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Comparison Of Water Dynamics In Aspen And Conifer: Implications For Ecology Water Yield Augmentation, Eric Martin Lamalfa

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Differences in water dynamics between deciduous aspen (Populus tremuloides) and co-occurring evergreen conifer species in the Northern Rocky Mountains result from complex physical and biological interactions. A comprehensive evaluation of individual water transfer mechanisms was used to elucidate the relative importance of several components of the hydro logic cycles of aspen and conifer, and determine which water transfer mechanisms have potential to cause differences in net water yield.

Adjacent aspen and conifer stands were monitored to determine snow accumulation and ablation (snow survey), soil moisture recharge (capacitance probes), snowpack sublimation (sublimation pan), transpiration period (thermal dissipation probes), and …

The Development Of A Gc/Ms Protocol For The Analysis Of Polysaccharides In Echinacea Purpurea, Michaela Knapp

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Echinacea purpurea is an herbal supplement used to reduce symptoms of common colds and flu-like illnesses. As of right now, it is not well understood what chemical components in the plant are immunologically active. The four main potentially immunologically active chemical components in E. purpurea are caffeic acid derivatives, alkamides, polyacetylenes, and polysaccharides. In this investigation, a protocol was developed in an attempt to identify polysaccharides present in Puritan’s Pride E. purpurea (aerial) “non-irradiated” herbal supplement First, an estimate of the crude total polysaccharide content in Puritan’s Pride and in a ChromaDex certified botanical standard (E. purpurea -powdered root) was …

Genetic Structure In Natural Populations Of Barley/Cereal Yellow Dwarf Virus Isolates From Alaska, N.L. Robertson, Roy C. French

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

The genetic structure of natural populations of Alaskan barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV)-PAV, BYDV-PAS, and cereal yellow dwarf virus (CYDV)- RPV from barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and oats (Avena sativa L.) in Alaska were analyzed between 2002 and 2004. PCR products spanning the viral coat protein gene of 187 isolates were cloned and sequenced. The majority (78%) were similar to BYDV-PAS, 19% were similar to CYDV-RPV, and only about 3% resembled BYDV-PAV. The CYDVRPV isolates clustered in three groups: 44, 17, and 39% resembled RPS-like CP from Mexico, resembled RPV-like CP from New York, or formed a unique …

Increased Abundance Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi In Soil Coincides With The Reproductive Stages Of Maize, M. Susana Grigera, Rhae A. Drijber, Brian J. Wienhold

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are recognized for their positive effects on plant growth, playing an important role in plant P nutrition. We used C16:1cis11 and C18:1cis11 fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) biomarkers to monitor the dynamics of AM fungi during the reproductive stages of maize (Zea mays L.) grown at high yield in Nebraska, USA. Two fields with four different levels of P availability were sampled throughout the reproductive stages. Chambers, made of PVC enclosed mesh fabric to allow passage of roots and hyphae(+R) or hyphae alone (-R) and amended with either KH₂PO …

Stability Of Eukaryotic Elongation Factor One Alpha Protein In The Cell, Jennifer Watry

Honors Theses

Eukaryotic Elongation Factor One Alpha (eEF1A) is an abundant protein found in every cell of every organism and is involved in functions concerning protein synthesis and degradation, the cytoskeleton, and signaling. How these functions are regulated is not yet understood for this protein. Regulation of the protein may be controlled by transcription of the genes encoding the protein or the stability and modification of the protein. The goal of this project was to determine the stability of eEf1A proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana. Protein stability was determined by treating tissues with cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis. Gel electrophoresis and …

Distribution Of The Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Biomarker C16:1Cis11 Among Neutral, Glyco And Phospholipids Extracted From Soil During The Reproductive Growth Of Corn, Maria S. Grigera, Rhae A. Drijber, Rebecca A. Shores-Morrow, Brian J. Wienhold

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) fungi form symbiotic relationships with the majority of land plants and are known for their positive effects on plant P acquisition and soil quality. The extramatrical growth of the mycelium is a key factor in nutrient acquisition by the symbiont. Soil grinding and extraction/fractionation of lipids were used in a field experiment to identify probable sources of the AM biomarker C16:1cis11 and its functional significance during reproductive growth of corn (Zea mays L.). Chambers, enclosed with a 1mm mesh fabric to allow roots and hyphae to pass into the enclosed soil volume, were installed …

Tallgrass Prairie Center Newsletter, Spring 2007, University Of Northern Iowa. Tallgrass Prairie Center.

