2023 Capstone

2023 CAPSTONE

A celebration of graduate student research

Cities + Mobility + Built Environment

The Impact of Road Network Topology and Social Media Big Data on Street Flooding in New York City

Presenter: Chen Zuo, MLA, MS (GDS)

Advisor: Dr. Runzi Wang

Location: New York City, New York, USA

The frequency and magnitude of street flooding are increasing dramatically in many urban communities due to the rapid expansion of impervious areas, unplanned urbanization, inadequate drainage design, and climate change. Street flooding poses serious hazards to city dwellers, decreases public transportation accessibility, pollutes downstream waterbodies, and undermines surrounding property values. The characteristics of urban road networks which represent impervious area connectivity affect street flooding and are therefore becoming an important factor in street flooding mitigation strategies.

In this study, we used urban road network spatial metrics and street flooding social media big data to investigate their associations with data-driven methods for 400 sewer catchments across New York City. Street flooding data was taken from 11,044 complaints recorded on the NYC 311 Sewer Complaints platform in 2011 and 2012 and combined with rainfall data. Generalized linear mixed models were performed to investigate the relationship between road topology metrics and street flooding risks.

We found street flooding risk has periodic changes in characteristics with spatial-temporal heterogeneity. Road network connectivity significantly affects the risk of street flooding, while the influence of impervious and catch-basin density is not significant.

We suggest a more diverse road network pattern and clear road classification that still maintains high network connectivity. Keeping the connectivity, diversity, and clear classification of roads to the risk of street flooding at a minimum can positively affect road maintenance costs and urban development.

Impacts of Mental Health and Household Flooding on Perceptions of Vacant Lot Greening Designs in Detroit, Michigan

Presenter: Isabella Shehab, MLA, MS (ESM)

Advisor: Joan Nassauer

Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA

Past research has linked vacant land and flooding experience with negative mental health outcomes and greenspace experiences with positive effects on mental health. Installing green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) on vacant land may be a way for greenspace to address social inequities and also provide ecosystem services and climate change adaptation.

We investigated the impact of mental health and localized flooding experience on residents’ perceptions of design characteristics of GSI in highly vacant neighborhoods of the legacy city of Detroit, Michigan, USA. In 2017-19, we conducted a randomized cluster survey of Detroit residents in neighborhoods with different proportions of vacant property and likely exposure to localized flooding (N=316).

Results suggest that perceptions of different micro-scale design interventions did not vary based on flooding experience but did vary based on respondents’ reported depressive symptoms, as measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Respondents who did not experience depression perceived significantly higher levels of care and safety than did those with depressive symptoms.

Based on perceptions of care and safety, we conclude that while the quality of greenspace significantly benefits all residents, benefits are greater for those who are not depressed. This finding raises an important question about the impact of greening interventions on mental health and suggests that further research explores the difference in impact among groups with varied mental health symptoms, including different levels of depression.

Joe Louis Greenway as a Strategy for Community Empowerment: Multidisciplinary Methods for Ensuring Positive Impacts

Presenters: Jordan Power, MS (BEC); Savannah Koth, MS (SusDev); Sipeng Zhang, MLA

Advisor:

Dr. Derek Van Berkel

Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA

Client: City of Detroit

Cities like Detroit are increasingly turning to green infrastructure improvements such as greenways to provide multifunctional benefits including connectivity, improved social and environmental health, and even community empowerment and healing. How does an infrastructure project accomplish environmental justice goals and how can we ensure that the local communities are receiving the benefits? Through our research project, we examine how the Joe Louis Greenway will impact Detroiters and what strategies can be used to promote equity.

To answer these questions, we took a multidisciplinary research approach. This included a literature review to understand the challenges and opportunities greenways offer communities, and to identify key elements of equitable green development, including what should be measured to ensure local benefits. Evaluating local news provided a nonintrusive understanding of public perception of the greenway, which is an important indicator of its long-term viability. We also conducted an analysis of the impact of design by examining existing and notable urban greenway projects from different cities and scales through the lens of landscape architecture, urban planning, and design.

Our findings are shared through a Detroit-specific scenario as a tangible example of how to apply the lessons learned for the future of the Joe Louis Greenway and surrounding communities. This scenario includes the suggestions on immediate, short-term elements such as design, paired with longer-term strategies, as well as ongoing initiatives including engagement, evaluation, and adaptive management.

Community Engagement and Education for Developing and Implementing Scio Township’s Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action Plan

Presenters: Alicia Kawamoto, MS (EJ); Kyle Dwyer, MS (EPP); Anna Ostermeier, MS (BEC); Zoey Scancarello, MS (EJ); Whitney White, MS (EPP, EJ)

Advisor: Dr. Raymond DeYoung

Location: Scio Township, Michigan, USA

Client: Scio Township Planning Commission's Environmental Sustainability Task Force

The student team collaborated with Scio Township’s Environmental Sustainability Task Force to support the development of the township’s Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (ESCAP).

The team developed and implemented a community engagement strategy, which included a public input survey and key interest group interviews to provide feedback regarding current Scio Township sustainability practices and goals. The key interest group interviews provided essential information from experts, while the survey provided useful input from everyday residents. By connecting with community members throughout the survey distribution process, the SEAS team developed an extensive list of contacts, including homeowner’s association leadership, co-housing representatives, and other key interest groups.

This data was compiled into a report and distributed to the taskforce working groups to be used for future development of the ESCAP. The team also created the Ongoing Community Engagement Recommendations report which addresses lessons learned from the initial engagement strategies and outlines recommendations for future community engagement efforts as Scio Township works towards its climate and sustainability goals.

Mapping Environmental Justice and Community Resilience in Southwest Detroit

Presenters: John McClure, MS (EJ, EPP); Megan Husted, MS (EJ, EPP); Skyler Kriese, MS (EJ); Anna Bunting, MS (EJ, SusDev); Dinah George, MS (EJ)

Advisors: Dr. Paul Mohai; Dr. Michaela Theresia Zint; Ember McCoy

Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA

Client: State of Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) Office of Environmental Justice Public Advocate (OEJPA)

Given the sustained advocacy and large body of research on environmental justice in southwest Detroit, The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) sought out an Environmental Justice grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address disparate impacts and environmental burdens in the state.

The proposal for this grant included the creation of a 48217/southwest Detroit module from the state’s in-development Environmental Justice Screening Tool, MiEJScreen. This Detroit module, housed within the larger grant to generate a community resiliency plan for the southwest Detroit area, was then developed into a master’s project for SEAS students.

Our research addresses indicators of environmental justice and the relevance of community resilience to the lived experience and advocacy of community members in the Metro-Detroit area. In this study, we combine existing data to visualize these indicators in Metro Detroit through an EJ Screening Tool and recommendations for a community resilience plan. Using a mixed-methods approach, we utilize semi-structured interviews and survey analysis to collect data that, a) informs the indicators, methods, and communication materials for the southwest Detroit EJ Screening Tool, and b) guides recommendations made to EGLE on the creation of a community resilience plan for southwest Detroit.

Prioritizing Transportation and Flood Mitigation: An Equity-centered Approach

Presenter: April Kim, MS (GDS)

Advisors: Dr. Andrew Gronewold; Dr. Meha Jain

Location: Southeast Michigan, USA

Client: Southeast Michigan Council of Governance (SEMCOG)

This study seeks to create an equity-centered approach to transportation planning and flood mitigation. Many tools exist that address an area’s susceptibility to flooding, dependability of infrastructure, or the socio-economic status of the area. However, these tools tend to exist in their own sectors. Further, models that assess damage in relation to natural hazards such as flooding, often use monetary units to define vulnerability. This can lead to inequitable mitigation and recovery efforts as areas of high income appear to have higher damage and vulnerability. By placing socio-economic variables at the center of this project, a more holistic approach to planning can be taken.

Three distinct methods were applied to a small subsection of north Wayne County, Michigan to assess the vulnerability of transportation networks in relation to flooding. A community’s accessibility to core services was used as a proxy for vulnerability. Two methods used spatial analysis, but different definitions of sensitivity to create a vulnerability index for zones in the study area. A third method used multivariate statistics to assign vulnerability scores. Comparing the three methods shows that the definitions of sensitivity and adaptive capacity and the order of operations for integrating socioeconomic data with flood and transportation data can have a significant impact on the vulnerability scores assigned. Results from this study showcase the importance of applying an equity-lens to transportation and flood planning. The methods developed can serve as a decision support tool for prioritizing infrastructure projects.

Climate + Energy

A Circular Economy for Energy Materials

Presenters: Emily Brady, MS (SusDev); Ritvik Jain, MS (SusSys); Alex Reid, MS (SusSys), MBA; McKinley Siegle, MS (SusSys); Emma Stark, MS (SusDev, EPP)

Advisor: Dr. Michael Craig

Location: Golden, Colorado, USA

Client: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) serves as the sponsor for the project. As NREL engages with various stakeholders in the clean energy landscape, they seek to better understand particular segments in greater detail. Alongside NREL’s research, the team was engaged to dig into the circular economy landscape of solar photovoltaic and large-format battery technologies. Specifically, the U-M team split into two task groups to focus on the following headline questions:

What is the policy and regulatory landscape for solar PV recycling and end-of-life practices? What is the state of the end-of-life electric vehicle battery market, including stakeholders, value-added activities, and focus areas?

The group focusing on the solar PV recycling and end-of-life practices placed a special emphasis on finding, understanding and analyzing decommissioning plans of existing solar plants. By analyzing the plans the team now has an understanding of the major factors driving decommissioning costs, solar PV recycling estimates for different states across the U.S., and how these will influence future deployment of solar projects and present management of end-of-life solar products.

The group focusing on large-format batteries did a literature review and conducted interviews with industry experts to better understand what the end-of-life landscape for battery systems looks like. They found that a majority of stakeholders in the space are focused on recycling and reverse logistics. The drivers of circular economy for EV batteries include the value of the metals that can be recovered as well as policy, while the barriers are a need for more investment to build up infrastructure and cost-effectiveness of end-of-life processes.

The Future of Dana: Achieving Net-Zero Building Emissions and Leading by Example

Presenters: Sarah Avery, MS (EPP); Christian Hitt, MS (SusSys), MSE; Kelly McElroy, MS (SusSys); Michael Orbain, MS (SusSys); Brandon Ridsdale-Smith, MS (SusSys); James Washington V, MS (SusSys)

Advisor: Dr. Parth Vaishnav

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Client: SEAS Facilities

With a recent global push to rapidly decrease emissions for mitigating climate change, the University of Michigan has established the President’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality (PCCN) to develop a framework for achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. SEAS Facilities seeks to develop evidence-based and scalable strategies to improve energy efficiency and find opportunities to integrate more renewable energy resources into the standard operation of the Dana Building. With these energy efficiency strategies in place, SEAS Facilities hopes to achieve net-zero building emissions and spearhead this movement for other buildings on campus.

This capstone project generated a model of the Dana Building and associated mechanical and electrical equipment using the DesignBuilder software, which was then utilized to assess potential energy efficiency measures and savings within the building. The research team also assessed the viability of window insulation and off-site solar installations as strategies for emissions reductions. In conjunction with this, information on mechanical and electrical systems within Dana was documented in a building manual for reference by the Facilities Department. Lastly, educational tools were developed to inform the students, faculty, and staff within Dana on how they can assist with the energy efficiency goals.

This project found that even with solar installations on SEAS satellite properties and continuing efficiency measures within the building, a net-zero portfolio for Dana is unattainable without the decarbonization of the campus’s centralized systems. While energy efficiency measures and green infrastructure should be pursued within individual buildings, hope for Dana’s net-zero future cannot be achieved without larger university support.

Gaining Community Perspectives: Climate Adaptation Planning in Hoonah, Alaska

Presenters: Jillian Shrader, MS (BEC); K. Anjali Pandey, MS (BEC, EJ); Grace Whipkey, MS (BEC, EJ); Arianna Lapke, MS (BEC); Megan Trapp, MS (EPP, EJ)

Advisor: Dr. Kyle Whyte

Location: Hoonah, Alaska, USA

Client: Hoonah Indian Association

Climate change impacts are threatening traditional Tlingit ways of life in Hoonah, Alaska. Hoonah is the largest Tlingit village, where over 800 year-round residents rely on wild salmon, halibut, berries, deer, spruce, cedar, and other natural resources to meet their needs as well as engage in traditional practices, such as carving and weaving. As climate-change impacts increase in severity and frequency over the coming decades, the Alaska Native peoples in Hoonah need to have a plan to secure their traditional resources and adapt to oncoming environmental changes.

