AWG 2010 Spring MeetingWestern Washington UniversityMay 15, 2010

Poster Abstracts

______________________________________________Hallie Adams, Faculty Mentor: David Rossiter, Western Washington University

Tribal Treks: A Window Into the Geography of Canada

Tribal Treks: Canada's Aboriginal Experience is a television program broadcast on Aboriginal Peoples Television Network which portrays the traditions, cultures, and modern practices of aboriginal tribes of Canada by documenting non-aboriginal peoples' visits to Canadian tribal lands their experiences in these areas. As viewers, we are able to learn about and better understand the cultural, human, and physical geographies of Canada and more specifically British Columbia through video documentation, narration, and dialogue information we are given throughout each thirty-minute episode of Tribal Treks. This television series demonstrates the diverse physical geography of Canada's British Columbia by documenting various physical environments such as the Nk'mip Desert of Okanagan Valley near Osoyoos, BC and the lush Boreal forest-covered hills of Quadra Island, BC on the north end of the Strait of Georgia. The cultural and human geographies of British Columbia are also constructed in Tribal Treks through the various aboriginal tribes' views and actions toward their physical environments and homelands in the modern times and throughout history as well as the through the complex social and cultural aspects of their communities. Tribal Treks: Canada's Aboriginal Experience is a very interesting television program which demonstrates much about British Columbia in various geographical contexts.

Keywords: Canada, Geography, Aboriginal

Melissa Affolter, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Andy Bach, Western Washington UniversityLarge Scale Soil Variability: An Examination of the Factors Relating to Within Soil Series PedodiversityThe Natural Resources Conservation Service has attempted to model the soil classifications of the United States. As one might imagine this is a difficult task, and one that is fraught with error. The focus of this paper is to evaluate the degree to which soil mapping accurately represents the soils found on a particular landscape; an introduction to predictive soil mapping (PSM) is provided, as well as an evaluation of the factors that contribute to within soil series variability.Key Words: Pedodiversity, intrinsic factors, extrinsic factors

Dwight Barry, Chris De Sisto, Western Washington University – Huxley College of the Environment on the Peninsulas, Peninsula College.

Wildfire Hazard Assessment and the Wildland-Urban Interface of the North Olympic Peninsula, Washington

Every summer, the Olympic Peninsula experiences small wildfires, the combination of the driest climate in western Washington and heavy vegetative fuel loads means that the potential for a major disaster resulting from wildfire is extremely high—all it would take is an ignition under the right weather conditions. A recent study found that Clallam County has the highest existing risk of catastrophic losses in the event of a major wildfire in all of Washington and is fifth highest amongst all counties of the 11 western United States. The study also ranks Clallam County twenty-fifth in the counties of the western states for potential risk as the result of increasing human development in wildfire prone native ecosystems, an area that firefighters call the wildland-urban interface (WUI). This poster presents the results of a geographical assessment of wildfire hazard for the north Olympic Peninsula (Jefferson and Clallam Counties), combining the relative hazards important to wildland fire behavior to derive monthly maps of wildfire hazard. There are also maps delineating the WUI for Clallam and Jefferson Counties based on existing development that intersects wildland vegetation. These maps can be useful for hazard mitigation, planning, and education efforts across the Peninsula.

Keywords: Olympic Peninsula, wildland fire, WUI

Travis Beaty: Faculty Mentor, David Rossiter, Western Washington University

Canada’s Geography Constructed Through Television Commercials

Geographies can be constructed in popular culture and the media in a variety of ways ranging from music to art. For this paper I have chosen to look at how Molson Canadian (a beer company) chose to construct Canada’s geography in a series of commercials. Since advertisers attempt to create commercials that will sell a lot of their goods they tend to advertise what people want to see. The people at Molson Canadian have played on what Canadians want to view themselves as being in relation to both their physical and their cultural geographies. They have put forth the idea that their huge country is a playground and not the uninhabitable frozen tundra that is often viewed as being by Americans. In addition to that they have also depicted the average Canadian as being the rugged outdoorsman who is adventurous and active. These commercials portray the “perfect” Canadian that everybody is striving to be, however the problem with that is that it only further confuses people about what the average Canadian is actually like.

Keywords: Canada’s rugged outdoorsman, constructed Geography, perfect Canadian

Lara Buelow: Western Washington University

Emily Carr Paints Canada (Poster)

Emily Carr, born in 1871 in Victoria, Canada was one of few female modernist painters during the early 20th century. She managed to create several bodies of work that highlight First Nation life and Canadian landscapes. For the “Imagining Canada” project, I have chosen to review Emily Carr’s Heina painting. Created in 1928, the oil on canvas is a bold and beautiful snapshot of village totem poles in front of looming cliff faces. The scene encompasses a peaceful First Nations settlement and

The scene encompasses a peaceful First Nation settlement and Canada’s steep western mountains. The vibrant colors and bold strokes illustrate how First Nations peoples and the geographical landscape play a strong role in the understanding of Canada.

Keywords: Canada, female modernist, painting

Chang Cuyree: Faculty mentor, George C. Walker, Bellevue Community College

What’s Going on in Iceland ?

