Digital Commons Network^™

Long Term Monitoring And Research On Temperate Glaciers And Related Environments Provide Technological Support For Regional Sustainable Development, Shijin Wang, Shichang Kang, Tuo Chen, Yuanqing He, Meixue Yang, Quanlian Li, Hewen Niu, Tao Pu, Binglin Zhang, Yanjun Che, Wanqin Guo, Xingguo Yan, Xinggang Ma, Rongjun Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

After nearly 20 years of development, the Yulong Snow Mountain National Field Observation and Research Station for Cryosphere and Sustainable Development, Chinese Academy of Sciences has built a field comprehensive observation system and data online visualization platform of temperate glacier and environment integrating observation, research, demonstration, and service. Based on the long-term positioning monitoring of temperate glaciers and the environment, and focusing on key scientific issues related to sustainable development in temperate glacier areas, this study deeply analyzes the mechanism of changes in temperate glaciers, reveals the hydrological, microorganisms, and climatic effects of temperate glacier change, evaluates the effectiveness of …

Development Demand, Power Energy Consumption And Green And Low-Carbon Transition For Computing Power In China, Xiaohong Chen, Liaoying Cao, Jiaolong Chen, Jinghui Zhang, Wenzhi Cao, Yangjie Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

As a critical digital infrastructure, computing power has become the core productivity and a new engine driving economic growth in the digital economy. Nevertheless, the power-hungry nature of computing/data centers, representing the computing infrastructure, consumes a significant amount of electrical energy. Currently, China’s economy is transitioning from high-speed growth to high-quality development. It is imperative to study how to coordinate the development of computing power while ensuring its safety and achieving green and low-carbon goals. Based on an overview of the current status of computing power development, this study predicts the future demand for computing power in China, analyzes the …

Yulong Snow Mountain National Field Observation And Research Station For Cryosphere And Sustainable Development

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

No abstract provided.

New Situation And Risk Coping Strategy Of Supply Chain Security Of Lithium Battery Industry Chain In China, Peng Du, Xuhua Qiu, Yusen Bai, Dong Guo

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Lithium battery industry is the core of supporting modern energy transformation and technological innovation of traffic electrification. In recent years, China’s lithium battery industry chain and supply chain security is facing new situations such as international trade and geopolitical conflicts, core technology dependence, and changes in domestic investment and financing environment. Based on the perspective of global supply chain management and industrial technology innovation, this study systematically analyzes the supply chain security of lithium battery industry chain in China, discusses the necessity of strategic cooperation of resources worldwide, independent innovation of technology, and optimization of supply chain management, and puts …

Describing Undergraduate Students’ Reasoning And Use Of Evidence During Argumentation About Socioscientific Issues Systems, P. Citlally Jimenez, Ashley R. Alred, Jenny M. Dauer

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Introduction: We conducted research in a post-secondary, large-enrollment science literacy course that asks students to apply multidisciplinary scientific evidence when providing an argument about the potential social and ecological consequences of policy solutions to socioscientific issues (SSI).

Methods: Coding schemes were developed to describe students’ levels of proficiency in constructing arguments about the nature of SSI systems and were created through inductive coding of student arguments about SSI systems embedded within a structured decision-making process.

Results: The coding schemes included student practices in 1) providing reasoning about the potential consequences of multiple solutions for an SSI, 2) …

Combining Multi-View Uav Photogrammetry, Thermal Imaging, And Computer Vision Can Derive Cost-Effective Ecological Indicators For Habitat Assessment, Qiao Hu, Ligang Zhang, Jeff Drahota, Wayne Woldt, Dana Varner, Andy Bishop, Ted Lagrange, Christopher M. U. Neale, Zhenghong Tang

