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Research Paper PresentationsEnvironmental Studies:Biology, History, and CultureRoom 222, 3:00pm–4:30pmP A P E R 4Long Distance Dispersal—AMechanism for Range ExpansionBrian KatemanFaculty Mentor: Dr. Shaibal MitraDepartment of BiologyDispersal is of ecological and evolutionarysignificance for many areas in population biology,including population synchrony, range expansionand colonization, source-sink and meta-populationdynamics, and genetic structure. To predict rates ofspread, it has recently become clear that LongDistance Dispersal (LDD) rates, although muchmore difficult to measure than median dispersaldistances, are critically important because staticdispersal kernels underpredict the rate ofpopulation spread. Furthermore, it has recentlybecome evident that distances dispersed byindividuals may change through time as apopulation expands. Both of these issues – thecontribution of LDD to population spread, and thepossibility that the distribution of dispersaldistances of expanding populations change overtime– are explored through analysis of continentwidedata on bird abundance and dispersalsupplied by the Bird Banding Laboratory. Wecharacterized the frequency of dispersal distancesfor 10 species and found that all followed aLeptokurtic distribution. We tested for changes inthe distribution of dispersal distances of expandingpopulations, over time and across space, bycomparing dispersal from newly-occupied areaswith dispersal from core areas. Among the 10species explored, the Carolina Wren, Eastern TuftedTitmouse, Great Black-backed Gull, NorthernCardinal, Northern Mockingbird, Red-belliedWoodpecker, and Painting Bunting showed asignificant correlation between average dispersaldistance and time, supporting the notion thatdispersal distances increase as a populationexpands and thus lead to range expansion.P A P E R 5From a Clay Mine to an Oasis: TheTransformation of Charleston(1854–1986)Christina LandolfiFaculty Mentor: Dr. John WingDepartment of HistoryThere is a hidden gem that lies in the Charlestonarea of Staten Island. My visit to Clay Pit Ponds StatePark Preserve prompted me to find out two things;the first was how a former operating clay mineevolved into an oasis and secondly how a place sobeautiful and ecologically diverse came intoexistence on Staten Island. The stresses that areplaced on the environment by human activitiesoften cause dramatic changes to the landscape, aswe see with the disappearance of forests, glaciers,and animal habitats. What I discovered was thatindustrial clay mining played a role in transforminga pine barren landscape to one with a unique anddiverse ecology. The extraction of clay led todramatic environmental changes of the landscape.The clay pits that were once extensively minedwere abandoned and were left to lay fallowallowing nature to take its course. The clay pitsfilled with rainwater, which started the stages ofsuccession, which would not have been possiblewithout the clay pits and the sands, gravels, andclays that were laid down during the Cretaceousperiod. The Preservation of Clay Pit Ponds led tothe founding of the Protectors of Pine Oak Woods,who fought to preserve the land. Clay Pit Pondsbecame a State Park Preserve in 1986 and heldcommunity, recreational and educational activities,which are still continued today. The work of theProtectors of Pine Oak Woods is an example ofhow to make a post-industrial landscape somethingbeneficial to the local community. This paperargues that the history of Clay Pit Ponds, thehistorical, geological, and biological processes andhuman activity all played a major role on thetransformation of the landscape18
Research Paper PresentationsP A P E R 6The Navajo Struggle forCompensation—Health andEnvironmental Effects of UraniumMining Since the Cold War EraKasuni NanayakkaraFaculty Mentor: Dr. John WingDepartment of HistoryAn important environmental struggle involving theNavajo nation began during the Cold War era (1947-1991), when there was a continuing state ofpolitical conflict, military tension, and economiccompetition primarily between the Soviet Unionand the United States. The escalation of the ColdWar between the two world powers sent lowincomeNavajo workers to uranium mines in theUnited States to mine the ore for the processing ofnuclear weapons. Since the Navajo workers provedto be an inexpensive labor source, the federal andstate governments used them to provide rawmaterials for the buildup of the American nucleararsenal. In my paper, I combine oral histories,interviews, photographs, and a range of secondarysources to examine how Navajo workers and theirfamilies living in the Four Corners region wereneither informed of the dangers of uranium miningnor were they given proper clothing to preventradiation exposure. The exploitation by the UnitedStates government and the mining companies,along with the lack of proper health care followingradiation exposure, caused dire environmental andmedical issues for the miners and their families. Theresulting high rate of illness among the miners andthe deadly legacy of past uranium mining led to thepassage of the 1990 Radiation ExposureCompensation Act and the Diné Natural ResourcesProtection Act of 2005, but many are still exposedto radiation and contaminated water near miningsites.P A P E R 7A Sacrifice for Water. Quenchingthe Thirst of New York CityDaniel StewartFaculty Mentor: Dr. John WingDepartment of HistoryTaking an environmental historical perspective, myresearch has found that the process of creating awater supply for New York City has heavily affectedthe local towns and communities in upstate NewYork. While creating these water supplies, townshad to be destroyed or removed from their originallocation in order to create several massivereservoirs in the Croton River headwaters and inthe Catskill Mountains. I conducted archivalresearch in the town of Southeast, NY andinterviews with community members near thereservoirs to investigate what actually happenedand how these local communities were affected. Iconclude that not only were towns destroyed butthousands of residents had to sell their homes andrelocate to neighboring towns. When thesereservoirs replaced these towns, the neighboringeconomies were heavily affected as a result of thesenewly created water supplies. Roughly nineteentowns were destroyed and over 4,000 people losttheir homes.One example of how these man-made reservoirsnegatively affected communities and businesseswas the unintended flooding of a local iron oremine named the Tilly Foster Mine. This minesupplied magnetic iron ore to the entire east coastthe United States. When the mine was deemed toodangerous from the flooding, iron ore distributionstopped and local businesses that used this ironwere forced to shut down. On the other side of thecoin was how a reliable clean water source wasgoing to affect New York City. With a newly builtwater supply system, the city was able to thrive andeventually eliminate water-borne diseases thatplagued the city such as cholera, yellow fever andtyphoid. My aim was to point out both negative andpositive impacts of these reservoirs and to makecases for both. Ultimately, without these reservoirs,New York City would not have been able to growto its current size.19
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