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Energetic And Economic Aspects Of Rebound, Part Ii: Applications Of The Framework, Matthew Kuperus Heun, Gregor Semieniuk, Paul Brockway

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Widespread implementation of energy efficiency is a key greenhouse gas emissions mitigation measure, but rebound can ‘‘take back’’ energy savings. However, the absence of solid analytical foundations hinders empirical determination of rebound magnitudes. In Part I, we developed foundations of a rigorous, analytical, consumer-sided rebound framework that is approachable for both energy analysts and economists. In this paper (Part II), we develop energy, expenditure, and consumption planes, a novel, mutually consistent, and numerically precise way to visualize and illustrate rebound. Further, we operationalize the macro factor (k) for macroeconomic rebound. Using the framework and rebound planes, we calculate and show …

Utahns’ Awareness Of The Drying Up Of The Great Salt Lake, Ashley Young

Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP)

The Great Salt Lake provides several benefits for the state of Utah. It supports industry, recreational activities, and aquaculture. It also provides wetland habitat to twelve million migratory birds.¹ Due to drought induced by climate change and human water use, the lake has been shrinking rapidly in a process known as desiccation. The desiccation threatens the lake’s economic and ecological benefits while also posing other potential challenges. Dust from the dry lakebed may also cause health challenges for humans, as the dust contains harmful amounts of arsenic, lithium, copper, and other metals.²

Utah’s ability to combat desiccation of …

Standard Operating Procedures For The Laser Particle Size Analysis Of Terrigenous Sediments And Soils, Sandra Passchier

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This report details the preferred standard operating procedures for use of the Malvern Mastersizer 3000 (MS 3000) laser particle sizer in the analysis of terrigenous sediments and soils. Materials with median grain size < 500 µm can be measured on the MS3000. Preparation methods of sediment and soil samples before placing them in the laser particle sizer are described and the details of and rational behind the instrument standard operating protocols.

West Antarctic Ice Retreat And Paleoceanography In The Amundsen Sea In The Warm Early Pliocene, Sandra Passchier, Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, Sidney R. Hemming, Werner Ehrmann, Thomas Frederichs, Steven M. Bohaty, Ronald Leon, Olga Libman-Roshal, Lisbeth Mino-Moreira, Karsten Gohl, Julia S. Wellner

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Mass loss from polar ice sheets is poorly constrained in estimates of future global sea-level rise. Today, the marine-based West Antarctic Ice Sheet is losing mass at an accelerating rate, most notably in the Thwaites and Pine Island glacier drainage basins. Early Pliocene surface temperatures were about 4 °C warmer than preindustrial and maximum sea level stood ~20 m above present. Using data from a sediment archive on the Amundsen Sea continental rise, we investigate the impact of prolonged Pliocene ocean warmth on the ice-sheet−ocean system. We show that, in contrast to today, during peak ocean warming ~4.6 − 4.5 …

Modeling The Impact Of Explosive Volcanism On Biogeochemical Cycling At The Peak Of The Late Paleozoic Icehouse, Lily S. Pfeifer, Qingting Wu, Ying Cui, Gerilyn S. Soreghan

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The peak of the Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA) coincided with atmospheric carbon dioxide (pCO2) lows, and large-magnitude fluctuations in glacial-interglacial pCO2, but the driver(s) for pCO2 drawdown at this time remain debated. Backed by parameters for the frequency and magnitude of Late Carboniferous volcanism derived from the rock record, we apply an intermediate complexity Earth system model to evaluate the biogeochemical impacts of ash-borne nutrients from frequent (decadal) and explosive silicic volcanism on nutrient cycling ca. 310–300 Ma. Results show that volcanic perturbations result in negligible changes in marine particulate organic carbon export concurrent with sustained increases in pCO2 …

Urbanization In Resource-Based County-Level Cities In China: A Case Study Of New Urbanization In Wuan City, Hebei Province, Jianguang Hou, Danlin Yu, Hao Song, Zhiguo Zhang

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study investigates the complex dynamics of new-type urbanization in resource-based county-level cities, using Wuan City in Hebei Province, China, as a representative case. As China pursues a high-quality development agenda, cities historically dependent on resource extraction face profound challenges in achieving sustainable and inclusive urban growth. This research employs a multi-method approach—including Theil index analysis, industrial shift-share analysis, a Cobb–Douglas production function model, and a composite urbanization index—to quantitatively diagnose the constraints on Wuan’s development and assess its transformation efforts. Our empirical results reveal a multifaceted situation: while the urban–rural income gap has narrowed, rural income streams remain fragile. …

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter, July 2025, University Of Northern Iowa. Iowa Waste Reduction Center.