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Recent developments in Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles (UAVs), thermal imaging, and Automachine learning (AutoML) have shown high potential for precise wildlife surveys but have rarely been studied for habitat assessment. Here, we propose a framework that leverages these advanced techniques to achieve cost-effective habitat quality assessment from the perspective of actual wildlife community usage. The framework exploits vision intelligence hidden in the UAV thermal images and AutoML methods to achieve cost-effective wildlife distribution mapping, and then derives wildlife use indicators to imply habitat quality variance. We conducted UAV-based thermal wildlife surveys at three wetlands in the Rainwater Basin, Nebraska. Experiments were …

Dissolved Nitrogen Removal In Biochar Amended, High Permeability Media For Urban Stormwater Treatment, Mark Vicciardo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nutrient pollution in stormwater drives the eutrophication of inland and costal waterbodies which leads to sea grass retreat and the proliferation of harmful algal blooms (HAB). These anthropogenic effects destabilize ecosystems, and some HABs can pose direct human health risk. Bioretention, or the storage and controlled discharge of stormwater run-off in an ecologically engineered setting, is a potential solution to this problem. However, it relies heavily on the settling of particles as a nutrient removal mechanism, and thus struggles with pollutants, such as dissolved nitrogen, which is a particular problem in Florida where the geological prominence of phosphorus leaves nitrogen …

Challenges To Reindeer, Reciprocity, And Indigenous Sami Sovereignty Amidst The Impact Of Green Energy Developments, Lisa Heikka-Huber

IdeaFest: Interdisciplinary Journal of Creative Works and Research from Cal Poly Humboldt

The Indigenous people of Europe known as the Sami, (also spelled Saami) many of whom live throughout the world, have continued to maintain active nomadic communities today as their ancestors did. A wide spanning region of Northern Europe’s Arctic Zone or Sampi often referred to as Fennoscandia, encompasses four countries, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia’s Kola Peninsula (Roland & Löffler, 2012). The nomadic Sami people follow the migration pathways of their reindeer herds through the wilderness bi-annually. This paper will discuss many perspectives, including the battle Sami people and other Indigenous communities have endured while combating green energy development from …

Bird Strike Hazard Assessment For The Tampa International Airport, Florida, Usa, Yakubu Ogwu Isah

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Managing wildlife at airports poses a challenge for ensuring safety for aviation traffic. Airports, with their surrounding habitats and infrastructure, serve as attractants for avian species. Threats created by these species have led managers to develop management techniques in and around airports (DeVault et al 2013). One approach is the use of geographic information systems (GIS) for analyzing avian strike data and airport bird surveys. Spatial analysis of strike data identifies species of threat by categorizing strike occurrence, species sizes, phase of flight, and risk of damage. In addition, GIS can be used to map hotspots of bird strikes. These …

Medical Monitoring Working Group Meeting Minutes, Mike Mcanulty

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Interrelationships Among Local Values Of Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, Heat Index, And Adjusted Temperature, Andrea Giraldo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Occupational heat stress significantly affects outdoor workers who face challenges due to increased heat exposure. Because of the prevalence of heat illness, it is important to measure heat stress for outdoor workers. Monitoring occupational heat stress most often relies on the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) measure. Heat Index (HI) is a widely used measure to account for air temperature and humidity. Adjusted Temperature (Tadj) considers air temperature, humidity and estimates radiant heat. There is interest in predicting WBGT from HI and HI from WBGT. This study builds on previous USF research by Bernard and Iheanacho and Irvin to evaluate …

Field-Based Measurement Tools To Distinguish Clonal Typha Taxa And Estimate Biomass: A Resource For Conservation And Restoration, Brian M. Ohsowski, Cassidy Redding, Pamela Geddes, Shane Lishawa

School of Environmental Sustainability: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Two species of clonal Typha [T. latifolia (native) and T. angustifolia (exotic)] hybridize to form the highly invasive, heterotic (high vigor) T. × glauca in North American wetlands leading to increased primary production, litter accumulation, and biodiversity loss. Conservation of T. latifolia has become critical as invasive Typha has overwhelmed wetlands. In the field, Typha taxa identification is difficult due to subtle differences in morphology, and molecular identification is often unfeasible for managers. Furthermore, improved methods to non-destructively estimate Typha biomass is imperative to enhance ecological impact assessments. To address field-based Typha ID limitations, our study developed a predictive …

