Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Kentucky Forage Spokesperson Contest, Kentucky Forage And Grassland Council

Kentucky Grazing Conference

No abstract provided.

Can We Graze 300+ Days?, Glen Aiken

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Dependence on stored feeds during the winter months has been necessary in order to maintain body condition and meet nutrient requirements of cattle herds; unfortunately, cost of stored feeds typically are a major part of the farm budget. We know, all too well, that hay shortages and unstable feed ingredient markets have reduced profit potential in cattle production. This has further placed higher demands on supplies of co-product feeds to cause prices of these alternative feeds to rise and make them less cost effective. There will likely be less reliance on concentrate and co-product feeds as the forage-based livestock industry …

Pastures For Horses, Robert Coleman

Kentucky Grazing Conference

The horse evolved as a grazing animal. In order to consume enough forage to meet the horses’ nutritional needs a significant amount of time would be spent each day grazing. The pattern of selecting forage-moving to the next area starting to graze again can easily translate into 14 to 16 hours of grazing activity each day. The level of grazing activity will also be affected by the available forage and the daily access to pasture.

Pastures For Goats And Sheep, Greg Brann

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Pasture for sheep is not that different than that for cattle but pasture for goats is very different. Sheep are grazers like cattle whereas goats are browsers like deer. Even though grass and clover are not a goats preference if all of the forage present is grass and clover goats will eat it. Due to goats and sheep being more prey animals than cattle they don’t like to wade off into tall vegetation, also it takes more energy for them to move through tall growth. Many plants that we traditionally consider weeds become desirable forbs when goats or sheep are …

The Role Of Weed Control In Profitable Pastures, Scott Flynn, Pat Burch

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Pasture weeds compete for resources such as space, water, and nutrients. This competition reduces forage yield which in turn reduces the carrying capacity of a pasture. Although herbicide applications are needed to gain a quick upper hand on weed control most producers are deterred due to cost, the potential loss of pasture legumes, labor, or the belief that herbicide applications are required frequently to keep weed population under control. However, herbicide use in pastures should not be looked at in this manner but instead as an investment that can pay for itself very quickly and easily, and be long-term especially …

Role Of Legumes In Pastures, Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Successful livestock production is dependent on forage programs which supply large quantities of adequate quality, homegrown feed. A major percentage of the feed units for beef (83%) and dairy (61%) cattle come from forages. In addition, forages supply an estimated 91%, 72%, 15% and 99% of the nutrients consumed by sheep and goats, horses, swine and ruminant wildlife, respectively.

(How I Think About) Kentucky's Pastures: One Of Kentucky's Untapped Resources, Jimmy C. Henning

Kentucky Grazing Conference

One of the privileges of old(er) age is the prerogative to take liberties with assigned tasks. At the risk of confusing producers and offending more scientifically-current forage scientists, the topic of pasture as an untapped resource presented an opportunity to address task from an unexpected angle. Certainly, Kentucky’s pastures are a resource with untapped potential. But the idea that their value as a resource depends on how we think about them is one worth pursuing.

Foreword And Kfgc Award Winners [2013], Garry D. Lacefield, Christi L. Forsythe

Kentucky Grazing Conference

No abstract provided.

Incorporating Satellite Derived Cloud Climatologies To Improve High Resolution Interpolation Of Daily Precipitation., Adam M. Wilson, Benoit Parmentier, Brian Mcgill, Rob Guralnick, Walter Jetz

Yale Day of Data

Conservation of biodiversity demands comprehension of evolutionary and ecological patterns and processes that occur over vast spatial and temporal scales. A central goal of ecology is to understand the factors that control the spatial distribution of species and this has become even more important in the face of climate change. However, at global scales there can be enormous uncertainty in environmental data used to model species distributions. Even ‘simple’ metrics such as mean annual precipitation are difficult to estimate in areas with few weather stations and available data sets do not quantify uncertainty in these surfaces. We are developing a …

Why I Love Grasshopper Sparrows, Michele Patenaude

UVM Libraries Conference Day

Since 2001, Michele (a library circulation supervisor in her day job) has conducted a summer breeding-bird survey of Grasshopper Sparrows at Camp Johnson in Colchester, VT. Named Grasshopper Sparrows because their breeding call sounds like a grasshopper, this little brown bird is endemic to certain types of scrubby grasslands which are becoming more scarce in the Northeast. The Grasshopper Sparrow is also declining and the species is not on the list of Vermont Endangered Birds. Come to this presentation and learn about the bird, how Michele surveys them, why they are endangered, and why Michele loves these quiet, little brown …

Photo Highlights From The 33rd Kentucky Alfalfa Conference, Krista Cotton

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

No abstract provided.

Finishing Beef On Alfalfa, Todd Powell

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Powell Farms started in 1996 with 15 acres of Alfalfa hay intended for cow/calf feed. A neighbor and his friends bought every bale that year. Over the next 14 years the only alfalfa hay our cows got to eat was when a cutting got wet and was rolled. As with any business when the economy starts to take a downward trend, it is wise to start looking for new and innovative ways to market your product.

