Reseacrh Symposium Senior Students
Every year, at the end of the Spring semester, Seniors graduating in Environmental Science/Studies, Health Sciences, or in Psychology present their capstone and thesis research projects in a showcase structured as themed sessions with moderated discussion and Q&A after each talk. Projects span field and lab investigations, mandates received from third parties, data-driven analyses, and applied work on mind and behavior - highlighting how undergraduate research can inform real-world environmental and human challenges.
The presentations are open: the broad Franklin community, alumni, and interested guests are welcome.
Vogue operates as a global fashion and lifestyle media powerhouse with 28 international editions. Specifically, Vogue U.S. has the largest scale, ability to construct social realities, and gatekeeper information. With respect to the modern environmental movement from 1960 to 2025, this study asks how Vogue U.S. environmental rhetoric has evolved and whether it aligns with their sustainability claims. Employing a mixed-methods analysis of 887 issues, the research combines quantitative document frequency tracking with qualitative thematic coding of the term ‘environment.’ Results demonstrate a non-linear trend marked by a historic peak in the mid-1990s that was followed by a near-total silence in the later decades. In parallel to these trends, three shifting narrative frames were identified: Environment as a threat, lifestyle, and victim. Each frame ultimately posed consumption as the solution and demonstrated how Vogue U.S. commodifies environmental urgency to sell protection, identity, or redemption rather than challenging the industrial structures it profits from. This raises a critical question of accountability: How can companies continue to sell a sustainable narrative while fundamentally backing the world’s largest polluting industries? And what is being sold to consumers to shape these narratives?
This paper examines the relationship of organic farming to the environment, humans, as well as to the United Nations (UN) outlined Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). Integrating the three topical facets of organic farming, being addressed is how, in the words of the SDGs, organic farming in helping to maintain environmental integrity, yielding improved human health outcomes, is indicative of progress being made when it comes to progressively implementing SDGs #2 Zero Hunger, #6 Clean Water and Sanitation, #13 Climate Action and #15 Life on Land. The paper starts off with a conceptual introduction of “sustainable development,” “Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs),” and “organic farming,” presenting background information along with identified definitions. The introduction is followed by three sections, each one delving deeper into each of organic farming’s overarching three facets: environmental contributions, human/socio-economic dimensions, and the relationship between organic farming and SDGs. Here, being examined is how organic farming, combined with complementary alternative agricultural practices is able to decrease dependency on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, as global warming potential, fossil fuel depletion, water consumption, along with environmental integrity in the present and future are being addressed. To reform agriculture by converting to environmentally-conscious practices, beyond understanding the improved health outcomes to the environment and humans, needed to be understood is how farmers conceptualize conventional farming, organic farming, and converting from the former to the latter. By the third section, how organic farming addresses environmental and human needs will be interpreted to fit how SDGs #2 Zero Hunger, #6 Clean Water and Sanitation, #13 Climate Action and #15 Life on Land are aiming to attain progressive implementation. While integrating the three overarching facets to organic farming, the hope is to furthermore enable a starting place for future research to examine the potential connection of every single SDG to organic farming. Simultaneously, hoping to be laid out is a starting place where, in the future, organic farming can be examined as a microcosmic network.
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a debilitating autoimmune disease with rising global occurrence. Despite advancements in T1D technology and treatment, the root cause of the disease is largely unknown. However, several causal theories have gained prominence throughout scientific literature, including chemical, environmental, and biological factors.
T1D management heavily relies on single-use medical devices, such as continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), syringes, finger lancets, and insulin infusion sets, all contributing to an increased plastic and hazardous waste pollution rate. This study quantifies the volume, mass, and composition of T1D-related waste at the patient level to compare differences with published estimates as a means of targeting global hazardous waste production. Additionally, this study explores how to reduce the use of T1D technology without negatively impacting patient health and treatment efficacy.
