Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This thesis examines how dissolved organic matter quantity and quality and nutrients influence the flux potential of greenhouse gases (GHG) from sediments collected from streams across southern Ontario as well as Lake Erie. Sediments were collected and incubated in a laboratory setting where headspace gases and interstitial waters were analyzed. Results demonstrated that nutrients (… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Forensic epistemology is the study of knowledge as it relates to forensic science and can be broken into four sources; intuitive, authoritative, logical and empirical. In a four-phase research approach, I explored reasoning skills (logical knowledge) used by crime scene experts and methods (empirical knowledge) for forensic case-specific experimentation. First, the reasoning skills of… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The waterborne protozoan Giardia intestinalis cycles between the environmentally-resistant and infectious cyst and the metabolically-active trophozoite that adheres to the epithelial lining of the small intestine. Adhesion can trigger the innate immune response in epithelial cells, including the synthesis of the free radical nitric oxide (NO) that inhibits cell proliferation and… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) are declining across Ontario in both numbers and distribution, prompting concern for their future. Here, conventional, emerging, and predictive tools were combined to document brook trout occupation across seasons using streams in Haliburton County, ON as model systems. By using the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry's (OMNRFs)… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Radionuclides occur in the environment both naturally and artificially. Along with weapons testing and nuclear reactor operations, activities such as mining, fuel fabrication and fuel reprocessing are also major contributors to nuclear waste in the environment. In terms of nuclear safety, the concentration of radionuclides in nuclear waste must be monitored and reported before storage… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Mafic and ultramafic mine wastes have the potential to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) through enhanced weathering and CO2 mineralization. In this study, kimberlite residues from South African diamond mines were investigated to understand how weathering of these wastes leads to the formation of secondary carbonate minerals, a stable sink for CO2. Residues from Venetia Diamond… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Natural populations are often difficult and costly to study, due to the plethora of confounding processes and variables present. This is of particular importance when dealing with managed species. Ungulates, for example, act as both consumers and prey sources; they also provide economic benefit through harvest, and as such, are of high ecological and economic value. I addressed… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This thesis investigated coloured and fluorescent dissolved organic matter in the Canada Basin, Arctic Ocean from 2007 to 2017. The first interannual time-series of its kind in the Canada Basin incorporated the use of EEM-PARAFAC to validate a seven-component model. Statistical temporal tests revealed (1) an increasing protein-like intensity in the upper polar mixed layer (UPML); (2)… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Rising populations of Lesser Snow and Ross' geese (hereafter collectively referred to as light geese) breeding in the North American Arctic have caused significant environmental change that may be affecting some populations of nesting shorebirds, which in contrast to geese, have declined dramatically. In this thesis I examine the indirect effects of light geese on sympatric-nesting… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Fromberger, Monica Ann, Thesis advisor (ths): Nol, Erica, Thesis advisor (ths): Campomizzi, Andrew, Degree committee member (dgc): Schaefer, Jim, Degree committee member (dgc): Nocera, Joe, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Populations of grassland birds, including the Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), are experiencing steep declines due to losses of breeding habitat, land use changes, and agricultural practices. Understanding the variables affecting reproductive success can aid conservation of grassland species. I investigated 1) whether artificial nest experiments accurately estimate the impacts of cattle… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Irvine, Courtney Christine, Thesis advisor (ths): Patterson, Brent R, Degree committee member (dgc): Cherry, Seth G, Degree committee member (dgc): Pond, Bruce A, Degree committee member (dgc): Schaefer, James A, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>I investigated if spatio-temporal behaviour of grey wolves (Canis lupus) determined via GPS collar locations could be used to discriminate predation events generally, and among prey species, in Prince Albert National Park during winter, 2013-2017. I used characteristics of spatio-temporal GPS clusters to develop a predictive mixed-effect logistic regression model of which spatial… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Water storage is a fundamental component of drainage basins, controlling the synchronization between precipitation input and streamflow output. The ability of a drainage basin to store water and regulate streamflow may mediate sensitivity to climate and land cover change. There is currently no agreement on the best way to quantify basin storage. This study compares results of a combined… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>One possible solution to acidification and losses of base cations in central Ontario forest soils may be the application of wood ash. Wood ash is generally high in pH and contains large amounts of calcium (Ca) and other nutrients essential for ecosystem health, however it also contains trace metals. Understanding the chemistry of soils following ash application to forests is crucial for… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Ophidiomycosis (snake fungal disease) is caused by the pathogen Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola. Infected snakes exhibit dermal lesions, occasional