Making And Marketing Hay For The Horse Industry, Todd Clark

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

No abstract provided.

Fertilizer: How Much Is In Each Bale?, Dennis Hancock

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

What do you see when you look at a bale? Certainly, many would say it is a source of feed for our livestock. Others see a commodity that is sold to their customers. These are the most important aspects of any forage. But, there is one other intrinsic value worth noting… its nutrient content. In a sense, it is a bale of fertilizer.

Our Experience With Roundup Ready Alfalfa, Clayton Geralds

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

We raise approximately 500 acres of alfalfa with approximately 175 seeded to Roundup Ready varieties. We established our first field in 2006 and a second in 2007. Roundup Ready alfalfa was not available for additional seedings until 2011. We have seeded over 100 additional acres in 2011 and 2012.

Key To Success When Harvesting Alfalfa As Baleage, S. Ray Smith

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa is an excellent forage for high-producing cows and universally considered one of the highest-quality forages. Cows efficiently use the high levels of protein, calcium and high-quality fiber in alfalfa for producing milk and meat. The palatability of alfalfa is high, especially when the leaves are maintained during harvest. Typically, cows will eat more alfalfa than grass because the fiber content is usually lower in alfalfa. Harvesting alfalfa as baleage vs. hay greatly improves the chances maintaining high quality because there is less leaf loss and less loss of soluble carbohydrates. The most important factor is harvesting high quality alfalfa …

Alfalfa For Grazing, Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

High grain prices, increasing nitrogen prices, droughts, need for higher quality pasture plants and improved alfalfa varieties have all contributed to a greater interest in and opportunity for alfalfa as a grazing crop.

Foreword And Recipients Of Kentucky Alfalfa Awards [2013], Garry D. Lacefield, Christi L. Forsythe

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

No abstract provided.

Sump Diving “River Caves”, Mark Wenner

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Note: “Sump” is a term used in caving to describe a passage in a cave that is submerged under water.

Sump diving, and “lure of the sump” originated in the UK in the early 1920’s, as did the use of “rebreather’s, and the “self-contained underwater breathing apparatus”, S.C.U.B.A. The techniques developed by cavers, and “sump divers” in Europe, and then used in British cave systems like Wookey Hole set a cave diving precedence; the development of a unique style, and system for diving caves. These diving practices and techniques influenced the exploration of resurgences, springs, siphons, and river caves throughout …

Sable Melodists, Janet Bass Smith

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Inside Mammoth Cave on Broadway Avenue, between the last TB hut and Star Chamber, the name Sable Melodists is inscribed on the wall, using what appears to be charcoal. Next to Sable Melodists are the names of two men: R. H. Condon, and J. M. Foans. (See Figures 1, 2, and 3) When the name Sable Melodists was researched several years ago, the only information available was that it was a minstrel group. A recent search revealed more information, and provoked a more complete investigation of minstrel groups and minstrel shows, and their evolution.

Pre-Service Teachers Learn About Karst Geology At Mammoth Cave National Park, Jeanine Huss, Cheryl Messenger

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

All Preservice elementary science methods students at Western Kentucky University participate in a one-day or two-day experience at Mammoth Cave National Park. This trip has occurred over the past seven semesters. Through this experience, students gain knowledge about their local unique karst environment.

Using Interactive Simulation To Extend Access To Learning Along The Historic Tour Route Of Mammoth Cave National Park, Christopher L. Atchison, Don Stredney, Karen E. Irving, Rick Toomey, Alan Price, Thomas Kerwin, Bradley Hittle, Phillip J. Reed

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

This poster presentation displays work of a current project to address the problem of limited inclusion to field-based learning experiences for students with physical disabilities. Led by researchers at Georgia State University, Ohio State University and Mammoth Cave International Center for Science and Learning, the overall objective of the project is through integration of emerging simulation technologies and techniques, to provide a rich virtual environment of a geological field site for students with mobility impairments. Through the development of a synthetic field-based module that employs a virtual environment that interchangeably uses two and three-dimensional representation for presenting an alternative to …

Mammoth Cave National Park Backcountry Trail And Stream Monitoring, 2009-2012, Larry Johnson, Student Conservation Association Conservation

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

This project conducted an assessment of backcountry trail conditions on the north side of the Green River in Mammoth Cave National Park during summers of 2009-2012. The project included assessing physical parameters of trails, (width, depth, etc.) and conducting an assessment of water quality of streams in proximity of backcountry trails. The project was conducted by Student Conservation Association resource assistants (12 weeks each) supervised by a natural resource specialist from the Mammoth Cave Division of Science and Resources Management. Trail assessment procedures were based on techniques developed by Jeff ery L. Marion, Ph.D, USGS, Virginia Tech (et al.) and …

