Digital Commons Network^™

Improved Bulk Density Of Bamboo Pellets As Biomass For Energy Production, Zhijia Liu, Bingbing Mi, Zehui Jiang, Benhua Fei, Zhiyong Cai, Xing'e Liu

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

To the best of our knowledge, there is the lack of sufficient information concerning bamboo pellets. In the preliminary research, bamboo pellets showed a low bulk density which could not meet requirement of Pellet Fuels Institute Standard Specification for Residential/Commercial Densified (PFI). To improve its bulk density, pellets were manufactured using mixtures of bamboo and pine particles and the properties were investigated. It was found that adding pine particles to bamboo particles was an effective way to improve bulk density of bamboo pellets. When adding 40% pine particles to bamboo particles, bulk density of pellets increased from 0.54 …

Pronghorn Habitat Suitability In The Texas Panhandle, Nathan P. Duncan, Samantha S. Kahl, Shawn S. Gray, Christopher J. Salice, Richard D. Stevens

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Habitat quality is an important factor that can greatly affect wildlife populations. Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) habitat in the Texas Panhandle, USA has been lost through growth of human settlements and agricultural lands. We determined the most pertinent environmental variables affecting habitat selection using multiple methods, including a search of peer-reviewed literature, expert opinion ranking, and habitat suitability modeling. We determined quality and extent of pronghorn habitat in the Texas Panhandle using the MAXENT modeling environment to build a presence-only habitat suitability model based on global positioning system (GPS) locations collected via aerial surveys. Our habitat suitability model indicated …

Pyrodiversity Promotes Avian Diversity Over The Decade Following Forest Fire, Morgan W. Tingley, Viviana Ruiz-Gutierrez, Robert L. Wilkerson, Christine A. Howell, Rodney B. Siegel

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

An emerging hypothesis in fire ecology is that pyrodiversity increases species diversity.We test whether pyrodiversity—defined as the standard deviation of fire severity—increases avian biodiversity at two spatial scales, and whether and how this relationship may change in the decade following fire. We use a dynamic Bayesian community model applied to a multi-year dataset of bird surveys at 1106 points sampled across 97 fires in montane California. Our results provide strong support for a positive relationship between pyrodiversity and bird diversity. This relationship interacts with time since fire, with pyrodiversity having a greater effect on biodiversity at 10 years post-fire than …

Diseases Of Trees In The Great Plains, Aaron D. Bergdahl, Alison Hill, Gerard C. Adams, Rachel A. Allison, John A. Appel, John Ball, James T. Blodgett, Kelly S. Burns, Whitney Cranshaw, Kelsey L. Dunnell, Mark L. Gleason, Mark O. Harrell, Thomas C. Harrington, Marcus B. Jackson, William R. Jacobi, Jennifer Juzwik, Megan M. Kennwlly, Les Koch, Jared M. Leboldus, Phillip A. Mason, Douglas L. Mcnew, Judith O'Mara, Hayley M. Nelson, Nicole Opbroek, Michael E. Ostry, Scott C. Redlin, Glen R. Stanosz, Laurie J. Stepanek, Ned Tisserat, Timothy C. Todd, James A. Walla, James J. Worrall, Simeon Wright

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Hosts, distribution, symptoms and signs, disease cycle, and management strategies are described for 84 hardwood and 32 conifer diseases in 56 chapters. Color illustrations are provided to aid in accurate diagnosis. A glossary of technical terms and indexes to hosts and pathogens also are included.

Scope

The purpose of this handbook is to assist users in diagnosing tree diseases and reducing their impact. Included are the most damaging diseases, along with some that are the subject of frequent inquiry although of minor importance. The diseases included were those encountered primarily on trees in conservation plantings such as windbreaks, farmstead plantings, …

Isoetes Mississippiensis: A New Quillwort From Mississippi, Usa, Peter W. Schafran, Steven W. Leonard, Rebecca D. Bray, W. Carl Taylor, Lytton John Musselman

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Isoetes mississippiensis S.W. Leonard, W.C. Taylor, L.J. Musselman and R.D. Bray (Isoetaceae, Lycopodiophyta) is a new species known from two sites along tributaries of the Pearl River in southern Mississippi. This species is distinguished from other species in the southeastern United States by a combination of character states including a basic diploid (2n=22) chromosome count, laevigate megaspores, and a narrow velum covering less than one-third of the adaxial sporangium wall.