The goal of this project was to create a climate change adaptation plan in collaboration with Hoonah Indian Association (HIA) Environmental, a department within the Tlingit tribal government. While data is being collected and analyzed on a larger scale for Southeast Alaska, our project aimed to compile and analyze local community data through a variety of collection methods.

We created and analyzed surveys and interviews, as well as hosted a community event to generate novel data related to adaptation strategies. The survey identified which resources were of highest concern within the community, and the interviews aimed to elicit traditional adaptation responses to environmental changes. These methods resulted in a first draft of HIA Environmental’s Climate Adaptation Plan, which will be used to provide outreach and education to the community about adaptation to climate change impacts, as well as to help create a community-led strategy for Hoonah’s future.

Meijer Scope 3 Carbon Accounting Framework

Presenters: Jillian Brown, MS (SusSys); Erika Kinninger, MS (BEC); Rishi Madethatt, MS (SusSys); Nick Rojas, MS (SusSys), MBA; Swathy Vidyadharan, MS (SusSys), MSE; Nazli Yazdizadeh, MS (SusSys)

Advisor: Dr. Gregory Keoleian

Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

Client: Meijer

As a retailer with business activities, including procurement, distribution, manufacturing, and retail operations in over six U.S. states, Meijer has a vast and complex value chain. In order to expand its sustainability programs and goals outside of its direct operations and into its value chain, Meijer must first complete a Scope 3 inventory to identify the most pertinent areas of impact.

To that end, this project aims to support the Meijer team in conducting a Scope 3 emissions inventory. The research goals were to: 1) Perform market research for comprehensive; 2) benchmarking analysis to understand methodologies employed by peer companies, Identify and classify relevant Scope 3 categories for Meijer; 3) Work with the Meijer team to gather data needed to carry out this analysis; 4) Create a peer-reviewed Scope 3 inventory calculation framework, including emission factors and analysis methods; 5) Apply this calculation framework to the data gathered from Meijer to establish their Scope 3 emissions inventory, and 6) Document limitations with data and analysis methods and provide recommendations for future Scope 3 inventories.

Within the scope of this project, we have also discussed the impacts of each of these 15 Scope 3 categories, various shortcomings concerning methodologies deployed, data management, and future scope for improvement. These discussions are meant to inform future initiatives within Meijer to assist in refining their emissions inventory and encouraging Scope 3 inventory to help guide business decisions across the value chain.

Visual & Economic Impacts of Tall Wind Turbines

Presenters: Lucas Eshuis, MS (SusSys); Zach Brooks, MS (GDS); Zoe Fernando-Santana, MS (EPP, EJ); Jalyn Prout, MS (EPP); Saif Ur Rehman, MS (EPP)

Advisor: Dr. Sarah Mills

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Client: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)

Technological advancements in wind turbine design have led to taller, more efficient turbines that are capable of producing more electricity. This means that developers can install fewer wind turbines and achieve the same or more generation capacity for a project. However, these changes will also affect the visual and economic impacts of wind projects, which are two factors that strongly influence the community acceptance of these deployments. Therefore, a choice-experiment survey was designed to better understand how these visual and economic impacts change with the new generation of taller wind turbines.

Here, we report on our methodology for design and pre-test an online survey that could be deployed nationwide to better understand preferences related to the visual and economic impacts of tall turbines. The survey utilizes a set of visual representations that display hypothetical wind turbine arrangements, dimensions, and calculated individual and community-level economic compensation scenarios.

Accelerating Deployment of Utility-Scale Wind and Solar in Rural Michigan

Presenters: Kaitlyn Sledge, MS (SusDev); Sophie Farr, MS (EPP); Ian O'Leary, MS (SusSys); Yingxin Wang, MS (GDS); Sarah Dieck, MS (BEC), MPP; Zona Martin, MS (EPP)

Advisor: Dr. Sarah Mills

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Client: Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE)

To achieve the Michigan’s Healthy Climate Plan's goals to acquire 60% of the state's electricity fuel mix from renewable sources by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the pace of utility-scale renewable energy development across the state must increase. Currently, deployment of renewable energy is slowed in part because local governments have not set standards for this infrastructure in their zoning ordinances. Without ordinances that represent local perspectives, projects can be slowed or terminated in localities when development plans do not align with the township’s priorities.

This project aimed to develop a program that streamlines renewable energy siting by providing townships with recommendations and resources needed to write zoning ordinances that reflect community perspectives. To inform the program strategy, interviews were conducted with local government officials in 24 Michigan townships to gauge current barriers to proactive zoning, and identify strategies to facilitate zoning processes. The team then collaborated with two townships to pilot the program, which culminated in the delivery of customized draft ordinances for utility-scale wind and solar for each township.

In this report we provide recommendations to our client, Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), for future iterations and rollout of the program. While key takeaways from this process emphasize the importance of collecting more robust community opinion data to ensure zoning decisions fully capture local preferences and further piloting is necessary to optimize programming, the Michigan Renewable Energy Development Initiative (MI REDI) model enhanced community discussions and understanding of the potential role of utility-scale renewables in local landscapes.

SEAS 2023 CAPSTONE

Environmental and Climate Change Impacts of the Line 5 Pipeline in Michigan

Presenters: Jessica Berger, MS (EJ); Bryan Castillo, MS (EPP); Sofia Da Silva, MS (EJ); Hans Leisman, MS (EPP); Kylee Nichols, MS (EPP); Erin Posas, MS (EJ); Bree Prehn, MS (EJ)

Advisor: Dr. Kyle Whyte

Location: Straits of Mackinac, Michigan, USA

Client: Anishinaabek Caucus

The construction of a new tunnel for an updated Line 5 pipeline and the continued operation of the significantly outdated current (Great Lakes Business Network, 2022) pipeline are an infringement against the human and treaty rights of the Anishinaabe people of the Great Lakes region (Anishinaabek Caucus of the Michigan Democratic Party, 2019). Furthermore, these destructive practices on the part of the Enbridge corporation pose a threat to the environmental health of the Great Lakes region (Coleman et al., 2018), a major obstacle in the transition to an emissions free future (Brooker, 2021), and a destabilizing factor for the financial security of the Michigan tourism and agricultural industry. Despite these realities, the popular conversation around this pipeline is largely shaped by the deep pockets of Enbridge (Lum & Lefebvre, 2021) and the financial interests allied with them.

Our research objective is to increase public understanding of the environmental and climate change impacts of the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline and the continued operation of Line 5 in Michigan. While the ultimate goal is to stop Line 5, within the 1.5 year time frame of our project, we are specifically focused on increasing public awareness and engagement, as well as making information about Line 5 and its environmental, ethical, and climate change implications openly available and easily accessible for everyone.

The problem our project addressed was that the people of the Great Lakes and Michigan policymakers lack accessible, digestible, and accurate information on the climate, environmental, and social impacts of Line 5 to form opinions and take action. Our methods included a literature review and interviews of tribal leaders, scholars and activists. The result was that our team collaborated with the Anishinaabek Caucus of the Democratic party to reshape this conversation through a video, executive summary, and academic paper that all uplift the perspective of the Anishinaabe people.

Market, Policy, and Environmental Impact Analyses of a Novel 3D Concrete Printed Marine Pumped Hydroelectric Storage Technology

Presenters: Haley Dalian (SusSys); Michael Storch Jr. (SusSys); Charles Song (GDS); Fiona Fox (GDS); Eamon Espey (GDS); Shiyu DIng (GDS)

Advisor: Dr. Michael Craig

Location: Los Angeles, California, USA

Client: RCAM Technologies

While global extrication from humanity’s fossil fuel dependency is critical, the United States' clean energy transition cannot take place without a long duration energy storage solution operating in tandem with renewable energy development. Particularly with the generation of offshore wind energy, there are no commercially available energy storage technologies suited for turbine integration, grid connection, or the marine environment.

Thus, our research investigated and evaluated the disruptive marine-pumped hydroelectric storage (M-PHES) technology of RCAM Technologies: a start-up based in Los Angeles, California that uses proprietary 3D concrete printing to create novel energy storage spheres for pairing with offshore wind. Our project scope included developing a revenue model for the commercial application, identifying ideal markets for pilot installations, outlining the regulatory implications and permitting processes involved in going to market, creating relevant geospatial visualizations, and assessing the potential environmental impact of the device on marine life as well as the impact on various stakeholders.

In addition, our team attended the Business Network for Offshore Wind’s International Partnering Forum in 2022 to meet with industry experts and serve as an informal networking extension of the RCAM team, where they were being recognized as an innovative start-up. Our findings were utilized in multiple real-time funding proposals and grants for which RCAM was competing, and will continue to inform the company's strategic efforts going forward.

Impacts of Nature Based Carbon Offset Solutions in Michigan

Presenters: Nicholas Fiori, MS (GDS); Luke Forsberg, MS (SusDev); Karen Weldon, MS (EPP); Julie Carter, MS (GDS); Victoria Jenkins, MS (EPP), MBA

Advisor: Dr. Michael R. Moore

Location: Michigan, USA

Client: DTE Energy

Carbon offsets are one of the many tools for achieving carbon neutrality, particularly for sectors with high emissions, or sectors with hard-to-abate emissions. In states like Michigan, few resources on state-based offsets currently exist. Thus, our project asks: what is the sequestration potential, cost, and co-benefits of carbon offset projects using Michigan agricultural lands and forests? How can organizations evaluate and compare Michigan-based offsets?

To answer these questions we quantify the potential sequestration ability of different land types, analyze the costs given the programmatic and policy constraints of offset markets, and evaluate the social and environmental co-benefits of nature-based offsets in Michigan. This information is organized into deliverables: (1) geospatial models that identify the spatial distribution of financial costs and sequestration potential; (2) a benchmarking analysis of major carbon registries; (3) a final report which synthesizes our findings and presents an overview of carbon offsetting potential in the state of Michigan. To develop these tools we draw on a variety of methodologies, including a literature review, geospatial analysis, a sequestration analysis, a cost analysis, and a benchmarking analysis. Through this work, we find that there are geographic differences in the financial viability of reforestation and agriculture based offsets within the state of Michigan. Ultimately, we hope our project will be used by DTE and other interest groups to push development of carbon offset projects to assist in their carbon neutrality goals.

Exploring the Impacts of Flooding on Temperate Forest Recruitment

Presenter: Ezekiel J. Herrera-Bevan, MS (ESM)

Advisor: Dr. Inés Ibáñez

Location: Lower Peninsula of Michigan, USA

Patterns of tree recruitment are a strong determinant of forest composition. A variety of environmental factors can impact tree recruitment. However, we need to understand more comprehensively how flooding conditions may impact recruitment. As climate change persists, regional models are predicting increases in flooding frequency and intensity across the globe, with an emphasis on the Midwest being affected by these changes.

Therefore, we conducted an in-field observation study to understand better how flooding could impact forest recruitment in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. To do this, we located forests with both localized flooding and dry environments and utilized transect methods to gather data. We observed the number of individuals and species for both seedlings and adults, as well as other ecological factors like basal area, soil moisture, and light.

Based on our results, there is evidence that flooding conditions are impacting aspects of forest communities and recruitment across different forests in Michigan. We hope these findings will be considered and used in future conservation efforts to preserve and maintain forests in Michigan and raise awareness of the possible changes that could occur to forests due to flooding.

The County-Level Impacts of an Energy Transition on Public Revenues

Presenters: Elena Davert, MS (EPP), MPP; Haley Neuenfeldt, MS (EPP), MPP; Amy Van Zanen, MS (EPP)

Advisor: Dr. Sarah Banas Mills

Location: Alaska, California, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas, West Virginia, Wyoming, USA

Client: Resources for the Future

Meeting today’s urgent climate goals will require the United States to transition away from using fossil fuels in all sectors, including energy. This energy transition will have far-reaching effects on public revenues for multiple levels of government. Understanding which local government units are most reliant on different kinds of energy-related taxes, fees and royalties can inform decisions on federal financial assistance, and support state and local governments in planning for an energy transition.

However, to date, studies on local governments’ reliance on these revenues have either provided high-level estimates or granular analysis of specific communities. Research has yet to provide both depth and breadth at the local-level in part because revenues derived from energy generation and fossil fuel extraction, processing, and transport are not always systematically reported by state or local governments.