A couple weeks ago, volcano erupted in Iceland because of this volcanic eruption, not only people in Iceland was panic but also people around Iceland was panic. Even someone who don’t care about natural hazards much listened about Iceland volcanic eruption because media kept talking about that. Why did people keep saying about this? So what I will be dealing is going to be about why it happened , what was the result of that and also how it spread as time goes by. This could be caution for people to get to know natural hazards will be really harmful.

Keywords: Iceland, Volcano, Volcanic ash.

Lacey Cunningham, Western Washington University

Renewable Energy Technology and ‘Sustainable’ Development

In the age of technology, while many espouse the savior of green, renewable energy technology and ‘sustainable’ development, a grossly overlooked factor is the metallic requirement of all electronic innovations and alternative energy options. Rare metals such as copper, nickel, zinc, platinum group metals, columbium, tantalum, and rare earth elements are all essential for our modern communication and renewable technology. The energy for extraction, transoceanic transportation, processing, smelting and the EPA’s designation as the number one releaser of toxic chemicals, mining is not given enough attention in the quest for sustainability. Until there is comprehensive understanding of from where vital metals come from, the pretense that development can be sustainable is a myth. The study will incorporate geology, history, and the political economy, the very embodiment of geography and the manifestation of globalization. The increased globalization of mineral resources is becoming of greater concern due to the lack of stringent environmental regulations outside the USA and therefore we are inherently reliant upon foreign supplies of essential materials for modern technology.

Keywords: electronics, rare metals, renewable energy

Zeck Donahue, Adam Walkiewicz, Michael Stoothoff, Western Washington University

China’s Dirty Rise to Power

China uses more coal than that of the combined overall consumption of the United States, European Union and Japan. Widely abundant and cheaper than any other energy source, coal is the fuel of choice for developing nations. Unfortunately, the low price of coal comes at a high cost to the environment. Coal is also the dirtiest of all energy sources, producing in some instances twice the

amount of carbon dioxide, the leading greenhouse gas, as other fuel sources like natural gas. Moreover, with a national coal reserve of 1 trillion tones, China is not going to run out anytime soon. This poster looks the growing environmental, social, and economic repercussions that China faces if it cannot find a way to curb its insatiable appetite for coal.

Key words: China, coal

Drew Ready, Erin Pierce-Magdalik, Ramon Feskens: Faculty Advisor, Patrick BuckleyWestern Washington University

Three Gorges Dam: Are the Benefits Worth the Cost?

Our group will be reviewing literature on the Three Gorges Dam to evaluate economic, social and environmental viability. The dam is located on the Yangtze River, east of Wuhan, China. Its boundaries are expansive as its impacts reach as far upstream as the reservoir goes and as far downstream to the mouth of the river. Some benefits include hydroelectricity, flood control and drought relief. On the other hand, downfalls have been found to encompass residence displacement, environmental impacts and huge economic costs. From reviewing scholarly and newspaper articles we have concluded that thus far, the Three Gorges Dam has done more harm than good.

Catherine Harris & Steven DoublesPoster project abstract for EGEO 432 (Advanced Soils) with Andy Bach

Soil Creep at the Bayview Cemetery

For this project Steven and I are looking at soil creep at Bayview Cemetery in Bellingham, WA. We are studying soil creep in a cemetery because we can use the headstones as a way to measure the soil creep. Over time through bioturbation and other soil disturbances, the soil has begun to move, and the headstones that sit on top of the soil have moved as well. By measuring the length and width of the headstone, recording the date on the headstone, and recording the slope the headstone tilt has, we can start to determine the rate of soil creep in this area. We are measuring 100-200 headstones to get a good average of how much these headstones have moved or tilted. Key words: Soil creep, bioturbation, slope

Wesley Magwire and Alex HoeltingAndy Bach (Faculty Mentor)Western Washington UniversityNooksack River Soils (Comparative Study between Two Different Sites)

For our project, we were concerned with two different sites along the north fork of the Nooksack River just outside of the town of Deming. Our focus was to analyze these two areas for vegetation cover and the amount of sand, silt, and clay at 10 cm deep. In both sites, we dug a total of five samples. At the first site in a developed, forested area we sampled five locations, each at increments of five meters, starting at the river bank. At the second site on a side channel of the

river, we took five more samples separated by fifteen meters. To begin with, our goal was to determine the content of sand, silt and clay in correlation with the distance from the river bank. Secondly, we also intend to conduct a comparative assessment of the two sample sites, being the developed primary forest, and the river side channel. ______________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Guinn, M.S. Candidate, Huxley College of the Environment, Western Washington University

Pedestrian Perceptions of the Mount Pleasant Neighborhood, Vancouver, B.C. Canada

America’s current transportation infrastructure caters primarily to the automobile. We need to begin making the shift to non-automotive based modes of transportation, especially in urban centers, if we are to truly embrace sustainability. We are faced with many problems in the current urban environment and much of them can be attributed to our auto-dependency. Problems in air pollution, natural resource depletion, health, and safety could all be curtailed if we effectively encouraged non-automotive based modes of transportation. In order to improve our urban environment I am proposing to examine pedestrian perceptions of non-automotive based modes of transportation within the Mount Pleasant neighborhood, Vancouver, B.C. Canada. The results will provide insight into pedestrian behavior, which can be utilized to implement and encourage more sustainable forms of transportation within an urban environment.