Letter To The Editor Ws-2 Introgression In A Proportion Of Arabidopsis Thaliana Col-0 Stock Seed Produces Specific Phenotypes And Highlights The Importance Of Routine Genetic Verification, Mon-Ray Shao, Vikas Shedge, Hardik Kundariya, Fredric R. Lehle, Sally Ann Mackenzie

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Arabidopsis thaliana is an important model organism with a robust network of resources that has been of enormous value to the plant science research community. The use of isogenic material as a reference point or control is critical for many types of experiments in plant molecular biology and genetics. Recently, we noticed that some seed from a common source of the widely-used Columbia-0 (Col-0) strain gave rise to plants showing features atypical for this strain. Whole genome DNA-sequencing and allele-specific PCR assays confirmed that the abnormal individuals contain multiple introgressions from the ecotype Wassilewskija-2 (Ws-2), as described below. This emphasizes …

Polyphenol Content And Differential Expression Of Flavonoid Biosynthetic Pathway Genes Of Fragaria Spp. With White Fruit, Sutapa Roy

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Strawberries are a rich source of polyphenols which contribute to berry color and plant disease resistance, and have been shown to lower the risk of many chronic when consumed. While a considerable body of work exists on the polyphenolic composition of commercial strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.), less information is available concerning polyphenols in Fragaria vesca, or Alpine strawberry, considered a model system for the Rosaceae family of crop species. The study of natural and genetically-engineered F. vesca mutants with white fruit can provide unique insight into regulation of metabolic flux through the complex branched phenylpropanoid/flavonoid biosynthetic pathway. …

Probing The Plant Cell Wall With Herbicides: A Chemical Genetics Approach, Chad B. Brabham

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

The primary cell wall is a highly organized multi-layered matrix of polysaccharides (cellulose, hemi-cellulose, and pectin). The ability of the rigid cell wall to sufficiently loosen to allow growth is a complex process that differs considerably between grasses monocots and dicots. Cellulose is the major structural component required for anisotropic cell expansion and is synthesized by CELLULOSE SYNTHASE A (CesA) proteins. Here, our objectives were two-fold: 1) dissect cell walls and cellulose biosynthesis in dicots and grasses using chemical biology and reverse genetic approaches 2) characterize and classify the inhibitory mechanisms of cellulose biosynthesis inhibitors (CBIs). A reverse genetics TILLING …

Transcriptional Regulation Of Specialized Metabolites In Arabidopsis Thaliana And Catharanthus Roseus, Craig M. Schluttenhofer

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

For millennia humans have utilized plant specialized metabolites for health benefits, fragrances, poisons, spices, and medicine. Valued metabolites are often produced in small quantities and may command high prices. Understanding when and how the plant synthesizes these compounds is important for improving their production. Phytohormone signaling cascades, such as jasmonate (JA) activate or repress transcription factors (TF) controlling expression of metabolite biosynthetic genes. TFs regulating specialized metabolite biosynthetic genes can be manipulated to engineer plants with increased metabolite production.

