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2024 - The Fifth Annual Fall Symposium Of Student Scholars

Symposium of Student Scholars Program Books

The full program book from the Fall 2024 Symposium of Student Scholars, held in November 2024. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.

Assessment Of The Impact Of Marine Pollution In Maputo Port, Mozambique, Lina Maria Elias Vasco

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Neutrosophic Model For Measuring Evolution, Involution, And Indeterminacy In Species: Integrating Common And Uncommon Traits In Environmental Adaptation, Antonios Paraskevas, Michael Madas

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

In 2017, Professor F. Smarandache introduced the Neutrosophic Theory of Evolution, Involution, and Indeterminacy (or Neutrality) (NToEIaI). He concluded that every theory of evolution is characterized by a certain degree of truth, indeterminacy, and untruth, as in neutrosophic logic. In this perspective, he raised several open questions on evolution, neutrality, and involution that required further research effort. Very recently, in 2024, Smarandache conducted research, from a soft sciences/philosophical viewpoint, on identifying and studying common parts in uncommon things and uncommon parts in common things emphasizing the complexity and interconnectedness of concepts within the context of neutrosophy. In this article, we …

Wics Conference 2024: Creating Connections Together: Agenda And Abstracts, Daren D. Redfearn, Christopher A. Proctor

Water and Integrated Cropping Systems Conferences

WICS Conference 2024: Creating Connections Together

Agenda and Abstracts

Water Security (Quantity/Quality)

Nebraska Groundwater Quality Clearinghouse; Augustine Adjei, Martha Rhoades, and Kent Eskridge

Assessing the AquaCrop model’s accuracy for soybean under variable irrigation; Anmol Singh

Yield response of irrigated maize hybrids to water availability; Thais Murias Jardi, Saleh Taghvaeian, Chris Proctor, Daran Rudnick, and Chuck Burr

Using the DSSAT CERES-Maize model to evaluate farmers' irrigation decisions; Rintu Sen

Nutrient Management and Cycling

Effect of cover crop mixtures and crop rotation on nitrogen dynamics and crop yield in southeast Nebraska; Madhusudhan Adhikaari

Nitrogen inhibitors reduce nitrogen losses via ammonia volatilization, nitrous …

Advancements In The Programmable Hyperspectral Seawater Scanner Measurement Technology For Enhanced Detection Of Harmful Algal Blooms, John J. Langan, Jungyun Bae

Michigan Tech Publications

The Programmable Hyperspectral Seawater Scanner (PHySS) represents a significant breakthrough in monitoring harmful algal blooms (HABs), specifically targeting the “Florida red tide” caused by Karenia brevis. By utilizing a Fourth-Derivative Spectral Similarity Index (SI), this study establishes a strong positive correlation between the SI and phytoplankton counts, underscoring the PHySS’s potential for early detection and effective management of HABs. Our findings suggest that the PHySS could act as a predictive tool, offering crucial lead time to mitigate the ecological and economic repercussions of blooms. However, this study also identifies certain limitations of the PHySS technology, such as its inability to …

Sigma Gamma Epsilon Student Research Poster Session, Geological Society Of America Annual Meeting 2023, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Usa, Scott Beason

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

The Society of Sigma Gamma Epsilon sponsors an annual poster session at every Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America. The 35th Sigma Gamma Epsilon undergraduate research poster session took place during the 2023 Geological Society of America Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, on Monday, October 16, 2022. Sixty-three (63) posters were presented in Exhibit Hall B at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center between 8:00 AM and 5:30 PM at the poster session. Titles, authors (italics for the presenting author), affiliations, and abstracts for each poster are listed in this report.

