Digital Commons Network^™

Expert Panel Process For Advanced Septic System Technologies, Fb Environmental Associates, Forrest Bell, Cayce Dalton, Bina Skordas, Luke Frankel, Magdalyn Kosalek, Evan Ma

PREP Reports & Publications

No abstract provided.

Unh's Center Of Integrated Biomedical And Bioengineering Research Receives $10m Nih Grant, Sarah Schaier

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Office Of Research, Economic Engagement And Outreach Update, September 27, 2023, Office Of Research, Economic Engagement And Outreach

Office of Research, Economic Engagement and Outreach

No abstract provided.

Seacoast Sips Of Science Brings Unh Research To The Community, Beth Potier

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Bringing Oysters Back To Nh’S Great Bay, Nicholas Gosling

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Strawberry Enterprise Budget, Rebecca Sideman, Kaitlyn Orde, William Edwards

UNH Cooperative Extension

The worksheets in this resource were designed to track expenses and determine a profit/loss value for a strawberry planting. This workbook was designed to take specific planting through its lifecycle---from the preplant period to the final bearing year. Neither the activities or material listed in the worksheets are intended to be a step-by-step guide for strawberry production; depending on the production system and farm, only a subset will be relevant to each operation.

Grad Student Helps Lead Charge For A More Inclusive Stem Environment, Rebecca Irelan

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Appendage Abnormalities In Spiders Induced By An Alternating Temperature Protocol In The Context Of Recent Advances In Molecular Spider Embryology, Teresa Napiorkowska, Julita Templin, Pawel Napiorkowski, Mark A. Townley

Faculty Publications

In the literature there are numerous reports of developmental deformities in arthropods collected in their natural habitat. Since such teratogenically affected individuals are found purely by chance, the causes of their defects are unknown. Numerous potential physical, mechanical, chemical, and biological teratogens have been considered and tested in the laboratory. Thermal shocks, frequently used in teratological research on the spider Eratigena atrica, have led to deformities on both the prosoma and the opisthosoma. In the 2020/2021 breeding season, by applying alternating temperatures (14 °C and 32 °C, changed every 12 h) for the first 10 days of embryonic development, …

Unh Hodgdon Herbarium Nears Complete Digitization Of Entire Collection, Nicholas Gosling

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Convergence: Eos News And Updates, September 2023, Unh Institute For The Study Of Earth, Oceans And Space

Convergence: EOS News and Updates

No abstract provided.

Investigation Of Common Milkweed As A Novel Food Crop For New England, Colter Allen Flynn

Master's Theses and Capstones

Neglected and underutilized crop species (NUCS) represent a reservoir of biodiversity that can be leveraged to help develop a more robust and sustainable food production system. This investigation sought to identify an edible crop species with potential as a novel food crop for the New England food system and conduct a subsequent evaluation of the chosen species based on agronomic traits of interest. A series of interviews were conducted between August and December 2020 with regional experts and specialists with experience in the subject matter. Based on interview data and a subsequent literature review, Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed) emerged as …

Finding Synergy: Improving Biopesticide Efficacy For Disease Control Through Co-Application With The Natural Product Chitosan, Liza M. Degenring

Doctoral Dissertations

Annual crop losses caused by plant diseases are estimated worldwide at 220 billion US dollars. Conventional fungicides are the primary means to control these diseases, however there are growing concerns over human health, effects on non-target species, and environmental contamination. Furthermore, many plant pathogens have developed fungicide resistance due to overexposure to chemicals with single modes of action. There is a worldwide trend to explore alternative tools to reduce the use of synthetic fungicides while continuing to reduce plant disease. Among these control strategies are the use of antagonistic microorganisms (biopesticides) and naturally occurring compounds that have fungicidal activity. Chitosan …

Effects Of Dietary Cation Anion Difference And Nicotinic Acid Supplementation On Jersey Prepartum Cows, Colostrum, And Calves And Creating A Model For The Prediction Of Colostrum Quality And Quantity In Jersey Cows From Performance In The Previous Lactation And Environmental Changes, Tess Catherine Stahl

