Electrophoretic variation in 12 proteins encoded by 16 loci was analyzed to compare the genetic relationships of 18 natural populations representing two species of stoneroller minnows, Campostoma anomalum and C. oligolepis. Ten of the loci were monomorphic and fixed for the same allele in all populations of both species. One locus, Mdh-2, was found to separate both species. Mean heterozygosity for both species was 0.072. Estimates of levels of inbreeding indicated this phenomenon is operating in C. anomalum to structure the populations genetically. Mean genic identity (I) between the two species was high, 0.887, indicating the taxa are closely related. Nevertheless, data accumulated point to the conclusion that the two species maintain electrophoretic variation in 12 proteins encoded by 16 loci was analyzed to compare the genetic relationships of 18 natural populations representing two species of stoneroller minnows, Campostoma anomalum and C. oligolepis. Ten of the loci were monomorphic and fixed for the same allele in all populations of both species. One locus, Mdh-2, was found to separate both species. Mean heterozygosity for both species was 0.072. Estimates of levels of inbreeding indicated this phenomenon is operating in C. anomalum to structure the populations genetically. Mean genic identity (I) between …

Residential Grid-Connected Photovoltaics (GPV) systems hold remarkable promise in their potential to reduce energy use, air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy costs to consumers, while also providing grid efficiency and demand-side management benefits to utilities. Broader adoption of customer-sited GPV also has the potential to transform the traditional model of electricity generation and delivery. Interest and activity has grown in recent years to promote GPV in north central Texas. This study employs a mixed methods design to better understand the status of residential GPV adoption in the DFW area, and those factors influencing a homeowner's decision of whether or not to install a system. Basic metrics are summarized, including installation numbers, distribution and socio-demographic information for the case study city of Plano, the DFW region, Texas, and the United States. Qualitative interview methods are used to gain an in-depth understanding of the factors influencing adoption for the Solarize Plano case study participants; to evaluate the effectiveness of the Solarize Plano program; and to identify concepts that may be regionally relevant. Recommendations are presented for additional research that may advance GPV adoption in north central Texas.

In urban environments, ozone air pollution, poses significant risks to respiratory health. Fixed site monitoring is the primary method of measuring ozone concentrations for health advisories and pollutant reduction, but the spatial scale may not reflect the current population distribution or its future growth. Moreover, formal methods for the placement of ozone monitoring sites within populations potentially omit important spatial criteria, producing monitoring locations that could unintentionally underestimate the exposure burden. Although air pollution affects all people, the combination of underlying health, socioeconomic and demographic factors exacerbate the impact for socially vulnerable population groups. A need exists for assessing the spatial representativeness and data gaps of existing pollution sensor networks and to evaluate future placement strategies of additional sensors. This research also seeks to understand how air pollution monitor placement strategies may neglect social vulnerabilities and therefore, potentially underestimate exposure burdens in vulnerable populations.

Increasingly higher numbers of people are moving into urbanizing environments, yet our understanding of ecosystem consequences of rapid urbanization is still in its infancy. In this dissertation, I assessed dynamics of residential landscapes during suburban succession and consequences for ecosystem functioning. First, I used a space-for-time approach to quantify more than a century of suburban succession in the Dallas – Fort Worth metroplex (DFW). Attributes of residential landscape plant diversity and habitat complexity were quantified for 232 individual properties nested within 14 neighborhoods constructed between 1906 and 2020. Suburban succession progressed from simple turf lawns with limited habitat complexity to landscapes dominated by deciduous trees and high habitat complexity, but homeowner decisions related to landscape management affect the rate of that transition and the number of plants and taxa present. Next, I used the novel spatial construct of "neighborhoodsheds" to test for effects of suburban succession on carbon export, and found that the proportion of carbon derived from C3 vs. C4 plants was affected by neighborhood plant community structure (i.e. greater proportion of trees and shrubs primarily in later stages of suburban succession). Finally, I conducted a mesocosm experiment to test effects of changes in allochthonous inputs during suburban succession …