Digital Commons Network^™

Modeling The Movement Of Septic Water Chloride Through A Soil Profile, Shawkat Kochary, Tom Byl, Bahzad Noori

Civil and Architectural Engineering Faculty Research

The purpose of this study was to investigate the movement of chloride through a vadose zone located under failed and non-regulated septic tanks of Duhok city, Kurdistan of Iraq, potentially contaminating its groundwater. A physical vadose model (PVM) of a vertical flow direction was built in the laboratory to represent the city soil profile. The size of the PVM was 210 × 122 × 9.7 cm (height, width, and depth). Preliminary soil tests were conducted to better represent the lithology of study area. The PVM was then packed with regional silt clay soil, after modifying its texture, using an innovative …

Responses Of Terrestrial Ecosystem Phosphorus Cycling To Nitrogen Addition: A Meta-Analysis, Qi Deng, Dafeng Hui, Samuel Dennis, Chandra Reddy

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Aim

Anthropogenic additions of nitrogen (N) are expected to drive terrestrial ecosystems toward greater phosphorus (P) limitation. However, a comprehensive understanding of how an ecosystem's P cycle responds to external N inputs remains elusive, making model predictions of the anthropogenic P limitation and its impacts largely uncertain.

Location

Global.

Time period

1986-2015.

Major taxa studied

Terrestrial ecosystems.

Methods

We conducted a meta-analysis including 288 independent study sites from 192 articles to evaluate global patterns and controls of 10 variables associated with ecosystem P cycling under N addition.

Results

Overall, N addition increased biomass in plants (+34%) and litter (+15%) as …

Carbon Sequestration By Australian Tidal Marshes, Peter I. Macreadie, Q. R. Oliver, J. J. Kelleway, Oscar Serrano, P. E. Carnell, C. J. Ewers Lewis, T. B. Atwood, J. Sanderman, J. Baldock, R. M. Connolly, C. M. Duarte, Paul Lavery, A. Steven, C. E, Lovelock

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Australia’s tidal marshes have suffered significant losses but their recently recognised importance in CO2 sequestration is creating opportunities for their protection and restoration. We compiled all available data on soil organic carbon (OC) storage in Australia’s tidal marshes (323 cores). OC stocks in the surface 1 m averaged 165.41 (SE 6.96) Mg OC ha − 1 (range 14 – 963 Mg OC ha − 1). The mean OC accumulation rate was 0.55 ± 0.02 Mg OC ha − 1 yr − 1. Geomorphology was the most important predictor of OC stocks, with fluvial sites having twice the stock of OC …

Quantifying The Short-Term Dynamics Of Soil Organic Carbon Decomposition Using A Power Function Model, Weiping Zhou, Jinhong He, Dafeng Hui, Weijun Shen

Biology Faculty Research

Introduction

Soil heterotrophic respiration (R _h, an indicator of soil organic carbon decomposition) is an important carbon efflux of terrestrial ecosystems. However, the dynamics of soil R _h and its empirical relations with climatic factors have not been well understood.

Methods

We incubated soils of three subtropical forests at five temperatures (10, 17, 24, 31, and 38 °C) and five moistures (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100% water holding capacity (WHC)) over 90 days. R _h was measured throughout the course of the incubation. Three types of models (log-linear, exponential, and power model) were fitted to the measurements …

Rapid Surface-Water Volume Estimations In Beaver Ponds, Daniel J. Karran, Cherie J. Westbrook, Joseph Michael Wheaton, Carol A. Johnston, Angela Bedard-Haughn

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Beaver ponds are surface-water features that are transient through space and time. Such qualities complicate the inclusion of beaver ponds in local and regional water balances, and in hydrological models, as reliable estimates of surface-water storage are difficult to acquire without time- and labour-intensive topographic surveys. A simpler approach to overcome this challenge is needed, given the abundance of the beaver ponds in North America, Eurasia, and southern South America. We investigated whether simple morphometric characteristics derived from readily available aerial imagery or quickly measured field attributes of beaver ponds can be used to approximate surface-water storage among the range …

