Digital Commons Network^™

High Ethanol Concentration (77 G/L) Of Industrial Hemp Biomass Achieved Through Optimizing The Relationship Between Ethanol Yield/Concentration And Solid Loading, Jikai Zhao, Youjie Xu, Weiqun Wang, Jason Griffin, Donghai Wang

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

In this study, the relationships between ethanol yield/concentration and solid loading (6–21%) were investigated to enhance ethanol titer and avoid a random choice of solid loading for simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF). Alkali-pretreated hemp biomass was used for SSF in four scenarios including Case I: 30 filter paper unit (FPU)-cellulase and 140 fungal xylanase unit (FXU)-hemicellulase/g-solid; Case II: 40 FPU-cellulase and 140 FXU-hemicellulase/g-solid; Case III: 30 FPU-cellulase and 140 FXU-hemicellulase/g-solid with 1% Tween80; and Case IV: 30 FPU-cellulase and 140 FXU-hemicellulase/g-solid with particle size reduction (R2 = 0.76–0.93) and quadratic (R2 = 0.96–0.99) correlation with solid loading (6–21%), …

Decision Agriculture, Abdul Salam, Usman Raza

Faculty Publications

In this chapter, the latest developments in the field of decision agriculture are discussed. The practice of management zones in digital agriculture is described for efficient and smart faming. Accordingly, the methodology for delineating management zones is presented. Modeling of decision support systems is explained along with discussion of the issues and challenges in this area. Moreover, the precision agriculture technology is also considered. Moreover, the chapter surveys the state of the decision agriculture technologies in the countries such as Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Israel, Malaysia, Pakistan, United Kingdom, Ukraine, and Sweden. Finally, different field factors such as GPS accuracy and …

Nonnative Insect Invasions In Natural Ecosystems: Impacts, Policy, And Evaluation Of Drivers Using Underutilized Biocontrol Datasets, Ashley N. Schulz

Student Theses and Dissertations

The fundamental goal in invasion ecology is to understand what drives the success of nonnative species. To assess mechanisms of invasion, invasion ecologists traditionally study populations of nonnative species that have already established and spread within an environment. A less common method is to use data from classical biocontrol agents, which are also nonnative and have variable impacts with respect to efficacy and non-target effects. Further elucidation of mechanisms of invasion can help researchers develop better methods for detection, prevention, and control of nonnative species. To make progress in the battle against nonnative species, focus should be placed on both …

Agricultural Conservation Decision-Making Under Environmental Risk And Uncertainty On The California Central Coast, Diego Rivera

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

Global climate change is a process that is, in part, caused by agricultural practices, and will adversely affect agricultural operations, especially vineyards. The objective of this project is to determine how viticulturalists in Paso Robles, California view global climate change and how they use conservation practices that combat climate change and prepare for the associated negative effects. Interviews were conducted with vineyard advisors and managers to determine what general risks associated with wine grape production exist for their operations, and whether wine advisors and producers perceive global climate change to be one of those risks. The interview responses were then …

Beliefs And Perceptions Of Millennials Pertaining To Climate Change And Sustainability, Rae Cade

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study is to explore the beliefs and perceptions of millennials on the subjects of climate change and sustainability. Some millennials pursuing an undergraduate degree in a non-environmental science field may lack knowledge pertaining to climate change and sustainability. The conceptual framework for this qualitative explanatory multi-case study is grounded in contributions from Henri Lefebvre, Nicholson-Smith (1991), and Simpson (2014) who explore how the notion of space has evolved in recent years, as well as researchers who are quantitatively studying climate change and sustainability. I conducted semistructured focus groups and drafted field notes from two …

Plant Science Decadal Vision 2020–2030: Reimagining The Potential Of Plants For A Healthy And Sustainable Future, Natalie Henkhaus, Madelaine Bartlett, David Gang, Rebecca Grumet, Ingrid Jordon‐Thaden, Argelia Lorence, Eric Lyons, Samantha Miller, Seth Murray, Andrew Nelson, Chelsea Specht, Brett Tyler, Thomas Wentworth, David Ackerly, David Baltensperger, Philip Benfey, James Birchler, Sreekala Chellamma, Roslyn Crowder, Michael Donoghue, Jose Pablo Dundore‐Arias, Jacqueline Fletcher, Valerie Fraser, Kelly Gillespie, Lonnie Guralnick, Elizabeth Haswell, Mitchell Hunter, Shawn Kaeppler, Stefan Kepinski, Fay‐Wei Li, Sally Mackenzie, Lucinda Mcdade, David Stern

