Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

Awards/Availabilty

Open Access Presidential Scholars Thesis

First Advisor

H. K. Macomber

Keywords

Eutrophication; Phosphorus cycle (Biogeochemistry);

Abstract

We have constructed a basic closed stock and flow model of lake phosphorus cycling that includes three stock concentrations: inorganic phosphorus, phosphorus in living organic material, and phosphorus in dead organic material. Stocks are connected by flows that are made stock dependent in a plausible manner. The model exhibits two equilibrium points, one stable and the other unstable, with an interesting crossover between them. Below a certain total phosphorus threshold, stable equilibrium is characterized by all of the phosphorus stock residing in the inorganic form, suggesting the collapse of the biological system. Above the threshold, this is not true. We then used STELLA® II, a computer program for dynamic modeling, to study the dynamics of the basic model and some extensions and modifications to it, including the addition of another stock and external loading of the system. When the system is perturbed from equilibrium, the ·model shows eutrophication blooms and other interesting behavior.

Date of Award

1994

Department

Department of Physics

Presidential Scholar Designation

A paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the designation Presidential Scholar

Comments

If you are the rightful copyright holder of this Presidential Scholars thesis and wish to have it removed from the Open Access Collection, please submit an email request to scholarworks@uni.edu. Include your name and clearly identify the thesis by full title and author as shown on the work.

Date Original

1994

Object Description

1 PDF file (20 pages)

Date Digital

4-9-2018

Copyright

©1994 Todd N. Swift

Type

document

Language

en

File Format

application_pdf

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