Tallgrass Prairie Center Newsletter

Inside This Issue:

-- Meet the Tallgrass Prairie Center...a (very) brief history!
-- Native Plant Workshops at the Tallgrass Prairie Center
-- Prairie Research
-- Two Ecological Restoration Internships New This Summer
-- New Initiatives in Native Foundation Seed Development
-- Fifty-Two Iowa Counties Pick up Prairie Grass and Wildflower Seed
-- Congratulations to Graduating Employees

Nebline, April 2007

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

UNL Extension Programs Have Improved Termite Treatments in Nebraska
2007 Perennial Plant of the Year
Gardening Trends in 2007
Easter Lily Care
Spring is a Good Time to Begin Herb Gardening
“Management of Small Ponds” Clinic, April 17
Arbor Day and Tree Planting are Nebraska Traditions
Container Gardening
Controlling Nuisance Weeds in Your Farm Pond
Teff – A New Annual Forage Grass
Simplified Hand-Held Sprayer Calibration
Cost of Pumping Water for Domestic and Acreage Needs
Commercial Pesticide Applicator Initial Training, April 19
It’s Springtime: Watch for Signs of Termites
Termite Workshops for Homeowners in May
What’s Bugging You?
Spring Cleaning? …

The Banksia Production Manual, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

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There has long been a need for a Banksia Production Manual. The benefit of such a manual is the ability to bring together the material written and published in a range of other publications and reports.

As far as possible the latest information has been reviewed and incorporated. Some of these areas have a limited set of information available and are accordingly brief. We have tried to incorporate grower information where possible to ensure that what is discussed has a practical grounding. While regulations and information was correct at the time of publication (April 2007), it is recommended that people …

Zephyr Lilies: Simple Beauty Belies Complex Biology, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

It is often thus, the best in art appears effortless; the most compelling science, once understood, seems obvious. But talk at length with any artist or scientist and you will learn that what appears simple is actually the culmination of a great deal of work. Zephyr, or Jamestown, lilies are like that, too. These seemingly simple flowers are merely the elegant end product of some very complex underlying biology, the details of which are imperfectly understood.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Vegetation Monitoring And Analysis: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending March 31, 2007, Margaret N. Rees

Vegetation Monitoring

Executive Summary

• Weed Sentry staff surveyed for exotic species on 208 miles of roads on NPS land and on 61 miles of BLM land. Due to sparse precipitation this winter, exotic species are much less abundant this year compared to last year at this time.
• Other exotic species projects initiated this quarter included an assessment of invasion patterns below native shrubs for early detection of potential invasion “hotspots,” and a community invasibility experiment established near the NPS nursery with substantial involvement from NPS ATR Ms. Alice Newton.
• A manuscript detailing several experiments with the invasive species Sahara mustard was submitted …

Spontaneous Hybridization Between Maize And Teosinte, Norman C. Ellstrand, Lauren C. Garner, Subray Hedge, Roberto Guadagnuolo, Lesley Blancas

Horticulture and Crop Science

The closest wild relatives of maize, Zea mays ssp. mays are various Zea taxa known as ‘‘teosinte.’’ Hybrids between maize and the teosinte taxon, Zea mays ssp. mexicana, often occur when the 2 are sympatric in Mexico. Measuring the spontaneous hybridization rate of the 2 taxa would shed light on the mechanisms contributing to the evolution and persistence of these hybrid swarms. We conducted a series of field experiments in Riverside, CA, to measure the natural hybridization rates between maize and 2 teosinte taxa, Z. m. ssp. mexicana and Zea mays ssp. parviglumis. We planted teosinte within and …

Phytoremediation: Investigating A Means Of Removing Pahs From The Floodplain Of The Chattanooga Creek, Eric Matthew Cohen

Honors Theses

As a result of uncontrolled dumping of coal-tar for much of the past century,polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are abundant in the floodplain of Chattanooga Creek. The area is deemed a Superfund site and a danger to public health. Phytoremediation has shown to be a cost-effective, ecologically friendly method to r move toxicants from the environment. The present study concerns two candidate plants for phytoremediation Festuca arundinacea (tall fescue) and Cucurbita pepo ssp. pepo (zucchini). Each plant was grown for 28 days in pyrene (a representative PAH) amended soi l. Shoot heights were recorded every 3 to 4 days to test …

