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Poly(Β-Gal-Thr): A New Scalable Synthetic Mucin, Manuel A. Lema

Dissertations and Theses

A method for the preparation of glycosylated polypeptides via the nucleophilic ring-opening polymerization of a glycosylated N-carboxyanhydride (NCA) monomer is reported. The synthesis of 2,3,4,6-tetraacetyl-β-galactose-threonine N-carboxyanhydride (β-AcO-Gal-Thr-NCA) monomer in 5 steps with an 8 % overall yield is described, and the single-crystal X-ray structure is provided. The effect of a series of Ni⁰-based organometallic initiators, nucleophilic amine initiators, co-catalysts, and solvents on the polymerization were explored. The kinetics of the three most promising conditions were studied in greater detail. The conditions that provided the highest yield, low polydispersity (Ð), and …

Biotic Characteristics Of Managed And Unmanaged Coastal Dunes In The Outer Banks, North Carolina, Andrew E. White

Theses and Dissertations

Under future climate change and sea level rise scenarios, Natural and Nature-Based Features (e.g., dunes) that protect coastal habitat and infrastructure will be exposed to increased wave energy and storm surge. Understanding how these forces will impact coastal dunes is necessary for their continued use as protective features. Coastal dunes develop through feedback between vegetation and sediment deposition, a process complicated by species-specific growth rates and responses to burial. Wave flume studies have tested the effects of dune vegetation on erosion and found multiple plant organs across several functional types to be important for resisting erosion. Although dune building and …

Lake Huron Shoreline Analysis, Shubham Satish Nandanwar

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Lake Huron is a popular tourist destination and is home to several businesses and residents. Since the shoreline is dynamic and is subject to change over the years due to several factors such as a change in water level, soil type, human encroachment, etc., these locations tend to encounter floods due to increased water levels and wind speed. This causes erosion and loss to the properties along the shoreline.

This study is based on two areas of interest named Pinery Provincial Park and Sauble Beach which are located on the shoreline of Lake Huron where Pinery Provincial Park is a …

Study Of The Diversity Of Soil Animals Community In The Songnen Plain Grassland Of China, Xiuqin Yin, Tingcheng Zhu

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This paper dealt with the diversity in eight habitat soil animals communities in Songnen plain grassland. The results showed the better habitat condition the higher diversity index of soil animals, and vice-versa. The diversity of soil animals communities correlated positively with soil organic matter, total nitrogen, and negatively with soil pH; there was a poor correlation with soil water content and total soil phosphorus. The diversity of soil animals communities decreased with increasing depth of soil layer and has surface-collection.

Analysis Of Camera Trap Footage Through Subject Recognition, Nirnayak Bhardwaj

Master's Projects

Motion-sensitive cameras, otherwise known as camera traps, have become increasingly popular amongst ecologists for studying wildlife. These cameras allow scientists to remotely observe animals through an inexpensive and non-invasive approach. Due to the lenient nature of motion cameras, studies involving them often generate excessive amounts of footage with many photographs not containing any animal subjects. Thus, there is a need for a system that is capable of analyzing camera trap footage to determine if a picture holds value for researchers. While research into automated image recognition is well documented, it has had limited applications in the field of ecology. This …

Biodiversity And Fire In Shortgrass Steppe, Paulette L. Ford

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Effects of fire at two levels of intensity on beetle diversity in shortgrass steppe were examined. The experimental design was completely randomized, with 3 treatments and 4 replicates per treatment. Treatments were two levels of fire 1) dormant-season fire (relatively hot), and 2) growing-season fire (relatively cool), and unburned plots. The response variables were arthropod species richness and abundance. The intermediate disturbance hypothesis predicts that maximum species richness occurs at intermediate levels of disturbance. Data obtained in this study support that prediction. Species richness was higher on plots of intermediate fire intensity than the more intensely burned plots, and almost …

Community Perceptions And Aesthetic Valuation Of Remediation Gardens, Rachel Bechtold

