Digital Commons Network^™

Sexual And Gender Minority Nurses’ Minority Stress In The Workplace: A Scoping Review, Justin Chavis, Robin Dawson Phd, Rn, Cpnp-Pc, Faan, Liam C. Hein

Faculty Publications

Background

Purpose

Methods

Structural And Mechanical Properties Facilitate Shock Wave Damping By Helmet-Like Orbital Hoods In Snapping Shrimp, Mia Kazel, Rebekah E. Cammack, Alexandra C.N. Kingston, Ahmed A. Alshareef, Tarek Shazly, Daniel Isaac Speiser

Faculty Publications

Snapping shrimp damp the shock waves they produce and use as weapons with a helmet-like structure termed the orbital hood. Here, we ask how structural and material properties contribute to shock wave damping by orbital hoods in Alpheus heterochaelis. Using tensile mechanical testing, we find orbital hoods are approximately half as stiff as carapace and have twice the capacity for viscous energy dissipation. Microstructural features probably contribute to tissue-specific mechanical properties: the endocuticles of orbital hoods have almost twice as many lamellae as those of carapaces despite being half as thick, suggesting a mechanism for enhanced material mobility underlying …

Experimental And Computational Study Of Nearly Half-Metallic V2coga, Parashu Kharel, Caden Sadler, Ty Porter, Cole Brown, Mohd Anas, Paul M. Shand, Pavel V. Lukashev

Faculty Publications

Here, we present the results of a combined computational and experimental study of electronic, magnetic, and structural properties of V2CoGa, a Heusler alloy that exhibits high spin polarization values in an ordered crystal structure. Our calculations indicate that this compound crystallizes in an inverted cubic structure. The magnetic alignment is ferrimagnetic, due to the anti-aligned magnetic moments of two vanadium sub-lattices. The calculated magnetization value for the ordered structure is 1.97 μ B/f.u. at the equilibrium lattice constant of 5.898 Å. Our calculations indicate that V2CoGa in its ordered crystal structure retains high spin polarization values of around 90% under …

Striation Characteristics In Atmospheric Pressure Ac-Driven Glow Discharge Operating In Monoatomic Gas, Ayuob K. Alwahaibi, Sang Hee Won, Tanvir Farouk

Faculty Publications

Striation in an atmospheric pressure AC-driven helium glow discharge operating at 25 kHz is experimentally characterized. Striation behavior is characterized by the visualization of discharges and voltage–current measurements over a range of plasma power. Voltage–current characteris tics reveal that striations form in the “normal” glow regime of operation, with a higher number of strata at low current, diminishing as dis charge current increases. The relative differences and similarities in the striation patterns during the positive and negative cycles are identified. High-speed imaging shows the striations to be traveling in time—“moving striations.” The spatial luminosity of the striations is tracked over …

Equal Chances Or Fewer Victims? Moral Judgments In Autonomous Vehicle Dilemmas, Alexander Matros, Eren Bilen, Leonid Matros

Faculty Publications

We examine the moral dilemma of how autonomous vehicles (AVs) should be programmed to act in unavoidable crash scenarios involving trade-offs between saving one life and saving many. We report results from three experimental studies that investigate individuals’ preferences over alternative AV decision rules in stylized crash scenarios. Across designs, we find robust support for a probabilistic decision rule that assigns passengers and pedestrians equal ex ante chances of survival (a 50:50 rule). This preference persists across different framings and remains salient even when additional probabilistic options are introduced.

The Structure, Pathogenesis, And Inhibition Of The P53-Mdm2 Pathway, Amanda L. Brown, Xiaoying Lian, Qian Wang

Faculty Publications

The p53 tumor suppressor protein plays a central role in maintaining genomic stability by regulating cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and DNA repair under cellular stress. Mouse double minute 2 (MDM2), an E3 ubiquitin ligase, negatively regulates p53 via direct binding and proteasomal degradation. Overexpression or amplification of MDM2 can disrupt this pathway and promote tumorigenesis, even in cancers with wild-type p53. This review outlines the structural features of MDM2, particularly its N-terminal hydrophobic pocket and C-terminal RING domain, and their roles in p53 regulation. We further examine the pathological effects of MDM2 dysregulation and SNPs linked to increased cancer risk. …

Individual Characteristics And National Income Modify The Association Between Cognitive Social Capital And Food Insecurity: Evidence From The Gallup World Poll, 2014–2021, Sejla Isanovic, Kegan O'Connor, Audrey L. Richards, Edward A. Frongillo Jr. Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Background: Food insecurity affects >2.4 billion people globally and persists across income levels. Characteristics such as low income, low education, and unstable employment do not fully explain this persistence. Social resources embedded in networks, specifically cognitive social capital involving trust, reciprocity, and support, may offset constraints and buffer characteristics associated with a higher probability of food insecurity.

