The issues dealt with by the environmental movements are numerous and diverse, with no simple solutions. For this reason creative and diverse answers must be found through many different disciplines. One such discipline is art. Artists have been commenting on social issues for centuries, including the environment. From early cave art, through the agricultural and industrial ages, to the technological times of today, they have been educating the public on the state of the environment, and such issues as deforestation, urban development, loss of biodiversity, waste management and toxic waste.

I had several objectives for this project. The first objective was to compile a general overview of the role of art in the environmental movement. The second objective was to create an art exhibit concerning endangered species. The third objective was to determine the ability of the exhibit to raise emotions, increase awareness and to transmit knowledge.

First, the art exhibit was completed, consisting of nine large drawings portraying endangered species in India ink. A text pamphlet was also compiled containing the same information as found on the drawings. A ten question multiple choice test was created to test knowledge. In addition, a questionnaire was created on a seven point scale to test awareness and emotion.

Thirty test subjects were recruited from two art classes. The group was split into two sub-groups of fifteen. All the test subjects took an initial quiz and questionnaire. Then one sub-group was given the text, while the other viewed the artwork. After fifteen minutes, both groups retook the questionnaire and quiz.

It was found that both the text and art groups increased their knowledge on the quizzes significantly. However, the text group responded more than the art group, receiving higher scores on their second quiz. On the questionnaire, the art group increased significantly only in their perceived level of knowledge. The text group increased significantly in their desire to join an environmental agency for endangered species, in their anger level at the plight of endangered species, and in their perceived level of knowledge. There was no significant difference in responses between the art and text groups.Thus, it was shown that art can be used to educate the public on environmental issues such as endangered species. Text was more effective at inciting emotion. However, the most effective, it would seem, would be a combination of the two.

The Endangered Species Act, since its passage in 1973, has been a source of debate in both the political and scientific worlds. The Act itself was drafted with the intent of protecting the nation's biological heritage in a manner that minimally restricts economic development. Whether this intent has in fact been realized is often the focus of the debate surrounding the Act.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the Endangered Species Act's effectiveness through the years, as well as to make a series of recommendations as to how the overall protection of biodiversity can more effectively and efficiently be undertaken in the U.S.. This Paper will be broken into four main sections. These sections will discuss the Act's origins and implementation, as well as the main criticisms and responses directed toward the Act by both proponents and detractors of biodiversity conservation. Lastly, proposals will be brought forth which incorporate the most sensible and realistic of the suggested conservation policy revisions, in an attempt to formulate a more effective potential U.S. policy towards biodiversity.

Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in water based nutrient solutions with or without the use of a pump and an inert growing media. In terms of sustainable agriculture, hydroponics utilizes organic nutrient solutions to combine efficient production with wise stewardship of the earth's resources. Compost extract, a tea consisting of the nutrients reclaimed through the natural process of recycling dead plant material, was used in a comparison with three commercially available (inorganic) nutrient solutions. Cherry tomatoes were grown in a custom-built, random block design hydroponic system for analysis and comparison of stem, leaf and total plant mass. The results of this experiment suggest that compost extract suffers from probable deficiencies in available nitrogen and sulfur as exhibited by poor growth characteristics in the compost extract treatment group.

The purpose of this project was to determine the fundamental building blocks of a successful community initiative. The "blocks" included offer options for community organizers to develop a process for project implementation. The manual aids a community organizer in generating ideas and transforming innovation into action. The project investigates the relationship among community projects, civic virtue and the movement to more sustainable living patterns.

Although the manual text was not developed into an accessible organizer's tool, the manual's audience focuses on the Western Pennsylvanian community and the local organizers or activists in these localities.

Pesticides continue to play an important role in the successful cultivation of food crops. In particular, fungicides are needed to control the myriad fungal infestations affecting vineyards in the northeast. Unfortunately, these fungicides that so effectively control fungal pathogens may also have detrimental effects on non-target organisms present in the ecosystem and watershed, specifically through aquatic contamination. An issue directly related to pesticide usage is the possibility of interactive effects between different chemicals used on the same fields. It is the purpose of this study to examine the possibility of interactive effects between two relatively new fungicides used commonly on grape fields on an indicator organism representative of aquatic plants. A duckweed (Lemna minor) bioassay method consisting of a range test (single chemical effects) and a definitive test (combinations of chemicals) were used to determine both the presence of chemical interactions and the toxicity to the duckweed of single chemical concentrations.

The results of the bioassay and the statistical analysis performed on the data showed no evidence of any interactive effects between the chemicals. All treatments, both single and combination trials, showed a significant reduction in the growth of thalli relative to the untreated controls. The concentrations of the chemicals used in the lab were equivalent to concentrations in the low range of application rates of the chemicals in the field.

Results of previous studies differ in whether the addition or removal of a top predator in freshwater ecosystems causes a cascading effect throughout lower trophic levels. The purpose of this study was to first test for the presence of a trophic cascade in response to the removal of fish from a headwater stream using exclusion cages. Results from the field study showed that algae in cages devoid of fish grew at a greater rate during the latter stages of the experiment. I hypothesized that predatory invertebrates (e.g. stoneflies) might have compensated for excluded fish predators, thereby suppressing grazing invertebrates. In a second experiment conducted in laboratory stream tanks, I examined specific trophic interactions between the mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdi), the grazing mayfly, Stenacron, and periphyton grown on benthic tiles. Data and photographs showed that periphyton assemblages grew more dense and at a greater rate in the presence of sculpin. I found evidence for heavy Stenacron grazing in tanks without sculpin and no grazing in tanks with sculpin. Results and observations suggested that the Stenacron-periphyton trophic link in a headwater stream environment would be heavily impacted by the addition or removal of sculpin. I hypothesize that trophic cascades can potentially exist in headwater streams, especially where human interaction has caused the addition or removal of a top predator.

Agriculture and development have eliminated many wetland areas since European settlement. Recently, many state, federal and non-government organizations have begun to create artificial wetlands to replace those destroyed by human development. However, the biological quality of constructed wetlands remains to be tested. Recently, a Wetlands Index of Biological Integrity (WIBI) was developed in order to determine the quality of wetlands based on their biotic content. The WIBI provides criteria for determining the biological integrity of a wetland area based on the macroinvertebrate fauna contained within the wetland.

This study applied the metrics of the proposed WIBI to wetland age in order to determine the quality of wetlands in different age groups. Specifically, this study was used to determine whether recently constructed wetlands are of comparable biological quality or are approaching the biological quality of natural wetlands in the Crawford County area.

Twelve sites were sampled, four that were less than two years old, four that were two to six years old, and four natural sites. Macroinvertebrates were quantitatively and qualitatively sampled and identified to the taxonomic level specified by each WIBI metric. These data were then scored on the WIBI metrics to determine the biological integrity of each site.

Newly constructed wetlands (less than two years old) scored the lowest on the WIBI while two to six year old sites and natural sites scored considerably higher. Newly constructed wetlands were dominated by high densities of rapidly colonizing opportunistic invertebrates such as chironomids. Invertebrate communities in these sites had low diversities and did not score highly on the WIBI. Two to six year old sites contained both rapidly colonizing and slowly colonizing invertebrates. These sites supported relatively high diversities of invertebrates and scored the highest of all three study groups. Natural sites were dominated by slowly colonizing k-selected invertebrates and were slightly less diverse than two to six year old wetlands. According to this study, invertebrate communities take only about three years to develop into a nearly natural state in constructed wetlands.

The use of biomonitoring techniques such as the WIBI can show which construction techniques are the most efficient and effective to ensure the creation of diverse and productive wetland habitats.

The purpose of this senior thesis was to examine the commodity chain for wood in Northwestern Pennsylvania, and to determine the role that small scale woodworking could play in promoting sustainability. To this end, the regional sources of sustainable wood were researched. Certified hardwoods were identified as being available from Kane Hardwoods, a Division of Collins Pine Co., in Kane, PA. Salvaged wood, either from tree removal services, or from old, unused buildings, was also identified as a possible source of sustainable wood. I also researched woodworking practices, finding issues like energy use, waste, and toxins to be issues that a sustainable woodworker would need to address to ensure that his/her practices concur with sustainable objectives. Lastly, I tried to identify ways to market sustainably produced items. I found marketing to be the greatest obstacle to a sustainable wood industry or business in Northwest Pennsylvania. However, through the tactics of niche marketing, identifying and targeting the likely consumer populace, and possibly through the use of an artisan cooperative, I have hope that sustainable woodworking could be a realistic possibility in Northwestern Pennsylvania.

Increased material consumption in developed countries, such as the United States, has had a significant role in the degradation of the environment. The church community can be one place where a change of focus from the consumption of material goods to the support of community and spiritual fulfillment of needs can take place. For these reasons, this curriculum, designed as a six week Sunday school or Bible study course for college students and adults, looks at material consumption and what we should be doing as Christians. The curriculm aims to begin educating Christians about the envrionmental effects of material consumption, to show why Christians should be responding, and then to focus on how change can begin in practical ways in the participants' own lifestyles. Before the formal write-up of the curriculum, two classes were led, one at the Presbyterian Church in Meadville and another at Allegheny College. Thus, I was able to test and improve the curriculum before it was formally written.