This study analyzed a 3-month (90-day) waste sample was analyzed in which all diabetes-related disposables were collected and categorized into 4 groups: Hazardous Blood Soaked (HBS), Hazardous Non-Blood-Soaked (HNS), Non-Hazardous Recyclable (NHR), and Non-Hazardous Non-Recyclable (NHN). A total of 316 individual items were recorded along with 29 item types, corresponding to 3.2 kg of waste, or approximately 1.1 kg per month. When extrapolated, this equates to 1,264 items annually, with 118 (31%) classified as hazardous (HBS/HNS). These findings are consistent with comprehensive estimates of annual T1D-related waste generation.
On average, people with type 1 diabetes generate 1.3 kg of treatment-related waste per month. Based on the monthly 1.1 kg waste generation average, reducing consumption to this 6 level across the estimated T1D population of 9.2 million individuals could result in annual waste savings of approximately 22.1 million kg, 5.6 million kg of which are estimated to be hazardous. The results suggest individual consumption patterns reflect broader trends in T1D-related waste generation. Research for this study reviewed the effects and emissions from T1D medical waste use and production, but official data from companies such as Dexcom and Omnipod remain private.
This study highlights the environmental impact of diabetes technology, particularly HBS disposables, and emphasizes the need for improved device design, waste management strategies, and sustainable user practices for hazardous waste reduction.
Despite a surge in female participation in competitive sport, the landscape of sports science remains disproportionately skewed toward male physiology. For decades, the prevailing paradigm has treated the menstrual cycle as a confounding variable rather than a critical metabolic regulator, resulting in nutritional and training guidelines that are often misaligned with female biology. This thesis bridges the gap between mechanistic endocrinology and practical application in sports nutrition by synthesizing current literature on the modulatory effects of ovarian hormones on substrate metabolism across the female lifespan.
Female metabolism is not a static variant of the male model but an adaptive system governed by the fluctuating interplay of steroid sex hormones. The estradiol to progesterone (E2:P4) ratio, rather than absolute hormone concentrations or cycle phases, serves as the primary driver of metabolic phenotype. Estradiol acts as a potent metabolic protector, enhancing insulin sensitivity via the PI3K/Akt pathway, promoting glycogen sparing, and upregulating lipid oxidation through increased lipolytic sensitivity and intramyocellular lipid utilization. Conversely, progesterone functions as a physiological antagonist, inducing transient insulin resistance, accelerating glycogenolysis, and attenuating fat oxidation to prioritize immediate glucose availability.
While these mechanistic shifts are profound, their net impact on substrate utilization during submaximal exercise is often masked in energy-sufficient athletes, only becoming critical under conditions of high intensity, metabolic stress, or low energy availability (LEA). The thesis further argues that protein metabolism remains remarkably stable across the eumenorrheic cycle, with neither the follicular nor luteal phase offering a distinct advantage for muscle protein synthesis, provided adequate energy and protein intake are maintained. However, the protective role of ovarian hormones becomes starkly apparent during the menopausal transition; the absolute loss of estradiol precipitates a marked decline in fat oxidation, increased visceral adiposity, and anabolic resistance, underscoring the necessity of hormone replacement therapy and resistance training to mitigate metabolic decline.
Critically, this work evaluates the consequences of applying male-derived fueling protocols to female athletes, particularly regarding Low Energy Availability (LEA) and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs). Energy deficiency is identified not merely as a caloric deficit but as a potent neurological signal that downregulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, leading to reproductive shutdown. The analysis refutes the efficacy of fasted training for women, demonstrating that it exacerbates cortisol elevations and blunts fat oxidation.
Ultimately, this thesis argues for a paradigm shift: moving beyond the default model toward a nuanced approach. Optimal performance requires recognizing hormonal fluctuation not as a methodological inconvenience, but as a central driver of metabolic health. By prioritizing energy availability as a non-negotiable baseline and layering female-specific macronutrient strategies, practitioners can mitigate the risks of REDs and unlock the full performance potential and health of the female athlete.
