Digital Commons Network^™

Is Hay For The Birds? Investigating Landowner Willingness To Time Hay Harvests For Grassland Bird Conservation, Matthew P. Gruntorad, Katherine A. Graham, Nico Arcilla, Christopher J. Chizinski

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Birds in agricultural environments have exhibited steep global population declines in recent decades, and effective conservation strategies targeting their populations are urgently needed. In grasslands used for hay production, breeding birds’ nest success improves substantially if hay harvests are delayed until after mid-July. However, few studies have investigated private hay producers’ willingness to alter their harvesting practices to support bird conservation, a critical factor for bird conservation where most land is privately owned, such as in the North American Great Plains. We surveyed Nebraska hay producers to examine whether livestock production, wildlife knowledge, and hunting activity affects their willingness to …

Whooping Crane (Grus Americana) Family Consumes A Diversity Of Aquatic Vertebrates During Fall Migration Stopover At The Platte River, Nebraska, Andrew J. Caven, Keith D. Koupal, David M. Baasch, Emma M. Brinley Buckley, Jenna M. Malzahn, Michael David Forsberg, Mariah Lundgren

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The Aransas-Wood Buffalo population of Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) migrates approximately 4000 km through the central Great Plains biannually, between their breeding and wintering grounds. Whooping Cranes depend on stopover sites to provide secure resting locations and the caloric resources necessary to complete their migration, such as the USFWS-designated critical habitat area in the Central Platte River Valley (CPRV) of Nebraska. This area includes braided river habitat characterized by low-elevation and submerged sandbars, which provide important roosting and foraging opportunities for migrating Whooping Cranes. We used long-range photography, videography, and behavioral scan sampling to document forage items consumed by Whooping …

Minimizing Trade-Offs For Sustainable Irrigation, S. Mcdermid, R. Mahmood, M. J. Hayes, J. Bell, Z. Lieberman

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Feeding Ecology Of Walia Ibex (Capra Walie) In Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia, D. Ejigu, A. Bekele, L. A. Powell

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Moving Beyond ‘More Crop Per Drop’: Insights From Two Decades Of Research On Agricultural Water Productivity, Meredith Giordano, Susanne M. Scheierling, David O. Tréguer, Hugh Turral, Peter G. Mccornick

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Concern over increasing water scarcity has led to the introduction of the concept of agricultural water productivity and an emphasis on interventions to achieve ‘more crop per drop’. Yet, a strong debate continues on how the concept is to be defined and used. Drawing largely from the irrigation literature, the origins of the concept and its methodological developments are reviewed, and its use in applied work over two decades is discussed. Based on this analysis of conceptual and applied research, key insights into the concept’s contributions and limitations are presented, as well as opportunities for further refinements.

Battle For "Healthiest Protein": Animal Versus Plant Protein, Anna Slebonick

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

Researching Broome County Farmers' Markets In The Covid-19 Pandemic, Caroline Burnham

Student-Created Sustainability Resources

The value of farmers markets has been shown through their contribution to community building by providing consumers with local food and giving farmers direct access to consumers. The direct connection between farmers and consumers can only be found at places like farmers markets. Having values such as the interaction between farmers and consumers and supporting locally grown food makes farmers markets important to their communities. However, the impact of farmers markets in their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic is unclear. By conducting interviews with people closely involved in farmers markets, I aim to find out how farmers markets in the …

Understanding Patterns And Functional Impacts Of An Invasive Tree And Its Biological Control In A Riparian System, Annie L. Henry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Invasive species have become an inextricable part of the landscape, particularly in riparian plant communities, and removal is often a key component of restoration programs. Biological control (biocontrol) is a method of removal that is often both efficient and effective. However, the impact of biocontrol on target species and indirect effects from invasive species removal can be hard to predict. While monitoring the impact of invasive species removal usually involves some species-based assessment such as changes in diversity, historically dominant species or native species, these strategies do not typically provide insight into the mechanisms underlying plant community response to removal. …

Natural Resource Management Newsletter, Fall 2020/Winter 2021, Department Of Natural Resource Management

NRM Newsletter

[Page] 2 One Day for State
[Page] 2 SDSU Extension NPI Range Roundup
[Page] 3 Con McCrea and NRLE News
[Page] 3 Pete Bauman Updates Western SD Undisturbed Land Data
[Page] 4 First Annual NPI Photo Contest
[Page] 4 Conservation Planning & Park Management Undergraduate Student Eagle Scout Project
[Page] 5 Joe Jenks' Zoom Retirement Celebration
[Page] 6 NRM Affiliate Assistant Professor, Maaz Gardezi - NSF Precision Ag Project: NSF project to build farmers’ confidence in precision ag technologies
[Page] 6 NRM Affiliate, Stella Liu - Faculty Feature video
[Page] 7 SDSU Extension to assess farm-ranch stress statewide
[Page] 8 …

Georgetown County Parks And Recreation: Goal 3, Kyle Bailey, Aaliyah Thomas

Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being

No abstract provided.

