tree-ring analysis in forests of southwestern Ohio. These forests are near the geographic center of the Q. alba range and are broadly characteristic of the ecology in oak forests of eastern North America. I examined cross section samples of Q. alba (n = 62), chestnut oak (Q. montana) (n = 2), and shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) (n = 1) trees to assess (a) long- (open full item for complete abstract)

BA, Kent State University, 2022, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Geography

The question this paper addresses is whether or not the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and the State of Ohio are in violation of the Great Lakes Compact for allowing unapproved water to be depleted from the Great Lakes Basin Watershed. This project used two distinct study designs: a legal analysis of the Great Lakes Compact was conducted to interpret the binational agreement as written. Additionally, secondary data analysis was used to extract, extrapolate, aggregate, analyze and then interpret data from the ODNR to investigate whether or not this accord has indeed been violated by examining the quantities of water used to drill and stimulate oil and gas wells in Ohio permitted after December of 2008 when the Compact went into effect. 450 wells were found to have been permitted in the Lake Erie Watershed between December of 2008 and December of 2021. This study has shown that the use of injection wells as a means of disposal for hydraulic fracturing wastewater originally derived from the Lake Erie Watershed is in violation of the spirit of the Great Lakes Compact. There are potentially implications for future litigation to address this violation pending further research.

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Organizational Leadership , Franklin University, 2022, International Institute for Innovative Instruction

The purpose of this study is to examine the predictive power of organizational culture (OC) and social quality relationship (SQR) on Environmental Services (EVS) departmental turnover intent (TI) in full-service contracted companies in an Ohio hospital. Recommendations grounded on the study's data provide an EVS organization with strategies as to how to reduce EVS employee turnover intent. The primary research goal is to contribute value-driven, reliable, and validated data to an EVS department identifying potential employee turnover intent through vital predictors. The second goal is to develop a Call-to-Action plan enabling leaders from full service contracted accounts to implement measures to reduce employee turnover intent. Both research goals will likely enhance EVS teams in building relationships, and contribute to team and department efficiency (Nowak, 2019). A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was employed as means of predicting turnover intent from organization culture and social quality relationship predictors in the EVS department. The quantitative element of the design was intended to measure organizational culture, social quality relationships, and turnover intent. This was accomplished by three proven instruments: (1). 5-point Likert 15-item Organizational Culture Scale (OCS; Tang et al., 2000); (2). 7-item Leader-Member Exchange Scale (LMX; Graen & Uhl-Bien, 1995); and (3). 5-point Likert 6-item Turnover Intent Scale (TIS; Roodt, 2004). The qualitative element of the design is intended to explore outlier data and is accomplished by the analysis of composite scores from the quantitative strand. There is no research on EVS organizational culture, social quality relationships, and turnover intent from a front-line employee perspective. This research fills an identified gap to study EVS turnover intent due to the amount of loss EVS experience. The impact EVS leaders have on their specific account turnover is valuable within the contents o (open full item for complete abstract)

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.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2022, Environment and Natural Resources

Restoration ecology is a relatively new science and aims to actively assist in the recovery of degraded ecosystems. As climate change, disturbance, and anthropogenic pressures all threaten the function and extent of ecosystems across the world, many of the management and restoration methods we have relied upon in the past are becoming less relevant. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new restoration and management approaches. Restoration ecologists are thus turning towards functional traits to answer difficult ecological questions and inform the restoration of degraded habitats. One particular benefit of over-utilizing a functional rather than species-based approach is that functional composition and diversity can inform generalizable rules that can be applied across ecosystems. My overarching aim was to take a functional trait approach to evaluate how disturbance and management influence the functional composition of plant communities. To achieve this, I evaluated functional communities within two degraded systems; 1) an unmanaged prairie on a reclaimed strip mine, and 2) two sagebrush steppe sites with varying abiotic conditions, and that experience repeated disturbances. Many of the plots within these sagebrush sites have also received some form of restoration. My three specific objectives were to i) identify how restoration influences the plant functional type community 8 years post establishment; ii) evaluate whether an understanding of baseline functional composition can assist in restoration decisions that will ultimately increase restoration success; and iii) determine how repeated disturbances, varying abiotic conditions, as well as restoration efforts, influence functional composition and functional diversity. I first evaluated the functional community of an eight year old reclaimed mine land prairie established using combinations of fertilizer, deep ripping, and various seed mixes. Seed mix was the strongest driver of functional composition bu (open full item for complete abstract)