UNC-Chapel Hill Climate Change Resources

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This collection contains scholarly resources on the topic of climate change which were authored by researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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661. Directions in Planning: Addressing Global Climate Change and Sea Level Rise at the Community Level

Title Tesim:
Directions in Planning: Addressing Global Climate Change and Sea Level Rise at the Community Level
Creator:
Brower, David J. and Schwab, Anna K.
Date Created:
March 6, 2018
Date of publication:
2007
Abstract Tesim:
Climate change—along with the associated rise in sea level and changes in weather/storm patterns—is an issue that planners are going to confront head on, and soon. This article lays out the issue of climate change and the challenges ahead for planners, and offers three main tactics for planning ahead for climate change.
Resource type:
Article
Affiliation Label Tesim:
Department of City and Regional Planning
Deposit Record:
1994c973-9238-4387-b77f-e5761fd02671
Type:
http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
Digital Collection:
Carolina Planning Journal
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17615/pewh-bj51
Journal Issue:
2
Journal Title:
Carolina Planning Journal
Journal Volume:
32
Language Label:
English
ORCID:
Other Affiliation:
and Coordinator, UNC-CH Hazard Mitigation Planning Project
Page End:
27
Page Start:
17
Person:
Brower, David J. and Schwab, Anna K.
Rights Statement Label:
In Copyright
Source:
tb09j720f

662. Carolina Planning Vol. 32.2: Towards the Next 50 Years

Title Tesim:
Carolina Planning Vol. 32.2: Towards the Next 50 Years
Creator:
Department of City and Regional Planning
Date Created:
March 6, 2018
Date of publication:
2007
Abstract Tesim:
50 Years of Influential North Carolina Planners; Top 5 Issues Facing North Carolina Planners; Planning Ahead: An Interview with Michelle Nance; Directions in Planning: Addressing Global Climate Change and Sea Level Rise at the Community Level; Inequality in the Creative City; Anti-Immigration Ordinances in NC: Ramifications for Local Governance and Planning; Book Review: Planning and Design Standards
Resource type:
Journal
Deposit Record:
1994c973-9238-4387-b77f-e5761fd02671
Type:
http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
Digital Collection:
Carolina Planning Journal
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17615/gb0s-2c83
Language Label:
English
ORCID:
Other Affiliation:
Person:
Department of City and Regional Planning
Publisher:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Department of City and Regional Planning
Rights Statement Label:
In Copyright

663. Carolina Planning Vol. 16.2: Fifteenth Anniversary Issue

Title Tesim:
Carolina Planning Vol. 16.2: Fifteenth Anniversary Issue
Creator:
Department of City and Regional Planning
Date Created:
March 9, 2018
Date of publication:
1990
Abstract Tesim:
Watershed Protection: Problems and Possibilities; A Report Card on Urban Erosion and Sedimentation Control in North Carolina; Greenway Use and Users: An Examination of Raleigh and Charlotte Greenways; The Effects of Global Warming and Sea-Level Rise on Coastal North Carolina; Downtown Revitalization and Historic Preservation in Small Town America: A Case Study of Tarboro, North Carolina
Resource type:
Journal
Deposit Record:
854f0dcc-254c-4642-9a6f-1f746d89ed4c
Type:
http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
Digital Collection:
Carolina Planning Journal
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17615/5890-dh44
Language Label:
English
ORCID:
Other Affiliation:
Person:
Department of City and Regional Planning
Publisher:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Department of City and Regional Planning
Rights Statement Label:
In Copyright

664. The effects of urbanization on riparian forest plant communities in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina

Title Tesim:
The effects of urbanization on riparian forest plant communities in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina
Creator:
Lopez, Bianca
Date Created:
August 15, 2017
Date of publication:
August 2017
Abstract Tesim:
Ongoing urban development is having profound impacts on ecosystems worldwide, by reducing the amount and connectivity of natural habitat and changing the local environmental conditions. Despite the ubiquity and the continued growth of urban areas, the effects of urban development on the diversity and composition of plant communities remain poorly understood. In this dissertation, I address this issue by investigating the effects of urban development on patches of remnant riparian forest in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina. To do this, I used a rural-to-urban gradient approach, comparing the plant species and environmental conditions of sites surrounded by different amounts of urban development. I first explored the effects of different “filters” created by urban development on plant biodiversity using structural equation modeling. In this, I tested the predictions of an established conceptual framework and developed a general model that could be used to compare the effects of urbanization on plant biodiversity across cities. I then examined changes in plant species’ functional traits along the rural-to-urban gradient and compared the species and traits found at these sites to high-quality riparian plant communities that represent potential targets for restoration. I found that plant traits change somewhat predictably along an urbanization gradient, particularly with regard to species’ seed dispersal modes, but that traits may not be as useful for predicting which species will establish in urban restoration efforts. Finally, I assessed the ability of environmental variables and spatial variables describing habitat connectivity to explain variation in plant species composition across sites. I found that species with limited dispersal ability showed the strongest signal of dispersal limitation across sites, and that urban development between sites appears to reduce connectivity for these species. This dissertation provides insight into the ways that urban development is altering riparian forests in the Research Triangle, which may have important impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services. My results have implications for land management, restoration, and urban planning in this landscape.
Resource type:
Dissertation
Affiliation Label Tesim:
Curriculum in Environment and Ecology
Degree:
Doctor of Philosophy
Degree Granting Institution:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate School
Deposit Record:
c1037f56-8147-48ed-b1a4-2bd35ef5db33
Type:
http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17615/wbkk-jw84
Graduation Year:
2017
Keyword:
Ecology, forest, Conservation biology, riparian, plants, biodiversity, urbanization, conservation, and Natural resource management
Language Label:
English
ORCID:
Other Affiliation:
Person:
Urban, Dean, Hurlbert, Allen, McHale, Melissa, White, Peter, Peet, Robert K., and Lopez, Bianca
Rights Statement Label:
In Copyright