Mammoth Cave National Park Npscape, Lillian Scoggins, Shepard Mcaninich

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

NPScape is designed to address questions related to resource conservation Vulnerability and Opportunity. These dynamics are shaped at the landscape scale by three major factors: Natural Systems, Human Drivers, and Conservation Context. Consider by way of example a focal resource occurring inside a park. That resource is capable of persisting in part because of the ecological attributes of the larger natural system within which it exists. However, the value of the natural system with respect to the focal resource can be challenged by human-mediated drivers of landscape change. Precisely how these drivers interact with the natural system to impact the …

Improvements To The Rv Waste-Transfer Station Design To Reduce Contaminated Storm Runoff, David Solomon, Sean Mcmillian, Ashley West, Lonnie Sharpe

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Mammoth Cave in Central Kentucky is the world’s longest cave system and has been designated an international biosphere. It has unique organisms that live in the cave system and they are dependant upon high quality water supplied through rain recharge. We have documented quaternary ammonia compounds (QAC) levels ranging from 0.2 to 22 mg/L in storm fl ow, as well as, other chemicals coming from the RV waste-transfer station. The objective of this project was to re-design the drain system around the dump station to prevent spillage from washing down into the cave. The first design feature is a v-trench …

Use Of Sorption Isotherms To Improve The Efficacy Of The Storm-Water Filters, Hung-Wai Ho, Rick Toomey

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Sorption has been widely used as an inexpensive and environmental friendly water treatment technology. A large variety of adsorbents with different adsorption mechanisms have drawn interests, and combinations of adsorbents will enhance sorption of mixed solutions. However, current sorption research tends to focus on single material. The objective of this study was to develop sorption isotherms for ZPG®, (Zeolite, Perlite, Granular Activated Carbon), used in a stormwater filter cartridge. Contaminants of concern include Cu2+ and quaternary ammonia compounds (QAC). Adsorption isotherms were established for Cu2+ and QAC, and the best fit for the isotherm data was a Langmuir isotherm for …

Water Quality Monitoring At Mammoth Cave National Park, Brenda Wells, Joe Meiman

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Since the main objective of the monitoring program for Cumberland Piedmont Network (CUPN) is to detect, and understand changes in major ecosystem resources, the poster information will show results of what has occurred with water quality in the park since 2004. The data cover 13 sites, sampled once a month for 2 years on and 5 years off . The main parameters monitored for MACA include: air and water temperature, pH, fl ow, dissolved oxygen, specific conductivity, E. Coli, nitrates and turbidity. The data are compiled and analyzed at the end of every sampling cycle ultimately for addressing park management …

Three Examples Of Chemical Transport In Storm Runoff At Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, Ashley West, David Solomon, Hung-Wai Ho, Victor Roland, Irucka Embry, Rick Toomey, Roger Painter, Lonnie Sharpe, Dafeng Hui

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

The karst landscape at Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, was formed by water through the dissolution of soluble rocks forming sinkholes, disappearing streams, emerging springs, closed depressions, and a combination of wet and dry caves. The Park’s cave streams and pools provide a home to unique organisms. Surface waters in the Park tend to rapidly drain into subsurface geologic features and caves. This rapid infiltration makes the subsurface vulnerable to contamination. The objective of this investigation was to characterize chemical transport from the surface into the cave. The preliminary results were achieved by tracer studies and monitoring water chemistry along …

Multiple Storm Event Impacts On Epikarst Storage And Transport Of Organic Soil Amendments In South-Central Kentucky, Jason Polk, Sean Vanderhoff, Chris Groves, Benjamin Miller, Carl Bolster

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

The groundwater in agricultural karst areas, such as Kentucky’s Pennyroyal Plateau, is susceptible to contamination from organic soil amendments and pesticides. During 2011, water samples and geochemical data were collected every four hours before, during, and between storm events from a waterfall in Crumps Cave from January to September to track the transport and residence time of epikarst water and organic soil amendments during variable fl ow conditions. Geochemical data consisting of pH, specific conductivity, temperature, and discharge were collected continuously at 10-minute intervals, along with rainfall amounts. The changes in geochemistry indicate simultaneous storage and transport of meteoric water …

Spill Retention And Routine Runoff Filtration Structures On Interstate 65 In The Vicinity Of Mammoth Cave National Park, Rick Olson

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

In the early 70’s, I conducted an ecological study on the Doghill-Donahue Cave System in Southern Indiana. This cave remained relatively un-impacted until Highway 37 was widened near Bedford, and the cave was engineered to be a storm sewer for highway runoff . The consequences of facilitated water entry and easy access for spelunkers via an ungated culvert entrance were severe. Sediments washed into the cave smelled like putrid rubber when disturbed, habitat for cave life was trampled, and beautiful delicate mineral features were smashed. Anticipating that I-65 would someday be widened, I was concerned about possible consequences to Mammoth …