Objectives: This study examined whether social capital was associated with a lower probability of food insecurity and whether this as sociation varied by individual characteristics and country contexts, consistent with buffering and compensation.

Methods: Data were drawn from the Gallup World Poll (2014–2021), …

Understanding The 2016–2018 Freshening Dynamics Of The Beaufort Gyre Through Observations And Model Reanalysis, Christina Gregory, Ganesh Gopalakrishnan, Bulusu Subrahmanyam

Faculty Publications

The Beaufort Gyre (BG) in the Arctic Ocean has experienced rapid changes in losing extensive amounts of sea-ice and undergoing freshening over the past few decades. In this study, we highlight important recent changes in BG’s surface circulation, and its impact on freshwater (FW) fluxes and freshwater content (FWC) and draw attention to the critical importance of continuous monitoring of BG dynamics. Using satellite observations of the upper ocean state and ocean and atmospheric reanalysis, here we attempt to understand the anomalous behavior of BG dynamics over the past few decades. In recent years, atmospheric forcings increasingly influenced important judications …

Theoretical And Experimental Investigation Of Magnetic Order In Mn2ptin, Parashu Kharel, Caden Sadler, Salar A. Ghumman, Mason Pulse, Alec Venner, Mohd Anas, Paul M. Shand, Pavel V. Lukashev

Faculty Publications

Here, we present the results of a combined computational and experimental study of magnetic and structural properties of a Heusler compound Mn2PtIn. In particular, we analyze the effect of biaxial strain on tetragonal distortion and magnetic properties of this alloy. It is shown that the ground state of this material corresponds to tetragonal symmetry, with possible non-collinear magnetic alignment. At the same time, our calculations indicate that this system may also exhibit ferrimagnetic alignment of magnetic moments. Analysis of exchange couplings indicates that ferrimagnetic alignment is more likely to be realized in practice. The interplay between these two magnetic phases …

Obesogenic Behaviors During Structured Periods Among Children And Adolescents With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Keagan P. Kiely, Keith Brazendale, Mckenna Hill, Sarah Burkart, Michael Beets Med, Mph, Phd, Elizabeth L. Adams Phd, Bridget Armstrong, Christine St. Laurent, Abigail L. Hogan Ph.D., James W. White Iii, Olivia Finnegan, Joshua Culverhouse, Anthony Holmes, Robert Glenn Weaver Med, Phd

Faculty Publications

Background:

Children and adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are at greater risk for obesity and poor obesogenic behaviors (e.g., physical activity, screen time, diet, sleep) than their typically developing counterparts. The Structured Days Hypothesis (SDH) suggests that in typically developing children and adolescents, obesogenic behaviors worsen during periods of reduced structure (e.g., weekend or summer vacation). However, children and adolescents with IDD have unique factors that may alter how structure (i.e., pre-planned, segmented, adult supervised, out-of-home programs) influences obesogenic behaviors. Therefore, the objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to examine obesogenic behaviors during periods of more …

Ecologic Factors Contributing To West Nile Virus Hyperendemicity In Central South Carolina: An Integrated Vector–Human–Environmental Study, Elba S. Fridriksson, Ahayla Muraleedharan, Kyndall C. Dye-Braumuller, Madeleine M. Meyer, Kia Zellars, Hiuxuan Li, Melissa S. Nolan Ph.D., Mph

Faculty Publications

West Nile virus (WNV) is an endemic arboviral infection in the United States that has undergone phyloge-netic evolution since its introduction 25 years ago. An integrated vector–human–pathogen study was conducted in the summer of 2023 to unearth contemporary Culex quinquefasciatus habitat patterns and human transmission spillover foci in South Carolina, a state with historically little WNV data. A serosurvey revealed WNV seroprevalence 10 times the national average (22% versus 2%, respectively), with unusual epidemiologic risk factors. Female Culex quinquefas-ciatus WNV positivity was low (2.7%), with viral phylogenetics 100% homologous to the WN02 clade. Mosquito vectors clustered in affluent urban neighborhoods …

