Digital Commons Network^™

Leaf Optical And Indirect Lai Measurements In Wheat And Alfalfa At Maciv: Agmet Progress Report 89-4, E. A. Walter-Shea, B. L. Blad

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

No abstract provided.

Plas 439: Organic Farming And Food Systems Faculty-Led Inquiry Into Reflective Scholarly Teaching Benchmark Portfolio, Christian Stephenson

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Organic Farming and Food Systems is a senior and graduate level course for students in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture. This course was previously offered but has been significantly modified as I have taken on responsibility for the course. Goals for the course include student comprehension of the methods of organic and regenerative farming and the impacts of those methods on economic, environmental, and social sustainability. An additional goal is to build student competency in the evaluation of primary, secondary, and tertiary information resources and critical thinking surrounding issues in food production. Assessment for the course was through diverse …

What Climate Change Means For Nebraska

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Staff Publications

Nebraska’s climate is changing. In the past century, most of the state has warmed by at least one degree (F). The soil is becoming drier, and rainstorms are becoming more intense. In the coming decades, flooding is likely to increase, yet summers are likely to become increasingly hot and dry, which would reduce yields of some crops, require farmers to use more water, and amplify some risks to human health.

Our climate is changing because the earth is warming. People have increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the air by 40 percent since the late 1700s. Other heat-trapping greenhouse …

Seeing Is Believing: Religious Views, Perceptions Of Pollution, And Environmental Attitudes, Katelynn (Sage) Shadoan

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study explores the intersection of religious beliefs, perceptions of pollution, and environmental attitudes among Americans. Drawing upon Lynn White's seminal argument regarding Christian theology and its implications for environmental stewardship, this research investigates the role of biblical literalism in shaping environmental attitudes, particularly among conservative Christians. Using nationally representative survey data and logistic regression models, the study examines how the perceptions of pollution moderate the effects of views of the Bible on environmental concern. The findings reveal that while perceived pollution exposure is strongly associated with environmental attitudes, it does not moderate the association between biblical literalism and environmental …

Understanding The Zonal Variability In Cmip6 Projections Of Sahelian Precipitation, Emmanuel Ogwuche Audu

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The uncertainty in model projections of future precipitation across the Sahel has persisted across many generations of Earth System Models (ESMs), with some models predicting drying and others moistening across this region. These discrepancies in future projections pose a challenge for stakeholders and decision makers. Many projections of Sahel precipitation found in the ESMs participating in the sixth phase of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) show a zonal dipole in precipitation trend, with moistening across the Central and Eastern Sahel and drying projected for the Western Sahel. Previous studies have connected precipitation variability across the Sahel to changes in various …

Polarimetric Radar Signatures In Significant Severe Left-Moving Supercells, Raychel Nelson

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Left-moving (LM) supercells, though rarer than right-moving (RM) supercells, may produce significant severe weather. However, there are very few existing studies on LM supercells, particularly polarimetric radar analyses. The upgrade of the nationwide Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) network to polarimetric capability and subsequent studies vastly improved understanding of RM supercells, but similar efforts have largely not been made for LM supercells. This study employs an automated polarimetric radar signature detection algorithm to examine a dataset of significant severe (hail ≥ 2.00”, wind ≥ 65 kts) LM supercells to quantify their polarimetric signatures. Comparisons are made with RM supercells to …

A Dual-Polarimetric Analysis Of A Large Sample Of Left-Moving Supercells, Ben Schweigert

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Supercells have been researched extensively since they were first described over 50 years ago. They are prolific severe weather producers, responsible for the most severe hail, severe wind gusts, and tornadoes. These rotating thunderstorms require attention from forecasters to protect life and property from their threats, most effectively done with Doppler radars. While extensive amounts of radar-based investigations have been completed, they focused almost exclusively on right-moving (RM) supercells, resulting in a knowledge gap surrounding their counter-rotating (left-moving, LM) partners. This study works to fill the void by developing a dataset of LM supercells and analyzing the dual-polarimetric features observed …

Effect Of Biomass Water Dynamics In Cosmic-Ray Neutron Sensor Observations: A Long-Term Analysis Of Maize-Soybean Rotation In Nebraska, Tanessa Morris

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The precise measurement of soil water content (SWC) is crucial for effective water resource management. This study utilizes the Cosmic Ray Neutron Sensor (CRNS) for area-averaged SWC measurements, emphasizing the need to consider all hydrogen sources, including the time-variable ones like plant biomass and water content. Chapter 1 presents a background on soil moisture estimation, CRNS technology, and an overview of the study. It discusses various soil moisture measurement techniques, highlights the gap in knowledge addressed by CRNS technology, explains CRNS functionality and advancements, and outlines the study's motivations and methods.

