Digital Commons Network^™

Integrating Temperature-Dependent Life Table Data Into Insect Life Cycle Model For Predicting The Potential Distribution Of Scapsipedus Icipe Hugel & Tanga, Magara H.J. Otieno, Monica A. Ayieko, Saliou Niassy, Daisy Salifu, Azrag G.A. Abdelmutalab, Khamis M. Fathiya, Sevgan Subramanian, Komi K.M. Fiaboe, Nana Roos, Sunday Ekesi, Chrysantus M. Tanga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Scapsipedus icipe Hugel and Tanga (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) is a newly described edible cricket species. Although, there is substantial interest in mass production of S. icipe for human food and animal feed, no information exists on the impact of temperature on their bionomics. Temperature-dependent development, survival, reproductive and life table parameters of S. icipe was generated and integrated into advanced Insect Life Cycle Modeling software to describe relative S. icipe population increase and spatial spread based on nine constant temperature conditions. We examined model predictions and implications for S. icipe potential distribution in Africa under current and future climate. These regions …

Pollution Causes And Prevention Measures In Bohai Sea, Yiqiao Wang

Maritime Safety & Environment Management Dissertations (Dalian)

No abstract provided.

Our Envirome, Spring/Summer 2019, Issue 40

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of The Efficacy Of Four Drug Combinations For Immobilization Of Wild Pigs, Christine K. Ellis, Morgan E. Wehtje, Lisa L. Wolfe, Peregrine L. Wolff, Clayton D. Hilton, Mark C. Fisher, Shari Green, Michael P. Glow, Joeseph M. Halseth, Michael J. Lavelle, Nathan P. Snow, Eric H. Vannatta, Jack C. Rhyan, Kurt C. Vercauteren, William R. Lance, Pauline Nol

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Field immobilization of native or invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa) is challenging. Drug combinations commonly used often result in unsatisfactory immobilization, poor recovery, and adverse side effects, leading to unsafe handling conditions for both animals and humans. We compared four chemical immobilization combinations, medetomidine–midazolam–butorphanol (MMB), butorphanol–azaperone–medetomidine (BAM™), nalbuphine–medetomidine–azaperone (NalMed-A), and tiletamine– zolazepam–xylazine (TZX), to determine which drug combinations might provide better chemical immobilization of wild pigs. We achieved adequate immobilization with no post-recovery morbidity withMMB. Adequate immobilization was achieved with BAM™; however, we observed post-recovery morbidity. Both MMB and BAM™ produced more optimal results relative to body temperature, recovery, and …

Evaluating The Efficacy Of Point-Of-Use Water Filtration Units In Fiji, Nathan L. Tintle, Adam Heynen, Kristin Van De Griend, Rachel Ulrich, Matthew Ojo, Emma Boven, Sarah Brokus, Randall Wade, Aaron A. Best

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Background: To develop and evaluate a strategy for reducing the prevalence and impact of waterborne disease, a water quality intervention was developed for Fiji by Give Clean Water, Inc. in partnership with the Fiji Ministry of Health. Residents were provided and trained on how to use a Sawyer® PointONE™ filter, while also being taught proper handwashing techniques. At the time of the filter installation, all households were surveyed inquiring about the prior 2- to 4-week period. Households were measured a second time between 19 and 225 days later (mean = 66 days).

Results: To date, five economic and health outcomes …

Water Productivity In Meat And Milk Production In The Us From 1960 To 2016, Mesfin Mekonnen, C.M.U. Neale, Chittaranjan Ray, Galen E. Erickson, Arjen Y. Hoekstra

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Global demand for livestock products is rising, resulting in a growing demand for feed and potentially burdening freshwater resources to produce this feed. To offset this increased pressure on water resources, the environmental performance of livestock sector should continue to improve. Over the last few decades, product output per animal and feedstuff yields in the US have improved, but before now it was unclear to what extent these improvements influenced the water productivity (WP) of the livestock products. In this research, we estimate changes in WP of animal products from 1960 to 2016. We consider feed conversion ratios (dry matter …

