Digital Commons Network^™

A Unified Dataset Of Colocated Sewage Pollution, Periphyton, And Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community And Food Web Structure From Lake Baikal (Siberia), Michael F. Meyer, Ted Ozersky, Kara H. Woo, Kirill Shchapov, Aaron W. E. Galloway, Julie B. Schram, Daniel D. Snow, Maxim A. Timofeyev, Dmitry Yu. Karnaukhov, Matthew R. Brousil, Stephanie E. Hampton

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Sewage released from lakeside development can introduce nutrients and micropollutants that can restructure aquatic ecosystems. Lake Baikal, the world’s most ancient, biodiverse, and voluminous freshwater lake, has been experiencing localized sewage pollution from lakeside settlements. Nearby increasing filamentous algal abundance suggests benthic communities are responding to localized pollution. We surveyed 40-km of Lake Baikal’s southwestern shoreline from 19 to 23 August 2015 for sewage indicators, including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and microplastics, with colocated periphyton, macroinvertebrate, stable isotope, and fatty acid samplings. The data are structured in a tidy format (a tabular arrangement familiar to limnologists) to encourage reuse. Unique …

Adaptive Capacity Beyond The Household: A Systematic Review Of Empirical Social-Ecological Research, S. Vallury, S. Banerjee, D. Twidwell Jr., D. Uden, C. Allen

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Long Term Agroecosystem Research Experimental Watershed Network, D. C. Goodrich, D. Bosch, R. Bryant, M. H. Cosh, D. Endale, T. Veith, P. Kleinman, E. Langendoen, G. Mccarty, F. Pierson, H. Schomberg, D. Smith, P. Starks, T. Strickland, T. Tsegaye, T. Awada, H. Swain, J. Derner, B. Bestelmeyer, M. Schmer, J. Baker, B. Carlson, D. Huggins, D. Archer, G. Armendariz

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Mind The Gaps For The Best Practices: Enhancing The Management Of Lake Victoria Fisheries Resources, Christopher Mulanda Aura, Amber Roegner, Horace Owiti, Dorothy Birungi, Kathryn J. Fiorella, Jessica R. Corman, Robert Kayanda, Patrick Mbullo, Chrisphine S. Nyamweya, Geofrey Mchau, Miles Daniels, Richard Oginga Abila

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Fisheries resources face a confluence of socio-ecological challenges, the resolution of which requires interdisciplinary scientific information for sustainable utilization and management. The present study assessed gaps and challenges in Lake Victoria fisheries resources management for better research focus, policy formulation and improved governance of the fishery towards sustainability. Using key informant interviews and a plenary discussion with trans-disciplinary experts regarding Lake Victoria fisheries research, management and policy sectors, the present study identified current management challenges, gaps and priorities. The present study results indicate a constantly increasing fishing effort, poor enforcement of existing regulations and pollution and invasive weeds pose the …

Evaluation Of Aggregate Stability Methods For Soil Health, E. L. Reike, D. K. Bagnall, C.L.S. Morgan, K. D. Flynn, Andrew E. Suyker Et Al.

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Selecting Soil Hydraulic Properties As Indicators Of Soil Health: Measurement Response To Management And Site Characteristics, D. K. Bagnall, C.L.S. Morgan, G. Mac Bean, D. Liptzin, Andrew E. Suyker Et Al.

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Remnant Prairies And High-Diversity Restorations Work Together To Support Wild Bees Season-Long, Katie Lamke, David A. Wedin, Judy Wu-Smart

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The presence of diverse bee communities in an ecosystem is vital for maintaining healthy plant communities, promoting habitat resilience, and supporting agriculture. In the US, wild bee declines have led to increased monitoring efforts, but there remain critical data gaps in much of the Midwest. Here, we sought to examine how variation in richness and abundance of flowering forbs influences the richness and abundance of wild bees across “remnant” tallgrass prairies, “high diversity” prairie restorations, and “low diversity” prairie restorations or degraded grasslands in eastern Nebraska. High-diversity plots attracted no bees in the early season due to a lack of …

“Abolition As Presence”: An East Bay Ca Case Study Of Black Food Geographies, Ayize James

Environmental Studies Honors Projects

Using abolitionist methodologies, the author argues that food activism contests “food deserts” by making food present in sources alternative to supermarkets. The project can be broken into two central inquiries: (1) How do race and class formations in the East Bay generate landscapes of food inaccess that are labeled “food deserts”? and (2) How does food activism in the East Bay generate lasting alternatives to supermarkets?, which is explored through three case studies of food justice organizing in the East Bay.

