Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Exploring Social Dimensions Of Ecological Restoration In The Removal Of Two Dams On The Elwha River, Joseph Hinnant

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

The United States is approaching a critical juncture regarding aging dam infrastructure. One increasingly common decision has been to remove dams, recreating a free-flowing river. The attention of the literature on ecological restoration is shifting from an ecological focus towards the importance of participation and the social dimensions of restorations. Social situations surrounding a dam removal can lead to expedited success, delays, or abandoned efforts. This study seeks to connect selected social dimensions of dam removals with the broader literature of ecological restoration by exploring social dimensions expressed in public participation in a dam removal process.

A directed content analysis, …

An Investigation Of The Attitudes And Behavioral Outcomes Of Nebraskan Hunters Toward Tick-Borne Disease, Dominic J. Cristiano

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

As changes in climate, land-use, and vegetation alter the landscape of the Great Plains, new threats to public health are emerging. Incidences of tick-borne disease in Nebraska have increased nearly 250% over the past two decades – newly established species like Ixodes scapularis may introduce challenges for health practitioners, including more cases of Lyme disease. Strategies for tick-borne disease prevention must incorporate effective health messaging. Audience segmentation may be a useful technique to provide health communication, as it allows for targeted messaging that speaks to specific attitudes and beliefs of a given population. One tool for usefully segmenting populations is …

Feasibility Assessment On Use Of Proximal Geophysical Sensors To Support Precision Management, Sophia M. Becker

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

Soil property maps provide information for field management activities such as irrigation, fertilization, and seeding. Many on-the-go proximal geophysical sensors have been developed in recent decades that can help map agricultural fields without dense soil sampling. To utilize these technologies most profitably in precision management, scientists and precision agriculture dealers must better understand sensors’ performances in given field conditions and the economic value of different proximal soil sensing methods. Chapter two reports the study that was conducted at three sites in North Dakota, United States to strengthen understanding of the usefulness of different proximal geophysical data types in agricultural contexts …

Outdoor Play In Preschool Children: Parent Attitudes And Loose Part Play In Urban Settings, Ann Spilker

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

Outdoor play is an important aspect of young children’s health social-cognitive development. However, play in natural environments is declining due to urbanization and various safety concerns. Many urban preschools have outdoor play spaces that lack natural elements that stimulate children’s autonomy, creativity, and imaginative play. Furthermore, parents who find outdoor environments intimidating and fraught with danger limit young children’s outdoor experiences that inhibit their motor fitness, socialization with peers, and ecological awareness. Two qualitative case studies examined preschool children’s outdoor play. Study one focused on preschool children’s loose parts play in urban settings while study two examined parent’s attitudes towards …

A Mixed Methods Case Study: Effects Of Instructors’ Beliefs On Incorporation Of Sustainability Curriculum At A Midwestern University, Anna Oetting

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

The degree to which sustainability is taught is often varied and inconsistent across colleges, departments, and higher education institutions. However, educating students and future generations regarding the different pillars of sustainability, including economic, social, and environmental topics, is increasing in importance and urgency. A mixed methods case study utilized surveys and interviews to investigate why instructors incorporate sustainability, what impacts course incorporation of sustainability, and barriers that instructors face. This study found that instructors’ beliefs regarding the importance of sustainability relate to the extent to which sustainability is incorporated into their curriculum. Topics of sustainability incorporated into a class are …

Irrigation’S Impact On A Precipitation Event During Grainex In Nebraska, Usa, Daniel Whitesel

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

Numerous precipitation events were observed during the Great Plains Irrigation Experiment (GRAINEX). However, the precipitation event that was observed the morning of 23 July 2018 is the focus of this thesis. Six experiments were conducted which involved increasing or decreasing soil moisture by 5% increments over the irrigated cropland. An additional experiment, which changed the irrigated land use to grassland, showed precipitation increases. It was found that regardless of strength of irrigation, average precipitation decreased. Average precipitation decreased by up to 72% when irrigation increased compared to the control simulation and decreased by up to 85% when irrigation decreased compared …