Food Insecurity Within Broome County And Its Effect On Academic Performance In Children, Aidan Gajewski

Student-Created Sustainability Resources

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Effectiveness Of The Chow Mobile Grocery Store In Broome County In Increasing Fruit And Vegetable Consumption, Allison Zimmerman

Student-Created Sustainability Resources

Access to healthy food is known to be important to maintaining good health. With obesity on the rise in America, this is even more important. Recently mobile market stores have been used to increase access to healthy foods in many underserved communities that are considered food deserts. The purpose of this study is to research and evaluate if there is a significant increase in the consumption of fruits and vegetables in Broome County communities where access to mobile markets is available. To address this, I conducted interviews with volunteers who worked on the mobile market in order to gauge if …

Uk-India: Partnerships For Growth With Research And Innovation, Ukri, Ukri India, Newton Bhabha

Public Reports

UKRI India joint funding resulted in 258 projects. Over £150 million in funding from the UK was matched by Indian counterparts, bringing the overall joint investment to the equivalent of over £330 million.

The projects were funded by over 15 funding agencies, bringing together more than 220 lead institutions from the UK and India. These research projects have generated more than £450 million in further funding, mainly from public bodies but also from non-profit organisations and commercial entities.

The projects covered a wide range of subjects, from heritage to renewable energy, generating a large number of outputs in different formats …

Tolle Lege Works Published In 2021, Mcquade Library

Bibliographies

Compiled Tolle Lege bibliography of works published by members of the Merrimack College Community in 2021. Works include journal articles, books, book chapters, conference presentations and posters, and more.

Pathways To Self-Governance And Success: An Exploratory Study Of Community Gardens In Louisville, Kentucky, Amanda Beavin

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Those involved in community gardens face multiple challenges to survival, including land tenure, lack of funding, lack of sustained interest, and poor infrastructure, but many successful, long-lasting gardens have found management style to be a key aspect of their success. This project investigated three community gardens in Louisville, Kentucky, in order to determine how self-governance, or internal management by gardeners, overlaps with other success indicators and what development processes lead to successful self-governance. Using qualitative, semi-structured interviews and participant observation, the researcher gathered and analyzed data relative to each garden site’s land tenure, community engagement, environmental design, resource mobilization, and …

Enhancing Wku Sustainable Food Systems Through Education And Local Agriculture Development, Chloe Cooper

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

In an effort to increase the amount of locally sourced food utilized by dining services at WKU, the Office of Sustainability, WKU Restaurant Group, and the WKU Agriculture & Research Education Center have partnered to establish garden spaces on campus properties. This project developed a detailed plan for implementation of this effort. In addition, this project established a plan to educate students and the local community alike on the benefits of sustainable farming and locally-sourced food, while also creating profiles on local farmers from whom the university could buy crops in order to further supplement items for dining services. Using …

Soil Research Project, Kate Donaldson

Natural Sciences Student Research Presentations

My topic is how earthworms interact with soil. Most people learn from an early age that earthworms are an important part of soil and plant life, but many do not know the actual reasoning and evidence behind it. My audience would be interested in this topic because it is interesting to expand knowledge on things already considered well know. While many earthworms are not endangered, we still need to be carful and protect the animal that is vital to plant growth and soil health.

Regulation Of Apple Acidity: Is It Protein Turnover Of Almt Transporter?, Katherine Koning, Nathan Scinto -Madonich, Miguel A. Piñeros

Summer Research

• The aluminum activated malate transporter (ALMT) family of anion channels plays an essential role in plant mineral nutrition processes, fruit quality, and responses to abiotic stress.
• Transport facilitated by membrane transport proteins is regulated at the transcriptional and post-translational levels.
• In the case of apple two allelic variants of the vacuolar ALMT9 transporter (a full length and a truncated protein, respectively) influences the levels of the fruit’s acidity.

Interdisciplinary Thinking: Financial Literacy Crosses Disciplinary Boundaries, Marla A. Sole

Publications and Research

Financial literacy is ideally suited to be integrated into mathematics courses and taught in an interdisciplinary manner. Students learn best and are motivated when tackling real-world meaningful questions. This article shares how elementary mathematics was applied to better understand the debate about raising the minimum wage and the United States National Debt. To serve as a guide for other teachers who wish to incorporate financial literacy into their mathematics courses and take an interdisciplinary approach, this article suggests readings, data sets, and pedagogical practices. Students were engaged and enthusiastic to work on problems that challenged their thinking about financial issues.