Extensive introgressive hybridization is occurring between native Salmo populations and Salmo trutta L. hatchery stocks in central Europe, resulting in genetic homogenization and subsequently eroding the adaptive potential of native trout species. This admixture is the product of indiscriminate stocking of Atlantic lineage S. trutta in populations belonging to other lineages or other Salmo species entirely. There is an urgent need to preserve and restore the genetic diversity present in the Mediterranean region and to implement stocking and angling practices that are geared towards longevity, not maximizing productivity. By reviewing existing literature on previous management campaigns of introgressed Salmo species, this literature review discusses the merits of the most relevant conservation methods and provides management recommendations that account for the goals of a conservation campaign while also being tailored to the habitat quality and availability, genetic diversity and value of the species, extent of introgression, and angling restrictions of the managed area.
This thesis evaluates how North American fire danger assessment models, specifically the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System (CFFDRS) and the Integrated Forest Fire Danger System (IFDS), can be adapted for use in the European Alps in response to increasing wildfire risk. The study examines climatic, geographic, and ecological differences between the two regions, including contrasting precipitation regimes, topographic characteristics, and ecosystem composition. Specific recalibrations for model inputs such as moisture codes, drought indices, and slope parameters are identified to reflect the Alps’ rain-dominated precipitation patterns and steeper terrain. Additionally, the study underscores the importance of incorporating mitigation strategies, including fuel treatments and fuel breaks, into model frameworks, as well as integrating dynamic post-fire recovery processes that influence future fire behavior. The thesis demonstrates that effective adaptation of these models requires a systematic adjustment of environmental inputs and the inclusion of region-specific factors, particularly those related to fuel moisture dynamics, topography, and ecosystem variability. The study concludes that with these targeted modifications, North American fire danger models can be successfully adapted to improve wildfire risk prediction and support more accurate, context-specific fire management strategies in the European Alps.
Air pollution from oil refineries represents a major environmental and public health challenge, particularly in regions heavily dependent on fossil fuels. This thesis examines the primary air pollutants emitted by oil refineries and their impacts on environmental quality and human health, using Iran as a case study. It addresses the question: how do emissions from Iranian oil refineries influence environmental conditions and human health in surrounding regions? The study combines scientific literature, air quality data, and spatial analysis using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to examine pollution patterns and exposure. Key pollutants include particulate matter (PM2.5 _and PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOₓ), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are released throughout different refining process and contribute to persistent air pollution in surrounding areas.
The findings show that pollutants undergo atmospheric transformations, forming secondary compounds such as ozone and acidic substances, which extend their impacts beyond air quality alone. In Iran, environmental conditions like high temperatures, dust storms, and limited air circulation intensify these effects by promoting pollutant accumulation. Human health impacts are significant and cumulative. Exposure to fine particulate matter and toxic compounds is linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, as well as increased cancer risk, particularly in industrial regions where pollution levels exceed recommended limits.
Overall, this study shows that air pollution is a complex system influenced by industrial activity, environmental processes, and human exposure. Addressing these challenges means going beyond short-term solutions and taking a more holistic approach that reflects the wider environmental and social context.
Digital learning environments often place additional cognitive demands on students, and these demands can be especially challenging for those with attentional or sensory differences. This study looked at whether linking sounds and colors based on natural cross modal associations could help improve performance on attention and memory tasks. The study also examined whether individual differences in ADHD and autism traits influenced these outcomes. Twenty-six university students completed a Stroop task and a paired-associate memory task under two conditions, visual only (control) and multisensory, with visual stimuli accompanied by matching auditory tones. At the group level, multisensory stimulation did not significantly change reaction times or accuracy. Yet, when looking at individual differences, students with higher ADHD traits tended to show greater reaction time improvements on the Stroop task under multisensory conditions. Autism traits did not appear to affect performance. In the memory task, a descriptive tradeoff between speed and accuracy was observed, with accuracy improving as reaction times increased. These findings suggest that artificial synesthesia may not be a one-size-fits-all tool, but it could act as a helpful attentional support for individuals with greater attentional variability. Overall, the study emphasizes the value of designing educational technologies that consider individual differences and aim for personalized support.
