Wind Sheltering of a Wisconsin Wetland and Changes in Public Perception

Abstract

As an interdisciplinary work, this thesis contains (1) a quantitative study based in atmospheric science and (2) a qualitative literature review based in social science. The fundamental purpose of this thesis is to analyze how a small, remote Wisconsin wetland interacts with the atmosphere compared to a much larger, nearby wetland using eddy covariance flux data. The second purpose is to evaluate how the public perception of wetlands has changed throughout history. The quantitative scientific study that makes up the first part of this thesis is published in a special issue of Frontiers in Environmental Science open access journal and has implications for wetland protection and restoration. The second part of this thesis includes an overview of public attitudes towards wetlands from the 16th century to present day in the United States, and its results suggest that public attitudes towards wetlands are not fully aligned with research perspectives.