Arkansas Biosciences Institute

Plants, and the biological systems around them, are key to the future health of the planet and its inhabitants. The Plant Science Decadal Vision 2020–2030 frames our ability to perform vital and far-reaching research in plant systems sciences, essential to how we value participants and apply emerging technologies. We outline a comprehensive vision for addressing some of our most pressing global problems through discovery, practical applications, and education. The Decadal Vision was developed by the participants at the Plant Summit 2019, a community event organized by the Plant Science Research Network. The Decadal Vision describes a holistic vision for the …

School Gardens As A Tool To Improve Student Health Outcomes And Increase Parent Engagement In The Clark County School District, Sabina Malik

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background-School Gardens (SG) have been used in student programming to help achieve many goals that include increasing academic achievement, improving nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, increasing physical activity rates, instilling eco-consciousness, and increasing student and community engagement. To date, garden programs have predominantly been evaluated by case control studies examining pilot or informal short term implementation without consideration of garden program longevity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of SGs on student knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to nutrition and physical activity, examine student connection to the garden, and to identify stakeholder perceptions of best practices …

Testing Flowering Perennial Plants In A Bermudagrass (Cynodon Spp.) Lawn, Paige Elizabeth Boyle, Michelle Wisdom

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Most pollinating insects require a season-long succession of floral resources to fulfill life-cycle requirements. Incorporating forbs into turfgrass sites may create a season-long sequence of flowers to support foraging pollinators. However, persistence of forbs in warm-season turfgrasses such as bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) may be affected by the competitive nature of the turfgrass and routine management practices such as mowing. A 2-year study was conducted to evaluate seven forbs (Bellis perennis L., Lotus corniculatus L., Prunella vulgaris L., Trifolium fragiferum L. ‘Fresa’, Trifolium repens L. ‘Durana’ and ‘Resolute’, Trifolium subterraneum L.) for persistence and ability to produce floral resources …

Fate And Transport Of Phosphorus-Containing Land-Applied Swine Slurry In A Karst Watershed, A. N. Sharpley, M. B. Daniels, K. R. Brye, K. Vandevender, J. Burke, L G. Berry, P. Webb

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Phosphorus distribution in pasture soils underlain with karst geology was determined on a 0.10-ha grid in 2014, 2016, and 2018. Two fields (Fields 1 and 12) received swine slurry from a concentrated animal feeding operation, whereas another (Field 5) received mineral fertilizer. All fields were grazed by cattle and periodically hayed. Mean Mehlich-3 extractable P in the top 10 cm increased (p ≤ .05 level) for Fields 1 (59–91 mg kg⁻¹) and 12 (63–122 mg kg⁻¹) between 2014 and 2018, with little change for Field 5 (45–47 mg kg⁻¹). Over the 5-yr monitoring …

Pathogens, Endosymbionts, And Blood-Meal Sources Of Host-Seeking Ticks In The Fast-Changing Maasai Mara Wildlife Ecosystem, Joseph Wang’Ang’A Oundo, Jandouwe Villinger, Maamun Jeneby, George Ong’Amo, Moses Yongo Otiende, Edward Edmond Makhulu, Ali Abdulahi Musa, Daniel Obado Ouso, Lillian Wambua

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The role of questing ticks in the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases in Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR), an ecosystem with intensified human-wildlife-livestock interactions, remains poorly understood. We surveyed the diversity of questing ticks, their blood-meal hosts, and tick-borne pathogens to understand potential effects on human and livestock health. By flagging and hand-picking from vegetation in 25 localities, we collected 1,465 host-seeking ticks, mostly Rhipicephalus and Amblyomma species identified by morphology and molecular analysis. We used PCR with high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis and sequencing to identify Anaplasma, Babesia, Coxiella, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, and Theileria pathogens and blood-meal remnants in 231 tick …

Review Of The Scientific And Institutional Capacity Of Small Island Developing States In Support Of A Bottom-Up Approach To Achieve Sustainable Development Goal 14 Targets, Rebecca Zitoun, Sylvia G. Sander, Pere Masque Barri, Saul Perez Pijuan, Peter W. Swarzenski