The Spirulina Strategy, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

This is an adapted version of the SMU Case, “Navigating an Eternal Ocean: EnerGaia’s Emergent Strategy in the Market for Spirulina" written by Research Fellow Ryan Merrill and Assistant Professor Simon Schillebeeckx. To see the full case, please click on the following link: https://cmp.smu.edu.sg/case/3986

EnerGaia began life trying to address nutrition issues in the developing world. The prospect of profit is testing its founder to balance both or choose one over the other

Microbial Community, Functioning, And Its Relationship With Heavy Metals In An Urban Brownfield, Jay Prakash Singh

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The ubiquity of urban brownfields presents a challenge for environmental managers for managing degraded ecosystems that are in close contact with human habitation. Presence of metal contaminants in brownfields further complicate the matters as it cannot be degraded and hence pose a high risk to human and environmental health, and well-being of the local community. However, previous studies indicate that management and restoration of brownfields are possible through the use of low input longer term and sustainable remediation approaches. These sustainable approaches include the use of plants, fungi, and bacteria to increase soil function and mitigate risks from the contaminants. …

Predictive Biomarkers Demonstrating The Effect Of Levels Of Copper And Zinc From Exposure To World Trade Center 9/11 Particulate Matter On Human Esophageal Cells In Vitro, Rossara Nunez

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The World Trade Center Attack on September 11th, 2001 was the largest environmental attack that has ever happened in New York City. In the aftermath of the collapse of the twin towers, many first responders and rescue workers were exposed to the resulting clouds of dust. This toxic material has been shown to be responsible for membrane damage in human lung cells and can possibly become the cause of increased oxidative stress. The underlying factors that produce these findings are thought to the synergistic effects of the many components found within the market street sample. Complete analysis of the heavy …

Consumer Preferences For Sustainable Rice Practices In Nigeria, Glory Esohe Okpiaifo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Improving the sustainability of rice production is important given its position as a global staple and its environmental footprint. The adoption of sustainable practices can generate positive externalities such as lower environmental pollution and improved working conditions for rice industry workers that could be capitalized via the design of consumer-based marketing strategies. The Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) initiative aims at advancing the adoption of sustainable practices in rice production. We assess consumers’ perceptions of the SRP sustainability indicators using the Best-Worst Scaling approach to rank SRP sustainability attributes according to their preference shares and examine the effects of demographic characteristics …

The Effects Of Clipping On The Biomass Production Of Native Warm Season Grasses On Reclaimed Abandoned Coal Mine Soils, James A K Daniel

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

THE EFFECTS OF CLIPPING ON THE BIOMASS PRODUCTION OF NATIVE

WARM SEASON GRASSES ON RECLAIMED

ABANDONED COAL MINE SOILS

James A K Daniel

Strip mining leaves behind highly disrupted plant and soil communities. Mined land reclamation returns the land back to a natural or economically usable state, however, reclamation cannot completely restore the soils to their original state. Subsequently, normal frequencies of management practices may not be as effective as in undisturbed soils. Understanding how the severity of soil disturbance affects plant production is important for habitat rehabilitation and determining effective management techniques to be implemented following reclamation. This project …

Are We Providing Preferred Floral Resources For Bees In Our Neighborhoods? : Assessing The Relationship Between Small Scale Vegetation Metrics And Bee Presence In Se Portland, Hailey Wallace

Dissertations and Theses

Bee pollinators can thrive in highly urbanized environments if their preferred floral resources and habitat types are available. Enhanced pollinator habitats are being created globally, with a large local effort in Portland, Oregon. This project determined if we were providing the most preferred floral resources at enhanced pollinator sites for bees, if floral resources were available throughout the season, and if differences in dietary preferences between native and honey bees would allow for the identification of "native bee floral resources" in South East Portland. Bee pollinators were monitored from June to August at three enhanced pollinator sites in South East …

Renewable Energy Access And Resilience In Urban Developing Areas: Distributed Solar Networks And Peer-To-Peer Energy Trading In Puerto Rico, Pascale Bronder