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter

Contents:

--- 150th Anniversary & Homecoming Kickoff
--- SQG re-notification requirement
--- Introducing the Food, Beverage & Organics Team
--- A Historic First in Corrosion Control
--- Important Reminders
--- Industry News

Ai Tools In Natural Resources And Environmental Systems For The Classroom, Research, Extension And Industry, Derek M. Heeren, C. T. Agouridis, Debabrata Sahoo, Isaya Kisekka, Trisha L. Moore

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

This white paper synthesizes a series of panel insights on AI adoption across education, Extension, research and industry contexts within natural resources and environmental systems. It emphasizes that while advanced machine learning and generative AI introduce structural shifts in autonomy, scale, and cognitive augmentation, their value lies in augmenting, not replacing, human expertise. Applied tool examples include decision‑support systems for rural water operators, HAB‑diagnosis apps integrating image classification and natural‑language guidance, an irrigation educational chatbot tailored to user background, and sensor‑driven orchard AI for light interception estimation and data gap filling. A recurring design imperative involves co‑development with end users, …

Water Current, Volume 57, No. 2, Summer 2025

Water Current Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Adaptation Planning To Mitigate Flood Risk: Bellevue, Nebraska As A Case Study, Michael Nti Ababio

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses

Flooding remains one of the most pressing natural hazards in the United States, with increasing frequency and intensity driven by climate change. This thesis explores the adaptation planning strategies employed to mitigate flood risks in Bellevue, Nebraska, a city significantly impacted by the 2019 floods in eastern Nebraska. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines quantitative analysis of flood vulnerability with a critical review of local planning policies using documents, zoning ordinances and institutional frameworks. Spatial analytical tools such as Global Moran’s I and Hot Spot Analysis (Getis-Ord Gi*) were used to detect clustering of inundated buildings during the 2019 …

Soil Health In Nebraska: Exploring Practitioners' Needs And Insights From A Long-Term Organic Farm, Ingrids Isabel Mata Vigil

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Soil health is foundational to sustainable agriculture, environmental resilience, and long-term food security. Yet, the adoption of soil health assessments remains limited, often perceived as too technical, costly, or difficult to implement in real-world contexts. To better understand these challenges, the first chapter presents findings from a statewide survey of 41 soil health practitioners in Nebraska, including farmers, extension educators, NRCS staff, and conservation professionals. Respondents highlighted the need for simpler, more accessible, and context-specific tools for soil health assessment that help practitioners make informed decisions aligned with their management goals. Complementing these insights, the second chapter includes an independent, …

Feasibility Of Using Recycled Waste Plastic In Concrete Pavements In Nebraska, Amasi Hajahja

Department of Construction Engineering and Management: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Waste plastic (WP) is a growing environmental concern due to its non-biodegradable nature, large-scale production, and harmful impact on natural resources. With nearly 75% of WP in the United States ending up in landfills, effective recycling strategies are urgently needed. In parallel, the limited availability of natural aggregates highlights the need for alternative materials in concrete construction. This study investigates the feasibility of using recycled waste plastic (RWP) in concrete mixtures, both as aggregates and fibers for rigid pavement applications in Nebraska. Concrete mixtures were prepared by partially replacing natural fine aggregates with recycled plastic aggregates (RPA) at replacement levels …

A Study Of Ice And Fire: Environmental Change Impacts On Lakes Of The Nebraska Sandhills, Daniel Gschwentner

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The Nebraska Sandhills contain thousands of shallow, groundwater-fed lakes. These lakes are extremely sensitive to environmental and climatic changes due to their isolated hydrological setting and small volume. Building on previous work on the hydrology, geochemistry and long-term climate response of Sandhill lakes, my research considers how ecosystem processes such as primary production, nutrient limitation and water quality respond to short-term environmental and climatic change. In my first data chapter, I highlight that Sandhill lakes are nitrogen (N) but not phosphorus (P) limited and that N:P ratios are poor predictors of nutrient limitation status in Sandhill lakes. In my second …

Catching A Fever: A Comparison Of Vachellia Xanthophloea Populations In The Limpopo And Luvuvhu River Floodplains Of The Makuleke Contractual Park, Kianie B. David