Theoretical And Conceptual Approaches To Journalism Education, August E. Grant, Jeffrey S. Wilkinson, G. Nathan Carnes

Faculty Publications

Many journalism programs embrace the teaching hospital model because of its practical approach, employing working journalists as journalism educators. However, critics contend a more conceptual model of journalism education is needed. This essay explores the literature on journalism education models and seeks to integrate the teaching hospital and entrepreneurial journalism approaches with the revised Bloom's Taxonomy and Fink's Taxonomy of Significant Learning. Combined, these models provide a solid theoretical foundation for practical, applied journalism education. This essay applies these four models to journalism education, yielding a matrix of dimensions that can guide the creation or modification of curricula as well …

Understanding The Epidemiology Of Malaria In Zanzibar Through Molecular And Serological Analysis Of Samples Collected During Reactive Case Detection, Vanrun Goel, Wahida Hassan, Caroline Murphy, Barbara B. Choloi, Mohamed Ali, Shija J. Shija, Jeffrey A. Bailey, Anders Björkman, Billey E. Ngasala, Eric Rogier, Jonathan J. Juliano, Jessica T. Lin

Faculty Publications

Background

The Zanzibar archipelago has been a pre-elimination region for malaria thanks to rigorous control interventions, but recent surges in malaria cases have been observed. The contribution of non-falciparum species to the current malaria situation is unknown.

Method

This study investigates the epidemiology of falciparum and non-falciparum malaria species in Zanzibar. Leveraging plasma extracted from dried blood spots (DBS) collected during reactive case detection (RCD) activities across Unguja island from May 2022 to January 2023, we measured immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses to Plasmodium MSP1-19kD antigens using a multiplex bead-based immunoassay. Additionally, active infections were detected using species-specific real-time PCR.

Results …

Cost-Effectiveness Of Pregabalin, Duloxetine, And Milnacipran Vs Amitriptyline For Moderate To Severe Fibromyalgia, Sarah S. Downen, Hussein M. Farag, Abby Davis, Chijioke M. Okeke, Kenechukwu C. Ben-Umeh, Ismaeel Yunusa Ph.D., Tewodros Eguale

Faculty Publications

Importance

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain condition associated with substantial quality-of-life impairments and economic burden. Although multiple pharmacologic options are recommended in clinical guidelines, the relative cost-effectiveness of off-label amitriptyline compared with FDA-approved treatments remains poorly defined due to a scarcity of direct economic comparisons and the use of heterogenous outcome measures in the extant literature.

Objective

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of pregabalin, duloxetine, and milnacipran compared with amitriptyline in adults with moderate to severe FM.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Decision analytical model using a Markov cohort state transition model to estimate lifetime costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) for …

Construction Project Performance Research: A Bibliometric, Scientometric, And Qualitative Review (1989–2023), Abdelnaser Abdelhameed, Mohamed S. Yamany, Ahmed Abdelaty, Emad Elbeltagi

Faculty Publications

Despite the significant increase in publications on construction project performance (CPP), there is a deficiency of research that rigorously assesses and synthesizes previous studies to delineate the field’s development, themes, and research gaps. This article employs quantitative and qualitative methodologies to critically evaluate studies on CPP published over the last three decades and indexed in the Scopus database. The quantitative approach includes bibliometric searches and scientometric analyses to assess the extent of research interest and achievements. The qualitative methodology aims to conduct thorough content analysis to classify existing material based on prevalent themes. The results demonstrate an exponential growth of …

Boronate Esters For The Binding And Detection Of Low Molecular Weight Volatile Amines, Xiaoning Li, James Boyt, Steven Sloope, Luke T. Lackovic, Mark D. Smith, James J. Lavingne