A number of factors can determine an individual's participation in their community's recycling program. These factors include: knowledge about their community's recycling program, the convenience of their program, an individual's concern for environmental issues, an individual's involvement in environmental programs or activities and demographic factors such as age, gender and education.

The majority of research investigating these factors has normally been tested on sites which practice curbside, commingled (placing all recyclables in one bin for pick-up) or drop-off recycling programs. This project investigates the influence of these factors in a community which practices both commingled recycling (more specifically a commingled recycling program which requires no separation at all) and a drop-off recycling program.

This study was conducted by surveying the residents of Hampton Court condo complex in Greenwood Village located in Sagamore Hills, Ohio. The Hampton Court condos practice both commingled and drop-off recycling programs. The survey asked questions relevant to the factors that influence an individual's recycling participation. Also, two other factors were tested to see if they had an influence: an individual's participation in recreational activities was tested to see if frequent use of bike paths and trails influenced a person's recycling participation. Also, a person's "willingness" to recycle was tested should their community's recycling program change or incentives be provided to recycle.

The majority of factors tested on this site were found to not have an effect on participation or "willingness" to participate. The level of "convenience" of the recycling program was shown to affect the rate of participation by a community in their recycling program.

This study exams the question of how a civic environmental organization such as the French Creek Project operates and to what degree such organizations can influence the behavior and attitudes of local communities. In this study the French Creek Project is compared to the guidelines set forth for civic environmental organizations by author DeWitt John in Civic Environmentalism. The French Creek Project is described in terms of the goals stated at the time of its creation and in its most recent Vision Plan (1997). One of the major goals of civic environmental organizations as put forth by John is to serve as an information clearinghouse for the resource it is trying to conserve. In the case of the French Creek Project, this involves the dissemination of information pertaining to French Creek to the residents of the French Creek Watershed. The information is then hoped to influence the behavior of the watershed residents for the betterment of the Project's goal of conserving French Creek. This study was conducted to determine the extent to which this process was working in the French Creek Watershed. From this study it would seem that those residents whom were on the French Creek Project's newsletter mailing list experienced a significantly higher level of influence from the Project than those residents in the watershed not on the mailing list.

Several Studies over the past few years have focused on determining a Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (B-IBI) for French Creek and its tributaries. However, many streams and stretches of streams in the French Creek Watershed are low-gradient and are not suited for standard analysis. Most secondary production in these sections of streams appears to occur on woody debris (snags) instead of on the unstable, muddy substrate.

The purpose of this study was to determine how benthic macroinvertebrates assemble in the low-gradient tributaries and sections of French Creek. Additional goals were to report that standard approaches for sampling macroinvertebrates are not going to be applicable, and to offer important information toward the overall goal of establishing a Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity for the French Creek Watershed. Three tributaries, Cussewago Creek, Muddy Creek, and Woodcock Creek, were sampled and compared with relation to each other and the mud and snag habitats present within them.

Three sampling methods were used to collect macroinvertebrates from the streams. The snag habitats were analyzed using a DHT sampler, while the mud habitats were analyzed using an Ekman dredge. Additionally, Hester-Dendy Multiple Plate Artificial Substrate Samplers (MPASS) were used to gather organisms from both habitats.

The results showed that, in fact, there was no significant difference between the mud and the snag habitats with regards to total numbers of individuals, as well as total diversity of organisms. Likewise, the streams did not significantly differ from each other in these two categories. Functional group percent composition showed few similarities present among the three streams. Also, significant differences were nearly absent in comparing the functional group percent composition between the mud and snag habitats.

The most viable reason for the similarities in the total number of individuals and the total diversity of organisms between the mud and snag habitats was due to introducing a stable, artificial substrate onto the mud habitat. The dissimilarities in functional group percent composition among streams could best be attributed to their differences in size, thus supporting the River Continuum Concept. Comparing functional group percent composition between habitats resulted in collectors-gathers being found significantly more abundant on the mud habitat than the snag habitat due to the increased amounts of fine particulate organic matter found on the mud substrate.

Anti-predator behaviors are important in mediating interactions between predators and prey. These behaviors are thought to be significantly related to distributions of species along the permanence/ predation gradient in wetlands. I observed that three species of dragonflies were distinctly distributed along this gradient: Libellula lydia (fishless/ temporary to permanent), Epitheca cynosura (fish/ permanent), and Leucorrhinia intacta (fish/ permanent). Previous studies indicate that some species of dragonfly exhibit effective anti-predator adaptations to reduce their risk of predation. This study examined microhabitat selection as a mechanism that contributes to maintaining the distributional patterns. Microhabitat selection trials were conducted in microcosms using vertebrate and invertebrate predators and varying dragonfly group compositions to distinguish between predation and competition effects.

I found that the different species of dragonfly significantly differed in their vertical position across all treatments, and predators induced microhabitat shifts in L. intacta and L. lydia. Survival was highest when prey were grouped with microspatially sympatric predators, with significant mortality in L. intacta and L. llydia when exposed to non-sympatric predators. E. cynosura showed no response to differing predation treatments in either microhabitat selection or survival. I used these results to suggest a testable conceptual model to explain the distributions of these three species based on predation and competition.

Throughout our country, landfills are becoming increasingly stressed due to excess garbage. Much of the waste taking up our landfills need not be there and could be put back to use as an organic fertilizer, better known as compost. Compost is something that can be both environmentally as well as economically beneficial. Colleges and communities around the country are beginning to realize this fact and are taking steps forward to make use of this valuable substance. Allegheny College is an institution that takes pride in its environmental awareness, and could benefit by composting some of its waste. The two dining halls on campus, Brooks and Schultz, create much waste that could be better served by composting. Currently, Allegheny College pays a flat rate to Tri-County Waste Haulers to dispose of all of its waste. The first step toward any kind of waste reduction would be to renegotiate the contract to include a per ton rate, thus creating incentive for waste reduction. Once this has occurred, two composting possibilities exist and could be implemented by the college, each of which had its advantages and disadvantages. The first was to send the compostables to an off site facility, most likely Powell's Sanitation, to be composted and sold for a profit. The second was to construct and operate a composting facility on campus. The economic costs and benefits were examined in each case, and it was found that the college would be best suited to send its compostable material to the off site facility. This action would result in over $11,000 in savings each year. It was further proposed that this savings could be used to pay for the on-site facility, that once paid for could save the college an estimated $13,500 yearly.

Education is a social tool used for the purposes of passing on knowledge deemed necessary to the successful function of a society and for conditioning people to act in a set of desired manners. For this reason, many contemporary problems (e.g. environmental degradation and unsustainable practices) that result from deleterious behavior could be perpetuated by contemporary pedagogies. While evidence, both scientific and social, exists that various behaviors, systems, and practices utilized within affluent nations are harming the ecological constructs needed for life, institutions of higher education have yet to fully recognize the need to promote sustainability among students and future societal leaders.

The discipline of environmental science emerged from the political activity and environmental awareness of the 1960s and has since been training students to address politicized and complex environmental issues. This study questions the effectiveness of environmental education in promoting a sustainable society by examining the affects of college level, introductory environmental science on students' perceptions and actions regarding environmental issues. The study measures changes in student opinions and actions toward the environment as they learned about troubling environmental issues. Student volunteers from the Fall of 1997 semester of introduction to environmental science (ES 110) at Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsylvania, were surveyed three times. Among other results, this study found that nearly 100 percent of the respondents believe education is the key to altering behavior, yet only two students, out of 13 responding to the final survey, could site specific behavioral changes caused by their increased level of awareness from ES 110. A strong tendency toward simple, individualized responses to environmental concerns was also noted. The study concludes that while environmental education increases awareness of students it does not seem to alter behavior. It is likely that until changes in the pedagogical process are made in modern educational practices, it remains dubious that sustainability will arise as a result of increased awareness.

Human impacts on the natural environment are becoming more widely recognized, so too are the concepts of sustainable development. With the realization of sustainability, efforts to reduce habitat destruction and the depletion of natural resources become vital. The North American native grassland is a seriously threatened ecosystem, and has been thoroughly altered by more than a century of agricultural use and development. In Indiana, only 0.01 percent of its presettlement extent of prairie habitat remains. Therefore, it is important to restore and preserve the patches that currently exist. The objective of this study was to examine the composition of the soil seed bank at the Coffee Creek prairie restoration project in northwest Indiana, specifically looking at whether or not it possesses a significant degree of native plant character. Buried seeds can have important implications for conservation management where preferred species have been lost from the vegetation, but survive in the seed bank. By examining the seed bank's composition it is possible to gather three features: (1) its species composition, (2) the relative abundance of recently recruited species and (3) the potential distribution of each species. The Coffee Creek prairie seed bank was assessed by collecting soil samples and germinating them in the Allegheny College greenhouse to determine the presence of viable seeds. A very low density of seeds was found to exist within the seed bank. All species found were non-native weeds, excluding the finding of a non-conservative, native weed. The results of this study imply that the seed bank of the Coffee Creek Prairie restoration site has both a persistent and a transient character. This information could be important for future site management. Recognizing the existence of different types of seed banks and understanding how each type, either persistent or transient, responds to disturbance can provide those involved in the prairie landscape management the means to positively manipulate regeneration and species composition of the prairie vegetation.

