As the Fall semester comes to a close, our graduating students are showcasing their final master’s projects. Over the past months, they have delved deep into topics of personal and professional interest, conducting thorough research, comprehensive literature reviews, and developing actionable recommendations. This semester’s presentations span a wide array of subjects, including human health risks, ecosystem management, ecosystem restoration, and the impacts of climate change on ecosystem benefits.
Read on for highlights from their work, and don’t miss the chance to hear directly from these soon-to-be environmental managers by joining their presentations via Zoom.
Larissa Haro – Identifying the effects of wildfire and disturbance to Southern California’s Chaparral shrublands within the Wildland-Urban Interface
Larissa’s project examines the impacts of wildfire on the chaparral ecosystems of Southern California, particularly within the wildland-urban interface (WUI). Her research highlights the complex relationship between chaparrals—widespread, diverse ecosystems adapted to natural fire cycles—and the increasing challenges posed by more frequent wildfires. She explains how higher fire frequency disrupts these ecosystems, leading to the spread of invasive, flammable plant species, the degradation of native chaparrals, and an escalation in fire risk.
This risk is compounded by urbanization, as many chaparral regions overlap with the WUI—areas where natural vegetation meets densely populated communities. Larissa delves into remote sensing studies that assess fire risk based on vegetation patterns and efforts to more accurately map the WUI. These studies aim to guide decision-making and enhance emergency response in an era of heightened fire activity and destruction.
Larissa concludes that addressing these challenges requires a multi-pronged approach, including improved fire risk modeling, the development of fire-resilient communities, and limiting housing expansion within the WUI. By integrating science with strategic planning, her work underscores the need for collaborative efforts to mitigate wildfire impacts and preserve chaparral ecosystems.
Marisol Haro Enriquez Microplastics: Exposure Routes and Impacts on Human Health
Marisol’s project explores the human health risks associated with microplastics in the environment. After reviewing the physical and chemical characteristics of microplastics, Marisol focuses on methods for quantifying microplastics in water bodies as well as studies that measure microplastics in indoor air. Through this work, Marisol identified inhalation and ingestion as primary exposure routes.
She then examined studies that assess the cumulative risk of consuming microplastics through various foods and liquids. She found that children and adults face similar exposure levels, primarily through microplastic-contaminated water. Her review also highlighted toxicological and epidemiological studies linking chemical leachates from microplastics to serious health consequences, as these particles persist in water and the human body over time.
Marisol concludes by evaluating current management strategies and advocating for stricter standards on drinking water quality and treated wastewater discharge. By reducing microplastic pollution, these measures can help mitigate human exposure. Through her findings, Marisol aims to raise awareness among the public, researchers, non-profits, and policymakers, encouraging collaboration to develop innovative management solutions.
Alexandra Novoa – Assessing ecosystem health of completed mitigation bank projects in California
Alex’s project examines the effectiveness of mitigation banks as a strategy for protecting ecosystems affected by development and funding ecosystem restoration efforts. These projects aim to establish ecologically significant wetland areas, prompting Alex to explore what defines ecological significance and how the success of wetland restoration is measured.
Through her review of wetland ecosystem health literature, Alex identified that beyond traditional metrics like vegetation cover, soil microbiology, and hydrological factors are crucial for evaluating restoration success. Using this insight, she analyzed three case studies, including the Port of Los Angeles mitigation bank project which includes an eelgrass wetland ecosystem, to determine how many indicators from the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) framework for ecosystem health were applied. She found that the Port of Los Angeles project included the most SER indicators, along with soil and hydrology considerations, while the other two case studies were more limited in their assessments.
Alex concludes by advocating for an expanded and standardized set of indicators to be consistently measured and documented to improve the evaluation and effectiveness of mitigation bank projects.
Alina Mullins – Prairie Pothole Wetlands: Climate and land-use change impacts to ecosystem services
Alina’s project evaluates the impacts of climate and land-use changes on the ecosystem services provided by prairie pothole wetlands. These depressional, isolated wetlands are a defining feature of the Prairie Pothole Region, spanning parts of the U.S. and Canadian Great Plains. With their unique hydrologic regimes, shaped by climatic variability and topography, prairie potholes provide critical support for biodiversity, particularly migratory waterfowl.
Alina’s research investigates how climate and land-use changes may alter the region’s historical variability. She found that shifting precipitation and temperature patterns are likely to reduce habitat availability, jeopardize waterfowl populations, and disrupt the wetlands’ ability to mediate water flows across the landscape.
Alina concludes by highlighting that traditional wetland management in the region has relied on voluntary conservation efforts. However, she recommends that environmental managers adapt conservation strategies to address the emerging challenges posed by climate and land-use changes, ensuring the long-term sustainability of these vital ecosystems.