Genome-Wide Association Study Of Disease Resilience Traits From A Natural Polymicrobial Disease Challenge Model In Pigs Identifies The Importance Of The Major Histocompatibility Complex Region, Jian Cheng, Rohan Fernando, Hao Cheng, Stephen D. Kachman, Kyusang Lim, John C.S. Harding, Michael K. Dyck, Frederic Fortin, Graham S. Plastow, Piggen Canada Research Consortium, Jack C.M. Dekkers

Department of Statistics: Faculty Publications

Infectious diseases cause tremendous financial losses in the pork industry, emphasizing the importance of disease resilience, which is the ability of an animal to maintain performance under disease. Previously, a natural polymicrobial disease challenge model was established, in which pigs were challenged in the late nursery phase by multiple pathogens to maximize expression of genetic differences in disease resilience. Genetic analysis found that performance traits in this model, including growth rate, feed and water intake, and carcass traits, as well as clinical disease phenotypes, were heritable and could be selected for to increase disease resilience of pigs. The objectives of …

Kryging: Geostatistical Analysis Of Large-Scale Datasets Using Krylov Subspace Methods, Suman Majumder, Yawen Guan, Brian J. Reich, Arvind K. Saibaba

Department of Statistics: Faculty Publications

Analyzing massive spatial datasets using a Gaussian process model poses computational challenges. This is a problem prevailing heavily in applications such as environmental modeling, ecology, forestry and environmental health. We present a novel approximate inference methodology that uses profile likelihood and Krylov subspace methods to estimate the spatial covariance parameters and makes spatial predictions with uncertainty quantification for point-referenced spatial data. The proposed method, Kryging, applies for both observations on regular grid and irregularly-spaced observations, and for any Gaussian process with a stationary isotropic (and certain geometrically anisotropic) covariance function, including the popular Matérn covariance family. We make use of …

Measuring The Social And Ecological Performance Of Agricultural Innovations On Rangelands: Progress And Plans For An Indicator Framework In The Ltar Network, S. Spiegal, N. P. Webb, E. H. Boughton, R. K. Boughton, A. Bentley Brymer, P. E. Clark, C. D. Holifield Collins, D. L. Hoover Et. Al

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Understanding The Impacts Of Urban Agriculture In Gentrifying Neighborhoods In Denver, Kate Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Urban Agriculture is prominent in cities across the United States and has been studied in relation to food security, sustainability, and gentrification. Urban agriculture is context specific and can include individual gardens, community gardens, guerilla gardening, and urban farms. Urban agriculture is a product of the community it is based in, depending on politics, history, and social environments. For these reasons, the relationship between urban agriculture and the community is an area where more research is needed. This thesis explores the role visible gardens play in community building, sustainability, and food security in gentrifying neighborhoods in Denver. Through qualitative methods …

Cooperative-Led Green Value Chain Development For Selected Highland Vegetables In Buguias, Benguet, Paul Kenneth B. Maghirang

Journal of Economics, Management and Agricultural Development

This study proposes a cooperative-led green value chain model for selected highland vegetables in Buguias, Benguet. Primary and secondary data were used in the study. Primary data were gathered through KII, FGD, and survey interviews among 30 farmer-members of LIFMPC. Descriptive, cost and returns, and value chain analysis were conducted. The proposed model of cooperative-led green value chain for selected highland vegetables was developed based on current practices of the farmer respondents. The greening opportunities were identified in different segments of the chain, from input sourcing to consumption, as well as the actors and their activities. Performing these green practices …

Sure 2022 Undergraduate Science Conference Booklet, Sure Network

Group Reports

The SURE 2022 Conference was the fifth series of Science Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Conferences. The conference took place on Friday, 14th October, 2022, co-hosted by SETU – Carlow campus and TU Dublin as a live Face2Face event running simultaneously in both venues on the same day. Students from throughout Ireland completing their Final Year Project in a science discipline in 2021-22 presented their undergraduate research work to this conference.

