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Depositional Controls And Sequence Stratigraphy Of Lacustrine To Marine Transgressive Deposits In A Rift Basin, Lower Cretaceous Bluff Mesa, Indio Mountains, West Texas, Andrew Anderson

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Successful hydrocarbon exploration in former rift basins of the South Atlantic pre-salt has generated interest in understanding depositional, diagenetic, and stratigraphic controls on pre-salt deposits. However, most studies to date have focused on attributes and controls on presalt lacustrine carbonate reservoir systems and little work has been done on the overlying marine sealing facies. Currently our standard sequence stratigraphic model of marine transgression of rift systems involves a single pulse of marine flooding over fluvially-incised valleys resulting in backstepping of fluvial and estuarine siliciclastic facies within the erosionally confined zone of an incised valley. However, the pre-salt systems of the …

Fish Assemblage Structure Indicates Limited Restoration Progress Over A Lustrum Of A Severely Degraded Estuary In Southern Tamaulipas, Mexico, Alejandro Fierro-Cabo, Carlos E. Cintra-Buenrostro

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Today the biggest incentive to attempt the restoration and protection of estuarine systems is their widely recognized ecological and economic importance. In the reconstruction of an estuary where the original aquatic communities disappeared before the restoration interventions, the fish assemblage is an adequate source of indicators of initial recovery. Following substantial restoration efforts, this study reports on the biannual for a lustrum monitoring and assessment of a severely degraded estuary (Garrapatas) in terms of its fish assemblage using a reference estuary (Barberena) in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Twenty fishes were associated with the restoring and reference estuaries. Species composition (richness, abundance, dominance) …

Impact Of The Capillary Pressure-Saturation Pore-Size Distribution Parameter On Geological Carbon Sequestration Estimates, Chu-Lin Cheng, Edmund Perfect, T. Edward Yu, Michael J. Gragg

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Cost estimates for geologic carbon sequestration (GCS) are vital for policy and decision makers evaluating carbon capture and storage strategies. Numerical models are often used in feasibility studies for the different stages of carbon injection and redistribution. Knowledge of the capillary pressure-saturation function for a selected storage rock unit is essential in applications used for simulating multiphase fluid flow and transport. However, the parameters describing these functions (e.g. the van Genuchten m pore size distribution parameter) are often not measured or neglected compared to other physical properties such as porosity and intrinsic permeability. In addition, the use of average …

Linear And Nonlinear Effects Of Temperature And Precipitation On Ecosystem Properties In Tidal Saline Wetlands, Laura C. Feher, Michael J. Osland, Kereen T. Griffith, James B. Grace, Rebecca J. Howard, Camille L. Stagg, Nicholas M. Enwright, Ken W. Krauss, Christopher A. Gabler, Richard H. Day, Kerrylee Rogers

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Climate greatly influences the structure and functioning of tidal saline wetland ecosystems. However, there is a need to better quantify the effects of climatic drivers on ecosystem properties, particularly near climate‐sensitive ecological transition zones. Here, we used climate‐ and literature‐derived ecological data from tidal saline wetlands to test hypotheses regarding the influence of climatic drivers (i.e., temperature and precipitation regimes) on the following six ecosystem properties: canopy height, biomass, productivity, decomposition, soil carbon density, and soil carbon accumulation. Our analyses quantify and elucidate linear and nonlinear effects of climatic drivers. We quantified positive linear relationships between temperature and above‐ground productivity …

Molecular And Biochemical Responses Of Hypoxia Exposure In Atlantic Croaker Collected From Hypoxic Regions In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Md. Saydur Rahman, Peter Thomas

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

A major impact of global climate change has been the marked increase worldwide in the incidence of coastal hypoxia (dissolved oxygen, DOhif-α; neuronal nitric oxide synthase, nNOS; and insulin-like growth factor binding protein, igfbp mRNAs and protein carbonyl (PC, an oxidative stress indicator) content were elevated several-fold in brain and liver tissues of croaker collected from nGOM hypoxic sites. All of these molecular and biochemical biomarkers were also upregulated ~3-10-fold in croaker brain and liver tissues within 1–2 days of hypoxia exposure in controlled laboratory experiments. These results suggest that hif-αs, nNOS and igfbp-1 transcripts and PC contents …

Aplikasi Pupuk Organik Terhadap Hasil Kacang Hijau (Vigna Radiate L.) Di Ultisol, Ida Widiyawati, T. Harjoso, T. T. Taufik