Doctoral Dissertations

Two experiments were conducted. The objectives of the first experiment were to evaluate colostrum quantity, quality, nutrient composition, and bioactive compounds from Jersey cows fed two levels of dietary cation anion difference (DCAD; –40 or –80 mEq/kg) with or without 23 g/d unprotected nicotinic acid (NA) and its effect on cow and calf performance. The hypothesis is that both DCAD and nicotinic acid could improve colostrum quality, increase quantity and bioactive compound concentration, and improve calf intestinal development. Previous research indicated the benefits of supplementing NA in prepartum Holsteins towards improved colostrum quality, as well as enhanced feed efficiency (FE) …

The Ecology, Biology, And Biogeography Of The Invasive Red Alga Dasysiphonia Japonica (Rhodophyta: Ceramiales) In The Southern Gulf Of Maine, Brandon Scott O'Brien

Doctoral Dissertations

Many coastal ecosystems are under threat from the combined pressures of climate change and introduced species. The Gulf of Maine is one such region under siege, being one of the fastest warming bodies of water in the world and being host to a variety of introduced species. In this dissertation, I investigate the invasion potential of the invasive red alga Dasysiphonia japonica in the Gulf of Maine and beyond through a combination of field, laboratory, and modeling studies. Despite being a recent introduction, Dasysiphonia has rapidly spread along the New England coastline. In areas where it has become established, Dasysiphonia …

Physiological And Biochemical Analysis Of The Nitrogen Metabolism And Lead Treatment In Hybrid Poplar Clone Nm6 (Populus Nigra L. X P. Maximowiczii A. Henry), Medini Weerasinghe

Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACTThe first objective of my Ph.D. research was focused on understanding the reasoning for changes observed in the physiology and metabolism of the poplar plants in response to foliar application of nitrogen. Increased use of nitrogen in the soil in agriculture, in the form of nitrogen fertilizers, has helped to promote high-yield agriculture over the past decades. However, a large fraction of nitrogen applied to croplands in the form of fertilizer and manure ends up entering the freshwater system causing degradation of the water quality and eutrophication of groundwater, rivers, lakes, and coastal and marine ecosystems. Chemical fertilization is also …

Essays In Public Policy And Mental Health, Bryce Stanley

Doctoral Dissertations

In this work I examine how various public policies can influence mental health outcomes. As mental health issues can be created or exacerbated by numerous different factors, many types of public policy can have mental health implications, perhaps not always intended by policy makers. In many cases, these implications are ambiguous from a theoretical level, making empirical research in the area important. Specifically, I model how labor market policies with minimum wages and Earned Income Tax Credit, health policy with the Dependent Coverage Mandate aspect of the Affordable Care Act, and social policy with recreational cannabis laws impact mental health …

Building An Open Source Toolkit For Integrating Multiple Datasets For Seafloor Characterization And Habitat Mapping, Massimo Di Stefano

Doctoral Dissertations

Characterizing and mapping the seafloor and its features requires collecting and analyzing datasets of varied types and scales. Remotely-sensed data can increase our understanding of seafloor processes by providing insight into seabed geomorphology, substrate characteristics, etc., over large areas. Collecting direct observations or physical samples of the seafloor, also known as ground-truth data, holds the key to interpreting and validating remote sensing data. In this thesis, the case is made that by concurrently analyzing some or all of these datasets, knowledge about seafloor processes is gained more efficiently and I develop tools for seafloor habitat mapping.

In Paper I, I …

Rapid Retreat Of A Marine-Terminating Margin Of The Laurentide Ice Sheet In The Seacoast Region Of New Hampshire, Usa, Julia E. Brazo

Master's Theses and Capstones

A better understanding of the transition of marine-terminating margins of the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) to land-based termini is instructive for monitoring modern glaciers that are currently undergoing a similar transition and influencing sea-level. Expanded knowledge of regional ice retreat rates and the timing of deglaciation of the LIS also provides insight on mechanisms of ice sheet retreat and collapse. Here we reconstruct the style and timing of ice recession and attendant marine regression in coastal New Hampshire during the last deglaciation. Our approach involves geospatial analysis of glaciomarine deposits to assess regional marine limit variability combined with 10Be surface …

The Under-Appreciated Roles Of Spatial Scale, Individual Variation, And Nonlinearity In Spatial Ecology, David Heit