This comprehensive project investigates the complex issue of assessing the success of a population program. Current trends in global politics have shifted the focus of population policy away from traditional demographic issues to new social development concerns. The awareness of connections between birth control, family planning, health care, education, poverty alleviation, and reductions in fertility rates have created a variety of new perspectives and outlooks concerning solutions to high rates of population growth. By including social aspects in the evaluation of population policies, praise previously bestowed upon some programs may be withdrawn. This project focuses on the two globally heralded programs of Kerala, India and Indonesia to determine their true achievements of success from not only a fertility reduction standpoint, but from a social development one as well. The four areas of family planning, health care, education, and poverty alleviation formed a set of criteria by which to examine each program from a social development and human rights perspective; with particular attention being paid to the advancement of women's rights. In comparing the two programs, Kerala's comprehensive model of socio-economic development surpasses Indonesia's limited family planning efforts. However, both programs still fall short of an "ideal"approach that meets all of the criteria developed here.

A local stream is expected to be contaminated by surrounding industrial development, therefore, a study was conducted to become more familiar with the local environment and its contribution to the polluted waterways. The study was also performed to support the idea that sediment quality is ignored event though it has a great impact ont he quality of the environment.

Selected pollutants were chosen to be analyzed from Colgate Creek, located in Baltimore, MD. Both water and sediment samples were obtained to assess the condition of the creek. The samples were then analyzed at a local environmental lab. The amount of metals in sediment showed to be up to 90x greater than found int he water samples. also, a moderate amount of petroleum-based waste was observed int he test results. Although there was no initial interest in the amount of petroleum found in sediment, this test was conducted on selected samples, which showed a high amount of hydrocarbons (275 - 5317 ppm). This high level of contaminant was of interest because it suggests that this should indeed be controlled due to its negative impact on the environment, especially on benthic organisms and aquatic vegetation.

The results revealed that sediment quality should be of concern due to the overwhelming concentrations of selected metals found in all the samples. This would lead to the belief that this creek is considered of low quality and is playing a role in affecting those ecosystems downstream.

Title: How does an Environmental Safety and Health Process Affect the Lives of Workers?: a close look at the BAPP process at PPG Flat Glass Manufacturing Plant Works No. 8 Meadville, PA

This senior comprehensive is a study of the role of behavior based environmental safety and health processes (EH&S) in U.S. manufacturing corporations. It describes the outcomes and trends from academic and field reseach. The study includes results from interviews with forty workers at PPG Glass Manufacturing Plant Works 8 in Meadville, PA on BAPP—a behavior based safety program designed by EH&S consulting company BST Technologies—and its effects on the lives of workers at work and at home. It found that plant's worker health and safety depended upon the participation and support of workers and managers. It includes recommendations to improve the environmental health and safety process at Plant 8 with increased communication and changes in the BAPP evaluation process. The study, limited by time and scope recommends improvements in the feedback components of the process; the M.O.S.T. Observation Reports and the M.O.S.T. Steering Committee meetings. It concludes with suggestions for an integrated worker, manager, researcher approach to health and safety processes and the need for future studies of health in safety in manufacturing plants worldwide.

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) is a water pollution problem affecting many mining regions across the globe. Pennsylvanian streams are no exception. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, under the Comprehensive Mine Reclamation Strategy (CMRS), has selected the Slippery Rock Creek Watershed as a host region for Northwest Pennsylvania. Three wetlands have been installed to passively treat AMD. The use of wetlands for remediation is a common practice today. Wetlands succeed in raising the streams water quality, but it is not clear, how effective they are at inducing macroinvertebrate recovery. The purpose of this study was to 1) biologically monitor Slippery Rock Creek and determine initial signs of recovery; 2) synthesize recovery literature from other studies; 3) evaluate Slippery Rock Creek as compared to other recovery studies. I hypothesized that as the treatment systems continue to improve to water quality of Slippery Rock Creek, the previously AMD impacted sites would gradually begin to resemble the Non-AMD impacted sites. I also hypothesized that the water quality downstream of the treatment systems would be better than the upstream water quality. By sampling three control streams and seven sites within Slippery Rock Creek, I found that the macroinvertebrate communities found were significantly different. I also found that by sampling in three different locations (above, input, and below) the water quality downstream was no better than the water quality downstream. Slippery Rock Creek also scored low on the invertebrate community index (ICI) and the adjusted ICI for AMD recovery. From the data I collected between October 1997 and December 1997, I have found no evidence of recovery at Slippery Rock Creek. This does not mean that the treatment wetlands are no longer working. Recovery time is difficult to identify, and perhaps it is not a result of increased water quality. Recovery may lag behind improvements in water quality in AMD impacted streams as long as the stream beds remain armoured with ferric precipitate.

Title: Uptake of Iron and Manganese by Three Aquatic Macrophyte Species in a Wetland Mitigating Acid Mine Drainage

The purpose of this study was to determine which of three wetland plant species accumulates the greatest amount of metal in a constructed wetland designed to remediate acid mine drainage. Arrow Arum (Peltandra virginica), Three-Square Bulrush (Scirpus americanus), and Soft-Stem Bulrush (Scirpus validus) were planted in greenhouse flats and placed in the constructed wetland site SR114 near Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, which is a project of the Comprehensive Mine Reclamation Strategy. The three plant species were propagated in greenhouses at Ernst Conservation Seeds in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Additional plants remained in the greenhouses for later use as a control group. I used an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer to determine concentration and total uptake of iron and manganese in the plant tissue and water. A significantly greater amount of iron was sequestered in the experimental plants than in the control plants, but manganese sequestration did not differ significantly between groups. The concentration of manganese was found to be significantly greater in the above ground plant tissue, but total iron and manganese sequestration was found to be greater in below ground plant tissue. At some sites within the experimental wetland, sequestration differed significantly between Scirpus validus and Peltandra virginica and between Scirpus americanus and Peltandra virginica. The accumulation factor indicates that Scirpus validus bioconcentrates the most iron, with Peltandra virginica as a close second. Peltandra virginica is shown to concentrate the most manganese and Scirpus americanus the least. My data suggest that Scirpus validus and Peltandra virginica could be valuable to the practice of mine reclamation, but further experimentation is needed to explore depuration rates and lethal concentrations with respect to these species.

Wetland restoration is a relatively new and increasingly common practice. Due to the absence of a paradigm for restoring wetlands, it is necessary to examine existing methods to provide supporting evidence for a standard template of doing so. The twelve restored wetlands in this study were all built consistent with methods used under the Partners for Wildlife Program. Natural sites were chosen as a baseline for which to compare the restored sites. Both qualitative and quantitative vegetation sampling was completed at each site. The qualitative survey showed that there was no significant difference between natural and restored sites with regard to the total number of wetland species. A Jaccard index of community similarity showed that when grouped, natural wetlands were most similar to 3-4 year old restored wetlands. However, a site by site clustering matrix indicated that similarity between habitats showed no pattern, suggesting that natural variation between wetlands is common. This natural variation was also observed in the restored habitats. Quantitative results indicated that age groups differed in percent cover, with 1-2 year old and 3-4 year old habitats having much lower percent cover than natural and 5-6 year habitats. Five to six year old restored wetlands had similar coverage as natural wetlands. Non-wetland species (FAC, FACU, UPL) were a component of the dominant species in restored wetlands yet they were not dominating members of natural wetlands. Contrary to other studies, Typha spp. were not found to dominate newly constructed habitats. In summary, the PFW method of topsoil respreading was effective in reestablishing vegetation in restored wetlands.

Title: Food for Thought: Changing ecological food consciousness using art as social action

Students at Allegheny College are generally unaware and/or disconnected with the processes involved with food production and preparation; furthermore, people rarely question or think about where their food comes from. Changing the dominant food paradigm of American culture could positively impact present environmental degradation because consumer choices connect people to the larger ecological order. This senior comprehensive project used public art as a medium for social action, bringing issues of food preparation into everyday conversations. To create a general dialogue concerning food choices, public cooking performances happened in the Post Office and the Campus Center bringing food preparation into the open, table tents were set out at the Thanksgiving meal acknowledging the food commodity chain as well as inviting students to share what they were most thankful for, and a culminating experience, KNEAD BREAD, brought together over 200 members of Allegheny's community to bake bread. Preparing bread from the initial stages allowed students (and faculty) to become actively engaged in the sensual and social experience of preparing their own food. Creating this sense of community has the ability to touch people in ways that matter to them, thus giving empowerment and voice. If people begin to command control over what food they eat- organic versus commercially produced or home-cooked versus pre-processed- there is potential for change in the status of our current environmental problems. Providing students with an experience to interact with others while preparing their own food provides an opportunity for awareness, thus affecting conscious choice.