The aims of each of the SURE conferences are to:

• Provide current students with an opportunity to gain an understanding of the work which has been undertaken by recent graduates, …

Root Phenotyping Of Peptide-Treated Glycine Max, Salem Jackson, Fiona Goggin

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Plant elicitor peptides (Peps) – endogenous chains of amino acids involved in natural plant defense – have been shown to decrease damage from herbivores and pathogens by inducing an immune response, increasing the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCS), transcripts, and metabolites. Exogenous treatment of soybean seeds with plant elicitor peptide GmPep3 has been shown to induce these broad-spectrum defenses and offers a new method for increasing crop yield. However, the effects of GmPep3 on indicators of soybean health – root characteristics, growth stages, etc. – have not been fully realized. Using the root-phenotyping platform RhizoVision Explorer, several root traits …

Soil Resilience And Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi: How Fungi Can Inform Climate Change Mitigation And Adaptation In Maya Milpa Management, Courtney Mathers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In Mexico’s state of Yucatán, climate change impacts like prolonged and less predictable dry season length are manifesting as threats to agricultural production and food security. Nearly two thirds of Yucatán’s population is indigenous, many of whom live in rural communities that rely on rainfed subsistence agriculture (INEGI 2015). Ensuring sufficient food production in the face of climate change relies on the quality of agricultural soils. With both mismanagement of agricultural soils and climate change posing as threats to food production in Mexico, soil management practices that increase a soil quality should be identified and promoted. The primary objective of …

Modulation Of Human Gut Microbiota Through Dietary Associations, Sumudu Sasanka Rajakaruna

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Study of human gut microbiota is becoming widely popular in recent years, especially due to numerous beneficial aspects attributed to this diverse and complex microbial communities. Followingly, there is a keen interest in understanding the dynamics and subsequent modulation of human gut microbiota, from a health perspective. Diet is considered significant in shaping gut microbiota community and functions, predominantly due to dietary macro and micronutrient content. Subsequently, a plethora of research is carried out on the effects of dietary nutrients on gut microbiota. Dietary patterns, quality of the diet, differences in food preparation methods, physiological and chemical changes occurred during …

Accuracy And Practical Considerations For Doubly Labeled Water Analysis In Nutrition Studies Using A Laser-Based Isotope Instrument (Off-Axis Integrated Cavity Output Spectroscopy), Linda M. Reynard, William W. Wong, Noreen Tuross

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Given the utility of the doubly labeled water (DLW) method for determination of energy expenditure, additional techniques for isotope analysis of the samples are welcome. Laser-based instruments are one such new analytical tool, but their accuracy and feasibility for DLW studies are grossly understudied.

Objectives: We assessed the accuracy of laser-based isotope ratio measurements as part of the DLW method for estimation of carbon dioxide production rate (rCO₂) and total energy expenditure (TEE), in between-group comparison study designs.

Methods: Urine samples from a previous study were analyzed with a laser-based instrument [off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy (OA-ICOS)]. …

Decolorization Of Synthetic Textile Dyes By Fungal Endophytes Isolated From The Leaves Of Philippine Mangrove (Avicennia Marina), Steve P. Obanan, Resureccion B. Sadaba, Pamela Alva-Gatchalian, Annabelle V. Cadiz, Evelyn M. Basilio, Dennis B. Bela-Ong

Biology Faculty Publications

Textile dyes in wastewater can be harmful pollutants when released into the environment without treatment. Biodegradation of textile dye effluents by different microbes, including fungi, has become popular as an alternative to physicochemical methods. The mangrove Avicennia marina is known to harbor endophytic fungi which have the potential to carry out dye degradation. Therefore, this study assessed the ability to decolorize synthetic dyes of endophytic fungi isolated from the leaves of A. marina. Of the nine fungal endophytes, Aspergillus niger, Syncephalastrum racemosum and Penicillium citrinum exhibited the highest mycelial growths in solid media, while all endophytes adsorbed Congo red. Through …

Conserving Endangered Black-Footed Ferrets: Biological Threats, Political Challenges, And Lessons Learned, Travis M. Livieri, Steven C. Forrest, Marc R. Matchett, Stewart Breck

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

There may be few stories in the annals of wildlife management that are as dramatic as the near demise and comeback of the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes). Endemic only to North America, this charming little carnivore found only in the continent’s central grasslands was hardly known to science until the mid-20th century. By then, vast colonies of the prey it depended on for food and shelter, the prairie dog (Cynomys spp.), had been wiped out through disease (sylvatic plague) and an agricultural industry with little tolerance for burrowing and grazing rodents. At its low point, the species’ …

Spatial Variability Of Silver Carp Population Demographics In A Large Tributary River, J. P. Werner, Q. J. Dean, Mark A. Pegg, M. J. Hamel

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of Carbon Indicators Of Soil Health In Long-Term Agricultural Experiments, D. Liptzin, C. E. Norris, S. B. Cappellazzi, G. Macbean, Andrew E. Suyker Et Al.