Master's Theses and Capstones

Spatial ecology is a central component of ecological inquiry. In an ever-changing world facing threats including climate change, human sprawl, and novel zoonotic diseases, understanding how animals use space and make habitat decisions can be invaluable to research, management, and conservation of animal species. The techniques and technology used in spatial ecology have advanced continuously over time to provide increasingly detailed data and analyses and mitigate potential statistical biases. However, there remain many potential biases that warrant further attention in the discipline of spatial ecology. This is especially true for conceptual biases, or biases inherent to the ways in which …

Impacts Of Human Development On Mammalian Wildlife In An Exurban And Rural Landscape, Mairi Poisson

Master's Theses and Capstones

Urbanization is increasing worldwide, with over half the world’s population living in urban areas. Urbanization impacts wildlife by fragmenting habitat and restricting space use, which can in turn lead to a decrease in biodiversity, ecosystem services, and species abundance. In some cases, wildlife can adapt to land-use change present in urban areas and will respond positively to urbanization. In these cases, urbanization can create new niches and enhance niche partitioning. With increased urban growth, suburban and exurban sprawl has also increased. Globally, this “exurbanization” is the most rapidly developing land use type, though research into the impacts of exurban development …

Habitat Suitability Modeling Long-Term Growth And Healthy Cover Trends Of Staghorn Coral (Acropora Cervicornis) Outplants In The Lower Florida Keys, Glenna Dyson

Master's Theses and Capstones

In the Florida Keys Acropora cervicornis has been targeted for restoration due to its importance as a reef building stony coral. Habitat suitability models have been utilized within restoration ecology to identify potential locations for outplanting. To date, habitat suitability models have used coarse spatial data of large areas throughout the Florida Keys, resulting in recommended outplant sites that restoration groups have financial and logistical limitations to access and regularly monitor, due to being far away. Additionally, outplanting success can vary widely within a limited space, necessitating improved predictive abilities of coral outplant success within a restoration site. With the …

Effects Of Perennial Forage Composition And Harvest Intensity On The Weed Seedbank Community, Lilly E. Hartman

Master's Theses and Capstones

Most arable weeds arise from a resident soil seedbank and are typically controlled with tillage and herbicides, each of which pose sustainability challenges to growers and consumers. However, agronomic management practices that reduce weed seed input to the seedbank and that accelerate mortality of seeds already in the soil could reduce the need for more conventional weed control. Previous research and farmer practice has demonstrated that rotation of annual crops with several years of perennial forage can reduce weed abundance and the need for chemical weed control. In perennial forage systems, crop species and harvest intensity may have important effects …

Associations Of Dietary Patterns With Brain Volume In The Boston Puerto Rican Health Study, Chris Guarino

Master's Theses and Capstones

Adherence to the MeD (Mediterranean Diet), MIND (Mediterranean-Dietary Approaches to Reduce Hypertension Intervention for Neurocognitive Delay), and other dietary patterns may benefit cognitive function among Hispanic/Latino adults. Greater regional and total brain volumetric measures are associated with an increased risk of dementia, but whether the MeD and MIND dietary patterns relate to brain volume among Hispanic/Latino adults remains unclear. The objective of the current study was to quantify the associations of the MeD, MIND, and empirically derived dietary patterns with brain volume among Hispanic/Latino adults. We used data from the longitudinal Boston Puerto Rican Health Study. Approximately 12.7 y from …

Multi-Level Barriers And Opportunities For Nutrition Access In New Hampshire Hispanic Communities, Brooke Kelleher

Master's Theses and Capstones

The US Hispanic population, which has doubled in size in New Hampshire (NH) over the last decade, experiences a high prevalence of cardiometabolic disease and food insecurity. Fiber intake, which can be protective against cardiometabolic disease, decreases in Hispanics after a period of living in US food environments. Multi-level approaches have been effective at addressing diet quality and cardiometabolic disease in vulnerable populations and are warranted in NH Hispanic communities. Using the Socioecological Model (SEM), this thesis examined the influences of the individual, setting, sector, and social/cultural SEM levels on access to nutritious foods in Hispanic/Latino communities in NH. Additionally, …

A 10x Visium Approach: A Spatial Rna-Seq Analysis Of Renal Tissue In Peromyscus Eremicus, Molly Kephart