Extensive Research has been performed on suspended sediment and the effects it has on stream biota, in particular Rainbow and Brook trout. It has been determined that elevated levels of suspended sediment can have detrimental effects on these fish whether directly or indirectly. With sport fishing being such a popular activity, and with French Creek known for its vast biota and its remarkable pristine state, it can be seen that a study on suspended sediment of the French Creek watershed should be undertaken. This type of study will help determine if trout are at any risk from the observed concentrations within the French Creek watershed. With the knowledge gained from this type of study it is hoped that a better understanding will be achieved on how to protect the trout and other wildlife of the French Creek watershed.

The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristic levels of suspended sediment in areas of high vegetation and areas of low vegetation surrounding storm events. It was then be determined whether these levels had any negative impacts on Rainbow and Brook trout along with other biota. Eight study basins were chosen for this study and classified into two groups; low and high forested. Low forested contained at least 65% cleared land and 35% forested. High forested contained 65% forested and 35% cleared land. Each basin was sampled the day before, of, and the day after two storm events. During each sample period, total dissolved solids (TDS), depth, and a grab sample were taken. The grab sample was studied for levels of turbidity and suspended sediment in the lab.

The low forested group displayed an overall increase in suspended sediment concentration as discharge increased. The same observation was true for the high forested group, however the magnitude was not as great. Turbidity displayed a direct correlation with that of suspended sediment which helps to established that data gathered are accurate and meaningful.

Plotting suspended sediment concentrations against discharge a relation can be obtained in which a suspended sediment concentration can be estimated for a particular discharge. These estimates showed that for a maximum estimated discharge of 120 ft^3/s there was an estimated concentration of 8 mg/l. Taking this concentration and applying it to existing data in research, it can be concluded that any direct effects on trout are at best physiological and for the duration observed there will be little harm done to either species. Indirectly, trout can be affected due to a decrease in zooplankton and benthic invertebrates, both of which the trout either feed on directly or influences the trout food supply in some form. This decline in food supply could result in a reduction in fitness of the fish. In turn, this could result in a thinning of the population as a whole.

The effects of road salt runoff on stream water chemistry are well documented, but the effects on aquatic flora and fauna have been given little attention. Macroinvertebrates have been used as indicators of water quality due to their ubiquity and functional role within stream ecosystems. Although few studies have examined the effects of road salt on macroinvertebrate drift (downstream transport by entry into the current), numerous studies have found that macroinvertebrates drift in response to pollutants such as pesticides and sewage effluent. In this study, three specific hypotheses were tested: (1) total dissolved solids (TDS) would increase in Mill Run in response to road salt runoff, (2) increased TDS would induce drift in the net-spinning caddisfly, Hydropsyche betteni in laboratory mesocosms, and (3) Hydropsyche betteni drift in Mill Run would increase in response to road salt runoff. Monitoring of TDS levels in Mill Run was performed during background (pre-salting) and road salt runoff conditions, and TDS was found to increase significantly in response to road salting. Using TDS levels measured in the field during salt runoff as a baseline, acute toxicity tests were conducted to determine the NaCl LC₅₀ for H. betteni (13,308ppm). TDS levels in Mill Run were also used as the basis for a drift experiment conducted at 2,000ppm NaCl, and at this concentration significant drift was not observed in relation to controls. Doubling the NaCl concentration to 4,000ppm in the stream tanks also failed to significantly increase drift in relation to the controls. Thus, it appears that TDS levels comparable to and exceeding those measured in Mill Run (2,000ppm and 4,000ppm, respectively) do not induce drift in H. betteni in a laboratory setting. There were no opportunities to measure drift in response to increased TDS in the field due to the unseasonably warm winter of 1997-1998. The results of this study indicate that H. betteni, a relatively tolerant macroinvertebrate, is not adversely affected (i.e. death, drift) by NaCl levels in Mill Run. I suggest further research, such as tests at higher concentrations and field measurements of drift. I also suggest the use of caddisflies and other macroinvertebrates absent in Mill Run, but common in relatively undisturbed streams in the area to provide further insight into the effects of road salt runoff on the biotic integrity of a stream.

Signs of endocrine disruption, which may include decreased fertility, reproductive cancers, and sex reversal, are evident in both wildlife and human populations. Pesticides designed to disrupt the endocrine systems of insects (insect growth regulators) are currently being developed to control insect populations by preventing their maturation into reproductively active forms. The African Clawed Frog, Xenopus laevis, was used as a model to test several of these insect growth regulators for possible endocrine disrupting effects in non-target species. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) utilizing polyclonal antibodies to Xenopus laevis vitellogenin were used to detect presence of vitellogenin in serum. Male frogs were treated with two insect hormones (Juvenile Hormone-III and 20-hydroxyecdysone) and one insect hormone-based pesticide (methoprene) in order to evaluate vitellogenic response. High levels of serum vitellogenin (0.037 μg/μl) were detected in estrogen treated frogs relative to untreated (0.018 μg/μl) and corn oil (0.015 μg/μl) controls. In contrast, frogs treated with JH-III (3.3 mg/kg or 33.3 mg/kg), ecdysone (3.3 mg/kg or 16.7 mg/kg), or methoprene (3 mg/kg) showed no significant increase in serum vitellogenin relative to untreated controls. Results of this study showed no evidence that these insect growth regulators cause vitellogenesis in young adult male Xenopus laevis.

The scope of this experiment and subsequent study involved the testing of the herbicide gramoxone on the aquatic plant species Ceratophyllum Demersum. The herbicide was applied at different concentrations, beginning with recommended dosages and diluted to smaller concentrations via the serial dilutions method. The plants were then analyzed for photosynthetic rate. The objective was to determine if the herbicide, which is commonly applied to the grape crops in the intense farming region of northwestern Pennsylvania, could potentially effect an aquatic plant and its photosynthetic rate. Decreased photosynthetic rates among aquatic plants can adversely effect total biomass, habitat, and food supply that are available to other organisms of the ecosystem. Decreases in these resources could potentially lead to damage to the overall ecosystem health.

The method used to measure photosynthetic rate involved the capture of the oxygen gas that is released by the plants as a waste product during the photosynthetic process. The gas was captured by means of a pipette where it could then be measured in terms of volume. In addition to the untreated, or control group, the plant was exposed to five different concentrations of the herbicide. The average amount of gas produced per minute by the individuals of the six different groups were then compared to determine the magnitude of the differences between the control group and the exposed groups and to examine whether plants treated at different concentrations of the chemical photosynthesized at a slower rate than untreated plants.

The results of the study showed that of the concentrations tested, only the group treated with the smallest dose of 0 .45 ppm did not significantly produce less gas than those of the control group. The relevance of such findings show statistically that all of the groups of plants exposed to concentrations higher than 4.5 ppm had their photosynthetic rates decreased by the presence of the herbicide. The degree of difference was at least a 16% decrease for the 4.5 ppm group, while the more concentrated dilutions of 45 ppm, 455 ppm, and 4550 ppm all decreased oxygen output by more than 50%.

After the statistical analysis, the logical question was to try and determine the likelihood of concentrations that decreased photosynthetic rates of the plant actually occurring in the natural stream setting. In addition to the impact of the stream on the concentrations, several other factors could potentially effect the dose at which the herbicide could reach the stream. Environmental factors such as precipitation, sunlight, and wind at the time of application. Chemical characteristics of the active ingredient in the herbicide,paraquat, also needed to be included in this analysis. Characteristics such as soil bonding, solubility, and photochemical breakdown properties of the gramoxone played a large role in my conclusion that the likelihood of the test chemical reaching the stream at dangerous levels and having the ability to negatively effect the ability of the plants to photosynthesize at normal rates is probably relatively small. The differences in lab conditions to those in the natural setting makes it difficult to extrapolate the results to come to any direct conclusions as to the dangers of these concentrations in nature.

The purpose of this senior comprehensive project was to analyze the positive effects of activity-based learning on student motivation in the science classroom. The techniques used were developed through excessive research of other literature focusing on student motivation in the classroom. Two surveys were distributed before and after the students went through a series of activities. Sixty-five 7th graders participated in rating six statements and answering four short answer questions. these first six statements are referred to as questions in the before and after analyzed data. The questions were statistically analyzed to determine the level of significance in the before and after surveys. After analyzing the data, there was no significant change in the before and after responses. In conclusion, the hypotheses of the positive effects of activity-based learning on student motivation in the science classroom were not supported statistically but the trends in answers showed that students can enjoy science through activity-based learning.

Beaver, Castor canadensis, alter the hydrology and channel geomorphology of lotic ecosystems through their dam building activities. The reductions in stream velocity and increases in the wetted surface area created by beaver impoundments combine to lessen the stream's competence, thus leading to the increase in the retention of sediment and organic matter. This increase in retention efficiency could have major implications for the affected reach of stream as well as the community structure downstream of beaver impoundments.

