Life Sciences Commons^™

Are “Quantitative” Pits Still Necessary At Hubbard Brook?, Chris E. Johnson

Chris E Johnson

No abstract provided.

E-Science @ Umass: Anticipating And Supporting E-Science Activities At The University Of Massachusetts, Maxine G. Schmidt, Rebecca Reznik-Zellen

Maxine G Schmidt

In March of 2008 an Ad Hoccommittee of Science Librarians from the University of Massachusetts Five Campus System convened to discuss the challenges of e-science and prepare the Libraries for their role in e-science initiatives. Three primary outcomes intended to support e-science activities emerged from the work of the Ad Hoc committee.

Interregional Comparison Of Karst Disturbance: West-Central Florida And Southeast Italy, Leslie North

Leslie North

E-Science @ The University Of Massachusetts, Maxine G. Schmidt, Rebecca Reznik-Zellen, Raquel Rivera, Cecilia P. Mullen

Maxine G Schmidt

e-Science @ the University of Massachusetts Abstract: What is e-Science and how can libraries and librarians support it? The University of Massachusetts takes a proactive approach to support network-enabled research on its campuses and provides examples where e-Science is already at work. Statement: “e-Science” is a term commonly used to describe research in a networked environment, a growing trend not only in the sciences, but the arts and humanities as well. e-Science creates both opportunities and challenges for academic libraries. The opportunities lie in leveraging the basic skill set that libraries and librarians already possess: the knowledge of and practical …

Umass Libraries 2009, Maxine G. Schmidt

Maxine G Schmidt

No abstract provided.

Climate Change And Freshwater Resources, Noah D. Hall, Bret B. Stuntz, Robert H. Abrams

Noah D Hall

The Earth’s climate is warming. This is the unequivocal conclusion of climate scientists. Despite the complexities of climatology, certain consistent trends emerge with implications for water availability: as the world gets warmer, it will experience increased regional variability in precipitation, with more frequent heavy precipitation events and more susceptibility to drought. These simple facts will have a profound impact on freshwater resources throughout the United States, as the warmer climate will reduce available water supplies and increase water demand. Unfortunately, current water law and policy are not up to the new challenges of climate change and resulting pressures on freshwater …

Climate Change And Carbon Sequestration: Assessing A Liability Regime For Long-Term Storage Of Carbon Dioxide, Alexandra B. Klass, Elizabeth J. Wilson

Alexandra B. Klass

As the nation struggles with how to address climate change, one of the most significant questions is how to reduce increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. One promising technology is carbon capture and sequestration (“CCS”), which consists of capturing carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and industrial sources and sequestering them in deep geologic formations for long periods of time. Areas for potential CO2 sequestration include oil and gas fields, saline aquifers, and coal seams. As Congress and the private sector begin to spend billions of dollars to research and deploy this technology, there has been insufficient attention …

Long-Term Tillage Frequency Effects On Dryland Soil Physical And Hydraulic Properties, Andrew W. Lenssen, J. D. Jabro, U. M. Sainju, W. B. Stevens, R. G. Evans

Andrew W. Lenssen

Soil tillage is considered one of most important practices in agricultural production due to its influence on physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil environment. The effect of a long-term tillage [no-till (NT), spring till (ST), and fall and spring till (FST)] was investigated on soil penetration resistance (PR), bulk density (BD), gravimetric water content (GWC) and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) under dryland conditions. Tillage effects on these physical properties were tested after 22 years on a Dooley sandy loam (fine-loamy, mixed Typic Argiborolls) derived from glacial till parent material. The statistical design used was a randomized complete block …

Important, But Odd And Obscure, Reasons To Use The Library, Maxine G. Schmidt

Maxine G Schmidt

No abstract provided.