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

This study investigates patterns of stand structure regeneration, growth characteristics, and coarse woody debris (CWD) patterns in Vachellia xanthophloea (fever tree) stands within the Makuleke Contractual Park (MCP), a semi-arid savanna system in northern Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa. Fieldwork was conducted across two stand types: a monospecific fever tree stand in Rietbok Vlei and a mixed-species stand in the Western Nhlangaluwe Floodplain where fever tree is established with Faidherbia albida (ana tree). Data were collected from 20 total 1/4-acre (1,011 m²) circular plots between both stands in 2024 and 2025, including seedling root collar diameter (RCD), …

Bioenergy Crop Production: Implications For Grassland Bird Communities In Southwestern Nebraska, Grace E. Schuster

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

Biofuel and bioenergy systems are components of most climate stabilization pathways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming. Currently, corn (Zea mays) is the predominant feedstock used for bioenergy production in the United States. However, widespread production of this monoculture crop has resulted in many negative environmental impacts. The most notorious impact has been the loss of grassland habitat due to agriculture expansion which has had detrimental effects on wildlife that depend on grassland habitat. One such group, grassland birds, has faced steeper, more consistent, and more widespread declines than any other avian guild. Therefore, strategies …

Electrochemistry Behind Pfas: Mechanistic And Analytical Approach For Sensing And Degradation Strategies, Jonathan Josue Calvillo Solis

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Understanding the fundamental electrochemistry of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is key to developing effective water remediation and sensing strategies. This work explores the thermodynamics and kinetics of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) electroreduction, focusing on C-F bond cleavage. These insights were applied to design a highly sensitive electrochemical sensor for detecting trace levels of PFOA in water. This dissertation focuses on the electrochemical investigation of the reduction reaction of PFOA in aqueous and organic media employing different electrode materials. This exploration allows to understand the defluorination reaction of PFAS to further propose potential strategies for water treatment and PFOA electrosensing. Through electrochemical, spectroscopical …

Investing Hysteresis In Floodplain Dynamics Of Lakes In The Middle St. Johns River Using Sentinel-1 Sar Imagery, Keenan Hubbard

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Floodplain dynamics are often complex, with hysteresis potentially affecting the temporal relationship between flood stage and flood extent during subsequent inundation phases. This study leverages Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery to map flood extent in the Middle St. Johns River Lake floodplains and examine the presence of hysteresis during flood events. SAR scenes corresponding to river gauge readings were analyzed from the rising and falling limbs of a flood hydrograph. By comparing these flood maps, we assess differences in inundated areas at equivalent water levels during each stage of the flood event. The findings aim to enhance flood monitoring …

The Surface Water And Ocean Topography (Swot) Mission For River And Lake Ice Application, Sunwoo Yoon

Earth Sciences Theses and Dissertations

The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission, launched in December 2022, is designed for global survey of Earth’s surface water. However, the seasonal freezing of lakes and rivers combined with SWOT’s unique interferometric radar characteristics presents a valuable opportunity to assess its potential for river and lake ice applications. In this dissertation, I first compare backscatter characteristics over open water and frozen lakes and rivers. I demonstrate strong contrast in backscatter between water and ice while accounting for incidence angle, highlighting SWOT’s capability to discriminate between surface cover types. However, overlapping backscatter signatures suggest further investigation of drivers of …

Demonstrating Co2 Storage In The Pcor Partnership Region And Beyond, University Of North Dakota. Energy And Environmental Research Center

EERC Brochures and Fact Sheets

Fact sheet about the Plains CO₂ Reduction (PCOR) Partnership region and the importance of CO₂ storage.

Status Of The Western Australian Pastoral Rangelands 2024: Total Vegetative Cover, Cover Risk And Pasture Condition, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources published reports

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) monitors and reports on the vegetation condition of pastoral rangelands in Western Australia. Two levels of reporting are provided: every 5 years a full report (this report) details the state, trend and risk of decrease of vegetation condition in the pastoral rangelands using information derived from remotely sensed and on-ground data; in the intervening years, short reports are provided based on remotely sensed data.

