Westfield State University Department of Environmental Science Fall 2020 Photo from the 2019 Galapagos Tropical Ecology course Sierra Negra volcano on Isabela Island Table of Contents SENIORS CAPSTONE RESEARCH PROJECTS VIRTUAL CELEBRATION ................................. 4 DECEMBER 8TH AT 7:00 PM ......................................................................................................................... 4 ZOOM LINK TO VIRTUAL SYMPOSIUM: ......................................................................................................... 4 TIM PARSHALL, PH.D. ................................................................................................................................. 5 SENIORS CAPSTONE RESEARCH PROJECTS VIRTUAL CELEBRATION ................................. 6 DECEMBER 9TH AT 7:00 PM ......................................................................................................................... 6 LINK TO VIRTUAL SYMPOSIUM: ................................................................................................................... 6 MICHAEL VORWERK, PH.D. ........................................................................................................................ 7 MESSAGE FROM DR. JENNIFER HANSELMAN, DEAN ................................................................... 8 DEAN JENNIFER HANSELMAN ..................................................................................................................... 8 LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR NATIVE PLANTS AND ANIMALS IN SOUTHAMPTON, MA ................................................................................................................................................................. 9 SAMUEL ADAMS.........................................................................................................................................10 DOES THE INCLUSION OF NATIVE COMMUNITIES IN CONSERVATION PROJECTS INFLUENCE OUTCOMES AND AVOID CONSERVATION REFUGEES? ......................................11 DAIZHA BAPTISTE ......................................................................................................................................12 THE IMPACT OF RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT ON CYANOBACTERIA COLONIZATION IN PLYMOUTH PONDS, MA ...................................................................................................................13 MCKENNA BENTO ......................................................................................................................................14 IMPACTS OF SMALL MASSACHUSETTS’ RIVER IMPOUNDMENTS ON MACROINVERTEBRATE COMMUNITIES .........................................................................................15 ERICA BURTON ..........................................................................................................................................16 GILLIAN PINCIARO .....................................................................................................................................16 A COMPARISON OF FRESH WATER SURFACE ACIDITY IN MASSACHUSETTS BETWEEN 1990 AND 2020 ............................................................................................................................................17 DEAN CONRAD ...........................................................................................................................................18 TRISTAN COURTEMANCHE .........................................................................................................................18 A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF DIEL FLUCTUATIONS OF DISSOLVED OXYGEN AND PH BETWEEN A DEEP TAIL-WATER RELEASE RIVER AND A SHALLOW WHITE-WATER RIVER ..........................................................................................................................................................19 KRISTEN COUTURE .....................................................................................................................................20 RYAN JUDD ................................................................................................................................................20 THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES ON INVASIVE PLANTS AND ON IXODES SCAPULARIS (BLACK-LEGGED TICK) POPULATIONS ...........................................21 BRYANT DANA ...........................................................................................................................................22 CHRIS LECLAIRE ........................................................................................................................................22 CARY MARSHALL.......................................................................................................................................22 A STUDY OF INVASIVE INSECTS AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE EASTERN HEMLOCK (TSUGA CANADENSIS) ............................................................................................................................23 OLIVIA FOOTIT ...........................................................................................................................................24 SHORELINE DEVELOPMENT IMPACTS ON LOWER TROPHIC LEVEL FRESHWATER ORGANISM DIVERSITY AND ABUNDANCE IN MASSACHUSETTS ............................................25 ERIC HARRIS ..............................................................................................................................................26 CHAD HAUPTMAN ......................................................................................................................................26 PAUL SOUCY ..............................................................................................................................................26 ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR RECREATION AND BIODIVERSITY AT SPRINGDALE FOREST IN WESTFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS .........................................................27 KAILYN LAPOINTE .....................................................................................................................................28 THE EFFECT OF RIVER IMPOUNDMENTS ON FISH CATCHABILITY AND AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM HEALTH ............................................................................................................................29 JONPIERRE LEVESQUE ................................................................................................................................30 THOMAS MORIN .........................................................................................................................................30 CREATING AN NOI PROPOSAL FOR RESTORING THE WSU RESEARCH AREA ...................31 NICOLAS PIETRONIRO ................................................................................................................................32 LAUREN DICARLO, PH.D. ..........................................................................................................................32 THE INFLUENCE OF URBANIZATION ON ECOSYSTEMS AND HUMANS ................................33 PAIGE PRESSEY ..........................................................................................................................................34 EFFECTS OF MOWING ON CARBON SEQUESTRATION ...............................................................35 PHOTO BY MATT ROWELL ..........................................................................................................................36 SANTUIT POND PRESERVE CRANBERRY BOG RESTORATION PLAN ....................................37 LIAM TOMASETTA ......................................................................................................................................38 ALFORD SPRINGS NATURE PRESERVE, FORESTRY PROJECT, AND INTERPRETIVE TRAIL SIGN. ...............................................................................................................................................39 MICHAEL VIRGILIO ....................................................................................................................................40 DEAN JENNIFER HANSELMAN, PH.D. ................................................................................................40 Program Layout and editing by Mary Masse, ENVS Administrative Assistant hiking in beautiful Loveland, Colorado Senior Capstone Projects by Student Name Adams, Samuel …………………………………………………………………… 9-10 Baptiste, Daizha …………………………………………….……………….…… 11-12 Bento, McKenna ………………………………………………………………….. 13-14 Burton, Erica ……………………………………………………………………… 15-16 Conrad, Dean ……………………………………………………………………... 17-18 Courtemanche, Tristan …………………………………………………………… 17-18 Couture, Kristen ………………………………………………………………….. 19-20 Dana, Bryant ……………………………………………………………………… 21-22 Footit, Olivia ……………………………………………………………………… 23-24 Harris, Eric ……………………………………………………………………….. 25-26 Hauptman, Chad …………………………………………………………………. 25-26 Judd, Ryan ……………………………………………………………………….. 19-20 LaPointe, Kailyn …………………………………………………………………. 27-28 LeClaire, Chris …………………………………………………………………… 21-22 Levesque, JonPierre ……………………………………………………………… 29-30 Marshall, Carey ………………………………………………………………….. 21-22 Morin, Thomas …………………………………………………………………... 29-30 Pietronioro, Nicolas ……………………………………………………………… 31-32 Pinciaro, Gillian ………………………………………………………………….. 15-16 Pressey, Paige ……………………………………………………………………. 33-34 Rowell, Matt …………………………………………………………………….. 35-36 Soucy, Paul ……………………………………………………………………… 25-26 Tomasetta, Liam ………………………………………………………………… 37-38 Virigilio, Michael ……………………………………………………………... 39-40 Seniors