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Shifting Public Perception: Climate Change Means Living With Fire And Smoke, Robert Froembling

Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental, & Innovation Law

The urgency to prepare for the climate crisis has never been greater. We are currently living in the sixth mass extinction and the effects are only going to accelerate. We will inherit more wildfires, larger wildfires, and more frequent wildfires.

This piece is not meant to stoke fear in its readers or be depressing, but to shift public perception on what our future holds by evaluating the laws and science presented to us. This piece will look at regional and federal regulations and assess the increased rate of forest fires and the grave public health concerns from stagnant smoke specifically …

Effects Of Polyethylene Glycol-Induced Water Stress On The Physiological And Biochemical Responses Of Different Sorghum Genotypes, Jeong-Sung Jung, Zada Muhammad, Ki-Won Lee, Jin-Youg Mun, Hyung-Soo Park, Young-Jin Kim, Won-Ho Kim, Sang-Hoon Lee, Sang-Hack Lee

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Globally, abiotic stress is the primary cause of crop loss, reducing the average yields of most major crop plants by more than 50% (Bray et. al., 2000). Drought stress is one of the most widespread environmental stresses when the total area of arable land is classified according to the occurrence of various stress factors (Arora et al., 2002).

Drought and other abiotic stresses limit the photosynthetic activity of various crops, which in turn reduces the production of photosynthetic assimilates. Almost every developmental stage of the plant is affected by water stress. However, it has been observed that drought …

Genetic Variability In Napier Grass (Pennisetum Purpureum) Germplasm Conserved At Icrisat Genebank, Santosh K. Pattanashetti, H. D. Upadhyaya, Michael Blummel, K. N. Reddy, Y. Ramanareddy, Vinod Kumar, Sube Singh

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Napier grass or elephant grass [Pennisetum purpureum Schum.] is an important forage crop in tropical and sub-tropical regions valued for its high biomass production, perennial nature, pest resistance, and forage quality. It is a unique grass species with high dry matter, which sustains its utilization for direct animal grazing and as a feed complement during drought periods. It has additional advantages like preventing soil erosion and improving soil fertility. Napier grass also has potential for bioenergy production and conversion to alcohol or methane due to its rapid growth and degradable biomass characteristics. The present study was planned to assess …

Predicting The Yield Potential Of Guinea Grass (Panicum Maximum Jacq.) Genotypes Across India Through G X E Analysis, C. Babu, K. Iyanar, A. Kalamani

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A native of Africa, Guinea grass (Panicum maximum Jacq.) was introduced to almost all tropical countries as a source of animal fodder. It is an ideal forage plant being perennial in growth habit, grows well on a wide variety of soils and tolerant of shade and fire, but not to water logging or severe drought. It also responds quickly to fertilizer and watering. Because of these desirable features, guinea grass is well established throughout tropical countries of both hemispheres where it plays an important role in dairy production.

Owing to the cultivation of this crop in varied agro-climatic conditions …

Molecular Diversity In Sewan Grass (Lasiurus Sindicus Henr.): A Natural Inhabitant Of Hot Arid Ecosystem Of Thar Desert, Rajwant K. Kalia, R. K. Bhatt, Ramavtar Sharma, M. P. Rajora, Rama Dadheech

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Lasiurus sindicus Henr., locally known as “Sewan”, a member of family poaceae, is a tufted perennial, forming a more or less oblique and woody rhizomatous rootstock with many shoots arising from the base, often appearing almost bushy. This grass has developed a number of morphological, anatomical and biochemical strategies to withstand the extreme climatic conditions. The leaves show characteristic C₄ NADP-ME type of anatomy and have developed sclerenchyma to impart mechanical strength during drought and high wind. Sewan is a dominating grass species of Dichanthium-Cenchrus–Lasiurus type grass lands of hot arid ecosystem of Great Indian Desert, covering western Rajasthan …

Genetic Variability In Sorghum Exotic Accessions For Nutritional Attributes And Methane Emission Potential, Sultan Singh, D. C. Joshi, R. V. Kumar

