Digital Commons Network^™

Within-Field Soil Moisture Variability And Time-Invariant Spatial Structures Of Agricultural Fields In The Us Midwest, Yi Yang, Bin Peng, Kaiyu Guan, Ming Pan, Trenton E. Franz, Michael H. Cosh, Carl J. Bernacchi

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Understanding soil moisture variability and estimating high-resolution soil moisture at subfield to field scales is critical for agricultural research and applications. However, systematic investigation of subfield scale soil moisture variability over cropland is still lacking from both measurement and satellite remote sensing. In this study, we aim to investigate (1) the characteristics of within-field soilmoisture distribution over typical cropland in the US Midwest and (2) the capabilities of satellite remote sensing in capturing the spatiotemporal variabilities of soil moisture at subfield scale. Specifically, we conducted soil moisture field experiments in three typical commercial agricultural fields (∼85 acres per field) in …

Leveraging Systems Thinking For Global Environmental Health, Martha M. Mcalister

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Environmental health inequities such as household air pollution, inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene, and chemical pollution persist globally and have myriad consequences on individual and societal well-being. Unfortunately, while billions of dollars and countless hours of research have been applied towards addressing these issues in development, humanitarian, and environmental justice contexts, attempts to reduce the environmental burden of disease can seem successful at first, but then backslide to pre-intervention conditions (or worse). This is indicative of policy resistance, a tendency of complex systems that makes it very difficult to enact change if the “rules” of the system are misunderstood. There …

Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Grove Gulch Sedimentation Bay 100% Remedial Design, Josh Bryson

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Cold And Traffic Tolerance Of Hybrid Bermudagrass And Kentucky Bluegrass In A Cool Season, Arid Climate, Caden J. Seely, H. Burgin, N. Hansen, G. Wear, Bryan G. Hopkins

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2024

• Due to climate change, warm-season Hybrid Bermudagrass (HBG) is beginning to be grown in northern climates.
• This is potentially desirable because it may use less water than traditional species.
• However, there is concern regarding winter kill and excessively long dormant periods.
• There is particular interest in HBG with regards to sports turf, but there is concern with its ability to withstand heavy traffic damage when grown in a cool-season climate.

Objective: Assess the cold and traffic tolerance of common Bermudagrass [CBG; Cynodon dactylon (L) Pers.] and seven triploid interspecific hybrids (HBG; Cynodon dactylon × C. transvaalensis Burtt Davy) in …

The Biomechanics Of Ursine Predation: Investigating The Force Generation And Mechanical Properties Of Bear Claws And Teeth In Predatory Behavior, Katie Dooley, Megan Doxey, Josh Jewell, Tom Smith

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2024

• Studied over 2,200 human-bear conflicts in North America and witnessed the shear force that bears can exert to access food and eliminate any threats.
• Polar bears at the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City punctured and bent high density polyurethane (HDPE) objects when playing with them.
• This prompted research into the force it takes bears to puncture objects with their canines and claws.

Reproduce Or Live Longer?: A Life History Analysis Of Black Bears In A Semiarid Environment, Brenden M. Orocu, Cambria Armstrong, Janene Auger, Hal L. Black, Randy T. Larsen, Brock R. Mcmillan, Mark C. Belk

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2024

In population demographics, each population has an age stage vital rate (fecundity and survival) in its life history that has the greatest influence on the asymptotic population growth rate, λ.

American black bears (Ursus americanus) are found throughout North America. Other studies on population demographics have focused on populations in higher resource availability areas but none in semiarid environments where resource scarcity is a result of the variable climate.

Objective

Our objective was to determine if factors influencing population dynamics of black bears in semi-arid environments were similar to factors affecting population dynamics in mesic environments where …

Coastal Flooding Under Climate Change: Can Machine Learning Help?, Giovanni Coco

Sustainability Seminar Series

Sea-level rise is a consequence of climate change and the main driver of increasing coastal flooding over the twenty-first century. This presentation describes recent developments in downscaled wave climate, storm surge and sea-level rise modelling for Aotearoa New Zealand to project extreme total water. We assume that future total water levels can be calculated through the summation of tides, storm surge, wave runup and sea-level rise, allowing to investigate future overwash potential. Additionally, the presentation will explore how 'machine learning' techniques can enhance our studies, leading to better predictions and reduced uncertainty in understanding coastal flooding.

Considerations For The Use Of Porcine Organ Donation Models In Preclinical Organ Donor Intervention Research, Frazer I. Heinis, Shaheed Merani, Nicholas W. Markin, Kim F. Duncan, Michael J. Moulton, Lance Fristoe, William E. Thorell, Raechel A. Sherrick, Tami R. Wells, Matthew T. Andrews, Marian Urban

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Use of animal models in preclinical transplant research is essential to the optimization of human allografts for clinical transplantation. Animal models of organ donation and preservation help to advance and improve technical elements of solid organ recovery and facilitate research of ischemia–reperfusion injury, organ preservation strategies, and future donor-based interventions. Important considerations include cost, public opinion regarding the conduct of animal research, translational value, and relevance of the animal model for clinical practice. We present an overview of two porcine models of organ donation: donation following brain death (DBD) and donation following circulatory death (DCD). The cardiovascular anatomy and physiology …

Sustainability And Careers In The 21st Century, Phyllis J. Schoen, Amanda Baker

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

Phyllis Schoen and Amanda Baker of the West Chester University Career Center present on "Sustainability and Careers in the 21st Century."

