Digital Commons Network^™

A Climate Change Risk Assessment Of Northern Great Plains Reservations, Matthew Jensby

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Climate change is expected to have varied effects on cultural groups across the United States, with Native American communities considered the most vulnerable due to economic disadvantages. There are more Indian Reservations (21) in the northern Great Plains than in any other region, where water resources are vital to community health and stability. However, climate change stands to directly impact available water resources by altering aquatic ecosystems and degrading the quality of accessible water. As such, the primary aim of this study was to develop a hierarchical vulnerability assessment to compare all 21 reservations by potential water resource alteration as …

The Effects Of Music And Media On Littering Behaviors, Emily Hauck

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The effects of music and images on littering behavior were studied at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and on Facebook. This study investigated emotional responses to music as a stimulus and how a video impacted likelihood of change of littering behaviors. Because music and images can reach a large number of people quickly, this study can extend to other parts of the world because music and images cut across language barriers. This study can also help create effective and powerful commercials. Littering is an expensive and harmful problem, and music can affect emotions and empathy which can inspire behavior change in …

Public Perception Of Leadership In The Municipal Solid Waste Sector, Allison Creeger

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

No abstract provided.

The Involvement Of Arabidopsis Calmodulin In Plant Immunity Against Pseudomonas Syringae, Katherine Lagerstrom

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Calmodulin (CaM) is a calcium-binding protein present in all eukaryotic cells and is essential for many cellular functions. Calcium-specific binding to CaM induces a conformational change in CaM that affects its interaction with different target proteins, influencing the activity of proteins that bind it. Through calcium signal transduction, CaM mediates a variety of important cellular processes, including plant immunity. The Arabidopsis genome encodes 7 CaM genes that are highly conserved and homologous. While the involvement of CaMs in several eukaryotic processes is known, many of their biological functions in Arabidopsis remain largely unknown. Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 is pathogenic …

The Relationship Between Change In Stress Level Due To Nature Exposure And An Individual's Nature Appreciation, Madeleine Schwinghammer

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Plant Diversity On Pollinator Abundance, Kendra Nelson

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

No abstract provided.

Saving Money While Participating In Urban Agriculture, Jill Wieneke

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

With more and more people pouring into urban areas, many have become unattached to where their food comes from and are disengaged with local food systems. Urban agriculture (UA) can bring people closer to healthy foods and be a potential savings. This will bring more resilience to a community and amend food insecurities Through this case study at the Hawley Hamlet Neighborhood Garden, urban gardeners can understand the capabilities of UA and the effects of food affordability into urban settings. This case study is an example of vegetable outputs and cost savings that can be obtained at a community garden …

Developmental Factors Leading To Pro Environmental Attitudes, Adam Fenton

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Human personality is a complex formation of attributes that comprise an individual. These personality traits maintain links to personal attitudes or beliefs about objects, people, and issues that are encountered throughout life. It is a long-standing goal of social research to understand not only personality traits and attitudes, but also the linkage between the two. This research uses survey questionnaires administered to University of Nebraska-Lincoln students to assess the modifying factors of elementary school activity levels, average city/state/national park attendance, and environmental education on personality traits and pro environmental attitudes. Each respondent answered a Big 5 short form personality assessment …

Land Use As An Indicator Of Stream Habitat Quality In Salt Creek, Lexus Wellman, Adam Brown, Arden Cornwell

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This study sought to quantify land use types in Lancaster County and identify which, if any, environmental parameters were significantly influencing fish and invertebrate distribution in the Salt Creek basin. Historical sampling data were obtained from the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality. Watershed land cover maps were created and the percentages of urban/developed, forested, row crop, and grassland use were calculated. This data was combined with NDEQ water quality parameter, fish, and invertebrate sampling data to conduct nonmetric multidimensional scaling. This analysis did not provide significant conclusions about the driving force of fish and invertebrate distribution in this region because …

Sediment Associated Arsenic In Stream And Aquifer Sediments, Christopher N. Elofson

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Arsenic (As) is an element commonly associated with aquifer sediment, with a global concentration 1.7 mg/kg, and can be subsequently released into groundwater. In recent times, increased anthropogenic inputs have contributed to geochemical changes in the subsurface that affect the mobilization of arsenic into subsurface water resources. Concentrations above the EPA’s maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 µg/L have recently been reported in many areas across the United States, including Nebraska. The health risk of prolonged exposure to high arsenic concentrations are skin ailments, like hyper pigmentation and keratosis, and cancer. Furthermore, many rural communities, especially in western Nebraska, lack …

