Nicholas School of the Environment
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10161/52
Master's projects by Nicholas School of the Environment students, including the Duke Marine Laboratory.
The masters project is done in partial fulfillment of the degree requirements for the professional Master of Environmental Management or the Master of Forestry degree. While the MP may include original laboratory or field research, it may also take the form of management plans, handbooks, educational curricula, or other such products. Each student is advised by a faculty member who reviews and approves the project prior to completion.
A masters projects that is original research should not be as large as a masters thesis although it should be of publishable quality but not necessarily comprehensive enough to stand alone as a publication. A masters projects that does not follow the usual format for scientific research should follow a framework that is considered good practice in an appropriate field.
Duke migrated to an electronic-only system for masters projects between 2006 and 2010. As such, projects completed between 2006 and 2010 may not be part of this system, and those created before 2006 are not hosted here except for a small number that have been digitized.
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Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , IMPACT OF BEAVER DAM FLOODING ON VEGETATIVE SPECIES COMPOSITION IN CENTRAL PIEDMONT FLOODPLAIN FORESTS(2025-12-12) Power, AidanThe North American beaver is a rodent that alters habitats by creating dams which stop the flow of water in rivers and creeks. This water diverts up and over the adjacent floodplain, flooding the soil and creating a disturbance that can be withstood by hydrophytic plant species with alternative ways to gain oxygen, replacing most species that have no such adaptations. When the dam structure fails after the site is abandoned, fast-propagating r-type species (such as invasives) colonize the area. This species turnover caused by beaver modification is expected to create an increase in both community (or beta) diversity and landscape (or gamma) diversity. While this change in species composition has been studied in the Adirondack Mountains of New York and the foothills of North Carolina, it is yet to be studied in the central Piedmont of North Carolina. I hypothesized that both community and landscape diversity would increase due to beaver modification, as well as invasive species having the highest abundance in those dam-abandoned sites. After narrowing down the study sites to two separate sub-watersheds, I defined the three treatments as active dam (DAM), which had dam and flooding indicators presently and in the past decade, abandoned (ABN), which had no dam or flooding indicators presently but did in the past decade, and reference (REF), which has had no beaver modification as far back as aerial imagery will show. Within the plots of each treatment, species cover was measured at three separate strata: canopy and sapling/shrub/vine (using a transect method), and herbaceous (using a subplot). This species cover data was converted to relative abundance, entered into a Bray-Curtis dissimilarity index, and the composition difference was analyzed statistically and visually. The abundance data was entered into a Chao 1 model for simulated ecosystems to create replications of homogenous and heterogenous landscapes. I then estimated the amount of beaver modification in the two sub watersheds and plugged that value into the heterogenous model to gain a rough estimate of landscape species richness. I analyzed the prevalence index (wetland indicators) of all three treatments and compared them with a Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn’s Test. I used the same statistical tests for the abundance of species classified as invasive between the three treatments. Key Findings: 1. There was evidence of a significant difference between the plant species compositions of the three treatments. This was most likely between the DAM and REF and/or the ABN and REF sites, as the visual analysis showed no overlap between those pairs. This was translated to a significant increase in community diversity. 2. The estimated species richness of the two sub watersheds was higher than the median species richness of the unmodified landscapes. This indicated signs of an increase in landscape diversity, though more plots would be needed to determine any significance. 3. The prevalence index of the DAM sites was significantly lower than the REF sites. The lower the index, the more flood tolerant species tend to be. This was consistent with the plants in DAM sites having higher flood tolerance than plants in the REF sites. 4. The abundance of invasive species was significantly higher in the abandoned sites compared to the other two treatments. This was consistent with the research of Japanese stiltgrass preferring open-canopy, post-disturbance patches with lots of nitrates and urban runoff. Key Recommendations: 1. More plots should be completed among more sub-watersheds in the central Piedmont. This would allow for a statistical analysis to be done on landscape diversity, as each replication could have its own independent group of plots, satisfying the independent sampling requirement of statistics. 2. Dam restoration efforts should be completed at sites that have shown evidence of being abandoned. This would sustain the high-water table and prevent invasive species from establishing and spreading out along the bare, moist soil. This stabilization would also prevent the decreased plant and wildlife diversity that would result from invasive species spread. 