Harvey M. Applebaum ’59 Award

This senior essay under the Environmental Studies major at Yale University explores the environmental and social benefits of applying innovative technology to the energy sector. Three types of energy networks are analyzed, focusing on the use of distributed energy and peer to peer energy trading on a blockchain platform. The benefits of distributed renewable energy networks can most strongly be applied to locations in need of more reliable, resilient, and cost-effective electricity. Puerto Rico is a case study. Methods include analysis of U.S. Energy Information Administration and Census Bureau data as well as personal interviews with Puerto Rican energy developers. …

Comparative Efficacy Of Novel Endolysins In Queso Fresco, Daniella Smith, Maxwell J. Holle, Dr. Michael Miller

PRECS student projects

Listeria monocytogenes is problematic for the manufacturing, storage, and consumption of ready-to-eat foods. This bacterium may cause listeriosis upon consumption often with deadly complications. Queso Fresco (QF), a pasteurized Hispanic-style fresh cheese (HSFC), has been shown to support the growth of L. monocytogenes. QF is the most widely produced and implicated HSFC in the U.S., representing a significant health hazard to at risk populations such as infants, pregnant women, elderly, and the immunocompromised. The objective of this research project is to evaluate the efficacy of ten novel antimicrobial endolysins in combatting L. monocytogenes contamination in a miniaturized lab-scale queso fresco …

Resident Perceptions Of Black Bear Management In South Central Kentucky, Hung-Ling (Stella) Liu, Michael J. Bradley, I-Chun Nicky Wu, James N. Maples

Health and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

The growth and sprawl of the American black bear (Ursus americanus ) population have been observed and monitored in the past two decades, especially in south-central Kentucky. To better manage human-black bear interaction and develop informed policy and best practices, the current study sought to 1) understand south-central Kentucky residents’ current knowledge of and previous experience with black bears, 2) investigate residents’ attitudes toward black bears and regulated hunting in wildlife management; and 3) identify residents’ level of acceptance of various black bear related management actions in south-central Kentucky. From February to April 2017, residents of London and Stearns districts …

Potassium Fertilization Effects On Yield For Wheat, Soybean, And Corn Grown In Coastal Plain Soils, Renada Davis

Theses and Dissertations

A study conducted on wheat, soybean, and corn crops was designed to assess the effect of potassium fertilization based on current potassium (K) fertilizer recommendations on crop yield, soil K levels, and plant tissue K concentration. The objectives of this study were to 1) evaluate the effect K fertilization has on crop yield; 2) To assess soil K levels through the duration of the experiment and the effect fertilization may have on soil K levels; and 3) to evaluate the effect of fertilization on plant tissue K concentrations. There was no statistical difference in yields between plots treated with the …

Habitat Suitability Index Model Of The Florida Sandhill Crane (Grus Canadensis Pratensis) In West-Central Florida, Courtney E. Buck

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Florida Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis pratensis) is a state threatened endemic subspecies of the Sandhill Crane (Nesbitt & Tacha, 1997). With a population that was estimated at a maximum of 5,000 individuals in 2003 (Nesbitt & Hatchitt, 2008), it is imperative to identify potentially viable habitats, as Florida is rapidly developing. This research develops a Habitat Suitability Index model to determine unsuitable to optimally suitable habitat locations throughout west-central Florida. To do so, six suitability variables based on the crane’s life history were evaluated: Potential nesting area, immediate nesting area, wetland coverage, foraging area, brooding area, and road proximity. …

Unexplored Diversity Of The Mesophotic Echinoderm Fauna Of The Easter Island Ecoregion, Ariadna Mecho, Erin E. Easton, Javier Sellanes, Matthias Gorny, Christopher Mah

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The Easter Island ecoregion (EIE) is one of the most remote marine areas of the world and encompasses a vast and fragile ecosystem including oceanic islands and seamounts. In January 2014 and March 2016, a remotely operated vehicle was used to explore a subsurface peak off Easter Island (27.23°S, 109.48°W) and a seamount (26.92°S, 110.26°W), respectively located 10 km southwest and 98 km west of the island. More than 950 echinoderms were observed in the 5 h of video recorded during the seven dives conducted at depths between ~ 160 and 280 m. The communities of echinoderms observed at these …

Engaged Communication Scholarship For Environmental Justice: A Research Agenda, Chad Raphael

Communication

As a discipline of crisis and care, environmental communication needs to address questions of environmental justice. This article argues that the most appropriate approach to studying environmental justice communication is engaged scholarship, in which academics collaborate with community partners, advocates, and others to conduct research. The article reviews prior engaged communication scholarship on environmental justice, and proposes four streams of future research, focused on news and information, deliberation and participation, campaigns and movements, and education and literacy.

