Natural Resource Economics Commons^™

Geochemical Analysis And Numerical Modeling Of Central And East Tennessee Mississippi Valley-Type Ore Districts: Constraints On Ore Genesis, Jackson Price Copeland

Geosciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

A simple two-way stochastic mixing model is presented for analysis of the lead (Pb) isotope compositions of the North American Mississippi Valley-Type (MVT) districts of East Tennessee, Central Tennessee, and Central Kentucky. Four distinct mixing scenarios were run to critically evaluate the stochastic model and examine different hypotheses regarding the genesis of Central Tennessee and Central Kentucky MVT deposits. Additionally, Pb isotope analysis was conducted on sphalerite samples from the Central and East Tennessee MVT districts. Model and sampling results suggest that Central Tennessee and Central Kentucky ores likely formed by mixing of three fluids. In contrast to conclusions from …

How Are Agricultural Research Projects Conceiving Innovation? An Assessment Of The European Union Multi-Actor Projects, Samuel Brea Martinez-Collado

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Horizon research programs are the European Union’s lighthouse for innovation and research concerning the agri-food chain, the management of natural resources, and the bioeconomy. Their innovation strategy approach is one that pursues the practical application of the research via the collaboration of all actors involved. Such strategy is the reflection of a Multi-Actor Approach as their procedure to enhance innovation. This paper presents the main trends and directions 101 Multi-Actor Projects (MAPs) are following on said approach towards innovation. The analysis is based on the use of well-defined “pathways” and “measures” proposed in the Guidelines for Evaluation of Innovation in …

Interpreting Potential Groundwater Policies Through Modeling Of Market And Non-Market Benefits And Costs, Grant H. West

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Current policies leveraging financial incentives and improved irrigation efficiency to mitigate groundwater scarcity have not proven to curtail trends of resource depletion. Groundwater benefits cannot be appropriately valued solely on market forces, and so deeper policy consideration is warranted under a framework that considers the importance of groundwater across all its values to society. Understanding time preferences for groundwater management and preferences for alternative policies is vital to inform efficient policies. Furthermore, climate change remains politically controversial yet has important consequences for critical groundwater resources and their sustainable long-term management. Proliferating policy narratives concerning climate change could influence the way …

Producer Preferences For Alternative Irrigation Practices In The Arkansas Delta, Robert Edward Rosene

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

We use a bivariate sample selection model to address peer network effects on participation in and/or intensity of use of land being irrigated by alternative irrigation practices in the state of Arkansas. As groundwater in the state becomes more limited, the use of scientific scheduling, flowmeters, and more efficient row crop water application systems will allow producers to better manage water resources. We find relatively large, positive relationships between belonging to a peer network of the same irrigation practice and participation in that practice. Intensity of use of alternative irrigation techniques is mostly influenced by which crop type the practice …

Lithium And The Foreseeable Future, Paolo Vargas

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper aims to clarify the uncertainties regarding worldwide lithium resource availability in the years to come. Previous studies made on the subject are presented with some ambiguity and this work intends to fill the gaps. The information and data presented throughout this script with respect to global lithium resources and reserves are mostly based on data released by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Lithium resource availability in the future is a point of paramount significance primarily for the automotive, portable electronics, and the power generation industry. Since, a change of supply would ultimately affect the price of lithium, …

Electricity Generation, Electricity Consumption, And Energy Efficiency In The United States: A Dual Climatic-Behavioral Approach, Christopher A. Craig

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Much of the United States (US) has seen an increase in warm days, decrease in cool days, and increase in extreme weather events. These trends are projected to continue across much of the US and in turn increase the demand for electricity and subsequent greenhouse gas emissions. Ambitious energy efficiency (EE) programs are used across the US by energy utility organizations to reduce electricity demand and emissions. This study examined the impact of climatic variability on electricity consumption, as well as how pro-conservation interventions such as EE programs and experiential learning can be utilized to mitigate residential electricity consumption and …

Nitrogen And Phosphorus Enrichment Effects On Nutrient Supply In Reservoirs: A Small-Scale Approach, Jessalyn G. Kohn

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Eutrophication is a problem in many lakes, but the reduction of nutrient inputs such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) to combat eutrophication can lead to an oligotrophic state, which may be unable to support healthy aquatic ecosystems. This study examined how different rates of chemical fertilization with N and P during times of nutrient limitation (mid-summer) could affect particulate N and C concentrations in four lakes in northwest Arkansas. Fertilization experiments were conducted in microcosms during the month of July 2014. Water samples from each lake were collected and divided into six treatments: control, P-only, N:P 10, 20, 40, …

Investing In An Agricultural Legacy, Leo Paul Goeringer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

America's agricultural producers continue to age. According to the U.S. Census of Agriculture, the average age of farm operators increased from 55.3 in 2002 to 57.1 in 2007. During the same period, the Census shows a thirty percent decrease in the number of farmers under age 25. Young and beginning producers (YBPs) entering agriculture face high startup costs and a shortage of land to own or rent.