This full report is based on remotely sensed vegetation cover data, rainfall data, livestock data and station-level rangeland condition assessment (RCA) data available in November 2024. Data …

Expanding And Mainstreaming Sociohydrology Toward Transdisciplinary Praxis, Shinichiro Nakamura, Heidi Kreibich, Melissa Haeffner, Jenia Mukherjee, Giuliano Di Baldassarre, Maiko Sakamoto, Mikiko Sugiura, Günter Blöschl, Taikan Oki, Murugesu Sivapalan

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Since its development in the early 2010s, sociohydrology has deepened our understanding of the long-term coevolution of humans and water by integrating insights from both the natural and social sciences, while also fostering an interdisciplinary community. Its modus operandi to date has been to focus on emergent phenomena, manifesting as unintended consequences, in a variety of contexts. The compound disaster that struck Japan’s Noto Peninsula in 2024, and similar experiences in other parts of the world, underscore the urgent need for systemic approaches that are co-developed by academia and practitioners and focus on context-specific solutions. This perspective piece thus calls …

Response Of Soybean To Variable Irrigation Levels In Eastern Nebraska Using The Aquacrop Model, Anmol Singh

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

AquaCrop was calibrated and validated for soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] using 19 irrigation treatments from five years using data from field experiments. The model accurately simulated canopy cover (CC), soil water content (SWC), and grain yield, with overall validation nRMSE values of 12%, 7%, and 7%, respectively. The overall validation nRMSE for SWC in individual 30-cm soil layers was comparatively higher, at 19%. The model was subsequently applied for long-term simulations (2010–2024) to estimate soybean yield and water requirements for two dominant soil types, Yutan silty clay loam and Tomek silt loam under three irrigation levels - rainfed, …

Electrocatalytic Degradation Of Methylene Blue Using Graphene Oxide, Antimony Oxide, And Graphene Oxide-Supported Antimony Oxide Ink-Based Electrodes, Maria Irene Myers Armas

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the electrocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) using copper mesh electrodes coated with graphene oxide (GO), antimony oxide (Sb₂O₃), and their composite (GO/Sb₂O₃). These materials were evaluated across a pH range of 2 to 8 using sodium sulfate as the supporting electrolyte. UV-Vis spectroscopy at 665 nm confirmed dye degradation, with removal efficiencies reaching up to 95% at pH 2. However, degradation decreased at higher pH, with 40 – 60% removal at pH 8, depending on the electrode. Kinetic analyses revealed optimum performance under acidic conditions. GO/Sb₂O₃ electrodes demonstrated the most consistent and effective performance across all …

Non-Traditional Socio-Environmental And Geospatial Determinants Of Alzheimer's Disease-Related Dementia Mortality, Skanda Moorthy, Jean-Eudes Dazard, Zhuo Chen, Ruby Charak, Shruthika Palanivel, Salil Deo, Sadeer G. Al-Kindi, Sanjay Rajagopalan

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Importance

Design

Enhancing Phenotyping Accuracy For Selection Of Urochloa Spp. Tolerant Genotypes To Red Spider Mite (Oligonychus Trichardti), Paula Espitia-Buitrago, José Miguel Cotes Torres, Luis Miguel Hernández, Juan Andres Cardoso, Frank Chidawanyika, Rosa N. Jauregui

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The red spider mites are a major biotic limitation to productivity for Brachiaria (Urochloa spp.) grasses in tropical Eastern Africa, causing severe economic losses mainly in the dry seasons. However, due to the lack of reports of integrated pest management strategies, genetic resistance can play a crucial role in Brachiaria-based livestock systems, minimising the impact of this pest. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a methodology for accurately categorising resistance responses in Urochloa genotypes to identify potential sources of resistance to the Western Kenya red spider mite Oligonychus trichardti (Meyer 1974). Accordingly, 25 genotypes of Urochloa …

Winds Of Change: Charting A Pathway To Ecosystem Monitoring Using Airborne Environmental Dna, Rachel L. Tulloch, Clare I.M. Adams, Matthew A. Barnes, Elizabeth L. Clare, Henrik C. Van De Ven, Andrew Cridge, Francisco Encinas-Viso, Kristen Fernandes, Dianne M. Gleeson, Erin Hill, Anna J.M. Hopkins, Anna M. Kearns, Gracie C. Kroos, Anna J. Macdonald, Francesco Martoni, Angela Mcgaughran, Todd G.B. Mclay, Linda E. Neaves, Paul Nevill, Andrew Pugh, Kye J. Robinson, Fabian Roger, Tracey V. Steinrucken, Mieke Van Der Heyde, Cecilia Villacorta-Rath, Jenny Vivian

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Airborne environmental DNA (airborne eDNA) analysis leverages the globally ubiquitous medium of air to deliver broad species distribution data and support ecosystem monitoring across diverse environments. As this emerging technology matures, addressing critical challenges and seizing key opportunities will be essential to fully realize its potentially transformative impact. In June 2024, the Southern eDNA Society convened over 100 researchers, industry leaders, and biodiversity management stakeholders in a landmark workshop to evaluate the current state of airborne eDNA research and chart a course for future development. Participants explored opportunities for integrating airborne eDNA into existing monitoring systems, but they unanimously agreed …