This study compiles a dataset of energy-related public revenues for county and sub-county units in 80 counties across 10 U.S. states. We provide insight into the relative magnitudes of local energy revenues, identify ‘hot spots’ where changes to policies or economic conditions might have disproportionate impacts, and provide a basis for further studies expanding data collection and analysis at the local level.

In Pursuit of Offshore Wind

Presenters: Erik Anderson, MS (SusSys), MSE; Sydnei Cartwright, MS (SusDev,EJ); Hannah Dillahunt, MS (GDS); Maria Dozier, MS (EJ, EPP); Osman Fazili, MS (SusSys); Moira Salazar, MS (EPP)

Advisor: Dr. Michael Craig

Location: Washington D.C., USA

Client: Oceana

Today, there are just seven offshore wind turbines in the United States. The offshore wind industry is poised to expand in the U.S oceans to reach President Biden’s goal of 30 GW of offshore wind by 2030. Investing in clean energy is crucial for fighting the climate crisis and offshore wind energy has the potential to play a vital role in meeting our nation’s electricity demands.

This project will investigate key issues necessary for the nascent offshore wind industry to advance responsibly developed projects that protect the ocean environment and distribute the benefits equitably. We investigate the avenues to make offshore wind development not only economically viable but also equitable, and determine regions that would be best suited for Offshore wind. We also investigate a three-pronged process for ensuring increased mitigation measures for the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale, and ensuring a just transition.

The methods we used to drive our research were the use of a literature review, as well as an economic analysis for LCOE breakdown for Offshore wind, and accessing public databases to create maps of areas most suitable for Offshore wind development.

Our results showed that there are regions in the U.S. that are best suited for offshore wind, but will also need to have considerations of habitat protection and human impact taken into account.

Conservation + Restoration

Feasibility Study on the Reintroduction of Beavers at Inspiration Ridge Preserve: Mitigating Climate Change Impacts to Peatlands on the Southern Kenai Peninsula

Presenters: Esther Chiang, MLA, MS (ESM); Riley Glancy, MS (GDS, ESM); Nikita Hahn, MS (ESM, SusDev); Hannah Hicks, MS (ESM); Linfeng Li, MS (ESM, GDS); Zhangyanyang Yao, MS (GDS, SusDev)

Advisor: Dr. Inés Ibáñez

Location: Homer, Alaska, USA

Client: Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies (CACS)

With the disappearance of beavers from the Fritz Creek watershed and decreasing water availability on the Kenai peninsula over the past twenty years, peatlands and wetlands in the Kenai Lowlands have dried significantly, putting stress on the carbon storage function of the ecosystems. As ecosystem engineers, beavers have been used as tools to recharge groundwater and restore wetland ecosystems.

Entrusted by the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies (CACS) and the property owner of the Inspiration Ridge Preserve (IRP), we conducted a feasibility study of reintroducing beavers to the Fritz Creek watershed. We applied the Methow Beaver Project (MBP) Suitability Scorecard (2020 version) to evaluate metrics of beaver habitat suitability, including multiple physical and ecological factors, then calculated a final suitability score for each section of the stream habitat (separated into three reaches).

Each reach received an overall suitability score above 45, indicating that they are suitable habitats for beaver reintroduction. However, the two critical factors of stream depth and aquatic escape from predators, received low scores across all three reaches indicating actions needed before reintroduction.

Based on these results, we strongly recommend the installation of at least three Beaver Dam Analogues (BDAs) in the stream to raise the water levels in order to provide the ideal escape cover. We further outline beaver reintroduction methods and a monitoring plan for the possible alteration of the physical environment in the event of reintroduction.

Human Induced Habituation and Landscape Changes at Cultural Heritage Sites Effect the Anti-predator Behavior of Cycladic Island Lizards (P. erhardii)

Presenter: Ian Slack, MS (ESM)

Advisor: Dr. Johannes Foufopoulos

Location: Naxos, Greece

Prey habituation is becoming an increasing problem in ecosystems especially on the island level. Research was conducted on the island of Naxos, an island susceptible to this problem. We examined the flight initiation distance (FID) of the common prey species, Erhard’s wall lizard (Podarcis erhardii) in the field on the culturally significant island of Naxos to both an advancing predator-decoy and researcher. We assessed the impact of human presence on current ecological dynamics by creating a paired experimental design in which commonly visited archaeological sites were ranked by human presence and then divided into subsites of high/low human density. At each site, relevant environmental demographics were gathered.

A subsequent generalized linear mixed model analyzing the FID of individually sampled lizards showed an inverse relationship: human density and the density of stone walls had significant inverse negative relationships, in comparison to the positive relationship between the density of a common predator, the stone marten (Martes foina) on predator avoidance (FID).

Our research shows that, as the presence of humans and available man-made cover increases, the natural fear response of lizards is lessened, likely causing habituation, while an increase in predator density will lead to an increase in a fearful reaction from prey. This study highlights the importance of further researching the effects archaeological sites have on neighboring ecosystems in the 21st century and indicates that considerations should be made regarding the effects that human settlement, through generational time, has on the landscape, thereby influencing the anti-predator behavior prey may exhibit.

Investigating Potential Tradeoffs Between Growth and Reproduction in Woody Plants

Presenter:

Chantalle Vincent, MS (ESM)

Advisor: Dr. Inés Ibáñez

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

As temperatures increase and growing seasons change, anthropogenically driven global change is impacting plant species across all ecosystems; but studies have found contradicting results in terms of reproduction. Thus, it is not clear if a longer growing season and its associated higher plant growth will result in increases (synergies) or decreases (tradeoffs) in reproductive output. Still, this information is critical to forecast forest dynamics under global warming.

In this study, we address this knowledge gap by investigating the relationship between annual growth and reproductive effort of two tree species, Acer rubrum and A. saccharum, at two different latitudes during a period of fifteen years.

Data was collected from six forest ecosystems, half around Ann Arbor and half near the University of Michigan Biological Station. Reproduction data was collected over 15 years, beginning in 2008, using seed traps which captured a sample of the stands’ seed production. In the summer of 2022, tree cores were collected from each site to measure annual growth.

The seed and growth data were analyzed in reference to the three most common existing hypotheses applied to this tradeoff: resource accumulation, resource allocation, and weather.

The first two indicate a tradeoff, though differ mechanistically, and the latter supposes that the two functions are linked by common climate variables but do not require an internal tradeoff of resources. We used these three hypotheses to build a framework for our analyses and inform our results.

Citizen Science Monitoring of Freshwater Mussels in the Huron River Watershed, Michigan

Presenter:

Amani Tolin, MS (ESM)

Advisor: Dr. Sara Adlerstein-Gonzalez

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Client: Huron River Watershed Council

Freshwater mussels (Unionidae) are a widely diverse group that serve significant roles in aquatic ecosystems. The ecosystem services of unionids consist of filtering algae and nutrients from water, providing habitat for aquatic macroinvertebrates, providing food for predators such as muskrats and raccoons, and acting as water quality indicators. However, due to threats such as river impoundment, invasive species, and pollution, the distribution and abundance of unionids is severely imperiled, especially in Michigan where 18 of our 42 native species are state protected and six of which are federally endangered.

In this project Amani has collaborated with the Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC) to design a citizen science mussel monitoring program to use volunteers to assess the distribution and abundance of mussels across the Huron River Watershed. The program design describes survey protocols, educational materials, and state and federal recommendations and regulations for HRWC to conduct their monitoring program.

Through the creation of this project, HRWC will be able to protect native mussels more effectively by identifying where native mussels are located and where they might need support from the organization’s other restoration initiatives. Involving the public in this program will also improve community relationships with the river by teaching people about the river’s inhabitants and getting them into the river itself. This project aims to be an ecologically and socially beneficial program that will enhance the lives of humans and animals in the Huron River Watershed.

Protecting High-Carbon Areas in the United States: Opportunities, Policy Mechanisms, and Communications Strategies

Presenters: Alex O'Keefe, MS (EPP); Anna-Sophie Hoppe, MS (EPP), MPP; Francesca Governali, MS (EPP), MBA; Joel Weltzien, MS (EPP); Joe Pitti, MS (EPP, GDS); Mackenzie Meter, MS (BEC, EPP); Meg Taylor, MS (EPP); Meredith Seibold, MS (EPP); Sophie Daudon, MS (BEC, ESM), MPP

Advisor: Dr. Steve Yaffee

Location: USA

Client: The Wilderness Society

Various ecosystems throughout the world, including many areas across the United States, contain large stores of carbon—either in plant matter, roots, or held within the soil—that, if disturbed through land-use change, will not reaccumulate, or “recover,” in a reasonable human timescale. If released into the atmosphere, the “irrecoverable carbon” (IRC) held in these ecosystems, which span mangroves, temperate forests, grasslands, and other biomes, has the potential to accelerate climate change and create additional barriers to the IPCC’s stated goal of keeping global temperature rise below 1.5ºC above pre-Industrial levels.

Our team worked with The Wilderness Society (TWS) to identify and develop approaches to advocate for the increased protection and management of these high-carbon areas (HCAs) in the U.S. The questions we addressed have implications beyond land conservation. At this vital juncture, where urgent action is needed to meet (or further develop) the U.S.’s climate change resilience and mitigation goals, understanding both policy and communication mechanisms to motivate action and protect against carbon release from these HCAs is essential.

Our research included a comprehensive literature review, almost 40 interviews with experts in the field, policy analysis, and extensive GIS work to map IRC across ecosystems, land protection status, and land management and ownership. Over the course of our project, we developed a series of case studies identifying threats to IRC and opportunities for protection, regional policy recommendations, and communications tools to increase support for protection of highcarbon landscapes to be used by both individuals and organizations in the land conservation field.

Management and Assessment of the Introduced European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) on Island Ecosystems in the Mediterranean

Presenter: Angelina Kossoff, MS (ESM, GDS)

Advisor: Dr. Johannes Foufopoulos

Location: Cyclades Island Cluster, Greece

The Aegean Islands, located in the Mediterranean Sea region, are a biodiversity hotspot. Endemic species are facing serious conservation challenges as introduced species are intentionally or inadvertently released by humans. Endemic species are even more vulnerable to the impending impacts of anthropogenic climate change, as these insular systems are susceptible to biological invasions that are harmful to both flora and fauna. The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) has been released on islets by both Aegean locals and hunters.

In this study, we collected data from islands in the Cyclades Island cluster that were ungrazed, previously grazed by rabbits, and currently being grazed by rabbits. We analyzed the ecological impacts of rabbits on Aegean islands through soil depth samples, assessment of native plant populations, latrine transects, and biodiversity measures of arthropod populations.

Our results indicate that ungrazed islands had significantly more specialized or endemic plant species and grazed islands had significantly more soil cover than ungrazed islands. We also documented a trend showing greater aboveground biomass and vegetation cover on ungrazed islands than on grazed islands.

The implications of this study demonstrate the necessity for careful management of invasive herbivores on island ecosystems and suggest a need for the management of these complex ecological systems and further exploration of restoration techniques for endemic and vulnerable island species.

Informed and Community-Engaged Restoration of St. Pierre Wetland, a University of Michigan Property

Presenters: Alice Colville, MS (GDS); Liam Connolly, MS (ESM, EJ); Laura Gumpper, MS (ESM, GDS); Kimberly Heuman, MS (BEC); Rachel Kaufmann, MS (EPP); Xu Zhou, MLA, MS (ESM)

Advisor: Dr. Sheila Schueller

Location: Livingston County, Michigan, USA

Client: University of Michigan SEAS; Shan-Gri-La Homeowners Association; The Stewardship Network

St. Pierre Wetland is a 130-acre wetland property owned by the University of Michigan (U-M) and managed by the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS). An assessment done in 2017 by the Huron River Watershed Council identified the prairie fen on the site as highly ecologically valuable, but noted encroachment by invasive species, including glossy buckthorn. Renewed interest in the site and its need for restoration brought attention to the lack of use by U-M affiliates since its acquisition in 1975 and the potentially positive relationships with surrounding communities that were not developed.