Drought Legacy Interacts With Wildfire To Alter Soil Microbial Communities In A Mediterranean Climate-Type Forest, Anna J. M. Hopkins, Aaron J. Brace, Jess L. Bruce, J. Hyde, J. B. Fontaine, L. Walden, W. Veber, K. X. Ruthrof

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Mediterranean forest ecosystems will be increasingly affected by hotter drought and more frequent and severe wildfire events in the future. However, little is known about the longer-term responses of these forests to multiple disturbances and the forests' capacity to maintain ecosystem function. This is particularly so for below-ground organisms, which have received less attention than those above-ground, despite their essential contributions to forest function. We investigated rhizosphere microbial communities in a resprouting Eucalyptus marginata forest, southwestern Australia, that had experienced a severe wildfire four years previously, and a hotter drought eight years previously. Our aim was to understand how microbial …

Difficulties Of Hydrofracturing In Sandstone – Experimental Study, S Vikram, Dheeraj Kumar, Ds Subrahmanyam

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Hydrofracturing in sandstone is not an easy task. Sandstone is porous; fluid dissipation is common hence unable to obtain breakdown pressures in certain flow rates (0.0000005–0.0001 m3/s). The higher flow rate (0.00025 m3/s) is ascertained to determine the fracturing pressures. Due to this, fracture propagation and delineation are observed [1]. To enhance, an experimental method is adopted by carrying out 6 Hydrofracturing tests in a borehole comprising sandstone. A high flow rate of 0.00025 m3/s and viscosity 0.001 Pascal second is applied. Later, the fracture simulation was run on 12 core samples collected from the same depths in a lab. …

The Effect Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On The Environmental Perceptions Of College Students, Sydney H. Kaylor

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the environmental perception changes in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic were investigated. During the almost worldwide lockdown between March and December 2020, many students experienced dramatic changes in their socioeconomic life that have affected their well-being, ability to learn, and environmental perceptions. Students were sent home from college campuses, many businesses were shut down, and changes were seen in the environment throughout the world. The many industries and businesses that were shut down decreased the pollution that was in the atmosphere, in our water, and on the land. In many places, lockdown policies lead to improved …

Residential Metals Abatement Program Construction Completion Report (Non-Residential Parcels – Indoor Soil) - Butte High School, Environmental Resource Management (Erm)

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Yearly Population Data At Census Tract Level Revealed That More People Are Now Living In Highly Fire-Prone Zones In California, Usa, Slade Lazeweski, Shenyue Jia, Jessica E. Viner, Wesley Ho, Brian Hoover, Seung Hee Kim, Menas C. Kafatos

Institute for ECHO Articles and Research

In California (CA), the wildland-urban interface (WUI) faces escalating challenges due to surging population and real estate development. This study evaluates communities along CA's WUI that have witnessed substantial population growth from 2010 to 2021, utilizing demographic data and the 2020 WUI boundaries by the University of Wisconsin-Madison SILVIS Lab. Employing the Mann-Kendall test, we analyze yearly population trends for each census tract along the CA WUI and assess their significance. House ownership, affordability, and wildfire risk are examined as potential drivers of this demographic shift. Our findings indicate that 12.7% of CA's total population now resides in census tracts …

Metatranscriptomic Insights Into The Interaction Between Microcystis Blooms And Hydrogen Peroxide, Taylor L. Hancock

