Abstracts for Fall Oral Presentation Session 1

Oral Presentations will be held December 5th, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. - 11:15 p.m.

Union Building, room 316
 

• 10:00 a.m. - Ian Nuttall - Measuring the Urban Park Cooling Island Effect in Ogden, Utah

  Mentors: Alice Mulder and Dan Bedford
  College: Social & Behavioral Sciences
  Department: Geography, Environment & Sustainability
  Abstract:  This study investigates the Urban Park Cooling Island (PCI) effect in Ogden, Utah. Focus is on the Lorin Farr Park (LFP) and High Adventure Park (HAP) and their impact on local microclimates. The research utilizes HOBO Temperature/RH Data Loggers and the Kestrel Heat Stress logger to measure Surface Air Temperature (SAT) and Relative Humidity (RH). Insights are provided into the cooling effects of LFP and HAP. Daily and monthly average SAT and RH, as well as daily maximum and minimum temperatures are identified during the 11 week data collection timeframe. An analysis of the Park Cooling Intensity (PCInt), Park Cooling Gradient (PCG), and Park Cooling Rate (PCR) is completed. PCInt is used to understand the actual difference in SAT between a park and locations outside its boundary. The PCG and PCR focus on the spatial and temporal variations in SAT. The results indicate a significant PCInt for LFP, with a peak of 7.70°C. HAP is found to have a weaker PCI compared to LFP, though it does contain evidence of cooling outside of the park. These steps contribute to an understanding of urban microclimates in Ogden and the vital role of urban parks in mitigating Urban Heat Island (UHI) effects.

• 10:15 a.m. - Tara Tankersley - Does Bike-ability and Air Quality Favor Certain Demographics and Locations in Salt Lake City?

  Mentor: Alice Mulder
  College: Social and Behavioral Science
  Department: Geography, Environment and Sustainability
  Abstract:  This research project looks at the bike-infrastructure of Salt Lake City and compares it to redlined neighborhoods and air quality to get a better understanding of the bike-ability distribution. Using methods derived from a study done in Malmö, Sweden, ArcGIS was used to split Salt Lake City into zones and determine how bike-able each zone is through a mathematical equation (Hamidi et al., 2019). Bike-ability was calculated using bike lanes, biking paths, bus stops, and rail stops. This bike-ability map was then compared to previously made maps of redlined neighborhoods and air quality to determine any correlation between these variables. It was found that poor air quality and redlined neighborhoods generally matched areas with low bike-ability. Areas with better air quality and green zoned neighborhoods were found to generally have a higher bike-ability. It is concluded that historically underfunded redlined neighborhoods do not have as much bike infrastructure as green zoned neighborhoods, corresponding to a decrease in bike-ability in those areas. The lack of bike lanes in historically low-income neighborhoods is an example of how the option of being environmentally friendly is more difficult with a lower income.

• 10:30 a.m. - Caden Bankhead - Can Aeroponics and Vertical Farming Grow Alfalfa More Efficiently in Utah?

  Mentor: Eric Ewert
  College: Social and Behavioral Science
  Department: Geography
  Abstract:  Alfalfa, currently grown on 14 to 17 million acres of cropland across the United States, is an essential crop for many farm animals and the food that we eat. This essential crop takes about 450,000 gallons of water to produce one ton, which is about as much water as two Utah homes use in a year. The goal of this study was to test whether alfalfa can be grown more efficiently using vertical farming. Vertical farming systems save about 70-95% of water use and can produce approximately 10 times higher than the normally produced field crops. There are many different types of vertical farms, with aeroponics used in this project. Aeroponics uses a nutrient-rich water-mix solution that is misted onto the plant's roots, which then receive nutrition to grow. This study consisted of a water and yield comparison of two 10 x 10 ft growing areas, the vertical farm and an area on the ground. Both places had the same planting time, alfalfa seeds, fertilizer, and sun exposure to keep everything equal. What this comparison and study revealed is that growing alfalfa with aeroponics is not as efficient as growing the traditional way.

• 10:45 a.m. - Heather Couturier - Contemporary Pagan and Witch Demographics of the Wasatch Front

  Mentor: Alice Mulder
  College: Social and Behavioral Science
  Department: Geography
  Abstract:  Contemporary Paganism has been a growing practice in the United States over the past several decades. While contemporary Paganism, in its many forms, has continued to grow and flourish as a practice, little is known about this group within Northern Utah. This study collected demographic data and basic characteristics of contemporary Pagans and Witches across the Wasatch Front, a region in Northern Utah, in an effort to better understand this unique group. Through the use of an online survey, self-identifying adult contemporary Pagans and witches were able to provide demographic feedback, creating a profile of the Pagan community on the Wasatch Front. The survey was offered at a Pagan-affiliated festival; metaphysical, Pagan, and witch storefronts; through online social media groups; advertised in a Utah-based Pagan periodical; and participants were encouraged to share the survey with other Pagans and Witches they knew. Findings were similar to those discovered through the Pagan Census (Berger et al., 2003) and Pagan Census Revisited (Berger, 2020), with the majority of respondents being Caucasian, middle-class females with advanced education. This research contributes to a greater awareness of this subsection of the population on the Wasatch Front, and may be useful for marketing and outreach purposes.

• 11:00 a.m. - Abbey Soukup - Long-lasting Air Quality and Heat Effects in Current Day Redline and Greenline Districts in Ogden.

  Mentors: Alice Mulder and Dan Bedford
  College: Social and Behavioral Science
  Department: Geography
  Abstract:  This study measured the heat and air quality in seven total districts in Ogden, UT. The results of this study shed light on environmental injustices, urban heat islands, and the importance of greenspace. As climate change increases the dangers of heat exposure and air quality, it is important to know that not all exposure is equal. Historically Redline districts have the potential to experience higher rates of heat exposure and worse air quality. This study examined these neighborhoods in Ogden, UT. to determine if that is true. Previous studies support this hypothesis, yet none have been done in the Ogden area. This study will make a unique contribution to studies on heat and air quality, as well as environmental injustice to poorer neighborhoods. This study used two tools to measure the heat and air quality. PurpleAir monitors were placed in each studied district to determine the air quality. A Kestrel heat stress monitor was used in each district to determine the temperature, heat index, and wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT). This study concludes each area researched had a degree of change regarding air quality, WBGT, temperature, and heat index. The results are displayed in column charts and explained over presentation.