Our master’s capstone team project formed in January 2022 to create a culture of stewardship and trust among stakeholders, uphold the research and education mission of the property, and protect the biodiversity and ecosystem services of the wetland. To inform our recommendations and actions towards these goals, we took three main approaches: (1) conduct an assessment of realistic opportunities for engaging both external stakeholders and U-M users with St. Pierre wetland, and implement feasible engagement activities; (2) increase understanding and awareness of the site using remote sensing data to assess and analyze plant species distributions; and (3) design and implement informed and community-engaged experimental invasive species removal in a way that both meets research and education needs and contributes to site restoration. We provide specific recommendations on how to continue to engage U-M affiliates and stakeholders in research, education, and stewardship of this significant wetland ecosystem.

Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge: Year IV Post-Restoration Monitoring

Presenters: Alex Curwin, MS (ESM); Meagan Froeba, MS (ESM); Maddie Holm, MS (ESM, GDS); Eli Weaver, MS (ESM); Hayden Zavareei, MS (EJ, ESM)

Advisor: Dr. Paul Seelbach

Location: Saginaw, Michigan, USA

Client: U.S. Geological Survey; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services

Throughout the Great Lakes region, valuable wetland habitat has been reduced or severely degraded. Through the efforts of a partnership between the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the University of Michigan, the wetland habitat throughout the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR) in Saginaw, Michigan, has undergone significant restoration. Restorative actions have prioritized restoration of historical wetland habitat and impounded coastal wetlands through hydrologic reconnection to the Shiawassee River and the surrounding water system.

While restoration is ongoing, the refuge has undergone significant restoration over the past decade through hydrologic reconnection of farm fields to the Shiawassee River to create functional wetlands. Sitting at the confluence of four major rivers, this connection represents a major milestone in repairing historically important habitat near the mouth of Saginaw Bay.

Our study objectives were to measure and analyze the impact of restorative actions on ecological communities. We collected data on four parameters, (fish, aquatic macroinvertebrates, vegetation, and water quality), across several reconnected wetlands at SNWR. With summer 2022 data collection capping the 4th year of post-restoration monitoring, this project aims to leverage this ecological data to demonstrate the effectiveness with which rehabilitation efforts can promote ecological resilience and biodiversity in a restored wetland.

Prescribed Burn Program Best Practices For Southern Michigan: From Indigenous Partnerships to Communication and Burn Plans

Presenters: Allegra

Baird, MS (ESM); Anna McAtee, MS (ESM); Vincent Salgado, MS (ESM, EJ); Foster Woodruff, MLA

Advisor: Dr. Sheila Schueller

Location: Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA

Client: Southeastern Michigan Land Conservancy (SMLC)

Prescribed burning is an important tool in managing diverse landscapes to meet site goals. For a land stewardship organization to establish or update a comprehensive burn program, they must respectfully acknowledge and incorporate the long and complex Indigenous history associated with fire, build successful partnerships and community engagement, and employ best available fire science in planning prescribed burns. Gathering and applying all of the relevant information, processes, and protocols can be a major challenge, especially for organizations with limited resources and capacity.

Working together with the Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy (SMLC), we address these needs for a broader audience of southern Michigan land stewards. Specifically, we synthesized a variety of sources and perspectives to provide: 1) a deep understanding not just of fire history in Southern Michigan, but also of the culture, rights, knowledges, and histories of the Anishinaabeg in order to build respectful and informed fire reintroduction partnerships (with guiding steps and an informed Fire Acknowledgment); 2) guidance and recommendations to engage, communicate, and build trust with a variety of stakeholders, partners, and rights holders, including a Fire Communication and Engagement Guidance Chart, Communication Plan Checklist, and an educational StoryMap; 3) materials and recommendations to develop an effective and informed Burn Plan using a comprehensive and customizable Burn Plan Template, supported with a Species of Concern Chart and best available information on invasive species, and approaches to increase pyrodiversity. Together, these resources can increase the capacity of any entity to improve or develop their burn program.

Survey and Monitoring of the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake in

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Presenter: Amanda Martinez, MS (ESM)

Advisors: Primary Advisor: Dr. Sara Ana Adlerstein Gonzalez; reader is Dr. Johannes Foufopoulos

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

The Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus, EMR) is a small snake once common across much of the lower Great Lakes basin. Now restricted to scattered and often isolated populations, the population found at Matthaei Botanical Gardens (MBG) located in Ann Arbor, Michigan is one of the few healthy remaining populations. Furthermore, the EMR was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2016 due to significant reductions in their populations primarily due to habitat loss. Michigan is considered the last stronghold for this species despite its decline in the state.

My objectives are to contribute to EMR conservation efforts through surveying, monitoring, and education. Surveys were performed within MBG property boundaries to better understand the population status. The approach for EMR monitoring includes the development of a robust protocol that includes replicable techniques. Education efforts focused on providing and receiving information from local stakeholders. We sought out information and assistance from neighboring residents to help us document any occurrences of EMRs in the surrounding area, as characterizing the distribution range of this population is of utmost importance. Visual encounter surveys yielded a small but reproducing population at MBG.

Overall, massasaugas play a crucial role in their ecosystems, both as a predator of small animals and as prey. The snake's decline in population could result in significant changes to the Michigan ecosystem. Therefore, the expansion of massasauga knowledge at Matthaei and the surrounding area would help us determine if conservation/management strategies need to be implemented.

Bees & Golf: An Unlikely Yet Impactful Partnership

Presenters: Caitlin Bates, MLA; Remington Gerst, MS (BEC); Cade Schafer, MS (ESM); Kaitlyn Vreeken, MLA

Advisor: Dr. Sheila Schueller

Location: Oceanside, California, USA

Client: Greener Golf

Pollinators are keystone species that are declining worldwide due to various anthropogenic land-use changes. Golf courses represent an enormous green space land cover that already provides important natural retreats and ecosystem services, especially in urbanized landscapes, but have a largely untapped potential to support and promote pollinators. This is due to a lack of awareness about the myriad ecological and socioeconomic benefits of supporting honeybees and other pollinators on golf courses, and insufficient guidance on where and how to actually implement pollinator habitat.

We address these challenges directly through three interrelated approaches:

1) Document the history and shift in golf course practices and provide golf course managers with actionable rationale and strategies to identify and convert underutilized managed areas into low-managed areas, as a step towards more sustainable land use, potential pollinator habitat, and even cost reduction, 2) Describe the menu of pollinator habitat options on a golf course (from honeyproducing apiaries to formal and informal gardens), with guidance on how to recognize and assess the ecological and social benefits that these provide and easy ways to communicate and celebrate these benefits, and

3) Design and build a multifunctional demonstration pollinator garden on a golf course, documenting every step in the process in a way that it can be applied at any site. Working with our client Greener Golf, we went beyond providing information and recommendations to actually demonstrating the application of all of these approaches at Goat Hill Park Golf Course in Oceanside, California.

Temporal Genetic Diversity of Cisco (Coregonus artedi) in Lake Huron

Presenter: Paris Schofield, MS (ESM)

Advisors: Dr. David "Bo" Bunnell; Dr. Amanda Ackiss

Location: Lake Huron, USA and Canada

Over the past century, Lake Huron has undergone steep declines in its coregonine biodiversity, including Cisco (Coregonus artedi). The once abundant Saginaw Bay Cisco population was extirpated by the 1960s, though Cisco have persisted in other regions of the lake. In 2018, a multi-agency effort began to reintroduce Cisco into Saginaw Bay. A key question is how the genetic composition of the extirpated stock compares to contemporary populations. New genomic methods, including genotyping-in-thousands by sequencing (GTseq), have proven successful at amplifying degraded DNA, enabling comparisons of historic and contemporary samples.

Here, a GTseq panel developed to identify coregonine species was tested to determine its ability to detect population structure within Lake Huron. Panel loci revealed population structure between contemporary Cisco collected from Parry Sound and elsewhere in Lake Huron, as well as subtle differences between northern and southern Cisco in the main basin. Furthermore, historic Saginaw Bay samples from the 1940s were successfully genotyped and were most similar to contemporary Cisco caught off the Bruce Peninsula. Understanding genetic diversity in the context of ongoing research on Cisco morphology and ecology will provide managers with critical information for continued restoration efforts.

Environmental Predictability Dictates Seasonal Movement, Home Range Fidelity, and Body-dynamics of Widespread Ungulate

Presenter: Madeline Standen, MS (ESM, GDS)

Advisor: Dr. Neil Carter

Location: Utah, USA

Appreciation for the overarching role that environmental predictability plays in dictating species’ cognitive abilities, driving animal movement, and determining individual fitness outcomes is recent. To date there have been relatively few studies empirically examining seasonal space use and body-dynamics in the context of environmental predictability. Recent studies have shown that movement and range areas of terrestrial animals have been vastly reduced due to anthropogenic change and suggest that animals are choosing to inhabit human-dominated landscapes to make use of highly predictable anthropogenic resources. Simultaneously, climate change is making natural environments less predictable, rendering anthropogenic landscapes an even more relevant source of resources.

In this study, we examined how environmental predictability and land-use dictate a) inter-year seasonal home range fidelity, b) intra-season daily movement, and c) yearly rump fat gain of a widely distributed ungulate, mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). We employed multiple Bayesian hierarchical models to examine the roles of the interacting effect of habitat quality (quantified through mean NDVI) and the random effects of individual and year. This analysis focused on two populations of mule deer inhabiting drastically different ecosystems in Utah, and we ran separate models for each population with different intercepts for spring and winter to identify season-specific dynamics. In addition to informing a unified theory regarding ungulate movement and home-range behavior, a better understanding of how environmental predictability relates to ungulate space use and fitness is of central importance for wildlife conservation and management in increasingly modified and fragmented landscapes.

Perceiving Competition: Attitudes Toward Wildlife-Livestock Relationships

Presenter: Jess Silber-Byrne, MS (EJ, SusDev)

Advisor: Dr. Bilal Butt

Location: Masai Mara, Kenya

My work contributes to my advisor's ongoing field research on the nature of relationships between pastoralists' livestock and wildlife within protected areas in the Masai Mara. I reviewed 60 ecological papers with original empirical data that conformed to specific keyword and geographic criteria to understand contemporary attitudes toward wildlife-livestock relationships in East African rangelands. I connected the emerging themes on interspecific competition, compensation, and facilitation with social theory frameworks to understand how ecological theories regarding interspecific competition are so entrenched that they are often accepted as fact without necessary clarification or reflection. I disturb the binary between livestock and wildlife and understand how social processes of “othering” can emerge, unexamined, in the ecological literature when researchers distinguish between domestic and wild ungulates.

Assessing Conservation Outcomes: Protected Areas and Indigenous Peoples’ Lands

Presenter: Ella Hartshorn, MS (ESM, GDS)

Advisors: Dr. Neil H. Carter; Dr. Kyle Whyte

Location: International Example: Mesoamerica

Anthropogenic environmental impacts, such as habitat loss and pollution, threaten global biodiversity. Land tenure— rules governing how people use land—can strongly mediate these impacts as they often prescribe natural resource management. The primary objective of protected areas (PAs), a global land tenure typology, is to preserve biodiversity and their habitats by prohibiting human developments. Indigenous Peoples’ lands (IPLs)—ancestral lands stewarded by Indigenous Peoples—encompass 25% of the Earth’s terrestrial surface, intersect with 40% of lands without high intensity human pressures, and represent some of the oldest forms of land management. Indeed, many Indigenous cultures define a reciprocal relationship between Indigenous self-determinization and stewardship of the Earth.

IPLs and PAs both produce conservation outcomes with different management practices. Investigating these differences is critical for long-term planning and for understanding how geospatial methodologies can be ethically applied to land tenure comparisons. By overlapping tenure typologies with the ranges of terrestrial Mesoamerican vertebrates, we modeled conservation outcomes as the proportion of species with decreasing population trends in each tenure type including anthropogenic, biologic, and methodological covariates.

Despite the prioritization of PA establishment in recent decades, proportions of species with decreasing population trends in PAs were comparable to IPLs however, the proportion of species ranges protected by either tenure type is minimal. Findings indicate coarse spatial methodologies should be applied cautiously when evaluating the conservation outcomes of IPLs and PAs, and variability between taxa models highlight bias in the availability of class specific data.