Interdisciplinary Thinking: Financial Literacy Crosses Disciplinary Boundaries, Marla A. Sole

Publications and Research

Financial literacy is ideally suited to be integrated into mathematics courses and taught in an interdisciplinary manner. Students learn best and are motivated when tackling real-world meaningful questions. This article shares how elementary mathematics was applied to better understand the debate about raising the minimum wage and the United States National Debt. To serve as a guide for other teachers who wish to incorporate financial literacy into their mathematics courses and take an interdisciplinary approach, this article suggests readings, data sets, and pedagogical practices. Students were engaged and enthusiastic to work on problems that challenged their thinking about financial issues.

Maternal Proximity To Mountaintop Removal Mining And Birth Defects In Appalachian Kentucky, 1997-2003, Daniel B. Cooper

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Background: Extraction of coal through mountaintop removal mining (MTR) alters many dimensions of the landscape, and explosive blasts, exposed rock, and coal washing have the potential to pollute air and water with substances known to increase risk of developmental and birth anomalies. Previous research suggests that infants born to mothers living in MTR coal mining counties have higher prevalence of most types of birth defects.

Objectives: This study seeks to examine further the relationship between MTR activity and birth defects by employing individual level exposure estimation through precise satellite data of MTR activity in the Appalachian region and maternal residence …

Synchronization And Analysis Of Multimodal Medical Data, Nafisa N. Mostofa

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The United States suffers from a significant disparity in the availability of the medical resources and expertise among different regions of the country. Patients in rural areas may not have the opportunity to consult with a physician until their disease progresses to later stages, resulting in a considerable decrease in quality of life. Advances in telemedicine systems that can provide remote communication, medical data acquisition, and medical data analysis promise a significant improvement to early access to medical care and diagnoses for disadvantaged individuals.

In this thesis, we make several contributions on topics that contribute to the improvement of telemedicine …

Carbon Taxes And Economic Inequality, Shi-Ling Hsu

Scholarly Publications

No abstract provided.

World Oceans: A Reference Handbook, Rob Tench

Libraries Faculty & Staff Publications

Book review of Newton, David, World Oceans: A Reference Handbook, ABC-CLIO. (Contemporary World Issues), Feb. 2021, ISBN 9781440875434.

The Effects Of Saline Soil On Microbiome And The Isolation Of Root-Associated Microbes To Relieve Salinity Stress, Duncan Jakubowski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increasing levels of salinity in once-viable lands for crop production is a serious and growing problem in the Northern Great Plains. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of saline soil on the microbial composition of plant roots and bulk soil, to measure metabolic changes in plant roots from saline soil, to determine the viability of root-associated microbes as inoculants to increase stress tolerance in plants, as well as determine the impact of saline soil on nitrogen cycling genes linked to greenhouse gas production. This study hypothesizes that high soil salinity levels have a significant impact on …

Physical Activity, Dietary Patterns, And Glycemic Management Of Active Individuals With Type 1 Diabetes: An Online Survey, Sheri Colberg, Jihan Kannane, Norou Diawara

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are able to balance their blood glucose levels while engaging in a wide variety of physical activities and sports. However, insulin use forces them to contend with many daily training and performance challenges involved with fine-tuning medication dosing, physical activity levels, and dietary patterns to optimize their participation and performance. The aim of this study was to ascertain which variables related to the diabetes management of physically active individuals with T1D have the greatest impact on overall blood glucose levels (reported as A1C) in a real-world setting. A total of 220 individuals with T1D …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Volunteering:Results Of A Survey Of Maine Non-Profits, Sarah Goan

Publications

In response to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly within the nonprofit sector that relies heavily on volunteers, Volunteer Maine sought to assess how volunteer capacity had been affected and what types of support organizations needed to rebuild. To accomplish this, the organization partnered with DIP and SRC to design and administer a statewide survey of nonprofit organizations. The purpose of the study was to understand the pandemic’s impact on the volunteer base, document organizational adjustments to changing conditions, identify innovative responses, and determine how Volunteer Maine and its affiliates could best assist in community recovery efforts. The …

Controls On No3-N Dynamics In The Upper Clark Fork River, Montana, Jacob Anthony Prater

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Studies relating ecosystem energetics to nutrient uptake in streams have generally found respiration to be a more dominant control on nutrient dynamics relative to primary production due to light limitation in most low-order systems. In this study, I measured biomass, hydrology, metabolism, and dissolved solutes in an open-canopy mid-order river located in western MT. Daily stream metabolism was modeled using a modified single-station, open-channel method, and measures of dissolved solutes were evaluated at both local and reach scales to examine how point-measures and those integrated through space represent biogeochemical behavior. Metabolic rates and standing stocks of benthic organic matter were …

Health Risk Assessment Of Burmese Related To Heavy Metal Contamination In Ginger From Local Markets In Myanmar And Thailand, May Ko Ko

