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AA_Final_Thesis_v20260824
Embargoed Access, Embargo ends: 10/06/2027
Thesis
RELATING LAND COVER AND SOCIOECONOMIC CONDITIONS TO AMPHIBIAN BIODIVERSITY AROUND STORMWATER PONDS IN WESTERN WASHINGTON STATE
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2026
Abstract
Stormwater ponds are commonly constructed in urban and suburban areas to reduce runoff, sediment, and other pollutants, and peak flows. Stormwater ponds can also serve as unique habitats for amphibians, macroinvertebrates, and other aquatic species in an otherwise developed urban setting. Stormwater ponds provide ancillary ecosystem services that benefit the surrounding human communities. Green spaces have been shown to provide psychological, cultural, and health benefits, and interest in blue spaces like ponds and coastline is increasing. This research, in collaboration with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), aims to examine more than 250 ponds across six counties in Washington State to determine relationships among habitat, amphibian biodiversity, land cover, and the socioeconomic factors of the communities surrounding these stormwater ponds. The Washington Environmental Health Disparities data and land cover information for six western Washington counties were characterized in a Geographic Information System using 200- and 1000-meter spatial buffers around each stormwater pond. In addition, our collaborators at WDFW conducted amphibian surveys in selected ponds to determine the habitat these ponds may provide for amphibians. We found impervious land cover to be the most consistent predictor across multiple statistical analyses and scales of socioeconomic conditions, environmental burden, pond water quality, amphibian species richness, and amphibian community composition. Results showed a strong relationship between the presence of impervious land cover and poverty around stormwater ponds. In addition, spatial differences across the region were also moderate predictors for EHD indicators, suggesting distinct geographical variations among the six counties in the Puget Sound region. The results from this work demonstrate the importance of considering land cover around stormwater ponds in stormwater planning, pond design, and management, and environmental justice initiatives, given its associations with socioeconomic conditions and amphibian biodiversity.
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Details
- Title
- RELATING LAND COVER AND SOCIOECONOMIC CONDITIONS TO AMPHIBIAN BIODIVERSITY AROUND STORMWATER PONDS IN WESTERN WASHINGTON STATE
- Creators
- Marggie Alejandra Angarita Velasquez
- Contributors
- Anand D Jayakaran (Advisor)Joan Q Wu (Committee Member)Kirti K Rajagopalan (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Department of Biological Systems Engineering
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 91
- Identifiers
- 99901416006101842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis