Digital Commons Network^™

Toxoplasma Gondii In Circumpolar People And Wildlife, Stacey A. Elmore, Emily J. Jenkins, Kathryn P. Huyvaert, Lydden Polley, J. Jeffrey Root, Chester G. Moore

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Despite extensive worldwide surveillance in populations of both people and wildlife, relatively little is known about Toxoplasma gondii ecology in the circumpolar north. Many northern animals and people demonstrate exposure to T. gondii, but the apparent low densities of domestic or wild felids suggest that additional transmission mechanisms are responsible for T. gondii persistence in high latitudes, whether remote source (from another region), vertical, or dietary. People in these northern communities who practice subsistence hunting might have an increased infection risk due to traditional food preparation techniques and frequent handling of wild game. Recent advances in T. gondii genotyping, …

Wildlife Services—A Leader In Developing Tools And Techniques For Managing Carnivores, Kathleen A. Fagerstone, Gail Keirn

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Did you ever wonder who invented the breakaway snare or the Livestock Protection Collar? These and many other wildlife management tools and techniques are the result of the ingenuity and creativity of U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services (WS) program scientists, technicians, and field specialists, with the help of collaborators at universities, other federal and state agencies, and private partners. This manuscript will highlight some of the tools and methods that were developed, tested, or registered by WS National Wildlife Research Center scientists for use in predator damage management.

Designing A Monitoring Plan, Eric M. Gese, Hilary S. Cooley, Frederick F. Knowlton

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Monitoring is the collection and analysis of repeated observations or measurements ro determine whether a management action is having the desired effect of meeting management objectives and demonstrating success or failure of a management strategy (Elzinga et al 2001). Monitoring is composed of a series of surveys (sensu Chapter 2) framed in a design aimed at answering specific management questions. There are many reasons to establish monitoring plans, such as when a carnivore species is of a high social or economic value, is rare and decreasing in numbers, is in eminent danger of extinction, or is part of a …

Influence Of The Urban Matrix On Space Use Of Coyotes In The Chicago Metropolitan Area, Eric M. Gese, Paul S. Morey, Stanley D. Gehrt

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Expansion of the coyote’s (Canis latrans) distribution in North America has included most urban areas. Concerns for human safety have resulted in the need to understand the spatial relationship between humans and coyotes in urban landscapes. We examined the space use of coyotes with varying degrees of urban development in the Chicago metropolitan area, IL, USA, between March 2000 and December 2002. We compared home-range size, land use, and habitat use of 41 radio-collared coyotes (5 coyotes residing in developed areas, 29 in less-developed areas, and 7 in a matrix of developed and less-developed areas). The partitioning of …

Crop Management Of Switchgrass, Matt A. Sanderson, Marty R. Schmer, Vance Owens, Pat Keyser, Wolter Elbersen

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Management of switchgrass for bioenergy and forage share some commonalities, of particular interest in bioenergy crop production is: (1) rapid establishment of switchgrass to generate harvestable biomass in the seeding year, (2) highly efficient management of soil and fertilizer N to minimize external energy inputs, and (3) harvest management to maximize yields of lignocellulose. Bioenergy cropping may entail management for multiple services in addition to biomass yield including soil C sequestration, wildlife habitat, landscape management, and water quality protection. Management is a critical factor especially as land classified as marginal or idle land will be emphasized for bioenergy production to …

Auxin Controls Arabidopsis Adventitious Root Initiation By Regulating Jasmonic Acid Homeostasis, Laurent Gutierrez, Gaëlle Mongelard, Kristýna Floková, Daniel I. Păcurar, Ondrej Novák, Paul E. Staswick, Mariusz Kowalczyk, Monica Păcurar, Gaia Geiss, Catherine Bellini

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Vegetative shoot-based propagation of plants, including mass propagation of elite genotypes, is dependent on the development of shoot-borne roots, which are also called adventitious roots. Multiple endogenous and environmental factors control the complex process of adventitious rooting. In the past few years, we have shown that the auxin response factors ARF6 and ARF8, targets of the microRNA miR167, are positive regulators of adventitious rooting, whereas ARF17, a target of miR160, is a negative regulator. We showed that these genes have overlapping expression profiles during adventitious rooting and that they regulate each other’s expression at the transcriptional …