665. The climate change stalemate: ideological tensions in international climate change negotiations

Title Tesim:
The climate change stalemate: ideological tensions in international climate change negotiations
Creator:
Chandler, Kevin
Date Created:
October 11, 2010
Date of publication:
December 2009
Abstract Tesim:
Though support for the theory of human caused global climate change grows in the scientific community, international political action has been lagging. Despite efforts since the early 1990s, a functional, effective international climate regime has yet to emerge, and so worldwide greenhouse gas emissions grow daily. To date, the best (but ultimately failed) hope for a climate treaty came in 1997 with the Kyoto Protocol. In the Protocol's negotiations, the United States and Germany stood out for their bold but contrary stances. Germany successfully positioned itself as the global leader in climate change mitigation while the United States cemented its position as the climate laggard. While their positions can be read easily, their reasoning cannot. How can we account for such very different positions by two of the world's richest and most developed democracies? This thesis seeks to examine the theoretical underpinnings of each country's climate positions in an effort to draw greater conclusions on the state of transatlantic climate policy.
Resource type:
Masters Thesis
Access Right:
Open access
Affiliation Label Tesim:
Department of Political Science
Degree Granting Institution:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Type:
http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17615/1nvy-0v26
Language Label:
English
ORCID:
Other Affiliation:
Person:
Vachudová, Milada Anna and Chandler, Kevin
Rights Statement Label:
In Copyright

666. Considering Holistic Coastal Response to Climate-change Induced Shifts in Natural Processes and Anthropogenic Modifications

Title Tesim:
Considering Holistic Coastal Response to Climate-change Induced Shifts in Natural Processes and Anthropogenic Modifications
Creator:
Jones, Margaret
Date Created:
June 30, 2017
Date of publication:
August 2016
Abstract Tesim:
Shoreline erosion can prompt the implementation of local shoreline modifications (e.g., beach nourishment, seawalls) intended to prevent erosion and protect coastal investments. These localized modifications can cause additional, potentially adverse shoreline change in neighboring locations. Here, we explore coastline response to nourishment under different climate change scenarios by coupling two existing, complimentary models of coastal processes; one addressing shoreline change related to alongshore sediment transport and the other addressing cross-shore changes in barrier island position and geometry. Results of model experiments relevant to a case study on the Virginia coast, USA, highlight the importance of regional wave climate in determining how far-reaching the effects of nourishment activities will be and suggest that predictions of future changes in wave climate will be useful not only in determining where coordinated regional management strategies will be important, but also in forecasting required nourishment volumes.
Resource type:
Masters Thesis
Affiliation Label Tesim:
Department of Geological Sciences
Degree:
Master of Science
Degree Granting Institution:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate School
Deposit Record:
3a7aeba6-af27-4114-965f-0e5e1ef7380b
Type:
http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17615/9av0-ms17
Graduation Year:
2016
Keyword:
coastal modeling, Geomorphology, coastal managment, beach nourishment, and shoreline change
Language Label:
English
ORCID:
Other Affiliation:
Person:
Moore, Laura, Murray, A. Brad, Pavelsky, Tamlin, and Jones, Margaret
Rights Statement Label:
In Copyright