SEAS 2023 CAPSTONE

Supporting Forest Restoration and Sustainable Livelihoods in Coastal Ecuador

Presenters: Luke Allen, MS (EJ, SusDev); Sally Phipps, MS (BEC, ESM); Barbara Nainiger, MS (GDS); Jared Mandelbaum, MS (EJ), MPP; Antonio Morsette, MS (GDS); Ylexia Padilla, MS (ESM, EJ)

Advisor: Dr. Sheila K. Schueller

Location: Manabí, Ecuador

Client: The Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation

The tropical dry forests of Ecuador are a critical source of biodiversity and ecosystem services, but are threatened by deforestation and land use changes. There are current efforts to protect biodiversity and local livelihoods, such as the creation of the Area of Conservation and Sustainable Use (Área de Conservación y Uso Sostenible, “ACUS”) in Manabí Province. However, within the ACUS there remains a need to prioritize areas for restoration and to better assist, inform, and motivate transitions to sustainable livelihoods through eco-entrepreneurship, such as agroforestry and ecotourism.

Working with the Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation we produced four sets of informed deliverables that provide multidisciplinary solutions to these challenges: 1) A geospatial restoration prioritization map based on multicriteria decision analysis of fourteen weighted variables and incorporating both existing data layers and fieldbased ground truthing; 2) Analysis of literature and interviews on the key motivators and challenges faced by ecoentrepreneurs in the ACUS, and recommendations of how to best support them, including support of locally-owned certification and limited investment ecotourism; 3) Documentation of the ecological and socioeconomic benefits of agroforestry, based on literature, local field surveys, and interviews of farmers, so that these benefits can be shared and promoted; and 4) Development of criteria to assess current coffee farm ecotourism efforts, and actionable recommendations for improvement.

Together these deliverables and recommendations will inform the Ceiba Foundation’s ongoing work in Manabí to support forest restoration and sustainable livelihoods, and inform the larger theory and practice of conservation in tropical dry forest contexts.

Implications of Agricultural Terrace Abandonment on Biodiversity in a Mediterranean Landscape

Presenter: Hannah Nossan, MS (ESM)

Advisor: Dr. Johannes Foufopoulos

Location: Naxos, Greece

Dry-stone walls and adjacent terraces are a feature of traditional agriculture systems and have been used for millennia throughout the world to stabilize hilly slopes. They also play a key role in reducing erosion, prolonging runoff, and increasing biodiversity. It has been postulated that dry-stone wall terraces play a key role in increasing and helping to maintain biodiversity in the face of a changing climate.

Many of these terraces have been abandoned in recent years because of the high labor costs associated with their maintenance, and due to insufficient production on marginal lands. Little is known about how the abandonment process affects overall ecosystem function and biodiversity across multiple trophic levels.

In this study conducted on the Aegean Island of Naxos, Greece, we build upon previous research which has shown increased biodiversity in proximity to maintained dry-stone walls. It has been suggested that terrace abandonment presents a serious threat to the ecological health of the island. Here we address two main questions regarding agricultural abandonment. First, we establish and compare three distinct groups of terrace use: (1) active sites which are composed of plowed terraces and maintained supporting walls; (2) semi-active sites which are still plowed but whose supporting walls are not repaired; and (3) abandoned sites which are not used for cultivation, nor receive wall maintenance. Additionally, we use historical records to date the start of abandonment and study the impacts of age since abandonment on the present ecosystem. Measurements of biodiversity, such as reptile and arthropod species richness and population density, as well as measurements of vegetation were recorded to quantify the overall impacts of abandonment on biodiversity and ecosystem function over time.

Our findings from this study reveal that terrace abandonment (via termination of plowing) and wall abandonment (via cessation of repairs) have varied effects on resident ecological communities. However, both conditions result in reduced biodiversity compared to active walls. Also, effects vary by trophic level, with the strongest impacts on resident reptiles and arthropods, and the weakest on herbaceous plants. This study suggests that maintenance of dry-stone wall terraces is an important component of ecological management in this region.

Food Systems

Great Lakes Incubator Farm: Enhancing Agricultural, Environmental, and Economic Resilience in Northwest Michigan and Beyond

Presenters: Anna Ciacciarella, MS (SusDev); Kyla Foley, MS (BEC); Lindsay Rasmussen, MS (ESM)

Advisor: Dr. M'Lis Bartlett

Location: Traverse City, Michigan, USA

Client: Grand Traverse Conservation District

In Northwest Michigan, agriculture is cornerstone to the region’s character, economy, and sense of place. Unfortunately, an aging farmer population, development pressure, and high costs are putting farmland and the valuable skill sets possessed by farmers at risk. One response to this national challenge has been the rise of incubator farms. Incubator farms target new and beginning farmers with the goal of helping them establish independent agricultural businesses, ultimately increasing the number of viable farmers and farms, and specifically confronting the challenges faced by new and beginning farmers as they start out. The Great Lakes Incubator Farm presents a unique opportunity to lower knowledge and economic barriers for new and beginning farmers seeking to start their own agriculture ventures in the Grand Traverse Region.

This capstone project investigated existing incubator farms across the nation in order to identify the practices, policies, and structures that have the most success. Through this comparative lens, alongside valuable regional context, the SEAS project team created a tailored strategic planning resource to aid the Grand Traverse Conservation District in their development of an incubator farm that serves its community and builds on existing local efforts to create a more sustainable, just regional food system.

Integration of Food Systems and School Gardens into Michigan K-12 Education

Presenters: Keely StAndrew, MLA; Katherine Francois, MS (EJ); Erin Holland, MS (EJ); Sarah Eldridge, MS (EJ, GDS)

Advisor: Dr. M'Lis Bartlett

Location: Flint, Michigan, USA

Client: Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (GLSI); Michigan State University Extension (MSU-E)

Educators engage with place-based education (PBE) and utilize school gardens as a way of building community connections and exploring environmental topics. Unfortunately, the topics of exploration are often limited to nutrition, health, or the basics of plant growth and exclude the broader food system.

The project focused on building an understanding of how educators across grade levels utilize school gardens, connect it to content areas, and explore unrealized opportunities to expand these connections to food systems. A series of interviews and focus groups investigated how community partners and PBE facilitators desire to strengthen the connection between school garden activities and food systems topics. These interviews and focus groups provided the basis for the creation of informational documents that can be used by educators to deepen their understanding of the importance of Michigan’s Great Lakes Region and topics like agriculture, local food production, justice, equity, and climate change. The data collection results and literature review also informed the creation of a garden design guide to aid schools in building accessible learning environments to explore food systems through PBE. The design guide offers varying levels of learning experiences, coverage of food systems and PBE topics, and strategies for school garden design depending on the needs of the community.

Through the framework documents and design guide, teachers can expand the breadth of food systems topics they feel confident exploring in their classrooms to increase their students’ civic engagement, ability to grapple with complex systems thinking, and be informed consumers in our changing environment.

Leverages for Advancing Carbon Accounting in the United States Food System: An analysis of the political and economic leverages through which

accounting

for reducing net greenhouse gas emissions of the United States’ food system

Presenters: Hannah Peplinski, MS (EPP, ESM); Julia Piscionere, MS (GDS); Emily Marcil MS, (EPP); Margaret Halpern, MS (BEC)

Advisor: Dr. M'Lis Bartlett

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Client: GreenSwapp

The global food system is responsible for 25-30 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions (Boehm 2018). The United States is the only country ranked amongst the top six emitting economies in the world to not have a national sustainable food plan, leaving the country’s 1.5 gigatons of food-related emissions largely unchecked (Crippa et al., 2022).

GreenSwapp is a for-profit company based in the Netherlands that utilizes life cycle analysis (LCA) to model the carbon emissions of its clients’ food products. This information can then be utilized via carbon accounting to identify opportunities for businesses or consumers to reduce the carbon footprint of the food that they sell or consume. To expand their impact on net global emissions, GreenSwapp sought to identify political and economic leverages for emissions reduction in the United States using carbon accounting.

To identify and analyze such leverages, a comprehensive literature analysis was conducted in conjunction with over 30 interviews with food system experts in various fields. Utilizing qualitative analysis techniques, key themes of intervention were identified across all sectors interviewed, then utilized to create both a network visualization tool of the U.S. food system, and a policy pathway for carbon accounting. While this research identified substantial challenges in the implementation of a carbon accounting mandate at any level of governance, it utilized existing policies and programs to establish clear market value in carbon accounting strategies. It also presented clear opportunities for GreenSwapp to expand its influence.

carbon

can serve as an effective tool

Effects of Staggered Planting and Soil Fertility on Cover Crop Mixture Performance

Presenter: Casey Haggerty, MS (ESM)

Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Blesh

Location: University of Michigan Campus Farm, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Cover crops can support ecosystem services on farms, especially mixtures of species from complementary functional groups. Increasing functional diversity within agroecosystems can increase multifunctionality, or the simultaneous delivery of multiple ecosystem functions. Yet, multifunctionality may not be achieved if one species outcompetes another, underscoring the importance of mixture evenness (i.e., adequate representation of each functional group).

Mixture evenness may be influenced by staggering the timing of planting, which influences priority effects, or a species’ effects on and responses to the environment based on its order of establishment. Priority effects may help or hinder later-arriving species, and these dynamics can also be moderated by soil nutrient availability, especially when combining cover crops with contrasting nutrient acquisition strategies.

To advance understanding of priority effects in agroecosystems, and knowledge of maximizing cover crop benefits, we conducted a field experiment at the UM Campus Farm to test the effects of staggered planting and soil fertility on cover crop mixture evenness and multifunctionality. Planting order treatments included legume-first, grass-first, brassica-first, and simultaneous planting with each treatment grown in two contrasting soil fertility levels across five replicate blocks.

We found that planting order had a significant effect on mixture evenness (p = 0.004), but soil fertility level did not (p=0.646). Planting order and soil fertility had varying impacts on ecosystem functions, highlighting tradeoffs to consider when managing mixtures on farms. Overall, staggered planting of cover crops may be an important management strategy for realizing the potential environmental benefits of cover crop mixtures.

Developing Food Justice Policy Solutions and Educational Resources to

Address Food Apartheid in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Presenters: Evelyn Patrell-Fazio, MS (SusDev, EJ); Jacob Steere, MS (GDS); Jack O'Brian, MS (EJ)

Advisor: Dr. M'Lis Bartlett

Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

Client: South East Market

Food injustice is a growing problem in many urban centers of the U.S., having a disproportionately high impact on African-American communities. Grand Rapids is a highly segregated city wherein food insecurity and a lack of food in-access are concentrated in non-white neighborhoods of the city.

In collaboration with South East Market founders and Grand Rapids residents, Alita Kelly and Khara DeWit, this project developed food justice policy solutions and a storymap to aid ongoing initiatives aimed at addressing food apartheid in the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Using a justice lens to review Grand Rapids planning and policy documents, this report contextualizes the emergence of food apartheid in Grand Rapids, highlighting the intersectional, historical inequities embedded in the city and its food system, and includes a comparison of food justice policy efforts and community-led food justice initiatives in three other U.S cities in order to identify gaps in current policy in Grand Rapids.

The project’s findings are presented via an educational interactive story map that displays the history and current inequalities in Grand Rapids. Likewise, it highlights ongoing work of community-led initiatives in order to provide a valuable public, educational resource to aid South East Market’s current efforts at addressing food injustice in Grand Rapids.

The Impact of Diversiform Agriculture, Livestock, and Garden Management on Household Livelihood Through Diet Diversity in Bolivia

Presenter: Jourdan Clements, MS (ESM), MPH

Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Blesh

Location: Bolivia, South America

Management practices across agriculture, livestock, and gardening have the power to shape household livelihood through various modalities, such as contributing directly to dietary diversity through food procurement and indirectly through factors such as income. However, there remains critical gaps in the mechanisms by which these factors intersect and work synergistically to shape livelihood.

As such, we conducted an analysis of data from in-depth household interviews across rural-urban continuums in La Paz, Bolivia and Santa Cruz, Bolivia to further understand the complexities of these relationships. Using these data, we created an index to assess indicators of crop diversity, soil management, external agricultural inputs, and livestock diversity and production at the household level. These predictor index variables were compared to crop yield and dietary diversity outcome variables, while controlling for wealth quintile and educational attainment covariates.

Results of this analysis will highlight the potential for varying management practices to shape livelihoods and the differences in magnitude of effect these factors have on household livelihood across regional and rural-urban continuums. Our findings will contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms by which biodiversity, agrobiodiversity, and sustainable crop management practices may be utilized to improve household livelihood.

A Comparative Analysis of Carbon Emission of Grocery Pickup and Grocery Delivery in Urban and Rural Regions

Presenter: Luyi Huang, MS (SusSys)

Advisor: Dr. Shelie Miller

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in online grocery shopping in the United States, particularly in rural areas. While e-commerce has been shown to have lower carbon emissions in non-food commodities, its environmental implications in the grocery industry are not fully understood.