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Creating successfully remediated landscapes may rely on both natural resources and human perception in landscape design. Urban areas present a dynamic environment wherein communities and nature compete for resources and space. This dissertation study was designed to better understand aesthetic perceptions of native plants capable of land remediation in midwestern communities. Findings from this study show the importance of aesthetic perceptions of stakeholders towards rehabilitated landscapes and the importance of organizing indicators for future design decisions in an interdisciplinary fashion. Recommendations include continued evaluation of aesthetic perceptions for plant species in urban landscapes and modeling a more consistent framework for …

Exploring Hydrologic Responses To Different Wildfire Spatial Patterns Through The Lens Of Computational Modeling, Luke M. Telfer

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Severe wildfire disturbances are becoming increasingly common in high-elevation forests of the western United States. These fires alter watershed hydrologic processes, threatening critical downstream water resources and aquatic ecosystems. However, watershed-scale postfire hydrologic responses and water balance changes are highly uncertain. While postfire effects on individual processes such as runoff, infiltration, evapotranspiration, and snow dynamics are relatively well known, the role of wildfire spatial patterns in governing hydrologic connectivity and interactions between water balance components is poorly understood due to challenges associated with measuring and comparing fires at large scales. This thesis aims to examine pattern-related postfire interactions between various …

Deterring Non-Target Birds From Toxic Bait Sites For Wild Pigs, Nathan P. Snow, Joseph M. Halseth, Justin A. Foster, Michael J. Lavelle, Justin W. Fischer, Michael P. Glow, Ingrid A. Messer, Seth M. Cook, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Toxic baiting of wild pigs (Sus scrofa) is a potential new tool for population control and damage reduction in the US. Field trials testing a prototype toxic bait (HOGGONE 2 containing 5% sodium nitrite [SN]), though, revealed that wild pigs spilled small particles of toxic bait outside of bait stations which subsequently created hazards for non-target species that consumed those particles, primarily passerine birds. To deter non-target birds from consuming particles of spilled bait, we tested four deterrents at mock bait sites (i.e., baited with bird seed) in north-central Colorado, USA during April–May 2020. We found a programable, inflatable deterrent …

The Legume – Rhizobia Symbiosis. Does It Vary For The Tropics Relative To The Mediterranean Basin?, J. G. Howieson, A. Mcinnes

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Symbiotic N fixation from legumes is one of the most important biological processes on the planet. It currently provides the majority of the N requirement in agriculture, yet will have to double if cereal crop production is to meet world demand by 2020 (Kennedy and Cocking 1997). To effectively harness the value of biological N fixation from legumes we need to more fully understand G² x E; where G refers to the genotypes of both the legume (G_l) and its microsymbiont (rhizobia; G_r), and E refers to the edaphic environment in which the symbiosis is …

Agronomic Evaluation Of Alfalfa Cultivars In Rio Grande Do Sul, Brasil, J. C. De Saibro, R. Battisti, T. M. S. Freitas

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

From April 1995 to June 1998, thirty five alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivars (cvs.) were evaluated in a field trial at the “Depressão Central” ecoclimatic region, in southern Brazil. Two years after sowing, 30 cultivars were excluded from the test due to their poor overall agronomic performance, mainly low forage DM yields. The remaining cultivars: Crioula (local genotype used as a check), Victoria, Rio and P 30 are hay-type cultivars while Alfagraze is a grazing-tolerant type. Twenty-two harvests were made and no significant differences were found for total DM yields among cvs. Crioula, Victoria, Rio and P 30; however, …

Amphicarpy In The Tropical Legume Centrosema Rotundifolium: A Research Project In Eastern Venezuela, S. Müller, R. Schultze-Kraft, I. Rodríguez

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Amphicarpy is a particular reproduction mechanism by which a plant can produce both above-ground and below-ground seeds and thus has the potential to contribute to an enhanced persistence of a plant population. It can be found in a range of tropical legumes, e.g. in several Centrosema species. The balance between above- and below-ground seed production is evidently influenced by environment and management factors but these influences are not well known. In the case of perennial tropical legumes, in addition to seed production shifts the allocation of resources affects also the production of tuberous roots as storage organs. A research project …

Studying Neurotoxic Effects Of Three Synthetic Insecticides And Two Herbal Infusions On The Nervous System Of The Fruit Fly Drosophila Melanogaster, Sara Khamis Obaid Hamarain Al Dhaheri