3. Dam creation efforts should be considered in the next two decades as the effects of climate change continue. The temperature of the Piedmont is projected to increase by 0.86 decreases Celsius by 2040. This would likely cause a change in species composition along the temperature gradient, as competitive species may have more success against flood tolerant species in environments less wet than the present. Dam creation as a management strategy can artificially create inundated ecosystems where not only flood-adapted species, but also habitat diversity can sustain.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , Carbon Offsetting in Agroforestry Systems(2020) Houghton, ElizabethAgroforestry is a land management system that intentionally integrates agriculture with trees to create resilient and productive landscapes that support biodiversity, soil health, and carbon sequestration. Financing a transition to agroforestry can pose a challenge for many farmers, but carbon offsetting has the potential to support these sustainable practices by providing a financial incentive to sequester carbon using this land management strategy. Although there are obstacles, integrating carbon offsetting into agroforestry systems has compelling potential for climate change mitigation, sustainable economic development, and environmental conservation. In partnership with the Duke Carbon Offsets Initiative, this research used semi-structured interviews with a diverse set of experts, promoters, and practitioners to explore benefits and barriers, strategies for success, and opportunities on the horizon for integrating carbon offsetting into agroforestry systems.Item type: Item , Access status: Embargo , Informing Brazilian Public Healthcare Preparedness for Potential Risks Posed by Mine Tailings Dam Failures(2025) Czarniak, GabriellaItem type: Item , Access status: Open Access , Unpacking Sustainability: A Comparative Analysis of Policy and Regulations for Sustainable Packaging across North America and the European Union(2025-05-01) Schalk, BrittenyThis study employs a qualitative, comparative policy analysis framework to examine sustainable packaging regulations in North America and the European Union. It evaluates the scope, stringency, and enforcement mechanisms of these regulations, analyzing their influence on the adoption and innovation of sustainable practices throughout the packaging life cycle. Through case studies, the research identifies best practices that can inform the future development of sustainable packaging policies. The final deliverable includes a benchmarking tool, enabling organizations to compare key variables in packaging sustainability and assess their alignment with the evolving regulatory standards. By contrasting regulatory approaches in these regions, this analysis provides a deeper understanding of effective policy mechanisms and their potential to drive meaningful advancements in sustainable packaging practices worldwide.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , Stitching Resilience: Ethical Fashion as a Response to Wicked Problems in Disaster Recovery(2025-05-01) Addis, WillNatural disasters and industrial catastrophes present wicked problems characterized by complexity, unpredictability, and systemic inefficiencies. This paper examines how ethical fashion initiatives can address these challenges in disaster recovery, drawing on a literature review of five case studies: Post-Hurricane Katrina Artisan Cooperatives, Japan Tsunami Textile Recovery, Rana Plaza Collapse Response, Post-Hurricane Maria Textile Initiatives, and Australian Bushfire Textile Upcycling. These are compared to Threaded Impact Co., a 2025 startup producing "Hurricanes Blow" socks in Charlotte, North Carolina, to support Hurricane Helene recovery via donations to Rebuilding Together Greater Florida. Findings suggest that while historical cases demonstrate fashion’s potential for economic empowerment and social resilience, Threaded Impact Co. offers a structured, scalable model addressing wicked problems like funding shortages and fragmented aid systems, advancing the intersection of ethical fashion and environmental science.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , Global Expansion of LevelTen Energy’s Clean Energy Transaction Infrastructure Platform(2025-04-25) Kristof, Caroline; Nataraj, HiranmayiAs global energy markets transition to renewables, private-sector solutions are critical to overcoming barriers to entry and accelerating adoption. LevelTen Energy provides a comprehensive transaction infrastructure platform for renewable energy buyers and sellers, having already facilitated over $14.8B in transactions across the globe. With hopes to enter the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, this report first evaluates six key markets – Australia, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore – assessing their respective regulatory frameworks, energy mixes, corporate PPA activity, resource potential, and policy support. Our comparative analysis identifies Australia as the most viable expansion market. We outline a go-to-market strategy for Australia, including regulatory navigation, developer engagement, and demand signaling. For deprioritized markets, we establish key indicators for future entry. Our findings provide LevelTen with a data-driven roadmap for expanding its clean energy platform in APAC.