The Environmental Impacts Of Fracking, Nick Nardone

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Hydraulic Fracturing or commonly known as fracking has helped the oil and gas industry making it easier for us to extract oil and gas from the ground. While we have benefited economically from this boom, the process of injecting high amounts of water and chemicals deep into the earth’s surface at extremely high pressures puts an negative effect on the environment. The purpose of my study is to identify and understand the environmental impacts associated with fracking. Analyzing the environmental impacts will give us the needed information and knowledge to help reduce the environmental harm associated with Fracking. The public …

The Relationship Between Urbanization And Eutrophication In Lake Dianchi Watershed In Kunming, China, Xiaoyu Yin

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Due to the rapid economic growth in China, urban area in the City of Kunming has expanded overwhelmingly since 1970s along with dramatic population growth in Kunming. However, the source of drinking water that people of Kunming has depended on, Lake Dianchi, has been seriously polluted since 1990s. I looked at peer-reviewed literature and categorized them based on type of research method. After collecting and analyzing data from literature, the reverse relationship between urbanization and water quality in Lake Dianchi was concluded; the sources of phosphorus load to Lake Dianchi were mainly from human and agricultural activities.

Commonalities In Species Distribution, An Advanced Search For The Elusive Arizona Elegans, Anthony Brunetti

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify ecological parameters which could serve as a basis to more accurately predict the population distribution of the species A. elegans. Population numbers of A. elegans in Nebraska are low, and limited a range distribution has been estimated throughout the state. Due to the elusive nature and limited numbers of this animal, accurately identifying its range in Nebraska is of concern to biologists. Analysis of multiple ecological variables throughout selected counties of Nebraska were used in an attempt to account for current distribution and possible extensions of its known range. Ecological information …

Varying Perspectives On Landscape Diversity, Benet Kinghorn

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

No abstract provided.

Population Structure Analysis Of Western Painted Turtles, Charrissa Zuerlein

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Changes in the population structure, specifically the age, size and sex composition, of Western painted turtles can be studied to gain insight into the changes that will occur in closely related endangered species. As species with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), the sex ratios of new clutches are affected by climate, and this could cause problems for the species as climate changes occur. This study focuses on fluctuations in the population structure of a single population located near Cedar Point Biological Station in Ogallala, Nebraska. Each summer from 2005-2016 turtles were caught using floating basking traps and hoop nets. Results show …

Homestead National Monument Of America, Bat Acoustic Monitoring, September 2016, Daniel S. Licht

United States National Park Service: Publications

Abstract

Homestead National Monument of America is a 211-acre park located in an agrarian landscape in southeastern Nebraska. From September 16 to October 1, 2016, park staff deployed acoustic monitors at three sites in the park for purposes of monitoring night-time bat activity. The three sites averaged 179, 48, and 33 bat detections per night. Night-time bat activity was generally highest in the 1-2 hours following sunset.

Based on the acoustic surveys the big brown (Eptesicus fuscus), eastern red (Lasiurus borealis), northern long-eared (Myotis septentrionalis) and evening bats (Nycticeius humeralis) were present at the …

Legal And Ethical Issues Around Incorporating Traditional Knowledge In Polar Data Infrastructures, Teresa Scassa, Fraser Taylor

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

Human knowledge of the polar region is a unique blend of Western scientific knowledge and local and indigenous knowledge. It is increasingly recognized that to exclude Traditional Knowledge from repositories of polar data would both limit the value of such repositories and perpetuate colonial legacies of exclusion and exploitation. However, the inclusion of Traditional Knowledge within repositories that are conceived and designed for Western scientific knowledge raises its own unique challenges. There is increasing acceptance of the need to make these two knowledge systems interoperable but in addition to the technical challenge there are legal and ethical issues involved. These …

Reframing Communication About Zika And Mosquitoes To Increase Disease Prevention Behavior, Amanda E. Sorensen, Rebecca C. Jordan, Shannon Ladeau

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Emergence of invasive vector species and the diseases they carry present a clear danger to the public as well as a challenge for scientists and experts to control effectively. Given the urgent need to address this phenomenon, we suggest that desired public action toward these invasive vectors can be motivated through intentional framing in science communication. In this paper, we sought to evaluate the effect of framing about ZIKV (Zika virus) on reported willingness to comply with mosquito prevention action. Post framing intervention, we found a significant increase (N = 26, p < 0.001) in individuals willing to take preventative action against mosquitoes. By methodically investigating best communication practices, this study and others can help practitioners mobilize communities to address large-scale ecological problems. Additionally, the principles outlined here may be transferrable to other communication efforts about ecological issues outside of ZIKV and mosquitoes.