Soil Microbial Community Dynamics In Response To Prescribed Extreme Fires Following Juniperus Virginiana Invasion In The Loess Canyons Of Nebraska, Julie A. Fowler

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

In Nebraska and other regions of the Great Plains, the conifer Juniperus virginiana (eastern redcedar) is converting grasslands to dense woodlands. This is driven by the interacting drivers of fire suppression, altered grazing regimes, climate change and other anthropogenic factors, impacting the provisioning of ecosystem services. This vegetation state transition modifies water resource regulation and biogeochemical cycles leading to altered edaphic properties including soil microbial community composition. To restore these grasslands and control J. virginiana spread, prescribed extreme burns are implemented as a management tool through local prescribed burn associations. We hypothesized that the alternative state transition to dense J. …

Social And Ecological Correlates Of Avian Infection By Haemosporidian Blood Parasites, Ian R. Hoppe

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

Haemosporidian parasites are a significant source of morbidity and mortality for birds. There is growing recognition of the negative consequences of haemosporidian infections for wild birds at individual and population levels. Avian haemosporidians are geographically widespread, have been detected from a phylogenetically diverse array of hosts, and have been the focus of extensive research due to their impacts on birds and their similarity to vector-borne diseases of humans. However, factors influencing haemosporidian transmission, especially transmission between species, are poorly understood. To better understand these influences, we compared prevalence and diversity of haemosporidian blood parasite infections among species in a behaviorally …

Spatiotemporal Trends In Bacterial Diversity Across Three Watersheds Within The Platte River Basin, Nebraska, Esther Perisho

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

River bacteria are understudied despite being critical components of river ecosystems. There are even fewer studies considering bacteria communities at large spatiotemporal scales, which may provide insight into drivers of community assembly. We investigated differences in bacterial diversity across environmental gradients within three sub-basins nested in the Platte River Basin, Nebraska. Surface water samples were collected weekly at 36 sites from May to September by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) in 2019. Bacterial communities were sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Sub-basins had similar counts of unique amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) but different community structures. These structural …

Right Side Up: Payment For Ecosystem Services On Privately Owned Grasslands In Nebraska, Kyle Martens

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

Grasslands are an important ecological and economic resource in the United States. As part of a natural system, these landscapes can provide income for ranching operations and employment in rural communities; habitat for grassland plants, animals, and migratory species; and offer other services not always readily observed such as improved soil health, clean water, and carbon sequestration. Despite the overarching benefits, the conversion of grasslands to other uses remains widespread throughout much of the remaining Great Plains ecosystem.

Shifting from livestock ranching to another land use often reflects a tipping point. This occurs when the alternative land use is perceived …

Understanding And Contextualizing Foraging Among Recreational Opportunities In The North Central United States, Iris I. Mcfarlin

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

Over the past few decades, there has been a resurgence in popularity and recognition of foraging for wild products and foods. Despite the cultural importance and ubiquity of foraging, there have been relatively few scientific investigations (as compared to other consumptive outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing) of the social factors influencing foraging behavior, landscape preferences, and the types of materials foraged in the United States. As such, there is a fundamental need to understand more about the practice and about those who participate. We conducted two surveys to gather information on foragers’ motivations and demographic characteristics and to …

Soil Morphology And Carbon Stocks Of Deflation Basin Wetlands In Eastern Nebraska, Usa, Aubrey Grace Kemper

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

Wetlands contribute important ecosystem services such as water filtration and storage, wildlife habitat, and carbon sequestration. The objective of this study is to compare the soil morphology and the carbon and nitrogen stocks between the upland, basin edge, and basin floor in playa wetlands of eastern Nebraska. This work was conducted in three deflation basin wetlands in the Todd Valley, a loess-mantled, former course of the Platte River, in eastern Nebraska. Soil morphological descriptions were evaluated to two meters’ depth using cores collected along three transects from the upland to the basin floor in three basins, carbon and nitrogen stocks …