Theses

Pesticides applied on plants and animals can reach the human diet once they enter food chains. Insecticides are neurotoxic agents; they have the potential of causing damage to the nervous system in people. The damage could induce or promote neurodegenerative diseases such as the Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's. It is well-documented that the exposure to the insecticide chlorpyrifos (CPF) stimulate the Parkinson disease in humans and experimental animals. Thus, this research project will study effect of three synthetic insecticides pirimicarb, tefluthrin, and CPF on the nervous system of Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. In addition, the project will evaluate the …

Effects Of Refuge Prey On Stability Of The Prey-Predator Model Subject To Immigrants: A Mathematical Modelling Approach, Mussa Amos Stephano, Il Hyo Jung

Tanzania Journal of Science

Prey-predator system is enormously complex and nonlinear interaction between species. Such complexity regularly requires development of new approaches which involves more factors in analysis of its population dynamics. In this paper, we formulate a modified Lotka-Volterra model that incorporates factors such as refuge prey and immigrants. We investigate the effects of refuge prey and immigrants by varying the refuge factor, with and without immigrants. The results show that with Holling’s type I functional response, the proposed model is asymptotically convergent when a refuge prey factor is introduced. Moreover, with Holling’s type II functional response, the proposed mathematical model is unstable …

Knowledge About And Knowledge With: Contributions From Feminist Research To Knowledge Co-Production For Pastoral Systems, F. Ravera, María Fernández-Giménez, E. Oteros-Rozas

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Globally, the gender dynamics of rangeland social-ecological systems have received scant attention. Further, research paradigms, methods and methodologies that leave little room for equitable engagement with research participants and genuine action-oriented research-practice partnerships dominate in pastoralist/rangeland studies. Our research is informed by a feminist philosophy of science and based on decolonial and feminist political ecology studies that focus on gendered science and knowledge production. Feminist research calls for reflection on who produces knowledge and how such knowledge is used and shared. Feminist practices such as reciprocity, care, and positionality, cultivate awareness of the power dynamics embedded in the research process …

Soil Microbial Carbon, Nitrate And Ammonium Nitrogen Dynamics In Urochloa Grass Cultivated In Sub-Humid Kenya, K. W. Ndung’U-Magiroi, M. N. Koech, M. C. Mutoko, M. Kamidi, Elias M. Gichangi, Donald M. G. Njarui

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A study was conducted to monitor the dynamics of available soil phosphorus (P), soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC), nitrogen (SMBN), ammonium and nitrate nitrogen under seven Urochloa grass cultivars at Kitale, Kenya. The Urochloa cultivars: Urochloa brizantha cvs. Marandu, MG-4, Piata, Xaraes, U. decumbens cv. Basilisk, U. hybrid cv. Mulato II and U. humidicola cv. Llanero was compared with two popularly grown forages, Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana cv. KAT R3), Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum cv. KK1) and annual weeds. The treatments were tested in a randomized complete block design arranged in a split plot treatment structure with two …

Climate Smart Urochloa Grasses Improves Soil Health In The Semi-Arid Tropics Of Kenya, Elias M. Gichangi, Donald M. G. Njarui, Mwangi Gatheru

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The measurement of soil aggregates stability and soil microbial biomass can be used as an early indicator of long-term changes in soil quality. A study was conducted to quantify the amounts of shoots and roots biomass of Urochloa grass cultivars (commonly known as Brachiaria) and their effects on changes in the size distribution and stability of soil aggregates and on microbial biomass carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in a structurally unstable sandy loam soil at Ithookwe and Katumani in semi-arid tropical Kenya. The Urochloa grass cultivars included Urochloa decumbens cv. Basilisk, U. brizantha cvs Marandu, MG-4, Piatã and …

Combined Use Of Data From Avian Surveys Along The Pacific Crest Trail With Biodiversity Repositories To Model Habitat Suitability Throughout Northern California, Holli N. Pruhsmeier, Michael C. Mcgrann, Jim Graham