Using Decision Analysis To Support Proactive Management Of Emerging Infectious Wildlife Diseases, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Erin Muths, Rachel A. Katz, Stefano Canessa, Michael J. Adams, Jennifer R. Ballard, Lee Berger, Cheryl J. Briggs, Jeremy Th Coleman, Matthew J. Gray, M Camille Harris, Reid N. Harris, Blake Hossack, Kathryn P. Huyvaert, Jonathan Kolby, Karen R. Lips, Robert E. Lovich, Hamish I. Mccallum, Joseph R. Mendelson Iii, Priya Nanjappa, Deanna H. Olson, Jenny G. Powers, Katherine Ld Richgels, Robin E. Russell, Benedikt R. Schmidt, Annemarieke Spitzen-Van Der Sluijs, Mary Kay Watry, Douglas C. Woodhams, C Leann White

United States Navy: Publications

Despite calls for improved responses to emerging infectious diseases in wildlife, management is seldom considered until a disease has been detected in affected populations. Reactive approaches may limit the potential for control and increase total response costs. An alternative, proactive management framework can identify immediate actions that reduce future impacts even before a disease is detected, and plan subsequent actions that are conditional on disease emergence. We identify four main obstacles to developing proactive management strategies for the newly discovered salamander pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal). Given that uncertainty is a hallmark of wildlife disease management and that associated decisions are …

Disability Studies And The Environmental Humanities, Sarah Jaquette Ray, Jay Sibara

University of Nebraska Press: Sample Books and Chapters

Although scholars in the environmental humanities have been exploring the dichotomy between “wild” and “built” environments for several years, few have focused on the field of disability studies, a discipline that enlists the contingency between environments and bodies as a foundation of its scholarship. On the other hand, scholars in disability studies have demonstrated the ways in which the built environment privileges some bodies and minds over others, yet they have rarely examined the ways in which toxic environments engender chronic illness and disability or how environmental illnesses disrupt dominant paradigms for scrutinizing “disability.”

Designed as a reader for undergraduate …

Regulation-Structured Dynamic Metabolic Model Provides A Potential Mechanism For Delayed Enzyme Response In Denitrification Process, Hyun-Seob Song, Dennis G. Thomas, James C. Stegen, Minjing Li, Chongxuan Liu, Xuehang Song, Xingyuan Chen, Jim K. Fredrickson, John M. Zachara, Timothy D. Scheibe

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

In a recent study of denitrification dynamics in hyporheic zone sediments, we observed a significant time lag (up to several days) in enzymatic response to the changes in substrate concentration. To explore an underlying mechanism and understand the interactive dynamics between enzymes and nutrients, we developed a trait-based model that associates a community’s traits with functional enzymes, instead of typically used species guilds (or functional guilds). This enzyme-based formulation allows to collectively describe biogeochemical functions of microbial communities without directly parameterizing the dynamics of species guilds, therefore being scalable to complex communities. As a key component of modeling, we accounted …

Performance Of Twelve Mass Transfer Based Reference Evapotranspiration Models Under Humid Climate, Koffi Djaman, Komlan Koudahe, Mamadou Sall, Isa Kabenge, Daran Rudnick, Suat Irkmak

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Reference evapotranspiration is very important parameter in the hydrological, agricultural and environmental studies and is accurately estimated by the FAO Penman-Monteith equation (FAO-PM) under different climatic conditions. However, due to data requirement of the FAO-PM equation, there is a need to investigate the applicability of alternative ETo equations under limited data. The objectives of this study were to evaluate twelve mass transfer based reference evapotranspiration equations and determine the impact of ETo equation on long term water management sustainability in Tanzania and Kenya. The results showed that the Albrecht, Brockamp-Wenner, Dalto, Meyer, Rohwer and Oudin ETo equations systematically overestimated the …

Examining Inequalities In Science Literacy By Religious Affiliation Among Adults, Alexis Swendener

The Nebraska Educator: A Student-Led Journal

Much attention has been given to the general public’s lack of understanding of science and the adverse effect of this lack of knowledge in our ever-advancing scientific and technological society. Religion remains an important social frame through which individuals interpret information, including scientific findings and facts and one deserving of closer examination in understanding disparities in public science knowledge. Using a random sample of adults in Nebraska, this study explored the association between religious affiliation and adult scientific literacy of human biological concepts. Results found a relationship between religious affiliation and adult scientific knowledge, even after controlling for confounding demographic …

College Of Agricultural Sciences And Natural Resources: 24th Annual Report August 1, 2016-July 31, 2017

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

Covers administration and staff, academic unit administrators, standing committees, ad hoc committees, academic unit and program news and events, student Leadership, student organizations, honors, Dean's list, degrees conferred, graduate fellowships, scholarship report, alumni, Curriculum Committee actions, substitutions and waivers, CASNR online education programs, recruitment, retention, and placement, international engagement, faculty awards and recognitions, faculty publications, grants funded, teaching faculty, faculty appointments, and enrollment charts.