Jurnal Kultivasi

Permasalahan budidaya kacang hijau di Indonesia adalah produktivitas yang masih rendah dan lahan budidaya yang terbatas, sehingga dapat diatasi dengan mengoptimalkan lahan marginal seperti tanah ultisol untuk kegiatan budidaya kacang hijau. Tujuan pene-litian ini adalah untuk mengetahui varietas kacang hijau dan jenis pupuk organik yang mampu menghasilkan produksi tinggi di tanah ultisol. Penelitian dilakukan menggunakan polibag di Screen House, Fakultas Pertanian, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman pada bulan Juli-September 2015. Penelitian menggunakan Rancangan Acak Kelompok Lengkap (RAKL) dengan dua faktor. Faktor pertama adalah varietas kacang hijau yang terdiri atas tiga varietas, yaitu Vima 1, Betet, dan Murai. Faktor kedua adalah jenis pupuk, …

Pertumbuhan Dan Hasil Padi Gogo Hubungannya Dengan Kandungan Prolin Dan 2-Acetyl-1-Pyrroline Pada Kondisi Kadar Air Tanah Berbeda, A. Y. Rahayu, T. A.D. Haryanto, S. N. Iftitah

Jurnal Kultivasi

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui respons varietas padi gogo pada kadar air tanah berbeda terhadap pertumbuhan, hasil dan kandungan prolin dan 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline biji. Penelitian dilaksanakan di Universitas Tidar Magelang mulai bulan September 2012 sampai dengan Maret 2013. Percobaan menggunakan Rancangan Acak Kelompok Lengkap terdiri atas dua faktor yaitu varietas padi gogo (Inpago Unsoed-1, galur JSPGA 136, varietas Situ-bagendit (non-aromatik) dan varietas Mentik Wangi) dan tingkat kadar air tanah (100 % kapasitas lapang dan 50 % kapasitas lapang). Variabel pengamatan meliputi: tinggi tanaman (cm), jumlah anakan total per rumpun (batang), jumlah anakan produktif (batang), total panjang akar (m), umur berbunga (hst), …

The Ribbed Drapery Of The Puerto Princesa Underground River (Palawan, Philippines): Morphology And Genesis, Paolo Forti, Giovanni Badino, Jose Maria Calaforra, Jo De Waele

International Journal of Speleology

During the 2011 speleological expedition to the Puerto Princesa Underground River (Palawan, Philippines) a drapery characterized by several close-to-horizontal ribs has been noticed. Even without sampling and analyzing its internal growth layers, a detailed morphological study allowed to present a possible genetic model. The presented model helps to explain its evolution, which is mainly controlled by variation in water flow as a consequence of the Palawan climate. When validated by further analyses, the same genetic mechanism could define also the evolution of the very common but still unexplained complex flowstones, which exhibit several close-to-horizontal steps, widenings and narrowings along their …

Assessing The Impact Of A Constructed Wetland Biome On The Ecosystem Health Of Cedar Run, Thomas Vasilopoulos, Casey Lee

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

A wetlands ecosystem is defined as “an area saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency or duration sufficient to support...a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions” (Batzer and Sharitz, 2007). Wetlands serve as biofilters and thus have been used to treat sewage and wastewater, as well as to restore the health of polluted water systems. Solly Walker and Lorinda Palin, owners of a certified natural and biodynamic farm called Avalon Acres located in Broadway, Virginia, constructed a wetland two years ago, using the stream, Cedar Run, that flows through their property. Pollution from agricultural …

Seaweed And Seagrass Mapping In Thailand Measured Using Landsat 8 Optical And Textural Image Properties, Satomi Kakuta, Wataru Takeuchi, Anchana Prathep

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Seaweed and seagrass beds are an important ecosystem in coastal zones. However, they are degrading because of various causes, such as the anthropogenic impacts of coastal development, aquaculture, overharvesting, and climate change. To contribute to the research related to coastal blue carbon and marine biodiversity as well as conservation and sustainable management of natural resources in coastal regions, the spatial distribution of benthic cover derived from satellite images can be the most practical tool for monitoring seaweed and seagrass beds. This study aimed at mapping the latest distribution of seaweed and seagrass in Thailand using Landsat 8 images. Thus, we …