A Revision Of Hong Kong Harvestmen : Biodiversity, Ecological Preferences And Geographical Distribution, Kai Teck Desmond Tan

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

Opiliones, or harvestmen, is a common animal found throughout the world, there are currently over 6,650 species worldwide but the actual number is estimated to exceed 10,000, making it the third largest order in the class Arachnida. Despite its diversity, it is a rather understudied group. In Hong Kong, there are four described species, but the most recent relevant literature dates back to the at least the early 20th century. This thesis focuses on two common species found in Hong Kong: one previously described species (Heterobiantes geniculatus) and one new species (Pseudoleiobunum lutulentum sp. nov.). I …

Caught On Camera: Evaluating Wood Duck (Aix Sponsa) Cavity Occurrence And Trapping Efficiency, Cindy L. Von Haugg

All Theses

Wood ducks (Aix sponsa) garner significant ecologic and economic importance as the second most harvested waterfowl species in two of the four migratory flyways in North America, but the accuracy of population monitoring, relative to other duck species, is stifled by the wood duck’s secretive nature and nesting habitat. As an alternate, population models would improve current assessments, but more data on the demographic vital rates of cavity-nesting wood ducks is needed. I aimed to help bridge this knowledge gap by developing a method to increase data collection efficiency, and with it, accomplish two objectives: 1) Calculate the relative abundance …

Image Processing Techniques For Water Droplet Penetration Time And Contact Angle Estimation, Sai Balaji Jai Kumar

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Water droplet behavior on soil surfaces plays a critical role in numerous environmental processes, including soil erosion, hydrological dynamics, and ecosystem health. Accurate characterization of soil water repellency, quantified by parameters such as water droplet penetration time (WDPT) and contact angles (WDCA), is essential for informed decision-making in agricultural management, forestry practices, and land-use planning. Despite the significance of these parameters, challenges exist in reliably estimating them due to the complex and dynamic nature of soil-water interactions. This thesis address challenges in estimating WDPT and WDCA, by leveraging state-of-the-art image processing techniques and machine learning algorithms. The research focuses on …

Seismic Imaging Of Mcmurdo Ice Shelf Near Williams Airfield, Yeshey Seldon

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Seismic exploration has played a crucial role in understanding the Earth's interior and has been successfully employed in various regions, including Antarctica. This research focuses on analyzing a 1000-m seismic line on McMurdo Ice Shelf near Williams Airfield, as part of the Thwaites Interdisciplinary Margin Evolution (TIME) project. The McMurdo Ice Shelf, covering an expansive area within the Ross Ice Shelf, has undergone significant changes due to evolving oceanic and atmospheric conditions. The presence of Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) has recently impacted the ice shelf, with warmer ocean waters causing basal melting and changes in wind patterns affecting ice flow …

Influence Of Different Breeds Of Pigs To The Natural Succession, H D. Matthes, A.C D. Micklich, G Dietl, H Mohring, W Jentsch

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The aim of this study was to find out the effect of pigs on the natural succession. We used 4 different breeds of pigs for our investigations. Because of the grazing behaviour and their rooting activity the total number of plants increased up to 30%. But the vegetation quickly returned to conditions prior to rooting, if the rooting activity fails to happen. Rooting activity of pigs on floodplain soil and following grazing in the next spring after rooting permits seeds of different species of plants to germinate and develop in the plant free areas. These plants often have little chance …

Some Ecological Aspects Of Semi-Natural And Temporary Grasslands, N Gaborcik, L Ondrasek, J Cunderlik, J Tomaskin, T Kizek

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Some ecological aspects were studied in semi-natural and temporary grasslands at different levels of fertilizer application. The research was carried out in the upland region of central Slovakia at the altitude of 460 m in Banská Bystrica. At zero fertilizer application, soil CO2 production and Cox content were higher in the temporary grassland. Atmospheric N fixation was also higher in the temporary grassland. However, root accumulation, microbial biomass content and R : S ratio were lower in the temporary grassland. By comparison with the semi-natural grassland, leaf area index (LAI), net assimilation rate (NAR) and crop growth rate (CGR) were …

Study Of The Diversity Of Soil Animal Community In The Songnen Plain Grassland Of China, Yin Xiuqin, Zhu Tingcheng, Zhong Weiyan, Peng Wu Kui