The Dynamic Evolutionary History Of The Bananaquit (Coereba Flaveola) In The Caribbean Revealed By A Multigene Analysis, Eva Bellemain, Eldredge Bermingham, Robert E. Ricklefs

Robert Ricklefs

Contamination Levels Of Selected Organochlorine And Organophosphate Pesticides In The Selangor River, Malaysia Between 2002 To 2003, Kok Hoong Leong

Kok Hoong Leong

In Malaysia, rivers are the main source of public water supplies. This study was conducted from 2002 to 2003 to determine the levels of selected organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides in the Selangor River in Malaysia. Surface water samples have been collected seasonally from nine sites along the river. A liquid–liquid extraction followed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry technique was used to determine the trace levels of these pesticide residues. The organochlorine pesticides detected were lindane, heptachlor, endosulfan, dieldrin, endosulfan sulfate, o,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDT, o,p′-DDE and p,p′-DDE whereas for organophosphate pesticides, they were chlorpyrifos and diazinon. At the river upstream where a dam …

Farming Systems Research On Crop Diversification, Tillage, And Management Effects On Yield, Pests, And Environmental Quality In A Semi-Arid Environment, Andrew W. Lenssen, U. Sainju, T. Caesar-Tonthat, B. Allen, R. Lartey

Andrew W. Lenssen

Available water, depleted soil quality, and weed competition are important constraints to crop production in the northern Great Plains. The traditional rotation in the region has been spring wheat with summer fallow, which is used to accrue additional soil moisture for the subsequent wheat crop. Tillage during fallow periods controls weeds, which otherwise would use substantial amounts of water and inorganic nitrogen, decreasing the efficiency of fallow and increasing soil erosion. Chemical fallow and zero tillage systems improve soil water status for subsequent crops (Lenssen et al., 2007a), allowing for increased cropping intensity and improved nutrient cycling (Lenssen et al., …

In The Heat Of The Law, It's Not Just Steam: Geothermal Resources And The Impact On Thermophile Biodiversity, Donald J. Kochan, Tiffany Grant

Donald J. Kochan

Significant research has been conducted into the utilization of geothermal resources as a ‘green’ energy source. However, minimal research has been conducted into geothermal resource utilization and depletion impacts on thermophile biodiversity. Thermophiles are organisms which have adapted over millions of year to extreme temperature and chemical compositions and exist in hot springs and other geothermal resources. Their ability to withstand high temperatures makes them invaluable to scientific and medical research. Current federal and California case law classify geothermal resources as a mineral, not a water resource. Acquisition of rights to develop a geothermal resource owned or reserved by the …

Channel-Reach Morphology Dependence On Energy, Scale, And Hydroclimatic Processes With Implications For Prediction Using Geospatial Data, Alejandro N. Flores, Brian P. Bledsoe, Christopher O. Cuhaciyan, Ellen E. Wohl

Alejandro N. Flores

Channel types found in mountain drainages occupy characteristic but intergrading ranges of bed slope that reflect a dynamic balance between erosive energy and channel boundary resistance. Using a classification and regression tree (CART) modeling approach, we demonstrate that drainage area scaling of channel slopes provides better discrimination of these forms than slope alone among supply- and capacity-limited sites. Analysis of 270 stream reaches in the western United States exhibiting four common mountain channel types reveals that these types exist within relatively discrete ranges of an index of specific stream power. We also demonstrate associations among regional interannual precipitation variability, discharge …

Who Believes What? Clearing Up Confusion Over Intelligent Design And Young-Earth Creationism, Marcus R. Ross

Marcus R. Ross

The question of what differentiates young-Earth creationism (YEC) from Intelligent Design (ID) has resulted in inaccurate and confusing terminology, and hinders both understanding and dialogue. Though both YEC and ID groups have drawn distinctions between themselves, previous attempts to classify design-based positions on origins have been unable to adequately resolve their relationships. The Nested Hierarchy of Design, a multiple-character classification system, categorizes teleological positions according to the strength of claims regarding the reality, detectability, source, method, and timing of design, and results in an accurate and robust classification of numerous positions. This method avoids the philosophical and theological pitfalls of …

The Reflection Of Karst In The Online Mirror: A Survey Within Scientific Databases, 1960-2005, Lee J. Florea, Beth Fratesi, Todd A. Chavez