Underwater Linear Feature Extraction With Multispectral Band Images: An Evaluation With Level-Set Method In Dongsha Atoll And Zengmu Shoal, Peter Tian-Yuan Shih, Jian-Wei Lin, Cheng-Gi Wang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Optical remote sensing satellite images are a useful and convenient source to provide underwater features, particularly for shallow water areas because light, dependent on wavelength, has the capability to penetrate water. In this study, the information richness of underwater features is investigated for each spectral band of the optical images, and also several derived bands. This assessment is performed with the level-set method for segmentation. Two cases are analyzed in this study. The first study site is the Dongsha atoll, which is composed of Dongsha island, lagoon, and surrounding reefs. The water depth ranges from zero to less than 3 …

Lilliput Effect Dynamics Across The Cretaceous-Paleogene Mass Extinction: Approaches, Prevalence, And Mechanisms, Matthew Brett Jarrett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An organism's body size entails both physiological and ecological costs. Furthermore, as a parameter in analyzing organisms, it represents a fundamental and essential morphometric character. Reductions in size following mass extinction is a commonly observed phenomenon in the fossil record. This study examines the evolutionary significance of this phenomenon termed the: 'Lilliput Effect' by proposing that it represents a rapid evolutionary response to altered selection pressures during a mass extinction. This primary hypothesis is evaluated against two additional hypotheses of size reduction: 1) stunted growth as a response to stressed ecosystems, and/or 2) mass extinctions are size selective.

These hypotheses …

Mapping The Impact Of Intensive Rotational Grazing On Soil Fertility Over Time On Greenbrier Farms In Pickens County, South Carolina, Emily Kirby

Earth and Environmental Sciences Presentations

Intensive rotational grazing (IRG) is a management technique that involves a more intentional management approach which includes increased paddock numbers, shorter grazing periods, larger livestock presence per acre, and longer periods of rest on pastures. Potential advantages of this management technique include improved forage quality, greater yield, decreased erosion, stable production during adverse growing condition, and improved soil fertility. This study collects and analyzes data to understand the impact of rotational grazing on soil fertility as measured by SOC (soil organic carbon) and SON (soil organic nitrogen) on Greenbrier Farms in Easley, South Carolina. This study analyzes the transition from …

The Impact Of Organic Farms: Biodiversity And Climate Change Resilience In The Southeast, Josie Newton

Earth and Environmental Sciences Presentations

Resilience to climate change serves as an indicator of the effectiveness of organic farming practices. Resilience means that an area is able to return to a stable state after a disturbance. In this context, it means that the area is able to function regularly even in the face of climate change, an instance that affects species health and biodiversity. By mapping the locations of organic farms across the southeastern United States along with the resilience scores of areas as evaluated by The Nature Conservancy and comparing this map to farm locations and biodiversity measures, we are able to determine the …

Habitat Quality Modeling For Bird Species At Furman University, Emma Cook

Earth and Environmental Sciences Presentations

In rapidly urbanizing areas, such as Greenville County in Upstate South Carolina, it is important to study habitat use and quality across land cover types in order to maximize conservation. Habitat fragmentation is a threat to many species of birds in areas with increasing development, especially those species that utilize larger forest patches for nesting and foraging. While land cover type and patch size are extremely important factors in determining habitat quality for birds, recent research has shown that the matrix of surrounding landscape proves to be very important as well. The landscape matrix, sometimes called landscape mosaic, considers the …

Soundscape Mapping: Spatial Variability Of Sound At Furman University, Alec Schindler

Earth and Environmental Sciences Presentations

Looking at the entire soundscape and studying its spatial variability can often give us important information about the health of the ecosystem. However, most previous studies only measure sound intensity, and are therefore limited in their depiction of the soundscape. Another tool for mapping soundscapes is SPreAD-GIS. This tool models sound propagation in an area. However, previous studies have only used it to evaluate the effects of noise pollution, but not applied it towards depicting the soundscape as a whole. I mapped the soundscape of Furman University’s campus using sound intensity as well as many different soundscape indices in order …

Residual Effects Of Nitrogen Fertilization On Soil Nitrogen Pools And Corn Growth, Meghan E. Moser

Open Access Theses

Given the dynamic nature of soil nitrogen (N), inorganic N fertilization to corn (Zea mays L.) has potential to alter N pool balance by creating an accumulation or depletion of soil N. Current corn N recommendations in the common corn-soybean rotation of Indiana strive to find the best N rate that maximizes producer profit. Increasing our understanding of soil N will inform producers if they should adjust fertilizer rates for corn to influence maintenance of organic N and Carbon. Our objective was to determine residual N effects from fertilized corn in a corn-soybean rotation by measuring (1) soil N …

