Digital Commons Network^™

Natural Resource Condition Assessment, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Reilly R. Dibner, Nicole Korfanta, Gary Beauvais, Jonathan Bowler, Kit Freedman, Kelli C. Trujillo, Victoria H. Zero

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

In collaboration with the National Park Service, the University of Wyoming Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resources and the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database completed the Natural Resource Condition Assessment (NRCA) for Scotts Bluff National Monument (NM). The purpose of the NRCA is to provide park leaders and resource managers with information on resource conditions to support near-term planning and management, long-term strategic planning, and effective science communication to decision-makers and the public.

Scotts Bluff NM was established in 1919. The purposes of the park include protecting and preserving the Mitchell Pass portion of the Oregon Trail and …

Morphological And Histological Description Of Small Metoposaurids From Petrified Forest National Park, Az, Usa And The Taxonomy Of Apachesaurus, Bryan M. Gee, William G. Parker

United States National Park Service: Publications

Metoposaurids are Late Triassic temnospondyls that are abundant components of freshwater deposi- tional settings. Although metoposaurids are represented by hundreds of specimens in collections around the world, the vast majority pertain to large-bodied, relatively mature individuals, and as a result, the early stages of ontogeny are still poorly characterised. Small-bodied metoposaurids from North America have traditionally been assigned to Apachesaurus gregorii, interpreted as a diminutive taxon, but this interpretation has not been rigorously tested. Here we provide a morphological description of two new small-bodied metoposaurid specimens from Petrified Forest National Park, AZ, USA. Both provide various anatomical details that improve …

Testing Methods To Mitigate Caribbean Yellow-Band Disease On Orbicella Faveolata, Carly J. Randall, Elizabeth M. Whitcher, Tessa Code, Clayton Pollock, Ian Lundgren, Zandy Hillis-Starr, Erinn M. Muller

United States National Park Service: Publications

Outbreaks of coral diseases continue to reduce global coral populations. In the Caribbean, yellow band is a severe and wide-spread disease that commonly affects corals of the Orbicella spp. complex, significantly impeding coral reproduction, and hindering the natural recovery of Orbicella spp. populations. Caribbean yellow-band disease (CYBD) lesions may be severe, and often result in the complete loss of coral tissue. The slow spread of CYBD, however, provides an opportunity to test methods to mitigate the disease. Here we report the results of in situ experiments, conducted within Buck Island Reef National Monument in St. Croix, USVI, to test the …

Winter Bat Activity In A Landscape Without Traditional Hibernacula, Amy M. Hammesfahr, Rene E. Ohms

United States National Park Service: Publications

Abstract

Prior to 2014, bat research at Devils Tower National Monument (DETO) focused on bats present during the summer months. Biologists at DETO assumed local bats were strictly summer residents due to the presumed lack of typical habitat features associated with bat hibernation, such as caves and mines. This lack of traditional hibernacula features at DETO discouraged staff and research cooperators from studying winter bat populations. Despite the earlier assumption that bats were unlikely to hibernate on the monument, DETO documented significant winter bat activity through passive winter acoustic monitoring. This study is the first study at DETO that documents …

Plant Community Composition And Structure Monitoring At Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, 2017 Data Summary Report, Stephanie L. Rockwood

United States National Park Service: Publications

Abstract

This report presents the results of vegetation monitoring efforts in 2017 at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (AGFO) by the Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network (NGPN) and the Northern Great Plains Fire Effects Program (NGPFire). This was the seventh year of field work conducted by NGPN at AGFO.

In 2017, crew members from NGPN visited six long-term plant community monitoring (PCM) plots and NGPFire visited eight additional PCM and fire plant community monitoring (FPCM) plots to collect data on the plant communities at AGFO. This collaborative effort is part of a long-term monitoring program established to better …

An Application Of Economics & Environmental Planning: The Impacts Of Variable Rate Irrigation Technology On Net Farm Income, Hannah Jones, Zhenghong Tang, Karina Schoengold, Yunwoo Nam, Dana Varner

Community and Regional Planning Program: Professional Projects

Restoring playa wetlands back into predominantly agricultural landscapes has been a pressing issue for decades. The Nebraska Rainwater Basin Joint Venture (RWBJV) and its partners represent a wide variety of private and public groups who are offering solutions to this problem, while helping farmers maximize net farm income. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln partnered with the RWBJV on a project to determine how Variable Rate Irrigation (VRI) technology would impact the profitability of farm management operations, while allowing the preservation of adjacent wetland areas. This study conducted an economic analysis that compared net farm income for producers that had participated in …

Statistical Analysis Of The Adoption Of Conservation Practices In Midwest And Great Plains Agriculture, Regan Gilmore, Karina Schoengold

UCARE: Research Products

Improving conservation in conventional agriculture is crucial for the sustainability of agricultural economies. The aim of this project is to identify factors correlated with agricultural producers adopting conservation practices on their land.

