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Functional And Structural Succession Of Soil Microbial Communities Below Decomposing Human Cadavers, Kelly L. Cobaugh, Sean M. Schaeffer, Jennifer M. Debruyn Jun 2015

Functional And Structural Succession Of Soil Microbial Communities Below Decomposing Human Cadavers, Kelly L. Cobaugh, Sean M. Schaeffer, Jennifer M. Debruyn

Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science Publications and Other Works

The ecological succession of microbes during cadaver decomposition has garnered interest in both basic and applied research contexts (e.g. community assembly and dynamics; forensic indicator of time since death). Yet current understanding of microbial ecology during decomposition is almost entirely based on plant litter. We know very little about microbes recycling carcass-derived organic matter despite the unique decomposition processes. Our objective was to quantify the taxonomic and functional succession of microbial populations in soils below decomposing cadavers, testing the hypotheses that a) periods of increased activity during decomposition are associated with particular taxa; and b) human-associated taxa are introduced to …


Cassava (Manihot Esculenta Crantz) Tuber Quality As Measured By Starch And Cyanide (Hcn) Affected By Nitrogen, Phosphorus, And Potassium Fertilizer Rates, Ivan Bernardo Cuvaca, Neal Eash, Svetlana Zivanovic, Dayton Mcgregor Lambert, Forbes R. Walker, B. Rustrick May 2015

Cassava (Manihot Esculenta Crantz) Tuber Quality As Measured By Starch And Cyanide (Hcn) Affected By Nitrogen, Phosphorus, And Potassium Fertilizer Rates, Ivan Bernardo Cuvaca, Neal Eash, Svetlana Zivanovic, Dayton Mcgregor Lambert, Forbes R. Walker, B. Rustrick

Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science Publications and Other Works

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is an important subsistence crop for many poor rural families in Africa. Cassava contains cyanogenic glucosides (linamarin and lotaustralin) which liberate hydrogen cyanide (HCN) during tuber processing. Once liberated, HCN attaches to the processed tuber. Continuous consumption of processed tuber containing high HCN concentration coupled with low protein intake causes Konzo – a paralyzing disorder that impacts children and women of childbearing age. There are ways to reduce HCN concentration during tuber processing; however, this can also reduce the overall starch content in the cassava tuber. A study comprising twenty treatments consisting of different combinations of …


A Short-Term Assessment Of Carbon Dioxide Fluxes Under Contrasting Agricultural And Soil Management Practices In Zimbabwe, Deb O'Dell, Thomas J. Sauer, Bruce B. Hicks, Christian Thierfelder, Dayton M. Lambert, Joanne Logan, Neal S. Eash Feb 2015

A Short-Term Assessment Of Carbon Dioxide Fluxes Under Contrasting Agricultural And Soil Management Practices In Zimbabwe, Deb O'Dell, Thomas J. Sauer, Bruce B. Hicks, Christian Thierfelder, Dayton M. Lambert, Joanne Logan, Neal S. Eash

Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science Publications and Other Works

Two of the biggest problems facing humankind are feeding an exponentially growing human population and preventing the accumulation of atmospheric greenhouse gases and its climate change consequences. Refined agricultural practices could address both of these problems. The research addressed here is an exploration of the efficacy of alternative agricultural practices in sequestering carbon (C). The study was conducted in Zimbabwe with the intent to (a) demonstrate the utility of micrometeorological methods for measuring carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange between the surface and the atmosphere in the short-term, and (b) to quantify differences in such exchange rates for a variety of agricultural …