The primary goal of this study is to identify the parameters that play a significant role in the environmental performance of grocery supply chain pathways in rural and urban areas in the United States. The study developed a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework to investigate the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission differences between grocery pickup and grocery delivery in urban and rural areas comparing multiple operational logistics scenarios. The system boundary considered in this study covers the food-embedded carbon, agriculture production, harvesting, handling and storage, regional distribution center, retail store operation, and last-mile transportation to customers.

The results show that e-commerce tends to have lower GHG emissions than the brick-and-mortar model. However, food-embedded carbon emission is a significant factor in the overall GHG emissions of the grocery industry. The study also finds that rural areas tend to have higher carbon emissions associated with grocery supply chain pathways, although e-commerce tends to have lower associated emissions. The paper discusses the potential break-even point for introducing grocery delivery to rural areas and highlights the importance of considering food choices and loss/waste in reducing the carbon footprint of the grocery industry. The study's findings could inform decisions for companies and customers seeking to reduce GHG emissions in the grocery industry.

Mapping Smallholder Yields in Ethiopia's Maize Belt

Presenter: Zachary Reyer Mondschein, MS (GDS)

Advisor: Dr. Meha Jain

Location: East Shewa, Ethiopia

Client: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

In Central Ethiopia maize production is driven by smallholder farms. Heterogeneity of the environmental conditions and management practices on smallholdings results in highly variable productivity across space and time. Remote sensing offers a low-cost method for capturing the spatial patterns of maize production in the region which cannot be accounted for by existing ground-based yield estimates.

This study contributes to the growing body of literature that seeks to evaluate how improvements in spatial and temporal resolutions of remote sensing imagery affect the capacity of models to capture yield heterogeneity across small spatial scales. The methods explored in this study leverage the empirically defined relationship between satellite derived vegetation indices and yield. For our assessment we used The European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 surface reflectance data (10m resolution), acquired from March 2021 to December 2021 over the study region to generate time series Green Chlorophyll Vegetation Index (GCVI) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data products. The 321 smallholdings that were the subject of this analysis are located across the Jimma, East Shewa and Guraghe Zones in Central Ethiopia and were surveyed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and local affiliates. Two regression models, a multiple linear regression, and a random forest regression, were developed for each VI data product using survey-derived crop-cut yield. The models were then assessed to determine which dataset is best able to capture observed variability. We then used the best performing model to generate a ‘yield map’ of the entire Ethiopian Maize Belt and validated our satellite yield estimates using spatially aggregated yield estimates for 2020/21 provided by the Ethiopia Central Statistics Agency.

Characterizing Belowground Functional Diversity in a Perennial Grain-Legume Intercrop

Presenter:

Delfina Grinspan, MS (ESM)

Advisor: Dr. Jennifer

Blesh

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Perennial grain crops are a promising tool for the ecological management of agriculture, as they have traits that can mitigate agriculture’s impacts on global change. Yet, to date, the impacts of intercropping on trait expression and ecosystem function in perennial grain systems is poorly understood.

To address this gap, we examined variation in root functional traits and soil microbial functions in a field experiment established in 2019 with intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium; IWG) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa), a common forage legume. Specifically, we measured five root functional traits and microbial enzymatic activity in five cropping treatments: (i) an unfertilized IWG monocrop; (ii) an IWG monocrop with fertilizer addition; (iii) an IWG-alfalfa intercrop; (iv) an IWG-alfalfa intercrop from which alfalfa shoots were removed throughout the growing season to simulate a dual-use grain and forage system; and (v) an alfalfa monocrop.

We found that root N content of IWG in the intercrop with alfalfa was significantly higher than in the unfertilized monocrop (p = 0.007) and was not different from the fertilized IWG, suggesting that intercropping with the legume is an effective method for supplying N to this perennial grain crop. Other root traits were not significantly affected by cropping treatment, however, the trait-based distance between species tended to decrease in the intercrops relative to the monocrops, suggesting that facilitative interactions may dominate in the intercrops. This research expands our understanding of root trait expression in novel perennial cropping systems, which will help us refine ecological management strategies that increase agricultural sustainability.

Sustainability + Development

Climate Impacts of a Growing Cold Chain

Presenter: Aaron Friedman-Heiman, MS (GDS)

Advisor: Dr. Shelie Miller

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Approximately 1/3 of global food production goes to waste. In contrast to regions with developed economies, where most food is wasted on the farm and at the consumer stages, in developing regions, food loss disproportionately occurs during the transfer of products from farm to consumer. It is widely known that lack of infrastructure in developing regions, particularly refrigeration technology, has heavily contributed to this inefficiency. Through my research, I developed a tool for food supply chain (FSC) stakeholders—farmers, logistics companies, governments, NGOs, etc.—to model refrigeration scenarios and their associated food loss and GHG emissions. The Excel-based model utilizes existing information on food loss rates and their associated emission factors in seven world regions. My model, like those it builds upon, also draws from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO) metadata in the FAOSTAT database.

The outputs of my model have pointed to the value of investing in the early stages of the FSC in developing regions— particularly refrigerated transportation, post-harvest handling and storage, and processing. Investing in these earlier stages would avoid food loss far more than investing in the later FSC stages, like distribution and retail. I am hopeful that my model will be used outside the bounds of academia by individuals and organizations invested in preventing food waste and increasing access to nutrition in developing regions to inform investments in the FSC as refrigeration technology continues to expand globally.

Flooding in Jefferson Chalmers: Recommendations for Resilience

Presenters: Erin East, MS (SusDev, EPP), MPA; Moksha Menghaney, MS (EPP), MPP; Maaike Wielenga, MS (BEC); Rachel Woodcock, MS (EJ, EPP)

Advisors: Dr. Samuel Stolper; SEAS Sustainability Clinic

Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA

Client: Jefferson East, Inc.

In June 2021, residents of the Jefferson Chalmers Neighborhood awoke to sewage-flooded basements and streets again when heavy rainfall overwhelmed the aging combined stormwater/sewer system. The destruction by this flood and previous flooding in 2014 and years past has caused financial distress and harmful mental and physical health impacts for residents and businesses.

Frustrated and saddened by the continuing devastation, Jefferson East Inc. (JEI), a non-profit community development organization committed to improving the lives of Jefferson Chalmers residents, partnered with the SEAS Sustainability Clinic and engaged our team of SEAS masters students to study the issue and provide actionable recommendations on how JEI can improve community resilience.

We conducted extensive research on the history, politics, and policies of flooding in Jefferson Chalmers from the community to the federal level and reviewed case studies on flooding resilience in other communities. We also interviewed JEI staff and government officials, and attended community meetings to gain insight into the personal perspectives of stakeholders involved.

From this research, we identified five actions for JEI to improve Jefferson Chalmers' flood resiliency: 1) Advocate for infrastructure investments, funding for resilience programs, and equitable community representation in decisionmaking; 2) Proactively plan for disaster response by creating an internal flooding standard operating procedure, and hosting flood-preparedness community workshops; 3) Establish a communication hub to share information between the government and residents on policies and programs; 4) Incorporate sustainable design into all of JEI’s development projects; and 5) Hire dedicated resilience personnel to manage JEI’s resiliency programs and coordinate with other organizations.

Community-Scale Wildfire Mitigation in California’s Wildland-Urban Interface

Presenters: Shannon Clancy (MLA); Dallas Ford (MLA); Peter Rustad (EJ); Rajpankaja Talukdar (MLA); Ted Vuchinich (MLA)

Advisor: Lisa Du Russel

Location: California, USA

Client: SWA

This project identified, examined, and expanded upon applied techniques for mitigating risks associated with wildfire for communities in wildfire-prone regions, and synthesized them into a compendium of best practices for landscape architects, urban planners, and urban designers.

The principal outcome of this research is a topical primer for landscape architects working in wildfire-prone regions. As a technical guide, this document focuses on implementable design strategies for mitigating risk and managing landscapes with active fire regimes at the community scale. As a communications tool, it extracts the spatial principles of wildfire resilience through an easy-to-navigate series of illustrated recommendations.

Towards a Political Ecology of the US-Mexico Border: Violent Geographies, the Non-Human, and Abolitionist Visions

Presenter: Maria Düster, MS (EPP, EJ)

Advisor: Dr. Bilal Butt

Location: United States-Mexico Border, USA

The increase of crossings at the United States-Mexico border over the past few years has garnered international attention, as images and reports of family separation, human rights abuse, and migrant death have abounded. This violence is neither accidental nor random; it is the result of decades-long policy and enforcement by the U.S. government that criminalizes people and movement. These bordering strategies have expanded rapidly, growing to include technology, surveillance, and the use of non-human nature. Examining these processes over space and time helps us to understand how the U.S. government creates and maintains violence at/near the U.S.-Mexico border, and the impact it has on both people and land across the globe.

This practicum seeks to examine the ways in which the U.S. Border Patrol uses non-human actors/nature to control, detain, and punish migrants at the U.S.-Mexico Border. Pulling together different theoretical frameworks—including political ecology, environmental justice, and abolition—it explores the various forms of violence migrants face both at/ near the border and in detention centers, including the physical, spatial, and temporal. The paper then puts critical border and immigration literature in conversation with abolitionist ecologies, discussing how race, class, and other socially produced differences inform and shape these geographies.

An exercise in both theory and practice, this practicum ultimately calls for non-reformist reforms, radical reorganizations of political and social life in the U.S., and the abolition of borders and immigration systems.

Just Sustainability Transitions for Isle Royale National Park

Presenter:

Sam Kaiser, MS (EJ, SusDev)

Advisor: Dr. Kyle Whyte

Location: Isle Royale National Park, Michigan, USA

The National Park Service (NPS) leads U.S. government agencies in efforts to co-manage properties with American Tribal groups. Informed by the Tribal Self-Governance Act of 1994, co-management plans represent a novel tool to provide a greater degree of participation and access for Indigenous communities.

In 1999, the Grand Portage Band of the Chippewa (GPB) became the first Tribal group to successfully enter a co-management agreement with the NPS. Grand Portage National Monument represents an encouraging example for American Tribal groups seeking to protect their relationship to land. The ancestral territory of the GPB includes Minong (The Good Place). This Lake Superior island, lying in clear view of GPB land, is also known as Isle Royale National Park. Today, the GPB has no legal right to access Minong.

Isle Royale Park administration is interested in deepening their collaboration with the GPB. This practicum uses historical, legal, and justice contexts to develop pathways for Isle Royale administration. Interviews were conducted with Park staff, Tribal representatives, and other relevant parties, highlighting common themes and isolating areas of agreement and contestation. Perspectives were compared to other co-management and co-stewardship cases, and solutions were generated for the Park’s consideration.

This study finds that Isle Royale National Park’s ability to collaborate on equitable sustainability transitions is weakened by deficits in multiple types of capital. The Inflation Reduction Act presents new opportunities for Isle Royale administration to support collaboration. However, existing power dynamics and differences in cultural land ethics present obstacles where further reconciliation is needed.

Trails of History and Nature: Developing Ecological and Cultural Materials for an Ecotourism Hiking Network on the Aegean Island of Naxos

Presenters: Sagarika Kaushik, MS (BEC, SusSys); Daly Kleaveland, MS (EPP), MPP; Rachel Mallet, MS (ESM); Jasmyn Noel, MS (SusDev, GDS); Madison Parrish, MS (BEC), MBA; Jessica Villarreal, MS (ESM)

Advisors: Dr. Sheila Schueller; Dr. Johannes Foufopoulos

Location: Naxos, Greece

Client: Cyclades Preservation Fund (CPF); Elliniki Etairia: Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage; Naxos Municipal Government

The Cycladic Islands of Greece are a premier international destination that is experiencing the unfettered impacts of mass tourism, and yet are an ideal site for sustainable ecotourism. Specifically, the island of Naxos is located within a major global biodiversity hotspot. It offers a beautiful, topographically diverse landscape, numerous endemic species, and various cultural resources as well as opportunities for hiking ecotourism along an ancient trail network.

However, hiking ecotourism and its potential benefits still need to be developed on Naxos as little information is widely available to entice, inform, and guide visitors. Thus, to meet this goal, this project created robust and effective educational materials that not only allow for improved trail navigation, but also feature ecological, cultural, and tourism resources along each trail— from characteristic flora and fauna to Byzantine churches, to restaurants and lodging. These materials will be utilized to increase trail use, which directly supports the local economy and allows for more sustainable land use as compared to the destructive coastal tourism or livestock overgrazing that are common on the island today.