Faculty Publications

Conjugated thiophene-based diboronate esters, 1–4, were synthesized to investigate how substituents on catechol alter the Lewis acidity and accessibility to boron, and influence binding interactions with low molecular weight Lewis basic amines. Crystallographic analysis indicated that both boron centres bind analyte and that Lewis base coordination induces deplanarization of the conjugated system. Spectroscopic studies demonstrate that amine binding disrupts conjugation, producing distinct and reproducible optical responses that depend on analyte basicity and structure, with association constants in organic solvent ranging from 10³ to 10⁶ M⁻¹. Quantitative binding analyses indicate strong negative cooperativity between the two boron …

Nanomedicine Meets Immunotherapy: Transforming Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Treatment For Solid Tumors, Stephen O'Rourke, Nuo Xu, Hongjun Wang, Hexin Chen

Faculty Publications

The emergence of effective immunotherapies has drastically revolutionized clinical management of many cancer types. Among them, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy (CTT), as a groundbreaking approach, has been considered as a “living drug,” displaying unprecedented clinical outcomes with hematological malignancies, including B cell leukemia and lymphomas, and multiple myeloma. Despite the high remission rates and improved survival achieved with hematological cancers, the effectiveness of CTT in solid tumors remains largely unsatisfactory. The efficacy of CTT in solid tumors is significantly challenged by multiple factors, including tumor-antigen heterogeneity, limited T cell trafficking and infiltration, a highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and …

A Bayesian Network-Based Framework To Uncover Social Inequities In Flood Risk: An Application To East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, Fuad Hasan, Sabarethinam Kameshwar, Md Adilur Rahim, Robert V. Rohli, Carol Friedland

Faculty Publications

Regional flood risk assessment requires understanding the complex interplay of sociodemographic, socioeconomic, hydrogeologic, built environment, and climatic variables that impact flood vulnerability. Traditional studies often focus on large-scale units, overlooking localized variations and disproportionate exposure within populations. To address these gaps, a methodological framework of flood risk assessment using Bayesian networks was proposed and applied to East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, for the August 2016 flood event to identify relationships between flood risk variables at the housing unit level. Flood exposure representativeness (FER) was determined using the Bayesian network’s inference capabilities to identify over-represented or under-represented groups. This study considered …

Biomechanical Trade-Offs Between Root Tensile Strength And Porosity In Coastal Marshes, M. O. Hassan, N. H. Jafari, A. S. Rovai, R. R. Twilley

Faculty Publications

Root biomechanics play a fundamental role in stabilizing wetland soils and sustaining coastal ecosystems under increasing environmental stress. This study investigates the tensile strength (TS) and internal porosity (n) of roots from two dominant marsh grasses, Spartina alterniflora and Spartina patens, across four sites in the Mississippi River Delta Plain (MRDP), spanning active (Atchafalaya) and inactive (Terrebonne) basins. Through approximately 300 tensile strength tests conducted on live roots across diameter classes and depths, we observed a consistent decline in strength with increasing root diameter and depth. Fine roots (< 2 mm), particularly those in the upper 15 cm, showed the highest tensile resistance, reinforcing their critical role in erosion control. To assess morphological drivers, we employed high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with a machine learning (ML) segmentation pipeline to quantify porosity and visualize aerenchyma. Coarse roots exhibited significantly higher porosity due to large central lumens and expanded aerenchyma, while fine roots maintained denser tissue structures. An exponential decay relationship emerged between porosity and tensile strength, indicating a trade-off: increased void space enhances oxygen diffusion in waterlogged soils but compromises mechanical integrity. This inverse relationship was most pronounced in saline environments, suggesting that stress amplifies structural compromises in root traits. This integrative approach, combining precision mechanical testing, advanced imaging, and ML-based analysis, provides a scalable and reproducible framework for characterizing root biomechanics. Findings advance understanding of plant contributions to belowground stability in coastal wetlands and offer practical insights for restoration strategies to enhance shoreline resilience.

The Promise Of Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Stress-Reduction Strategy For Testicular Cancer Survivors' Health-Related Quality Of Life, Michael J. Rovito, Colin F. Mahony, Kamalie Thomas, Keith Brazendale, Ciaran Fairman Ph.D., Cscs, Cet

Faculty Publications

Background: Testicular cancer (TC) disproportionately affects younger men and carries unique psychosocial and physiological consequences that extend well beyond treatment. Despite favorable survival rates, TC survivors frequently report diminished health-related quality of life (HRQoL). These burdens are often compounded by masculinity-related identity disruptions, fear of recurrence, sexual dysfunction, and a lack of tailored psychosocial support. Existing interventions remain limited, with most programs focused on physical rehabilitation or early detection. Few address the multidimensional stressors that shape the TC survivorship experience.