Spotted Cotton Oligonucleotide Microarrays For Gene Expression Analysis, Joshua Udall, Lex E. Flagel, Foo Chung, Andrew W. Woodward, Ran Hovav, Ryan A. Rapp, Jordan M. Swanson, Jinsuk J. Lee, Alan R. Gingle, Dan Nettleton, Christopher D. Town, Z. Jeffrey Chen, Jonathan F. Wendel

Faculty Publications

Microarrays offer a powerful tool for diverse applications plant biology and crop improvement. Recently, two comprehensive assemblies of cotton ESTs were constructed based on three Gossypium species. Using these assemblies as templates, we describe the design and creation and of a publicly available oligonucleotide array for cotton, useful for all four of the cultivated species. Results: Synthetic oligonucleotide probes were generated from exemplar sequences of a global assembly of 211,397 cotton ESTs derived from <50 different cDNA libraries representing many different tissue types and tissue treatments. A total of 22,787 oligonucleotide probes are included on the arrays, optimized to target the diversity of the transcriptome and previously studied cotton genes, transcription factors, and genes with homology to Arabidopsis. A small portion of the oligonucleotides target unidentified protein coding sequences, thereby providing an element of gene discovery. Because many oligonucleotides were based on ESTs from fiber-specific cDNA libraries, the microarray has direct application for analysis of the fiber transcriptome. To illustrate the utility of the microarray, we hybridized labeled bud and leaf cDNAs from G. hirsutum and demonstrate technical consistency of results. Conclusion: The cotton oligonucleotide microarray provides a reproducible platform for transcription profiling in cotton, and is made publicly available through http://cottonevolution.info.

Reactive Oxygen Species, Aba And Nitric Oxide Interactions On The Germination Of Warm-Season C4-Grasses, Gautam Sarath, Guichuan Hou, Lisa M. Baird, Robert B. Mitchell

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) as a source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) significantly stimulated germination of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) seeds with an optimal concentration of 20 mM at both 25 and 35°C. For non-dormant switchgrass seeds exhibiting different levels of germination, treatment with H₂O₂ resulted in rapid germination (days) of all germinable seeds as compared to seeds placed on water. Exposure to 20 mM H₂O₂ elicited simultaneous growth of the root and shoot system, resulting in more uniform seedling development. Seeds of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) and …

Plant Cells And Plants Expressing Chemeric Isoprenoid Synthases, Joseph Chappell, Kyoungwhan Back

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Patents

The invention features plant cells and plants that include a nucleic acid molecule encoding a chimeric isoprenoid synthase polypeptide including an asymmetrically positioned homologous domain. The chimeric isoprenoid synthases of the invention catalyze the production of isoprenoid reaction products that are not produced when the asymmetrically positioned homologous domain is positioned at its naturally-occurring site in an isoprenoid synthase polypeptide.

Invasion By Aegilops Triuncialis (Barb Goatgrass) Slows Carbon And Nutrient Cycling In A Serpentine Grassland, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, Katharine M. Batton

Biology

Invasive plant species alter plant community composition and ecosystem function. In the United States, California native grasslands have been displaced almost completely by invasive annual grasses, with serpentine grasslands being one of the few remaining refugia for California grasslands. This study examined how the invasive annual grass, Aegilops triuncialis, has altered decomposition processes in a serpentine annual grassland. Our objectives were to (1) assess howA. triuncialis alters primary productivity and litter tissue chemistry, (2) determine whether A. triuncialis litter is more recalcitrant to decomposition than native litter, and (3) evaluate whether differences in the soil microbial community in A. triuncialis-invaded …

Nebline, March 2007

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

$pending YOUR Calorie $alary: Tips for Using MyPyramid
All-America Selections Flower and Vegetable Award Winners for 2007
Planting Asparagus
Alternative Agriculture Provides Opportunities For Enthusiastic Entrepreneur
Proper Precautions for Chain Saw Safety
Collection of Unwanted Pesticides, March 23
Computerized Farm Financial Recordkeeping, March 19
Upcoming Pesticide Applicator Trainings
Use Pheromone Traps to Locate Indian Meal Moths Infestations
ewf needs volunteers
Build a Bat House
Fertilizing Crop Land with Biosolids
Potential Benefits and Hazards of Bats
Food Safety: What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You
Ground Beef Vegetable Soup with Rice Recipe
$hop $mart to $tretch Your Food Dollar
Add Acidic …