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For this dissertation I studied the interactions of hydrogen peroxide and cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cHABs) dominated by Microcystis in the Caloosahatchee River, FL. Specifically, I examined how taxonomic and functional succession relates to both natural hydrogen peroxide dynamics and hydrogen peroxide added to the environment as a cHAB treatment. Chapter 2 investigated how taxonomic succession and gene expression patterns relate to blooms and associated elevated hydrogen peroxide concentrations. The results showed that gene expressions related to cyanobacterial growth were positively correlated with hydrogen peroxide. The genes identified included enzymes capable of hydrogen peroxide generation which were expressed by blooming …

When And Why Ecological Systems Respond To The Rate Rather Than The Magnitude Of Environmental Changes, Karen C. Abbott

Faculty Scholarship

Ecologists and conservation biologists have become quite familiar with the concept of tipping points: abrupt changes in an ecosystem's state that occur after a period of relative stasis. Most of the familiar ecological examples of tipping points occur either because a once-stable state has lost stability, or the system has been subjected to a particularly large perturbation and transitions to an alternative stable state, distinct from the pre-perturbed state. A different class of tipping points, known as rate-induced tipping (or r-tipping) points, are likely present in many ecological communities but remain little known in the field. Rate-induced tipping occurs when …

Development Of A Composite Drought Indicator For Operational Drought Monitoring In The Mena Region, Karim Bergaoui, Makram Belhaj Fraj, Stephen Fragaszy, Ali Ghanim, Omar Hamadin, Emad Al‑Karablieh, Jawad Al‑Bakri, Mona Fakih, Abbas Fayad, Fadi Comair, Mohamed Yessef, Hayat Ben Mansour, Haythem Belgrissi, Kristi Arsenault, Christa Peters‑Lidard, Sujay Kumar, Abheera Hazra, Wanshu Nie, Michael Hayes, Mark D. Svoboda, Rachael Mcdonnell

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

This paper presents the composite drought indicator (CDI) that Jordanian, Lebanese, Moroccan, and Tunisian government agencies now produce monthly to support operational drought management decision making, and it describes their iterative co-development processes. The CDI is primarily intended to monitor agricultural and ecological drought on a seasonal time scale. It uses remote sensing and modelled data inputs, and it reflects anomalies in precipitation, vegetation, soil moisture, and evapotranspiration. Following quantitative and qualitative validation assessments, engagements with policymakers, and consideration of agencies’ technical and institutional capabilities and constraints, we made changes to CDI input data, modelling procedures, and integration to tailor …

Fluorine Beyond Pfas: Tracking Fluorine During Photolysis Of Fluorinated Pesticides And Pharmaceuticals, William Arnold

Sustainability Seminar Series

Fluorine incorporation into organic chemicals is ubiquitous. There are many mass produced chemicals, including pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and medical contrast agents, containing one or more fluorine atoms that are released into the environment. Upon photolysis or oxidative treatment in aquatic systems, persistent fluorinated byproducts or fluoride from pesticides and pharmaceuticals are formed depending on the type and stability of the fluorine-containing functional group. Byproduct quantification was performed using 19F-NMR and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Some motifs are persistent, generating new PFAS, while others degrade to fluoride. These results will assist in the future optimization of water treatment methods and development of pharmaceutical/pesticide …

Publications And Other Works By R. F. Diffendal, Jr., Robert F. Diffendal Jr.

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Articles
Chapters in Books
Books
Field Guides
Geologic Maps
Other Maps
Cover Photographs
Other Photographs
Newspaper and Other Articles
Test-Hole Logs
Television Programs
Geonotes
Abstracts
Reviews
Manuscripts Accepted (A), Submitted (S), or in Preparation (P)
Geologic Maps in Press
Geologic Maps-Nebraska
Public Documents
Miscellaneous Publications
Editing

Updated March 2024

Sustainable Shift: Analyzing Drivers For Low-Carbon Transportation Adoption In California’S Heavy-Duty And Off-Road Sectors, Vuban Chowdhury, Farzana Mehzabin Tuli, Suman Kumar Mitra

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The transportation sector stands out as a major challenge for California’s transition to a more sustainable transportation system, as it accounts for most of the greenhouse gas emissions. This underscores the urgency for government agencies to take decisive action in promoting the adoption of low-carbon transportation (LCT) within the heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) and off-road equipment (ORE) sectors. This study employs content analysis to investigate the impact of behavioral factors, specifically awareness and impression, on LCT adoption within these sectors. The analysis results are refined using a generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool. The results indicate that awareness about LCT, in conjunction …

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter, March 2024, University Of Northern Iowa. Iowa Waste Reduction Center.