Conceptual Framework Linking Resource Size And Recreational Use, Derek Kane

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

Participation in recreational activities at natural resource systems is important to many people. However, the use of these resource systems can cause negative social and ecological impacts. To manage the potential negative impacts of resource use, natural resource managers must have the ability to quantify and monitor the amount of use that is occurring. Unfortunately, it is difficult and costly to quantify and monitor resource system use. Natural resource management would benefit from uncovering a simple, easily accessible metric that could predict resource system use. The size of a resource system is related to social and ecological aspects of the …

Groundwater Education: An Investigation Of Students' Use Of A Groundwater Modeling Tool, Holly White

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

Groundwater is a critical resource for life on Earth. However, our groundwater resources are at risk due to human activities, making this a topic of importance within K-12 and undergraduate environmental education. Yet, students hold alternative conceptions and may have limited awareness about groundwater systems. One way to support students’ learning is by incorporating computer-based modeling tools into classrooms. Here, we explore the use a groundwater modeling tool, the Hydrogeology Challenge (HGC), among two age groups of students: seventh grade students and undergraduate students. In the seventh-grade population, we investigated how students relate or map model components to their real-world …

Bioaccumulation And Partitioning Of Heavy Metals In Cicindelidia Haemorrhagica In Yellowstone National Park, Monica Gotschall

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

The tiger beetle Cicindelidia haemorrhagica (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) are widely distributed in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and exclusively living on thermal areas. Heavy metals including arsenic, copper, lead, and selenium are present in these thermal springs, presenting an unique environment for C. haemorrhagica. Therefore, from 2018 – 2020 I sampled adult C. haemorrhagica from YNP and adult C. haemorrhagica from a known population in a salt flat in Idaho not associated with a hot spring and measured heavy metal concentrations. All populations of C. haemorrhagica bioaccumulated heavy metals. Cuticular waxes showed small concentrations of metals indicating that those metals are …

Occurrence And Potential Transformation Pathways Of Nitrogen Species In The Intermediate Vadose Zone, Jordan Shields

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

Nebraska is a large agricultural producing state with a heavy reliance on groundwater resources and nitrogen fertilizer application to maintain output. Poor management, such as excessive fertilizer application, improper timing, and over irrigation can lead to contamination of groundwater. Nitrate is the leading groundwater contaminant in Nebraska and chronic consumption at medium to high concentrations leads to adverse health effects. Nitrate, a highly soluble anion, is present in the root zone in numerous forms and undergoes biogeochemical transformations before being leached through the profile. In order to predict the timing and quantity of nitrate contamination in groundwater, researchers study the …

A Conceptual Model Evaluation Framework For Adaptive Governance And Adaptive Management In Large-Scale Restoration Programs, Chadwin Smith

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

Adaptive management (AM) has become a kind of plastic phrase applied as a formulaic panacea for most major species recovery and ecosystem restoration efforts now underway across the United States. AM emerged as an application of the scientific method to resource management, closely tying management to science learning through experimental actions. The phrase “learning by doing” best captures the premise behind developing an experimental management approach that could be applied on the larger scale of a river system or ecosystem. In nearly five decades of application, however, examples of successful AM implementation at large scales are few and conflict remains …

Food System Resilience In Nigeria: Farmers Perspective, Azariah Lawal

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

Disturbances are inherent in every socio-ecological system (SES). However, the spate and scope of upheavals in contemporary SES has increased dramatically in recent years. Agricultural systems are perhaps the most impacted when disasters occur because different aspects of agricultural production are directly affected. The burgeoning farmers-Fulani herdsmen conflict in West Africa is a manifestation of these challenges. When faced with events like these, contemporary food systems are faced with two options: collapse or transform. It is essential to have resilient agricultural systems because these systems lie at the nexus of resolving emerging global issues.