Aims: This narrative review examines the literature on HRQoL among TC survivors and evaluates the potential of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) …

Association Of Body Fatness With Hypertension, Dyslipidemia, And Myocardial Infarction In A Multinational Pooled Cohort, Vivek Kumar Prasad, Chibueze Ogbonnaya, Hannah Oh, Andrew Atkin, Madison Kindred, Min-Jeong Shin, Dahyun Park, Jin Eui Kim, Mike Loosemore, Vartika Saxena, Ryan Porter, Courtney Kipps, Jason Jaggers, Xuemei Sui M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., Carl J. Lavie, Mark Hamer

Faculty Publications

Objective

Methods

Results

Influence Of Superhydrophobic Surface Microstructure On Transient Jet Impingement Cooling, D. Jacob Butterfield, Brian D. Iverson, Daniel Maynes, Julie Crockett

Faculty Publications

Water jet impingement is an effective method of rapidly cooling a surface, but heat transfer from the surface is highly dependent on the surface condition and properties. Here, the impact of a superhydrophobic (SH) surface on heat transfer to an impinging, axisymmetric, room-temperature water jet with Re=6 x 10³to 18 x 103 is explored. SH surfaces are created by etching thin silicon wafers to form different micropatterns (posts or holes). Surfaces are heated to between 200 and 320°C, and the local surface temperature is measured with a thermal camera. The time resolved heat transfer from the surface and …

Persistent Chemicals In Particulate Matter (Pm) Near A Hazardous Waste Thermal Treatment Facility, Chuqi Guo, Martine E. Mathieu-Campbell, Thomas Blanchard, Lavrent Khachatryan, Md Abdullah Al-Mamun, Qingzhao Yu, Myron Lard, Oluwafeyikemi Ogunmusi, Brenda Vallee, Wilma Subra, Iriel Edwards, David Malone, Slawo Lomnicki, Stephania A. Cormier, Jennifer Richmond-Bryant

Faculty Publications

Colfax, an overburdened community in central Louisiana, hosts the last commercially-operated open-burn/open-detonation (OB/OD) hazardous waste thermal treatment facility in the United States. Until December 2023 when their permit disallowed OB/OD, the facility processed military waste, fireworks, propellants, soils excavated from Superfund sites, and other hazardous materials. This community-engaged study measured ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5), environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), and metals using two high-volume PM2.5 samplers deployed 1.2 mi and 9.0 mi from the facility from April, 2022 through February, 2023. Elevated PM2.5 concentrations were recorded at both sites during spring and summer 2022. …

Dynamical Analysis Of A Stochastic $Sei_{U}I_{R}Rs$ Epidemic Model With Vaccination And Log-Normal Ornstein-Uhlenbeck Process, Qun Liu

Faculty Publications

In this study, we develop and investigate a stochastic $SEI_{u}I_{r}RS$ (Susceptible-Exposed-Undetected infected-Detected infected-Recovered-Susceptible) epidemic model with vaccination of newborns and the disease transmission rate driven by a log-normal Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process. By establishing a series of Lyapunov functions, we derive sufficient conditions for persistence in the mean of the disease in the long term under the condition $\mathcal{R}_{0}>1$ and these criteria are applied to guarantee the existence of an invariant probability measure of the stochastic system. Subsequently, we also derive sufficient conditions for eradication of the disease when the parameters $\mathcal{R}_{0}< 1$ and $\mathcal{R}_{0}^{E}< 1$. Finally, two numerical examples are given to confirm the theoretical results. This work can help us implement interventions to regulate the disease dynamics.