Producers tend to choose their tillage and cropping systems based on soil management and yield/productivity concerns. Reasons and concerns for using no-till vary by state. For example, producers in Iowa choosing their tillage system based on yield/productivity concerns are 9.8% less likely to use no-till, while producers in South Dakota with the same concerns are 21.5% more likely to use no-till.

Irrigated Agriculture And Future Climate Change Effects On Groundwater Recharge, Northern High Plains Aquifer, Usa, Zachary H. Lauffenburger, Jason J. Gurdak, Chris Hobza, Duane Woodward

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Understanding the controls of agriculture and climate change on recharge rates is critically important to develop appropriate sustainable management plans for groundwater resources and coupled irrigated agricultural systems. In this study, several physical (total potential (ψT) time series) and chemical tracer and dating (3H, Cl−, Br−, CFCs, SF6, and 3H/3He) methods were used to quantify diffuse recharge rates beneath two rangeland sites and irrigation recharge rates beneath two irrigated corn sites along an east-west (wet-dry) transect of the northern High Plains aquifer, Platte River Basin, central Nebraska. The field-based recharge estimates and historical climate were used to calibrate site-specific Hydrus-1D …

A Naturalist’S Guide To The Great Plains, Paul A. Johnsgard

Zea E-Books Collection

This book documents nearly 500 US and Canadian locations where wildlife refuges, nature preserves, and similar properties protect natural sites that lie within the North American Great Plains, from Canada’s Prairie Provinces to the Texas-Mexico border. Information on site location, size, biological diversity, and the presence of especially rare or interesting flora and fauna are mentioned, as well as driving directions, mailing addresses, and phone numbers or internet addresses, as available. US federal sites include 11 national grasslands, 13 national parks, 16 national monuments, and more than 70 national wildlife refuges. State properties include nearly 100 state parks and wildlife …

An Analysis Of The Social And Political Barriers To Wind Energy Development In Lancaster County, Nebraska, Corrin Bemis

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

With the increasing threat of climate change beginning to impact cities and regions in the United States, many states are turning to renewable energy sources as a way to mitigate their carbon footprint. While Nebraska has the potential to be a leader in wind energy development within the next few years, some restrictions are still put in place that slow down the expansion of wind farms. Although the state is ranked 4^th in the nation for wind energy potential, Nebraska is ranked 20^th for actual wind energy development. This paper will define the social and political barriers that …

Proceedings Of The 45th Annual Meeting Of The Southern Soybean Disease Workers (March 7-8, 2018, Pensacola Beach, Florida), Heather M. Kelly, Terry Spurlock, Carl Bradley, Danise Beadle, Patricia Bollich, Trey Price, Tom Allen

Southern Soybean Disease Workers: Conference Proceedings

Contents

List of SSDW Officers

Agenda for March 7-8, 2018

Abstracts for contributed/presented papers

Retrospective analyses regarding the impact of soybean diseases in the USA .TW Allen, PD Esker, and CA Bradley

Diaporthe (Phomopsis) species on soybean: current status in the United States. Febina Mathew, Kristina Petrovic, Lisa Castlebury, Tom Allen, Gary Bergstrom, John Bonkowski, Carl Bradley, James Buck, Emmanuel Byamukama, Martin Chilvers, Anne Dorrance, Nicholas Dufault, Loren Giesler, Nancy Gregory, Heather Kelly, Nathan Kleczewski, Trey Price, Dean Malvick, Sam Markell, Daren Mueller, Damon Smith, Terry Spurlock, Kiersten Wise, and Marina Johnson

New insights into the genetic underpinnings …

Plant Community Composition And Structure Monitoring For Scotts Bluff National Monument, 2017 Data Report, Ryan Manuel

United States National Park Service: Publications

Abstract

This report presents the results of vegetation monitoring efforts in 2017 at Scotts Bluff National Monument (SCBL) by the Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network (NGPN) and Northern Great Plains Fire Ecology Program (NGPFire).

