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2023, Umaine News Press Releases, Division Of Marketing And Communications

General University of Maine Publications

This is a catalog of press releases put out by the University of Maine Division of Marketing and Communications between January 3, 2023 and November 1, 2023.

Impacts Of Climate Warming On Nutritional Quality And Soil Bacterial Communities Of Wild Blueberries, Oluwafemi A. Alaba

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Under anthropogenic global climate change associated with greenhouse gas emissions, the mean surface temperature of the earth has increased by approximately 1 oC since the industrial age and is projected to rise by 2.6 to 4.6 oC by 2100. Wild blueberry fields in Maine are experiencing unprecedented warming, which may affect the fruit flavor and nutritional quality, soil health and microbial community, and consequently impact yield, human nutrition, and the economic well-being of wild blueberry producers. It is therefore important to assess the impact of climate warming on fruit crop nutritional quality and soil microbial community, and test potential strategies …

Influence Of Biochar As A Soil Amendment On Soil Water Content And Wild Blueberry Physiology, Abigayl Novak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Maine wild (or lowbush) blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) continue to face challenges imposed by climate change. Reduced frequency of precipitation and increased drought conditions have negatively impacted this crop since it resides in sandy soils with limited retention of water and nutrients. The wild blueberry plants growing in water- and nutrient-poor sandy soils are likely to have poor resilience to drought, resulting in a decline in berry yield during drought years. Thus, there is an urgent need to find a drought management solution for wild blueberries. Compared with other drought management practices, such as irrigation systems, mulching, and adopting drought-resistant …

Solid Acid Catalyzed Dehydration Reactions Of Biomass-Derived Alcohols, Mackenzie Todd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Concerns around climate change and the use of fossil resources contributing to increasing carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere has motivated transitions to use biomass resources for the production of specialty chemicals and fuels, in hopes of creating a more cyclical use of carbon. The work presented here focuses on two different aspects of catalytic upgrading of biomass-derived platform molecules using heterogeneous acid catalysts. First, we use an interdisciplinary and iterative approach to process development for producing a diesel fuel additive from pyrolysis oils of woody biomass. We use fuel property calculations to define measures of success in chemical upgrading …

Center For Research On Sustainable Forests 2022 Annual Report, Center For Research On Sustainable Forests

General University of Maine Publications

The Center for Research on Sustainable Forests (CRSF) entered its 16th year of existence this year and has been under my leadership since 2016. We are very excited to get back to almost business as usual and resume in-person events, particularly our very successful and popular Forest Climate Change Initiative’s Science & Practice field tour series done in partnership with the Forest Stewardship Guild. These partnerships and events have greatly expanded the recognition and visibility of CRSF endeavors. We are excited to share our accomplishments from the past year in this report and to begin planning for the coming year.

2022 Research Report: R1 Global Impact - Local Relevance, Office Of The Vice President For Research, Joan Ferrini-Mundy, Kody Varahramyan

General University of Maine Publications

We are delighted to present the 2022 Research Report for the University of Maine. This year marked the realization of a historic accomplishment by Maine’s land, sea, and space grant university. In January 2022, UMaine ascended to the highest tier of national research universities by earning a Carnegie R1 classification and joining the ranks of the nation’s top doctoral universities with very high research activity.

The R1 designation is a well-recognized standard of excellence for top-tier research universities. Earning it is a significant endorsement of UMaine’s advancement as a premier modern 21st-century research university, with nationally and internationally recognized programs …