Annual Forage Cropping-Systems For Midwestern Ruminant Livestock Production, John Ernest Mcmillan

Open Access Dissertations

Annual forage cropping systems are a vital aspect of livestock forage production. One area where this production system can be enhanced is the integration of novel annual forages into conventional cropping systems. Two separate projects were conducted to investigate alternative forage options in annual forage production. In the first discussed research trial, two sets of crops were sown following soft red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain harvest, at two nitrogen application rates 56 and 112 kg ha-1 . The first set of crops were C4 summer annuals seeded within two weeks of wheat grain harvest and included, brown …

The Relationship Between Lead In Groundwater And Elementary School Students' Academic Performance In Missouri, Lynnette Xiangling Li

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Lead exposure can come from various sources, e.g., lead mines, industrial areas, and lead based paint. Missouri has more than 4,128 lead mines. Lead is a neurotoxin. The objectives of the study were to investigate i) the spatial relationship between lead mines and lead distribution in groundwater, ii) the statistical impact of lead in groundwater on students' Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) scores, and iii) the geographic variations of lead's impact on students' MAP scores. Geographic Information Science spatial analysis tools were used to analyze the concentration of lead in groundwater within school districts in Missouri. Regression analysis was utilized to …

Channel Sediment And Mining-Lead Storage In Flat River Creek, Old Lead Belt, Missouri, Ralph Joseph Hill

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Historical mining for lead (Pb) in the Old Lead Belt District introduced large volumes of tailings into nearby streams resulting in the large-scale contamination of channel bed and bar deposits in Big River which drains the southeastern Missouri Ozarks. Tailings pile sites have been remediated so that present contamination sources to the river are primarily from the remobilization of Pb stored in channel and floodplain deposits. This study examined the channel geomorphology and sediment geochemistry of Flat River Creek (FRC), a major tributary to the Big River which drains an area that includes three of the six major mines in …

How Do Designers Of The Built Environment Attempt To Make Ecological Sustainability Sensory Legible?, Carly L. Bartow

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper attempts to provide a theoretical framework for making ecosystem function and ecologically sustainable design more perceptible or sensible to people through architecture and the built environment. Design features of the Bertschi School Science Wing and the Bullitt Center in Seattle, Washington are incorporated to illustrate the sensory legibility of ecological sustainability criteria.The criteria are available to designers to help educate a building's occupants on environmentally sustainable design and motivate more sustainable behavior.

Exploring The Potential Impacts Of Climate Change On North America's Laurentian Great Lakes Tourism Sector, Natalie Chin

Open Access Dissertations

Climate change is one of the major challenges facing the global hospitality and tourism sector in the coming century and, given the important role that weather and climate play in all aspects of the tourism experience, tourism businesses owners need to start thinking about and enacting climate change adaptation strategies now. This work has utilized a combination of social science and physical science methods to (1) understand how the Great Lakes tourism sector could be impacted by climate change and (2) provide some insights into how researchers can help business owners prepare for these potential impacts. Overall, the results of …

An Examination Of Geographic Patterns Of Soil Climate And Its Classification In The U.S. System Of Soil Taxonomy, Hans Edwin Winzeler

Open Access Dissertations

Soil climate, the record of temporal patterns of soil moisture and temperature, is an important component of the structure of U.S. Soil Taxonomy. The U.S. Soil Survey has used the Newhall Simulation Model (NSM) for estimating soil climate from atmospheric climate records at weather stations since the 1970s. The current soil climate map of the U.S. was published in 1994 by using NSM runs from selected weather stations along with knowledge-based hand-drawn mapping procedures. We developed a revised soil climate mapping methodology using the NSM and digital soil mapping techniques.

