Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
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Item Lichens as air quality indicators in three areas of Southwestern Montana : lichen floristics and elemental analysis(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 1995) Schubloom, Lisa AnnItem Air quality decision support system for portable sources(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Engineering, 2004) Dartman, JackAir quality permits are issued for both stationary and portable sources of emissions. The Prototype Air Quality Decision Support System (AQDSS) discussed in this paper has limited its scope to portable sources to simplify the development process. Examples of portable sources are: Asphalt & Cement Concrete Batch Plants, and Crushing & Screening Plants. Portable Sources of Air Pollution are Subject to Various State and Federal Permitting Requirements Dependant Upon: the quantity and nature of emissions, the date of manufacture of equipment, the proposed location(s) and dates of operation, the hours of operation, as well as other factors that the decision support system (DSS) must address. An AQDSS for portable sources should accept air quality permit application data, and model the data to generate a recommendation. AQDSS permit recommendations are: Issue an Air Quality Permit (for a Portable Source), Issue with Permit Restrictions (Emission Limits, Hours of Operation Limits, Production Limits, ....), Application Incomplete - Request Additional Information, Do Not Issue Permit, Does Not Require Permit, Requires Operating Permit. An objective of this project, secondary to satisfying the requirements of a Master of Science Degree, was to construct a prototype AQDSS that attempts to satisfy the needs (requirements) of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Air Resources Management Bureau. With that perspective in mind, the AQDSS was intended to facilitate the issuance of air quality permits for portable sources, with the goal of improving DEQ response time and reducing engineer review time. The AQDSS should also, when fully completed, provide an opportunity for an air quality permit applicant to complete and submit an application online. A working prototype can also provide a useful template to expand the DSS to other types of source categories, as well as facilitate communication between the DEQ and the regulated community.Item Epiphytic lichens, nitrogen deposition and climate in the US northern Rocky Mountain states(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2012) Grenon, Jill Ann; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: David Roberts; David W. Roberts, Mark E. Fenn, Linda H. Geiser and Sarah Jovan were co-authors of the article, 'Using epiphytic lichens to monitor nitrogen deposition near natural gas drilling operations in the Wind River range, WY' in the journal 'Journal of air & waste management association' which is contained within this thesis.; David W. Roberts and Linda H. Geiser were co-authors of the article, 'Epiphytic lichen indication of nitrogen deposition and climate conditions in the Northern Rocky Mountains' in the journal 'Environmental pollution' which is contained within this thesis.; David W. Roberts and Linda H. Geiser were co-authors of the article, 'Climate patterns as indicated by epiphytic lichen communities: a forest inventory and analysis indicator model for the NW interior mountains, USA' in the journal 'Government technical report' which is contained within this thesis.Forested ecosystems in the NW Interior Mountains (NWIM) of the United States are jeopardized by degrading air quality and changes in climate regimes. Monitoring and tracking changes in air quality and climate through instrumentation alone can be an expensive and challenging task. Biomonitors offer a cost-effective way to maximize monitoring resolution. This thesis explored the utility of lichens as biomonitors across three sections of the NWIM. First, in the Wind River Range, WY, nitrogen concentrations (%N) in lichen thalli were calibrated with measurements of canopy throughfall N deposition. A strong correlation verified % N as a useful metric to estimate N deposition. Nitrogen deposition in the Boulder drainage, closest in proximity to large natural gas drilling operations, was clearly elevated above estimated background conditions and measurements from other drainages. Degraded lichen communities were observed at deposition levels of 4.0 kg N ha -¹year -¹. The second study used lichen community composition, elemental analysis, and lichen functional groups to analyze the importance of nitrogen deposition and climate on lichen communities along the northern Rocky Mountains. Temperature and relative humidity were the most important climatic influences on community structure. A nitrogen pollution signal was independent of climate. The relationship between % N in lichen thalli and throughfall N (study 1) was used to estimate N deposition along the northern Rocky Mountains. Eutroph (N-tolerant) and oligotroph (N-sensitive) functional group indices were correlated with both N deposition and climate. Elevated N deposition (twice background conditions) was most notable around Bozeman, MT and Pinedale, WY. The final study stratified plots across the NWIM by latitude and longitude and found precipitation, dew point, and temperature were important variables to lichen community composition. Eutroph and oligotroph distributions were partially accounted for by climate; unfortunately no N data were available for comparison to lichen communities. The models created can be utilized for monitoring changes in lichen communities over time and to predict N deposition and climate conditions for new plots. Additionally, these models can be used to address management and conservation questions related to individual lichen species, lichen communities, forest health, air quality, and climate conditions.