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Sorghum an important fodder crop grown for multiple uses as fodder, food and fuel constitute major chunk of forage produced in India. Over the past years Indian farmer’s preference to dual purpose sorghum has changed. Introduction of dual-purpose sorghum varieties to sustain rural development, enhance renewable energy production and improve food security has been stressed Genetic variability of sorghum may be exploited to bred dual purpose hybrids/varieties for higher fodder yield without compromising grain yield.Substantial variations in the fodder value of sorghum stovers have been reported that supports the concept of genetic enhancement to improve dual-purpose sorghum cultivars. Under the …

Wild Halophyte Plants As Potential Fodder Resource Under Extreme Saline Environment Of Kachchh, Gujarat, India, Shamsudheen Mangalassery, Devi Dayal, A. K. Mishra, Sachin Patel, Nisha Goswami

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Rann of Kachchh in North West India is a unique saline marshy desert. It is described as "a desolate area of unrelieved, sun-baked saline clay desert, shimmering with the images of a perpetual mirage"(Mountfort et al., 1991) and is regarded as the largest salt desert in the world. In the Indian part it stretches in 7505.22 sq. km known as Great Rann and 4,953 sq. km known as Little Rann. The Ranns turns into marshy land by inundated water from runoff during monsoonal rainfall and water driven by forces of winds and tides from Arabian Sea making the area unapproachable …

Role Of Panicum Turgidum Dominated Rangelands In Conservation Of Caralluma Edulis In Thar Desert, India, Kulloli Ravikiran Ningappa, Suresh Kumar, J. P. Singha

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Rangelands are colonized vast natural landscapes in the form of grasslands. These are mostly dominated by native grass species. Once a patch is colonized by a pioneer species, complex interactions may develop among plants of different species. The frequency of positive interactions has been shown to be high in harsh environments, particular in arid environments, where it has been identified as a driving mechanism of vegetation dynamics (Bruno et al., 2003). These processes commonly involve nurse plants (Niering et al., 1963) that facilitate the establishment of other plants species beneath their canopies (Franco and Nobel, 1988). Based on …

Genetic Diversity Analysis Of Mutant Lines Of Oat (Avena Sativa L.) Based On Rapd And Issr Analysis, Anoop Kumar Mehta, M. H. Basha, V. K. Gour, M. Neeta, S. K. Biliaya, Satish Kachare

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The genus Avena belongs to the grass family Poaceae and has ploidy levels of diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid with basic chromosome number of 7 (n=7). Oat (Avena sativa L.) is one of the most important forage and feed crops of the world. Oat is used as green fodder, straw, hay or silage. Oat grain makes a good balanced concentrate in the rations for poultry, cattle, sheep and other animals. Green fodder contains about 10 to 13% protein and 30 to 35% dry matter. Despite being high fed fodder crop, it is now gaining importance as food due to its …

Genetic Improvement And Conservation Of Range And Forage Species Of Arid Region Of Rajasthan State Of India: Achievements And Challenges, Surendra Singh Shekhawat

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Forage crops and grasses are important in arid region of Rajasthan state of India because most of the area is rainfed. Main occupation of the farmers in the area is animal husbandry. Important green fodder crops of this region are, viz. pearl millet, cowpea, cluster bean and sorghum in Kharif season and oats, lucerne and barley (dual purpose) during Rabi season. Three perennial fodder grasses, viz. Lasiurus sindicus, Cenchrus ciliaris and Cenchrus setigerus are important in the region. Guinea grass and bajra x napier hybrid can also be cultivated where sufficient water is available throughout the year from canal …

What In Tarnation? Monitoring Animal Entrapments At The Rozel Tar Seeps, Mary Sanchez, Cayla Martin, Jaimi Butler, David Kimberly, Foad Yousef

Utah Space Grant Consortium

The Great Salt Lake (GSL) is one of the largest migratory stops for many species of birds in North America. At Rozel Point, along the banks of the Great Salt Lake, there are tar seeps where some species of birds have gotten entrapped and died. These petroleum seeps are both naturally occurring and human created. The temperature that the seeps become sticky, the possibility of prey animals drawing predators in, and the appearance of the tar seeps are all important aspects of why birds are drawn to these seeps. Using motion sensor cameras and temperature monitoring devices, the animals that …

Socioeconomic Analyses Of Renewable Energy Options For Sub-Saharan Africa : A Regional And National Approach, Sydney Oluoch