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , Study of Public Perception of Seaweed Aquaculture in Maine(2025-04-25) Xue, WentaoAs seaweed aquaculture expands globally, understanding public perception is essential for sustainable development. This study explores public attitudes toward seaweed farming in Maine, where the industry has grown significantly in recent years. Drawing on data from a survey developed by researchers from Duke University, Eckerd College, the Coastal Studies Institute, and the University of Maine, we analyzed responses to 17 statements categorized by aesthetics, management, economy, environment, food security, and cultural identity. Results show broad public support for seaweed aquaculture, particularly when tied to local control, job creation, and maritime tradition. However, knowledge gaps remain regarding regulation and food system contributions. Demographic factors such as age, education, and income shape perceptions, with older and more educated individuals expressing more favorable views. Rural respondents and those less familiar with the industry tend to be more skeptical. Communication, transparency, and targeted outreach are key to addressing uncertainties. Findings offer guidance for policymakers and stakeholders seeking to align aquaculture growth with community values.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , The Market Use Case for Solar + Storage Serving as a Mid-Merit Asset(2025-04-25) Foster, Morgan; Wang, Lucy; Salazar Armella, Pablo; Mulu Mutua, BrianExecutive Summary In recent years, solar-plus-storage (S+S) systems have become increasingly cost-effective and are now emerging as a promising alternative to natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) plants—particularly for “mid-merit” power, which plays a crucial role in balancing supply and demand throughout the day. With U.S. electricity demand projected to rise over the next decade due to data center expansion, AI adoption, and industrial electrification, the need for clean, flexible mid-merit generation is more important than ever. At the same time, efforts to decarbonize the grid have driven significant additions of solar and wind capacity, presenting both opportunities and challenges for system flexibility and reliability. Given the growing need for dispatchable resources and Texas’s heavy reliance on natural gas, this study evaluates whether S+S systems can technically and economically perform the same role as NGCC plants in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) market. We focus on mid-merit, load-following NGCC plants, organizing them into operational clusters based on shared characteristics and modeling S+S systems designed to replicate the specific “job” of each cluster. Our findings show that S+S systems can technically match NGCC load profiles for most of the year. With proper sizing, they also prove to be cost-competitive. Even when oversized to fully meet the technical role of NGCC plants, S+S systems demonstrate favorable cost performance—especially when the total energy produced, not just the load-matching portion, is factored in. That said, solar’s midday overproduction remains a key challenge. For the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of S+S to compete with that of NGCC, more than 70% of the otherwise “curtailed” energy must be utilized. It’s worth noting that our model uses a simplified dispatch framework and, as a result, likely understates S+S’s true economic potential, as it omits ancillary service revenue—an increasingly important source of earnings for batteries in ERCOT. Moreover, the ERCOT landscape is evolving rapidly. Shifts in natural gas prices, storage costs, solar tariffs, and load growth—especially from AI, crypto mining, and industrial activity—could all materially alter the economic outlook in the near term. While S+S may not yet be a one-to-one replacement for NGCC plants, it is both technically viable and economically compelling as a flexible, low-carbon option for mid-merit generation in a rapidly changing grid.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , Land Conservation as an Opportunity for Flood Mitigation and Economic Development: A Case Study in Spruce Pine, North Carolina(2025-04-25) Cerpa, CandelaIn September 2024, Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina, a sobering reminder of the flood risk that the region faces. Western North Carolina is known for its natural resources and beauty, and as a result, its outdoor recreation economy has been growing in recent years, bringing new revenue, residents, visitors, and businesses to local communities. To protect these natural resources, conservation land trusts have protected over 3 million acres in the region. Economically speaking, Western North Carolina has higher poverty rates than the state and federal averages. Spruce Pine, for example, had a poverty rate of 18.7 percent in 2021, while statewide the rate was 13.7 percent, and nationally it was 12.6 percent. As such, economic development is an important goal of the region. These three factors come together under the framework of eco-DRR (ecosystem-based solutions for disaster risk reduction), strategies to reduce natural hazards impact through improved ecosystem management and potentially providing socio-economic and ecological co-benefits. This Master’s Project explored how land conservation could provide an opportunity for flood mitigation and economic development through outdoor recreation to benefit local communities to support the client, the Conservation Trust for North Carolina (CTNC). This project uses the Western North Carolina town of Spruce Pine as a case study for these questions. It applied an eco-DRR framework to produce a spatial model to select land parcels to consider for conservation by finding overlap