Modulation Of Kernel Storage Proteins In Grain Sorghum (Sorghum Bicolor (L.) Moench), Tejinder Kumar, Ismail M. Dweikat, Shirley Sato, Zhengxiang Ge, Natalya Nersesian, Han Chen, Thomas Elthon, Scott Bean, Brian P. Ioerger, Mike Tilley, Thomas E. Clemente

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Sorghum prolamins, termed kafirins, are categorized into subgroups α, β, and γ. The kafirins are co-translationally translocated to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) where they are assembled into discrete protein bodies that tend to be poorly digestible with low functionality in food and feed applications. As a means to address the issues surrounding functionality and digestibility in sorghum, we employed a biotechnology approach that is designed to alter protein body structure, with the concomitant synthesis of a co-protein in the endosperm fraction of the grain. Wherein perturbation of protein body architecture may provide a route to impact digestibility by reducing disulphide …

Cover Crop Mixtures For The Western Corn Belt: Opportunities For Increased Productivity And Stability, Samuel E. Wortman, Charles A. Francis, John L. Lindquist

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Achieving agronomic and environmental benefits associated with cover crops oft en depends on reliable establishment of a highly productive cover crop community. The objective of this study was to determine if cover crop mixtures can increase productivity and stability compared to single species cover crops, and to identify those components most active in contributing to or detracting from mixture productivity. A rainfed field experiment was conducted near Mead, Nebraska, United States, in 2010 and 2011. Eight individual cover crop species (in either the Brassicaceae [mustard] or Fabaceae [legume] family) and four mixtures of these species (two, four, six, and eight …

Local Conditions, Not Regional Gradients, Drive Demographic Variation Of Giant Ragweed (Ambrosia Trifida) And Common Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus) Across Northern U.S. Maize Belt, Samuel E. Wortman, Adam Davis, Brian J. Schutte, John L. Lindquist, John Cardina, Joel Felix, Christy L. Sprague, J. Anita Dille, Analiza H. M. Ramirez, Graig Reicks, Sharon A. Clay

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Knowledge of environmental factors influencing demography of weed species will improve understanding of current and future weed invasions. The objective of this study was to quantify regional-scale variation in vital rates of giant ragweed and common sunflower . To accomplish this objective, a common field experiment was conducted across seven sites between 2006 and 2008 throughout the north central U.S. maize belt. Demographic parameters of both weed species were measured in intra- and interspecific competitive environments, and environmental data were collected within site-years. Site was the strongest predictor of below ground vital rates (summer and winter seed survival and seedling …

An Investigation Of Reflective Mulches For Use Over Capillary Mat Systems For Winter-Time Greenhouse Strawberry Production, George E. Meyer, Ellen T. Paparozzi, Elizabeth Walter-Shea, Erin E. Blankenship, Stacy A. Adams

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Photosynthethically active radiation (PAR) is a principle environmental variable used by horticultural specialists, agronomists and ecosystem modelers to characterize the quantity and quality of light conducive to plant growth and development. Spatial distribution of PAR in a greenhouse can be quite variable and diffuse throughout the day time photoperiod, especially at low sun angles in northern regions of the United States. Four colors of reflective plastic mulches (white, red, olive, and black) were evaluated for winter-time strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) production based on their reflectance and transmittance properties in a double-polyethylene, plastic-glazed Quonset greenhouse inNebraska. The spectral properties …

Inheritance Of Grain Polyphenol Oxidase (Ppo) Activity In Multiple Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) Genetic Backgrounds, Somrudee Nilthong, Robert A. Graybosch, P. Stephen Baenziger