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This paper makes a diversity study of 8 habitats of soil animal communities in Songnen plain grassland. The research shows that the better the habitat condition is, the higher the diversity index of soil animals, and the worse the habitat condition is the lower the diversity index of soil animals. The diversity of soil animal communities has a positive relationship with soil organic matter, total nitrogen, and has a negative relationship with pH value. It has no obvious relationship with soil water content and total phosphorus. The diversity of soil animal communities decreases with increasing depth of soil layer and …

Clipping Intensity Impacts On Root Mass Variation Of Cool Season Grasses, D L. Stetson, W M. Sullivan

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Seasonal changes in grass root and mat weight density were documented under different cutting managements. Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) received one annual cut, twice yearly forage harvest, and mown turf treatments. Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) received one annual and twice yearly cutting treatments. Soil cores were collected to a 15 cm depth and divided into 7.5 cm increments. Roots and mat were recovered, washed, dried and weighed. Differences in years, seasons, species, treatments, and soil depth significantly influenced total root weight density and fine root density. With all species and …

Sargassum In The Florida Keys: Assessment Using High Resolution Remote Sensing, Sarah “Sully” Sullivan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pelagic Sargassum in the Atlantic Ocean, one type of floating macroalgae, has increased in biomass and extent since 2011, bringing environmental, health, and economic issues to coastal communities. The introduction of large quantities of Sargassum to the Florida Keys, a tourism hub renowned for coral reef and marine diversity, poses a potentially devastating threat. Currently, Sargassum mats are widely monitored using medium resolution satellite imagery such as those collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS, 1km) and spectral band difference algorithms such as the Alternative Floating Algae Index (AFAI), but the resulting maps lack the detail and nearshore certainty …

Landscape Influences On Thermal Sensitivity And Predicted Spatial Variability Among Brook Trout Streams In The Southeastern Usa, George P. Valentine, Xinyi Lu, C. Andrew Dolloff, Craig N. Roghair, Jacob M. Rash, Mevin B. Hooten, Yoichiro Kanno

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications

Warming water temperatures as a result of climate change pose a major threat to coldwater organisms. However, the rate of warming is not spatially uniform due to surface-ground-water interactions and stream and watershed characteristics. Coldwater habitats that are most resistant to warming serve as thermal refugia and identifying their locations is critical to regional aquatic conservation planning. We quantified the thermal sensitivity of 203 streams providing current and potential habitat for brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) across nearly 1000 linear km of their native range in the southern and central Appalachian Mountains region, USA, and characterized their spatial variability …

Using Multi-Scale Spatial Models Of Dendritic Ecosystems To Infer Abundance Of A Stream Salmonid, Xinyi Lu, Yoichiro Kanno, George P. Valentine, Jacob M. Rash, Mevin B. Hooten

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications

1. Understanding patterns of species abundance is essential for planning landscape-level conservation. The complex hierarchies of dendritic ecosystems result in different levels of heterogeneity at distinct geographic scales. Species responses to dynamic environmental drivers may also vary spatially depending on their interactions with landscape features. Monitoring abundance by explicitly quantifying their spatial and temporal variation is important for strategic management.

2. We analysed brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) count data collected from 173 sites in western North Carolina between 1989 and 2015. We developed a Bayesian hierarchical model that used single- and multi-pass electro-fishing data and characterized their respective …

Settler Colonialism And Ecosystem Change: How Ideology Has Shaped Minnesota’S Environments, Sarah E. Hobby

History Honors Projects

The formation of a uniquely American land ethic—defined by European political history and Christian biblical doctrine and forged through systems of dispossession—is central to the creation of environments within the United States today. Using Minnesota as a microcosm to understand how settler colonial interactions played out all across the United States, this paper analyzes connections between violent dispossession of Indigenous people and the degradation of environments. By understanding how Ojibwe and Dakota people think about and have shaped Minnesotan lands throughout their history and comparing Indigenous land-ethics to the Euro-American-settler land ethic, this paper evaluates the role that ideology and …

Water Justice And Equity: The Disproportionate Effects Of Pollution On Black, Indigenous, And Other Communities Of Color, Rae Cade