This study assessed the effectiveness of beaver impoundments at retaining the non-point source pollutants (ie. nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended sediment) associated with waterborne erosion within several watersheds of Crawford County, Pennsylvania. By measuring the stream water chemistry above and below beaver impoundments, changes in the composition of the stream water were monitored during precipitation events in order to quantify the retention capabilities of these structures.

Although minimal retention was observed within middle order streams, significant retention was observed within the headwater reaches of the study area. Both beaver created wetlands, Kiser Marsh and Plank Road Marsh, had a significant effect on the levels of both nutrients and inorganic particulates transported along the affected reach of stream, with Kiser Marsh retaining approximately .479 mg/L of nitrogen and .121 mg/L of phosphorus, and Plank Road Marsh retaining .343 mg/L of nitrogen and .0142 mg/L of phosphorus. The retention of sediment showed similar results with 213.33 mg/L of sediment being retained by Kiser Marsh and 22.88 mg/L of sediment by Plank Road Marsh. When considering the results of this study at the landscape scale, these retention capabilities may warrant further investigation regarding the capacity of beaver impoundments to mitigate against the effects of non-point source pollution caused by agricultural landuse.

Pennsylvania's forests make a vital contribution to the state by providing economic, environmental, and aesthetic benefits indispensable to our quality of life. In order to ensure the longevity of these benefits sustainable forestry practices must be implemented. In a broad sense, sustainable forestry practices are those practices that do not, in a significant way, alter the forest composition, endanger those members living in the forest ecosystem, or lessen the benefits mentioned above. The success of sustainable forestry will rely in large part on the effort and support of the private forest landowners in Pennsylvania, since the majority of forest land in the state is in their possession. The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding of the forces that act upon landowners and influence their decisions regarding their forest land, and from this develop several policy options that will promote sustainable forestry practices.

The forest was examined to see the social, ecological, and economical role it plays in the lives of Pennsylvanians. State policies were also explored to see how they influence forest management in Pennsylvania. This was followed up by several case studies from other parts of the United States and the world to see how forest management programs were being implemented elsewhere. Based on this research it is concluded that in order for sustainable forestry to take place several different policies must be implemented. They are: 1) a continuation of the education efforts underway in Pennsylvania through the Forest Stewardship Program; 2) increased community involvement and participation in forestry decisions; 3) licensing of foresters; 4) promotion of value-added industries; 5) re-examination of tax structures that influence forestry decisions, inheritance tax and capital gains tax in particular.

A renewable fuel source needs to be found to gradually replace gasoline. This study was carried out to analyse the feasibility of cellulosic fuel ethanol as an alternative fuel source. Library research was done to find as much available information on the pros and cons of ethanol as a primary fuel source. The information was analysed to decide if the pros outweighed the cons. There are many benefits of ethanol as an alternative fuel source. A possible decrease in the dependence on foreign oil imports and a possible decrease in the concentrations of some greenhouse gases are two of the main potential benefits. It appears as if ethanol is a cleaner burning fuel which may reduce the concentration of the major greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide. There are also many costs of ethanol as a primary fuel source. The biggest cost is the potential environmental impacts. Some of these include soil erosion, loss of soil nutrient content, and increased use of harmful fertilizers and pesticides. Ethanol can become a primary fuel source if the land used for biomass production is managed in an environmentally sustainable manner. If its use is gradually phased into the existing gasoline infrastructure and the price is relatively low, consumers will be more willing to accept the change.

Constructed wetlands are used increasingly more today as a means of mitigation for wetlands that are drained or filled, as mitigation for wetland encroachments, and for waterfowl management purposes. Although many of these constructed wetlands are funded by organizations ranging from private groups to state governments, thorough studies have yet to be performed to decipher if they can perform the same functions as their naturally formed counterparts.

The purpose of this study was to experimentally test a series of randomly chosen constructed wetlands from the same geographic area, to ascertain whether they differed from a randomly chosen series of natural wetlands from the same geographic area. Additionally, two age classes within the constructed wetlands were analyzed to see if older constructed wetlands showed more similar characteristics to natural wetlands than younger constructed wetlands exhibit. A total of 21 wetlands were studied ( seven 0-3 year old constructed, seven 3-8 year old constructed, and seven greater than 10 year old natural wetlands). Each wetland was examined during two baseflow periods, and a subset of three 0-3 year old constructed wetlands and three greater than ten year old natural wetlands were observed during three high flow periods.

Water chemistry was examined through water temperature, pH, TDS, dissolved oxygen, suspended sediment, chlorophyll-a, nitrogen, phosphorus, and alkalinity. When comparing these wetlands by these water chemical parameters, statistically significant distinctions were not seen between any of the wetland groups, suggesting that these particular wetlands, at least water chemically, are functionally equivalent to the natural wetlands examined in this experiment. Many of the constructed wetlands in this study are considered restored due to their formation on soils once considered wetland. The rapid and unexpected "naturalization" that seems to have occurred in these constructed wetlands may be due to the fact that professional groups such as Partner's For Wildlife have constructed many of these successful constructed wetland projects, and they were not simply thrown together as bureaucratic acts of mitigation.

This study evolved form the Sustainable Forestry Roundtable discussions held at Allegheny College in the spring of 1997. The discussions at the roundtable revealed several areas of concern for the forest product industry, private landowners, and land managers. In order for some of these questions to be answered a background report focusing on the forest resources, the landowners, and the industry within Crawford County was needed. This thesis sought to examine the characteristics of non-industrial private landowners, the structure of the forest products industry, and how these two groups interact. Once this was determined, challenges and opportunities for the industry, forest managers, and landowners were identified and examined.

The research discussed in this report was undertaken in three parts. The results of this part of the research show that there does exist a quality timber resource in the region to support a vibrant industry. However, the decline in the regeneration of oak specie and the decrease in available timberland, due to preservation, ar two challenges that must be addressed by those involved in the management of forests. The positive aspects of this research indicate that timberland acreage might be expected to increase as more farm fields are tilled for the final time. In addition, Pennsylvania has the largest and most diverse timberland in the northeastern region of the United States.

The second step was to speak with private landowners in the county. a participant pool of twenty landowners was identified and interviewed. One of the findings was that the majority of landowners have management plan of some type that is centered on a combination of timber, wildlife and aesthetics. also, eighteen of the twenty participants had taken some management action within the last seven years, i.e. logging or thinning of a stand. One of the most important findings was that landowners in the area are willing to discuss their forests and are concerned about the overall forest health in the region.

The final step was speaking with members of the forest products industry. four sawmills based in the county were interviewed. These interviews uncovered the large role that the industry plays in this regions. for example, these mills support a total of 178 full-time, steady jobs. These interviews also led to the discovery of mills that might be interested in forming a sustainable forestry association, that could potentially bring more money and jobs into the region. It was also determined that there is room for the expansion of the value-added industry within the region in the form of furniture makers, etc. Although the atmosphere surrounding the forestry sector of the region looks promising, several challenges and opportunities were identified that should be addressed to maintain the strength and vitality of the industry in the region.

Takings issues have become important for both landowners and those concerned with the environment. Each side of the debate has brought forth valuable concerns. Landowners' main concern stems from what they believe to be an infringement upon their property rights in the name of protecting wetlands and endangered species. Environmentalists are concerned that wetlands and endangered species will be destroyed if property rights are not restricted in some ways.

In the past, property rights were protected under the Fifth Amendment and the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. However, many landowners feel that those rights are no longer being protect by the Constitution. This project explores those concerns and closely examines possible ways of remediation if those rights are infringed upon.

Just compensation lies at the center of the property rights debate for years. Landowners feel they are entitled to be justly compensated, under the Fifth Amendment, for having restrictions placed upon their land. Two possible types of cases exist; those that are compensable and those that are noncompensable. Compensable case are those that hold the characteristics required for compensation to be provided. Cases which are noncompensable are those that do not hold enough evidence to determine that compensation should be required. This project explores both types of cases and ways to distinguish between the two different types.

The project studies takings issues from the standpoint of the Endangered Species Act and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. It also looks at the case study Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Council. This case provides insight into the way previous takings cases had been decided. It also looks at the way the United States Supreme Court judges cases involving property rights. Another important part of the project is the proposed takings laws that are currently being pursued. Some of the legislation seems to be aimed at the destruction of endangered species. Other laws miss the main issue altogether. Finally, the project closes with a personal opinion of what should be done to balance out the debate so that each side's concerns can be taken into consideration.

Wolves have been hunted to the brink of extinction across much of North America in a campaign that was much more than a predator control program. For the last three centuries, wolves were shot, tortured, and hunted down mercilessly in a manifestation of humans' attempt to conquer the wilderness, eradicate evil, protect civilized ways of life.