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Capacity building efforts in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are indispensable for the achievement of both individual and collective ocean-related 2030 agenda priorities for sustainable development. Knowledge of the individual capacity building and research infrastructure requirements in SIDS is necessary for national and international efforts to be effective in supporting SIDS to address nationally-identified sustainable development priorities. Here, we present an assessment of human resources and institutional capacities in SIDS United Nations (UN) Member States to help formulate and implement durable, relevant, and effective capacity development responses to the most urgent marine issues of concern for SIDS. The assessment highlights …

A Community Nitrogen Footprint Analysis Of Baltimore City, Maryland, Elizabeth S M Dukes, James N. Galloway, Lawrence E. Band, Lia R. Cattaneo, Peter M. Groffman, Allison M. Leach, Elizabeth A. Castner

Advanced Science Research Center

The nitrogen footprint tool (NFT) provides a novel way for communities to understand the environmental impacts of their collective activities and consumption. Reactive nitrogen (Nr; all N species except N₂) is created by the Haber–Bosch process for food production and as a by-product of fossil fuel combustion and two natural processes, biological nitrogen fixation and lightning. While it is a vital input for food production, too much Nr has a negative effect on the environment. Calculating the amount of Nr released to the environment as a result of an entity’s resource consumption is the first step in reducing …

Analysis Of The Facilitative Interaction Between Batis Maritima And Avicennia Germinans As A Mangrove Restoration Strategy, Javier R. Navarro

Theses and Dissertations

The multiple experiments conducted in an Avicennia germinans forest in Laguna Vista, TX was focused on determining if facilitation theory could explain the behavior observed between the herbaceous halophyte Batis maritima and A. germinans. I hypnotized that a positive interaction exists but through which mechanisms of facilitation I did not know. The overarching theme of the study is the presence or absence of B. maritima. Facilitation theory tells us that positive interactions are most often found under stressful conditions such as those on the coastal tidal flat of the Laguna Madre. Locally B. maritima has been found to …

A Survey Of Dairy-Goat Keeping In Zanzibar, Tiffanie Stone, Charles A. Francis, L. O. Eik

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Dairy goats with improved genetics for milk production were recently introduced onto small-scale farms in Zanzibar through governmental and non-governmental projects. These projects were meant to support small-scale farmers by improving both income and household nutrition through milk production. No follow up had been conducted to understand what effects dairy goat keeping had on these small-scale farms, or how they could be improved. A survey of 193 dairy goat farmers in Zanzibar was conducted, including 30% and 60% of all dairy goat farmers on Unguja and Pemba, the two largest islands, respectively. The objective was to understand the impact keeping …

Potential Adoption Of Integrated Pest Management Strategy For Suppression Of Mango Fruit Flies In East Africa: An Ex Ante And Ex Post Analysis In Ethiopia And Kenya, Beatrice W. Muriithi, Nancy G. Gathogo, Gracious M. Diiro, Samira A. Mohamed, Sunday Ekesi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

To sustain agricultural development in Africa, innovative strategies for addressing a myriad of biotic and abiotic constraints facing the agricultural systems must be established. One current biotic stress is the mango infesting fruit flies. In the effort to contain the widely spreading and damaging invasive species of tephritid fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) (Hendel), an area-wide integrated pest management (IPM) program is being promoted in the horticultural sub-sector in sub-Saharan Africa. Such a new technology in which farmers have limited information before commercialization may have diffusion paths that are different from the often-assumed sigmoid (or “s”) shaped curve. We apply the …

Rice Fortification By Parboiling In Limited-Water Soaking To Alleviate Mineral And Vitamin Deficiency, Annegret Jannasch

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fortification of rice by parboiling is considered a potential alternative to currently available fortification technologies to produce rice with higher mineral and vitamin content significantly contributing to nutrient intake in populations with high prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies. Higher nutrient retention rates and improved sensory characteristics are advantages of fortified parboiled rice compared to fortified rice obtained by currently used fortification technologies including dusting, coating, and extrusion. However, conventional parboiling processes employ excess water that presents an environmental hazard if discarded without treatment. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate a limited-water soaking method for the fortification of rice …

Developing Alternatives To Protect Domestic Sheep From Predation In South Africa, David L. Bergman, Nico L. Avenant, Michael J. Bodenchuk, Eddie Steenkamp

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

South Africa has approximately 8,000 commercial small livestock farms and 5,800 communal/subsistence farmers throughout the country. Reported rates of small livestock loss to predation range from 3-13% and 0.5-19% from communal farming areas. A range of predators exist on the African continent, but in southern Africa major livestock losses are primarily due to black-backed jackal and caracal. South Africans have been managing caracals and jackals for over 300 years with no elimination of predation. During the aforementioned time frame, producers have used and/or developed a number of techniques including lethal, nonlethal, and integrated predator damage management to address predation losses. …