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Grain polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity can cause discoloration of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) food products. Five crosses (PI 117635/Antelope; Fielder/ NW03681; Fielder/Antelope; NW07OR1070/Antelope; NW07OR1066/OR2050272H) were selected to study the genetic inheritance of PPO activity. STS markers, PPO18, PPO29 and STS01, were used to identify lines with putative alleles at the Ppo-A1 and Ppo-D1 loci conditioning low or high PPO activity. ANOVA showed significant genotypic effects on PPO activity (P\0.0001) in all populations. The generations and generation 9 genotype effects were not significant in any population. A putative third (null) genotype at Ppo-A1 (no PCR fragments for PPO18) was discovered …

Identification And Characterization Of Four Missense Mutations In Brown Midrib 12 (Bmr12), The Caffeic O-Methyltranferase (Comt) Of Sorghum, Scott E. Sattler, Nathan A. Palmer, Ana Saballos, Ann M. Greene, Zhanguo Xin, Gautam Sarath, Wilfred Vermerris, Jeffrey F. Pedersen

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Modifying lignin content and composition are targets to improve bioenergy crops for cellulosic conversion to biofuels. In sorghum and other C4 grasses, the brown midrib mutants have been shown to reduce lignin content and alter its composition. Bmr12 encodes the sorghum caffeic O-methyltransferase, which catalyzes the penultimate step in monolignol biosynthesis. From an EMS-mutagenized TILLING population, four bmr12 mutants were isolated. DNA sequencing identified the four missense mutations in the Bmr12 coding region, which changed evolutionarily conserved amino acids Ala71Val, Pro150Leu, Gly225Asp, and Gly325Ser. The previously characterized bmr12 mutants all contain premature stop codons. These newly identified mutants, along …

Integrin-Mediated Mechanotransduction Pathway Of Low-Intensity Continuous Ultrasound In Human Chondrocytes, Nicholas P. Whitney, Allyson C. Lamb, Tobias M. Louw, Anuradha Subramanian

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

Chondrocytes are mechanosensitive cells that require mechanical stimulation for proper growth and function in in vitro culture systems. Ultrasound (US) has emerged as a technique to deliver mechanical stress; however, the intracellular signaling components of the mechanotransduction pathways that transmit the extracellular mechanical stimulus to gene regulatory mechanisms are not fully defined. We evaluated a possible integrin/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) mechanotransduction pathway using Western blotting with antibodies targeting specific phosphorylation sites on intracellular signaling proteins. US stimulation of chondrocytes induced phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), Src, p130 Crk-associated substrate (p130Cas), CrkII, and extracellular-regulated kinase (Erk). Furthermore, pre-incubation with inhibitors …

Reconstruction And Comparison Of The Metabolic Potential Of Cyanobacteria Cyanothece Sp. Atcc 51142 And Synechocystis Sp. Pcc 6803, Rajib Saha, Alex T. Verseput, Bertram M. Berla, Thomas J. Mueller, Himadri B. Pakrasi, Costas D. Maranas

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

Cyanobacteria are an important group of photoautotrophic organisms that can synthesize valuable bio-products by harnessing solar energy. They are endowed with high photosynthetic efficiencies and diverse metabolic capabilities that confer the ability to convert solar energy into a variety of biofuels and their precursors. However, less well studied are the similarities and differences in metabolism of different species of cyanobacteria as they pertain to their suitability as microbial production chassis. Here we assemble, update and compare genome-scale models (iCyt773 and iSyn731) for two phylogenetically related cyanobacterial species, namely Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142 and Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. …

Forced Wave Motion With Internal And Boundary Damping, Tobias Louw, Scott Whitney, Anu Subramanian, Hendrik J. Viljoen

Papers in Biomolecular Engineering

A d’Alembert-based solution of forced wave motion with internal and boundary damping is presented with the specific intention of investigating the transient response. The dynamic boundary condition is a convenient method to model the absorption and reflection effects of an interface without considering coupled PDE’s. Problems with boundary condition of the form dw/dz+αdw/dt= 0 are not self-adjoint which greatly complicates solution by spectral analysis. However, exact solutions are found with d’Alembert’s method. Solutions are also derived for a time-harmonically forced problem with internal damping and are used to investigate the effect of ultrasound …

Agriculture And Food In Crisis: Conflict, Resistance, And Renewal [Book Review], Charles A. Francis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Edited by Fred Magdoff and Brian Tokar. 2010. Monthly Review Press, New York, New York, United States. 348 p. Paperback, cloth US$ 75.00, paper US$ 18.95, ISBN-13 978-1-58367-226-6.