Reproductive Parameters And Methodologies For The Culture Of Golden Topminnows (Fundulus Chrysotus) And Bluenose Shiners (Pteronotropis Welaka), Jacob A. Fetterman

LSU Master's Theses

The global ornamental fish trade has expanded over the past 20 years, requiring captive rearing methods to be improved or developed for species of interest. Aquaculture of desirable species is preferable over wild harvest to conserve natural habitats and biodiversity. This thesis focused on improving culture methods for Golden Topminnows Fundulus chrysotus and developing culture methods for Bluenose Shiners Pteronotropis welaka, both native fishes of the southeastern United States with ornamental demand. A combination of reproductive metric analyses, examination of historical collections, and captive spawning trials were employed to target specific objectives for each species. In female Golden Topminnows, …

The Slow Displacement Of Smallholder Farming Families: Land, Hunger, And Labor Migration In Nicaragua And Guatemala, Lindsey Carte, Birgit Schmook, Claudia Radel, Richard Johnson

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Smallholders worldwide continue to experience processes of displacement from their lands under neoliberal political-economic governance. This displacement is often experienced as “slow”, driven by decades of agricultural policies and land governance regimes that favor input-intensive agricultural and natural resource extraction and export projects at the expense of traditional agrarian practices, markets, and producers. Smallholders struggle to remain viable in the face of these forces, yet they often experience hunger. To persist on the land, often on small parcels, families supplement and finance farm production with family members engaging in labor migration, a form of displacement. Outcomes, however, are uneven and …

Frost Identification Guide For Canola And Pulses, Ben Biddulph, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Bulletins 4000 -

Frost damage reduces crop yield and grain quality. Early identification of symptoms allows timely crop salvage decisions to be made.

From Best Fit Technologies To Best Fit Scaling: Incorporating And Evaluating Factors Affecting The Adoption Of Grain Legumes In Sub-Saharan Africa, Andrew Farrow, Esther Ronner, Greta J. Van Den Brand, Stephen K. Boahen, Wilson Leonardo, Endalkachew Wolde-Meskel, Samuel Adjei-Nsiah, Regis Chikowo, Fredrick Baijukya, Peter Ebanyat, Emmanuel A. Sangodele, Jean Marie Sanginga, Speciose Kantengwa, Lloyd Phiphira, Paul Woomer, Theresa Ampadu-Boakye, Edward Baars, Fred Kanampiu, Bernard Vanlauwe, Kenneth E. Giller

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The success of scaling out depends on a clear understanding of the factors that affect adoption of grain legumes and account for the dynamism of those factors across heterogeneous contexts of sub-Saharan Africa. We reviewed literature on adoption of grain legumes and other technologies in sub-Saharan Africa and other developing countries. Our review enabled us to define broad factors affecting different components of the scaling out programme of N2Africa and the scales at which those factors were important. We identified three strategies for managing those factors in the N2Africa scaling out programme: (i) testing different technologies and practices; (ii) evaluating …

Seasonal Dynamics Of Lipid Metabolism And Energy Storage In The Brazilian Free-Tailed Bat, Elizabeth J. Rogers, Amie S. Sommers, Liam P. Mcguire

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

As small, flying, mammalian endotherms, insectivorous bats are adapted to operate at high levels of energy expenditure. In response to seasonally variable challenges, we predicted that bats should balance energy budgets by flexibly adjusting aspects of their physiology or behavior in ways that elevate metabolic capacity. We examined variation in energy storage and pathways for oxidative metabolism in Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) related to estimated costs associated with reproduction and migration. We collected pectoral muscle and liver from female T. brasiliensis at six time points during the summer and fall and measured changes in the activity of four enzymes …

Ecological Interventions To Prevent And Manage Zoonotic Pathogen Spillover, Susanne H. Sokolow, Nicole Nova, Kim M. Pepin, Alison J. Peel, Juliet R.C. Pulliam, Kezia Manlove, Paul C. Cross, Daniel J. Becker, Raina K. Plowright, Hamish Mccallum, Giulio A. De Leo