Quantifying The Environmental Impacts Of Cookstove Transitions A Societal Exergy Analysis Based Model Of Energy Consumption And Forest Stocks In Honduras, Noah Ver Beek, Elvin Vindel, Matthew K. Heun, Paul E. Brockway

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Unsustainable consumption of biofuels contributes to deforestation and climate change, while household air pollution from burning solid biofuels in homes results in millions of premature deaths globally every year. Honduras, like many low and medium Human Development Index countries, depends on primary solid biofuels for more than 30% of its primary energy supply (as of 2013). We conducted a societal exergy analysis and developed a forest stock model for Honduras for 1971–2013 and used the results to model an energy transition from traditional wood stoves to either improved efficiency wood cookstoves or modern fuel cookstoves (using Electricity or Liquefied petroleum …

The Effect Of Soil Ph On Phosphorus Content Of Clover Pasture, David Weaver, Robert Summers, David Rogers, Peta Richards

Resource management technical reports

Testing of pasture soils from 2009 to 2018, as part of DPIRD’s Whole Farm Nutrient Mapping (WFNM) project in the coastal catchments of south-west Western Australia (WA), indicated that soil pH was so low it could be limiting plant access to nutrients. Observations by some farmers who had been involved in the soil testing were that lime application had not increased pasture production, even when pH_Ca (pH measured in calcium chloride) tests indicated that phosphorus (P) should become more available by increasing soil pH. Farmers also wanted to know if they needed to apply more P than soil testing …

Exploring Opportunities For A New Community Garden In Santa Fe Springs, Camille Kelem

City and Regional Planning

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Metals And Non-Metals In The Indian Oil Sardine (Sardinella Longiceps) In The Northern United Arab Emirates, Shaima Malik

Biology Theses

The marine ecosystems of the world are especially susceptible to pollution arising from anthropogenic sources. The Arabian Gulf ecosystem is a partially enclosed hypersaline system with increasing levels of pollution arising from ongoing development in the region. Marine biota are expected to be influenced by pollutants and levels of trace elements in marine species could be indicative of increasing pollution. Bioaccumulation of 19 elements (As, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sr, V, Zn) in 120 specimens of Indian oil sardines (Sardinella longiceps) purchased from local fish markets of …

Biological Control Of Fusarium Wilt In Date Palm (Phoenix Dactylifera L.) In The United Arab Emirates By Endophytic Actinobacteria, Aisha Abdullah Darwish Shambeh Alblooshi

Theses

Date palm trees suffer from many various serious diseases, including sudden decline syndrome (SDS). External symptoms were characterized by whitening on one side of the rachis, progressing from the base to the apex of the leaf until the whole leaf dies; while the internal disease symptoms included reddish roots and highly coloured vascular bundles causing wilting and death of the tree. Although three Fusarium spp. (F. oxysporum, F. proliferatum and F. solani) were isolated from diseased root samples, the fungal pathogen F. solani was associated with SDS on date palm in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Fusarium spp. were identified …

Biological Control Of Sudden Decline Disease Of Date Palm (Phoenix Dactylifera L.) In The United Arab Emirates, Khawla Juma Saif Zeail Alwahshi

Theses

Date palm orchards suffer from serious diseases, including sudden decline syndrome (SDS). The fungal pathogen Fusarium solani was associated with SDS on date palm in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Application of Cidely® Top (difenoconazole and cyflufenamid) significantly inhibited the fungal mycelial growth In vitro and reduced SDS development on date palm seedlings pre-inoculated with F. solani under greenhouse conditions. This is the first report confirming that the chemical fungicide Cidely® Top is strongly effective against SDS on date palm. Fungal pathogens not only inhibit plant growth directly but also induce the plant to synthesize stress ethylene. Much of the …

Ecology And Christian Education: How Sustainability Discourse And Theological Anthropology Inform Teaching Methods, Chad Rimmer

Consensus

This paper will sketch theoretical synergies between sustainability discourse and a Christian ecotheological approach to religious education, and point to pedagogical possibilities for bridging the two disciplines. Theology and natural science operate with certain anthropological assumptions. Those underlying anthropologies inform the teaching methods of environmental and religious education. Anthropologies that conceive of human being outside of ecological relationships are a root problem of our current ecological crisis. Many economic, political and social discourses colonize people from the land, particularly children, exacerbating the root causes of sustainability. This paper affirms that linking sustainability discourse and religious education is a way to …