Nigeria is an important country in …

Population Characteristics And Movement Of Blue Catfish In The Kansas River, Quintin Dean

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

Blue Catfish Ictalurus furcatus is a mobile, large-river species native to the Missouri River and its tributaries, including the Kansas River. Historical data regarding the Kansas River population is negligible, limiting managers’ ability to appropriately manage this population. Multiple anthropogenic barriers along the Kansas River create a gradient of connectivity within the Kansas River, and with the Missouri River, possibly limiting Blue Catfish movement. Additionally, the contribution of tributary-reservoir populations to the Kansas River remains unknown. My objectives were to: 1) describe population characteristics and 2) quantify stock contributions from the Missouri River and Kansas River tributary reservoirs to the …

Impacts Of Irrigated Agriculture On The Near Surface And Planetary Boundary Layer Atmosphere: Results From The Great Plains Irrigation Experiment (Grainex), Emilee Lachenmeier

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

Modification of natural prairie grasslands into irrigated and rainfed agriculture in the Great Plains produced significant impacts on regional weather and climate including temperatures, precipitation, energy fluxes, and the planetary boundary layer (PBL) atmosphere. The Great Plains Irrigation Experiment (GRAINEX) during the 2018 growing season collected data over irrigated and non-irrigated crop fields to further understand these impacts. The data were collected during two intensive observation periods (IOPs) in early June (IOP 1: 30 May – 13 June of 2018) and late July (IOP 2: 16 July – 30 July of 2018). The data analyzed include latent (LE) and sensible …

Population Demographics, Distribution, And Environmental History Of Asian Carp In A Great Plains River, Jake Werner

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

Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Bighead Carp H. nobilis, and Black Carp Mylopharyngodon piceus, collectively known as Asian carp, are a group of invasive fishes in the U.S.A. that have garnered much attention over the last couple decades. Most research devoted to this group of fishes has been focused in the Mississippi River basin with little investigation in the Missouri River drainage, particularly in tributary systems. The Kansas River is a major tributary to the Missouri River that has multiple anthropogenic barriers creating varying levels of connectivity within the Kansas River itself, and with the Missouri River. Information …

Use Of Citizen Science In Monitoring Groundwater Quality: A Case Study From Nebraska, Christopher Olson

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

Citizen science has a key role in modernizing effective communication between professional scientists and the general public. However, citizen science differs to that of professional science due to equipment and experience and is a topic argued against citizen science. However, technology in water quality testing has developed in simplicity and affordability to a point where high school students, with hands-on training, can collect groundwater samples and test for quality themselves. Nebraska groundwater quality is a critical part of the state and can utilize high school students as citizen scientists for their communities. High school students from rural communities across Nebraska …

Nitrate Dynamics And Source Within Nested Watersheds Of An Agricultural Stream, Nebraska, Usa, Galen Richards

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

Nitrate concentrations have been increasing throughout the globe, primarily due to heightened agricultural activity. Nitrate concentrations in Bazile Creek, located in Northeastern Nebraska, have been steadily rising since the early 2000s. Groundwater nitrate concentrations within the Bazile Creek watershed are high (> 10 mg/L nitrate-N), and there is strong connectivity between groundwater and surface water systems. This study aimed to better understand temporal nitrate concentration variability within the watershed through sampling tributaries and the main channel during baseflow conditions. Nitrate source was also investigated though the use of dual δ¹⁵N and δ¹⁸O nitrate isotopes, with samples …

Spatial Ecology And Resource Selection Of Bighorn Sheep (Ovis Canadensis) Ewes In A Prairie Badlands Population, Erin Wood

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

The basic spatial ecology and habitat relationships of female bighorn sheep in Nebraska are poorly understood. Establishing seasonal patterns of space use and resource selection for this population at the margin of their historical and current range addresses a key knowledge gap and provides important baseline information for ongoing conservation efforts in Nebraska. We deployed GPS radio-collars on 56 adult ewes in western Nebraska to quantify seasonal space use, movements, and resource selection of ewes. To investigate spatial ecology, we quantified movements of ewes and the factors that influence home range size, seasonal use, and spatial stability across seasons. Home …

