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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Understanding Conservation Specialists’ Role In The Adoption Of Precision Agriculture In Nebraska, Morgan L. Register Aug 2022

Understanding Conservation Specialists’ Role In The Adoption Of Precision Agriculture In Nebraska, Morgan L. Register

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

There is a complex issue by the need for strategic development of agricultural lands to ensure we can feed a growing world, while simultaneously reducing impacts on our natural resources such as water pollution from runoff, soil degradation, and habitat fragmentation. To address these growing concerns, researchers are looking for ways to optimize both agricultural production and natural resource conservation. Precision conservation was developed to ensure sustainable ecosystems for future generations. Our research evaluates conservation specialists’ ability to clearly articulate how precision conservation can help agricultural producers feed a growing world while simultaneously reducing impacts on our natural resources, I …


Defining The Current Distribution Of The Imperiled Black-Spotted Newt Across South Texas, Usa, Padraic S. Robinson, Drew R. Davis, Sean M. Collins, Richard J. Kline Aug 2022

Defining The Current Distribution Of The Imperiled Black-Spotted Newt Across South Texas, Usa, Padraic S. Robinson, Drew R. Davis, Sean M. Collins, Richard J. Kline

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Black-spotted Newt (Notophthalmus meridionalis) is a chronically understudied salamander species, with many aspects of its natural history, ecology, and distribution poorly known. Previous studies using traditional methodologies have had limited success documenting N. meridionalis on the landscape, detecting individuals at 6% (7 of 114) and 1% (2 of 221) of sites surveyed. A novel environmental DNA (eDNA) assay was designed and implemented with the goals of assessing the current distribution of N. meridionalis across south Texas, USA, and better understanding the conditions for positive eDNA detections. We conducted eDNA sampling and traditional surveys at 80 sites throughout …


Results Of The 2022 Vermont Farmer Conservation & Payment For Ecosystem Services Survey. Vermont Payment For Ecosystem Services Technical Research Report #3a, Alissa C. White Jun 2022

Results Of The 2022 Vermont Farmer Conservation & Payment For Ecosystem Services Survey. Vermont Payment For Ecosystem Services Technical Research Report #3a, Alissa C. White

Reports and Policy Briefs

This survey was commissioned by the Vermont Soil Health and Payment for Ecosystem Services Working Group (VT PES Working Group) to gather farmer input on the development of payment for ecosystem services (PES) in Vermont for agriculture. In particular, the survey was intended to help set appropriate levels of compensation for participation in a soil health PES program, although additional information was gathered in the survey to inform the development of a new incentive program. The VT PES Working Group has explored the potential for a performance-based soil health PES program that would compensate farmers on the basis of environmental …


Multi-Criteria Evaluation Model For Classifying Marginal Cropland In Nebraska Using Historical Crop Yield And Biophysical Characteristics, Andrew Laws May 2022

Multi-Criteria Evaluation Model For Classifying Marginal Cropland In Nebraska Using Historical Crop Yield And Biophysical Characteristics, Andrew Laws

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Marginal cropland is suboptimal due to historically low and variable productivity and limiting biophysical characteristics. To support future agricultural management and policy decisions in Nebraska, U.S.A, it is important to understand where cropland is marginal for its two most economically important crops: corn (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max). As corn and soybean are frequently planted in a crop rotation, it is important to consider if there is a relationship with cropland marginality. Based on the current literature, there exists a need for a flexible yet robust methodology for identifying marginal land at different scales, which …


Morphometric Quantification Of Cockpit Karst In A Jamaican Bauxite Mining Concession, M Sean Chenoweth Jan 2022

Morphometric Quantification Of Cockpit Karst In A Jamaican Bauxite Mining Concession, M Sean Chenoweth

Research, Publications & Creative Work

A digital surface model (DSM) is used to characterize the landscape and topical karst landforms within a bauxite mining lease in north central Jamaica. Five case study sites are selected for detailed geomorphic analysis and cartographic visualization using a GIS. In Jamaica, tropical cockpit karst landscapes are composed of several landforms: cockpits, glades, corridors, saddles, and talus slopes. Evidence for the existence and quantification of these landforms is provided in this paper. Study sites have a mean basin area of 96,514 m2 , an average highest elevation of 541 m, mean lowest point of 444 m, with an average enclosed …