During the seventh full year of field work, crew members from NGPN visited eight long-term monitoring plots on May 22-25, 2017 to collect data on the plant communities at SCBL. This is part of a long-term monitoring effort to better understand the condition of the vegetation at SCBL. NGPN staff captured data relating to species richness, herb-layer height, abundance of individual native and non-native …

Acoustic Surveys Of Bats At Northern Great Plains Parks And Preliminary Results From 2014-16, Daniel S. Licht

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

From 2014-16, the Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Network (Network)—in collaboration with the Midwest Regional Biologist—used acoustic methods to monitor bat populations at 12 Network parks. Six parks were monitored using the nascent North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) framework. Six other parks did not meet a priori criteria for inclusion in NABat so they were monitored using similar methods, but a non-systematic sampling frame.

Fifty-five NABat stations were established along with 62 non-NABat stations. Stations were typically monitored for 4-7 nights each year using equipment that records the echolocation calls of bats. Fourteen mobile survey routes …

Mdpi Annual Report 2017, Mdpi

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

Contents: Message from the CEO ● MDPI at a Glance ● Key Figures ● 19 Journals Launched in 2017 ● Preprints.org in 2017 ● Scilit in 2017 ● Sciforum in 2017 ● Institutional Open Access Program in 2017 ● OA Initiatives in 2017 ● Top MDPI Books in 2017 ● Journal Development in 2017 ● Journals Tracked for Impact Factor in 2018 ● Electronic Conferences in 2017 ● Call for Expression of Interest ● Physical Conferences in 2017 ● About MDPI ● Corporate Social Responsibility at MDPI ● Upcoming Physical Conferences in 2018 ● Collaborations with Societies ● JAMS ● …

Long-Term Monitoring Of Scripps’S Murrelet And Guadalupe Murrelet At San Clemente Island, California: Evaluation Of Baseline Data In 2012–2016, Darrell L. Whitworth, Harry R. Carter, Michael W. Parker, Franklin Gress, Melissa Booker

United States Navy: Publications

San Clemente Island (SCI) supports one of the smallest Scripps’s Murrelet (Synthliboramphus scrippsi; SCMU) colonies in the world, and perhaps the only colony of Guadalupe Murrelets (S. hypoleucus; GUMU) in California. In 2012–2016, the U.S. Navy sponsored development of a long-term murrelet monitoring program at SCI that utilized nocturnal spotlight surveys, night-lighting at-sea captures, and nest monitoring. Standardized spotlight survey transects were established in nearshore waters off breeding areas at Seal Cove and southeast SCI (SESCI). Baseline mean spotlight counts were 29 ± 15 murrelets (n = 31) at Seal Cove in 2013–2016 and …

Mexican-Origin Parents’ Stress And Satisfaction: The Role Of Emotional Support, Tierney K. Popp, Melissa Y. Delgado, Lorey Wheeler

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

Guided by a process model of parenting and the integrative model, this study examined sources of emotional support (i.e., partner, maternal, paternal) as related to stress and satisfaction resulting from the parenting role in a sample of Mexican-origin young adult parents who participated in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) during Wave IV. Participants were male and female parents (26–35 years of age; 59% female; N = 737) who had children and a partner. Results from structural equation modeling revealed support from mothers as salient; high levels of maternal support were associated with high levels …

The Distribution And Role Of Functional Abundance In Cross‐Scale Resilience, Shana M. Sundstrom, David G. Angeler, Chris Barichievy, Tarsha Eason, Ahjond Garmestani, Lance Gunderson, Melinda Knutson, Kirsty L. Nash, Trisha Spanbauer, Craig Stow, Craig R. Allen

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The cross-scale resilience model suggests that system-level ecological resilience emerges from the distribution of species’ functions within and across the spatial and temporal scales of a system. It has provided a quantitative method for calculating the resilience of a given system and so has been a valuable contribution to a largely qualitative field. As it is currently laid out, the model accounts for the spatial and temporal scales at which environmental resources and species are present and the functional roles species play but does not inform us about how much resource is present or how much function is provided. In …

Amphibians And Reptiles Of United States Department Of Defense Installations, Christopher E. Petersen, Robert E. Lovich, Sarah Stallings