Nitrate Transport In The Unsaturated Zone, Patience Bosompemaa

Theses and Dissertations

Abundance of nitrate in the soil is a basic issue in agricultural land-use regions, causing eutrophication and pollution of water bodies. The study focuses on the role of a saturated buffer zone (SBZ) to remove nitrate from the groundwater resulting from agricultural activities. The study area is herbaceous SBZ located in central Illinois (40.614382ºN, -89.023542ºW), which lies between a stream and a farm located upgradient. The SBZ has been outfitted with an agricultural runoff treatment system that diverts tile drainage into the subsurface of the SBZ rather than discharging into the stream. Within the SBZ three experimental areas composed of …

Time Allocation To Resources By Three Species Of Rats (Rattus Spp.) In A Radial Arm Maze, Gary Witmer, Nathan P. Snow, Rachael S. Moulton

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Context. Introduced rats (Rattus spp.) can pose a serious threat to native flora and fauna, especially on islands where most species have evolved in the absence of terrestrial predators. Effective detection and eradication methods for introduced rats are essential to the maintenance of insular ecosystem integrity. Thus, it is important to better understand the behaviour of rats when they first arrive in a new setting.

Aims. To determine whether rats would find some novel stimuli to be significantly more attractive than other novel stimuli.

Methods. An eight-arm radial maze was used to study the behaviour of three species of Rattus …

A Review Of The Methods And Metrics In Research, Implementation, And Management Of Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture, Cassandra Erickson

Master's Projects and Capstones

As seafood demand rises with the growing population, methods of providing sustainable and reliable protein are needed. Wild fishery stocks have decreased so aquaculture is seen as the way to meet these growing demands. The aquaculture industry has continued to grow 8.3% every year since 1970 primarily through using intensive cultivation of a single species creating negative effects on the marine environment. An increase in nutrients from these intensive cultivations can lead to eutrophication, a decrease in oxygen, and alter the ecosystem structure and biodiversity. Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) aims to offset the increased input of nutrients through fish farming …

Evaluating Moose Alces Alces Population Response To Infestation Level Of Winter Ticks Dermacentor Albipictus, Daniel D. Ellingwood, Peter J. Pekins, Henry Jones, Anthony R. Musante

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Many wildlife populations are experiencing a variety of environmental pressures due to the direct and indirect consequences of a changing climate. In the northeast, USA, moose Alces alces are declining in large part because of the increasing parasitism by winter tick Dermacentor albipictus, facilitated by high host density and optimal environmental conditions. To test this hypothesis, and better understand the influence of this interaction on the stability of the regional population, we constructed a population viability model using data collected through comprehensive survival and productivity studies in 2002–2005 and 2014–2018 in northern New Hampshire. Years of heavy tick infestation (epizootics) …

Effects Of Warming On Decomposition Of Submerged Plant Litter And Associated Microorganisms In Streamside Channels, Kaity Ackerman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Surface air temperatures are predicted to increase in the near future, which will likely affect microbial activity and carbon flow in stream ecosystems. I performed an experiment in streamside channels at Coweeta Hydrological Laboratory, NC to assess responses of litter-associated microorganisms to moderate increases in water temperature (5 levels, ambient to +4°C). The objectives of the experiment were to determine: (1) if there are differences in the magnitude of responses to temperature among various microbial parameters and (2) whether microbial responses to temperature vary among plant litter of different carbon quality. Thus, I measured litter decomposition rate, fungal biomass (ergosterol), …

A Social–Ecological Odyssey In Fisheries And Wildlife Management, Andrew K. Carlson, William W. Taylor, Melissa R. Cronin, Mitchell J. Eaton, Mark A. Kaemingk, Andrea J. Reid, Ashley Trudeau

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Aldo Leopold, famous ecologist and “father” of North American wildlife management, once said, “These are two things that interest me: the relation of people to each other, and the relation of people to land” (Leopold 1947). Ever prescient, Leopold recognized that natural resource management is fundamentally about humans and their relationship with nature well before conservation became an established way of thinking, much less the bedrock of entire professions. Similarly, amid the Green Revolution to increase agricultural production, in part, through widespread use of pesticides, renowned environmentalist and journalist Rachel Carson noted that we are all “a part of nature, …