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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Modeling Gross Primary Production Of Midwest Maize And Soybean Croplands With Satellite And Gridded Weather Data, Gunnar Malek-Madani Apr 2017

Modeling Gross Primary Production Of Midwest Maize And Soybean Croplands With Satellite And Gridded Weather Data, Gunnar Malek-Madani

Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The gross primary production (GPP) metric is useful in determining trends in the terrestrial carbon cycle. Models that determine GPP utilizing the light use efficiency (LUE) approach in conjunction with biophysical parameters that account for local weather conditions and crop specific factors are beneficial in that they combine the accuracy of the biophysical model with the versatility of the LUE model. One such model developed using in situ data was adapted to operate with remote sensing derived leaf area index (LAI) data and gridded weather datasets. The model, known as the Light Use Efficiency GPP Model (EGM), uses a four …


A Realistic Meteorological Assessment Of Perennial Biofuel Crop Deployment: A Southern Great Plains Perspective, Melissa Wagner, Meng Wang, Gonzalo Miguez-Macho, Jesse Miller, Andy Vanloocke, Justin E. Bagley, Carl J. Bernacchi, Matei Georgescu Jan 2017

A Realistic Meteorological Assessment Of Perennial Biofuel Crop Deployment: A Southern Great Plains Perspective, Melissa Wagner, Meng Wang, Gonzalo Miguez-Macho, Jesse Miller, Andy Vanloocke, Justin E. Bagley, Carl J. Bernacchi, Matei Georgescu

Andy VanLoocke

Utility of perennial bioenergy crops (e.g., switchgrass and miscanthus) offers unique opportunities to transition toward a more sustainable energy pathway due to their reduced carbon footprint, averted competition with food crops, and ability to grow on abandoned and degraded farmlands. Studies that have examined biogeophysical impacts of these crops noted a positive feedback between near-surface cooling and enhanced evapotranspiration (ET), but also potential unintended consequences of soil moisture and groundwater depletion. To better understand hydrometeorological effects of perennial bioenergy crop expansion, this study conducted high-resolution (2-km grid spacing) simulations with a state-of-the-art atmospheric model (Weather Research and Forecasting system) dynamically …


The Costs Of Photorespiration To Food Production Now And In The Future, Berkley J. Walker, Andy Vanloocke, Carl J. Bernacchi, Donald R. Ort Jan 2017

The Costs Of Photorespiration To Food Production Now And In The Future, Berkley J. Walker, Andy Vanloocke, Carl J. Bernacchi, Donald R. Ort

Andy VanLoocke

Photorespiration is essential for C3 plants but operates at the massive expense of fixed carbon dioxide and energy. Photorespiration is initiated when the initial enzyme of photosynthesis, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/ oxygenase (Rubisco), reacts with oxygen instead of carbon dioxide and produces a toxic compound that is then recycled by photorespiration. Photorespiration can be modeled at the canopy and regional scales to determine its cost under current and future atmospheres. A regional-scale model reveals that photorespiration currently decreases US soybean and wheat yields by 36% and 20%, respectively, and a 5% decrease in the losses due to photorespiration would be worth approximately …


Developing A Parameterization Approach For Soil Erodibility For The Rangeland Hydrology And Erosion Model (Rhem), Osama Z. Al-Hamdan, Frederick B. Pierson, Mark A. Nearing, Christopher Jason Williams, Mariano Hernandez, Jan Boll, Sayjro K. Nouwakpo, Mark A. Weltz, Kenneth Spaeth Jan 2017

Developing A Parameterization Approach For Soil Erodibility For The Rangeland Hydrology And Erosion Model (Rhem), Osama Z. Al-Hamdan, Frederick B. Pierson, Mark A. Nearing, Christopher Jason Williams, Mariano Hernandez, Jan Boll, Sayjro K. Nouwakpo, Mark A. Weltz, Kenneth Spaeth

Articles

Soil erodibility is a key factor for estimating soil erosion using physically based models. In this study, a new parameterization approach for estimating erodibility was developed for the Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model (RHEM). The approach uses empirical equations that were developed by applying piecewise regression analysis to predict the differences of erodibility before and after disturbance (i.e., wildfire, prescribed fire, and tree encroachment) and across a wide range of soil textures as a function of vegetation cover and surface slope angle. The approach combines rain splash, sheet flow, and concentrated flow erodibilities into a single parameter for modeling erodibility …