between the Flood Exposure Index (FEI) and the Conservation Priority Index (CPI), adapted from Calil et al.’s methodology (2015). The indicators in the FEI are the 100- and 500-year floodplain, while the indicators in the CPI are proximity to protected lands, ecosystems of interest, high biodiversity importance score, and proximity to outdoor recreation assets. This resulted in 50 parcels that have both factors, providing CTNC with additional data points to incorporate into their existing decision-making processes when considering what land parcels to protect. Interestingly, the CPI indicators had a range of scores, with the outdoor recreation assets scoring above 0 in only 22 percent of the parcels. This leads to the conclusion that, while land conservation efforts and flood risk mitigation could overlap in Spruce Pine, for land conservation efforts and outdoor recreation economic development to overlap in Spruce Pine, additional investments are needed to expand the extent of assets. The Master’s Project presents the importance of implementing an eco-DRR framework to spatial models to consider potential ecological and socioeconomic co-benefits from improved ecosystem management to reduce natural hazards impacts. It complements CTNC’s existing, unmappable knowledge, such as personal connections and local history knowledge, to strengthen the land trust’s decision-making process for land conservation in Western North Carolina. I hope that the model developed in this project supports CTNC’s efforts to contribute to a stronger, more resilient future for Spruce Pine, Mitchell County, and Western North Carolina.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , Capacity Accreditation Reforms in US Wholesale Electricity Markets and Implications for Battery Storage Assets(2025-04-25) Gupta, Shubhangi; Maynard, Justin; Patankar, Aishwarya; Sharu Deen, Iddrisu; Tiwari, PrishaThe grid is witnessing unprecedented transitions with rising variable renewable energy, increase in electricity demand from data centers and electric vehicles, changing weather patterns, and the increasing duration and frequency of extreme weather events. This has led to the need for reforms in how US wholesale electricity markets assess the contribution of different generation technologies to grid reliability (called ‘capacity accreditation’). In this study, we explore the capacity accreditation reforms occurring in four US wholesale electricity markets namely, PJM, ISO-NE, MISO, and SPP. We then develop a power systems model to forecast the contribution to reliability (‘capacity value’) of battery storage assets in PJM over the next 20 years. Based on our findings, we highlight market opportunities for our client, Lightshift Energy.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , Strengthening Sovereignty and Resilience: Generating Land Management Tools for the Lumbee Tribe Cultural Center in North Carolina(2025-04-25) Davis, Tullis; Taylor, Kirsten (Kat)This project supports the Lumbee Tribe in managing their Cultural Center property as climate change advances in Southeastern North Carolina. Guided by the CARE Principles of Indigenous Data Governance, we worked in close collaboration with the Tribe to ensure their values and priorities shaped every step of the process. We assessed the site’s vegetation, explored future climate risks, and identified strategies for sustainable land management. Our analysis highlights ways to reduce flood risk, outbreak of pests and diseases, and restore longleaf pine habitat. To support future decision-making, we developed practical tools, including a GIS data repository, an interactive mapping system, and recommendations for building Tribal GIS capacity. This work empowers the Tribe with knowledge and resources to make informed land stewardship decisions that honor their cultural heritage, protect the environment, and serve the community.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , Toward a Global Estimate of Cetacean Bycatch: Data Gaps and Future Needs(2025-04-25) Tack, KatelynCetacean bycatch remains a major global conservation concern, yet consistent estimates are limited by widespread data gaps and inconsistent monitoring. This study integrates published bycatch estimates with satellite-derived fishing effort data from Global Fishing Watch to assess global patterns of risk across gear types and regions. Through a systematic review of 48 studies and analysis of over 13.9 million vessel days of fishing activity in 2023, the research identifies gillnets as the highest-risk gear and highlights South America as a region of particular concern due to intensive gillnet and trawl fisheries with minimal monitoring. Although bycatch persists even in heavily regulated areas, regions with high fishing pressure and little oversight present the greatest unrecorded threats. The findings emphasize the urgent need for expanded monitoring, standardized reporting, and collaborative, fisher-led mitigation strategies to reduce cetacean bycatch and support sustainable fisheries management worldwide.