systemic infections, and, in some cases, mortality. We studied snakes at Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, to explore whether ophidiomycosis develops during brumation or year-round. Throughout their active season, we quantified the… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>I examined how shorebirds respond to environmental change at a key subarctic migratory bird stopover site, the southwestern coast of James Bay, Ontario, Canada. First, I investigated if the morphology of sandpipers using James Bay during southbound migration has changed compared to 40 years prior. I found shorter, more convex and maneuverable wings for sandpipers in the present-day… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The rapid expansion of the worldwide population has caused an urgent need for the development of new, more environment-conscious, food sources. In this context, algae, such as Euglena, are of interest thanks to their capacity to naturally produce essential nutrients such as proteins and oils commonly found in animals and plant sources. While these processes are currently being… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Detecting relevant and meaningful patterns from the complex, interconnected network of relationships between organisms and their environment is a primary objective of ecology. Ecological patterns occur across multiple scales of space and time. In this dissertation, I examine aspects of environmental structure that influence a species' distribution and are expressed in that species… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Janik, Gabrielle, Thesis advisor (ths): Ponce-Hernandez, Raul, Degree committee member (dgc): Hutchinson, Tom, Degree committee member (dgc): Beresford, David, Degree committee member (dgc): Thompson, Karen, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>This thesis uses three approaches to assess the potential of permaculture in Central Ontario. This was done using a vegetable field trial and modelling programs to determine the effectiveness of permaculture to decrease negative impacts of climate change based on projected climate values derived from regional circulation models. The first approach showed no statistical difference (P<0… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Environmental and seasonal processes are important watershed drivers controlling the amount, composition, and fate of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in aquatic ecosystems. We used ten months of water samples and eight months of bioassay incubations from two </p><p>contrasting catchments (agriculture and natural, forested) to assess the effects of seasonal variability on the… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): LeGrand, Matthew Cody LeGros, Thesis advisor (ths): Buttle, James M, Thesis advisor (ths): Metcalfe, Robert A, Degree committee member (dgc): Lafleur, Peter M, Degree committee member (dgc): Aherne, Julian, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Water balance models calculate water storage and movement within drainage basins, a primary concern for many hydrologists. A Thornthwaite water balance model (H2OBAAS) has shown poor accuracy in predicting low flows in the Petawawa River basin in Ontario, so lake storage and winter snow processes were investigated to improve the accuracy of the model. Lake storage coefficients,… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Anthropogenic atmospheric emissions and subsequent deposition of nitrogen (N) can affect N-sensitive habitats and lead to shifts in plant species community composition. This study assessed the effects of N deposition on plant community composition for Jack pine forests across northwestern Canada and across a smaller subset of sites surrounding the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) using… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The ability of animal populations to compensate for harvest mortality provides the basis for sustainable harvesting. Coyote populations are resilient to exploitation, but the underlying mechanisms of compensation and how they inter-relate are not fully understood. Moreover, deficiencies in the quality and quantity of information about eastern coyotes preclude effective management. I… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The forestry sector has a well-developed history of using remote sensing to identify structural characteristics of forests and to detect and attribute changes that occur in forested landscapes. Monitoring the recovery of disturbed forests is an important factor in long term forest management. However, forest that is recovered spectrally may not be recovered when considered in terms of a… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Currently, UAVs are deployed to measure crop health in a timely manner by mapping vegetation indices. A study using two different fields was conducted in order to search for a relationship that may exist between crop health and soil fertility. A UAV equipped with sensor technology was used for mapping of vegetation indices which were then statistically compared to soil nutrient data… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The main goal of this thesis was to assess the potential impacts of discharges of treated effluent from a small facultative sewage lagoon serving approximately 300 residents of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation to freshwater mussel populations in Boston Creek, a small tributary of the lower Grand River. The current resident mussel populations inhabiting Boston Creek were… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Munro, Keith, Thesis advisor (ths): Patterson, Brent R, Thesis advisor (ths): Pond, Bruce A, Degree committee member (dgc): Schaefer, James, Degree committee member (dgc): Bowman, Jeff, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>The primary method used to maintain white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations at densities that are ecologically, economically, socially, and culturally sustainable is hunter harvest. This method considers only the removal of animals from the population (the direct effect) and does not conventionally consider the costs imposed on deer as they adopt hunter avoidance… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Extremely active dust sources within selected