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Island Stories: Mapping The (Im)Mobility Trends Of Slow Onset Environmental Processes In Three Island Groups Of The Philippines, Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson, Noralene Uy

Environmental Science Faculty Publications

There is an immediate lack of people-centred empirical evidence investigating how slow onset events influence human (im)mobility across the globe. This represents an important knowledge gap that makes it difficult for climate policy to safeguard vulnerable populations (whether on the move or left behind). In this study, 48 qualitative focus group discussions in the Philippines elaborated around people’s (im)mobility pathways in the context of slow onset events. The selected collective storytelling approach effectively mapped out the (im)mobility trends of 12 different origin- and destination locations involving the perceptions of 414 women and men across six provinces on Luzon, the Visayas …

Enterprise Resource Planning Implementation Strategies In Small- And Medium-Sized Manufacturing Enterprises, Tatianna Gilliam

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The difficulty SME leaders of manufacturing firms experience in the executing of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems threatens the longevity of innovative change within firms seeking to adopt ERP systems. Grounded in the diffusion of innovation theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to examine critical success factors used to successfully implement ERP systems. The participants were four ERP business leaders of small to medium size manufacturing firms based on the east and west coasts of the United States. Data were collected using semistructured online interviews and a review of company documents. Through thematic analysis, five themes were …

Tolle Lege Works Published In 2022, Mcquade Library

Bibliographies

Compiled Tolle Lege bibliography of works published by members of the Merrimack College Community in 2022. Works include journal articles, books, book chapters, conference presentations and posters, and more.

Spokane Climate Project: Chapter 2, Precipitation Impact Study For Spokane, Washington, Joel Breems, Kevin Booth, Erich Seamon, Gonzaga University Climate Institute

Climate, Water, and the Environment Research

This chapter examines precipitation under projected future climate change in the Spokane area. The chapter focuses on potential climate impacts on dryland wheat farming due to the crop’s direct reliance on precipitation and economic importance to the region.

The full version of this report as well as a full list of the citations and methodologies employed for this analysis can be found at the Spokane Climate Project website: https://www.spokaneclimateproject.org/.

Regenerating Agroecosystems By Overcoming Human Exceptionalism In Designing For Increased Equity Of Benefits From Ecoservices, Ali Loker, Charles A. Francis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Our commentary explores three critical issues related to ecosystem services. First is how ecoservices are currently designed and implemented primarily for human benefit without concern for how these impact other species. We conclude that awareness of this imbalance is the first step toward meaningful change. Second we observe that human exceptionalism guides most decisions, and ask whether we can overcome this mind-set to embrace ecoregeneration and design of resilient and mutually beneficial agroecosystems. Our attitude toward the challenge and moving toward greater humility about human roles that guide management decisions in the ecosystem is a requisite for change. Third we …

River Report. State Of The Lower St. Johns River Basin, Florida: Water Quality, Fisheries, Aquatic Life, Contaminants, 2022., Environmental Protection Board, City Of Jacksonville, University Of North Florida, Jacksonville University, Gerry Pinto, Gretchen Bielmyer-Fraser, John Burr, Dale Casamatta, Charles Closmann, Brian P. Zoellner, Ashley Johnson, An-Phong Le, William Penwell, Radha Pyati

State of the River Report

No abstract provided.

Swosu Research And Scholarly Activity Fair 2022, Swosu Office Of Sponsored Programs

SWOSU Research and Scholarly Activity Fair Programs

On behalf of Southwestern Oklahoma State University, welcome to the Thirtieth Research and Scholarly Activity Fair! We are proud to host students and faculty from universities and community colleges from across the state at this meeting of scholars. Research and scholarly activity ranging from Business Administration, Education and Professional Studies, Fine Arts and Design, Liberal Arts, and Mathematics and Science.
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Sincerely, SWOSU Office of Sponsored Programs and URSAC

Mineralogical And Geochemical Signatures Of Weathering On Carbonate Rocks And Dynamic Young Land Surfaces In Muğla Polje (Sw Turkey), Ceren Küçükuysal, Murat Gül, Tural Aghayev, Merve Gülcan

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Red soils as the weathering products in Muğla Polje (SW Turkey) show different occurrences either on hard and permeable limestone (terra rossa (TRs)) or within the matrix of transported sediments (alluvium-derived soils (ALs), alluvium-derived soils specifically from clastics (ALsc), paleosol (Pls), and colluvium-derived soils (CLs)). The purpose of this study is to unlock the effect of weathering on hard carbonate rocks and dynamic young land surfaces (alluvium and colluvium) in Muğla Polje for the first time in terms of mineralogical and geochemical compositions. TRs, the soils of more stable environments are clayey while ALs and CLs as being the soils …