Chapter 2 reports a study conducted near Mead, Nebraska, …

Opportunities For Urban Resilience To Climate Change: Understanding Local Climate Perceptions, Motivations, And Barriers To Green Infrastructure Use, Emmilene Berski

Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Global climate change poses a substantial threat to cities in the United States, particularly through increases in flooding and extreme heat. Cities must adapt to these threats to preserve their residents’ livelihoods and prevent economic loss. One adaptation strategy is the implementation of green infrastructure (GI). The opportunity for GI to foster urban resilience to climate change necessitates a deeper understanding of the extent to which cities utilize GI as a strategy for local climate change adaptation as well as perceptions and motivations surrounding the use of GI at a local level. I sought to address this need through a …

Towards Sustainable Development: Civic Architecture As Material Banks, Kathleen O'Gara

Masters in Architecture Program: Theses

This thesis posed the question, “How can buildings be designed to be disassembled and reused to reduce construction and demolition waste and reduce our unsustainable reliance on raw materials?” Designing for disassembly and reuse has the potential to dramatically increase the life of building materials, thus decreasing construction and demolition waste relating to architecture. When designing with deconstruction and reuse in mind, designers must consider the next life of these materials. The thesis was further narrowed to push the adaptability of these materials by designing a structural kit of parts. The structure system is often seen as a stable and …

Bidding Strategy For A Wind Power Producer In Us Energy And Reserve Markets, Anne Stratman

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Wind power is one of the world's fastest-growing renewable energy resources and has expanded quickly within the US electric grid. Currently, wind power producers (WPPs) may sell energy products in US markets but are not allowed to sell reserve products, due to the uncertain and intermittent nature of wind power. However, as wind’s share of the power supply grows, it may eventually be necessary for WPPs to contribute to system-wide reserves. This paper proposes a stochastic optimization model to determine the optimal offer strategy for a WPP that participates in the day-ahead and real-time energy and spinning reserve markets. The …

Seasonal Comparison Of Air Quality Variables And Evaluation Of Carbon Dioxide And Particulate Measurement Period In Classrooms, Daud Nosham

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Thesis, and Student Research

Indoor air quality and thermal environmental variables were measured in 55 classrooms in the mid-western United States spanning a full academic year. The studied air quality and environmental factors included carbon dioxide, temperature, relative humidity, particle counts, air velocity, formaldehyde, total volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone.

Carbon dioxide and Particulate matter concentrations were measured for a four-day measurement period. Then one-day, two-day, and four-day occupied time average concentrations were calculated which were then compared statistically to figure out an appropriate measurement period for these air quality variables. Kruskal Wallis test and Wilcoxon test were used to …

Stress Phenotyping Analysis Leveraging Autofluorescence Image Sequences With Machine Learning, Sruti Das Choudhury, Carmela Rosaria Guadagno, Srinidhi Bashyam, Anastasios Mazis, Brent E. Ewers, Ashok Samal, Tala Awada

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Background: Autofluorescence-based imaging has the potential to nondestructively characterize the biochemical and physiological properties of plants regulated by genotypes using optical properties of the tissue. A comparative study of stress tolerant and stress susceptible genotypes of Brassica rapa with respect to newly introduced stress-based phenotypes using machine learning techniques will contribute to the significant advancement of autofluorescence-based plant phenotyping research.

Methods: Autofluorescence spectral images have been used to design a stress detection classifier with two classes, stressed and non-stressed, using machine learning algorithms. The benchmark dataset consisted of time-series image sequences from three Brassica rapa genotypes (CC …

Predicting The Potential Distribution Of Pseudococcus Longispinus (Targioni-Tozzetti) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) In South Korea Using A Climex Model, Su Bin Kim, Soo-Jung Suh

Insecta Mundi

Pseudococcus longispinus (Targioni-Tozzetti) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) is a widely-distributed pest that feeds on many economically important hosts, particularly tropical fruits and ornamentals. The potential distribution of this mealybug pest in South Korea remains a primary concern because of its high incidence of interceptions screened during inspection. Hence, this species prompted a modelling effort to assess its potential risk of introduction. Potential risk maps were developed for this pest with a CLIMEX model based on occurrence records under environmental data. The potential distribution of these pests in South Korea in the 2020s, 2050s and 2090s was projected based on the RCP 8.5 …