Effect Of Seed Position On Parental Plant On Proportion Of Seeds Produced With Nondeep And Intermediate Physiological Dormancy, Juan J. Lu, Dun Y. Tan, Carol C. Baskin, Jerry M. Baskin

Biology Faculty Publications

The position in which seeds develop on the parental plant can have an effect on dormancy-break and germination. We tested the hypothesis that the proportion of seeds with intermediate physiological dormancy (PD) produced in the proximal position on a raceme of Isatis violascens plants is higher than that produced in the distal position, and further that this difference is related to temperature during seed development. Plants were watered at 3-day intervals, and silicles and seeds from the proximal (early) and distal (late) positions of racemes on the same plants were collected separately and tested for germination. After 0 and 6 …

High Prevalence Of Toxigenic Clostridium Difficile In Public Space Lawns In Western Australia, Peter Moono, Su Chen Lim, Thomas V. Riley

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Clostridium difficile is a well-established hospital pathogen. Recently, it has been detected increasingly in patients without hospital contact. Given this rise in community associated infections with C. difficile, we hypothesized that the environment could play an important role in transmission of spores outside the hospital. Lawn samples (311) collected in public spaces in the metropolitan area of Perth, Western Australia, from February to June 2016 were cultured for C. difficile. C. difficile was isolated from the samples by direct and enrichment culture, and characterized by standard molecular methods using toxin gene PCR and ribotyping. The overall prevalence of …

Effects Of Litter On Seedling Emergence And Seed Persistence Of Three Common Species On The Loess Plateau In Northwestern China, Rui Zhang, Xiaowen Hu, Jerry M. Baskin, Carol C. Baskin, Yanrong Wang

Biology Faculty Publications

Litter accumulation resulting from land use change (enclosure) is one of the key variables influencing seedling recruitment and consequently the regeneration of plant populations and seed persistence in the soil seed bank. A better understanding of the effects of litter on seed germination and seedling emergence is crucial for developing a new set of indicators for grassland ecosystem health and for grassland management policy. We investigated the effects of seed position in litter and amount of litter covering the seed on seedling emergence and seed persistence of three common species on the Loess Plateau in northwestern China. Seed position beneath …

Cover Crops And Tillage Management For Enhanced Sustainability In Corn/Soybean Production In The Mississippi Delta Region Of Arkansas, David Scott Patton

Student Theses and Dissertations

A field experiment was established during 2014 in Northeast Arkansas to evaluate the benefits of cover crop and tillage management for enhanced yield and soil quality. Cover crop management included cereal rye, wheat and crimson clover, and a winter fallow. Tillage management included tillage and no-tillage. In the 2015 and 2016 seasons yield was not significantly changed by different tillage treatments. Cover crop out yielded no cover crop at the A-State site in the 2016 season. Organic matter and active carbon were significantly influenced by tillage treatments. Physical and biological properties were significantly increased with cover crops compared with no …

Seed Dormancy-Breaking In A Cold Desert Shrub In Relation To Sand Temperature And Moisture, Huiliang Liu, Buhailiqiemu Abudureheman, Lingwei Zhang, Jerry M. Baskin, Carol C. Baskin, Daoyuan Zhang

Biology Faculty Publications

Seasonal periodicity of seed germination and its relationship to seasonal changes in temperature and soil moisture have been well studied in seeds of species with physiological dormancy. However, relatively little information is available on the role of these environmental factors in controlling germination of seeds with physical dormancy (PY). Our primary aim was to determine if seeds of the cold desert sand dune semi-shrub Eremosparton songoricum exhibits seasonal periodicity of seed germination and the relationship between seed dormancy break and soil temperature and moisture. In the laboratory, seeds incubated on dry, wet, wet-dry and dry-wet sand were exposed to a …

Microbial Interactions In The Phyllosphere Increase Plant Performance Under Herbivore Biotic Stress, Muhammad Saleem, Nicole Meckes, Zahida H. Pervaiz, Milton B. Traw