Longitudinal Surveillance Of Aedes Aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) In Urban Coastal Kenya: Population Dynamics, Blood Feeding Frequency And Dengue Virus Infection Rates, Josephine Osalla, Louis Clement Gouagna, Gilbert Rotich, Maureen Nzilani, Penina Safari, Kennedy Senagi, Francis Mutuku, Baldwyn Torto, David P. Tchouassi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The coastal region of Kenya has emerged as a focal point for urban dengue virus transmission driven by Aedes aegypti as the primary vector. To gain a deeper understanding of the epidemiological situation, we carried out a year-long longitudinal study (December 2021- November 2022) of the population dynamics of A. aegypti through weekly mosquito surveys using ovitrap and CO2-baited Biogents (BG) mosquito traps in Ukunda, an urban township in the coastal region. Aedes eggs laid in ovitraps were exclusively A. aegypti with 80.8% mean hatch rate. A total of 35,109 adult A. aegypti were captured, with twice as many females …

Literature Review Of Reverse Electrodialysis Technoeconomic And Environmental Analysis, Kevin Allen Wear

Water Resources Science and Technology Theses and Graduate Research Reports (Archived)

This thesis presents a theoretical analysis of Reverse Electrodialysis (RED) for electricity generation using produced water—a high-salinity byproduct from oil and gas extraction. Drawing from over seventy peer-reviewed studies, this research explores the potential of RED as a sustainable energy solution for industrial wastewater streams. Chapter 1 outlines the environmental and economic implications of produced water. Chapter 2 reviews ion transport theories and membrane technologies. Chapter 3 evaluates past implementations of RED and related membrane systems. Chapter 4 delivers a comprehensive synthesis of current literature, modeling RED performance under realworld salinity gradients, ion compositions, and membrane constraints. Chapter 5 discusses …

Assessment Of Spatial Autocorrelation And Scalability In Fine-Scale Wildfire Random Forest Prediction Models, Madeleine Pascolini-Campbell, Joshua B. Fisher, Kerry Cawse-Nicholson, Christine M. Lee, Natasha Stavros

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Wildfire prediction models that can be applied across diverse regions at fine scales (<  100 m) are critical for wildfire management. Remote sensing offers a path forward by providing heterogeneous and dynamic measurements of fuel load, type, and flammability. Machine learning methods such as random forests provide an empirical framework that are high-accuracy, computationally efficient, interpretable and able to model complex ecological relationships. Here we use high resolution (70 m, every 3–5 days) remote sensing observations of evapotranspiration and evaporative stress index, which represent plant water stress, from Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer on Space Station (ECOSTRESS), as well as topography and weather data, to predict burn severity and occurrence for 8 large wildfires that burned 3715 km² from 2021 and 2022 in New Mexico, USA. These fires ranged from low to high burn intensity, and covered a diverse range of ecoregions (deserts, grasslands, forests), plant species, and topographies. We used a single model to predict the burn severity of all wildfires one week before occurrence. The prediction accuracy was greatest when using all predictors (ECOSTRESS, weather, topography) (R² = 0.77). We assessed the role of spatial autocorrelation in driving model performance by: (1) increasing the sample spacing of our dataset, (2) …

The Response And Recovery Of Carbon And Water Fluxes In Australian Ecosystems Exposed To Severe Drought, C. Stephens, B. Medlyn, L. Williams, J. Knauer, A. Inbar, E. Pendall, S. K. Arndt, J. Beringer, C. M. Ewenz, N. Hinko-Najera, L. B. Hutley, P. Isaac, M. Liddell, W. Meyer, C. E. Moore, J. Cranko Page, R. Silberstein, W. Woodgate

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Climate change-driven increases in drought risk pose a critical threat to global carbon and water cycles. However, ecosystem-scale responses remain poorly quantified, particularly for severe, multiyear drought events. We addressed this gap by examining ecosystem-scale carbon and water flux sensitivity to the extreme 2018–19 drought in Australia using data from 14 eddy covariance flux sites. The ecosystems span grasslands and semi-arid woodlands to tropical and temperate forests. The driest sites (classed as “grass” and “very dry”) experienced drastic productivity impacts, with a 65% decrease in Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) over 2 years relative to the pre-drought average. However, fluxes in …