Globe-Lfmc 2.0, An Enhanced And Updated Dataset For Live Fuel Moisture Content Research, Marta Yebra, Gianluca Scortechini, Karine Adeline, Nursema Aktepe, Turkia Almoustafa, Avi Bar-Massada, María Eugenia Beget, Matthias Boer, Ross Bradstock, Tegan Brown, Francesc Xavier Castro, Rui Chen, Emilio Chuvieco, Mark Danson, Cihan Ünal Değirmenci, Ruth Delgado-Dávila, Philip Dennison, Carlos Di Bella, Oriol Domenech, Jean-Baptiste Féret, Greg Forsyth, Eva Gabriel, Zisis Gagkas, Fatma Gharbi, Elena Granda, Anne Griebel, Binbin He, Matt Jolly, Ivan Kotzur, Tineke Kraaij, Agnes Kristina, Pınar Kütküt, Jean-Marc Limousin, M. Pilar Martín, Antonio T. Monteiro, Marco Morais, Bruno Moreira, Florent Mouillot, Samukelisiwe Msweli, Rachael H. Nolan, Grazia Pellizzaro, Yi Qi, Xingwen Quan, Victor Esco De Dios, Dar Roberts, Çağatay Tavşanoğlu, Andy F. S. Taylor, Jackson Taylor, İrem Tüfekcioğlu, Andrea Ventura, Nicolas Younes Cardenas

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Globe-LFMC 2.0, an updated version of Globe-LFMC, is a comprehensive dataset of over 280,000 Live Fuel Moisture Content (LFMC) measurements. These measurements were gathered through field campaigns conducted in 15 countries spanning 47 years. In contrast to its prior version, Globe-LFMC 2.0 incorporates over 120,000 additional data entries, introduces more than 800 new sampling sites, and comprises LFMC values obtained from samples collected until the calendar year 2023. Each entry within the dataset provides essential information, including date, geographical coordinates, plant species, functional type, and, where available, topographical details. Moreover, the dataset encompasses insights into the sampling and weighing procedures, …

Demographic Consequences Of Off-River Nesting For Piping Plover (Charadrius Melodus) And Interior Least Tern (Sternula Antillarum Athalassos) In The Lower Platte River System, Nebraska, Elsa M. Forsberg

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Piping plovers (Charadrius melodus; hereafter, plovers) and interior least terns (Sternula antillarum athalassos; hereafter, terns) are two avian species that nest along the Lower Platte River system (LPRS) in Nebraska. In the LPRS, river sandbars provide natural nesting habitat, but off-river sites provide substantial nesting habitat especially when sandbar habitat is scarce. Although presumed to be important for the persistence of plovers and terns, off-river habitat is not self-sustaining and predicted to decline. Understanding the vital rates of plovers and terns in the LPRS will inform the role of off- river sites in the future conservation …

Water Current, Volume 56, No. 1, Spring 2024

Water Current Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Field Testing Of Gamma-Spectroscopy Method For Soil Water Content Estimation In An Agricultural Field, Sophia Becker, Trenton E. Franz, Tanessa Morris, Bailey Mullins

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Gamma-ray spectroscopy (GRS) enables continuous estimation of soil water content (SWC) at the subfield scale with a noninvasive sensor. Hydrological applications, including hyper-resolution land surface models and precision agricultural decision making, could benefit greatly from such SWC information, but a gap exists between established theory and accurate estimation of SWC from GRS in the field. In response, we conducted a robust three-year field validation study at a wellinstrumented agricultural site in Nebraska, United States. The study involved 27 gravimetric water content sampling campaigns in maize and soybean and ⁴⁰K specific activity (Bq kg⁻¹) measurements from a stationary …

Where East Meets West: Phylogeography Of The High Arctic North American Brant Goose, Robert E. Wilson, W. Sean Boyd, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, David H. Ward, Preben Clausen, Kathryn M. Dickson, Barwolt S. Ebbinge, Gudmundur A. Gudmundsson, George K. Sage, Jolene R. Rearick, Dirk V. Derksen, Sandra L. Talbot

