Analyzing tree distribution and abundance in Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve: developing geostatistical Bayesian models with count data

Master's Project (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2018Species distribution models (SDMs) describe the relationship between where a species occurs and underlying environmental conditions. For this project, I created SDMs for the five tree species that occur in Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve (YUCH) in order to gain insight into which environmental covariates are important for each species, and what effect each environmental condition has on that species' expected occurrence or abundance. I discuss some of the issues involved in creating SDMs, including whether or not to incorporate spatially explicit error terms, and if so, how to do so with generalized linear models (GLMs, which have discrete responses). I ran a total of 10 distinct geostatistical SDMs using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (Bayesian methods), and discuss the results here. I also compare these results from YUCH with results from a similar analysis conducted in Denali National Park and Preserve (DNPP)

The Status of and Trends in Private Philanthropy in the Southern Hemisphere

This is a discussion Paper for the Executive Session on the Future of Philanthropy Of the International Network on Strategic Philanthropy, October 200

Growth of crystals of the ternary sulfides Final technical report

Crystal growth of ternary sulfide

Public health initiatives in hearing: What one audiologist can do

Public health initiatives stipulate a reduction in the proportion of the population with noise-induced hearing loss. These initiatives do not differentiate between occupational noise-induced hearing loss and noise-induced hearing loss incurred independently of occupational noise exposure. However, it is worthwhile to examine non-occupational noise-induced hearing loss because noise sources are varied and ubiquitous, the population at risk is so wide-ranging, it is not formally scrutinized by mandated programs or dedicated professionals to the same degree as occupational noise-induced hearing loss, and often does not utilize good principles of health communication to create concise educational messages. Audiologists can individually work to prevent non-occupational noise-induced hearing loss through education, which should involve principles of health communication and promotion, thoughtful and concise messages, the use of national messages as a springboard, and can also occur through school programs and routine office appointments. One can also contribute to the fulfillment of public health initiative by engaging in research to better quantify non-occupational noise hazards and the best methods to communicate good hearing health principles to the public