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

The phyllosphere supports a tremendous diversity of microbes and other organisms. However, little is known about the colonization and survival of pathogenic and beneficial bacteria alone or together in the phyllosphere across the whole plant life-cycle under herbivory, which hinders our ability to understand the role of phyllosphere bacteria on plant performance. We addressed these questions in experiments using four genetically and biogeographically diverse accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana, three ecologically important bacterial strains (Pseudomonas syringae DC3000, Xanthomonas campestris, both pathogens, and Bacillus cereus, plant beneficial) under common garden conditions that included fungus gnats (Bradysia spp.). …

Grazing Panel, Jeff Beasley, Trevor Toland, Ted Krauskopf

Kentucky Grazing Conference

No abstract provided.

In Defense Of Soil Health, Allen R. Williams

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Soil health is a hot topic today in sustainable agriculture circles and is even becoming more popular in conventional agriculture. However, the term is often thrown around loosely, and sometimes the meaning gets muddled.

Assessing The Risk Of Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Blue Carbon Ecosystems, Catherine E. Lovelock, Trisha Brooke Atwood, Jeff Baldock, Carlos M. Duarte, Sharyn Hickey, Paul S. Lavery, Pere Masque, Peter I. Macreadie, Aurora M. Ricart, Oscar Serrano, Andy Steven

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

“Blue carbon” ecosystems, which include tidal marshes, mangrove forests, and seagrass meadows, have large stocks of organic carbon (C_org) in their soils. These carbon stocks are vulnerable to decomposition and – if degraded – can be released to the atmosphere in the form of CO₂. We present a framework to help assess the relative risk of CO₂ emissions from degraded soils, thereby supporting inclusion of soil C_org into blue carbon projects and establishing a means to prioritize management for their carbon values. Assessing the risk of CO₂ emissions after various kinds of disturbances …

Effects Of Biochar Treatment Of Municipal Biosolids And Horse Manure On Quality Of Runoff From Fescue Plots, Rachel Williams, Dwayne R. Edwards

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Land-applied horse manure and municipal biosolids can increase nutrient and bacteria concentrations in runoff. Biochar has been demonstrated to have beneficial impacts on nutrient retention and runoff quality when used to treat other land-applied organic soil amendments (e.g., poultry manure). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of biochar addition to horse manure and municipal biosolids on runoff concentrations of nutrients and fecal coliforms. Biochar was added at 5% to 8% (wet basis) to horse manure and biosolids that were applied to 2.4 m x 6.1 m fescue plots followed by application of simulated rainfall (102 mm …

Response Of Soil Properties To 23-25 Years Of Diverse Crop Rotations And Tillage Systems In South Dakota, Usa, Abdullah H. Alhameid

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Diverse cropping systems and no-till (NT) are beneficial in improving soil organic carbon (SOC) and other soils properties. The present study was conducted to evaluate the interactions and impacts of long-term tillage and diverse crop rotation systems on soil quality indicators that include a range of soil chemical, physical, hydrological, and microbial properties. The study was established in 1991 at Beresford, South Dakota and included three crop rotation systems [2-yr; maize (Zea mays L.)-soybean (Glycine max L.), 3-yr; maize-soybean-oat (Avena sativa L.), and 4-yr; maize-soybean-oat-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)] managed under two tillage systems (NT and CT; conventional- tillage). Soil sampling …

Impacts Of Crop Residue And Cover Crops On Soil Hydrological Properties, Soil Water Storage And Water Use Efficiency Of Soybean Crop, Kopila Subedi-Chalise

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cover crops and crop residue play a multifunctional role in improving soil hydrological properties, soil water storage and water use efficiency (WUE). This study was conducted to better understand the role of crop residue and cover crop on soil properties and soil water dynamics. The study was conducted at the USDA-ARS North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, located in Brookings, South Dakota. Two residue removal treatments that include low residue removal (LRR) and high residue removal (HRR) were established in 2000 with randomized complete block design under no-till corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.) rotation. In 2005, cover …