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

Models that describe species distributions are valuable in guiding management decisions. We compared and combined two avian datasets during the 2010 breeding season in northern California, USA. These datasets were a large-scale avian diversity survey from McGrann and Furnas (2016; 2018) and combined data from Biological Information Serving Our Nation (BISON) and Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). Our objective was to compare the utility of these two datasets, that employ separate field protocols, to model habitat use for the Black-headed Grosbeak, Hairy Woodpecker, and Yellow-rumped Warbler, three common forest birds in our study area that occupy distinctive habitat types. We …

Bird Diversity In The Ecuadorian Chocó: A Proposal For Avitourism In Villaflora And Manduriacu Reserve, Elizabeth Kroger

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Ecuador is rich in avifauna, and the Chocó bioregion of Northwestern Ecuador is a hotspot for bird endemism and diversity. However, many rare and beautiful species are threatened by human activities such as logging and mining. It is essential that communities are able to find alternative solutions that bring economic benefits and improve public health. Avitourism is an economically beneficial and environmentally friendly solution. This study examined avifaunal biodiversity in Villaflora and Manduriacu Reserve, a small town in the cloud forest of the Chocó region. Point counts on pre-existing trails were used to assess bird communities as well as search …

Socio-Ecological Analysis Of Artisanal Gold Mining In West Africa: A Case Study Of Ghana, Richard Takyi, Rasha Hassan, Badr El Mahrad, Richard Adade

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The surge in artisanal gold mining (AGM) activities and the associated environmental impact in Ghana have elicited several stakeholders' attempts to curb the problem. However, due to little understanding of the underlying issues, these efforts have been ineffective. This study aims to use a socio-ecological framework to analyze drivers of AGM activities, the environmental pressures, the state change, their impact on human welfare, and the management response as measures (DAPSI(W)R(M)) to the problem. Evaluate AGM's impact on Ghana's ability to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Data were collected from relevant literature on the subject and analyzed with …

Spittlebugs: Bioecology, Host Plant Resistance And Advances In Ipm, José R. Valério, C. Cardona, D. C. Peck, G. Sotelo

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Several species and genera of spittlebugs (Homoptera: Cercopidae) are economic pests of grasses in tropical America. These insects compete with grazing animals by reducing forage availability and quality. They may cause serious losses on millions of hectares of improved pastures based on cultivars of several species of Brachiaria (signal grasses). Except for the cultivar Marandu, most of the available commercial cultivars of Brachiaria are susceptible to spittlebugs. In spite of their economic importance, much research need to be done yet. Such insect-plant system encompasses a diverse group of spittlebug species, a diverse group of forage grass species, which are under …

Poster Session, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

1. Advancing Prediction of Headwater Flow Permanence and Stream Expansion and Contraction Using a Process-Based Hydrologic Model
2. Developing ANN Model for Predicting Lake Michigan E.Coli Counts
3. Examining Long Term Trends in Rainfall and Stream Flow at Upper Wabash River Basin Using Self Organizing Map
4. Investigating Water and Sediment Transport Processes with High-Resolution Sensor Measurements and Hysteresis Analysis in the Cane Run Royal Spring Basin, Kentucky, USA
5. Blue Water Farms: Edge-of-Field Water Quality Monitoring of Nutrient and Sediment Loss from No-Till Corn and Soybean Fields in the Lower Cumberland River Watershed
6. Determination of Microcystin Cyanobacterial Toxins in Kentucky Lakes by Diffusive Gradients …

Nutrient Dynamics And Inventory In Tropical Grassland Ecosystem In Southern India, K. Karunaichamy, Kailash Paliwal

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The present study was to ascertain the distribution of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and sodium (Na) in the different plant components and in the soil top 30 cm at Kalikesam in Western Ghats region of southern India. Magnesium concentration increased in the order: dead shoots > belowground > litter > aboveground live. Sodium concentration in live shoots was maximum in February (0.51%) and minimum in August (0.05%). Annually 8.94 g/m² Ca, 2.41g/ m² Mg and 2.30g/ m² Na was taken up by plants. The distribution of the three nutrients in plant/soil system indicated that the major portion of the nutrients …