Vegetative Characteristics Of Pronghorn Bed Sites In Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota, Christopher N. Jacques, Jonathan A. Jenks, Jaret D. Sievers, Daniel E. Roddy

The Prairie Naturalist

Much of the previous literature on pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) fawns has focused on fawn mortality (Beale 1978, Barrett 1984, Gregg et al. 2001) and social behavior (Kitchen 1974, Autenrieth and Fichter 1975, Bromley 1977). Selection of bed sites by pronghorn fawns is a major factor affecting fawn survival (Bromley 1978, Barrett 1981, O'Gara et al. 1986, VanSchmus 1990) because adequate cover is a crucial component of fawn bed site selection (Autenrieth 1984). Alldredge et al. (1991) reported that fawns selected dense shrub cover but avoided the most-dense cover in sagebrush-steppe communities in southcentral Wyoming while Tucker and Gamer …

Intraspecific And Interspecific Territoriality In Microtus Ochrogaster And M. Pennsylvanicus, David J. Tazik, Lowell L. Getz

The Prairie Naturalist

Adult female Microtus ochrogaster and M. pennsylvanicus displayed interspecific territorial behavior in a bluegrass site in Illinois. We concluded that within a site, interspecific territorial behavior might be a factor in non-synchronous population fluctuations characteristic of the two species.

Woodland Bird Use Of In-Channel Islands In The Central Platte River, Nebraska, William C. Scharf

The Prairie Naturalist

Recapture data showed woodland obligate birds from riparian habitats made substantial use of thinly vegetated, adjacent small islands in the Platte River. During the bird nesting and spring migration seasons of 200 I through 2004, there were 4,360 individuals of 90 species captured on both mainland and in: hannel island sites. Island locafion captures totaled 595 individuals of 47 species )etween 2002 and 2004. Islands formerly were considered inconsequential for coraging and nesting of passerines. My study substantiated passerine use of Islands and provided a rationale for additional consideration of islands for migration and nesting management. Assemblages of bird species …

Mallard Brood Movements In The Canadian Prairie Parklands, Garnet H. Raven, Todd W. Arnold, David W. Howerter, Llwellyn M. Armstrong

The Prairie Naturalist

We radiotracked 308 mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) broods from hatching until 30 days of age Oij 15 study areas located throughout the Canadian Prairie Parklands to examine patterns of variation in movement frequency and distance. Broods moved an average of 350 m from nests to first wetlands (SO = 390), with 94% of broods moving less than I km. After leaving the nest, broods had a 23% probability of moving to a new wetland each day, but movement probability was a complex function of study area, hatch date, and ducking age, with younger and earlier-hatched broods exhibiting greater movement …

Partial Characterization Of Two Moderately Halophilic Bacteria From A Kansas Salt Marsh, Aileen M. Johnson, Lance R. Thurlow, Sam R. Zwenger, Eric T. Gillock

The Prairie Naturalist

Two bacterial species were isolated from a salt marsh located on privately owned land in Russell County, Kansas. Water samples from the saIt marsh were streaked for isolation on tryptic soy agar supplemented with 12 % NaCI. Visual scanning of the plates revealed two prominent colony types. The two colony types were subcultured repeatedly until axenic cultures were obtained. 80th of these organisms were shown to be moderately halophilic. The organisms were characterized partially by fatty acid methyl ester analysis, 16S rRNA sequencing, and scanning electron microscopy. These studies revealed that the bacteria previously were unreported members of genera Marinococcus …

Mid-Spring Burning Reduces Spotted Knapweed And Increases Native Grasses During A Michigan Experimental Grassland Establishment, Neil W. Macdonald, Brian T. Scull, Scott R. Abella

Peer Reviewed Publications

The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.com Infestations of the exotic perennial Spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa Lam.) hinder the restoration and management of native ecosystems on droughty, infertile sites throughout the Midwestern United States. We studied the effects of annual burning on knapweed persistence on degraded, knapweed-infested gravel-mine spoils in western Michigan. Our experiment included 48, 4-m² plots seeded to native warm-season grasses in 1999 using a factorial arrangement of initial herbicide and fertility treatments. Beginning in 2003, we incorporated fire as an additional factor and burned half of the plots in late April or May for three …

Returns To R&D Investment Of Dafwa: Benefit Cost Analysis, 2005-2006, Nazrul Islam

Bulletins 4000 -

The primary outcome or objective of the projects that are assessed, is to increase the market competitiveness and profitability of agri-industry.