Soil Response To Cropping Sequences And Grazing Under Integrated Crop-Livestock System, Hanxiao Feng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Integrated crop-livestock system (ICLS) is helpful in diversifying a farm for improving its long-term sustainability and economic benefits. In the United States, the ICLS has been increasing in recent years because of its economic and environmental benefits. However, the impacts of ICLS on soil quality is not well documented in North Dakota. The objective of our study is to assess the impacts of cropping sequences and cattle grazing on the selected soil properties in the crop diversity and livestock integration practice. This study site was established in 2010 at the Dickinson Research Extension Center, Dickinson, North Dakota. The study design …

Impacts Of Integrated Crop-Livestock System On Soil Surface Greenhouse Gas Fluxes At A Farm Scale In South Dakota, Brant Douville

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Grazing and cover crops (CC) can impact soil nutrient cycling but may increase the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from soils. However, little is known about their impacts on soil properties and soil surface GHG emissions in an integrated crop-livestock system (ICLS) in South Dakota, USA. The present study was conducted at a farm scale at the Research Farm of South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota, to assess the impact of cover crops and grazing on soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and bulk density (BD), and soil surface carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide …

Interactive Effects Of Cover Crops, Invertebrate Communities And Soil Health In Corn Production Systems, Claire Lacanne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The adoption of regenerative farming practices is gaining traction, but the costs and benefits are not often considered on a systems level. Encouraging biodiversity and soil health is the goal of many agricultural practices used in regenerative farming; regenerative systems employ practices which abide by the two main principles of increasing biodiversity and decreasing disturbance, with the goal of encouraging ecosystem functioning to minimize inputs and maximize the productivity of a farm. I examined the management of corn (Zea mays) fields across four states in the Upper Midwest region of the United States. Regenerative systems in this study …

Effects Of Silvopasture Establishment On Aqueous And Gaseous Soil N Losses At The University Of New Hampshire Organic Dairy Research Farm, Kathryn Ann Slebodnik

Honors Theses and Capstones

The expansion of local agriculture in the New England region is putting increased pressure on farmers to expand their arable land base. While clear-cutting is a traditional method of converting forested land to agriculture, it is known for having adverse ecological impacts. To minimize these impacts, farmers can create a silvopasture which incorporates a portion of the original forest canopy into pastures or crop fields. This study evaluates the impact of land-use changes for agriculture on soil nitrogen (N) retention. In particular, this study investigates the differences in soil N turnover, gaseous loss, and aqueous loss among an established forest, …

Data Potential Of Archaeological Deposits At The Chelan Station Site, Matthew J. Breidenthal

All Master's Theses

The Chelan Station Site (45CH782/783), located along the Rocky Reach of the Columbia River, includes lithic and faunal artifacts buried beneath volcanic tephra from Mt. Mazama (6,830 BP). Artifacts were inadvertently discovered in buried soils within a secondary alluvial terrace during construction of a pipeline to supply water to the Beebe Springs Fish Hatchery. This thesis stems from participation in original field work and includes the author’s own models of early land forms and site formation. The study reviews the construction monitoring and archaeological testing of both sites, and documents the archaeological data potential early occupations of the vicinity. The …

Using Thermal Infrared Imagery To Estimate Soil Hydraulic Parameters: A Novel Approach, Matthew B. Thomas

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

In this study, skin temperature measured with a thermal infrared (TIR) camera was used to estimate soil hydraulic parameters. These physical properties that control how soils transport and retain water are notoriously difficult to measure in the field due to spatial variability. Laboratory experiments were set up to record surface skin temperature response in a clean soil column using a TIR camera after an artificial wetting event. An array of thermocouples, a net radiometer, heat flux sensor and weather station were used to constrain the TIR data and the energy budget during the experiment. The soil column surface was then …

A Method For Reflectance Index Wavelength Selection From Moisture-Controlled Soil And Crop Residue Samples, Ali Hamidisepehr, Michael P. Sama, Aaron P. Turner, Ole O. Wendroth