A Southwestern United States Pilot Investigation Of Triatomine–Mite Prevalence, Kyndall C. Dye-Braumuller, Hanna Waltz, Mary K. Lynn, Stephen A. Klotz, Justin O. Schmidt, Alvaro Romero, Marvin Stanley Rodriguez Aquino, Jose Ricardo Palacios Valladares, Pamela Michelle Cornejo Rivas, Melissa Nolan Ph.D., Mph

Faculty Publications

An estimated 70 million persons in the Western Hemisphere are living at risk for Chagas disease, a parasitic infection transmitted to humans by over 156 different competent triatomine insect vector species. Prior Pan American Health Organization insecticide campaigns throughout Latin America in the 1990s and 2000s demonstrated that domestic insecticide spraying had temporary effects, which resulted in the re-establishment of triatomine species within a few years. Serendipitously, our team found ectoparasitic mites parasitizing triatomines collected from the field in multiple locations in the southwestern United States, where human–triatomine interaction was high but human parasite infection remains low. Upon further investigation …

Production Potential Of South America Grasslands, G. E. Maraschin

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grasslands exist all over the world under a wide range of climates, soil types, topography conditions and seasonality. The South America grasslands cover a wide range of ecosystems and vegetaion types, going from desert areas to steppes, subhumid temperate, subtropical and tropical savannas embodying also portions of the tropical rain forest environment, and represent one of the Earth’s largest expanses of natural rangelands (Oesterheld et al., 1992). They represent developed ecosystems requiring acquaintance to accept sound agronomic and ecological activities. The diversity of vegetation determined by the latitudes 6^oN, down to the southern most tip of the continent …

Streamflow And Tidal Dynamics In The Lower Pee Dee Basin: Hurricane Impacts, Thomas M. Williams, Bo Song, Daniel Hitchcock, Thomas O'Halloran

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

Over past years, extreme tropical storm events along the North and South Carolina coasts—and subsequent river flooding—have warranted the need for a better understanding of the hydrologic response to these events to protect life, property, businesses, and natural and cultural resources. Our focus in this study is the Pee Dee and Waccamaw River systems, which ultimately flow into Winyah Bay near Georgetown, South Carolina. River flows, coupled with the tidal nature of these freshwater systems, are complex and difficult to predict. The objective of the work is to analyze publicly available data from gauging stations along those river system as …

Matching Up The Complexity Of Grassland Of Inner Mongolia — On The Methodology Issues, Yisheng Zheng

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

Seasonal Habitat Use Of Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys Terrapin) In North Inlet, Winyah Bay, Georgetown, South Carolina, Danielle Elizabeth Capella

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Weedy Relations: Narratives Of Invasion And Intimacy With Tamarisk In The Chihuahuan Desert, Shannon S. Pepper

Geography ETDs

Tamarix spp., also known as salt cedar or tamarisk, is a shrub that has garnered a notorious reputation in North America as an invasive plant, with widespread policy and research advocating for its eradication in the Southwest U.S. and Northern Mexico. This study examines both governmental conservation documents and news articles to investigate narrative trends on tamarisk in the Southwestern U.S. and Northern Mexico as a contiguous region (the Chihuahuan Desert), expanding on current research to include transborder effects on the perception and management of introduced species. This paper asks: In the last 25 years, how has the movement, …

Exploring Linkages Between Landscape Patterns And Freshwater And Estuarine Bivalves In The Coast Range Of Oregon, Kaegan Michael Scully-Engelmeyer

Dissertations and Theses

Spatial configurations of landscape variables (biotic, abiotic, and socio-ecological) affect and are affected by ecological processes and species in watersheds. This dissertation explores relationships among landscape patterns, ecosystem processes and bivalve species dynamics in coastal watersheds in Oregon, USA. I approached this broad topic through two primary avenues of research: investigating cross-ecosystem threats from pesticide use in forestland management to downstream aquatic environments, and the landscape ecology of an at-risk freshwater mussel species.

Terrestrial land use activities present cross-ecosystem threats to riverine and marine species and processes. Specifically, pesticide runoff can disrupt hormonal, reproductive, and developmental processes in aquatic organisms, …