Protocol For Surveying Bat Use Of Lava Tube Caves During Winter In Craters Of The Moon National Monument And Preserve, Version 1.0, Thomas J. Rodhouse, Kathleen Slocum, Todd Stefanic, Shawn Thomas, Meghan Lonneker, Gordon Dicus

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

The mission of the National Park Service (NPS) is “to conserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment of this and future generations” (NPS 1999). To uphold this goal, the Director of the NPS approved the Natural Resource Challenge to encourage national parks to focus on the preservation of the nation’s natural heritage through science, natural resource inventories, and expanded resource monitoring (NPS 1999). Through the Challenge, 270 parks in the national park system were organized into 32 inventory and monitoring (I&M) networks.

The Upper Columbia Basin Network Inventory …

Protocol For Surveying Bat Use Of Lava Tube Caves During Winter In Craters Of The Moon National Monument And Preserve, Standard Operating Procedures, Thomas J. Rodhouse, Kathleen Slocum, Todd Stefanic, Shawn Thomas, Meghan Lonneker

United States National Park Service: Publications

Background

The Upper Columbia Basin Network I&M (Inventory and Monitoring) program and Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve are collaborating to monitor winter bat use in Arco Tunnel, which is a safely accessed cave in the northern portion of the monument that consistently has been found with the largest number of bats (~30/year) among the set of caves recently inventoried. The standard operating procedures documented here and the methods described in the associated protocol narrative will also be used to periodically inventory other caves within the monument and surrounding preserve as park resources and safety (winter environmental and …

Reframing Communication About Zika And Mosquitoes To Increase Disease Prevention Behavior, Amanda E. Sorensen, Rebecca C. Jordan, Shannon Ladeau

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Emergence of invasive vector species and the diseases they carry present a clear danger to the public as well as a challenge for scientists and experts to control effectively. Given the urgent need to address this phenomenon, we suggest that desired public action toward these invasive vectors can be motivated through intentional framing in science communication. In this paper, we sought to evaluate the effect of framing about ZIKV (Zika virus) on reported willingness to comply with mosquito prevention action. Post framing intervention, we found a significant increase (N = 26, p < 0.001) in individuals willing to take preventative action against mosquitoes. By methodically investigating best communication practices, this study and others can help practitioners mobilize communities to address large-scale ecological problems. Additionally, the principles outlined here may be transferrable to other communication efforts about ecological issues outside of ZIKV and mosquitoes.

Evaluation Of Valiantzas’ Simplified Forms Of The Fao-56 Penman-Monteith Reference Evapotranspiration Model In A Humid Climate, Koffi Djaman, Daran Rudnick, Valere C. Mel, Denis Mutiibwa, Lamine Diop, Mamadou Sall, Isa Kabenge, Ansoumana Bodian, Hossein Tabari, Suat Irmak

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The unavailability of some meteorological variables, especially solar radiation and wind speed, is the main constraint for reference evapotranspiration (ETo) estimation using the standard United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Penman–Monteith (FAO-PM) equation in most developing countries. The application of ETo methods with fewer input requirements is necessary under limited climatic data conditions. The FAO-PM method under limited data conditions and nine of Valiantzas’ equations were evaluated for daily ETo estimation in a humid climate in Uganda. The FAO-PM method with missing relative humidity data performed very well across Uganda, whereas using the long-term local wind speed average values …

Improving Water Resilience With More Perennially Based Agriculture, Andrea D. Basche, Oliver F. Edelson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Land conversion from natural to managed ecosystems, while necessary for food production, continues to occur at high rates with significant water impacts. Further, increased rainfall variability exposes agricultural systems to impacts from flood and drought events. In many regions, water limitations are overcome through technological approaches such as irrigation and tile drainage, which may not be sustainable in the long term. A more sustainable approach to combat episodes of floods and droughts is to increase soil water storage and the overall green water efficiency of agroecosystems. Agricultural practices that promote “continuous living cover,” such as perennial grasses, agroforestry and cover …

Expression Of The Maize Dof1 Transcription Factor In Wheat And Sorghum, Pamela A. Pena, Truyen Quach, Shirley Sato, Zhengxiang Ge, Natalya Nersesian, Taity Changa, Ismail M. Dweikat, Madhavan Soundararajan, Tom E. Clemente

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Nitrogen is essential for plant growth and development. Improving the ability of plants to acquire and assimilate nitrogen more efficiently is a key agronomic parameter that will augment sustainability in agriculture. A transcription factor approach was pursued to address improvement of nitrogen use efficiency in two major commodity crops. To this end, the Zea mays Dof1 (ZmDof1) transcription factor was expressed in both wheat (Triticum aestivum) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) either constitutively, UBI4 promoter from sugarcane, or in a tissue specific fashion via the maize rbcS1 promoter. The primary transcription activation target of ZmDof1 …