United States Navy: Publications

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) occupies approximately 10.1 million ha of land within the U.S. spanning most ecosystems contained therein. To date, no comprehensive agency-wide inventory of amphibian and reptile species has been compiled. We developed an amphibian and reptile species inventory for 415 DoD installations/sites and evaluated species diversity. The amphibian and reptile species confirmed present on DoD sites represent 66% of the total native species documented in the continental U.S. Snakes are the most widespread group found on DoD lands. Of the military services, Army sites have the greatest number of confirmed species, federally listed, state-listed, and …

Veterans And Agent Orange: Update 11 (2018) (2018), Irva Hertz-Picciotto, Nancy Berliner, Wendy B. Bernstein, Michael J. Carvan Iii, Aravinda Chakravarti, Dana C. Dolinoy, Mary A. Fox, Karl T. Kelsey, Molly L. Kile, Molly L. Kile, Andrew F. Olshan, Beate R. Ritz, Lori A. White

United States Department of Veterans Affairs: Publications

Contents

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS xvii

SUMMARY 1

1 INTRODUCTION 17

Previous Veterans and Agent Orange Reports, 18

Charge to the Committee, 19

Information Gathering, 20

Organization of the Report, 21

2 BACKGROUND 25

The Current Population of Vietnam Veterans,25

Military Use of Herbicides in Vietnam, 27

Exposure of Different Groups of Vietnam Veterans, 30

Characterizing Exposure, 38

Determining Increased Risk in Vietnam Veterans, 43

On-Road Emissions Of Ammonia: An Underappreciated Source Of Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition, Mark E. Fenn, Andrzej Bytnerowicz, Susan L. Schilling, Dena M. Vallano, Erika S. Zavaleta, Stuart B. Weiss, Connor Morozumi, Linda H. Geiser, Kenneth Hanks

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

We provide updated spatial distribution and inventory data for on-road NH₃ emissions for the continental United States (U.S.) On-road NH₃ emissions were determined from on-road CO₂ emissions data and empirical NH₃:CO₂ vehicle emissions ratios. Emissions of NH₃ from on-road sources in urbanized regions are typically 0.1– 1.3 t km⁻² yr⁻¹ while NH₃ emissions in agricultural regions generally range from 0.4–5.5 t km⁻² yr⁻¹, with a few hot spots as high as 5.5–11.2 t km⁻² yr⁻¹. Counties with higher vehicle NH3 emissions than from agriculture …

Abstracts From Proceedings Of The 14th North American Crane Workshop

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

CRANES AND AGRICULTURE: A DELICATE BALANCE. Jane E. Austin and Kerryn M. Morrison 149

NOCTURNAL ROOSTING BEHAVIOR OF SANDHILL CRANES ON THE PLATTE RIVER, NEBRASKA. David A.Brandt, Pamela J. Pietz, Deborah A. Buhl, Wesley E. Newton, Gary L. Krapu, and Aaron T. Pearse 149

USING HOME RANGES AND SITE FIDELITY TO IDENTIFY AREAS OF IMPORTANCE FOR OVERWINTERING SANDHILL CRANES ON THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS Kathryn Brautigam, Blake A. Grisham, William Johnson, Nicole Athearn, David L. Boren, Dan P. Collins, Shaun Oldenburger, Jude Smith, and Warren Conway 150

IN VITRO METHODS FOR EXAMINING MALE FERTILITY IN CRANE SPECIES Megan E. Brown, …

Assessing Hazard Vulnerability, Habitat Conservation, And Restoration For The Enhancement Ofmainland China’S Coastal Resilience, Muhammad Sajjad, Yangfan Li, Zhenghong Tang, Ling Cao, Xiaoping Liu

Community and Regional Planning Program: Faculty Scholarly and Creative Activity

Worldwide, humans are facing high risks from natural hazards, especially in coastal regions with high population densities. Rising sea levels due to global warming are making coastal communities’ infrastructure vulnerable to natural disasters. The present study aims to provide a coupling approach of vulnerability and resilience through restoration and conservation of lost or degraded coastal natural habitats to reclamation under different climate change scenarios. The integrated valuation of ecosystems and tradeoffs model is used to assess the current and future vulnerability of coastal communities. The model employed is based on seven different biogeophysical variables to calculate a natural hazard index …

Provision Of Climate Services For Agriculture: Public And Private Pathways To Farm Decision-Making, Tonya Haigh, Vikram Koundinya, Chad Hart, Jenna Klink, Maria Lemos, Amber Saylor Mase, Linda Prokopy, Ajay Singh, Dennis Todey, Melissa Widhalm

