In urban environments, trees provide a range of services including pollution removal, temperature regulation, and increased property values. In an effort to accrue these services, municipalities enact tree preservation ordinances that seek to protect public and private trees. Despite the protections of these ordinances, many trees are removed legally each year due to urban (re)development, risks associated with tree growth, and tree death. This research examines the spatiotemporal trends of permitted tree removals in the City of Austin, Texas, from 2013 to 2023. Specifically, we created a geographic information system to explore the differences between development-related and non-development-related removals, as well as between healthy and unhealthy removals. We also explored the extent to which sociodemographic characteristics explained differences in tree removals. Preliminary findings reveal that most trees removed are healthy and for development-related reasons, a reflection of Austin’s accelerating urban growth. We identified areas with high to moderate development pressure, high health impacts, and low activity. Our analysis also revealed significant patterns in tree removals associated with demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Areas with higher proportions of non-White populations experience fewer tree removals. This, however, correlates with lower overall canopy cover, suggesting these areas have fewer trees to begin with. Conversely, neighborhoods with higher household incomes show more tree removals but also higher canopy cover, indicating more active tree management in wealthier areas with greater tree resources. Our research highlights location-specific tree removal patterns to inform strategies that account for both environmental and socioeconomic factors.

Microclimates, which refer to the localized atmospheric conditions within small-scale environments, can be influenced by a variety of factors such as vegetation, topography, and human activity. One of the key elements that affect microclimates is the type of canopy cover present in an area. Open areas, where there is little vegetation and more exposure to the elements, often experience different conditions compared to areas with dense canopy cover, where the vegetation provides more shelter and shade. Understanding the differences in microclimatic conditions between these two types of environments helps us understand how these environmental conditions affect people, plants, and animals. The purpose of this study is to explore how microclimates vary between open areas and areas with closed canopy cover, focusing on factors such as temperature, humidity, and NDVI to better understand how canopy cover influences environmental conditions.

Urbanization alters habitat structure and resource availability, influencing wildlife distribution and behavior. In particular, invertebrates are affected by the differences in urban landscape that are caused by distinct socio-economic differences throughout urban areas. These changes in invertebrate abundance and diversity may affect bat populations that rely on these invertebrates as a food source. This study investigates how neighborhood income influences invertebrate diversity and bat foraging activity in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. We hypothesize that variations in landscape management and the income-driven use of pesticides can alter invertebrate diversity and subsequently bat activity. We conducted invertebrate sampling and acoustic bat monitoring across ten urban greenspaces; five high-income and five low-income neighborhoods in Tarrant County, TX, USA. We then quantified invertebrate and bat abundance and diversity using Shannon’s and Simpson’s diversity indices and examined correlations between invertebrate diversity, bat activity, and household income. This study will help to understand the ecological consequences of socio-economic disparities in urban habitats, which can inform conservation strategies to enhance urban biodiversity and bat conservation efforts.

Fort Worth, the fastest-growing city in Texas, contains many vacant land plots suitable for urban agriculture—an opportunity to address local food deserts. However, unsustainable farming can degrade soil organic carbon and reduce productivity. This study assessed soil carbon dynamics in a food waste compost–amended urban farm in Fort Worth. Experimental plots, including compost-amended and control treatments (triplicated), were established and monitored monthly from January 2023 to July 2024. Thermo-gravimetric Analysis (TGA) was used to calculate the recalcitrance index (R50), indicating carbon stability. Results showed compost-treated soils had more stable carbon and structured lignin degradation. In contrast, untreated soils exhibited unstructured decomposition and faster carbon loss. Compost enhances soil health and carbon cycling, and future research should explore combining compost with cover crops to maximize carbon sequestration and microbial activity in urban farming systems.

Cities are increasingly adopting and promoting actions in support of their sustainability goals to enhance community well being and improve environmental quality. These large, sprawling cities actions include providing more sustainable transportation choices, like bike lanes, micro-mobility options (e.g., scooters or e-bikes), and walkability. Yet, as municipalities offer these alternatives, increasing urban heat may deter residents and visitors from using them. Cities, such as Austin, Texas, have become hotter over the last decade due to increasing impervious cover and tree loss associated with urban (re)development. Urban trees provide cooling effects to the surrounding area through evapotranspiration and shade. Thus, tree shade is important to promote more walkable neighborhoods, especially in the summer months. This study looks at the relationship between canopy cover and urban walkability in Austin. Using a Geographic Information System, we examined the interactions between canopy cover, walkability, socioeconomic data (i.e., race, gender, income, and home-owner status), and sidewalks. In doing so, we found a total of 2,552.47 km of shaded sidewalks, equaling, about a third of all sidewalks in Austin. We also found that canopy cover and walkability vary by location. Some areas have high canopy cover and low walkability, whereas other areas have low canopy cover and high walkability. Preliminary results also indicate that some areas have less shaded sidewalks than others and vary based on an area’s socioeconomic characteristics. The results of this research may be used to promote sustainable cities and urban forestry along sidewalks to help mitigate the urban heat island effect.