This senior thesis explores the campaign against wolves, its influences and factors, and its consequences. In doing so, it illustrates how the two powerful ideologies of anthropocentrism and reductionism, which were central in the campaign against wolves, have lead directly to the degradation of the entire natural environment. This thesis explains how anthropocentrism places humans above nature and how reductionism is the corollary process which simultaneously strips all inherent value from a subject to legitimize violence against that subject. Reductionism further states that the natural world has no value outside of being a resource for human benefit, and that humans should feel no moral or ethical obligations toward a world that is passive, inert, and fundamentally inferior. This thesis shows that reductionism works with anthropocentrism to call for and legitimate human domination and conquest of nature.

After extrapolating these ideologies from the case study of the wolves of North America, this thesis concludes by examining how these ideologies serve to promote the domination and conquest of anything that they are applied to, including wolves, the environment, and even fellow humans. The hierarchical and binary opposites that are set up and legitimated by these ideologies must be acknowledged and criticized so that we can break free of these entrenched ways of viewing our natural world and establish a truly holistic ethic.

Civic environmentalism has emerged in recent years as the limits of top-down regulation have become increasingly apparent, and as more citizens have opted for participatory democracy and collaborative problem solving. The purpose of this study is to determine if local initiatives can generate effective environmental policy, amid a backdrop of eroding civic virtues.

The central idea driving civic environmentalism is that in some cases, communities and states will organize on their own around environmental issues, without being required to do so by the federal government. The strategy aims to engage citizens with diverse interests and viewpoints in a quest to find common ground to preserve environmental integrity while maintaining economic growth. In this thesis I consider a plethora of proposals that have been projected for reforming environmental policy, including the idea of sustainability. I explain how states and communities stepped forward in the 1980s, when federal environmental policy was hindered by political gridlock and budget cuts. I also analyze how communities are attempting to address the unfinished business of environmental policy, including pollution prevention, ecosystem management, and nonpoint pollution. Finally, I explore how communities are applying a variety of tools to address these problems, such as technical assistance, subsidies, public education, and new approaches to investing in public services and facilities.

This project concludes that the democratic empowerment of citizens to effect change is at the heart of our capacity to act on our concern for the earth. Resource cutbacks and tight budgets have caused many communities to look for ways they can save. Some are pursuing energy efficiency and energy conservation as a means to realize economic growth and other community goals that foster the transformation to a sustainable society. This work critically examines the political, economic, and social forces that cause environmental abuse so that a program for encompassing change can take shape. For effective environmental policy to transpire, it must be understood that our political life as citizens and the ecological principles on which we depend are inherently bound together.

Loss of wetlands has had a serious impact on waterfowl populations worldwide. Recognizing the dependence of migratory species on these critical habitats has led state, federal and private individuals to promote and support wetland preservation, restoration, and creation practices. Despite these efforts, however, little work has been done to gain a comprehensive understanding of the needs of migratory birds, nor have the influence of habitat variables been adequately addressed.

The purpose of this study was to compare populations of migratory waterfowl at constructed and natural and managed and unmanaged sites. In addition four habitat variables (e.g. size, slope, percentage of dominant plant food, ratio of open water:cover) were examined with respect to migratory waterfowl populations. Results showed no significant difference between constructed and natural wetlands. There was significance evident between populations of mallards and total ducks at managed sites. Significance was also evident based on wetland size, percentage of available vegetative foods, and extent of open water. Although depth has been defined as a critical determinant of waterfowl use, no significance was found based on wetland slope. These findings suggest that constructed wetlands are capable of providing acceptable habitat for waterfowl. This function can further be enhanced through management of the environment. When management regimes are developed, however, managers must take into account habitat variables that are likely to affect waterfowl abundance

Understanding land-water linkages as they relate to human activities is critical in determining a management plan to restore stream health. In this study I examined the ability of the fish Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) to distinguish among streams with drainage basins of low and high forest cover. Fish community composition was examined at ten sites in the autumn of 1997 and the winter of 1998 using a backpack electrofisher. Neither the IBI nor Ohio EPA's version of the IBI was significantly correlated to the percent forest cover in the drainage basin. Hypotheses for why the index was unsuccessful were explored and two modified IBI's were created based on the regional characteristics and the fish community trends of the sites examined. One of the modified indices, the Roy 2 IBI, was significantly correlated to the percent forest cover and the local land use characteristics. Suggestions were made for adapting metrics for their use in headwater streams of northwest Pennsylvania.

Biotic integrity was also examined in terms of its broader use as an effective water quality monitoring technique. Other methods for assessing water quality used in this study included chemical analyses using total nitrogen (N), total phosphorus (P), and total dissolved solids (TDS), and a physical habitat analysis using the Riparian, Channel, and Environmental Inventory (RCE). The TDS and RCE were significantly correlated to the percent forested land use, but were not correlated to the biotic integrity. In a simultaneous study by Lyle (1998), benthic invertebrates were also used to assess the biotic integrity; however, the index was not correlated to the land use in the catchment. Because biotic indices have been successfully used to assess stream health, further exploration into developing regionally specific metrics by incorporating more sites into the study is recommended. By combining the biological, chemical, and physical parameters to isolate the effects of land use on small streams, management can be directed toward specific degradation problems related to stream health.

The purpose of this comprehensive senior project was to create and locally implement an interdisciplinary environmental science curriculum focusing on sustainability. With environmental education's focus in the 90's being sustainability, the curriculum focuses on the concept of industrial ecology. The curriculum emphasizes the main ideas of pollution prevention, life cycle analysis, renewable and non-renewable resources, and waste minimization to increase students critical and process thinking skills. The curriculum focuses on a field trip to a local industrial park (Crawford County Industrial Park) giving students an identifiable place to associate environmental problems, human actions, and sustainable solutions as they attempt to model the site after an eco-industrial park. The curriculum is called Industrial Park Ecology.

To allow for revisions and evaluation of the curriculum a pilot was conducted with the Challenge Center 6th grade at First District Elementary. The students developed plans to transform Crawford County Industrial Park into an eco-industrial park through closing waste loops and bringing in new industries beneficial to the park. The curriculum was conducted on a smaller scale, with less students and limited time, but proved to be successful and provided feedback for revisions.

The curriculum follows five general goals set for sustainability and environmental education. It addresses many of the problems inherent in environmental education today, and in doing this also overcomes local set backs. The curriculum was originally designed for Crawford Central School District's 7th grade and is being implemented there in the Spring of 1998.

The electricity industry is deregulating, and some suggest the environmental will not benefit because of these changes. In fact, some believe this deregulation could be detrimental to the environment. This study examines electricity deregulation and suggests how green marketing will impact the electric industry. I hypothesize that green marketing will be a major tool used by power companies to advertise their power to customers. I researched "green" as a marketing tool and I examined deregulation in other industries to draw comparisons to electricity. To address the viability of green advertising in the industry I studied the recently completed New Hampshire Pilot Program.

Throughout my research, one of the recurring themes of deregulating the electric industry is the enormous amount of uncertainty that surrounds it. Former electric utilities are worried about the stability of their future in an open market, and there are many questions on the fate of the consumer and environment as well. I discovered the rise of the green consumer really began in the late 80s as environmental problems resurfaced, and that this phenomenon leads power suppliers to try to market to those consumers. In this new era, the need for educated consumers is essential; otherwise the environment will not benefit from green marketing and deregulation.

Wildlife conservation is an important component of biodiversity conservation. This is especially true in East Africa, where there is an abundance of large animals such as elephants, lions, and giraffes.

In recent decades, many of East Africas wildlife parks have been declining in health. There are many reasons why this decline is occurring. One explanation is that the parks are based on a colonial model, which was designed by foreigners who knew very little about the ecological needs of East African wildlife. Another reason is that the parks separate humans and wildlife, which have co-existed in East Africa for thousands of years. This separation has altered the relationship between humans and wildlife, and has caused many East Africans to resent wildlife. These changes are complicated further by the land use conflicts that are currently plaguing East Africa. Cash crop farms, livestock ranches and wildlife must all compete for the limited fertile land in East Africa.

East Africa is severely in need of a new wildlife conservation philosophy. It needs a program that is designed according to the ecological needs of the wildlife and the social needs of East Africans. Such a program would not separate humans and wildlife, but would instead allow Africans to utilize their wildlife resources. Through the analysis of three case studies, this senior thesis establishes criteria for a successful wildlife conservation program in East Africa and suggests methods for their implementation.

Newly discovered effects of many widely used chemicals can interfere with normal endocrine functioning in organisms. The pesticides atrazine and mancozeb are suspected to inhibit the thyroid gland's ability to synthesize its hormones. Decreased amounts of thyroid hormones in critical periods of development may cause permanent tissue damage, especially in the brain. Amphibians rely on thyroid hormones to progress through metamorphosis and provide an excellent model to study thyroid hormone functions and disruptions. Tadpoles of the African Clawed Frog Xenopus laevis were exposed to atrazine and mancozeb, in single doses and in mixtures, for a portion of their metamorphosis to study whether the presence of these chemicals would delay metamorphosis or cause an increase in mortality. Atrazine treated tadpoles had slower metamorphic development when compared to untreated tadpoles but this difference was not statistically significant. Mancozeb treated tadpoles caused a significant decrease in the stage of development reached when compared to untreated tadpoles. Atrazine and mancozeb mixtures caused a significant increase in mortality when compared to tadpoles exposed to single doses and untreated tadpoles. These results suggest that mancozeb, and possibly atrazine, delays metamorphosis and may behave as a thyroid hormone inhibitor. The combination of atrazine and mancozeb act in an additive or synergistic manner to increase tadpole mortality.