Anthropogenic Trampling and Impacts on Soil Compaction on the Campus of Western Washington UniversityJosh Jones and Patrick Wallace (Advised by Dr. Andy Bach)Western Washington University

Abstract: Soil compaction as a result of anthropogenic trampling is a topic that is rarely covered in existing literature. Usually it will appear, almost as an afterthought, as a subtopic under human-induced soil erosion. Having a geographically concentrated population of approximately 16,000 people is bound to have a negative impact on soil health of the WWU campus. The amelioration of compaction requires extensive time, effort, and monetary contributions. The negative effects of soil compaction are witnessed through loss of surface vegetation, higher rates of surface ponding, and increased overland flow. These can promote soil erosion, which will in turn be deposited into campus drainage systems and eventually into our natural water bodies. A visual survey of the campus was made and seven paths were found to be trampled into areas that were grass-covered. A soil penetrometer was used to test compaction rates in the center of these paths. Successive measurements were taken at two additional locations in a perpendicular line from the center. A string of student’s t-tests were then used to compare the compaction rates. Results varied between given paths, but a significant difference was found in the levels of compaction in the center and outer areas of sampled paths.Keywords: Soil compaction, trampling, soil erosion.

Name :Kelliann Kelly (Instructor: Andy Bach)

Affiliation: Huxley College of the Environment

Title: Comparison of Soil Crust Stability among the Different Crust Types

Abstract

Most of the soil crust studies agree that physical and biological soil crust increase the soil stability which is often used to indicate soil erodibility. The purpose of my research was to compare the soil crust stability among the different crust types found at Potholes Coulee. 10 samples were collected at 8 different sites to test dry and wet soil crust strength with a penetrometer and water holding capacity. The test results showed a great change in crust strength and water holding capacity among different crust types. However, the physical soil crust sample, desert pavement, showed the constant low crust stability with low water absorption. On the other hand a combination of lichen and moss crusts from different sites showed high crust stability in dry and wet condition, and moss dominated crust showed the highest water absorption. These results indicate that depending on a crust type, there is different degree of soil stabilization and its response to wind and water erosion will vary.

Key words: Soil Crust, StabilityThe Black Cottonwood, Populus balsamifera, and its Effect on Soil Moisture and Organic Content in a Riparian Zone of the Pacific NorthwestAn in depth look at a riparian zone around Lincoln Creek in Bellingham WA that sets out to establish some kind of relationship between soil development and the presence of the common Cottonwood tree. Relationships will be established on the basis of content of organic material and moisture content that is present in spatially varying samples. Multiple samples were taken at varying distances from Lincoln creek and with different types of vegetation cover. Across the board the whole site was fairly uniform in moisture content and organic material. This has led us to the conclusion that the cottonwood will affect ecosystem development in much the same way as similar sized fauna. However its slight nitrogen fixing abilities allows it to grow in harsh regions where it can facilitate development. Keywords: Cottonwoods; Soil Moisture; Organic MatterAuthors:Jonny KempJonny@betathink.comHuxley College of the Environment: Geography Dept.Mentor: Andy Bach

Mike Minifieminifim@students.wwu.eduHuxley College of the Environment: Geography Dept.Mentor: Andy BachJessica KiehlFaculty Mentor: George WalkerBellevue CollegeOil Spill in Gulf of Mexico

On April 20th, an offshore drilling rig began spill thousands of barrels of oil after a disastrous explosion. It is on course to be the worst oil spill in history. There were eleven oil rig workers that weren’t accounted for and are presumed to be dead. Many environmentalists are concerned for the marine life, especially the endangered sea turtles and bluefin tuna, snapper and grouper.

Erika KleinFaculty Mentor: David RossiterEGEO 328-UndergraduateTitle: O’ Canada the Hokey