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The energy demands of future Sub Saharan African (SSA) economies will be primarily driven by population and economic development. The expected primary challenge will be meeting the increased energy demands while mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This can be achieved by reducing dependence on fossil fuels and transitioning towards renewable sources of energy. This dissertation aims at assessing renewable energy options for SSA through three primary objectives. First, we provided insight into the scope, trends, and focus of renewable energy research in SSA by quantitatively reviewing scientific articles. The approach allowed us to determine the geographical scope, different types of …

Evaluating The Influences Of Harvesting Activity And Eutrophication On Loss Of Aquatic Vegetations In Taihu Lake, China, Juhua Luo, Ruiliang Pu, Hongtao Duan, Ronghua Ma, Zhigang Mao, Yuan Zeng, Linsheng Huang, Qitao Xiao

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

A rapid degradation of aquatic vegetations in Taihu Lake has roused a wide attention in recent years. Giving large-scale harvesting activity on aquatic vegetation since 2012, whether water eutrophication or the human harvest activity induced the degradation remains controversial and unclear. In this study, based on Landsat and HJ-CCD data acquired from 1984 to 2016 and a 12-year field observation (2005–2016) of water quality, a method was proposed to quantitatively assess impacts of harvesting activity and water quality change on degradations of both floating-leaved aquatic vegetation (FAV) and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in Taihu Lake. First, areas of FAV and …

Soil Microbial Diversity And Litter Decomposition Increase With Time Since Land Use Disturbance In Tropical Montane Forests Of Malaysian Borneo, Renee Sniegocki

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Logging and forest conversion are occurring at alarming rates in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. These disturbances alter soil chemistry, microbial diversity, and disrupt carbon cycling through shifts in litter decomposition. Direct links between microbial diversity and soil properties such as pH are well established; however, the indirect impacts of logging and forest conversion on microbial diversity and litter decomposition are poorly understood. We used surface (5 cm) soil to assess soil physicochemical properties, next-generation DNA sequencing to assess soil microbial diversity, and standardized litterbags to assess litter decomposition stabilization at five sites along a land use disturbance gradient …

Struvite Behavior And Effects As A Fertilizer-Phosphorus Source Among Arkansas Soils, Ryder Shaw Anderson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Phosphorus (P) is a fundamental element that is involved in many essential biological processes in all forms of life and is a major component in commercial fertilizers. Traditional P fertilizers are derived from rock phosphate (RP), which is limited in supply and expected to be depleted over the next 250 years. Phosphorus recovery technology has been an area of recent interest due to the potential food security risk of traditional RP-derived fertilizer-P sources. Magnesium ammonium phosphate (MgNH4PO4 · 6H2O), which is the mineral struvite, is a wastewater-recovered mineral that has gained attention as a potential sustainable fertilizer-P source. The primary …

Charismatic Predators In Modern Africa: Spotted Hyena (Crocuta Crocuta) And Human Coexistence In The Northern Tuli Game Reserve, Botswana, Jazmin Castillo

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

Increasing human populations has led researchers to investigate the impacts of high human population density and its impact on carnivore populations. Spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) hold a unique place in African ecosystems due to being a very successful top predator with an adaptable diet whereas other top predators, like the African lion, are rapidly decreasing in abundance. We investigated past and current spotted hyena abundance within the Northern Tuli Game Reserve to better aid in wildlife management. Spotted hyenas showed no significant difference in the change in population abundance throughout the different years of the study (2008-2016). Spotted …

Earth Science - Oil Spills And Dust Bowls: Earth's Systems, Cassandra Armstrong, Peg Steffen, Elizabeth Martinez

Model NGSS Lessons: 4th - 5th Grade

Earth is comprised of four interconnected systems: geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. All of Earth’s processes are due to energy and matter cycling within and among these four systems. Because these systems are so connected, it is important to understand both individual characteristics of each system independently as well as features of their interactions with each other.