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Reflectance indices are a method for reducing the dimensionality of spectral measurements used to quantify material properties. Choosing the optimal wavelengths for developing an index based on a given material and property of interest is made difficult by the large number of wavelengths typically available to choose from and the lack of homogeneity when remotely sensing agricultural materials. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of using a low-cost method for sensing the moisture content of background materials in traditional crop remote sensing. Moisture-controlled soil and wheat stalk residue samples were measured at varying heights using a reflectance probe connected …

Analysis Of Microbial Diversity In Disturbed Soil, Tyler G. Sanda

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper uses the composition and abundance of microbial species to analyze soil recovery in disturbed land. Surface mining disturbs ecological communities throughout the world. As organizations seek to reclaim these disturbed lands, a proper analysis of recovery is needed. In previous studies, recovery of disturbed land was limited to surface examinations, which do not characterize the possible unseen devastating effects of the subsoil. Soil microorganisms are extremely sensitive to environmental changes such as strip mining. It is proposed that these microorganisms may serve as better indicators of recovery post disturbance. Our analysis indicates microbial recovery, however it may not …

Quantifying Ephemeral Gully Erosion With Photogrammetry Surveying, C. B. Weerasekara, A. Y. Shechukov

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Soil Physical And Chemical Properties Following Addition Of Non-Composted Spent Coffee And Tea For Athletic Fields, Shuang Zhou

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Physical and chemical properties of non-composted spent coffee (CF) and tea (T) suggest they may have applications as soil amendments for improving poor soils. Studies were conducted to determine 1) the effect of amendments on grass growth and soil properties, 2) the effect of incorporation versus surface application of amendments on soil properties, and 3) the effect of amendment application frequency on grass growth and soil properties. In the first study, amendments were mixed with sand and planted to bermudagrass. Treatments included CF, T, and peat moss (PM) mixed with sand, and 100% sand as a control. In the second …

Soil Erosion Risk Factors And The Impacts Of Diversification On Organic Strawberry Farms Along California’S Central Coast, Kay Sterner

Pomona Senior Theses

Soil erosion is a major issue that threatens to undermine our current system of agriculture. Due to the fact that this system is in turn the number one cause of erosion, agricultural practices in the United States need to be rethought. This study explores how traditional ideas of erosion risks are related to observed erosion on organic strawberry farms along California’s Central Coast. In addition, diversified farming systems are addressed as a possible solution for the current unsustainability of our farming practices. The data from this research suggest that diversity of crops on farms could be linked to less soil …

Short-Term Effects Of Nutrients On A Barrier Island Grassland Community, Ashley Moulton

Theses and Dissertations

Increased nutrient availability globally has the potential to affect community functional composition of plants in nutrient limited environments, such as coastal grassland systems. Stability of these systems are threatened worldwide by urbanization, as well as effects of sea level rise and increased frequency and intensity of storms, and atmospheric N deposition, associated with climate change. Annual net primary productivity (ANPP), species composition, and functional traits (community weighted specific leaf area (CWSLA), leaf area index (LAI), growth form and photosynthetic pathway) were measured across four treatments to assess multiple resource limitation of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) and functional community response …

Rock Magnetic Investigation Of The Michigan Basin Soils And Sediments Overlying The Oil-Bearing Silurian Pinnacle Reefs, Jake Tresnak

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

A relationship between the hydrocarbon migration and magnetic properties of near-surface sediments was investigated from several hundreds of samples collected over the hydrocarbon-bearing Silurian pinnacle reef belt of the Michigan Basin. The collected samples were investigated using several rock magnetic methods and optical microscopy. The investigation has not revealed a straightforward relationship between the magnetic susceptibility and hydrocarbon reservoirs within the reef belt; both anomalously high and low susceptibility values were observed. The elevated values are associated with newly formed magnetite in the form of spheroidal grains produced by hydrocarbon-related diagenesis while the extremely low susceptibilities may reflect dissolution of …