Social media is increasingly used to self-disclose, seek support, and exchange information in relation to mental health. Reddit is an online platform that is conducive to self-disclosure due to its anonymity and structure of Subreddits, communities of users centered around a topic or experience. This qualitative study draws upon prior psychotherapy research that explores agency development in the therapeutic context. Agency refers to a language-mediated phenomenon that occurs in discourse and represents an individual's displayed mastery or control over aspects of their life. This methodology abides by a discourse analysis tradition, specifically discursive psychology, to analyze the contextually-bound construction of agency and mental health. This study has analyzed the construction of agentic and nonagentic positions across the most used mental health Subreddits: r/SuicideWatch, r/Anxiety, r/Lonely, r/Depression, r/MentalHealth with the 10 Discursive Tools Model. No prior studies have used the 10DT Model for online discourse. The multi-user analysis reveals that nonagentic positioning is most commonly constructed when users frame their mental health as the byproduct of external forces (eg: fate or physiology), mental health itself is discursively constructed as a normal response to society and as an external entity (eg: brain as culprit). These findings host implications for understanding text-based therapy in the age of artificial intelligence.
Negative attitudes toward immigrants are a feature of contemporary intergroup relations and have been linked to perceived economic threat. The present study examined whether perceived economic insecurity predicts negative attitudes toward immigrants using data from the seventh wave of the World Values Survey (2017–2022), to add depth to already existing research on the subject. The sample comprised 6,069 respondents from five countries selected for cross-national variation while sharing relatively stable economic and migration conditions: Australia, Canada, Jordan, New Zealand, and Singapore. Perceived economic insecurity was operationalized as a composite index of three items, while negative attitudes toward immigrants were operationalized as a composite index of two items. Both indices were constructed from standardized items. A bivariate Pearson correlation and a simple linear regression were conducted. Perceived economic insecurity was positively and significantly associated with negative attitudes toward immigrants, r = .20, p < .001, accounting for approximately 3.9% of the variance in the outcome. The hypothesis was supported in direction, although the effect size was small. Findings are broadly consistent with Realistic Conflict Theory and Integrated Threat Theory, while the modest magnitude of the association suggests that economic perceptions are one of multiple factors shaping attitudes toward immigrants.
This qualitative study explores how individuals interpret and validate spiritual experiences that are difficult to explain, focusing on the meaning-making processes through which these experiences are understood and given significance, as well as how individuals engage with digital environments in this process. Such experiences are often subjective and ambiguous, yet they play an important role in self-understanding and the construction of personal meaning. The study is based on ten semi structured interviews, which were analyzed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Five main themes were identified: (1) personal belief systems as the primary framework through which spiritual experiences are interpreted, (2) the use of scientific and rational language to make sense of otherwise ambiguous experiences, (3) selective and instrumental engagement with digital content as a source of exposure rather than validation, (4) a perceived tension between accessibility and authenticity in digital spirituality, and (5) offline and embodied experiences as the primary source of validation. Overall, the findings suggest that spiritual meaning-making, understood as the process of interpreting and validating experiences, is shaped through the interaction of internal belief systems, rational interpretative frameworks, digital exposure, and embodied experience. Rather than relying on a single authoritative system, participants navigate between different sources of meaning depending on context and need. Digital environments are not central to validation processes but are instead filtered through pre-existing interpretative frameworks and often contrasted with offline, lived experience.
