Defense Date
4-8-2025
Graduation Date
Spring 5-9-2025
Availability
Immediate Access
Submission Type
thesis
Degree Name
MS
Department
Environmental Science and Management (ESM)
School
School of Science and Engineering
Committee Chair
Brady Porter
Committee Member
Elizabeth Dakin
Committee Member
John Stolz
Keywords
fracking, oil, gas, fish, stream, ecology, invertebrate, insect, chemistry
Abstract
Much of southwestern Pennsylvania has been central to a rapid increase in development for unconventional natural gas extraction in the past two decades. The continued monitoring of streams over their lifetime as extraction sites is pivotal to understanding the effects of fracking on local waterways and their ability to provide for wildlife and human use. Here, using multiple indices of biotic integrity (IBI), I perform analyses of fish and macroinvertebrate communities as well as water chemistry on two streams, Bates Fork (with shale wells) and Fonner Run (without), as part of a follow-up to work performed there from 2010-2012. Fish and macroinvertebrate surveys revealed stable communities between studies but fish community integrity varied heavily by IBI used. Water chemistry was found to be mostly consistent with normal surface water. Overall, this study provides a continuing baseline for further monitoring, while highlighting the issue of inconsistency between different IBI.
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Beall, C. L. (2025). Impact of Unconventional Gas Extraction on Tributaries of Tenmile Creek, Greene County, Pennsylvania: A 12-Year Perspective (Master's thesis, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/2307
Included in
Biodiversity Commons, Entomology Commons, Environmental Chemistry Commons, Environmental Health Commons, Other Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons, Zoology Commons