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Genetic variation in Arctic species is often influenced by vicariance during the Pleistocene, as ice sheets fragmented the landscape and displaced populations to low-and high-latitude refugia. The formation of secondary contact or suture zones during periods of ice sheet retraction has important consequences on genetic diversity by facilitating genetic connectivity between formerly isolated populations. Brant geese (Branta bernicla) are a maritime migratory waterfowl (Anseriformes) species that almost exclusively uses coastal habitats. Within North America, brant geese are characterized by two phenotypically distinct subspecies that utilize disjunct breeding and wintering areas in the northern Pacific and Atlantic. In the …

Will Saf Turbocharge The Corn Ethanol Market?, Richard Perrin, Lilyan Fulginiti, Felipe Miranda De Souza Almeida

Cornhusker Economics

The long-run outlook for the corn ethanol industry is questionable, due to a transition to electric and hybrid vehicles. One source of hope for the long run is the potential demand for producing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). SAF is a key component in the United States Aviation Climate Action Plan, a path to net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the aviation industry by 2050. Demand for ethanol for SAF offers hope to the ethanol industry, but it depends a great deal on policy decisions that are being made now. Here we sketch out this story.

Based on the information available …

Development Of A Composite Drought Indicator For Operational Drought Monitoring In The Mena Region, Karim Bergaoui, Makram Belhaj Fraj, Stephen Fragaszy, Ali Ghanim, Omar Hamadin, Emad Al‑Karablieh, Jawad Al‑Bakri, Mona Fakih, Abbas Fayad, Fadi Comair, Mohamed Yessef, Hayat Ben Mansour, Haythem Belgrissi, Kristi Arsenault, Christa Peters‑Lidard, Sujay Kumar, Abheera Hazra, Wanshu Nie, Michael Hayes, Mark D. Svoboda, Rachael Mcdonnell

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

This paper presents the composite drought indicator (CDI) that Jordanian, Lebanese, Moroccan, and Tunisian government agencies now produce monthly to support operational drought management decision making, and it describes their iterative co-development processes. The CDI is primarily intended to monitor agricultural and ecological drought on a seasonal time scale. It uses remote sensing and modelled data inputs, and it reflects anomalies in precipitation, vegetation, soil moisture, and evapotranspiration. Following quantitative and qualitative validation assessments, engagements with policymakers, and consideration of agencies’ technical and institutional capabilities and constraints, we made changes to CDI input data, modelling procedures, and integration to tailor …

Pollinator Communities And Their Ecosystem Services At Conservation Grasslands And Adjacent Croplands, Araceli Gomez Villegas

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Pollinators are intrinsically linked to the success of unmanaged and managed ecosystems by providing pollination services that aid in the reproduction of wildflowers and many crops. Land use change, habitat loss, fragmentation, and related landscape-level phenomena (for example, increased pesticide exposure) threaten pollinators and have been associated with population declines. In the Midwestern region of the United States, land conversion of native prairies and grasslands to row-crop agriculture has been one of the largest contributors to pollinator habitat loss. Conservation programs, such as the Conservation Reserve Program, have worked towards removing environmentally sensitive lands from agriculture production and enrolling them …

Publications And Other Works By R. F. Diffendal, Jr., Robert F. Diffendal Jr.

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Articles
Chapters in Books
Books
Field Guides
Geologic Maps
Other Maps
Cover Photographs
Other Photographs
Newspaper and Other Articles
Test-Hole Logs
Television Programs
Geonotes
Abstracts
Reviews
Manuscripts Accepted (A), Submitted (S), or in Preparation (P)
Geologic Maps in Press
Geologic Maps-Nebraska
Public Documents
Miscellaneous Publications
Editing

Updated March 2024

Field Research Report: Results From The Enreec Vri Field For The 2021, 2022, And 2023 Crop Seasons, Derek M. Heeren, Ali T. Mohammed, Eric Wilkening, Christopher M. U. Neale, Alan L. Boldt, Ankit Chandra, Precious Nneka Amori, Ivo Z. Goncalves, Yeyin Shi, Guillermo R. Balboa

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Conference Presentations and White Papers

Long-term irrigation management research has been conducted from 2014 to 2023 for corn and soybean at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension, and Education Center (ENREEC) Variable Rate Irrigation (VRI) Field located in subhumid east-central Nebraska (in the Lower Platte North Natural Resources District). The objective of this report was to present the overall results from the VRI Field for 2021 to 2023. Across the three growing seasons, there were the following irrigation treatments: Best Management Practice (BMP), 50% BMP, 125% BMP, rainfed, Spatial ET Modeling Interface (SETMI), SDD1, SDD2, machine-learning-based Cyber-Physical System (CPS), a student team recommended rate, and industry …