WRKY transcription factor are known components of both JA signaling cascades and regulation of specialized metabolism. The presence of WRKY binding …

The Effects Of Manufactured Nanomaterial Transformations On Bioavailability, Toxicity And Transcriptomic Responses Of Caenorhabditis Elegans, Daniel L. Starnes

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

In recent decades, there has been a rapid expansion in the use of manufactured nanoparticles (MNPs). Experimental evidence and material flow models predict that MNPs enter wastewater treatment plants and partition to sewage sludge and majority of that sludge is land applied as biosolids. During wastewater treatment and after land application, MNPs undergo biogeochemical transformations (aging). The primary transformation process for silver MNPs (Ag-MNPs) is sulfidation, while zinc oxide MNPs (ZnO-MNPs) most likely undergo phosphatation and sulfidation. Our overall goal was to assess bioavailability and toxicogenomic impacts of both pristine, defined as-synthesized, and aged Ag- and ZnO-MNPs, as well as …

Multiple Records Of Monoecy In Dioecious Taxa Of Hawaiian Coprosma Spp. (Rubiaceae)., Jason T. Cantley, Danielle Frohlich, Chris Martine

Faculty Journal Articles

The breeding systems of the 110+ species of Coprosma J.R. Forst. & G. Forst. across the Pacific are largely considered dioecious, with male and female flowers occurring on separate plants (oliver 1935). However, for many species, particularly of New Zealand, the dioecious breeding system is leaky. Coprosma species exhibiting leaky dioecy are primarily dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants, but individuals occasionally develop apparently functional bisexual flowers, which sporadically occur among an abundance of unisexual flowers. A putative monoecious Coprosma taxon was once reported for the Macquarie Island individuals of C. perpusilla Colenso (= C. pumila Hook.f.), …

Evidence Of Rock Kangaroo Seed Dispersal Via Faecal Seed Storage In A Tropical Monsoon Community, Chris Martine, Ally Boni, Elizabeth Capaldi, Gemma Lionheart, Ingrid E. Jordon-Thaden

Faculty Journal Articles

While some of the plant species of the ‘Sandstone Country’ along the escarpment of western Arnhem Land produce fleshy fruits and appear to rely on biotic methods of seed dispersal, little is known about the methods by which this is achieved – and few potential dispersers co-occur in the sandstone outcrop communities. For the present study, scat collections were made on outcrops in the northeastern area of Kakadu National Park with the hope of uncovering relationships between local frugivores and fruit-producers, and providing evidence for seasonal storage of mammal-dispersed seeds in scat prior to germination. The goals of the present …

2016 Virginia Wildflower Of The Year: Downy Rattlesnake Plantain, Goodyera Pubescens, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

Regardless of season, Downy Rattlesnake Plantain is a delight to encounter in the woods of Virginia. This evergreen orchid is a perennial rhizomatous herb of the forest floor. The horizontal rhizomes, usually covered lightly by leaf litter, bear roots at intervals and terminate in a rosette of leaves. Leaves are alternate, somewhat crowded together, and only slightly elevated above ground level. Leaf blades are ovate, 3–8 cm long, and 1.5–3 cm wide, often of varying size within a rosette. Leaves are present year-round, bluish-green, with prominent white veins; on each leaf, a broad midvein is flanked by two smaller veins …

Evaluating The Evolutionary And Genetic Relationships Of The Andean Orchids Of Northwestern Ecuador, Kylie Bucalo

Theses and Dissertations

DNA barcoding is a molecular based technique used to separate and identify individual species. Here we establish a DNA Barcode library for the orchid flora of an Andean cloud forest in Northwestern Ecuador. The library contains 135 matK and 136 rbcL DNA Barcodes representing over 33 Orchidaceae genera. Sequence analysis shows percent species resolution was higher for matK (98.8%) than rbcL (70.24%), with a large portion of the unresolved species for the rbcL loci coming from taxonomically complex genera in the subtribe Pleurothallidinae. Neighbor Joining (NJ) trees revealed that the orchid flora of Siempre Verde is divided taxonomically into …

Seeing Red In A Sea Of Green: Anthocyanin Production In A Carnivorous Plant, Pinguicula Planifolia, Jenna Annis