667. Hydroclimate variability and landuse effects on nutrient export from watersheds in the mid-Atlantic United States

Title Tesim:
Hydroclimate variability and landuse effects on nutrient export from watersheds in the mid-Atlantic United States
Creator:
Savvas, Catherine
Date Created:
March 18, 2013
Date of publication:
December 2010
Abstract Tesim:
Nutrient pollution is one of the leading causes of poor water quality and impairment of water bodies in the United States. In light of sprawling urbanization and climate change predictions that hydrologic extremes will increase in frequency and intensity, a better understanding of how watersheds will respond to these changes is critical. This study examines how nitrogen concentration and export from different land uses vary over a range of discharges and hydroclimate conditions. The results suggest that catchments which are transport limited yet have a constant supply of nitrate such as agricultural and suburban catchments on septic are the most susceptible to hydrologic extremes and have the potential to accumulate nitrate during droughts and subsequently release it in large pulses during wetting periods. Despite overall high export, our more urbanized catchments which are neither transport nor source limited exhibit a more muted response to alternating dry and wet spells.
Resource type:
Masters Thesis
Access Right:
Open access
Affiliation Label Tesim:
Curriculum in Environment and Ecology
Deposit Record:
d1a7eca0-a6e1-4071-a90d-5ffcad470839
Type:
http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17615/bz9d-1f76
Language Label:
English
Note:
"... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the Curriculum of the Environment and Ecology (Hydrology)."
ORCID:
Other Affiliation:
Person:
Band, Lawrence and Savvas, Catherine
Place of Publication:
Chapel Hill, NC
Publisher:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Rights Statement Label:
In Copyright

668. ESSAYS ON CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION, BUILDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY, AND URBAN FORM

Title Tesim:
ESSAYS ON CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION, BUILDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY, AND URBAN FORM
Creator:
Li, Chaosu
Date Created:
June 13, 2018
Date of publication:
May 2018
Abstract Tesim:
This dissertation includes three self-contained and interrelated papers on climate change mitigation, building energy efficiency, and urban form. Paper 1: Urban form and household electricity consumption: a multilevel study While urban form affects building energy consumption, the pathways, direction and magnitude of the effect are disputed in the literature. This paper uses a unique dataset to examine the effect of urban form on residential electricity consumption in Ningbo, China. Using survey and utility bill data of 534 households in 46 neighborhoods in the city, I model the electricity use of households using a multi-level regression model. I find that neighborhood street configuration and tree shade are important in controlling residential electricity consumption and, consequently, greenhouse gas emissions. The results suggest that seasonality and dwelling type condition the effect of neighborhood densities on electricity consumption. Neighborhood density is associated with household electricity consumption in summer months, while there is no such association in the winter months. As neighborhood density increases, households in slab and tower apartments in dense urban neighborhoods consume more electricity in summer months, which can be partly explained by exacerbated heat island effect. Interestingly, the neighborhood density is negatively associated with electricity consumption for single-family houses, suggesting that the effect of neighborhood density is different for different types of dwelling units. Paper 2: Explaining spatial variations in residential energy usage intensity in Chicago: the role of urban form and geomorphometry Understanding the spatial pattern of energy consumption within buildings is essential to urban energy planning and management. In this study, I explore the spatial complexity of residential energy usage intensity, with a focus on urban form and the geomorphometry attributes of urban ventilation, solar insolation, and vegetation. I use building energy use data in Chicago at a Census tract level and merge information from various datasets including parcel attributes, three-dimensional data geometry, aerial imagery, and Census. Using spatial regression models, I find that while vegetation has more local impact on energy intensity, urban porosity and roughness length have consistent spillover effects on building electricity usage intensity in Chicago. Additionally, these relationships are seasonally varied: while vegetation, ventilation, and insolation affect electricity usage in summer, they have no impact on the winter gas consumption. The results highlight the importance of spatially explicit policies and clear urban design and form frameworks for reducing urban energy consumption and mitigating climate change. Paper 3: Government response to climate change in China: a study of first-generation provincial and municipal plans In this paper, I provide an overview of the first-generation local and regional climate change plans in China by scrutinizing planning documents of 16 cities, four autonomous regions, and 22 provinces. I develop and apply an evaluation protocol to understand goals, process, and strategies in these plans. The results indicate that provincial and local plans include numerous policies and strategies, yet some important types of local policies, such as land use and urban form, are not well identified in the plans. The results also indicate that current climate change planning in China is characterized by the “top-down” approach, in which the central governmental incentives play a vital role in shaping provincial and municipal plans. In addition, most plans have the following issues: vague definition of what characterizes a low carbon city/region, deficiency in the quality of GHG inventory and reduction targets, inadequate stakeholder engagement, and weak horizontal coordination. Finally, I offer recommendations to improve climate change planning in China.
Resource type:
Dissertation
Affiliation Label Tesim:
Department of City and Regional Planning
Degree:
Doctor of Philosophy
Degree Granting Institution:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate School
Deposit Record:
22219515-68ee-48e7-8af2-16191236be63
Type:
http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17615/7kkx-f797
Graduation Year:
2018
Keyword:
Urban planning, Urban sustainability, Low carbon city, Energy use intensity, Urban form, Plan evaluation, and Geomorphometry
Language Label:
English
ORCID:
Other Affiliation:
Person:
Song, Yan and Li, Chaosu