That doubling of food production over the next four decades will be needed to adequately nourish our human population is not news, but the incredible steps essential to achieve that goal and their political and social implications are less well reported. In this series of 16 essays edited by Fred Magdoff and Brian Tokar, several thoughtful specialists in global food issues explore the historical, biological, economic, energy, political and social dimensions of …

Estimating Construction Costs For A Low-Cost Quonset-Style Greenhouse, David P. Lambe, Stacy A. Adams, Ellen T. Paparozzi

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Double polyethylene Quonset-style greenhouses offergrowers and farmers a more cost-effective structure than glass- or acrylic-covered structures for growing plants off-season. These greenhouses are especially applicablefor producing off-season high value crops such as fruits and vegetables for local markets. To support this production alternative, this publication contains a list of greenhouse components, the start-up costs associated with these items and an estimate of the number of person hours required to assemble and outfit a 24-foot-by-72-foot double polyethylene, air-inflated greenhouse structure. As there are many options available for building double polyethylene greenhouses, the main purpose of this publication is to identify the …

The ‘Pi 438489b’ By ‘Hamilton’ Snp-Based Genetic Linkage Map Of Soybean [Glycine Max (L.) Merr.] Identified Quantitative Trait Loci That Underlie Seedling Sds Resistance, Kassem My Abdelmajid, Laura Ramos, Leonor Leandro, Gladys Mbofung, D. L. Hyten, Stella K. Kantartzi, Robert L. Grier Iv, Victor N. Njiti, Khalid Meksem

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] are susceptible to many diseases including fungal diseases such as soybean sudden death syndrome (SDS). Several studies reported SDS resistance quantitative trait loci (QTL) on the soybean genome using different recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations and low density genetic linkage maps. High density exclusively single nucleotide polymorphisms-based (SNP-based) maps were not yet reported in soybean. The objectives of this study were (1) to construct a high density SNP-based genetic linkage map of soybean using the ‘PI438489B’ by ‘Hamilton’ (PIxH, n=50) recombinant inbred line population, and (2) to map QTL for SDS resistance using this …

Structural Variants In The Soybean Genome Localize To Clusters Of Biotic Stress-Response Genes, Leah K. Mchale, William J. Haun, Wayne W. Xu, Pudota B. Bhaskar, Justin E. Anderson, D. L. Hyten, Daniel J. Gerhardt, Jeffrey A. Jeddeloh, Robert M. Stupar

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Genome-wide structural and gene content variations are hypothesized to drive important phenotypic variation within a species. Structural and gene content variations were assessed among four soybean (Glycine max) genotypes using array hybridization and targeted resequencing. Many chromosomes exhibited relatively low rates of structural variation (SV) among genotypes. However, several regions exhibited both copy number and presence-absence variation, the most prominent found on chromosomes 3, 6, 7, 16, and 18. Interestingly, the regions most enriched for SV were specifically localized to gene-rich regions that harbor clustered multigene families. The most abundant classes of gene families associated with these regions …

Identification Of Positive Yield Qtl Alleles From Exotic Soybean Germplasm In Two Backcross Populations, K.-S. Kim, B. W. Diers, D. L. Hyten, M. A. Rouf Mian, J. G. Shannon, R. L. Nelson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Increasing seed yield is an important breeding goal of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] improvement efforts. Due to the small number of ancestors and subsequent breeding and selection, the genetic base of current soybean cultivars in North America is narrow. The objective of this study was to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) in two backcross populations developed using soybean plant introductions as donor parents. The first population included 116 BC₂F₃-derived lines developed using ‘‘Elgin’’ as the recurrent parent and PI 436684 as the donor parent (E population). The second population included 93 BC₃F …