The eight trail maps, descriptions, and supporting materials we produced will be integrated into an existing mobile device application and will contribute to the production of a guidebook that visitors can purchase for self-guided hikes on Naxos. This project provides a model for ecotourism efforts in the Mediterranean and worldwide, where sustainable hiking activities can protect the rich cultural and ecological diversity that they feature, while benefiting both local communities and visiting hikers.

Southwest Michigan Interdunal Trail Design

Presenters: Jack Guirey, MS (GDS); Eli Lowry, MLA; Dillon Martin, MLA, MS (ESM); Alissa Paquette, MLA; Joseph Powell, MLA

Advisor: Bob Grese

Location: South Haven, Michigan, USA

Client: Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy; the National Park Service

South Haven, Michigan is known as a “trail town” because it is home to several hiking, biking, and kayaking trails that are popular among residents and visitors alike. Five miles north of the city are four coastal properties of much ecological and social significance. There are some trails in these properties, but they are largely disconnected and unmanaged, which is not ideal for ecosystem health and dune stability.

We have been tasked by the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy (SWMLC) and the National Park Service (NPS) to design an interdunal trail network to connect these properties, thereby creating an accessible community trail network to connect residents and visitors to a dynamic South Haven area dune landscape. From north to south these are Pilgrim Haven Natural Area and Porter Legacy Dunes, both of which are managed by SWMLC, the Syndicate Park Dunes neighborhood, which is mixed with land owned by Van Buren County, and Van Buren State Park.

Methods include stakeholder engagement, modeling of existing and proposed trails, survey evaluation, site visits during which we collected GIS data and ground truthed, and signage design. Final deliverables will include a conceptual trail plan; technical recommendations for best practices in trail construction, materials, and dune restoration; design and strategy of educational and wayfinding signage; preliminary marketing materials; an accessibility assessment; conceptual renderings; a report synthesizing process and findings; and a list of future partners and funding sources. The interdunal trail has the potential to enrich trail life and Lake Michigan landscapes for all.

Overcoming Barriers to Accessing Climate Knowledge for Women in Samoa and Vanuatu

Presenters: Alison Shereda, MS (SusDev & EJ); Anne Olsen, MS (SusDev, EJ); Carmen Wagner, MS (EJ), MPP; Claire Doyle, MS (SusDev, EJ); Emily Adrid, MS (SusDev, EJ); Lavanya Gauri Pandit (BEC, EPP)

Advisor: Dr. Avik Basu

Location: Samoa and Vanuatu

Clients: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); Australia Pacific Climate Partnership (APCP)

Because Pacific islands are disproportionately exposed to climate risks, climate information systems (CIS) are necessary for resilience and disaster risk reduction. Climate information systems help address climate risk by translating and disseminating climate-related and other relevant information, using technical weather and climate information to reduce vulnerability and enhance resilience to climate hazards. However, not all end-users in the Pacific are able to access and utilize these systems.

We aim to identify needs, challenges, and barriers in Samoa and Vanuatu regarding accessing, disseminating, and utilizing information from CIS services and early warning systems, as well as identify best practices—both from Samoa and Vanuatu, as well as other contexts—in disseminating relevant and usable climate information to knowledge users. We interviewed stakeholders and conducted a literature review to understand existing barriers, how to better disseminate CIS, and increase their usability in Samoa and Vanuatu.

Based on our interviews in Samoa, we found that the majority of NGOs and community members highlighted cultural, language, logistical, and resource barriers with regard to CIS, whereas government officials mainly discussed resource barriers. Based on interviews with stakeholders in Vanuatu, there are deliberate efforts being made to improve accessibility, uptake, and usability of CIS by those at the ‘last mile’, largely due to the GCF-funded VanKIRAP project. Interviewees outlined barriers to CIS production and dissemination, including cultural, logistic, language, and resource barriers. We conclude with a list of recommendations to improve the accessibility and usability of CIS through coproduction, inclusive dissemination, and capacity building.

Waste + Circular Economy

Kickstarting Circular Ann Arbor: Determining Indicators, Analyzing Current Models, and Building Community Support for an Equitable and Resilient Circular Economy in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Presenters: Zhaoqianyi Ji, MS (SusSys); Tariku Negassa, MS (GDS); Ananya Shah, MS (SusSys); Brooke Troxell, MS (EJ); MURP; Jane Wei, MS (SusSys)

Advisor: Dr. Richard Helling

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Client: City of Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor needs metrics to baseline Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, develop reduction targets and measure progress in building a circular economy. This project aims to develop a framework to test and implement a set of metrics related to the City of Ann Arbor’s circular economy goals of Decarbonization, Resilience, and Equity. Life Cycle thinking was applied throughout the project’s three main parts: 1) develop municipal circular economy metrics, 2) test and implement a set of metrics for community scale circular economy pilots, 3) stimulate expansion of the circular economy by businesses, consumers, and policy-makers.

Key deliverables include a metrics dashboard, a locator map to direct consumers to circular economy businesses, three pilot case studies and an inventory of existing circular economy activity in Ann Arbor, and community outreach materials, such as videos, to communicate to businesses, nonprofits, and the community at large about the circular economy, and recruit their participation.

Circular Economy in the Office Furniture Industry at Steelcase

Presenters: Jordyn Kreucher, MS (SusSys); David Hans Gieschen, MS (SusSys); Nicolas Kent, MS (SusSys); Karan Dhanak, MS (SusSys); Meredith Maimoni, MS (SusSys), MBA; Elijah Forrester, MS (SusSys), MBA

Advisor: Dr. Ming Xu

Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

Client: Steelcase, Inc.

The circular economy has gained widespread attention as a potential solution to the unsustainable use of finite resources and the negative environmental impacts associated with traditional linear economic models. This innovative concept aims to create a closed-loop system where resources are kept in use for as long as possible, reducing waste and maximizing resource efficiency.

In this study, our team explored potential circular economy models that could be directly applied to the furniture industry, and specifically within the operations of our client, Steelcase, Inc. By examining various approaches to the circular economy, we aimed to demonstrate the practical application of these principles at Steelcase, Inc. and identify potential challenges and opportunities.

Through our research, we gained a deeper understanding of the potential for Steelcase, Inc. to adopt circular economy practices, and the impact that such a transition could have on the environment and Steelcase Inc.'s financials. Our findings contribute to the growing body of knowledge on the circular economy and provide valuable insights into the practical implementation of circular economy models.

On Track to Circularity: An Assessment of Circular Strategies for On

Presenters: Erika Frondorf, MS (SusDev, EJ); Angelo Gagliardi, MS (SusSys); Dingyu Liu, MS (GDS); Hailey McQuaid, MS (SusSys); Sam Sugerman, MS (BEC, EPP)

Advisor: Dr. Richard Helling

Location: Zurich, Switzerland

Client: On Holdings AG

The apparel and footwear industry is estimated to produce around 8% of global climate change impact through high value chain emissions and waste. As companies face pressure to produce higher volumes of cheaper products as well as demands from activists and customers to assume more responsibility for their environmental impact, companies are turning to circular economics as a solution. On Holdings AG (On), a Swiss athletic footwear company, has partnered with the University of Michigan to help achieve their goal of a fully circular business model by 2030.

This project seeks to understand the current state of circularity in the industry, and identify feasible strategies across six stages of the value chain (materials, design, manufacturing and assembly, logistics, use, and end-of-life) to provide strategic guidance to On. Each set of value chain strategies was selected based on a literature review, a comparative analysis, interviews with On’s key sustainability and circularity personnel, and internal surveys with On employees. Using multi-criteria decision analysis, each strategy has been given a score based on an internal survey of its priority in supporting circularity at On. The impact of each strategy on Circularity Indicators that our team defined is also highlighted to further illustrate the potential opportunities and challenges that each strategy poses for circularity.

This project is a guide for On as they build towards their 2030 circular goals, as well as a framework in complex decision-making for the larger footwear industry to consider when transitioning to a circular business model.

Development of a Comprehensive Circular Economy Model for Utility-Scale

Wind and Solar Power: A Case Study of DTE Electric and Gas

Presenters: Gustavo Cordero, MS (SusSys); Pengyi Du, MS (SusSys); Hanlin Tian, MS (SusSys); Harrison Watson, MS (SusSys)

Advisor: Dr. Richard Helling

Location: Michigan, USA

Client: DTE Energy

Within the next two decades, the first generations of utility-scale wind and solar technologies will enter their endof-life (EOL). To achieve a goal of pollution-free energy, power utilities are exploring the idea of implementing circular economy (CE) principles with quantitative tools. CE is a pathway to managing the substantial material waste that will be generated when the current generation of infrastructure expires. A major barrier to implementing CE in today’s energy market is the lack of understanding of the economic and environmental impacts of nonlinear waste pathways.

To address this gap in understanding, the project aims to develop an LCA-based model that will evaluate the costs and benefits of implementing CE strategies across economic and environmental impact categories. A literature review identified prevalent CE strategies. A dynamic material flow analysis (MFA) was conducted. The results of these analyses were integrated into a user-friendly tool that bridges the gap in EOL knowledge for renewable technologies within a power sector context.

Water

Transformation of Resuspended Phosphorus in Lake Erie’s Western Basin

Presenter: Connor Gluck, MS (ESM)

Advisors: Dr. Casey Godwin; Dr. Allen Burton

Location: Lake Erie Western Basin

Due to the history of eutrophication, there is a large pool of phosphorus (P) in the sediment of Lake Erie which is regularly physically mixed into the water column. The fate and bioavailability of this sedimentary P that is mechanically resuspended has not previously been quantified.

To investigate this, we took sediment cores harvested from Lake Erie’s western basin and increased the shear stress to resuspend sediment into the water column. We then took this resuspended water and diluted it with overlying lake water to simulate in-lake dilution of suspended sediment. The water was mixed for 48 hours in darkness while we took samples for six functional fractions of P at regular intervals. Additionally, we investigated if small changes in pH affect the release of bioavailable P from the sediment by artificially lowering the pH of the overlying water prior to adding the resuspended water in duplicate units.

We found that the addition of resuspended sediment increased the bioavailable P in the water column by approximately 22%. Additionally, total concentrations of P forms were stable over 48 hours, suggesting that sorption-desorption processes do not play a large role in changing net bioavailability of P. These findings are important for determining how sediment resuspension may affect bioavailability of P.

Exploring the Mechanism of Land Use impact on Fish Communities

Presenter: Yuhan Zhou, MLA

Advisors: Stan Jones; Dr. Runzi Wang

Location: Great Lakes Watershed, USA and Canada

Fish resources are one of the most important resources in human society. In the past few years, the impact of land use on fish communities has always been valued by society. However, the specific mechanism of this influence is difficult to explain. This study collected fish, water quality and land use data for watersheds around the Great Lakes, which focuses on using PLS-PM regression model to explain how land use affects fish communities by affecting water quality or other factors, so as to better help people understand how to improve the water environment and increase fish diversity. The goal of this research is to find out the most fish-friendly urban planning method.

Forests for Clean Water in the Huron River Watershed

Presenters: William Sollish, MS (EPP, ESM); Jie Yan, MS (GDS); Sagen Fuller, MS (ESM); Jonah Pollens-Dempsey, MS (GDS, ESM)

Advisor: Dr. Allen Burton

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Client: Huron River Watershed Council

The Huron River Watershed faces numerous water quality issues that impact drinking water. Addressing water quality includes responsible management of forested private land within the watershed. The Forests for Clean Water project addresses the ways in which private land impacts water quality and thus drinking water.

Forest land management starts with landowner engagement, therefore we surveyed landowners and land managers responsible for privately-owned forests or wetlands within the Huron River watershed using Yale's School of Forestry and Environmental Studies TELE (tools for engaging landowners effectively) guide. The purpose of the survey is to understand landowner knowledge, values, and use of their land so that the Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC) can provide them with useful tools for protecting and managing their land in a way that is beneficial to the watershed. To understand the ecological effects of land management, we used the Stanford University InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs) Model Suite’s Nutrient Delivery Ratio model to simulate nitrogen and phosphorus runoff under different development scenarios within the watershed. Additionally, we provided recommendations for HRWC's Bioreserve Map, which ranks natural areas in the Huron River watershed by their ecological quality. We added new metrics to the map and created an ArcGIS Online map that displays the bioreserve rankings interactively. Our findings will inform future decision-making at the Watershed Council and provide valuable insight into stakeholder engagement, hotspots for nutrient runoff, and data display and communication.

