Capstone Archives - Land Resources and Environmental Sciences | Montana State University

Fall 2026
Spring 2026: Recreation & Management in the Hyalite - Porcupine- Buffalo Horn Wilderness Study Area
Fall 2025: The Last Best Place: Problems and Solutions at the Wildland Urban Farmland Interface
Fall 2024:
- Native Revegetation Strategy and Invasive Plant Control at the Improved College M Trail
- Wildfire Analysis of the College M
- Strategic Trail Maintenance and Monitoring at the Bozeman M For a Sustainable Use Future
- Discussion of Effective Channels in Protecting Fauna Habitat Pre- Through Post- M Revitalization and the Implementation of Native Biota Education to the Public
- Water Quality Report
- Eco-Friendly Parking Solutions for the M Trail: Sustainable Parking Lots, Soil Compaction, and Public Transport
Spring 2024: A Method for Siting a Wetland Mitigation Bank in the Gallatin Valley
Fall 2023: Water Resources and Phosphorus
Spring 2023: Pressing Lower Gallatin Valley Environmental Issues
Fall 2022: Wildfire: history, effects, and solutions to a complicated problem
Spring 2022: How do Laws, Policies and Incentives Shape Landscapes
Fall 2021: Running on Empty: Water Scarcity and Sustainability in Bozeman, Montana
Spring 2021: Urbanizing Gallatin County Green Infrastructure
2020: Watch the Seminar
- Examining the effects of COVID-19 on greenhouse gas emissions and human wildlife interactions
- Environmental impacts of medical waste
- Reframing the climate change debate: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic
- Who rejects science and why?
2019: Ethics and Environmental Science
2018: Conflict Between Urbanizing Gallatin County and Natural Resources
Watch the Seminar... powerpoint only
2017: Environmental Regulations: Can't live with them, can't live without them
2016: Story Mill Final Reports
2015: The Class prepared three separate group projects to address how these definitions are applied to 1) agriculture systems, 2) aquatic ecology, and 3) water quality.
2014:
- Cashing in the Joules: The Economics of Energy Inputs in Dryland Wheat Farming
- Biofuels: A Look into the Future of Sustainable Transportation
- Analysis of Reservoir-Based Hydroelectric versus Run-of-River Hydroelectric Energy Production
- The Practical Applications of Net Energy Metering (NEM)
- The Potential for Solar Panels to Power MSU: An Examination of the Existing Infrastructure and MSU and the Future of Photovoltaic Panels
- Wind Energy Use at Bridger Bowl
2013: Water Runs Through It, Until It Doesn't... (PDF orWeb-Accessible)
2012: Fracking - Impacts on Land, Atmosphere, Montanans (PDF)
2011:
- The Farm Bill - How will CRP Lands be Changed? (PDF orWeb-Accessible)
- Policy paper (PDF orWeb-Accessible)
2010: Road Decomissioning Techniques: Water Infiltration, Soil Compaction, Plant and Insect Richness & Diversity (PDF orWeb-Accessible)
2009: Applying Science to the Art of Vegetable Gardening: Nitrogen, Water, Weeds, and Beetles (PDF orWeb-Accessible)
2008: Forest Wildfire: Effects of Recent Fire on Soil Nutrients, Microbes, and Above/Below Ground Vegetation (PDF orWeb-Accessible)
2007: Acid Mine Drainage: Biological, Geochemical, Hydrologic, and Botanical Changes (PDF orWeb-Accessible)
2006: An Integrated Study of Ecosystem Processes: B-Bar Ranch, Montana (PDF orWeb-Accessible)
2005: Natural Resources Survey and Inventory: B-Bar Ranch, Montana (PDF orWeb-Accessible)
2004: Hard Rock Mine Reclamation: Water, Soil, and Vegetation Issues (not available)
2003: Reclaiming Hard Rock Mines: An In-Depth Look at Vegetation, Soil, and Water on the Bullion (PDF orWeb-Accessible)
2002: Wildfire Effects on Vegetation and Soils at the Purdy Fire Site, Gallatin National Forest (PDF orWeb-Accessible)
2001: Fire Effects on Forest Soil: Cave Gulch Fire, Helena National Forest (PDF or Web-Accessible)