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Honor Society Of Agriculture Gamma Sigma Delta, Nebraska Chapter, History, May 25, 1918-2018

Gamma Sigma Delta, Nebraska Chapter: Bylaws and Other Documents

First paragraph:

GAMMA SIGMA DELTA is a faculty governed society that selects its members from junior and senior students, graduate students, faculty, and alumni for the promotion and recognition of high achievement. While Gamma Sigma Delta is an honor society of agriculture, it may elect members from related fields such as biology, botany, chemistry, economics, entomology, family and consumer sciences, forestry, natural resources, plant pathology, sociology, statistics, veterinary medicine, or zoology when the work of the individual is related to agriculture. Officers, committee chairpersons, and others leading the chapter are faculty or alumni.

Editor’S Introduction: Hip Now, Hip Then, Ada Long

Honors in Practice Online Archive

This volume of Honors in Practice contains essays both new and old, demonstrating the variety of subjects and approaches that have characterized the journal since its outset and also suggesting some realignment over time toward a greater focus on research and objective analysis. This trend perhaps reflects the increasing professionalization of honors since the inaugural volume of HIP in 2005.

Honors In Practice, Volume 14 (2018) [Complete], Ada Long , Editor

Honors in Practice Online Archive

In This Issue

Dedication to Katherine E. Bruce

Editor’s Introduction, Ada Long

HIP Now

Including Families in the Honors Experience, Melissa L. Johnson

Hearing the Marginalized Voice in the Great Books Curriculum, Jennie Woodard

Student Preferences for Faculty-Led Honors Study Abroad Experiences, Nicholas R. Arens, Hanna Holmquist, and Rebecca C. Bott-Knutson

A Structured Course for Personal and Professional Development, Deirdre D. Ragan

HIP Then: The First Ten Years

Tenure and Promotion in Honors (Vol. 1, 2005), Rosalie Otero

Honors in Chile: New Engagements in the Higher Education System (Vol. 2, 2006), Juan Carlos Skewes, Carlos Alberto Cioce Sampaio, and Frederick …

Mortgage Finance Market And Housing Affordability In Urban Areas In Rwanda: A Case Of Kigali City, Samuel Iyandemye, Jonas Barayandema, Faustin Gasheja

Journal for the Advancement of Developing Economies

Rapid urbanization in Rwanda has considerably increased housing demand and the need for a dependable mortgage market. Unfortunately, the capacity of most people to afford to own homes from their own incomes is still a challenge as mortgages products are available at outrageous conditions making mortgage finance unaffordable. For better market readjustment, the effects or mortgage market factors on housing affordability in any locality should be properly evaluated. The objective of this study is to determine how mortgage finance market affects the affordability of housing in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda. To attain this objective, data was obtained from …

Honors In Chile: New Engagements In The Higher Education System, Juan Carlos Skewes, Carlos Alberto Cioce Sampaio, Frederick J. Conway

Honors in Practice Online Archive

Honors programs are rare in Latin America, and in Chile they were unknown before 2003. At the Universidad Austral de Chile, an interdisciplinary group of scholars linked to environmental studies put forward a pilot project for implementing a new experience in higher education. Challenged by an educational environment where (i) apathy and mediocrity have taken over the classrooms, (ii) monodisciplinary training rules the university campus, and (iii) authoritarian teaching persists, this has been an experiment in new ways of approaching the classroom. Stimulated by experiences in the USA, a project proposal was written, finding support in the Chilean Ministry of …

“In Landlessness Alone Resides The Highest Truth”; Or, At Sea With Honors, Don Dingledine

Honors in Practice Online Archive

The recent explosion on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico was a grim reminder of the BP disaster in 2010, from which Gulf Coast residents and workers are still trying to recover. We all must have responded to that disaster with a similar sense of outrage as we watched the live underwater video feed of millions of gallons of oil spewing into the ocean and saw images of oil-soaked wildlife, coastlines, and marshlands. Shared memories of Hurricane Katrina heighten our collective sympathy for the people whose livelihoods this disaster still threatens. At the same time, our individual responses …

College Of Agricultural Sciences And Natural Resources: 2017-2018 College Highlights

College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR): Annual Reports

Covers holistic development: graduate education, undergraduate education; demonstrating undergraduate student success; commitment to inclusive excellence, leveraging partnerships, and Nebraska and beyond.

The 2015-2016 Annual Report is dedicated in honor of Dr. Dick Fleming and Lila Tooker.