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter

Contents:

--- Contractor Training Heat Pump Summit
--- Enhancements to Paint Tracker
--- National SBEAP Conference Blog
--- Library Composting Workshop in Dayton
--- Important Reminders & Events
--- Industry News

Errata: Water Main Break Rates In The Usa And Canada: A Comprehensive Study, Steven Barfuss

Reports

Page 5 – Major Finding 6 (change also made in text on Page 18):

Added “in the reported pipe inventory” to better clarify the percentage reduction

Page 6 – Major Finding 14 (change also made in text on Page 31):

Changed “six” to “five” years to explain the time elapsed between the 2018 and 2023 studies

Page 7 – Major Finding 28 (change also made in text on Page 46):

Added “percentage” to better clarify the percentage of acceptance

Page 8 – Section 1.1:

Updated “(WRF, 2017)” to “(Grigg, 2007)” and “(US Conference of Mayors, 2018)” to “(Anderson, 2018)”

Page …

Field Research Report: Results From The Enreec Vri Field For The 2021, 2022, And 2023 Crop Seasons, Derek M. Heeren, Ali T. Mohammed, Eric Wilkening, Christopher M. U. Neale, Alan L. Boldt, Ankit Chandra, Precious Nneka Amori, Ivo Z. Goncalves, Yeyin Shi, Guillermo R. Balboa

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

Long-term irrigation management research has been conducted from 2014 to 2023 for corn and soybean at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension, and Education Center (ENREEC) Variable Rate Irrigation (VRI) Field located in subhumid east-central Nebraska (in the Lower Platte North Natural Resources District). The objective of this report was to present the overall results from the VRI Field for 2021 to 2023. Across the three growing seasons, there were the following irrigation treatments: Best Management Practice (BMP), 50% BMP, 125% BMP, rainfed, Spatial ET Modeling Interface (SETMI), SDD1, SDD2, machine-learning-based Cyber-Physical System (CPS), a student team recommended rate, and industry …

Navigating Sustainable Futures, Franziska Zimmermann

Asian Management Insights

A leadership imperative.

Transformative Policies Supporting Equitable Workforce Progress, India Shiroma Perreira, Eo Hanabusa, Leaders 20/20

San Diego Regional Quality of Life Dashboard

As the need for Green Workforce jobs rises, it is essential that companies are transparent about pay. The California Pay Transparency Law (SB 1162) enforces job descriptions that explicitly outline employee compensation, which is also a step towards closing gender and race-based pay gaps. It also prohibits employers from using hiring practices that may be discriminatory against certain groups of people. SB 1162 builds honesty, trust, and equity in the workplace for job seekers today and for generations to come.

Automated Tree Mortality Detection Using Ubiquitously Available Public Data, Michael T. Huggins

Master's Theses

Understanding the dynamic interplay between fire severity, topography, and tree mortality, is crucial for predicting future forest dynamics and enhancing resilience against climate change-induced wildfire regimes. This thesis develops a multi-sensor approach for automated estimation of tree mortality, then applies it to examine trends in tree mortality over a six-year period across a fire affected study site in the Trinity River basin in Northern California. The Random Forest model uses publicly available USGS 3D Elevation Program Lidar (3DEP) and NAIP imagery as inputs and is likely to be easily adaptable to other landscapes. The model had a Receiver Operating Characteristic …

Health And Safety Plan (Hasp) Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit, Woodard & Curran

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.