Molecular Mapping Of Soybean Rust Resistance In Soybean Accession Pi 561356 And Snp Haplotype Analysis Of The Rpp1 Region In Diverse Germplasm, Ki-Seung Kim, Jair R. Unfried, D. L. Hyten, Reid D. Frederick, Glen L. Hartman, Randall L. Nelson, Qijian Song, Brian W. Diers

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Soybean rust (SBR), caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi Sydow, is one of the most economically important and destructive diseases of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] and the discovery of novel SBR resistance genes is needed because of virulence diversity in the pathogen. The objectives of this research were to map SBR resistance in plant introduction (PI) 561356 and to identify single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) haplotypes within the region on soybean chromosome 18 where the SBR resistance gene Rpp1 maps. One-hundred F_2:3 lines derived from a cross between PI 561356 and the susceptible experimental line LD02-4485 were genotyped with genetic …

Advances In Genome Sequencing And Genotyping Technology For Soybean Diversity Analysis, David L. Hyten

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The completion of a soybean draft whole genome sequence along with advances in sequencing and genotyping technologies are creating a revolution in soybean genomics. The draft whole genome sequence of soybean is allowing researchers to fully take advantage of this new technology and is rapidly changing how soybean germ plasm is mined. Genetic markers such as SNPs can be quickly identified by using next generation sequencing and assayed on a large number of materials using advanced technologies that can genotype tens of thousands of markers on thousands of individuals very rapidly. This ability to qUickly identify and genotype genetic diversity …

High-Resolution Mapping Of Open Chromatin In The Rice Genome, Wenli Zhang, Yufeng Wu, James C. Schnable, Zixian Zeng, Michael Freeling, Gregory E. Crawford, Jiming Jiang

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Gene expression is controlled by the complex interaction of transcription factors binding to promoters and other regulatory DNA elements. One common characteristic of the genomic regions associated with regulatory proteins is a pronounced sensitivity to DNase I digestion. We generated genome-wide high-resolution maps of DNase I hypersensitive (DH) sites from both seedling and callus tissues of rice (Oryza sativa). Approximately 25% of the DH sites from both tissues were found in putative promoters, indicating that the vast majority of the gene regulatory elements in rice are not located in promoter regions. We found 58% more DH sites in …

A 3-D Computational Fluid Dynamics Model For Forced Air Cooling Of Eggs Placed In Trays, Vikas Kumar, Ai Pheeng Wee, Sohan Birla, Jeyamkondan Subbiah, Harshanardhan Thippareddi

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Shell eggs must be cooled quickly after laying for controlling Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) growth. To fulfill a research need identified by Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), a 3-D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model was developed to predict the temperature of eggs placed on a tray (6 rows × 5 columns) under forced air cooling. The continuity, momentum, and energy equations were solved along with standard k-ε turbulence model using PHOENICS software. The model was validated by conducting experiments in a wind tunnel at various air temperatures (7–11 °C) and velocities (0.3– 0.7 m/s). Root mean square error for predicting …

The Biological Systems Engineering Program In Nebraska 1895-2011, William Splinter

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

4. Preface: How Mechanization Has Impacted Food Production THE PIONEERS WHO ESTABLISHED THIS DEPARTMENT 8 Oscar Van Pelt Stout 10 Charles Russ Richards 12 J. Brownlee Davidson 14 Leon W. Chase FORMER FACULTY AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS 18 Laurence Froyd Seaton 20 Ivan D.Wood 22 Oscar W. Sjogren 23 Chauncey W. Smith 25 Elmer E. Brackett 27 Claud Kedzie Shedd 29 Ruby M. Loper 31 Lester F. Larsen 33 Lloyd W. Hurlbut 36 Rollin Schnieder 39 Howard D. Wittmuss 41 Deon Axthelm 46 Paul. E. Fischbach 48 Stuart O. Nelson 51 Kenneth von Bargen 56 John R. Davis 58 Robert W. …

