Organic matter (OM) is often considered the “currency” for ecosystem processes, such as respiration and primary production. OM in aquatic ecosystems is derived from multiple sources, and is a complex mixture of thousands of different chemical constituents. Therefore, it is difficult to identify all the sources of OM that enter and exit aquatic ecosystems. As humans develop undisturbed land, the rate at which terrestrial OM (e.g.soil and plants) and associated nutrients (e.g.nitrogen) enters rivers has increased. Increased nutrients may lead to increased primary production from aquatic plants and algae, potentially causing eutrophication and harmful algal blooms. In this study, I identified and characterized different sources of OM in four watersheds of Northeastern Utah with multiple land covers such as cities, forests, and crops. I expected OM in watersheds with human-altered land cover would have more OM produced instream by algae and other primary producers, than OM in less disturbed watersheds, which typically have OM from terrestrial sources. I found that OM at river sites with high human impact had high amounts of OM from instream primary production, but there was also OM produced in-steam at sites with low human impact. The greatest differences in OM across watersheds was due to wastewater treatment effluent. I also measured microbial consumption rates of algal derived and terrestrially derived DOM in experimental streams to quantify how much faster algal derived OM was consumed than terrestrial OM. I found algal derived OM was consumed extremely fast, so fast that realistic measurements of its consumption in some river ecosystems may not be possible. It is important to identify and characterize sources of OM to rivers, so watershed manager scan devise effective OM reduction plans appropriate for the constituent of concern unique to that watershed or region. Constituents of concern associated with OM include pathogens affiliated with manure, toxins in harmful algal blooms, metals, and pharmaceuticals from wastewater treatment effluent. Each pollutant requires a unique mitigation strategy and therefore the first step to pollution mitigation is source identification.

To better understand the value of those who engage in environmental stewardship of natural areas, we studied volunteer steward's motivation to participate, their sustainable behaviors and attitudes toward stewardship-related constructs. Specifically, we designed and conducted a survey of volunteers who work as stewards in urban natural areas in Portland, Oregon. We hypothesize that as volunteer frequency increases: participants will be more motivated to participate for environmental reasons, volunteers will be more likely to feel a strong connection to the stewardship site, participants will be more likely to engage in public pro-environmental behaviors, and their level of environmental literacy will increase. Participants were sampled using a face-to-face survey methodology over the course of late winter and spring of 2012 during 18 different Portland Parks and Recreation sponsored stewardship events. We examined the motivations, attitudes and behaviors of the volunteers, and devised appropriate management implications for those organizing volunteer efforts. We equated a three-tiered typology of environmental literacy, based upon the frequency of volunteer participation, and analyzed our survey data using a principal component analysis, generalized linear models, and a qualitative coding analysis. The most frequent participants showed a higher likelihood of participation in public environmental behaviors, whereas participants at all frequency levels were also likely to participate in private environmental behaviors, such as removing invasive plants in one's yard. Volunteers across all frequencies of participation were motivated to engage in stewardship events by a desire to help the environment. By understanding volunteers' motivations and linked behaviors, park managers may gain insights about the recruitment, retention, and messaging of volunteers upon whom they may depend to achieve restoration goals. We recommend considering volunteers' motivations and benefits derived from participation in messaging to recruit and retain volunteers. Additionally, park managers should take advantage of educational opportunities linked to stewardship events, such as training programs and chances for volunteer mentorship.

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