Increases in city size and frequency have correspondingly led to increases in Urban Heat Island (UHI) strength and frequency. These urban heat islands have had serious implications for both children’s health and education. One widely accepted UHI mitigation strategy is green spaces. However, these have mainly been studied in the context of parks. This study aims to fill in a necessary gap of knowledge by studying the effect of green spaces at elementary schools. This was done by looking at the percentage of tree coverage at 273 public elementary schools in Tarrant County and comparing them to the Land Surface Temperatures (LSTs) of those schools. Google Earth Engine, ArcGIS Pro, and Google Spreadsheets were the three main software systems used to accomplish this. This study found that the percentage canopy cover and LST were inversely proportional at elementary schools in Tarrant County. It also found that other factors apart from trees effect LST.

With only four species of fish collected in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex as recently as the 1970’s, it is no surprise that the Trinity River was once referred to as the “mythological river of death”. Since then, coordinated improvements in water quality have led to the recovery of fish assemblages within the Trinity, becoming a well-documented environmental success story. To monitor that recovery, the Trinity River Authority has conducted Aquatic Life Monitoring surveys on one or more Trinity Basin waterbodies biannually since 2013. These surveys have targeted waterbodies with documented concerns or impairments for one or more water quality parameters, capturing conditions in both the Index (March 15-Oct 15) and Critical (July 1-Sept 30) periods. At each site, whole community fish data was collected via backpack electroshocking and seine netting, alongside benthic macroinvertebrate and habitat data. As of 2025, 30 surveys have been conducted on 13 waterbodies throughout the Upper Trinity basin. Although these surveys have targeted streams with water quality concerns, 90% of sites have scored as either High or Exceptional on the State of Texas Regionalized Nekton Index of Biotic Integrity. Here we will characterize the collected fish communities with over 12,500 individuals from 41 unique species collected during these surveys, while also describing the vision of the program over the next decade.

Leaking underground storage tanks (USTs) pose a significant environmental hazard in Norfolk, Virginia, where factors such as weather, casing materials, and varying ground conditions contribute to potential leaks over time. Corrosion, exacerbated by Norfolk's coastal location and harsh soil conditions, is a primary cause of these leaks. Geographic Information System (GIS) tools can be utilized to develop a predictive model for identifying at-risk UST locations by integrating data from multiple sources, including UST records from the state of Virginia and other relevant datasets. This model would employ various spatial analysis techniques to generate maps and web applications, enabling field teams to validate its accuracy and support the City of Norfolk in mitigating risks associated with leaking USTs. The goal of this research is to produce valuable insights that help safeguard the health of Norfolk's residents and protect the delicate surrounding ecosystem, including the Atlantic Ocean, marshes, rivers, and Chesapeake Bay.

Prior to 2019, Texas used red-light traffic cameras to deter drivers from driving recklessly and running red lights. However, due to legislation signed by Governor Greg Abbott, red-light cameras are no longer used in Texas. This decision was made to ‘protect drivers' constitutional rights.’ Additionally, it was argued that these cameras increased the rate of rear-end collisions.

This study investigates the effect of removing red-light cameras in Fort Worth before and after the ban by examining the rate of different types of collisions. The location data of crash sites and police reports will be mapped using ArcGIS Pro to determine the frequency and density of these crashes.

The Amazon rainforest is one of the largest carbon sinks in the world, playing a critical role in regulating global carbon dioxide levels. However, deforestation has significantly reduced its ability to sequester carbon, contributing to rising CO2 emissions. We will analyze deforestation trends in the amazon over the last three decades by integrating satellite imagery, historical land cover data, and carbon flux models. Using remote sensing data from Nasa and Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE), we will generate temporal GIS layers to map forest loss and quantify the impact on carbon sequestration. Through identifying key deforestation hotspots, this project aims to provide important insights into the relationship between land-use changes and atmospheric carbon levels, supporting future conservation strategies and policy recommendations.