The Olympic closing ceremony is a time in which a country can leave that one lasting image of the nation they pride. One last moment, to savor the accomplishments of superb athleticism and international cooperation; an instant in which Canada decided to stifle the world with some “dazzle” in the 2010 closing Olympic ceremony. Analyzing three aspects in this performance: the barren and iced landscape, the beaver and resource icons, and the fisherman caricature, it becomes apparent how this hokey performance is founded in geographic constructs. With understanding of Canada’s multitude of geographic regions, Harold Innis’s Staples Theory, and the nation’s founding economy one can deconstruct the performance. Through this poster, I address the exaggerated and idealized stereotypes’ historical and geographical basing, as well as, the overall misguided image one is left of Canada.Key Words: stereotypes & geographic constructsKat Lamberson; Matt Chapman; Mentor: Dr. Patrick Buckley, Western Washington University No Food for the FutureChina has an exponentially growing population, which is causing their available land space to shrink quickly. They are experiencing water shortages, desertification, lack of arable land to farm on, and a huge grain shortage. Due to all these things, China has been forced to start importing a mass quantity of food from other regions of the world, which if continued, will cause food prices to skyrocket everywhere, and eventually, our precious resources on Earth will be depleted. However, a growing population is not the only problem China is facing when it comes to lack of the ability to farm their own crops. Mercury in the air and heavy metals and fertilizers in the soil have made for soils that are becoming increasingly fragile and harder to create any kind of agriculture on. Over the years, China’s demand for food has exceeded its carrying capacity of land and water resources, putting excessive demands on exportable supplies from other countries that are living within their carrying capacity. Their emergence as one of the largest grain importers in the world will be the wake-up call that will indicate trouble between our planet’s population (~6.7 billion) and the natural systems and resources on which we depend. Our research and findings have supported our hypothesis, that if China keeps expanding in population while its arable land base shrinks, then it will soon be unable to provide enough food to support its population even after maximizing the amount of food imports.

Larson, Devan and Shives, Ian (Dr. Andy Bach)Department of Geography, Western Washington UniversityEffects of Logging on Soil Composition in the Lake Whatcom Watershed

Abstract: The Lake Whatcom watershed and surrounding areas have a long history of logging in the past, altering the natural development of local soils. The use of heavy machinery, the dragging and subsequent concentration of cut logs and creation of roads for transport can lead to severe soil compaction and anthropogenic turbation. On a particular hillslope in the aforementioned area, we sample multiple sites in both recently-logged and forested terrain to evaluate soil composition. Each site was measured for infiltration rate and soil horizonation. The surrounding vegetation was also surveyed in order to gauge recovery from the disturbance.

Keywords: Soil, LoggingAndrew Larson(With guidance from Dr. Andy Bach)

Water Infiltration Rates Across Biological Soil Crust Communities at Potholes Coulee, WA

Biological soil crust cover has direct influences on soil development processes in relation to the hydrology cycle. Biological soil crusts are composed of an intimate relationship between soil particles and micro organisms such as cyanobacteria, mosses, lichen and bryophytes that produce polysaccharide sheaths for anchoring which in turn bind soil particles together. While typically only present in the first few millimeters of a soil, the microorganisms have been proven to impact many hydrology changes such as micropore channel creation or blockage with various effects on surface runoff processes which have a major impact on infiltration rates. At Potholes Coulee the cover of crusts is tied to microclimate, presence of vascular plant communities, particle composition, and elevation with crusted surfaces being present throughout the entire area at varying degrees. This project was undertaken with the intent of determining soil crust composition in relation to particle granularity, vascular plant coverage, and the effects on the hydrology cycle.

Keywords: Soil Crust, Infiltration, HydrologyName: Hei Yin LukTeacher: George WalkerAffiliation: Bellevue CollegeTitle: Dolphin Slaughtering in Japan

The academy award winner for best documentary 2010, “The Cove” has discovered the dolphin slaughtering problem in Japan. The film has drawn attention and brought up huge responses from the public. Dolphin is known for intelligent and friendly as their features. However, due to the global slaughtering, they are facing the threat of extinction. Through looking at this poster, hopefully everyone can have an awareness of the global catastrophe.

Keywords: Dolphin, slaughter, Japan

______________________________________________________________________Maxim LundquistWith Andy BachGeography 432

Moisture and Organic Matter content of soils in relation to distance from a water source in Potholes Coulee, Eastern WashingtonThe purpose of this experiment was to measure the effects a constant source of water had on the soil moisture of the surrounding area. Samples were taken in two different sites, one perpendicular to slow moving water, and another perpendicular to a moving stream. At each site, soil pits were dug to a depth of one meter, or until hitting bedrock. Samples were taken from each pit to be analyzed for water and organic matter content. Deep soils near the stream should have the most water because of lessened evaporation rates and water movement through soil pores. The amount of water at a specific depth should decrease as distance from the stream increases. Organic matter concentrations should be closer to the surface, and may be correlated with drops in soil moisture.

Key Words:

Soil moisture

Steven Deocares, Sara Mayers, Autumn Rice, Faculty mentor: Patrick Buckley, Western Washington University

Endangered Animals of China: Panda, Snow Leopard, Tiger

Pandas, snow leopards, and tigers are all listed on the World Conservation Union’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species as “endangered”; all three of these mammals can also be found in China. While specific threats to these populations may vary from animal to animal, all the threats can be linked back to humans. Despite laws of protection of these species being in place, some up to a couple decades, populations continue to decline. We believe that panda, snow leopard, and tiger populations will continue to decline until greater attention and action are taken by the people who share the habitat with these endangered species.