Masters Theses

The Southeastern United States is a biological hot-spot for carnivorous plants, with over half of the North American species occurring along the Gulf Coast. Pinguicula planifolia Chapman is one of six carnivorous perennial butterwort species found in the Florida Panhandle. Among these species, only P. planifolia expresses a distinct variation of red coloration on its leaves. The functional role of foliar anthocyanins may include stress response to drought and nutrient deficiency, herbivory defense, free radical scavenging, and photoprotection. Carnivorous plant leaves face strong selection pressures to optimize prey capture and nutrient absorption. Given the frequency of these red pigments in …

Successional Changes In Leaf Nutrient Concentrations Of Woody And Herbaceous Species, Daniel Walter Kuchta

Masters Theses

Leaf nutrient concentrations are an example of a functional trait, a trait that can be used to understand community dynamics by observing how plants interact with their environment. I explored how leaf nutrient concentrations were affected over successional time by environmental changes. The majority of prior research on functional traits focuses on either woody or herbaceous species, but not both life forms simultaneously. To address this, I also explored the successional changes to leaf nutrient concentrations, separating the plant community into woody and herbaceous species.

Healthy, mature leaves were taken from 122 taxa of woody and herbaceous species in a …

Transcriptome Profiling Of Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa Pratensis L.) Accessions In Response To Salt Stress, Shaun B. Bushman, Keenan L. Amundsen, Scott E. Warnke, Joseph G. Robins, Paul G. Johnson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Background: Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) is a prominent turfgrass in the cool-season regions, but it is sensitive to salt stress. Previously, a relatively salt tolerant Kentucky bluegrass accession was identified that maintained green color under consistent salt applications. In this study, a transcriptome study between the tolerant (PI 372742) accession and a salt susceptible (PI 368233) accession was conducted, under control and salt treatments, and in shoot and root tissues.

Results: Sample replicates grouped tightly by tissue and treatment, and fewer differentially expressed transcripts were detected in the tolerant PI 372742 samples compared to the susceptible …

Twenty-Five Year Response Of The Herbaceous Layer Of A Temperate Hardwood Forest To Elevated Nitrogen Deposition, Frank S. Gilliam, Nicole Turrill Welch, Anne Hockenberry Phillips, Jake H. Billmyer, William T. Peterjohn, Zachariah K. Fowler, Christopher A. Walter, Mark B. Burnham, Jeffrey D. May, Mary Beth Adams

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Increasing rates of atmospheric deposition of nitrogen (N) present a novel threat to the biodiversity of terrestrial ecosystems. Many forests are particularly susceptible to excess N given their proximity to sources of anthropogenic N emissions. This study summarizes results of a 25-yr treatment of an entire central Appalachian hardwood forest watershed via aerial applications of N with a focus on effects of added N on the cover, species richness, and composition of the herbaceous layer. Research was carried out on two watersheds of the Fernow Experimental Forest (FEF), West Virginia. The long-term reference watershed at FEF (WS4) was used as …

Plpt 496/892: Disease Dynamics & Evolution—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Sydney E. Everhart

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This benchmark course portfolio was developed as a component of the University of Nebraska Peer Review of Teaching. The course selected for this portfolio was a new course developed and taught as an Independent Study PLPT 496/892. The working title for the course was Disease Dynamics and Evolution. This course was designed to cover core concepts of disease ecology and pathogen emergence/evolution. Concepts were organism-agnostic and important for understanding infectious diseases of humans, animals, and plants. The course format was lecture-based and inquiry driven, using primary literature as case studies. The goal of this course was to use interesting and …

Plant Functionality Across An Environmental Gradient, Taylor L. Price, Julie Zinnert

UROP Posters

Community assemblages provide insight into ecosystem processes, both spatially and temporally. They interact with biotic and abiotic factors that vary with habitat structure, influencing community composition. Ecological theory demonstrates that species have the potential for a wide fundamental niche, but habitat range may be restricted by factors exposed to species in their realized niche. In barrier island ecosystems, edaphic and environmental characteristics (e.g. elevation and distance to shoreline) are major drivers determining where and how plant communities establish. Physical stressors, such as salt stress and drought influence community grouping and can alter plant function within the environment. With projected increases …

A New Species Of Plectranthus (Lamiaceae) From Saudi Arabia, Kadry Abdel Khalik

Turkish Journal of Botany

Plectranthus hijazensis Abdel Khalik (Lamiaceae) is described as a new species from Al-Baha Province in Saudi Arabia. Information given on the new species includes a taxonomic description and its affinity to Plectranthus asirensis L. A key to Plectranthus species of Saudi Arabia is provided, and the relationships of the species and the relevant morphological characters, particularly seed, pollen grains, trichomes, and anatomy of stem and leaf, are discussed. A distribution map of the new species and related species is provided.