Using Return Intervals And Nutrient Spiraling To Examine The 2019 Nebraska Flood, Alexa Davis

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

In March of 2019, flooding levels in many parts of Nebraska was the worst that streams and rivers had in decades, and in some locations, on record. Theses historic floods present an optimal case study to examine how current technological resources can be used to enhance our understanding of floods and how these floods impact in situ stream ecosystem processes like nitrogen and phosphorus cycling. Currently, there are only a few resources available to quantify the extent of floods; for my thesis, I will focus on satellite imagery and in situ water level gages. Unfortunately, due to technical issues with …

Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Bat Activity In A Southeast Nebraska Agricultural Landscape, Christopher Fill

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

Intensive agriculture is associated with biodiversity loss and species decline. Yet wild species, such as bats, may provide critical ecosystem services to agriculture, even in transformed landscapes. In the United States, bats have been estimated to save the agricultural industry billions of dollars per year. However, white-nose syndrome and habitat loss have led to the decline of many bat species in North America, including the federally threatened northern long-eared bat, Myotis septentrionalis.

To better evaluate the effectiveness of these pest-controlling services, and to increase understanding of bat foraging behavior in these extreme landscapes, I deployed 11 grids of 24 detectors, …

Beneficial Effect Of Injected Air Into Subsurface Drip Irrigation (Sdi) On Plant Growth Using Runoff From A Feedlot, D Dissanayake

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

Due to water scarcity and increasing food demand, nonconventional water sources (e.g., human and animal wastewater) represent a valuable alternative to traditional water resources for agricultural use. Among these alternatives, treated animal wastewater, particularly feedlot runoff may represent a valuable solution in states like Nebraska due to its abundance. Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) is a low-pressure micro-irrigation system that delivers water to the crop root zone through buried drip tapes with embedded emitters at fixed intervals. Despite multiple advantages (great water application uniformity, high water use efficiency, and improve fertilizer application), SDI can lead to poor aeration in the rhizosphere …

Vegetation And Large Carnivore Responses In An Encroached Landscape, Hugh Ellerman

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

The Great Plains biome supports biodiverse plant and animal communities, provides a wide array of ecosystem services, and is depended upon by agricultural economies. Despite these advantages, however, Great Plains grasslands are becoming increasingly degraded by landcover changes due to agriculture and urbanization, fragmentation, loss of biodiversity and invasion by woody species. Woody encroachment is a biome-wide threat to Great Plains plant and wildlife communities and is therefore managed, though with variable success. I investigated the efficacy of invasive tree management projects in restoring tallgrass prairies in southeast Nebraska and regenerating oak gallery forests along the Niobrara River. I measured …

Geoscience Education Research: Trends And Applications In Undergraduate Courses, Diane Lally

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

Water resources are progressively under pressure from anthropogenic uses. Students need to learn about water systems as they are the future decision-makers and problem solvers who will be faced with unknown challenges in the future. The overarching goals of this dissertation were: 1) to identify ways in which geoscience instructors are incorporating systems thinking and science modeling in their teaching along with the accompanying methods for improving systems thinking and modeling implementation and 2) explore how the implementation of science modeling and systems thinking increase student evaluation of models and the understanding of hydrologic content. Data for these studies came …

Using The Elaboration Likelihood Model As A Method To Teach Science Communication, Ann Briggs

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

For most scientists, researchers, and resource professionals, the act of communicating their science is not the focus of their training or practice. While the importance of sharing information with the general public is widely accepted, many professionals have not been taught how to communicate with the public. They rely on trial and error and other methods that often lead to misunderstanding and miscommunication. Science communication is a necessary step to keep society engaged and informed about science and the scientific process, and a lack of science communication to the public leads to misinformation, and ultimately a lack of trust in …