Contemporary spirituality is increasingly practiced outside traditional religious institutions, particularly among emerging adults who identify as spiritual but not religious (SBNR). While previous research has linked spirituality to psychological wellbeing and coping, much of this work has relied on quantitative approaches or focused primarily on organized religion. Less attention has been given to how SBNR individuals themselves describe spirituality in relation to emotional regulation and everyday psychological life. The present study explored how emerging adults use spirituality as a form of self-regulation and meaning-making in daily experience. Semi-structured interviews were conducted as part of a broader qualitative research project on contemporary spirituality. Seven interviews were selected for reflexive thematic analysis based on the depth and relevance of participant reflections. The analysis identified five interconnected themes: personal and evolving spirituality, rituals and emotional grounding, spirituality as emotional regulation, interconnectedness and meaning-making, and critical engagement and negotiated belief. Participants described spirituality as individualized, flexible, and embedded within everyday practices such as meditation, journaling, tarot, prayer, and time spent in nature. Spirituality was frequently described as helping participants regulate emotional intensity, reinterpret stressful experiences, and create feelings of grounding, connection, and emotional coherence. At the same time, participants often approached spirituality critically, negotiating tensions between belief, skepticism, authenticity, and institutional religion. The findings suggest that spirituality among SBNR emerging adults functions as an evolving emotional and interpretive resource embedded within everyday life.
This study examined whether personal value orientations predict patterns of daily music listening behavior among young adults in Switzerland. Building on research linking music consumption to personality, identity, emotion regulation, and digital media use, the study focused on three value dimensions: openness to change, hedonism, and conservation. Music listening behavior was operationalized through objective indicators derived from Spotify Wrapped or Apple Music Replay, including listening intensity, genre diversity, and repetition. Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, participants aged 18 to 45 completed an online survey measuring personal values, music listening behavior, and demographic characteristics. Pearson correlations and multiple regression analyses were conducted to test whether openness to change predicted genre diversity, hedonism predicted listening intensity, and conservation predicted repetition. Results did not support the proposed hypotheses. Personal value orientations were not significant predictors of the main music listening outcomes. However, listening intensity was strongly positively associated with artist count, suggesting that individuals who listened to more music also engaged with a broader range of artists. These findings suggest that broad personal values may not directly predict specific digital music behaviors, which may instead be shaped by contextual, emotional, and platform-based factors such as algorithmic recommendations and habitual listening routines. The study contributes to research on music psychology by highlighting the limits of direct value-based prediction and the need for more integrative models of digital music consumption.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and Endometriosis are two gynaecological conditions which include significant psychological symptoms, predominantly anxiety and depression. These psychological symptoms can lower the patients’ Quality of Life (QoL). Technological Innovations (TIs) which can improve psychological symptoms have been developed. This semi-systematic literature review aimed to find which TIs could be the most effective in improving psychological symptoms, as well as what the potential advantages and disadvantages of TIs could be. The results show that apps are the most effective Tis, as they improve anxiety and depressive symptoms, while other TIs are generally effective in improving QoL. The most significant advantages are easy accessibility and low cost of these TIs, while disadvantages include frequency and mode of use. These findings could be useful for future research aimed at improving the psychological health and quality of life of women with PCOS and Endometriosis.
This study focuses on New Age Spirituality and how people engage with it. The primary
research questions are how people first become involved in New Age Spirituality and what have
been their most influential experiences. Previous literature has found some motivating factors to
be feeling a lack of connection to the organized religion and searching for greater meaning than
what they have experienced in other forms of religions. Major themes found in previous research
are transformation, growth and self improvement. This study was done through semi structured i
interviews with participants who identified as spiritual but not religious. Results were analyzed
qualitatively through reflexive thematic analysis to identify codes. Codes were then used to
generate themes that fit research questions. The themes found were lack of connection to
organized religion, working through difficult times, self improvement and understanding,
supernatural experiences and meditation as an introductory experience. These themes were
analyzed and compared to findings found in previous literature. This study is limited by
participants having similar socioeconomic backgrounds and being within the same age range and
generation. Overall the findings of this study were in line with what had been found by previous
works. People tend to seek out new age spirituality when they are looking for a deeper sense of
meaning than they have found in organized religions. Formative experiences were found to be
when people use spirituality as a way to deal with distressing situations and through supernatural
experiences. Meditation is often people's first introduction to spirituality and this along with
other practices are used for self improvement.
This qualitative study investigates how individuals who identify as spiritual comprehend their experiences, considering the elements that may lie outside the realm of conscious awareness.