The wolf, Canis lupus, has been extirpated from the majority of its range. In Pennsylvania the wolf was killed off at the turn of the twentieth century. The extirpation of one of the major predators led to over population of white-tailed deer. In the Allegheny National Forest, species extinctions have occurred due to the heavy browsing done by deer. Current deer management techniques have been unsuccessful and could be aided with the reintroduction of a major predator. To analyze the feasibility of a wolf reintroduction into the Allegheny National Forest case studies were analyzed to aid in the necessary processes that have to be taken. Wolf ecology was evaluated and then compared to the Allegheny National Forest habitat. From this comparison it was determined from an ecological standpoint that wolves could be reintroduced into the Allegheny National Forest as long as other reintroductions took place near the region, creating metapopulations. However, social and political barriers to reintroduction still remain.

Education for and about the environment is a well-established concept within the environmental movement. However, the accomplishments of its goals and objectives since its birth in the late 1960's merit a critique and re-evaluation concerning its role in the larger movement. Proposed in this thesis are two models of education meant to fulfill some of the shortcomings that currently exist within environmental education. The science model is meant to teach an understanding of the natural world and humans' effects on the natural world; conservation biology and bioregionalism/global interdependence are two areas focused upon. The social model focuses on ethics in nature, social interaction, and social change; three elements of the social model are deep ecology, peace and justice studies, and socially critical analysis. Together, the comprehensive models incorporate the necessary elements for developing a citizenry with understanding of the natural world, awareness of human injustices, and capable of social change.

The Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center (CVEEC) is located between the two urban areas of Akron and Cleveland, Ohio. Using this center as a case study, the previously established models of environmental education are used to evaluate the educational objectives of the CVEEC. The center's activities and lessons are examined for their content and methods, showing considerable strengths in science education, deep ecology, and socially critical analysis; yet it falls short in teachings about resource consumption/resource interdependence and issues of peace and human justice.

This thesis investigates uncertain environmental liability under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability act (CERCLA). The purpose of this investigation is to determine if the CERCLA uncertain environmental liability is a significant deterrent to the successful sale and redevelopment of brownfield sites by the modern steel industry. A model of property transactions is developed as a framework for analysis. the model explains how property or any good is transferred from buyer to seller. The model also includes a liability term that serves as a price adjuster for an expost liability payment. This liability term can be viewed with uncertainty by probability weighting the potential liability outcomes. A theory of risk aversion is utilized to explain the behavior of the buyer and seller when confronted with uncertainty. The concaved nature of the risk averse person's expected utility function shows how uncertain liability in conjunction with risk averse behavior bilaterally reduces the private gains from trade. The model implies that the uncertain liability can be effectively capitalized into the price of the property making transactions of brownfields with uncertain liability possible and beneficial. Since properties with uncertain environmental liability can be efficiently transferred, there must be some other substantial deterrent force preventing the steel industry from redeveloping these properties. Two case studies of modern startup mini steel mills provide real world information and a basis for forming conclusions about the effect of uncertain environmental liability on brownfield redevelopment b the steel industry. I found that uncertain liability can interfere with the sale and redevelopment of brownfield properties, but that other factors such as location, size, shape, utility availability and price, labor force base, union activities, state incentive packages, tax incentives, environmental grants, and transportation costs have a more significant deterrent effect. The study concludes with policy recommendations that should increase the efficiency of brownfield redevelopment.

This senior project encompassed designing a curriculum for a week-long program on environmental issues for the youth of Tesuque Pueblo. It was designed to follow the previously established Cultural Enhancement Summer School Program, to add a component that enhances the student's connection to the environment. An emphasis was placed on water issues, not only because water is important in the arid Southwest, but also because members of Tesuque's Environment Department expressed specific concerns about water quality. Research to develop curricular activities included a stay in New Mexico, informal interviews, and compiling of environmental education and water quality curriculums. By combining information about the area and the Pueblo with activities from collected curriculums, I designed a week-long curriculum. Elementary, Middle School, and High School curriculum components have been designed to provide for all age groups in the summer program. The curriculum includes lessons on the water cycle, a trip to a local stream, an agricultural component, an exploration of their "household water cycle," and a trip to a landfill. All activities emphasize student's involvement in their environment, and the consequence of human actions on water quality. Students should come away from the week with a better understanding of their involvement in our environment, and of their ability to preserve and protect it.

This senior comprehensive project examined the economic value of a wetland. Wetlands are considered to have intrinsic or inherent values to society, yet these values are often not quantified. Wetlands provide non-market services to society, yet these services are often left out of economic analyses because of the difficulty in placing a monetary value on them. Thus, a need arises to estimate a monetary value for wetlands. This comprehensive project examined the economic value of a wetland in Meadville, Pennsylvania, based upon the functions and services it provides to society. This wetland is located in the area surrounding the Meadville Mall, and is planned to be developed upon for expansion of the Mall. Proper consideration of the social value of this wetland was not reflected in the development plans for the Mall, thus leaving a void in the economic impact analysis of the Mall expansion project. In order to accurately assess the value of this wetland, case studies were examined to develop a methodology for valuation. Utilizing this methodology, a range of values were generated which reflect the social value of this wetland. This range of values was then compared to the economic benefits to the Meadville economy which will accrue from expansion. Based upon the services this wetland provides, it was determined that the range of values for this wetland were not large enough to outweigh the social benefits of expanding the Mall.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the sustainability of the development plans of India. The focus will be on energy use and energy availability for the development projects and for the people of India. Other factors considered will be pollution and financial backing of projects.

To determine if the current plans have the potential for India to achieve her goals it is necessary to compare current projects to the projects of the past. The projects of the past involved hydroelectric dams which cause many environmental problems ranging from human displacement to depleting irrigation sources. Other projects previously relied on heavily were coal plants, these plants are very polluting and a change had to be made. India also faces electricty shortages. For other people who live in rural villages there is no electricty at all. The costs of connecting every village to the existing power grid is too high for the national government to fund. This is a major problem since a majority of the people in India live in villages and farms across the countryside.

There are many changes occurring in India, that benefit India's people and environment. The government is giving tax breaks and other incentives to those who begin utilizing renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. Many people are starting to use renewables not only the financial incentives, but for the more reliable energy source. In some areas the demand for renewable energy powered equipment is too high for the production of the goods needed to provide energy, such as solar panels and wind turbines. The shortages maintain the push for production of goods which provide many people with jobs in a poverty stricken nation. Even the use of renewable sources provides jobs by training people in each village to maintain the energy collection devices. The use of solar or wind power is especially beneficial to the villages. These sources can be used to provide the remote villages of India.with power.

In the past India has had problems funding new projects. The reasons for this range from simple lack of money to specific constraints on how money can be spent. This trend is also shifting with more money coming into the economy from private investors such as global businesses and rich individuals. The government has shown that it can properly use these funds by achieving the Eighth plan's goals for solar energy two years early. So as long as the funding continues to flow, India has a very good chance of obtaining their goals.

There has been a lot of change occurring in India and most of it appears to be for the better. The government seems to be pledging for renewable energy use and continued development. This support is essential for the sustainable use of energy resources in any nation. As long as India has the support of the First World, it could be able to join the influential group of First World nations, or even surpass the current criteria used to define a First World nation.

There is more to sustainable agriculture than meets the eye. Sustainable thinkers ask the question, "How do we meet today's needs without compromising the needs of our future generations?" A simple answer to that question is not to abuse things by over consuming, however, who determines what a healthy rate of consumption is? The fact of the matter is that society controls consumption by controlling the market. If there is a demand for a product, the producers work to meet that demand -- no matter how big or small.

This has been the nemesis of agriculture. Farmers have been asked to meet the needs of a consumption hungry society by producing an abundance of food. Thus, they have been compelled to resort to using whatever means they can to increase their rates of production, including applying dangerous chemicals to their crops and utilizing other land intensive techniques that lead to soil erosion, salinization, and pollution. These practices have resulted in causing harm not only to the physical environment, but to animals and humans, and the resources of future generations, as well.

On the surface, there seems to be an easy solution to this problem: change these techniques. However, these conventional practices been relied upon for so long that most farmers believe that they wouldn't know where to begin once they decided to change. Sometimes changing is easier if there are incentives provided.

Thus, we turn to the forces that caused this whole dilemma, the market. If we go backwards along the production line of milk, for example, it is evident that there first must be a demand, however, the production of milk is not only met by the farmers, but it is met by producers of the milk, as well. Therefore, if there is a demand for organic milk, converting from conventional milk production to sustainable milk production entails a conversion on the part of the farmer, but it also entails a mechanical conversion on the part of the milk processing industry as well.