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Heavy metals are naturally present in the soil, but geologic and anthropogenic activities raise their concentrations to harmful levels for both plants and animals. This study aims 1) to determine the concentrations of heavy metals (As, Cu, Ni, Cd, Cr, and Pb) in ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) from the wholesale markets of Bangkok, Thailand, and from Yangon, Myanmar, and 2) to access cancer and noncancer risks of Burmese related to the consumption of heavy metal contaminated ginger. The online questionnaire was used to collect personal information and consumption rate. ICP-MS was used to investigate As, Cu, Ni, Cd, Cr, and …

นาโนคอมพอสิตของยางธรรมชาติอิพอกซิไดส์/นาโนเซลลูโลสสกัดจากผักตบชวา, ชุติเดช ทองดีเลิศ

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

ในงานวิจัยนี้ได้เตรียมนาโนคอมพอสิตของยางธรรมชาติอิพอกซิไดส์/นาโนเซลลูโลส โดยเริ่มจากการสังเคราะห์ยางธรรมชาติอิพอกซิไดส์ผ่านกระบวนการอิพอกซิเดชันของน้ำยางธรรมชาติ พบว่ามีปริมาณหมู่อิพอกไซด์ร้อยละ 31 โดยโมล ต่อมาทำการเตรียมนาโนเซลลูโลสจากผักตบชวาโดยเตรียมเซลลูโลสนาโนไฟเบอร์ และเซลลูโลสนาโนคริสตัลจากการไฮโดรไลซิสเซลลูโลสนาโนไฟเบอร์ด้วยกรดที่ความเข้มข้นต่าง ๆ จากการวิเคราะห์โครงสร้างผลึกพบว่าเซลลูโลสนาโนคริสตัลมีปริมาณผลึกมากกว่าเซลลูโลสนาโนไฟเบอร์ และปริมาณผลึกเพิ่มขึ้นเมื่อเพิ่มความเข้มข้นของกรดมากขึ้น และเมื่อทำการเตรียมนาโนคอมพอสิตของยางธรรมชาติอิพอกซิไดส์/นาโนเซลลูโลส พบว่าการใส่นาโนเซลลูโลสมีส่วนช่วยในการปรับปรุงสมบัติด้านความทนแรงดึงและความทนน้ำมันของนาโนคอมพอสิตเมื่อเทียบกับยางธรรมชาติและยางธรรมชาติอิพอกซิไดส์ หากแต่เสถียรภาพทางความร้อนของนาโนคอมพอสิตไม่มีการเปลี่ยนแปลง ซึ่งจากการเตรียมนาโนคอมพอสิตของยางธรรมชาติอิพอกซิไดส์/เซลลูโลสนาโนไฟเบอร์ (ปริมาณ 0.5–3 ส่วนต่อยางร้อยส่วน) พบว่านาโนคอมพอสิตที่ใส่เซลลูโลสนาโนไฟเบอร์ปริมาณ 2 ส่วนต่อยางร้อยส่วน แสดงสมบัติด้านความทนแรงดึงและความทนน้ำมันสูงกว่ายางธรรมชาติอิพอกซิไดส์ 1.80 และ 1.39 เท่า ตามลำดับ จากนั้นนำนาโนคอมพอสิตของยางธรรมชาติอิพอกซิไดส์/เซลลูโลสนาโนไฟ-เบอร์ไปเปรียบเทียบกับนาโนคอมพอสิตของยางธรรมชาติอิพอกซิไดส์/เซลลูโลสนาโนคริสตัลที่มีการไฮโดรไลซิสที่ความเข้มข้นของกรดต่าง ๆ ที่ปริมาณ 2 ส่วนต่อยางร้อยส่วน พบว่านาโนคอมพอสิตที่มีการใส่เซลลูโลสนาโนคริสตัลที่ไฮโดรไลซิสด้วยกรดความเข้มข้น 5 โมลาร์ มีสมบัติด้านความทนแรงดึงและความทนน้ำมันสูงที่สุด โดยมีค่าความทนแรงดึงและมอดุลัสที่ความเครียดร้อยละ 300 มีค่าเพิ่มขึ้น 1.89 และ 2 เท่า ตามลำดับ เมื่อเทียบกับยางธรรมชาติอิพอกซิไดส์ นอกจากนี้เมื่อทำการเปรียบเทียบกระบวนการผสมแบบเลเท็กซ์คอมพาวด์และ ‘อินซิทู’ พบว่ากระบวนการผสมแบบเลเท็กซ์คอมพาวด์มีสมบัติด้านความทนแรงดึงและความทนน้ำมันที่สูงกว่ากระบวนการผสมแบบ ‘อินซิทู’ เมื่อพิจารณาที่ปริมาณเซลลูโลนาโนคริสตัลในนาโนคอมพอสิตเท่า ๆ กัน