669. Reconstructing modern and Pliocene (c. 5.4-2.4 Ma) decadal climate variations in the paleoenvironments of the Middle Atlantic Bight using isotope and increment sclerochronology

Title Tesim:
Reconstructing modern and Pliocene (c. 5.4-2.4 Ma) decadal climate variations in the paleoenvironments of the Middle Atlantic Bight using isotope and increment sclerochronology
Creator:
Hudley, Joel Wayne
Date Created:
February 13, 2015
Date of publication:
December 2012
Abstract Tesim:
Ocean characteristics on geologic timescales are poorly understood, have varied in the past, and are critical to understanding how the ocean may respond to future human-induced climate change. Recent climate studies have identified that environmental variations in the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) are related to larger global climate variations throughout the Late Cenozoic such as the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation pattern and ocean-atmospheric teleconnections. Modern physical oceanographic studies in the MAB using the modern instrument records show high interannual variability with longer, multi-decadal warming trends. The goal of this investigation is to reveal annual to multi-decadal variations in sea surface temperatures of the MAB during the Pliocene (5.4-1.8 Million years ago (Ma). This investigation employs isotope and increment records from marine bivalves as proxies for ocean bottom temperature in conjunction with a basic understanding of the modern physical oceanographic flow model along the Atlantic continental shelf. In the present study, live-collected bivalves from the MAB and fossil bivalve shells from Pliocene deposits along the US Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain (MACP) were used to estimate oceanic conditions (seawater temperature, salinity, etc.) and ocean/atmosphere internal oscillations that currently dominate the basin. Sclerochronologic and stable isotope analyses were used to study this problem. Using the growth increments and isotope records of the modern Hemimactra as a comparison, Pliocene surf clams were employed to estimate paleoecologic and paleoclimatologic conditions along with the MACP. Pliocene surf clams documented annual increment marks and oxygen isotope ratios indicating greatly reduced seasonality, similar to the modern S. s. similis, but with similar average temperatures relative to modern SST at the same latitude. Since the surf clams present within the Pliocene MACP represent the short-lived species (~ 5 years old), in order to investigate multi-decadal variations during the Pliocene new bivalve proxies were explored. Large and abundant MACP bivalves, Glycymeris americana and Panopea reflexa were identified as having annual growth increments and significant longevity. Ages of fossil shells were comparable to extant species G. glycymeris (~100 years) and were used to reconstruct regional SST and a spectral analysis of past NAO. Oxygen isotope values were consistent with previous bivalve studies.
Resource type:
Dissertation
Affiliation Label Tesim:
Department of Geological Sciences
Degree:
Doctor of Philosophy
Deposit Record:
6e197fa0-ddbd-495a-93cc-8c97b54922e4
Type:
http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17615/jfrb-1y40
Graduation Year:
2012
Keyword:
Geology
Language Label:
English
ORCID:
Other Affiliation:
Person:
Surge, Donna M. and Hudley, Joel Wayne
Publisher:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Rights Statement Label:
In Copyright

670. Seismic stratigraphic record of West Antarctic ice sheet fluctuations within the eastern basin of the Ross Sea, Antarctica

Title Tesim:
Seismic stratigraphic record of West Antarctic ice sheet fluctuations within the eastern basin of the Ross Sea, Antarctica
Creator:
Loth, Audrey Susan
Date Created:
October 11, 2010
Date of publication:
August 2009
Abstract Tesim:
Using geophysical data collected aboard the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer during the austral summer of 2004 the stratigraphy of the up-dip portion of the Antarctic margin was studied. Analysis of up-dip SCS profiles illustrated an incomplete glacial record with multiple thin, polar Plio-Pleistocene sequences reflecting the presence of Northern Hemisphere ice, and fewer, thick Early Miocene sequences indicating perhaps a subpolar basal regime. Across the shelf of the Eastern Basin, the majority of the sequences terminate mid-shelf suggesting that not all ice sheet events are the same magnitude, which may be a function of climate change or autogenic ice sheet fluctuations. Through quantitative analysis the up-dip stratigraphy of the Eastern Basin was shown to be highly heterogeneous. This work has provided a more robust illustration of the complexity of glacial stratigraphy in the up-dip setting, and it is possible to see a reflection of changing climate preserved in the seismic signature of the NBP 0306 profiles.
Resource type:
Masters Thesis
Access Right:
Open access
Affiliation Label Tesim:
Department of Geological Sciences
Degree Granting Institution:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Type:
http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17615/8kh9-j834
Language Label:
English
ORCID:
Other Affiliation:
Person:
Bartek, Louis Robert and Loth, Audrey Susan
Rights Statement Label:
In Copyright