2005 Environmental Science Colloquium

Wednesdays, 4:00 – 5:00 pm
Boyd Science Center Room 001

**Students, Faculty, Staff and the Public are all welcome **

September 14, 2005
Wetlands Protection in the Town of Effingham, NH

Rick Van de Poll
Ecosystem Management Consultants & PSU Adjunct Faculty

Dr. Van de Poll will outline his research on inventorying wetlands areas in Effingham. This work was conducted to better understand the wetlands in the community and contribute to the policy decisions to protect these areas.

Dr. Rick Van de Poll is a certified wetland scientist and wildlife biologist from Sandwich, New Hampshire. He has a doctorate in Natural Resource Management and has previously taught at Antioch New England Graduate School. Rick is a Graduate Studies Adjunct Professor at Plymouth State University Graduate Studies and is the principal of Ecosystem Management Consultants, an environmental consulting firm that provides bio-inventory and assessment work for land trusts, municipalities and private landowners in New England.

September 21, 2005
Choosing Sprawl

Clay Mitchell, Esq.

New Hampshire communities are struggling to confront development and its related impacts— environmental degradation, economic costs, and erosion of community character. Local land use regulation is the principal tool available to municipalities to meet the typical community goal of preservation of community character, natural resources, and open spaces and manage problems associated with growth. Despite a fleet of recent studies and efforts to assist local communities in confronting the impacts associated with growth, scientific research, and media coverage, the predictions of ongoing environmental degradation and habitat loss indicate that the impacts of development are only getting worse. The relationship between a community's stated goals and its efforts to realize these goals will be examined. This issue is significant where the majority of communities are aware of the effects of sprawl, have broad-based political support and citizen consensus to implement smart growth principles, but fail to do so. In essence, these communities are choosing sprawl—but why?

Clay Mitchell is an attorney and the Town Planner in Newmarket, NH. He has a M.S. in Environmental Law and is a Ph.D. candidate in the Natural Resources and Earth System Science program at the University of New Hampshire where he is studying environmental and land use policy.

September 28, 2005
Data Blitz: Presentations on Summer 2005 Research Data

Plymouth State University Faculty

Short presentations on recent research by PSU faculty will be presented. The presentations will be varied and an excellent opportunity to learn about faculty research projects.

October 12, 2005
Strong Warm-Season Thunderstorm Winds at the Kennedy Space Center/Cape Canaveral Area

Andrew Loconto & James Koermer
Department of Chemical, Earth, Atmospheric & Physical Sciences Plymouth State University

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) and Kennedy Space Center (KSC) are located in 'lightning alley' of the United States. After lightning advisories, convective winds from thunderstorms are the second most frequent warning issued by the 45th Weather Squadron. The long lead-times and precise speed thresholds of these convective wind warnings make them an extreme challenge. A NASA Space Grant was awarded to develop a climatology of the convective winds at CCAFS/KSC as a first step in improving the convective wind warnings at these locations. Nine years of wind observations for May through September from over 40 towers covering the CCAFS/KSC and surrounding areas were analyzed to develop an updated convective wind climatology. The peak wind data were first subjected to extensive automated and manual quality control. Strong wind episodes were deemed convective through reviews of archived satellite, radar, lightning, and KTTS surface observations. Additionally, surface analyses were used to assess potential pressure gradient contributions to the stronger outbreaks and to eliminate tropical cyclone-driven events. Climatological assessments will include breakouts by year, month, time-of-day, and tower elevation. In addition, a frequency distribution of peak wind speeds will be developed. Preliminary results will be presented.

Andrew Loconto received his B.S. degree in Meteorology at Plymouth State University. He is currently completing his M.S. degree in Applied Meteorology at PSU. He is from Worcester, MA. Jim Koermer is a professor in the Department of Chemical, Earth, Atmospheric, and Physical Science at PSU.