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , Life Cycle Carbon Footprint Assessment of Solar Photovoltaic Systems in US and China(2025-04-25) Gao, JieItem type: Item , Access status: Embargo , The impact of elevated atmospheric CO2 on self-thinning and management of loblolly pine(2025-04-25) Torre, JiannaThe self-thinning rule for single species, even-aged forest stands dictates that an increase in average tree size (e.g., mean stem volume) must be met with a corresponding decrease in stand density (e.g., trees per hectare) due to competition for light. It is widely accepted that, when plotted on a log-log scale, the relationship between average tree biomass and stand density is linear with a slope of -3/2, regardless of species. The research that first depicted the self-thinning line using average stem volume for loblolly pine in the Piedmont of North Carolina took place in the 1980s, when the atmospheric concentration of CO2 was 20% lower than it is today. The Duke Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) experiment demonstrated that elevated atmospheric CO2 (200 ppm above current CO2 levels) increased shade tolerance of loblolly pine as foliage became photosynthetically more efficient at lower levels of light. This suggests a potential shift in loblolly pine’s self-thinning line: the same stand density as before may now support a larger average tree size. This project seeks to determine whether the self-thinning line of loblolly pine has shifted upwards and explores potential management implications.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , Comparing Vessel Traffic Data for Marine Spatial Planning in the US Central Atlantic(2025-04-25) Barton, KendallIn recent years, marine spatial planning (MSP) has become an important tool used by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) to reduce spatial conflict among ocean users during the siting of offshore wind lease areas. Current MSP site suitability modeling uses terrestrial-based Automatic Information System (AIS) vessel transit count data to account for vessel traffic, but this data has gaps and lacks reliability as distance from receivers increases. This project examines these vessel traffic data limitations in the US Central Atlantic region, and compares terrestrial AIS, satellite AIS and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) vessel traffic data through a MSP lens. The advantages, drawbacks and gaps in each type of vessel traffic data are investigated, exploring the potential roles for each in MSP.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , Integrating GIS and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis for Conservation Modeling in the Southern Appalachians(2025-04-25) Harrigan, EleanorThis research supports the National Parks Conservation Association’s (NPCA) large landscape initiative by identifying conservation opportunities beyond U.S. national park boundaries, focusing on the Southern Appalachian region. This landscape is renowned as a biodiversity hotspot and is experiencing increasing urban development pressures. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), this project identifies vulnerable freshwater ecosystems and resilient freshwater and terrestrial habitats. A species distribution model for the Eastern hellbender was developed using the maximum entropy approach (MaxEnt). This machine learning model supports conservation prioritization of the species’ preferred habitat. The final output is an interactive ArcGIS Online toolkit that integrates spatial data, suitability models, and species distribution maps to identify conservation hotspots and empower conservation planning.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , Commercialization of Alternative Soil Amendments for Agricultural Use as a Nature Based Solution(2025-04-25) DePue, Justin; Mullens, JordanAgricultural crop production is responsible for a significant quantity of global greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing agricultural climate impact depends largely on reducing fertilizer inputs and finding suitable alternatives. This project took a two-phase approach. First, identifying farm-level use cases for alternative soil amendments, defining farmer needs & perceptions, and developing a framework to screen viable products while maximizing carbon credits for the client. Second, building a go-to-market strategy for an alternative soil amendment once the product is identified. This project drew data primarily from interviews across stakeholders including farmers, agronomists, academic researchers, investors, and distributors in the value chain. The study generated insights into the economic, MRV (measurement, reporting, and verification), and market hurdles that the client would need to address when selecting and launching a carbon-sequestering or emissions avoiding soil amendment. The study also provides recommendations to mitigate these market challenges.Item type: Item , Access status: Embargo , From Pledges to Progress: Implementing Company-Wide Sustainability Initiatives in the CPG Sector(2025-04-25) Chang, IreneItem type: Item , Access status: Open Access , Safeguarding Summer Memories: Evaluating Energy Efficiency Retrofits for Slumber Falls Camp(2025-04-25) Olson, Lizzie; Whatley, VincientSummer camps create opportunities for young people to engage with their outdoor worlds, enabling them to become environmentally responsible citizens. For 70 years, Slumber Falls Camp (SFC) has been a haven for thousands of campers to strengthen their relationships with themselves, their communities, and nature. To preserve this experience for future generations, we collaborated with SFC to enhance energy efficiency, lower energy costs, and winterize facilities against unusual seasonal changes in the Texas climate. We synthesized research, site visits, energy assessments, and cost analyses to evaluate three investment scenarios. Our findings reveal that upgrades to lighting, building materials, appliances, and heating & cooling equipment yield significant improvements. Our results guide viable strategies for energy efficiency retrofits, and our recommendations support SFC’s commitment to environmental stewardship.