areas of Iceland that are comprised of particles supplied from both glacio-fluvial outwash systems and volcanic eruptions (Bullard et al., 2016; Gassó et al., 2018). The supply of sediments, sparsity of vegetation, high frequency of surface winds, and lack of adequate gravel pavement to reduce sand drifting are believed to influence the… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This study examined dissolved organic matter (DOM) and labile Mercury (from diffusive gradient in thin films (DGT)) in the Quesnel river, British and the Goose creek tributary of the Churchill river, Manitoba. DOM properties were measured with optical measurements of absorption coefficient (a254), spectral slopes (S275-295, SR) and fluorescence indices (HIX, BIX, FI). The DOC proxy… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Microcontaminants originating from wastewater effluent and run-off from agricultural lands may be present in the sources of drinking water for rural and Indigenous communities in mixed-use watersheds. In this study, a convergent parallel mixed-methods design was applied to assess measured and perceived risks of contamination in the sources of drinking water for two communities; the Six… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Warming climates have had various consequences on terrestrial and aquatic food webs that are expected to persist. There is evidence suggesting that certain organisms are better equipped to handle changing climates compared to others. Therefore, the purpose of my thesis was to study the adaptability of Daphnia under temperature stress and nutrient limitation. First, to examine the effects… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>In the Wabigoon/English River system, mercury concentrations downstream from Dryden, ON, where there was a former chlor-alkali plant, remain elevated in sediments and biota. Understanding the current extent and severity of mercury contamination downstream from the former chlor-alkali plant is of great interest in furthering the clean-up of mercury within the traditional territory of… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Poo Palam, Kosheela, Thesis advisor (ths): NARINE, SURESH S, Degree committee member (dgc): Vreugdenhil, Andrew, Degree committee member (dgc): Hill, Stephen, Degree committee member (dgc): Metcalfe, Chris, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Energy storage efficiency and sustainability require advanced technologies and novel materials. Recently, bio-based phase change materials (PCMs) have received significant attention for thermal energy storage (TES) uses. Vegetable oils are versatile renewable feedstocks that are well suited for the development of sustainable, functional PCMs. PCMs derived from vegetable oil, which… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): MacDonald, Amelia J., Thesis advisor (ths): Nol, Erica, Thesis advisor (ths): Smith, Paul A, Degree committee member (dgc): Murray, Dennis, Degree committee member (dgc): Bowman, Jeff, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Many shorebirds rely on small numbers of staging sites during long annual migrations. Numerous species are declining and understanding the importance of staging sites is critical to successful conservation. We surveyed endangered rufa Red Knots staging in James Bay, Ontario during southbound migration from 2009 to 2018. We used an integrated population model to estimate passage… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Mackellar, Hannah, Thesis advisor (ths): Nol, Erica, Thesis advisor (ths): Brown, Glen, Degree committee member (dgc): Burness, Gary, Degree committee member (dgc): Smith, Paul, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Understanding breeding and migration habits of Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) in the Hudson Bay Lowlands is important for the conservation of this population. I monitored Whimbrel at two breeding sites: the Churchill region of Manitoba and Burntpoint, Ontario. Annual average nest initiation timing was highly variable and successful nests were initiated significantly earlier than those that… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This thesis investigated the role of the neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis protein, Cln5, during autophagy. This was accomplished by performing well-established assays in a Dictyostelium cln5 knockout model (cln5-). In this study, cln5- cells displayed a reduced maximum cell density during growth and impaired cell proliferation in autophagy-stimulating media. cln5- cells had an increased… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Thawing permafrost due to increasingly warm temperatures in northern subarctic regions is releasing mercury. The consequent formation of thaw ponds in the peatland palsa valley of the Sasapimakwananisikw (SAS) river in Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik, Québec may provide a pool for MMHg formation and a potential risk to aquatic and human life, if these ponds facilitate MMHg export through… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Species ranges are changing and the rate at which the climate is warming is faster than anything previously seen in the past, consequently species will need to adapt quickly, track the climate or perish. Cold adapted terrestrial species are the most vulnerable, because they are limited by the availability of land at the cold edge of their range. This means that many alpine, boreal and… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Soils play a crucial role in ecosystem functioning, for example, soil minerals provide important provisioning and regulate ecosystem services. This study used major soil oxides from the North American Soil Geochemical Landscapes Project (n=560) to assess elemental associations and infer soil minerals through exploratory data analysis and to determined quantitative soil mineralogy using a… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Understanding the complex genomic architecture underlying quantitative traits can provide valuable insight for the conservation and management of wildlife. Despite improvements in sequencing technologies, few empirical studies have identified quantitative trait loci (QTL) via whole genome sequencing in free-ranging mammal populations outside a few well-studied systems. This thesis uses… more