October 19, 2005
Using GIS in Forest Planning and Management

Norma Sorgman
White Mountain National Forest

The White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) has an extensive Geographic Information System (GIS) with a variety of data relative to the forest. These data are used by forest planners, managers and researchers in managing the WMNF. Norma will explain the types and uses of forest data and discuss the practical applications of GIS.

Norma Jo Sorgman is the GIS Coordinator for the White Mountain National Forest.

October 26, 2005
Using Isotopes to Reveal Water's Secrets

Kevin McGuire
Center for the Environment, Plymouth State University

Did you ever wonder where the water goes when it rains? Does it simply runoff the ground and fill our streams and lakes or is it more complicated than that? How long does it take for rainfall to reach a stream? Kevin will explore these questions by showing how we can learn about water movement using isotopes and by describing how isotopes are increasingly being used in developing countries to assess scarce water resources.

Kevin is an assistant professor of hydrology at PSU and is jointly supported by the USDA Forest Service. He will be teaching several new courses in the Environmental Science and Policy MS program where he will use the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study as a field laboratory. Kevin holds a Ph.D. in forest engineering (hydrology) from Oregon State University, a M.S. in forest resources from Penn State, and a B.S. from Susquehanna University in environmental science. His research interests focus on understanding water movement through the environment, ecological and hydrological linkages, and forest management impacts on water resources.

November 9, 2005
Invasive Aquatic Plants, Present and Future

Barre Hellquist, Ph.D.

This presentation will focus on the aquatic plants of the Federal list such as Lagarosiphon, hydrilla, and Monochoria; and those on the lists of the states of the northeast. Some of these include Eurasian watermilfoil, variable watermilfoil, and fanwort. Plants of possible future problems including some of the native plants of New Hampshire will be discussed.

Dr. Hellquist is presently retired after 37 years as Professor and Department Chairperson at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. He has published over 50 papers on aquatics of North America and Australia and has co-authored with Garrett Crow of the University of New Hamphire "Aquatic and Wetland Plants of Northeastern North America". He has also co-authored numerous aquatic families for the Flora of North America.

Presently he is involved with the aquatics of the San Juan River Basin (4-corners area), the Alismatidae for the Flora of China, the Alismatidae for the Jepson Manual (California), and selected families for the flora of Oklahoma. His research interests are presently in the Nymphaeaceae of North America and the Nymphaeaceae and Aponogetonaceae of Australia.

November 16, 2005
Visitors' Understanding of Geothermal Features and Associated Thermophilic Microorganisms at Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Warren Tomkiewicz
Chair, Department of Chemical, Earth, Atmospheric, and Physical Science Plymouth State University

This study investigates people's understanding of a recent scientific theory concerning the evolution of life based on thermophilic bacteria and Archaea found below the surface of the Earth and the relevant correct concepts, missing concepts and misunderstandings that people hold in relation to this new theory. Science educators are presently faced with a new and revolutionary theory which holds that life originated on Earth as a group of organisms preliminary to bacteria, plants and animals. Yellowstone National Park contains more of the geothermal features, which provides the environment for these organisms, than all the rest of the world combined. YNP is the site where the first organisms were identified, isolated and then cultivated for technological and biological applications. Researchers interviewed 200 visitors at YNP's Midway Geyser Basin concerning these geological features, the associated organisms, biological diversity, and the value of these ancient life forms. Results are discussed.

Warren is currently Chair of the CEAPS Department and teaches Earth science, oceanography, environmental science, and science education courses. He is involved with professional development with science teachers throughout the state of NH. He holds a bachelor's degree from Plymouth State College in biology education, a master's degree in marine biology from Northeastern University, and a doctorate in biology and environmental education from Boston University. He is leading the charge for the Master of Science in Science Education and Master of Arts in Teaching in Science programs.

November 30, 2005
Air Quality in New Hampshire - An Overview of Issues, Problems and Solutions

James Black
NH Department of Environmental Services, Air Resources Division

The presentation will cover the major pollutants and issues, how air quality is measured, what is done with the information (e.g., forecasting and outreach) and current policy initiatives.

James Black is an Air Quality Forecaster with the NH Department of Environmental Services.