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Articles 1 - 12 of 12
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Evaluation Of Two Non-Destructive Methods For Estimating Biomass In A Prairie, Arnoldas Pivorius, Laura Ploughe, Jeff Dukes
Evaluation Of Two Non-Destructive Methods For Estimating Biomass In A Prairie, Arnoldas Pivorius, Laura Ploughe, Jeff Dukes
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
The estimation of above ground biomass is important in managing natural resources, like assessing habitat conditions. Direct, destructive measurements by clipping, drying, and weighing plant matter is time consuming and labor intensive. It is of interest to develop non-invasive methods to complement or replace direct vegetation harvest. Two non-invasive methods were evaluated, light penetration and visual obstruction, in the Purdue Wildlife Area prairie. Light penetration in the grassland plots were measured using a Decagon light stick (LP-80), 5 cm from the ground and above the plants. Estimation of visual obstruction was done using a Robel pole, which focuses on the …
Modeling, Empirics And Policy Implications Of Firm Heterogeneity In International Trade, Zeynep Akgul
Modeling, Empirics And Policy Implications Of Firm Heterogeneity In International Trade, Zeynep Akgul
Open Access Dissertations
Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) models are essential computational tools for trade policy analysis. While traditional CGE models based on the Armington assumption of national product differentiation have been successfully applied to various policy scenarios, they also have significant limitations in explaining the firm-level information prevalent in the recent international trade literature. The pioneering work of Melitz (2003) has provided a firm heterogeneity theory that can help address the shortcomings of Armington-based CGE models by introducing additional productivity mechanisms and extensive margin effects. Incorporation of firm heterogeneity in mainstream CGE models offers great potential to improve computational policy analysis. Even though …
Are Cover Crops Worth It? It Depends, Joshua S. Leirer
Are Cover Crops Worth It? It Depends, Joshua S. Leirer
Open Access Theses
Society is becoming increasingly more aware of the environmental consequences of agricultural production. Farmers today are under increasing pressure to adopt more sustainable farm management practices. One method to improve the sustainability of crop production is the use of cover crops. Cover crops are planted "off-season" to provide agronomic and environmental benefits. The objective of this research is to quantify the impacts of cover crops and determine where and under which management practices cover crops provide the greatest benefit. Management practices include different crop rotations, tillage practices and residue removal rates. This paper will focus on soil erosion, nitrate leaching …
Does A Family-First Philosophy Affect Family Business Profitability? An Analysis Of Family Businesses In The Midwest, Maria Victoria Iglesias
Does A Family-First Philosophy Affect Family Business Profitability? An Analysis Of Family Businesses In The Midwest, Maria Victoria Iglesias
Open Access Theses
Previous family business literature has analyzed how various management strategies or family tension has impacted profit. However, profit can vary due to the different family values and goals placed on the firm. The purpose of this study was to investigate how the business philosophy of a family business influenced profit. The present study sought to examine how the family business' philosophy, as in if they have a family-first or business-first orientation, influences profit. This study also investigates how the distribution of the business to the next generation, as well as how hiring family members who may not have the qualifications …
Subsidizing Carbon Sequestration Via Forestry In Maryland: A Cost-Benefit Assessment, Rachel C. Hettich
Subsidizing Carbon Sequestration Via Forestry In Maryland: A Cost-Benefit Assessment, Rachel C. Hettich
Open Access Theses
Carbon sequestration by forestry is one way to mitigate climate change, and policy incentives are in place to encourage private investment in forestry. State and federal forestry cost-share programs subsidize the establishment of trees and the improvement of existing forested land. The objective of this research was to determine the effectiveness of such programs in Maryland and to compare the monetized benefits from permanently sequestered carbon with the current subsidies. To meet this objective, private and social cost-benefit analyses were conducted for three forestry investment scenarios in Maryland that coincide with the main cost-share programs available there. Sensitivity analysis considered …
Market Participation And Profitability Of Cotton Production In Malawi, Daniel M. Ghambi
Market Participation And Profitability Of Cotton Production In Malawi, Daniel M. Ghambi
Open Access Theses
Cotton is traditionally a cash crop for smallholder farmers in Malawi, supporting more than 100,000 families. According to the government of Malawi, the cotton sector is a key element in poverty reduction and growth strategy. ^ In the market liberalized economy, the functioning of the market plays a major role in the allocation of resources for increased productivity. This paper investigates the impacts of cotton subsidy and marketing reforms on farm productivity, a key element for poverty alleviation, in rural Malawi. ^ The main objective of this study is to explore whether changes in market participation coupled with government policies …