Most research suggests that spirituality is personal and highly unique, experiential and provides
participants a method of meaning-making, alongside their intuition, and a connection that is
greater than themselves (Russo-Netzer & Mayless, 2016). However, there is little research on the
ways in which individuals interpret their experiences and in particular, whether experiences
outside of conscious awareness are associated with their spirituality. Semi-structured interviews
were carried out were participants who self-identified as spiritual, but not religious. Data were
analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clark, 2006). Five major themes were
identified, which included spirituality as a developing and partially unarticulated process, focus
on understanding inner emotional world, connection beyond the self, focus on the interpretation
of symbols and experiences and experiences regarded as occurring outside of conscious
awareness. This study describes how participants construct spirituality as an experiential and
intuitive, emotional, and retrospective-engaged interpretive process. Most participants described
experiences in ways in which they were hard to articulate and were not fully accessible to
conscious awareness, suggesting that spirituality may explain processes they perceive as
occurring outside of conscious understanding. This study contributed to the literature on the topic
of spirituality in that it describes how participants understand spirituality and how they relate
those experiences to the unconscious.
Across the globe and throughout history, parenting priorities differ. The qualities deemed
important by parents for their children are influenced by both universal and culturally-specific
factors. Therefore, this study seeks to explore the extent to which age or life cohorts serve as
better determinants for the socialization goals of young, middle, and late adulthood parents. The
current study uses data collected from 2017 to 2020 in the Joint European Value Survey
(EVS207) and World Values Survey Wave 7 (WVSW7) to capture parents (individuals who
answered as having at least one child), country, the eleven child qualities which are presented
and participants select only five. For the purpose of capturing the birth cohort as a determinant,
the study at hand isolates age into three groups and compares findings across China, Finland,
Nigeria, and the United States. The current study found that culture is a stronger determinant for
parental child quality validation than life stage across all 11 variables: manners, independence,
hard work, feeling of responsibility, imagination, tolerance, saving money, perseverance,
religious faith, unselfishness, and obedience. In this way, it may be that the cultural context of
child-rearing, rather than year or generation, plays a more significant role in shaping what
qualities are regarded as most important for children to learn in the home with parents.
Passive Solar Stills: A Comparative Experimental Study of the Asymmetrical Greenhouse Type Design and the Symmetrical Greenhouse Type Design
This study evaluated two low-cost passive solar still configurations, the asymmetrical greenhouse-type (ASGHT) still and the symmetrical greenhouse-type (SGHT) still, to determine which design produced greater distillate yield and superior water quality under identical outdoor conditions in Sorengo, Switzerland. Both stills were constructed from plexiglass and plastic boxes; the ASGHT still incorporated a mirror to enhance internal reflection. Two trials distilled lake water at a constant 2 cm basin depth. Daily ambient temperature and cloud cover were recorded to contextualize performance.
Results showed that the ASGHT still consistently outperformed the SGHT still in both water yield and purification quality. In the first trial, the ASGHT yielded 30.0 mL of purified water (6% purification rate), while the SGHT produced 20.0 mL (4%). In the second trial, the ASGHT yielded 36.5 mL (7.3%), while the SGHT yielded 18.5 mL (3.7%). Analysis of water quality demonstrated that the ASGHT still achieved higher reductions in electrical conductivity (EC) and total dissolved solids (TDS), with reductions of 85.1% and 85.3%, respectively, compared to the SGHT still’s 74.1% and 74.3%. Both designs reduced salinity to undetectable levels and lowered specific gravity to near-pure water values.
Results demonstrated that reflective modifications substantially improved passive still productivity without external energy inputs. Furthermore, environmental factors, particularly cloud cover, were found to have a dominant influence on distillation efficiency. The study highlights the potential of passive solar stills as a decentralized, low-cost solution for water purification in off-grid and water-scarce regions, though future research is needed to optimize designs for improved yield and efficiency.