With these concerns in mind, this manuscript details the impact of an innovative proposed loan program for YBPs in Arkansas, which would offer concessionary interest rates and loan fees by participating banks for …

Estimating Cost Efficiencies Of Propane Use In Broiler Production: Case Study From Savoy, Arkansas And Trnaca Pri Laborci, Slovak Republic, Zuzana Petrikova

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on analyzing the common practice of U.S. broiler farmers to operate on cash basis instead open credit lines for operating cost of propane gas for heating. Data for analysis were taken over from U.S. ABRF at Savoy and Slovak Farm Univerza at Trnava pri Laborci. Predicting the propane gas usage and propane gas cost was analyzed using the OLS model. It describes impact of selected factors on gas usage and cost. The overall purpose of the thesis is to find out which approach from designed scenarios is more economically efficient for farmer: (a) to pre-purchase propane gas …

Spatial Variations In Willingness To Pay For Water At The Local And Regional Scales Using Geographically Weighted Regression, Robyn Lane Dennis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two decades of rapid urban growth and increasing per capita water consumption has left water providers in Northwest Arkansas concerned about their ability to meet future demand for water. Beaver Water District (BWD) is the largest of four regional water providers that draw from Beaver Lake, the only source of potable water in the region. Growth projections and per capita consumption patterns indicate that BWD could exhaust its raw water allocation as early as 2031. Municipal water customers served by BWD were surveyed about their stated priorities for water use, their water conservation behaviors, and their attitudes and perceptions about …

Making Our Communities Greener: A Case Study Of Promoting Biogas Energy By Tongwei Evergreen Libraries In China, Wenjie Zhou, Tim J. Zou, Elaine X. Dong

University Libraries Faculty Publications and Presentations

Promoting the consumption of new energies, particularly of biogas, in rural areas is a strategic initiative of the Chinese government. The government has incorporated this initiative into many of its rural development plans. Likewise, Tongwei Evergreen Libraries (TEL, 通渭青树图书馆) has also integrated ideas of the initiative into its library services. This paper describes the Biogas Promotion Program (BPP) that TEL implemented, discusses the BPP model and roles of TEL in the program, and analyzes the initial results of the program through surveying local farmers. A survey was developed for this assessment study. The survey results show that the government biogas …

Evaluation Of Best Management Practices To Reduce Nutrients Runoff In Watersheds In Arkansas, Hector German Rodriguez Diaz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There are many non point sources (NPS) of pollution issues across the state of Arkansas. Each region of the state has different concerns. Many watersheds have been included in the Arkansas's 2008 303(d) list for NPS impairments with sediment and nutrients being the primary causes of concern. This research hypothesized that there are no cost or net returns risks when adopting best management practices (BMPs) to control nutrients runoff and that selection, timing, placement and cost have no impact on the implementation of BMPs. Using two priority watersheds, the L'Anguille River and the Lincoln Lake, as examples, the environmental benefits …

The Impact Of Severance Taxes On The Arkansas Natural Gas Market, Tammy Lippert

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

The recent development of the Fayetteville Shale Play, an unconventional natural gas reservoir in Central and Eastern Arkansas, has created considerable opportunities for the state and its citizens as the industry has made substantial investment in the region. These developments have resulted in thousands of new jobs for Arkansans, billions of dollars in direct and indirect output, and millions in state and local tax revenues. One of the most visible issues in recent state news has been the controversy surrounding the severance tax levied by the state government on the extraction of natural gas. The question at hand has been …

Identifying The Factors Distinguishing Timber Sales On Industrial And Non-Industrial Private Forest Lands In Arkansas, Sayeed R. Mehmood, Prabudhda Dahal

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Although forests provide a wide variety of products and services, timber still continues to be the most valued forest product in the marketplace. More than two-third of the nation's forests are under private control, some are owned by industries (about 10%) while a much larger portion (about 59%) is owned by individuals. This study investigates the differences between timber sales offered by industrial and non-industrial ownerships. A test of means revealed that there is a significant difference between per hectare bid for these 2 types of sales. A logistic regression model was then estimated to identify important factors characterizing this …

Agricultural Water Management In The Missippi Delta Region Of Arkansas, H. Don Scott, James A. Ferguson, Linda Hanson, Todd Fugitt, Earl Smith

Research Reports and Research Bulletins

Agriculture is the largest use of soil and water resources in eastern Arkansas. This bulletin summarized the recent historical use of soil and water by agriculture and the impact of irrigation on yields of rice, soybeans and cotton. The experiments conducted in the field to quantitatively schedule irrigations of crops are summarized. The results show the close relationship between the irrigation of crops and the extraction of water from the Alluvial Aquifer. The implications of this relationaship for the future are discussed.

Arkansas' Timber Resource: Yesterday, Today, And Tomorrow, Richard A. Kluender, R. L. Willett

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Demand for forest products continues to rise. Arkansas provides about 4% of the U.S. total forest production and about 12% of the south central region production. Questions exist about the ability of current forest resources to completely meet anticipated future demand. In 1985, the U.S. Forest Service and the Arkansas Timber Study Committee began to analyze the existing forest base to determine whether future demand could be met from the current forest, or if not, what management changes were needed to help meet future demand. In 1985, Arkansas forests covered approximately 48% of the total land area of the state. …

Interspecific Correlations Of Harvest And Price For Arkansas Furbearers: A Cautionary Note, James H. Peck, Gary A. Heidt, Anita J. Giggleman

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.