Keywords: Panda, Snow Leopard, Tiger

mayers-s-awg-2010.docShayne Mooney / faculty adviser Dr. Andrew Bach Soil Landscapes 432The Effects of Bombturbation on the Soil Profile and Soil Forming Processes

There are many environmental impacts related to war and military training. Recently, as people have become more aware of environmental impacts there has been a high emphasis applied to studding the relationship of military active and the environments it is located in. The fairly new term “Bombturbation” was created by Joseph Hupy and Randall Schaetzl, in order to describe the way in which explosive ordnance transports and deposits large volumes of soil form the site of detonation. When the event occurs soil horizons are destroyed and the excavated soil is mixed and redistributed around the rim of the crater. This is a relatively new field of research in soil since because bombturbation has only played a significant role in pedoturbation for the last 150 years. This project will look at the effects of bombturbation on the soil profile and on soil forming processes Keywords: bombturbation, pedogenesis, pedoturbation ______________________________________________________________________

Stevie June O’ClockHuxley College of the Environment Student

How Plant Species affect Soil Development in a Semi-Arid Climate:

I have been researching about vegetations influences on soil development, specifically sagebrush species and cheat grass in Central Washington, a semi-arid climate. It has been known from past observations and studies that soils can change dramatically within a small area and I was curious about the vegetations influences that direct the changes in the soil profile. I chose the semi-arid environment because most believe it to have little-diversity with little changes. However, instead there is high plant diversity and these different species change the soil within a matter of a few feet from Aridisols to Mollisols. This affects nutrients, horizonation, color, and structure that influence how the semi-arid environment is created.

Key Words: Sagebrush; Soil; Semi-arid

oclock-s-awg-2010.doc

Recreational Impacts of Trails and Campsites on the soil environment

Will Olsen, Andy Bach, Western Washington University.

Recreational areas such as county, state, and national parks exist to preserve natural environments while allowing users to enjoy these areas. However, users inevitably leave impacts from their activities in the areas, in the form of trail systems and campsites. Recreational users include hikers, bicyclists, and horse riders. The impacts from these users upon the soil environment include soil compaction, reduced infiltration, reduced vegetation cover, soil loss, increased runoff, and general damage to the areas aesthetics. Reviewing the known literature, a small study was done in the Pine and Cedar Lakes area of the Chuckanut Mountains south of Bellingham, WA, and in the Sehome Hill Arboretum in Bellingham, WA. Using a penetrometer, soil density measurements were taken in each area, with campsites (both established and user-created) in the Pine and Cedar Lakes area, and for trail systems in the Sehome Hill area (for both high use trails and low use trails), assessing measurements both in impacted and non-impacted locations at each site. The results correlate correctly to the known literature, and point towards the need for increased education, management, and study on user impacts in natural areas.Key words: Recreational impacts, soils, parks

PROPOSAL TO PRESENT to the Association of Washington Geographers Spring MeetingMay 15, 2010 Amtzen Hall, Western Washington University, Bellingham,

FORMAT: POSTER OR PAPER

PRESENTER: Naomi Jeffery Petersen NJP@cwu.edu

AFFILIATION: Central Washington University

TITLE: Developing Visualization Tools for Geographic Literacy in a Museum Exhibit

ABSTRACT: As a result reduced formal instruction and reduced direct experience in the natural environment, students suffer from a deficiency in geographic literacy. Informal learning environments, such as a model railroad exhibit at a history museum, can be exploited to introduce key geographic concepts (e.g. scalar compression, landscape transformations, and human-environment interaction). Presented here are historically and geographically accurate visualization tools developed via community collaboration across disciplines (geography/education) and institutions (university/museum/community volunteers). Recognition of the untapped reservoir for learning and community collaborative that informal

educational settings anywhere can provide for motivated geographic educators is the goal of this presentation.

KEYWORDS: geographic literacy; informal learning; representation of place

FILE NAME:Petersen-NJ-awg-2010.doc

Jessica L. PetersonProfessor David RossiterWestern Washington University

Black Robe: How Film Helps Expose Canadian Historical Geography

Abstract: Canadian film Black Robe (1991) portrays a rugged and harsh landscape of the Quebec and Ontario regions during the winter of 1634. Two years after the French had regained New France from a three year occupation by the English, Jesuit priest Laforgue sets out from Quebec on a 1,500 mile journey into the interior of Canada, destined to missionize First Nations people in Huronia. It is only with help from the Algonquin people does Laforgue survive the callous and bitter climate and landscape. First Nation presence was indubitably the only way the French were able to navigate and survive the treacherous landscape. The difficult terrain in conjunction with the importance of the First Nations people to the French, were key aspects to the film and need not be overlooked in Canadian historical geography.Keywords: missionaries, first nations, 17th Century Quebec

Alex Pratt, Western Washington University

Japan's Declining Population and Their Beliefs on Immigration

Uses peer-reviewed articles and studies by Sean Richey and Hwaji Shin, both in regards to Japan's anti-assimilation beliefs and deep prejudice against foreigners. 