Earth/Space Science - Earth's Place In Space: Seasonal Change, Elizabeth Martinez, Peg Steffen

Model NGSS Lessons: 4th - 5th Grade

A key Disciplinary Core Idea for understanding our place in space is that the orbits of Earth and the sun and of the moon around Earth cause observable patterns. These include day and night; daily changes in the length of shadows; and different positions of the sun, moon, and stars at different times. There are many misconceptions about earth’s orbit but it is important to remember and to convey to students that Earth is moving around the Sun and the Moon is moving around us. What we see each day with the motion of the Sun moving across the sky …

Wildlife Use Of Road Mitigation Structures In Relation To Their Construction, Structural Characteristics, And Environmental Factors Along A South Texas Highway, Anna D. Rivera Roy

Theses and Dissertations

Roads are known to negatively impact wildlife by fragmenting habitat and mortality caused by wildlife-vehicle collisions. Road mitigation structures, such as wildlife crossing structures (WCS), wildlife guards (WG), and fencing are commonly used to address the issue of roads. In South Texas, such structures were built or modified along State Highway (SH) 100 in Cameron County as an effort to conserve the endangered ocelot (Leopardus pardalis). Camera traps were deployed to monitor these structures as a way to assess their effectiveness in restricting wildlife entry into the roadway with fencing and WG and conveying wildlife movement across roads …

Paleoecology Of Columbian And Pygmy Mammoths In Southern Nevada And California: How Terminal Pleistocene Ecosystems Shaped Mammoths At The Individual, Population, And Community Level, Lauren Elizabeth Parry

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this dissertation research is to examine the paleoecology of the Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi) and the pygmy mammoth (M. exilis) on the individual, population, and community level, emphasizing factors internal to their ecosystem that may have contributed to their extinction. I focus specifically on mammoths from Southern Nevada and Southern California to add regional data to the complex and evolving study of North American mammoth paleoecology.

Chapter 2 documents the permitted excavation of a partial mammoth (Mammuthus sp.) between 2016-2018 from late Pleistocene groundwater-discharge deposits near Fairbanks Spring in the Amargosa Valley, Nevada. A preliminary radiocarbon date …

An Unusual Mastodon Revisited: Providing A Regional Focus For Mammut Americanum (Proboscidea, Mammutidae) In The Southeast, Matthew Inabinett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A century ago, two large American mastodon Mammut americanum specimens from coastal South Carolina were mounted for display at Amherst College. Their robust build, broad and pentalophodont third molars, and well-developed mandibular tusks were noted as unusual. Here, these specimens are redescribed; three additional mastodon mandibles from the same region of South Carolina are also described. Though collection information on these specimens is sparse, they appear to span >150 ka in the Middle to Late Pleistocene, and probably include the first report of Mammut from the earliest-Rancholabrean Ten Mile Hill Formation. Some “unusual” features — moderately to extremely broad third …

Detection And Enumeration Of Bacterial Pathogens In The American Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica), Mohammad Maruf Billah

Theses and Dissertations

American oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is a popular seafood for its delicacy and high nutritional value. Based on increasing concern about contamination of bacterial pathogens in raw oyster, my research objectives have been focused on detection and enumeration of two important bacterial pathogens, Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. in the American oyster in south Texas waters, local markets and controlled laboratory studies. Immunohistochemical and RT-PCR analyses showed substantial bacterial pathogen’s presence in gills and digestive glands of oysters collected from San Martin Lake and South Padre Island as well as local markets. Laboratory studies showed increasing trend of both …

Effects Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (Amf) On Growth And Herbivore Defenses In Sorghum Sudangrass (Sorghum X Drummondii), Jasleen Kaur

Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 2: In this chapter we have examined the role of trichomes in plant stress biology, reviewed the studies on herbivore X trichome interactions, and their role in plant defences. Ultimately, we have proposed new areas of research for future work.

Chapter 3: In this chapter, we examined whether AMF has cascading effects on insect community dynamics through attraction/repulsion of beneficial and damaging insects using Sorghum-sudangrass (Sorghum x drummondii), either inoculated with commercial AMF mix or left as control in lab and field experiments. Our results suggest positive effects of AMF on plant growth, and a lower initial incidence of …

Storm Sampling To Assess Inclement Weather Impacts On Water Quality In A Karst Watershed: Sinking Creek, Watauga Watershed, East Tennessee, Porcha Mccurdy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Escherichia coli changes in Sinking Creek, an impaired water body in the Watauga watershed of northeast Tennessee, were assessed during storm events using water samples collected with ISCO automated samplers during eight storms at two locations. Turbidity and electrical conductivity (EC) data loggers were deployed in the creek, and dissolved oxygen (DO) was measured in situ to test the stream’s water quality and reaction to inclement weather. Cotton fabric was deployed at both locations and sent to an external lab to test for the presence of Optical Brighteners (OB), which are indicators of residential wastewater. E. coli and turbidity at …