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Spillover of a pathogen from awildlife reservoir into a human or livestock host requires the pathogen to overcome a hierarchical series of barriers. Interventions aimed at one or more of these barriers may be able to prevent the occurrence of spillover. Here, we demonstrate how interventions that target the ecological context in which spillover occurs (i.e. ecological interventions) can complement conventional approaches like vaccination, treatment, disinfection and chemical control. Accelerating spillover owing to environmental change requires effective, affordable, durable and scalable solutions that fully harness the complex processes involved in cross-species pathogen spillover.

This article is part of the theme …

The Long-Run Effects Of Tropical Cyclones On Infant Mortality, Isabel Miranda

Master's Theses

In the United States alone, each tropical cyclone causes an average of $14.6 billion worth of damages. In addition to the destruction of physical infrastructure, natural disasters also negatively impact human capital formation. These losses are often more difficult to observe, and therefore, are over looked when quantifying the true costs of natural disasters. One particular effect is an increase in infant mortality rates, an important indicator of a country’s general socioeconomic level. This paper utilizes a model created by Anttila-Hughes and Hsiang, that takes advantage of annual variation in tropical cyclones using annual spatial average maximum wind speeds and …

Wildfire Exposure To Critical Habitat Of Endangered And Threatened Species In California, Kristin Butcher

Master's Theses

Researchers, fire ecologists and wildlife managers are concerned about impact to endangered and threatened species and their critical habitat due to the projected increase in future wildfires. Wildfires have been studied in California for the last six decades and have been increasing at an alarming rate since the 1980’s. In this study, I use the 2018 spatial dataset for critical habitat of federally endangered and threatened species located in the state boundaries of California and compare it to a spatial dataset for wildfires that have occurred over the span of 32 years (1984 to 2016). Trends are derived from spatial …

The Environmental Impact And Formation Of Meals From The Pilot Year Of A Las Vegas Convention Food Rescue Program, Samantha To, Courtney Coughenour, Jennifer Pharr

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Annually, millions of tonnes of leftover edible foods are sent to landfill. Not only does this harm the environment by increasing the release of greenhouse gases which contribute to climate change, but it poses a question of ethics given that nearly 16 million households are food insecure in the US, and hundreds of millions of people around the globe. The purpose of this study was to document the amount of food diverted from landfill in the pilot year of a convention food rescue program and to determine the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions avoided by the diversion of such …

Toward The Ultrasonic Sensing Of Organic Carbon In Seagrass-Bearing Sediments, Gabriel R. Venegas, Abdullah Rahman, Kevin M. Lee, Megan S. Ballard, Preston S. Wilson

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Ten percent of all organic carbon (Corg) absorbed by the ocean each year is stored in seagrass-bearing sediments. The preservation of these carbon stores is considered a vital method to mitigate climate change. Seagrass-bearing sediments have been correlated with sediment geophysical properties yet have not been related to sediment acoustic properties. For this purpose, sediment cores were collected from a Thalassia testudinum seagrass meadow in South Texas, USA, where geophysical, acoustical, and Corg properties were measured. It is hypothesized that when deposits of Corg adsorb onto mineral surfaces and are stored in pore spaces, compliant layers between grain contacts and …

Gas Production Kinetics And In Vitro Degradability Of Tannin-Containing Legumes, Alfalfa And Their Mixtures., Sebastian Lagrange, S. Lobón, Juan J. Villalba

Wildland Resources Student Research

The aim of this study was to determine in vitro ruminal degradability and gas production kinetics of sainfoin (Onobrichis viciifolia; SF), birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus; BFT), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.; ALF) and their binary or trinary mixtures using the gas production technique. The proportions in the mixtures represented: (1) those selected by lambs in a free-choice experiment (70:30 and 50:35:15 ratios for binary and trinary combinations, respectively), or (2) equal proportions (50:50 or 33:33:33 ratios for binary or trinary mixtures, respectively). Organic matter digestibility was greater in ALF and BFT than in SF (0.791 and 0.796 vs …