Heavy Metal Movement Through Insect Food Chains In Pristine Thermal Springs Of Yellowstone National Park, Braymond Adams, John Bowley, Monica Rohwer, Erik Oberg, Kelly Willemssens, Wendy Wintersteen, Robert K.D. Peterson, Leon G. Higley

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Yellowstone National Park thermal features regularly discharge various heavy metals and metalloids. These metals are taken up by microorganisms that often form mats in thermal springs. These microbial mats also serve as food sources for invertebrate assemblages. To examine how heavy metals move through insect food webs associated with hot springs, two sites were selected for this study. Dragon-Beowulf Hot Springs, acid-sulfate chloride springs, have a pH of 2.9, water temperatures above 70 ^oC, and populations of thermophilic bacterial, archaeal, and algal mats. Rabbit Creek Hot Springs, alkaline springs, have a pH of up to 9, some water temperatures …

Parallels Of Quantum Superposition In Ecological Models: From Counterintuitive Patterns To Eco-Evolutionary Interpretations Of Cryptic Species, David G. Angeler, Hannah B. Fried-Petersen

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Background Superposition, i.e. the ability of a particle (electron, photon) to occur in different states or positions simultaneously, is a hallmark in the subatomic world of quantum mechanics. Although counterintuitive at first sight, the quantum world has potential to inform macro-systems of people and nature. Using time series and spatial analysis of bird, phytoplankton and benthic invertebrate communities, this paper shows that superposition can occur analogously in redundancy analysis (RDA) frequently used by ecologists.

Results We show that within individual ecosystems single species can be associated simultaneously with different orthogonal axes in RDA models, which suggests that they operate in …

Program Requirements For Beef Cattle Certified As Usda Organic, Carsten Loseke, Elliott James Dennis

Cornhusker Economics

This document provides an overview of the use and production of the USDA Certified Organic program for the beef cattle industry, with an emphasis on the state of Nebraska. We detail what cattle qualify, feed requirements, medical and health standards of cattle, and premiums paid by consumers for USDA certified organic products. All information is taken from the Organic Foods Production Act Provisions available in the Federal Register.

Current Challenges And Future Of Agricultural Genomes To Phenomes In The Usa, C. K. Tuggle, J. L. Clarke, B. M. Murdoch, E. Lyons, N. M. Scott, B. Benes, J. D. Campbell, H. Ching, C. L. Daigle, S. D. Choudhury, J.C. M. Dekkers, J.R.R. Dorea, D. S. Erti, B. O. Fragomeni, J. E. Fulton, C. R. Guadagno, D. E. Hagen, A. S. Hess, L. M. Kramer, C. J. Lawrence-Dill, A. E. Lipka, T. Lubberstedt, F. M. Mccarthy, P. S. Schnable

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Perennializing Marginal Croplands: Going Back To The Future To Mitigate Climate Change With Resilient Biobased Feedstocks, Salvador Ramirez Ii, Marty R. Schmer, Virginia L. Jin, Robert B. Mitchell, Catherine E. Stewart, Jay Parsons, Daren D. Redfearn, John J. Quinn, Gary E. Varvel, Kenneth P. Vogel, Ronald F. Follett

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Managing annual row crops on marginally productive croplands can be environmentally unsustainable and result in variable economic returns. Incorporating perennial bioenergy feedstocks into marginally productive cropland can engender ecosystem services and enhance climate resiliency while also diversifying farm incomes. We use one of the oldest bioenergy-specific field experiments in North America to evaluate economically and environmentally sustainable management practices for growing perennial grasses on marginal cropland. This long-term field trial called 9804 was established in 1998 in eastern Nebraska and compared the productivity and sustainability of corn (Zea mays L.)—both corn grain and corn stover—and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum …

Forensic Archaeology Protocols For Wildfires And Fire Related Scenes, Erik Schulz

Nebraska Anthropologist

Forensic Archaeology Protocols for Wildfires and Fire-Related Scenes

Forensic archaeology is a relatively new area of study and focuses on the medical legal aspects of archaeology. This paper will focus on how forensic archaeology should be used for wildfire and other fire-related fatalities or investigations, what happens to bone when exposed to heat, what protocols should be in place and how an excavation should look, and finally the challenges of fire-related investigations. This report will focus on the larger scale of the investigation and will be using several sources from different wildfire and fire fatality reports.