Archaeological, Geophysical, And Geospatial Analysis At David Crockett Birthplace State Park, In Upper East Tennessee, Reagan Cornett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A geophysical survey was conducted at David Crockett Birthplace State Park (40GN205, 40GN12) using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and magnetometry. The data indicated multiple levels of occupation that were investigated by Phase II and Phase III archaeological excavations. New cultural components were discovered, including the remnants of a Protohistoric Native American structure containing European glass trade beads and Middle Woodland artifacts that suggest trade with Hopewell groups from Ohio. A circular Archaic hearth was uncovered at one meter below surface and similar deep anomalies were seen in the GPR data at this level. A semi-automated object-based image analysis (OBIA) was implemented …

Ontogenetic And Adult Shape Variation In The Endocast Of Tapirus: Implications For T. Polkensis From The Gray Fossil Site, Thomas M. Gaetano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Endocranial morphology provides evidence of sensory ecology and sociality of extinct vertebrates. The Earliest Pliocene Gray Fossil Site (GFS) of NE Tennessee features a conspicuous dominance of skeletal elements belonging to the dwarf tapir, Tapirus polkensis. Numerous individuals in one fossil locality often suggests gregarious behavior, but sociality in T. polkensis contradicts behavior documented for extant Tapirus species. I test T. polkensis for variation in sensory and social ecology using computed tomography and 3D digital endocasts from an ontogenetic sequence. I compare the T. polkensis endocasts with extant Tapirus species using Encephalization Quotients (EQs) and 3D geometric morphometrics. Results …

Survival Of Off-Host Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) Annulatus (Acari: Ixodidae) Larvae In Study Arenas In Relation To Climatic Factors And Habitats In South Texas, Usa, Emily Jesselle Zamora

Theses and Dissertations

The cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus (Say), is an economically destructive arthropod because of its ability to vector bovine babesiosis. Cattle fever ticks can spend more than 90% of their life cycle as questing larvae, but the effect of climatic factors on their off-host behavior and survival is unclear. The goal of this study was to measure the effects of specific ecological factors on off-host larvae in nature. The study was conducted in a south Texas pasture over a 20-mo period, during which time larval populations were surveyed and ambient weather variables - relative humidity and temperatures – were …

A Tale Of Two Species: Black-Tailed And White-Tailed Prairie Dog Biogeography From The Last Interglacial To 2070, April Dawn Bledsoe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ecological niche models (ENMs) were created for White-tailed and Black-tailed prairie dogs and projected into the Last Interglacial (LI), the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), and mid-Holocene (mid-H) to discern possible past suitable habitat for both species. Additionally, ENMs were projected into the future year 2070 representative concentration pathways (RCPs) 2.6 and 8.5 to discern how climate change may affect future habitat suitability. Kernel density estimations, minimum convex polygons, and median distribution centers of White-tailed and Black-tailed occurrence records were examined between time-periods to discern the effects of anthropogenic westward expansion on both species’ distributions. Current ENMs were constructed from commonly …

Characterization Of Surface Karst Using Lidar And Field Traverses, Fort Hood Military Installation, Coryell County, Texas, Heather Jaclyn Dailey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Fort Hood Military Installation is a karst landscape that has been significantly altered for training exercises that include heavy vehicle maneuvers and simulated combat. Traditional karst surveys are often time-consuming and require extensive field analyses to adequately characterize large areas. Bias is given to areas that are most easily accessible and false negatives are common. Previous studies conducted in the eastern and western portion of the base have understated the abundance and spatial distribution of karst, particularly in the western portion.

This study used field traverses and 0.5-meter Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data to characterize surface karst depressions, …

An Isotopic Assessment Of Late Prehistoric Interregional Warfare In The Southcentral Us, John R. Samuelsen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Skull burials are found all over the world. The cause of such ancient Native Americans deposits often lead to disagreement among scholars torn between warfare and ancestor veneration. One skull-and-mandible deposit, representing at least 352 people (A.D. 1253-1399), was uncovered at the Crenshaw site, a multiple-mound Caddo ceremonial center in southwest Arkansas. Most previous research suggested they were victims of interregional warfare from the Southern Plains or Mississippi Valley. One previous study hypothesized that this was a Caddo burial practice which expanded during the Middle Caddo period (A.D. 1200-1500) due to the adoption of maize as a staple and a …