Todd A. Chavez

The field of cave and karst science is served by a literature that is dispersed across far-flung topical journals, government publications, and club newsletters. As part of an inter-institutional project to globalize karst information (KIP, the Karst Information Portal), the USF Library undertook a structured battery of literature searches to map the domain of karst literature. The study used 4,300 individual searches and four literature databases: GeoRef, BIOSIS, Anthropology Plus, and GPO Access. The searches were based on a list of 632 terms including 321 karst-related keywords culled from three leading encyclopedias and glossaries of cave and karst science. An …

Ecological And Agricultural Applications Of Synchrotron Ir Microscopy, Ted K. Raab, John P. Vogel

Ted K. Raab

The diffraction-limited spot size of synchrotron-based IR microscopes provides cell-specific, spectrochemical imaging of cleared leaf, stem and root tissues of the model genetic organism Arabidopsis thaliana, and mutant plants created either by T-DNA insertional inactivation or chemical mutagenesis. Spectra in the wavelength region from 6 to 12 microns provide chemical and physical information on the cell wall polysaccharides of mutants lacking particular biosynthetic enzymes (‘‘Cellulose synthase-like’’ genes). In parallel experiments, synchrotron IR microscopy delineates the role of Arabidopsis cell wall enzymes as susceptibility factors to the fungus Erysiphe cichoracearum, a causative agent of powdery mildew disease. Three genes, pmr4, pmr5, …

Pmr6, A Pectate Lyase–Like Gene Required For Powdery Mildew Susceptibility In Arabidopsis, John P. Vogel, Ted K. Raab, Celine Schiff, Shauna C. Somerville

Ted K. Raab

The plant genes required for the growth and reproduction of plant pathogens are largely unknown. In an effort to identify these genes, we isolated Arabidopsis mutants that do not support the normal growth of the powdery mildew pathogen Erysiphe cichoracearum. Here, we report on the cloning and characterization of one of these genes, PMR6. PMR6 encodes a pectate lyase-like protein with a novel C-terminal domain. Consistent with its predicted gene function, mutations in PMR6 alter the composition of the plant cell wall, as shown by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. pmr6-mediated resistance requires neither salicylic acid nor the ability to perceive …

Visualizing Rhizosphere Chemistry Of Legumes With Mid-Infrared Synchrotron Radiation, Ted K. Raab, Michael C. Martin

Ted K. Raab

A bright synchrotron light source operated by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory served as an external source for infrared (IR) microscopy of plant root microcosms. Mid-IR light from synchrotrons is 2-3 orders of magnitude brighter than conventional sources, providing contrast based on the chemical information in the reflected signal at a spatial resolution near the diffraction-limit of 3-10 microns. In an experiment using plant root microcosms fitted with zinc selenide IR-transmissive windows (50 mm x 20 mm x 1 mm), we describe chemical differences and similarities within the root zone of mung bean (Vigna radiata L.), grown with or without …

An Empirical Model Of Amino Acid Transformations In An Alpine Soil, David A. Lipson, Ted K. Raab, Steven K. Schmidt, Russ K. Monson

Ted K. Raab

Amino acids are potentially important nitrogen (N) sources for plants in many ecosystems. However, a quantitative understanding of organic N availability is lacking for most ecosystems. This study estimates seasonal amino acid fluxes in an alpine tundra soil using three independent data sets. In previous work in an alpine dry meadow ecosystem in the Front Range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, we measured signifcant rates of amino acid production from soil peptides during the plant growing season. This suggested that proteolysis of native soil peptides could serve as a measure of amino acid availability to plants. Here we use a …

Soil Amino Acid Utilization Among Species Of The Cyperaceae: Plant And Soil Processes, Ted K. Raab, David A. Lipson, Steven K. Scmidt, Russ K. Monson

Ted K. Raab

Amino acids are released during the decomposition of soil organic matter and have been shown to be utilized as a nitrogen source by some non-mycorrhizal species in the family Cyperaceae (the sedge family). Twelve out of 13 Cyperaceae species examined in the current study were capable of absorbing soil amino acids in the non-mycorrhizal state. With two exceptions (two species in the genus Kobresia), species from subalpine or alpine habitats exhibited lower rates of total nitrogen uptake compared to species from more temperate habitats, which is possibly explained by lower growth rates in the alpine and subalpine species and a …