The new methodology is called Grid Element Newhall Simulation Model …

Sedimentology Of A Small Estuarine Marsh Along East (Pensacola) Bay, Florida, Jesse Pfadenhauer

Honors Theses

Sediment samples from a marsh along East (Pensacola) Bay were analyzed using various laboratory techniques. The color, magnetic susceptibility, organic content, carbonate content, and sediment size distribution of each sample was measured to attain an overall profile of the sedimentary characteristics of the area. Using the GPS coordinates of each collection site, samples were categorized into sub-environments based on their position within the marsh. The trends within the study area and sub-environments were evaluated and interpreted. The data indicate that this marsh is a siliciclastic, fining-inland area that is frequently inundated with tidal fluctuations and storm surges. These storm surges …

Temporal Co2 Variations And The Influence Of Bat Colonies In Speleogenesis: Continuous Co2 Monitoring In War Eagle Cavern, Arkansas, Ginny Sue Holcomb

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dissolved concentrations of CO2 in a karst aquifer are a major control on calcite dissolutional processes, as CO2 combines chemically with water to form carbonic acid. As increasing amounts of CO2 are added to the system, greater resultant water aggressivity generates greater rates of dissolution. Spatial and temporal variations in carbon flux through the system may occur over a range of time scales, and high-resolution data collection is needed to truly understand and characterize such variability. Continuous CO2 monitoring in War Eagle Cavern, Arkansas, will suggest a number of influential parameters with varying degrees of importance throughout an annual cycle. …

Liming Characteristics Of A High-Calcium, Dry Flue Gas Desulfurization By-Product And Its Effects On Runoff Water Quality, Jason Richard Burgess-Conforti

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In 2013, only 37% of the 32 million Mg of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) by-products generated in the United States were reused beneficially. If FGD by-products could be used as a beneficial soil amendment, millions of megagrams may be diverted away from surface impoundments and landfills. The purpose of this research was to identify the liming characteristics of a high-Ca dry FGD (DFGD) by-product in comparison to a Class-C fly ash (FA) and reagent-grade CaCO3, and to evaluate the effects of land application to a managed grassland on runoff, plant, and soil quality. Liming characteristics were determined by measuring the …

Cover Crop Establishment And Potential Benefits To Arkansas Farmers, Ashley Elizabeth Humphreys

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Soybean farmers in Arkansas need best management practices (BMPs) that maximize the benefits of using cover crops including planting date and fertilization recommendations. An evaluation of cover crop species, planting dates, seeding rates, fertilizer rates, and N accumulation aids in providing these BMPs. The first objective of this research is to assess the effect of planting date on biomass production, as well as looking at the interaction of seeding rate or fertilizer rate for legumes or non-legumes, respectively, using Austrian winter pea (Pisum sativum), cereal rye (Secale cereale), black oats (Avena strigosa), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and tillage radish (Raphanus sativus). …

Parameterizing A Water-Balance Model For Predicting Stormwater Runoff From Green Roofs, Olyssa Starry, John Lea-Cox, Andrew Ristvey, Steven Cohan

University Honors College Faculty Publication and Presentations

Crop coefficients (kc) were calculated for three different species of common green roof succulents from March to November in 2011, to parameterize the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Penman-Monteith equation for use in a mechanistic green roof water-balance model. Seasonally averaged kc values for each species for 2011 were used to predict plant evapotranspiration (ET) in 2012. The adjusted FAO Penman-Monteith equation predicted the total annual ET within 3–13 mm, a substantial improvement over model predictions with kc set to 1, which overpredicted ET by 100 mm or more, depending on the species. The adjusted equation …

Cyclically-Forced Hyperpycnites Of The Ancient Colorado River Proximal Prodelta, Sandra R. Waresak

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Prodeltaic deposits record a distal, minimally reworked archive of dominant processes active at the fluvial-marine interface. The Fish Creek-Vallecito Basin (CA, US) preserves an ~3 km-thick, lower Pliocene, progradational deltaic succession formed when the ancestral Colorado River infiltrated the early Gulf of California. The interpreted prodeltaic unit in this succession (Mud Hills Member of the Deguynos Formation) contains an ~40 m-thick interval of rhythmic bedding with consistently alternating silt- to fine sand-dominated and clay-dominated beds forming couplets with an average thickness of 12 cm. Sedimentological analysis of the rhythmites reveals the couplets are laterally persistent with gradational to sharp, flat …

Growth Of Methanogens In The Presence Of Perchlorate Salts: A Study For Possible Life On Mars, John Cale

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Phoenix Lander collected soil samples from Mars, and it detected perchlorate salts in its analysis [1]. As oxidizing agents, perchlorates pose a threat to the hypothesis that there may be microbial life on Mars. Since Mars is very dry, perchlorate may continue to accumulate in the soil. If anaerobic methanogens inhabit Mars, then they must be able to grow in the presence of perchlorate salts. There were four species of methanogens tested in this project. The methanogens were first exposed to small concentrations of calcium perchlorate, and then they were gradually tested at higher concentrations. Growth was measured by …