The Role Of Anthropogenic Habitats As Substitutes For Natural Habitats: A Case Study On Epipactis Helleborine (L.) Crantz (Orchidaceae, Neottieae). Variations In Size And Nutrient Composition Of Seeds, Agnieszka Rewicz, Jeremi Kolodziejek, Anna Jakubska-Busse

Turkish Journal of Botany

Natural and anthropogenic habitats differed greatly in terms of soil nutrients. Soil at the anthropogenic sites contained significantly lower concentrations of nitrogen (N) than those at the natural sites. Seeds of Epipactis helleborine were sampled from these two contrasting growth habitats and their size and nutrient composition were recorded. The 8 populations of E. Helleborine were different in seed and embryo volumes, but there were no significant differences in seed width. Habitat type significantly influenced seed area: in the anthropogenic areas, seed area was greater than in the natural areas. Two distinct groups of populations were evident with regard to …

Synopsis Of The Sect. Hymenocoleus, Sect. Hymenostegis, And Sect. Macrophyllium Belonging To Astragalus (Fabaceae) In Turkey, Seher Karaman Erkul, Zeki̇ Aytaç, Murat Eki̇ci̇

Turkish Journal of Botany

A synopsis of the sect. Hymenocoleus Bunge, sect. Hymenostegis Bunge, and sect. Macrophyllium Boiss. belonging to Astragalus L. in Turkey is given based on a revisional study carried out in Turkey. As a result of this study, an account of 19 species including keys and general distribution as well as their conservation status in Turkey is given. It is determined that A. narmanicus Karaman & Aytaç is new to science and A. expetitus Maassoumi, A. pereshkhoranicus Maassoumi & F.Ghahrem., and A. marivanensis Maassoumi & Podlech do not exist in Turkey. Additionally, the name of the sect. Hymenocoleus is preserved.

Growing South Dakota (Winter 2016), College Of Agriculture &. Biological Sciences

Growing South Dakota (Publication of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences)

This issue includes the 2015 South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station Annual Report.

[Page] 2 Director's Message
[Page] 3 Concentrating On Cattle: Researcher Studying Mechanics To Improve Reproduction Efficiency In Beef Cattle
[Page] 5 At The Forefront: SDSU Diagnostic Lab Scientists Sequence Avian Influenza Genome
[Page] 6 Seeking Superior Wheat: Breeder Using Extensive Genome Testing To Improve Winter Wheat Cultivars
[Page] 8 Profiles In Leadership: Plant And Fungi Interactions May Offer New Plant Production Possibilities
[Page] 9 Targeting Emerging Diseases: Plant Pathologists Working To Better Manage Soybean & Sunflower Diseases
[Page] 10 Compelling New Crop: Carinata Offers Potential For Crop Diversity, …

Maize Landraces Are Less Affected By Striga Hermonthica Relative To Hybrids In Western Kenya, Charles A.O. Midega, John Pickett, Antony Hooper, Jimmy Pittchar, Zeyaur R. Khan

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Production of maize in western Kenya is severely constrained by the parasitic weed striga. Although productivity of maize can be improved through adoption of improved varieties, adoption of such varieties remains low in the region, as the majority of smallholder farmers still grow unimproved open-pollinated varieties (landraces). The performance of two improved hybrid varieties was evaluated against six landraces in striga-infested soils in western Kenya. The varieties were planted in plots under natural striga infestation and were supplemented with pot experiments under artificial infestation. Striga emergence was lower in landraces than in the hybrid varieties in both field and pot …