Impact Of Iron-Bearing Fillers On The Mechanical Strength And Chemical Stability Of Magnesium Potassium Phosphate Matrices Incorporating Rhenium, Sergey Sayenko, Volodymyr Shkuropatenko, Hans Conrad Zur Loye, Petr Vecernik, Monika Kiselova, Vlastislav Kašpar, Vlastimil Miller, Petr Bezdicka, Jan Šubrt, Petra Ecorchard, Natalija Murafa, Iva Milisavljevic, Scott T. Misture

Faculty Publications

We report on the study of the immobilization process of non-radioactive rhenium (Re), a chemical analogue of technetium-99 (⁹⁹Tc), in compounds based on magnesium potassium phosphate (MKP), as well as the possibility of enhancing their properties with iron-bearing additives/fillers. Powdered Re2O7 was used as the initial Re-containing source. Because of the solubility and high leachability of Tc (VII), which is also volatile at high temperatures, its immobilization for long-term storage and disposal poses a serious challenge to researchers. Taking this into account, low-temperature stabilization technology based on MKP, a cementitious material, is currently considered promising. We prepared experimental …

Future Trends In Cybersecurity: A Meta-Review, Yara Mohammed, Manar Alsaid, Gahangir Hossain

Faculty Publications

The increasing importance of cybersecurity in protecting digital assets, data and infrastructures necessitates a reevaluation of research priorities within the discipline. As of today, numerous emerging cybersecurity topics are gaining significant importance in both academic research and industry applications. To identify recent trends in cybersecurity topics, this study extracts scholarly articles from two prestigious academic databases, the ACM Digital Library, and Google Scholar, covering the period from early 2015 to late 2024.Through a systematic identification of trends and focal points in cybersecurity research, a comprehensive analysis is facilitated, including Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), Biterm Topic Modeling (BTM), keyword frequencies, and …

Rapid Flood Inundation Mapping For Dam Failure And Operations, Shivakumar Balachandran, Parvaneh Nikrou, Ayman Mokhtar Nemnem, Reza Saleh Alipour, Sagy Cohen, Xingong Li, Erfan Goharian, Jasim Imran

Faculty Publications

Dam failure often causes catastrophic flooding. Although conventional hydrodynamic models are available for generating flood inundation maps, there is a need for low-complexity models that can provide rapid inundation estimates during emergency situations. Operational releases of large volumes may also lead to downstream flooding. This study utilizes two DEM-based models, OWP HAND-FIM and FLDPLN, to produce flood inundation maps for near-real-time operational applications. Three dam-related scenarios, including failures and controlled operations, are examined using these simplified models for the Fall River Dam in Kansas. Breach flows are estimated using empirical relationships, and discharge attenuation is calculated using an analytical approach. …

The Brady Materiality Standard, Brandon L. Garrett, Adam M. Gershowitz

Faculty Publications

The Brady doctrine requires prosecutors to disclose all favorable and material evidence to the defense. To effectuate that rule, the U.S. Supreme Court has defined materiality as a “reasonable probability” that the evidence would have affected the outcome at trial. But apart from that definition, the Court has resisted offering any further guidance to lower courts. While far too little is known about how Brady materiality claims are actually adjudicated, there is strong evidence that courts often reject Brady claims involving withheld evidence on the grounds that the evidence was not significant enough to be material.

To examine how Brady …

Research Journal 2026: People And Places, José A. Rivera Ph.D

Faculty Publications

José Rivera narrates his life history from adolescence into college years, university teaching, research career, publications, and ends with post-retirement service as a giving back to community. For most of his term as an academic, his research focus was on community-based organizations that he terms “peoples’ institutions”: acequia associations and mutual help societies. For data, he conducted field work in New Mexico and the American Southwest as well as internationally, primarily in Mexico, Peru, Spain and the Philippines. While at these locations, he interviewed people, collected maps, researched archives, and took photographs as ethnographic evidence of people and places. His …

The Global Extent Of The Grassland Biome And Implications For The Terrestrial Carbon Sink, A. S. Macdougall, B. Vanzant, J. Sulik, S. Bagchi, D. Naidu, T. O. Muraina, E. W. Seabloom, E. T. Borer, P. Wilfahrt

Faculty Publications

Land cover data are commonly used to model the terrestrial carbon (C) sink, yet these data have wide margins of error that significantly alter estimates of global C storage. Here we demonstrate this data vulnerability in grasslands, which are critical to C cycling but whose estimated distribution has varied by >50 million km² (3.5–42% of the Earth’s terrestrial surface). Comparing multiple high-resolution land cover products with expertly annotated grassland data from six continents, we show sources of mapping error and discuss C implications based on 2023 United Nations (UN) FAO estimates. Past misidentification arose from inconsistent definitions on grassland …