There are many steps on the road to sustainable agriculture, and some of those steps include developing a more sustainable society. Conversion can begin anywhere as long as it all comes together in the end with the help of cooperation. Thus, by converting a farm sustainable agriculture will not only be encouraged, but sustainable development, overall will be promoted and sustainability will become a household term when talking about issues from carrots to cars. By encouraging sustainable agriculture, not only will we be improving the health of the environment for ourselves but we will be preparing the way for future generations, as well.

This senior comprehensive project has a written research component as well as an outdoor sculptural installation. The written portion consists of three chapters with an appendix. Chapter one provides a general history of the development of contemporary envionmental art and the emergence of ecological art from that larger tradition. Chapter two discusses how four ecological artists have been successful at both creating appreciable art and spreading environmentalist messages which promote social change. The artists Helen and Newton Harrison, Mierle Ukeles, and Buster Simpson all have similarities in their work. Though the approach and media are often different, they share a commitment to innovative art which speaks to ecological issues and offers potential solutions. The last chapter contains my personal artist statement and also reflects on the lessons learned from researching other artists.

The sculpture itself is a large, interactive piece open to the public. The overall composition is a circle with three central objects: a solar heated green-house, a flat-plate solar collector, and a decorative fountain which sprays the water from the solar collector under appropriate operating conditions. A lot of information, including text and photocopied pictures, has been included inside the green-house to explain the purpose of the sculpture to visitors. Response cards are available for visitors to relay their opinions about the work.

I feel very happy about the way the sculpture turned out. It is functional, educational, fun, and environmentally important. I have received many enthusiastic comments from visitors so far, and I consider this solar energy sculpture to be quite a success.

Replacing nature's work is a major task in today's world of development. This study investigates the ability of developers to replicates palustrine wetlands in the North and Northeast regions of the United States. The purpose was to see if there has been successful replacement of these areas . Five main categories of wetland success determination were used: Acreage, Soils, Vegetation, Wildlife/Ecosystem, and Hydrology. A variety of case studies from various states were analyzed within these five categories. The intent was to see if wetland replacement was successful in some categories and not in others and the reason for that. The results showed that in all five categories success was not achieved to a satisfactory level.

Success was analyzed in terms of legal requirements, on site goals, and scientific ideals. The failure shown was due to a variety of reason most of which stemmed from improper hydrological conditions which served to create wetlands which showed different wetland function and type than those they were to replace. This study calls for at least a decrease in wetland destruction which is based on an assumption of satisfactory replacement. The study more specifically calls for preservation of natural wetlands on the grounds that replacement efforts have not shown favorable results.

Industrialized nations have created a set of beliefs and practices which characterize economic development. Development under these guidelines has been imposed upon Third World nations by the First World. Industrial production, mechanization of agriculture, and privatization of business are some of the overriding goals of this type of development. The development discourse contains inherent assumptions about the Third World and poverty, that capitalism facilitates democracy, and that the Third World is underdeveloped and in need of assistance. The Malaysian government's policies concerning economic development, Vision 2020 and the New Agricultural Policy, represent detailed plans for economic industrialization along the lines which the First World has prescribed. The Iban, an indigenous group in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, are opposing the transformation of their land into an agricultural plantation, which they say will destroy their livelihood and culture. The Iban struggle represents the threat which economic development poses for societies which do not embrace its objectives. In light of this issue, any model of development must incorporate indigeous concerns in order to be considered truly sustainable.

Within the Christian Church, the environment has become a relevant concern. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is one of several denominations leading Christianity into a new era of Christian environmentalism. In 1990, the PC(USA)'s highest governing body, the General Assembly, adopted the first of several environmental policy statements. Contained within these policies is the PC(USA)'s environmental mission, which is striving to make the environment a church-wide concern.

Currently, there is an inconsistency between the environmental activity of the General Assembly and the lack of environmental activity within congregations. In an effort to understand why there is an absence of congregational participation in the General Assembly's environmental programs, this composition explores and answers the following central question: From where within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) does this contradiction derive and what, if anything, can be done about it?

After analyzing the PC(USA)'s history, theology and structure of governance, three tensions are identified which result in the PC(USA)'s "contradiction problem." These tensions are described as being political, social, and structural. As an advisor to the PC(USA)'s General Assembly, several programmatic and spiritual recommendations are made to alleviate these tensions. It is hoped that these recommendations will ultimately assist the PC(USA) in achieving its environmental mission.

Streamside salamanders are often the top resident predators in the riparian forests of headwater streams of eastern North America. Adult Desmognathus spp., Eurycea bislineata, and Gyrinophilus porphyriticus utilize both aquatic and terrestrial environments and should, therefore, be especially sensitive to land-use impacts on the riparian zone. This study examines the effects of forest corridor width (FCW) on streamside salamander abundance and community structure 24 headwater stream habitats in Crawford County, Pennsylvania. I used a catch per unit effort method to estimate the relative abundance of salamanders, and measured mass and snout-vent length to determine the size structure of the populations during fall 1997. Both relative abundance and numbver of cohorts present increased significantly with FCW. Furthermore, low FCW habitats had significantly more mid-sized individuals, while high FCW sites contained significantly more small individuals. Sites with lower FCWs may be sinks for anumals that are dispersing from areas with intact riparian zones. These results indicate that streams with more intact riparian forests not only support more salamanders, but also support populations with more age classes. A critical minimum riparian buffer of 35m appears necessary for the maintainence of self-recruiting populations of salamanders. These data add to the growing literature on the multiple values of riparian buffer zones and insight into the potential for amphibian decline in the region.

Deer overpopulation is a problem that has affected Pennsylvania forests for many years. Concern about the affect of deer browse on regenerating forests has caused a controversy between the scientific community and the public. Studies have shown that deer browse is a major cause of regeneration failure. This study investigated the relationship of deer density to browse intensity and preference. The hypothesis was that deer density would have a direct relationship with forage intensity. It was also hypothesized that preference of non-desireable species would also be directly related to deer density. This study sampled sites in the Allegheny National Forest that were used for biotic tallies such as regeneration, deer density and wildlife biodiversity. Six sites were established that had similar understory compositions. The deer densities at each site were categorized as high, intermediate and low with two sites falling into each category. Four sub-plots were sampled in each site. Total number of individuals, species type and browse percentage was recorded. It was found that there was significantly less browse in the intermediate categories for non-preferred species such as striped maple and beech. There were also statistical differences in other species recorded such as red maple and black birch but no pattern was found. It was found that deer density was positively correlated with forage intensity when total numbers of individuals was looked at instead of each species separately. This study contends that availability of forage is more of a factor than deer density when trying to predict browse intensity because when there is more food source there will be less damage to the understory. The study also concluded that more research should be done on the landscape level to determin the dynamics of deer impacts on regenerating forests.

The purpose of this study was to analyze our nation's current regulatory policies with specific environmental issues. Focusing on the Reagan administration's New Federalism regulatory program and this shift in power over to the states from the federal government with numerous regulatory responsibilities, drastically changed the future of environmental regulation. States are presently responsible for a variety of environmental regulatory tasks that were once a federal initiative. Unfortunately, the overall state responsive to New Federalism shows both positive and negative effects occurring with our current regulatory system and environmental issues.

Many variables can affect a state's response to a new regulatory duty. Factors such as financial capacity, administrative and political capabilities, negative externalities, and even a state's willingness towards environmental protection will determine the progress or failure a state will have with a specific issue. Two current controversial environmental issues were chosen to illustrate this dual response from states with environmental regulation. First, wetlands protection, is a responsibility that many states have excelled in with protection efforts. They have showed extreme willingness and ability to properly handle this issue. Wetlands protection is a regulatory duty that states have the means to handle. The issue does not call for extreme revenues, a state is better apt at handling local political issues, and states have extreme regard towards the protection of this ecosystem.

Low level radioactive waste, on the other hand, is a pressing issue afflicting each state. Since the enactment of the Low Level Radioactive Waste Act of 1980 states have had the responsibility to dispose of the waste by developing individual facilities or joint compact sites. Unfortunately, as of 1998 a new disposal facility has yet to be constructed. States have found this new policy extremely difficult to implement. They have been involved in many interstate disputes, financial burdens, and outside interest conflicts. States have not been able to properly handle this waste and most if not all efforts have not shown many positive results. The future of low level waste disposal stills seems questionable.

By comparing the progress that has occurred within states and with these two very different issues, it can be proposed that there are specific issues that states will be more able to handle and some they should not have the sole responsibility for. A regulatory system needs to become more issue specific rather than focus on the actual legislative process. New Federalism was indeed a beneficial program because it allowed for more state involvement in the environmental arena however, our nation must acknowledge the differences among state and the responses that will thrive because of these differences. Our regulatory system must begin to focus more on the issue at hand and the effect it will have, has had, or can have across the nation.