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Access to clean drinking water is a basic human right, regardless of an individual’s background. Yet, discriminatory practices in the United States have disproportionately burdened Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) with contaminated sources of water. Understanding how and why water is disproportionately contaminated in areas with increased diversity, and identifying and targeting areas of environmental injustice, are essential steps for ensuring future water equity. Here, I examine the drivers of inequitable access to clean drinking water within the northeastern United States. In chapter one, I look at the historical drivers of land inequity within the United States. …

Consequences Of The Megafauna Extinction: Changes In Food Web Networks On The Edwards Plateau Across The Pleistocene–Holocene Transition, Quentin A. Smith Jr.

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

We are experiencing biodiversity loss due to climate change and human impacts, which is not only harmful to the environment but can also alter the composition of communities and interactions among species. The late Pleistocene experienced a loss of large-bodied mammals which resulted in significant changes in community structure due to changes in body size, diet, and species associations. The impact of these changes on species interactions and community structure across the Pleistocene-Holocene transition remains poorly understood. Using a robust data set of species composition, stable isotopes, body size, and climate variables, we constructed and compared ecological networks of mammal …

Analyzing The Impact Of Oil And Gas-Contaminated Fluids On Soil In Eddy And Lea Counties Using Sequential Extraction, Mary Adu-Gyamfi

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The study investigates the impacts of oil and gas-contaminated fluids on soil within the context of Eddy and Lea Counties in New Mexico, the United States. The increase in oil and gas operations has led to enormous wastewater production that is handled, stored, and transported, leading to thousands of spills yearly. The continuous and accidental release of this wastewater poses several risks to the environment due to its high levels of hazardous pollutants. Several studies were conducted on how to reduce the contaminants; however, the impact caused on the environment and the fate of the spilled fluids is unclear due …

Designed For Life: Unearthing Just And Sustainable Urban Design Through The Daylighting Of Phalen Creek, Corgan R. Archuleta

Geography Honors Projects

This thesis conceptualizes a relational approach to urban design. Often separated from justice, I argue urban design can shape spaces to enable respectful and reciprocal human and more-than- human relationships. Focusing on Phalen Creek in Saint Paul, Minnesota, I illuminate just and sustainable possibilities between ecologically sustainable and socially inclusive design. Phalen Creek was a natural waterway buried in a pipe during 20th century urbanization to be partially reconstructed through daylighting. The Indigenous and Immigrant stories driving restoration expand urban design’s liberatory potential. Combining just sustainabilities with infrastructure theory and Indigenous Knowledges, I contend urban design offers a relational approach …

Effects Of Nitrogen On The Growth Of Hyparrhenia Diplandra, J Nkandza

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The nitrogen effects on Hyparrhenia diplandra were studied. Plants were grown on nutrient solutions of variable concentrations in nitrogen. The supplied nitrogen increased tillering, leaf production, lamina area, total dry matter accumulation and total nitrogen accumulation in lamina. A detailed examination showed that the effect on tillering was the main cause of the differences observed in dry weights between different treatments. The nitrogen supply elongated significantly the lamina and nitrogen deficiency increased its thickness; but this was not enough to compensate the loss of weight in lower nitrogen treatment. The lamina area as well as nitrogen accumulation in the lamina …

Movement Of Allelopathic Compound Coumarin From Plant Residue Of Sweet Vernalgrass (Anthoxanthum Odoratum L.) To Soil, Yoshito Yamamoto

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This study investigated the movement of coumarin, an allelopathic compound, from the plant residue of sweet vernalgrass (Anthoxanthum odoratum L.) to soil, as well as the dynamics of coumarin in soil. The level of coumarin dissolved from sweet vernalgrass plant residue in both Andosols and Cambisols, which were watered every day, peaked on the 5th day after the beginning of watering, and fell gradually with each additional of day. Specifically, the coumarin content in Cambisols on the 5th day was 14.2 ppm, which is 4 times the coumarin level found in Andosols. The recovery percentage of coumarin extracted with …