Will Saf Turbocharge The Corn Ethanol Market?, Richard K. Perrin, Lilyan E. Fulginiti, Felipe Miranda De Souza Almeida

Cornhusker Economics

The long-run outlook for the corn ethanol industry is questionable, due to a transition to electric and hybrid vehicles. One source of hope for the long run is the potential demand for producing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). SAF is a key component in the United States Aviation Climate Action Plan, a path to net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the aviation industry by 2050. Demand for ethanol for SAF offers hope to the ethanol industry, but it depends a great deal on policy decisions that are being made now. Here we sketch out this story.

Based on the information available …

Challenges And Countermeasures For Lithium Resources In China And Analysis Of Global Distribution And Industry Status, Lirong Dou, Huaqing Liu, Dekuan Chang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

With the rapid development of the global new energy industry, the strategic significance of lithium mineral resources is becoming increasingly pronounced. As a crucial material essential to the primary sectors of electric vehicles and energy storage batteries, the security of the lithium supply chain directly influences the industrial and economic development of the country. Global lithium resource reserves are primarily concentrated in several key countries, including Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, and Australia. Although China possesses a significant amount of lithium reserves, it faces challenges such as high mining difficulty, stringent environmental protection regulations, and low ore grades. These factors contribute to …

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 …

Trading Policy, Practice And Prospect On Marine Carbon Sequestration In China, Jingming Dong, Zifei Liu, Limei Chen

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Marine carbon sequestration trading is the inherent requirement and effective mechanism for marine eco-civilization development, maritime economic strategy. The research compares and analyzes the policies and practices of China’s marine carbon sequestration trading, and looks forward its future development tendency. It is pointed points out that under the framework of the national Dual Carbon goals, especially in “1+N” policy, the top-level system of China’s marine carbon sequestration trading has initially formed. Many relevant industry standards have been introduced and implemented at the national level. Then at the local level, some regions have introduced and implemented marine carbon sequestration calculation guidelines …

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 …

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.

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 …

Useful Exergy As An Intermediate Input In A Two-Sector Model Of The United States Economy, João Gonçalves, João Santos, Matthew Kuperus Heun, Paul E. Brockway, Tiago Domingos

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Conventional economic growth models treat production/consumption as abstractions linked only by money flows, disregarding their connection to the physical world. Nevertheless, the existing literature suggests that energy flows can influence production and links useful exergy prices with economic growth. Useful exergy is energy measured at the stage where it produces an end-use (and is a measurement of energy quality). Not all approaches in the literature use this metric and they often consider energy as a primary input (despite it being an intermediate input). We explore the relationship between energy flows and economic growth for the US through a framework where …

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) …

Floodplain Restoration And Its Effects On Summer Water Temperature And Macroinvertebrates In Whychus Creek, Oregon (Usa), Wesley N. Noone, Patrick M. Edwards, Yangdong Pan, Colin R. Thorne

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Stream restoration is a proposed climate adaptation tool; however, outcomes of floodplain restoration on stream temperature have been debated. Despite a growing number of studies that investigated water temperature in restored streams, few have quantified temperature variations in new habitat types created by restored hydrogeomorphic processes to explore the effects on aquatic macroinvertebrates. We evaluated the hypotheses: (1) restoration increases habitat diversity, (2) habitat diversity increases water temperature variability, and (3) restoration increases the diversity of macroinvertebrate assemblage and temperature associations. In August 2021, we collected environmental data to describe the aquatic habitats, water temperature and quality (continuous and discrete), …

Residential Metals Abatement Program Investigation Summary Report (Non-Residential Parcels – Indoor Dust) - Emerson Elementary School, Environmental Resource Management (Erm)

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Cool Genomics, Melody Clark

Sustainability Seminar Series

Remarkably, the marine life in the Southern Ocean is incredibly biodiverse and clearly thriving, although the organisms (fish and invertebrates) live for most of the year below 0°C. These freezing conditions have been present in the Antarctic for 10-15 Million Years and have resulted in the evolution of some bizarre adaptations to the cold. In this talk, I will discuss some of the adaptations to life below 0°C and how these animals respond to climate change. In particular, I will highlight the use of molecular tools to understand marine organisms responses to change.

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 …

Re: Comments For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Butte Reclamation Evaluation System (Bres) Draft 2023 Bres Field Evaluation Summary Report And Technical Recommendations Proposal (Dated November 15, 2023) And 2023 Corrective Action Plans For Reclaimed Sites (Dated January 31, 2024), Molly Roby

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Final 2024 Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Type B Borrow Material Submittal #2, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

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 …

Medical Monitoring Working Group Meeting Minutes, Mike Mcanulty

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Re: Approval Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Draft Final 2024 Type B Borrow Material Submittal #2 (Dated February 14, 2024), Molly Roby

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.