“Spatial Analysis of Potential Risk Factors Associated with Addition of Atlantic Coast Pipeline Through Virginia”

Rachel C. Lombardi, author Introduction Over 728 billion cubic meters (bcm) of dry natural gas was consumed in the United States (U.S.) in 2013, and 24% of U.S. household energy is produced by natural gas (USEIA, 2013; Jaramillo et al., 2007). Due to a growing demand for natural gas, Dominion Inc., in partnership with Duke … Continue reading →

Biological and Environmental Sciences, Research, Volume 7

“Phenolic Acids in Brassicaceae Plants: Ovipositional Stimulants or Deterrents for Cabbage White Butterfly, Pieris rapae?”

Rebecca E. Dey and Skyler T. Carpenter, authors Abstract Cabbage white butterflies, Pieris rapae, are agricultural pests that lay their eggs on plants of the Brassicaceae (cabbage) family. Upon hatching, the caterpillars then feed on the plants, causing contamination and yield reduction. Female butterflies may identify suitable host plants through the detection of various chemicals … Continue reading →

Biological and Environmental Sciences, Research, Volume 7

The influence of tropical cyclones on Chesapeake Bay dead zones

By Chelsea D. Taylor

Abstract Concentrations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), chlorophyll a (Chla), and dissolved oxygen (DO) were analyzed before and after the impact of six tropical cyclones (TCs) to determine their influence upon dead zones in the Chesapeake Bay.  Using the Chesapeake Bay Data Hub, data was collected and analyzed using paired t test, both temporally and … Continue reading →

Biological and Environmental Sciences, Research, Volume 5

Facing the Music: Environmental Impact Assessment of Building a Concert Hall on North Campus

By Jennifer Nehrt, Kelsey Stolzenbach, and Dr. Kelsey Scheitlin

1. Introduction For this project we propose the construction of a 10,000-seat concert venue, the fictional Farmvegas Civic Center (FCC), at North Campus (Lancer Park). Lancer Park is a 50 acre residential and recreation community. The FCC will be erected at the current apartment construction at Lancer Park. Two sports fields will be replaced with … Continue reading →

Biological and Environmental Sciences, Research, Volume 5

Incorporating original research in the classroom: A case study analyzing the influence of the Chesapeake Bay on local temperatures

By Katlin M. Major, Carrie A. Dunham and Kelsey N. Scheitlin

Abstract Maritime climates experience moderate temperatures due to the specific heat of the nearby water. The first objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between temperature (maximum, minimum, and range) and proximity to the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. Results show that the annual Tmin (Tmax) means are smaller (greater) at the most … Continue reading →

Biological and Environmental Sciences, Research, Volume 5

Identifying pathogenic Salmonella serotypes isolated from Prince Edward County, VA waterways via multiplex PCR analysis

By Timothy M. Smith

Introduction The bacteria classified within the genus Salmonella are gram-negative, facultative, rod-shaped bacteria (Yingqin et al., 2012) within the well-documented Family Enterobacteriaceae. However, the taxonomy of Salmonella is somewhat complex. The current taxonomic scheme consists of the genus Salmonella containing two species — S. enterica and S. bongori (Bhaduri et al., 2009). Within the species … Continue reading →

Biological and Environmental Sciences, Research, Volume 5