Quantification Of Belowground Biomass And Sediment Accretion In Mangroves Of Different Coastal Environmental Settings Of The Costa Rican Pacific Coast, Denise M. Poveda

LSU Master's Theses

The adaptation of intertidal ecosystems such as mangroves to anticipated accelerated relative sea level rise is dependent on net increase of sediment surface elevations and forest migration inland. Ecosystem models developed to simulate trajectories of ecosystem adaptations have determined that rates of soil formation are most sensitive to surface sediment (organic and inorganic) deposition and subsurface organic production by mangrove roots. Mangrove belowground biomass contributes to soil organic matter accumulation, while mangrove litter has minor contribution due to export and annual decay. In addition to belowground biomass production, inorganic sediment loading is also key contribution to soil formation and accretion. …

Vertebrate Diversity In The La Amistad International Park Buffer Zone, Guadalupe, Chiriqui, Panamá, Mina Olson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Forest fragmentation and increasing agricultural land use are posing threats to the diversity of vertebrates in Panama and across the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor. Protected areas are crucial for providing connectivity and maintaining vertebrate populations. For endemic species with small native ranges, these protected areas are critical for their survival due to sensitivity of habitat change. Higher species diversity and occupancy has been reported for both birds and mammals in protected and forested areas. This pilot survey of vertebrate species was conducted to determine which species live in a primary forest within the buffer zone of La Amistad International Park near …

Social And Behavior Factors Of Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementias: A National Study In The Us, David Ciciora, Elizabeth Vásquez, Edward Valachovic, Lifang Hou, Yinan Zheng, Hua Xu, Xiaoqian Jiang, Kun Huang, Kelley Pettee Gabriel, Hong-Wen Deng, Mary P Gallant, Kai Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Considerable research has linked many risk factors to Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). Without a clear etiology of ADRD, it is advantageous to rank the known risk factors by their importance and determine if disparities exist. Statistical-based ranking can provide insight into which risk factors should be further evaluated.

Methods: This observational, population-based study assessed 50 county-level measures and estimates related to ADRD in 3,155 counties in the U.S. using data from 2010 to 2021. Statistical analysis was performed in 2022-2023. The machine learning method, eXtreme Gradient Boosting, was utilized to rank the importance of these variables by …

The Role Of Geomorphological Context In Vegetative Succession Within The Breiðamerkurjökull Glacial Foreland, Lucas Nerbonne

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As glaciers retreat worldwide at an accelerating pace, understanding primary succession in these newly exposed landscapes becomes increasingly critical. This study examines the initial vegetative colonization patterns in glacial forelands, focusing on the influence of geomorphological formations of resulting plant communities. By analyzing vegetative communities in glaciofluvial and push moraine deposits, this study highlights how the more varied, channelized morphologies of fluvial deposits create potential microclimates better conducive to heterogenous plant colonization than the homogenous terrain of the nearby push moraine. Vegetative coverage, sediment size, and species abundance was collected at 480 sites across 6 different historical glacial extents across …

Balancing Act: Insights Into Telangana Farmers’ Perspectives On Intensive Vs. Sustainable Agriculture, Srinivas Katherasala, Ram Shepherd Bheenaveni

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

High-input agriculture presents several drawbacks that can adversely affect both environmental sustainability and human health. A primary concern is soil degradation, which results from the excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. These substances can deplete soil nutrients, impair crop growth, and ultimately render the land barren and unproductive. This study, therefore, aims to explore the perceptions and practices of farmers in the Kumuram Bheem Asifabad district of Telangana State, India. The research involved a sample of 382 farmers across six mandals within this district. A stratified random sampling method was utilized within a survey-descriptive research framework. Data collection incorporated …

Stability Of Predator-Prey Model For Worm Attack In Wireless Sensor Networks, Rajeev Kishore, Padam Singh

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In this paper, we propose a predator-prey mathematical model for analyzing the dynamical behaviors of the system. This system is an epidemic model, and it is capable of ascertaining the worm's spreading at the initial stage and improving the security of wireless sensor networks. We investigate different fixed points and examine the stability of the projected model.