Preservation or Recreation? The Differing Objectives of National Parks: A Comparative Study of the United States, Switzerland, and Madagascar
National parks exist in nearly 100 countries around the world today. As they grow in popularity and numbers, as well as importance, they are faced with mounting pressure to serve as environmental reserves, public spaces for human recreation, and in some cases even economic engines through tourism. This paper explores the differing objectives of three national parks by analysing case studies and data from the United States, Switzerland, and Madagascar. Using management methods, tourism policies, and governance structures from three ecologically and economically distinct regions, this study compares how different countries approach national parks’ dual purpose. This paper contributes to a broader understanding of national parks’ objectives across the globe. Ultimately, it argues that no model offers a perfect solution, instead, effective park management relies on maintaining ecological health while balancing accessibility and adaptability for local and regional needs.
Population Overview and Urban Wildlife Corridors in Lugano, Switzerland: A Monitoring and Habitat Connectivity Overview
Cervus elaphus (red deer), and ungulates in general, are regarded as elusive, and are assumed to exclusively inhabit non-urban areas. There is a gap in research analyzing their movement and proximity to populated areas and human influence on these patterns in Lugano. This study looks at the movement of red deer - Cervus elaphus - in and around the Lago di Muzzano bottleneck and investigates the degree to which patches are connected and where undulates are choosing to cross between these patches.
This study examines the movement of ungulates around the Lago di Muzzano bottleneck, aiming to assess how connected the forest patches are and where individuals choose to cross. The study hypothesizes that the San Salvatore peninsula and the Breganzona forests are not connected via the western choke point between the two lake sides. For this reason, it is hypothesized that the populations in each area are distinct and do not use the patches as one connected habitat, despite their close proximity. The results show movement trends within both the Collina d’Oro and Breganzona forest patches and also shows a clear separation of populations in either patch. Two conclusions arise from the hypothesis: Primarily, that each forest patch is occupied by distinct sedentary groups of red deer; and two, that red deer are migrating out of these patches in distinct ways. This study thereby asserts that the red deer is instead a synanthropic species that lives in close proximity to urban environments.
Due to the limited timeframe, two main study areas were defined, with observations in each limited to two permanent observation points. Secondary data collection supported decisions regarding the outlining of game trails, the identification of dens, the setting of study boundaries and trail camera placement. The outlining of game trails, provided by secondary data, also helped supplement a lack of GPS collar data, common in studying ungulates, which was not within the scope of the study. Instead, individual animals and their home ranges were tracked for the duration of the study, and efforts were made to identify group behaviors and frequented locations. Given the limited temporal scope of this study, findings should be interpreted as representative of trends at that time, rather than definitive conclusions about the entire local population. This study remains pertinent as an attempt to manage populations and negative consequences, as it is important to understand the distribution and habitat utilization of undulates within an urban environment as they attempt to adapt to human influences.
Rooted in Reciprocity: Planetary Health and the Power of Community Solutions. A Case Study of ASRI’s Transformative Response to Illegal Logging in Gunung Palung National Park
Indonesia’s rainforests are among the most biodiverse in the world, yet they continue to face extreme threats from illegal logging, unsustainable agriculture, and systemic poverty. In the communities surrounding Gunung Palung National Park (GPNP) in West Kalimantan, these challenges have historically undermined both environmental and human well-being. This thesis examines how the NGO Alam Sehat Lestari (ASRI) applies a Planetary Health framework to address the interconnected challenges of illegal logging, ecological degradation, and limited healthcare access in communities surrounding Gunung Palung National Park (GPNP) in West Kalimantan, Borneo. Planetary Health is an increasingly relevant and needed perspective, as this interdisciplinary framework identifies the complex interdependencies between human health and the health of Earth’s natural environments and systems.
Grounded in the practice of Radical Listening and community participation, ASRI develops holistic, community-designed programs that integrate affordable healthcare, reforestation, environmental education, and sustainable livelihood alternatives. These interventions are intentionally designed to complement and reinforce one another, thereby empowering communities while restoring ecosystems in the GPNP.