Spatial Separation Of Semiochemical Lurem-Tr And Entomopathogenic Fungi To Enhance Their Compatibility And Infectivity In An Autoinoculation System For Thrips Management, David K. Mfuti, Sevgan Subramanian, Rob Whm Van Tol, Gerrie L. Wiegers, Willem J. De Kogel, Saliou Niassy, Hannalene Du Plessis, Sunday Ekesi, Nguya K. Maniania

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

BACKGROUND: The effect of spatial separation of the semiochemical Lurem-TR, which has been found to inhibit conidia of entomopathogenic fungi when put together, on the persistence of conidia of Metarhizium brunneum and M. anisopliae was evaluated in the greenhouse and field in order to develop an autodissemination strategy for the management of Megalurothrips sjostedti on cowpea crop. Influence of spatial separation of the semiochemical on thrips attraction and conidial acquisition by thrips from the autoinoculation device was also investigated in the field. RESULTS: Persistence of conidia of M. brunneum and M. anisopliae increased with distance of separation of Lurem-TR. Direct …

Plant Functional Trait And Hyperspectral Reflectance Responses To Comp B Exposure: Efficacy Of Plants As Landmine Detectors, Paul V. Manley Ii

Theses and Dissertations

At least 110 million landmines have been planted since the 1970s in about 70 nations, many of which remain in place today. Some risk of detection may be mitigated using currently available remote sensing techniques when vegetation is present. My study focused on using plants as phytosensors to detect buried explosives. I exposed three species representing different functional types (Cyperus esculentus (sedge), Ulmus alata (tree), Vitis labrusca (vine)) to 500 mg kg^-1 of Composition B (Comp B; 60/40 mixture of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT)), a commonly used explosive mixture, and measured functional traits and reflectance over …

The Curiosity Of Con, Petrified Breath, And An Accident Known As Blue., Steven Randall

Theses and Dissertations

My thesis installation emerged from an interest in visualizing breath. The resulting work came to exist at the intersection between art, biology, and performance.

The unicorn tapestries were used as a generative point of departure to explore the preservation and transformation of images through time, by time, and with time. Reproductions of the six tapestries were each etched into paper and then submerged into solutions of Phenol Red dye, Ferric Ferrocyanide (also known as Prussian Blue), and various forms of sodium chloride. Exhaled breath was used to encrust these images of the tapestries into physical objects which gradually crystallized and …

Impact Of Reduced Tillage And Crop Residue Management On Soil Properties And Crop Yields In A Long-Term Trial In Western Kenya, Jeremiah M. Okeyo, Jay Norton, Saidou Koala, Boaz Waswa, Job Kihara, Andre Bationo

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Sustainable farming practices are required to address the persistent problems of land degradation and declining crop productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa. Approaches such as reducing tillage and retaining crop residues as mulch are potential entry points for smallholder farmers to move towards sustainability. In this study, we assessed the impact of reduced tillage (RT) compared with conventional tillage (CT), each combined with crop residue reapplication, on soil quality indicators and crop yields under an 8-year trial in western Kenya. Our results indicate that RT combined with crop residue reapplication enhanced soil physical quality through increased macroaggregate (>2000μm) proportions and mean …

Phenotypic Characterization Of The Peach (Prunus Spp.) Collection At The National Clonal Germplasm Repository In Davis, California, Tim Moran

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"Germplasm repositories are an invaluable resource for the collection and preservation of important living genetic material, and provide a multitude of research opportunities for crop improvement. Advances in genomics research have created an urgent demand for phenotypic data in order to assist researchers in identifying relationships between genetic makeup and phenotypic variability. The peach, Prunus persica, is an important economic crop species that is heavily bred and cultivated. In peach, specific tree growth habits are used in breeding to select for tree architectures that may provide growers with more options for orchard design and cultural practices. The presence of extrafloral …