Christopher S. Robertson: Huxley Graduate Student, Physical GeographyAndrew G. Bunn: Advisor

Exploiting an Underused Paleoclimate Resource: Dendroclimatology of Alaska Yellow Cedar (Xanthocyparis nootkatensis) Along the Mesic Cascade West Slope (WA). Key Words: Dendroclimatology; Paleoclimate Reconstruction; Pacific Northwest

Abstract

Dendroclimatology relies on exploiting climate-limited tree growth as a proxy for past climates at annual resolution (Fritts, H.C. 2001). The temperate, mesic environments of Western Washington and Oregon do not typically provide a wealth of species or sites for climate reconstructions that

extend multiple centuries. Pacific Northwest Alaskan Yellow-cedar (Xanthocyparis nootkatensis) were previously thought to be a poor paleoclimate resource due to growth asymmetries caused by buttressing and a propensity for false and missing rings (Brubaker,L.B. 1980). However, recent work has shown that remnant high elevation patches of Yellow-cedar are a viable and unexploited paleoclimate resource. They are also considered the oldest species in the region, with reports of individual trees with over 1824 annual rings (Laroque, C.P. Smith, D.J.2006). These finding are further supported by my preliminary work at Canyon Lake, WA where I developed a highly sensitive ring-width chronology that dates back to 1186 AD (fig 1). The high mean sensitivity (0.24) and high inter-series correlation (r=0.68) suggest that growth is limited by climate. Growth is significantly correlated to temperatures from 1900-2007(fig 2) and distinct climatic episodes (e.g., the Little Ice Age) are well represented (fig1). These data are a hitherto unknown reconstruction-grade paleoclimate archive. With an expanded scope, there is very high likelihood of developing a millennial-length regional temperature reconstruction along the western Cascades where none now exists.

Austin Rose, Western Washington University

Groundwater contamination assessment in the Lower Skagit River Basin, Skagit County, WA

One of the major water quality issues in Washington State is protecting Puget Sound and its contributing waterways from the effects of water contamination. Point source groundwater contamination from industrial and commercial activities is present in a number of locations throughout Skagit County, WA. The Skagit County Health Department has initiated a project to create a mapping layer to depict areas of groundwater contamination so that the County may better assess risk to human health. This assessment will be based upon the type of contaminant and type of exposure, and will be used to better direct and advise the County and the public regarding future uses, including building development, in and around the contaminated groundwater sites.

Tim ScharksInstructor, Green River Community CollegePh.D. Student, Evans School of Public Affairs, University of Washington (Advisor Ann Bostrom)Scharks-T-2-AWG-2010.docx

Seismic risk perception, planning, and management in North American seaports. Tim Scharks, Ann Bostrom, Lori Reimann-Garretson (Evans School of Public Affairs, University of Washington) and Glenn Rix (School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology)

Poster

North American seaports are key economic drivers for coastal regions and a critical link in U.S. and Canadian global trade. As evinced by recent devastating seismic events at Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and Concepcion, Chile, and somewhat less recently in the developed world at Kobe, Japan, ports are vulnerable to natural disasters including earthquakes and tsunamis. Investments in seismic mitigation through engineered infrastructure improvements, emergency response planning, and risk-sharing like insurance or force majeure agreements are possible and potentially cost-effective. Disaster mitigation competes with other investment opportunities, a challenge compounded by decreased revenues from the North American recession.   We conducted a novel survey of Chief

Engineers at 125 North American seaports covering port management, risk planning and mitigation, and seismic risk perception. Surveys were pre-coded into five seismic risk categories to achieve a comparative engineering-based measure of the seismic risk faced by each port. We obtained an overall response rate of 48.8 percent (n=61). Survey results portray present governance arrangements at North American ports as diverse. Further, performance objectives for ports appear unrelated to the degree of privatization. The most commonly reported performance objective is optimizing local or national economic development prospects.  Respondents’ seismic risk perceptions generally follow the engineering seismic design categories for their ports, except that there is no difference in seismic risk perceptions between ports in the two highest seismic design categories (highest seismic hazard). Almost a third of responding ports have only informal or no emergency response plans. In discussion we consider the implications for seismic risk planning at North American ports, including policy strategies to best encourage investment in seismic mitigation at high-risk ports.

Jennifer Sears, Graduate Student, Department of Geography, Huxley College of the Environment, Western Washington UniversityDetermining Terroir Potential in the Lake Chelan American Viticultural AreaTerroir can be defined as a “holistic concept that relates to both environmental and cultural factors that together influence the grape growing to wine production continuum” (Jones, et al. 2004).  A more basic definition is that terroir is determined by a variety of factors that influence the quality of wine produced from grapes.  The focus of this proposed study is to evaluate the geographic and environmental influences on potential terroir in the Lake Chelan American Viticultural Area (AVA). Current literature identifies soil, slope, aspect, and climate conditions as critical environmental factors in grape production quality (Vaudour 2002 & Jones et al. 2004).  Following Gregory Jones, Nicholas Snead, and Peder Nelson’s work in analyzing terroir potential in the Umpqua Valley of Oregon, critical environmental factors will be consolidated to produce an optimum terroir suitability grid.  From this final composite suitability grid, results will be compared with locations of existing vineyards.  Correlation between sites identified as ideal and existing successful vineyards would suggest results from this study shows areas in the Chelan AVA with the greatest terroir potential.