Returns To Research And Development Investment Of Department Of Agriculture And Food Western Australia : Benefit Cost Analysis 2005-2006, Nazrul Islam, Francis Bright, Peter Coyle, Peter Eckersley, Louise Evans, Joseph Gaffy, Allan Herbert, Ross Kingwell, Emma Kopke, Peter Tozer

Bulletins 4000 -

Programs of the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia apply benefit-cost analysis to assist in the allocation of funds to those areas likely to make the largest contribution to the rural economy and thus to achieve the Department outcome of increased market competitiveness and profitability. To learn lessons from the completed projects the Programs also use ex post analyses. Information collected in the course of the ex post analyses can usefully improve the assessment of proposed projects.

Soil Carbon Dynamics During A Long-Term Incubation Study Involving 13C And 14C Measurements, Ronald F. Follett, Eldor A. Paul, Elizabeth G. Pruessner

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Soil organic matter is the earth's largest terrestrial reservoir of carbon (C). Thus, it serves as a major control on atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels. To better understand these controls, decreases in soil organic C (SOC), soil microbial biomass (SMB) C, and the role of SMB as a source of mineralizable C were measured during a long-term incubation (853 days) without added substrate. The 2 soils used were a Weld loam (fine montmorillonitic, mesic, Aridic Paleustoll) from near Akron, Colorado, and a Duroc loam (fine silty, mixed mesic Pachic Haplustoll) from near Sidney, Nebraska. The Akron soil was …

Functional Characterization Of The Aspergillus Fumigatus Calcineurin, Márcia Eliana Da Silva Ferreira, Thorsten Heinekamp, Albert Hartl, Axel A. Brakhage, Camile P. Semighini, Steven D. Harris, Marcela Savoldi, Paula Fagundes De Gouvêa, Maria Helena De Souza Goldman, Gustavo H. Goldman

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Aspergillus fumigatus is an aggressive opportunistic pathogen of humans as well as a major allergen. Environmental sensing and retrieving essential nutrients from the environment are general metabolic traits associated with the growth of this saprophytic fungus. Two important mediators of calcium signals in eukaryotic cells are the Ca²⁺-binding protein calmodulin and the Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent phosphatase calcineurin. Calcineurin is a heterodimer that consists of a catalytic subunit A and a Ca²⁺/calmodulin binding unit. We deleted the A. fumigatus calA gene, which encodes the calcineurin A catalytic subunit, and demonstrated that this gene is not essential in …

The Prairie Naturalist, Volume 39, No.1, March 2007

The Prairie Naturalist

CONTENTS

MALLARD BROOD MOVEMENTS IN THE CANADIAN PRAIRIE PARKLANDS G. H. Raven, T. W. Arnold, D. W. Howerter, and L. M. Armstrong

WOODLAND BIRD USE OF IN-CHANNEL ISLANDS IN THE CENTRAL PLATTE RIVER, NEBRASKA, W. C. Scharf

PARTIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF TWO MODERATELY HALOPHILIC BACTERIA FROM A KANSAS SALT MARSH, A. M. Johnson, L. R. Thurlow, S. R. Zwenger, and E. T. Gillock

INTRASPECIFIC AND INTERSPECIFIC TERRITORIALITY IN MICROTUS OCHROGASTER AND M. PENNSYLVANICUS, D. J. Tazik and L. L. Getz

VEGETATIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF PRONGHORN BED SITES IN WIND CAVE NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH DAKOTA, C. N. Jacques, J. A. Jenks, J. D. …

Loline Alkaloid Gene Clusters Of The Fungal Endophyte Neotyphodium Uncinatum, Christopher L. Schardl, Heather H. Wilkinson, Martin J. Spiering

Plant Pathology Faculty Patents

Loline alkaloids (LA), which are 1-aminopyrrolizidines with an oxygen bridge, are produced by Epichloë (anamorph=Neotyphodium) species, endophytes of grasses. LA are insecticidal, thus helping protect host plants from insect herbivory. Suppression subtractive hybridization PCR was used to isolate transcripts up-regulated during loline alkaloid production in cultures of Neotyphodium uncinatum. Subtracted cDNAs were cloned, and a λ-phage cDNA library from an LA-expressing N. uncinatum culture was screened with subtracted cDNA. In BLAST searches, several cDNAs identified had sequence similarities to aspartate kinases, and another with O-acetylhomoserine-(thiol)lyase. Differential expression of these two genes in LA-producing cultures of N. uncinatum …