Using a case study methodology informed by peer-reviewed literature, ASRI reports, and Planetary Health theory, this research analyzes how ASRI’s interconnected programs work together to reduce illegal logging, promote forest regeneration, and improve community well-being. Findings show a 70% decline in deforestation and over 90% reduction in logging households in participating villages. Additionally, ASRI’s reforestation efforts have resulted in the regrowth of key forest corridors, improved biodiversity indicators such as increased orangutan presence, and enhanced habitat connectivity.
ASRI is positioned as a transformative shift in NGO practice, rooted in reciprocity, co-creation, and systems thinking. ASRI responds to systemic drivers of deforestation and ecological degradation by addressing the compounding socioeconomic drivers in a locally grounded and ethically engaged manner. By showcasing ASRI’s holistic Planetary Health model, this research contributes to the growing discourse on how integrated, community-driven approaches can reshape conservation and development paradigms. ASRI offers an effective and adaptable model for addressing deforestation, climate change, and health inequities globally.
Understanding Peatland Heterogeneity: A Study of Vegetation, Water Table, and pH Variations at Mycklemossen Peatland, Sweden
Peatlands are a distinctive wetland ecosystem that store gigatons of carbon per year, provide critical ecosystem services, and support many unique, specialized species. Despite these benefits, peatlands have been degraded for centuries, largely for energy and agriculture. This study investigates the interactions between vegetation composition, water table levels, and pH across micro-ecosystems within Mycklemossen Peatland, Sweden. Ecosystem types and ecological zones were determined based on the variations found, contributing to a deeper understanding of peatland heterogeneity and informing site-specific restoration. The data collected was then analyzed using Microsoft Excel and QGIS. Three distinct ecological zones were identified primarily differentiated by water table variation, which affected vegetation dominance. Areas with higher water tables were dominated by mosses, while lower levels coincided with increased shrub or litter presence. The pH was consistently acidic, reflecting waterlogged conditions and Sphagnum dominance. These findings classify Mycklemossen as an ombrotrophic bog, which is an important distinction for understanding its ecological function and potential responses to threats in the future. This study highlights the importance of localized assessment in peatland management and the need for continued research of these globally significant ecosystems.
Mapping Climate-Driven Shifts in Habitat Suitability for Chagas Disease Vectors Rhodnius prolixus and Triatoma infestans: A Species-Specific Threshold Approach
This study assesses how future climate scenarios may influence the habitat suitability of two major vectors of Chagas disease: Rhodnius prolixus and Triatoma infestans. Using species-specific ecological tolerance ranges for temperature and precipitation derived from peer-reviewed literature, binary raster models were constructed in QGIS to map climatically suitable habitat under present and future conditions. Bioclimatic variables (BIO1: annual mean temperature and BIO12: annual precipitation) from WorldClim 2.1 were used for current (1970–2000) and projected (2041–2060, SSP2-4.5, MPI-ESM1-2-LR) scenarios.
Suitability maps were generated by thresholding temperature and precipitation rasters according to known physiological tolerances for each species. These binary rasters were combined to produce maps of current and future suitable habitat. Area calculations were conducted to quantify changes in habitat extent, and difference maps were created to visualize spatial shifts in suitability.
Results indicate that R. prolixus is likely to experience a modest expansion in climatically suitable habitat, particularly in northern South America, whereas T. infestans may undergo significant habitat contraction due to increasing temperatures and reduced suitability in southern regions. These findings reflect differences in the species' ecological tolerances and underline the role of climate as a driver of vector distribution.
This study demonstrates the utility of a species-specific threshold approach in modeling climate-driven habitat shifts for disease vectors. While limited to abiotic factors, the model provides a transparent, reproducible foundation for future research. Incorporating land use, socioeconomic variables, and finer-scale validation could enhance predictive power and real-world application. Understanding where vector habitats are likely to shift under climate change is essential for informing proactive disease surveillance and vector control strategies in vulnerable regions.