Ian Shives (Dr. Troy Abel)Department of Geography, Western Washington University

Remote Sensing and GIS Analysis of Scarlet Macaw Nesting Habitat aroundCarara National Park, Costa Rica

Scarlet Macaws (Ara macao) once flew freely in Costa Rica over an area covering 42,000 km² (Vaughn 2003). After years of deforestation the specie’s range has been severely decreased and fragmented. Today Costa Rica is home to two concentrated populations of Scarlet Macaw. One of these is on the central Pacific coast of Costa Rica in and around Carara National Park and the Guacalillo Mangrove Reserve. This is the population of concern for my study. The other population is isolated on the Osa Peninsula, also on the Pacific coast but on the southern part of the country. These two areas are separated by 150 kilometers of land that has been developed by humans for agricultural use. I will use LandSat 5 imagery from 1997 and 2001 to develop land use maps to quantify scarlet macaw habitat around nest sites.

Key words: Scarlet macaw, GIS

Brady StoddardWWUTitle:Soil Temperature & Microclimate Effects: Forest vs. Clear CutAbstract:

Compare and contrasts the differences in Air and Soil temperature, of Clear-Cut, versus undisturbed portions of forest. I expect to find measurement slower inside of the forest as opposed to clear cut open space. The Forests landscapes of the Pacific Northwest are continually being altered into large areas of patchy forest. Patches of forest surrounded by clear cut are the norm throughout the Northwest landscape. These forest practices are significant because they alter air and soil temperatures which influence biological processes in the soil as well as above ground. Soil temperature is expected to fluctuate far less in the forest than out in the open clear-cut areas. By comparing temperature differences between micro sites I hope to gain some insight as to what effects these temperature regimes might have on future soil development,Keywords: Soil temperature, microclimateStoddard-B-AWG-2010.doc_____________________________________________________________________________________Tana Stuart, Faculty Mentor - David Rossiter, Western Washington University“Imagining Canada: Through the Eyes of Alan Sullivan”ABSTRACT

In this paper I will be examining the connections poet Alan Sullivan makes to the establishment and growth of Canada as a country in his poem “Prospect”. I will be looking at the links Sullivan makes between lines in his poem and important events in Canadian history. This paper will be describing the correlations between lines of Sullivan’s poem and events such as the fur trade, the positive and negative effects of contact with Europeans on the Native peoples of Canada, to name a few.

Project Team:Niki ThaneMelissa Affolter Brookes BaumJake CrabillBryan FrazierJennie HoogestraatKaitlin KovacevichDaniel MaulMichael Stoothoff

For EGEO 432-Soil Landscapes, Associate Professor Andrew Bach, Huxley-Geography

Title: Within Soil Series Variation in Lake Whatcom Reservoir Watershed SoilsKeywords: Soils, Lake Whatcom, Soil Phosphorus Excess phosphorus is degrading the quality of Lake Whatcom, drinking water source for more than 95,000 Bellingham and Whatcom County residents (COB, 2010). Phosphorus inputs from human activities have been well defined, but soil erosion may be a significant source even in the least impacted areas of the watershed. Very little is known about the quantities of phosphorus naturally present in local soils. The purpose of our study was to gather data in support of ongoing soils research related to phosphorus content of soils in the watershed.

To understand within-series variations of mapped soil units, students involved in this project dug soil pits in the reservoir watershed at locations previously sampled for phosphorus content within the top 10 cm of the mineral soil column at randomly selected points throughout the Lake Whatcom watershed1. We characterized soil properties of 12 pits within the three dominant soil series in the watershed and compared our data with standard characteristic defined by the Official Series Descriptions (OSD) of the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). Comparison of ground truth data with the mapped series will help verify that locations selected for phosphorus test sampling exhibit predicted characteristics of the OSD.1Scott Groce, Huxley Environmental Science Master’s Thesis pending, 2010. Groce analyzed three size fractions of 70 random samples, testing for soluble reactive phosphorus, total phosphorus and biologically available phosphorus.

Thomas, S‘Wetland’ in a Semi-Arid Environment: Hydric soil conditions along a slope in a pothole depression at Potholes Coulee, Grant County, Washington

A catena sequence was performed in a pothole depression on a glacial terrace located within the Ancient Lakes State Wildlife Area between the towns of George, and Quincy, Washington along the Columbia River. The purpose of this study was to examine slope-aspect influences on soil development within a pothole of a dry, semi-arid environment. Soil transects were exposed to a depth of 1 meter along a 10 degree slope in order to examine differences in soil texture, structure, consistency, and horizon depths. Distinct differences were found at the backslope, footslope and toeslope of the sequence. The transects at the footslope and toeslope demonstrated evidence of hydric soil conditions such as mottling and relatively high organic matter. The pothole is located on a terrace approximately 1.2 miles from the nearest upland water source and at an elevation approximately 330-340 feet. Sarah g. Tuori (Andy Bach)The role of soil and sediment in mercury transportKeywords: soil, mercury, contaminationLumber processors and sewage fertilizer manufacturers contribute large amounts of mercury to the environment. Rural and urban soil mercury concentrations are increasing as a result of industrial activity and sewage applications to soil. Evidence suggests that global mercury soil emissions may be increasing above background levels. Mercury is highly mobile and easily transported by water and air throughout the environment. Elemental mercury present in soil volatizes with the addition of solar radiation to emit mercury into the atmosphere. Airborne mercury travels downwind from the source and is easily bound to clay minerals and organic material. Additionally, oxidized inorganic mercury in soil and sediments is deposited to surface and ground waters. Methyl mercury is readily absorbed by marine animals and travel to kidney, accumulating throughout the food chain. Soil mercury mitigation methods are improving in response to human and ecosystem health concerns. Effective mitigation of mercury contaminated soils at Bellingham Georgia Pacific is necessary to prevent further mercury deposition to Whatcom waterways and Bellingham Bay.