Fuel Choice, Acute Respiratory Infection And Child Growth In Uganda, Onyekachi U. Aghasili
Fuel Choice, Acute Respiratory Infection And Child Growth In Uganda, Onyekachi U. Aghasili
Open Access Theses
This thesis seeks to explain the relationship between a household's choice of fuel and the health and nutrition outcomes of children below the age of 5 in Uganda. The first objective is to examine the association between the choice of fuel and the incidence of acute respiratory infection (ARI). The second objective is to measure the relationship between choice of fuel, ARI and nutrition outcomes of children. ^ I use data from the 2006 and 2011 Uganda Demographic and Health Surveys (UDHS). The total number of observations is 4,463. Data indicate that 94% of rural households in the DHS sample …
Stages Of Succession Planning And Factors Of Transferring Management And Ownership For The Family Agribusiness, Ryan D. Musselman
Stages Of Succession Planning And Factors Of Transferring Management And Ownership For The Family Agribusiness, Ryan D. Musselman
Open Access Theses
Although many family business owners want to maintain family control of the business for future generations, few businesses survive across generations. Neglecting to plan an entry and exit strategy for family members are just two factors that explains why more businesses don't succeed in transferring the business to the next generation in the family. Ordered Probit models and Probit models were used to discover factors that influence the process of family business transfer of management and ownership. Data came from a survey of 736 businesses in four Midwest states. ^ Four factors were found to be correlated with the transition …
Communication, Home Bias And Social Capital, Sharon Raszap Skorbiansky
Communication, Home Bias And Social Capital, Sharon Raszap Skorbiansky
Open Access Dissertations
This dissertation consists of three essays on the effects of communication, home bias and social capital. The first study analyzes three different laboratory treatments that determine if policies that introduce and improve communication are beneficial to a market. The control treatment has no communication. Then, two different types of communication mechanisms are introduced: cheap communication, where subjects are able to lie, and truthful communication, where only honest messages may be sent. The results demonstrate that truthful communication dramatically improves subjects' ability to trade efficiently, ultimately leading to higher social surplus and lower income inequalities. Cheap communication does not produce the …
Tracking Sales Activities In Agribusiness, Jiayu Li
Tracking Sales Activities In Agribusiness, Jiayu Li
Open Access Theses
Decisions in the sales area, including customer and product selection and margin discipline, shape profits for companies in agribusiness. Management of the sales function takes place at the organizational, managerial, and practitioner level, each of which requires data about the process. Individual salespeople benefit from better knowledge of customers (Dixon & Adamson, 2011), and sales managers benefit from understanding the activities of salespeople. Organizationally, data on sales activities may be used to determine progress toward organizational goals or to compensate salespeople. ^ This research utilized surveys to investigate how agribusiness companies differ in the ways they keep track of sales …
International Comparison Of Cost Efficiency Of Corn And Soybean Production, Elizabeth Anne Lunik
International Comparison Of Cost Efficiency Of Corn And Soybean Production, Elizabeth Anne Lunik
Open Access Theses
Comparing detailed production costs and input use across countries allows producers to see if they are competitive with similar operations in other countries. This thesis looks at the cost efficiency of a sample of corn and soybean farms representing 16 countries to understand efficiency and cost trends at the farm-level, compare these farms, and identify factors that might explain farm-level performance. This analysis delves into detailed production data to calculate an important international benchmark, which is currently not available. ^ The data consist of a six-year (2008-2013) unbalanced panel of 35 corn-producing farms and 16 soybean-producing farms, which come from …
Job Mobility Among Young College Graduates, Kevin Camp
Job Mobility Among Young College Graduates, Kevin Camp
Open Access Theses
This study focuses on the question of whether job mobility relates to improved labor market outcomes among young college-educated individuals in the United States. I analyze unemployment duration, overeducation, and wage earnings among college graduates. The analysis centers around three specific questions: (1) Are there differences in labor market outcomes for those who migrate ("movers") and those who stay ("stayers")? (2) Did the recent economic crisis exacerbate the mover-stayer differences? (3) Do mover-stayer differences vary for individuals based on their demographic characteristics or where they live? I examine data on migrant status, location before and after a move, reasons for …