SEAS 2023 CAPSTONE

Building Networks, Capacities, and Influence Across Great Lakes Island Communities

Presenters: Peter Czajkowski, MS (EPP); Jakob Grubb, MS (SusDev); Beth Bannar, MS (EPP, EJ)

Advisor: Dr. Paul Seelbach

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Client: Great Lakes Island Alliance (GLIA)

Inhabited islands within the Great Lakes region represent some of the most unique communities in North America, where local cooperation, volunteering, and resourcefulness are essential components of everyday life. However, these communities have long been underrepresented in state, provincial, and regional affairs due to demographic constraints, economic turbulence, and relative geographic isolation.

The Great Lakes Island Alliance (GLIA), a network of U.S. and Canadian Great Lakes islands founded in 2017, has been developed to link these extraordinary communities and provide islanders with a support network to communicate more effectively and connect on issues that matter. This Master's capstone project was created to help develop dynamic structures and processes within GLIA to guide the Alliance as it grows and evolves over the coming years. Our recommendations are founded upon 16 months of data gathering that included islander interviews and surveys, professional outreach and networking, and analysis of current organizational structures. This has culminated in the creation of an Action Plan for GLIA, in which the team has laid out detailed strategies and recommendations for enhanced member communication, funding techniques, outreach tactics, and more. Additional organizational capacity gained from this project will allow GLIA to develop platforms for dynamic action and discussion within the Great Lakes region and provide a valuable space for connection across states, provinces, and nations.

Quantifying the Role of Sediment Resuspension on Harmful Algal Blooms in Coastal Lake Erie Using Multidisciplinary Approaches

Presenters: Akshata Pravin Karnik (GDS); Journ Galvan, MS (GDS); Joshua Habib, MS (GDS); Nicole Rappuhn, MS (ESM); Bangzhao Shu, MS (GDS)

Advisors: Dr. Casey Godwin; Dr. Subba Rao Chaganti, Dr. Dmitry Beletsky, Dr. Michael Fraker

Location: Field Work: Western Lake Erie, Ohio, USA; Lab Work and Data Analysis: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Client: Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR)

Our project evaluates the effects of sediment resuspension and Microcystis sediment populations on Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in Lake Erie. Within these HABs, Microcystis is a prominent species of cyanobacteria that is capable of producing the harmful hepatotoxin microcystin. The annual occurrence of HABs can lead to negative human health effects, harm wildlife, and disrupt access to drinking water supplies. As a result, the ability to accurately predict, forecast, and characterize these blooms is extremely important. Despite previous research, there has been a knowledge gap regarding the magnitude in which resuspension impacts blooms and whether there is a significant presence of sediment population of Microcystis present. The differences between Microcystis populations in the water column and sediment have also not been understood.

Through the use of hydrodynamic modeling, sediment core collection, laboratory experiments, omics-based methods, and statistical modeling, we have assessed sediment resuspension’s impact on HABs. Our first objective consisted of hydrodynamic modeling to identify the strength and frequency of bottom shear stress. The second objective utilized laboratory experiments with sediment cores to measure bottom shear stress for resuspension of Microcystis. Samples taken during the sediment core experiments were processed in the third objective using genomics to determine whether Microcystis genotypes in the blooms are the same as those found on sediments. Finally, our forth objective combined hind-casts and field observations to examine resuspension and phenology. We expect that our results will be able to improve current models, contribute information to public databases, and provide a basis for future research.

Increasing Emphasis on Natural Infrastructure, Equity, and Justice in Coastal Resilience Planning and Management Across the Great Lakes

Presenters: Ashley Jones, MS (ESM, EJ); Maria Ramirez, MS (EJ); Valerie Blakely, MS (GDS, EJ); Alison Palmer, MS (SusSys), MSE

Advisor: Dr. Paul Seelbach

Location: Saugatuck, Michigan; Gary, Indiana; Bayfield, Wisconsin; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Toledo, Ohio, USA

Client: The Nature Conservancy

The Great Lakes region faces many intersecting coastal management challenges due to climate change. Conservation and restoration, especially through novel infrastructure solutions, are some avenues that will be explored as management options. With long-established industrialized shorelines dominating much of the region, finding and implementing solutions that encourage and increase the benefits of more naturalized ecosystems pose logistical, cultural, and financial challenges. Subsequently, future conservation efforts must incorporate equity and justice to collaborate effectively with communities experiencing threats from continued climate change.

Our research explores the role of conservation organizations in overcoming such challenges by exploring different community attitudes, perspectives, and priorities related to community health and conservation, focusing on equity and natural infrastructure. We conducted interviews and observations of five coastal communities with distinct demographic traits. We found a general lack of ‘shovel ready’ projects, and many situations lacking the labor capacity to secure and utilize long-term funding effectively. We found an awareness of natural infrastructure as a coastal management strategy, but many raised concerns about the feasibility of these solutions. These are some capacity voids through which these organizations can better help coastal communities implement natural solutions and address equity concerns.

Stressed Out: Methods for Identification and Prioritization of Stressors at Impaired Sites

Presenter: Elizabeth Nichols, MS (ESM)

Advisor: Dr. Allen Burton

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan; Ludington, Michigan; San Diego, California, USA

Aquatic ecosystems are often impacted by a multitude of stressors, many of which are introduced by a combination of anthropogenic activities such as agricultural development, urbanization, damming, and industrial discharge. Determining the primary stressors responsible for ecological impairments observed at a site where multiple stressors are present can be a complex and challenging task, however it is crucial for making informed management decisions. Improper diagnosis of an impaired system can lead to misguided attempts at remediation, which can be both time-consuming and costly.

This study focuses on the development, implementation, and evaluation of methodology that allows for differentiation between stressors, including optimization of in situ Toxicity Identification and Evaluation (iTIE) technology through incorporation of a porewater sampling device, use of acetylcholinesterase activity to evaluate the capacity of different resins’ ability to adsorb an organophosphate pesticide, and installation of limnocorrals to distinguish between the effects of dissolved oxygen and ammonia concentrations on Hyalella azteca mortality at a groundwater upwelling site. A combination of laboratory and field investigations were conducted, and the effectiveness of these methods were quantified through organism survivorship rates and enzyme activity as well as various water quality parameters. Overall, these approaches demonstrated the capacity to improve stressor identification in future contaminated site assessments.

Guiding the Obtawaing Biosphere Region Towards Collaborative Water Resource Management in Northern Michigan

Presenters: Mikela Dean, MS (ESM, GDS); Erin Graves, MS (ESM, GDS); Marisa Smedsrud, MS (GDS); Ysabelle Yrad, MS (SusDev)

Advisors: Dr. Paul Seelbach; Jon Allan

Location: The Obtawaing Biosphere Region, Michigan, USA

Clients: Obtawaing Biosphere Region, University of Michigan Biological Station; Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy; Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council; The Nature Conservancy, Great Lakes Program; National Audubon Society, Great Lakes; Central Michigan University Biological Station

In 2019, the University of Michigan Biological Station’s Biosphere Reserve was reimagined into the Obtawaing Biosphere Region (OBR) in accordance with the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme. This United Nations designation identifies important landscapes that promote sustainable development and the interconnectedness between communities, culture, and the environment. The name Obtawaing reflects the Anishinabek word meaning “at the halfway place” and this region now encompasses a broad domain stretching across Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula and eastern Upper Peninsula. This newly defined area is hydrologically, ecologically, historically, and socially heterogeneous, leading to several independent management efforts across the Obtawaing Biosphere Region. To unify the many partners, rightsholders, and general stakeholders within the region, there is an intention to foster a culture of collaboration surrounding freshwater resources. The Obtawaing redesignation offers unlimited potential and, as the Anishinabek word suggests, an opportunity to unite and find common ground in the wake of environmental, societal, and economic downturns.

This project focuses on three main objectives: 1) capture OBR partner perspectives on values and relationships to water across northern Michigan through semi-structured interviews, 2) establish a collective vision surrounding water resources, reach a broader audience, and expand partnerships through mapping, translating regional data, and creating a StoryMap, and lastly, 3) provide recommendations for how the OBR can establish unified efforts surrounding water resource management. The results of this project provide guidance to the OBR partnership as they move forward in collaborative efforts in conservation and sustainable development motivated by shared values regarding water resources.

Thank You, Clients!

Our sincere thanks to the project client organizations (listed below). You provide SEAS students with key opportunities for research and the development of professional skills. We greatly value your partnership.

Anishinaabek Caucus

Australia Pacific Climate Partnership (APCP)

Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Central Michigan University Biological Station

Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR)

City Ann Arbor

City of Detroit Planning & Development

Cyclades Preservation Fund (CPF)

DTE Energy

Elliniki Etairia: Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage

Grand Traverse Conservation District

Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy

Great Lakes Island Alliance (GLIA)

Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (GLSI)

Greener Golf

GreenSwapp

Huron River Watershed Council

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)

Meijer

EGLE: Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy

EGLE: Office of the Environmental Justice Public Advocate (OEJPA)

Michigan State University Extension (MSU-E)

National Audubon Society, Great Lakes

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

Naxos Municipal Government

Oceana

Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve (Ohio DNR)

On Holdings AG

RCAM Technologies

Resources for the Future

Scio Township

Shan-Gri-La Homeowners Association

South East Market

Southeastern Michigan Land Conservancy (SMLC)

Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy (NPS RTCA)

Steelcase

Sustainability Clinic

SWA

The Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation

The Nature Conservancy

The Stewardship Network

The Wilderness Society (TWS)

Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council

U-M Biological Station

U-M School for Environment and Sustainability

U-M School for Environment and Sustainability Facilities

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP)

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

University of Michigan

One of the nation’s top public universities, the University of Michigan has been a leader in research, learning and teaching for more than 200 years. U-M’s alumni body is one of the largest in the world and includes a U.S. president, scientists, actors, astronauts and inventors. The university, which also boasts a world-renowned intercollegiate athletics program, has been the site of many important events in U.S. history, including JFK’s announcement of the Peace Corps, LBJ’s “Great Society” speech, and the clinical trials of the Salk polio vaccine. The main campus in Ann Arbor comprises 19 schools and colleges; there are also regional campuses in Dearborn and Flint, and a nationally ranked health system, Michigan Medicine. In 2017, U-M celebrated its bicentennial, marking 200 years since its founding in the city of Detroit.

School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)

The School for Environment and Sustainability’s overarching objective is to contribute to the protection of the Earth’s resources and the achievement of a sustainable society. Through research, teaching, and outreach, faculty, staff, and students are devoted to generating knowledge and developing policies, techniques, and skills to help practitioners manage and conserve natural and environmental resources to meet the full range of human needs on a sustainable basis.

Land Acknowledgement

The School for Environment and Sustainability acknowledges the university’s origins through an 1817 land transfer from the Anishinaabek, the Three Fires People: the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Bodewadami, as well as Meskwahkiasahina (Fox), Peoria, and Wyandot. We further acknowledge that our university stands, like almost all property in the United States, on lands obtained, generally in unconscionable ways, from Indigenous peoples. In addition, our research on environmental science and sustainability has benefited and continues to benefit from access to land originally gained through the exploitation of others. Knowing where we live and work does not change the past, but understanding and acknowledging the history, culture, and impacts of colonial practices is an important step towards the creation of an equitable and sustainable future.

Regents of the University of Michigan

Jordan B. Acker, Huntington Woods

Michael J. Behm, Grand Blanc

Mark J. Bernstein, Ann Arbor

Paul W. Brown, Ann Arbor

Sarah Hubbard, Okemos

Denise Ilitch, Bingham Farms

Ron Weiser, Ann Arbor

Katherine E. White, Ann Arbor

Santa J. Ono (ex officio)

Nondiscrimination Policy Statement

The University of Michigan, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University of Michigan is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, height, weight, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. Inquiries or complaints may be addressed to the Senior Director for Institutional Equity, and Title IX/Section 504/ADA Coordinator, Office for Institutional Equity, 2072 Administrative Services Building, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1432, 734-763-0235, TTY 734-647-1388, institutional.equity@umich.edu. For other University of Michigan information call 734-764-1817.

Design: Maddie Fox

Editing: Nathan Geisler, Denise Spranger, Jennifer Taylor