Megan Hewitson Kate von KrusenstiernProfessor Andy BachWWU Huxley School of the Environment- Geography

TITLE: Chemical Analysis of Biological Soil Crusts

KEY WORDS: Biological Soil Crust; Soil Chemistry; Standing Electron Microscope

ABSTRACT: Biological soil crusts are aggregates of soil particles and biologic life such as cyanobacteria, algae, microfungus, lichens, and bryophytes that live on top or in the uppermost millimeters of the soil (Belnap, 2001). The symbiotic relationship between the bacteria and the soil forms a living crust found in dryland regions. We believe that there is an observable relationship between type of BSC and the corresponding soil chemistry. To test this hypothesis, samples of BSC and the corresponding soil were taken in the Channeled Scablands, located in Columbia Basin. The BSC is identified in the field using A Field Guide to Biological Soil Crusts (Rosentreter et al, 2007), and identified in the lab using the standing electron microscope. Percentages of the elemental components that made up the soil are found using Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy.

Paul Whelan – AWG 2010 Abstract Submissions [Revised] (2)

Characteristics of Treefall Events in Temperate Coniferous Forests and the Effect on Infiltration PatternsPaul Whelan, Faculty Mentor: Andy Bach, Western Washington University

The natural occurrence of treefall in temperate forests provides the basis for new growth of pioneer species, bioturbation of surfacial soil, influx of nutrients from the decomposing tree, in addition to many other ecological services. This process also affects micro-topography with the development of pit and mound structures, the amount of solar radiation with reduction of percent canopy cover and increased susceptibility to surfacial runoff from precipitation events. Though these events occur irregularly over varied spatial scales during strong winds, without their influence species diversity would suffer. One aspect remains that has seen relatively little research, which queries the impact on infiltration patterns this pedoturbation can have, mainly near the base of the exposed rootwad. Evaluating these characteristics may allude to a deeper understanding of treefall processes; an integral event to maintain species diversity and allow for new growth in the coniferous temperate forests, like those in the Pacific Northwest. In this study three sample sites from Northridge Park, located north of Lake Whatcom in Bellingham, are examined and analyzed. Keywords: Treefall, Infiltration, Rootwad

The Influence of Physical Geography on European Settlement Patterns in Canada:Portrayed Through the Musical Lyrics of Folk Songwriter Gordon LightfootPaul Whelan, Faculty Mentor: Dave Rossiter, Western Washington University

Throughout the late 20th century, the musician Gordon Lightfoot wrote and performed popular songs describing, among many other themes, the lands known today known as Canada. Many of the poetic lyrics he wrote allude to attributes of European settlement of northern North America. In the 1800s, initial sites selected by European settlers were chosen for their proximity to beavers for pelts and accessibility to staple products; exporting these goods began the still vital trade economy Canada is known for today. This area's physical geography greatly shaped the discrete pattern of settlement that characterized early the fur trade and lumber industry, and the subsequent continuous sprawl that occurred after the railway was completed. The construction of the 'iron road' that connected the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean caused trade to boom as access to

vast resources in this new found hinterland enacted incredible growth in heartland areas (McCann). These economic geographies of colonial North America, and the physical geographies that shaped them, are poetically described in Gordon Lightfoot's “The Canadian Railway Trilogy” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” These characteristics will be explored mainly through the former, and the latter used to provide a more recent context to the arguments presented. Keywords: Canada, Settlement, Transcontinental Railway

Jonah White, Department of Environmental Studies, Western Washington UniversitySpatial Dimensions of Gentrification in Seattle, Washington: 1980-2000Gentrification is considered to be a broad process that consists of changing socioeconomic conditions across the urban landscape. Previous research has shown the process to include the movement of affluent middle- and upper-class households back to central city areas potentially causing displacement of lower classes. Using Seattle, Washington as a case study, this project examines socioeconomic change at the census block-group level over the past two decades to determine the extent and form of gentrification. Based on census data, a series of factor analyses is performed to analyze significant socioeconomic factors linked with the gentrification process and how each applies in the context of Seattle. Next, a cluster analysis is utilized to group together similar block-groups according to their derived factor scores. The analyses reveal unique changes in socioeconomic structures indicative of gentrification as well as distinct locational patterns across the urban landscape of Seattle.

Keywords: Seattle, gentrification, urban landscape