Evaluation Of The Impact Of Surface Residue Cover On Single And Dual Crop Coefficient For Estimating Soybean Actual Evapotranspiration, Lameck O. Odhiambo, Suat Irmak

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Single and dual crop coefficient methods are used in conjunction with grass reference evapotranspiration (ET_o) to estimate actual crop evapotranspiration (ET_c). However, the impact of soil surface residue cover on the accuracy of ET_c estimated with these methods is not well understood. The objective of this study is to evaluate and compare the accuracy of the FAO-56 single crop coefficient (single-K_c) and dual crop coefficient (dual-K_c) methods for estimating soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] ET_c in a partially residue covered field. The study was conducted …

Using Rapid Geomorphic Assessments To Assess Streambank Stability In Oklahoma Ozark Streams, Derek M. Heeren, Aaron R. Mittelstet, Garey A. Fox, Daniel E. Storm, Abdulsahib T. Al-Madhhachi, Taber L. Midgley, Ashley F. Stringer, Kevin B. Stunkel, Ron D. Tejral

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

High streambank erosion and failure rates on streams in the Ozark ecoregion of Oklahoma may be attributed to land use change and degradation of riparian areas. Numerous benefits may be achieved from streambank stabilization, but methods are needed to determine the most critical reaches for investing limited funds. Rapid geomorphic assessments (RGAs) have been used to aid in prioritizing stream reaches. This research (1) applied an existing RGA, the channel stability index (CSI), on several reaches along the Barren Fork Creek and Spavinaw Creek, and (2) modified the existing RGA to create an ecoregion-specific RGA called the Oklahoma Ozark streambank …

Climate Change Impacts On Streamflow, Water Quality, And Best Management Practices For The Shell And Logan Creek Watersheds In Nebraska, M. W. Van Liew, S. Feng, T. B. Pathak

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Improvements in the management of water, sediment, and nutrients under future climatic conditions are needed to ensure increased crop and livestock production to meet greater global needs and the future availability of water for competing demands and protection against adverse water quality impairments. This study determined the impacts of future climate change scenarios on streamflow, water quality, and best management practices (BMPs) for two watersheds in Nebraska, USA. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was employed to simulate streamflow, sediment, total nitrogen (N) and total phosphorus (P) from the Shell Creek Watershed near Columbus, Nebraska and the Logan Creek …

Carbon, Water, And Heat Flux Responses To Experimental Burning And Drought In A Tallgrass Prairie, Marc L. Fischer, M S. Torn, David P. Billesbach, Geoffrey Doyle, Brian Northup, Sebastien C. Biraud

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Drought and fire are common disturbances to grassland ecosystems. We report two years of eddy covariance ecosystem–atmosphere fluxes and biometric variables measured in nearby burned and unburned pastures in the US Southern Great Plains. Over the course of the experiment, annual precipitation (∼600 mm yr⁻¹) was lower than the long term mean (∼860 mm yr⁻¹). Soil moisture decreased from productive conditions in March 2005 dry, unproductive conditions during the growing season starting in March 2006. Just prior to the burn in early March 2005, burned and unburned pastures contained 520 ± 60 and 360 ± 40 …

Global Estimation Of Evapotranspiration Using A Leaf Area Index-Based Surface Energy And Water Balance Model, H. Yan, S.Q. Wang, David P. Billesbach, Walter Oechel, J.H. Zhang, Tilden Meyers, Ta. Martin, Roser Matamala, Dennis D. Baldocchi, G. Bohrer, D. Dragoni, R. Scott

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Studies of global hydrologic cycles, carbon cycles and climate change are greatly facilitated when global estimates of evapotranspiration (E) are available. We have developed an air-relative-humidity-based two-source (ARTS) E model that simulates the surface energy balance, soil water balance, and environmental constraints on E. It uses remotely sensed leaf area index (L_ai) and surface meteorological data to estimate E by: 1) introducing a simple biophysical model for canopy conductance (G_c), defined as a constant maximum stomatal conductance g_smax of 12.2mm s⁻¹multiplied by air relative humidity (R_{h …}