The Effect Of Water Level Management On The Soils And Vegetation Of Two Coastal Louisiana Marshes, Brian J. Wilsey, K. M. Flynn, I. A. Mendelssohn

Brian J. Wilsey

Wetland degradation and loss is the result of a combination of natural causes and anthropogenic activities and is a serious problem in coastal Louisiana, where approximately 80% of the total US coastal wetland loss since the 1930’s has occurred. One method currently used to address this wetland loss problem is structural marsh management,which is the use of levees and water control structures to control hydroperiod. The effects of structural marsh management on two managed marshes in Southern Louisiana (Unit 4 of the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge and the Fina LaTerre Mitigation Bank) were evaluated by comparing the soils and the dominant …

Sensors For Site-Specific Management, Stuart J. Birrell, J. W. Hummel, K. A. Sudduth

Stuart J. Birrell

Site-specific management (SSM, also known as precision farming, precision agriculture, prescription farming, etc.) is a management strategy that seeks to address within-field variability and to optimize inputs such as pesticides and fertilizers on a point-by-point basis within a field. By reducing over-application and under-application of nutrients and pesticides, this strategy has the potential to improve profitability for the producer and also to reduce the threat of groundwater or surface water contamination from agrichemicals. SSM is being adopted by innovative producers across the country. Agricultural equipment manufacturers, farm input suppliers, and a host of other businesses are working along with publicsector …

Nutrient Mapping Implications Of Short-Range Variability, Stuart J. Birrell

Stuart J. Birrell

Successful site specific nutrient application depends on accurate soil nutrient maps, which are generally developed from grid samples. The implication of short range variability for soil nutrient mapping is investigated. Interpretation of soil nutrient maps must consider the level of confidence associated with estimated values.

Analysis Of Spatial Factors Influencing Crop Yield, K. A. Sudduth, S. T. Drummond, Stuart J. Birrell, N. R. Kitchen

Stuart J. Birrell

The spatial relationship between crop yields and soil and site parameters was modeled using several methods. Yield maps estimated by projection pursuit regression and neural network analysis agreed well with measured yields. These methods also allowed generation of response curves for estimated yield as a function of each of the input parameters. These response curves were useful for investigating the relationship between yields and individual soil and site parameters.

Comparison Of Variable Rate To Single Rate Nitrogen Fertilizer Application: Corn Production And Residual Soil No3-N, N. R. Kitchen, D. F. Hughes, K. A. Sudduth, Stuart J. Birrell

Stuart J. Birrell

The questions most often asked by farmers when discussing variable rate (VR) fertilizer inputs are "How much will it cost?" and "How will it affect my yields?" Many farmers and custom application services share a reluctance to invest in the time and technology required for variable fertilizer application since studies to answer these questions are few and results have been inconsistent.

Influence Of Summer Storms On The Solution Geochemistry In A Coastal Plain Hydrosequence, Jeffrey M. Novak, C. Lee Burras

C. Lee Burras

An understanding of factors which influence wetland soil solution chemistry is important for soil solutions are known to influence some chemical properties of surface waters. The influence of summer storms on the solution geochemistry in a South Carolina riverine wetland soil was evaluated by comparing pore water collected 2,4 hr after five summer storm events with pore water acquired during five nonstorm periods. Pore water was collected by tension lysimeters buried at 15 to 152 cm in two locations along a hydrologic gradient. Samples of rain, throughfall and stream water were also collected. Overall, summer storms had no significant influence …

The Hazardous Waste Land, Jerry L. Anderson

Jerry L. Anderson

This article was one of the first comprehensive critiques of the Superfund remediation and liability system. The article addresses systemic problems with the CERCLA mechanism that result in inequity and slow the pace of cleanups.

Forces And Policy Issues Affecting Forest Use In Northeast Thailand 1900-1985, James A. Hafner Emeritus Professor

James A Hafner

No abstract provided.