Master's Theses and Capstones

Arid environments continue to increase their global coverage yearly due to climate change, and leaves harsh environmental effects in their wake. Of these effects—which include high UV radiation, extreme temperatures, and sparse food sources —lack of free water poses the greatest challenge to the ecosystem as a whole. Water resources are predicted to continue to decrease with the rise in desertification, increasing the threat of dehydration and its harmful effects on bodily function. Dehydration-related kidney injury has been linked to the onset of chronic kidney disease in humans, which has become a leading cause of mortality worldwide . Therefore, studies …

Movement Patterns, Habitat Use, And Survival Of Anadromous Rainbow Smelt In Great Bay Estuary, Nh, Chloe Pearson

Master's Theses and Capstones

Anadromous rainbow smelt in the northeastern USA have experienced range contraction over the past few decades, and are now restricted to waters in Massachusetts and northwards. In their current range, populations appear to be in decline, including in New Hampshire; in Great Bay, New Hampshire, conservation methods such as habitat restoration and stocking efforts have been suggested to improve populations, with projects underway to implement these methods. To optimize these conservation efforts, specific knowledge regarding rainbow smelt habitat use in estuaries is needed, including the specific habitats used as well as timing and duration of use. In March 2021, we …

The Estimation Of Forest Inventory Biometrics Using Uas-Lidar, Sarah Ashley Reny

Master's Theses and Capstones

Knowing how to best conserve and sustain forests is of the utmost importance given the indispensable direct and indirect ecosystems services they provide. In order to make informed management decisions for better conservation and sustainability, forest change and growth (biometrics) must be quantified. Biometrics are typically made through forest inventorying, but this field-based procedure has spatial and temporal limitations. Given the vital role forests have, it is imperative that different technologies be explored for their potential to improve forest inventorying methodologies. Remote sensing technology, specifically unmanned aerial system (UAS) light detection and ranging technology (Lidar), has presented itself as a …

Effects Of Flaxseed-Based Feed Supplement On Production Performance, Energy Utilization, Milk Fatty Acid Profile, And Enteric Methane Emissions In Jersey Cows Grazing Mixed Grass-Legume Pasture, Md Atikur Rahman

Master's Theses and Capstones

This study investigated the effect of an extruded flaxseed-based feed supplement ‘LinPRO-R (LNPR)’ on milk production and composition, milk FA profile, nutrient digestibility, ruminal metabolism, purine derivatives (PD) excretion, and enteric methane (CH4) emissions in grazing dairy cows during the summer season. Eighteen multiparous and 2 primiparous mid-lactating organic Jersey cows (128 ± 52 DIM) were used in a randomized complete block design. cows grazed mixed grass-legume pasture (Dactylis glomerata L., Trifolium repens L., Trifolium pratense L., Lolium perenne L., Phleum pratense L.) overnight (herbage allowance = 15 kg of DM/cow/day) following a strip grazing method and fed partial total-mixed …

Evaluating Growth Patterns Of Beech Bark Disease Fungal Agents Neonectria Faginata And Neonectria Ditissima Under Different In Vitro Conditions, Santiago Rivera Reyes

Master's Theses and Capstones

The co –occurring fungal species Neonectria ditissima and Neonectria faginata are major canker-forming pathogens in the beech bark disease (BBD) systems which has caused restructuring of forests throughout northeastern North America. The role of nutrients in structuring microbial community interactions has been studied in BBD forests stands but has yet to be fully understood and examined under specific in-vitro conditions. This study aimed to investigate how nitrogen, phosphorus, and temperature levels influence the growth, reproduction, and competitive hierarchies between N. ditissima and N. faginata. We performed in-vitro assays where species were first individually and then jointly grown under different concentrations …

Mechanistic Models Of Human Decision-Making And Ecological Dynamics In Small-Scale Fisheries, Sophie Wulfing

Master's Theses and Capstones

Small-scale fisheries are essential to the livelihoods of 40 million people worldwide. They are key sources of nutrients and income for these communities that rely on them. However, understanding the status of these fisheries requires in-depth data collection, often in remote areas. Further, each small-scale fishery is very individualized, and external groups attempting to impose fishing restrictions are often met with low compliance or are unsuccessful in their efforts to conserve fish stocks due to a lack of understanding of either fishing culture or the ecology of the harvested species. In this thesis, I employ various mechanistic models to small-scale …