Confluence Volume 3, Spring 2024

Photo by Lauren Yeatts, Colorado Native Plant Society Argument Statement Climate change will cause widespread loss of fragile plant species in alpine ecosystems. Introduction Alpine plant communities are particularly sensitive to climate change. Their habitats are restricted by elevation, temperature, and precipitation. Although it is generally well understood that climate...

Introduction This brief presents summaries of key impacts to aquatic ecosystems from increased frequency of wildfires across the American West. Findings from various studies reveal altered thermals and increased sediment loading across waterways in wildfire impacted regions. These direct inputs can lead to mortality among riparian vegetation, fish, macroinvertebrates and...

Introduction Literature Review Rivers are complex ecosystems dependent on intricate relationships between physical geography, geology, ecology, the atmosphere, and climate. Rivers can be assessed at the basin level, which encompasses the entire riverine system, or locally at the catchment level 1 . In the Denver Metropolitan area, local catchments are...

Introduction Trees are associated with a range of health benefits, from reducing the effects of the urban heat island1 to increasing pedestrian safety 2,3 and neighborhood social cohesion 4 to removing pollutants from the air. 5 Given their contributions to health, localized cooling, and stormwater absorption, tree planting programs are...

Urban River Riparian Buffers Video Transcript Naturally, riverine riparian areas would occur along the edges of most rivers, providing ecological benefits and biogeochemical cycling. Here is what the South Platte River looks like, with a natural course and a riparian buffer. Riparian buffers can help filter sediment nutrients and provide...

Artist's Statement Our natural resources and the usage of which can be symbolized by our relationships with simple, day to day basics such as food, water, transportation , and the choices made regarding the utilization of these potentially costly necessities. These comparative images in diptych format intend to conceptualize the...

Introduction Background and History This project acknowledges the historical and contemporary presence of indigenous communities across the state of Colorado, including Ute, Cheyenne, Arapahoe, Navajo, and Comanche Nations. Colorado's later settlers arrived near the end of the 19th century during the Gold Rush, which prompted a rapid influx of prospectors...

Introduction An individual may experience a respiratory illness when the passage in their lungs becomes narrow, leading to inflammation and tightness of the muscles around the airways, thus presenting subclinical adversities like cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness, among other symptoms (World Health Organization, 2022). Factors that influence...

Building Off the EPA Existing Walkability Index with Additional Factors of Sidewalk Area, Accessibility to Grocery Stores, Healthcare Facilities, and Parks Figure 1: Denver 16th Street Mall Introduction It is apparent that many US cities, especially those in the American West, are designed for the car. Infrastructure, beginning in the...

This series of maps is based on historical maps of the Detroit Terminal Railroad from 1956. These maps were obtained from a private entity who collects railroad maps from Michigan. The Detroit Terminal Railroad operated in Detroit from 1905 until 1984 when the company merged with Consolidated Rail Corporation, its...