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Isotopic Analysis Of Arctic Ground Squirrel Tissues And Potential Food Sources, Julee Shamhart

Master's Theses and Capstones

Given limited knowledge of the food sources of Arctic ground squirrels, an important arctic prey species, it is difficult to predict the implications of changes in food source availability that could result from climate change. I hypothesized that Arctic ground squirrels at two colonies, Atigun and Toolik, would have similar feeding habits and mushrooms would contribute to their diet The Arctic ground squirrels at Toolik had significantly higher del15N (3.7 per mill difference) and del13C values (1.3 per mill difference) than those at Atigun. Mixing models indicated that the signatures observed in the Atigun hair could result from a combination …

Rodent Outbreaks In North America, Gary W. Witmer, Gilbert Proulx

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Fluctuations in rodent population densities in North America are a reality. Our understanding of the factors causing such fluctuations is incomplete; therefore, it is important to monitor populations to increase our understanding of natural wildlife communities so as to avoid substantial damage to agriculture, forestry, and urban infrastructures, and to prevent rodent-borne disease transmission to humans. There is a need to establish integrated pest management programs in which monitoring, preventive cultural practices, and various control methods (mechanical, physical, biological, and chemical) are strategically coordinated to maintain rodent population densities at acceptable pest levels.

Valley Of Heart's Delight: Orchards To Hard Drives In The San Jose Mercury News, Megan Lynn Alpers

Master's Theses

This research was conducted to explore how the San Jose Mercury News (formerly San Jose Mercury Herald) covered the Santa Clara Valley's transition from an agricultural community known as "The Valley of Heart's Delight" to Silicon Valley, focusing on the changes made in the reporting of farm and ranch news.

The time period surveyed in this thesis is from 1935 to 2000. The purpose was to establish any changes to reporting agricultural news over the years. A social history of agricultural journalism in the San Jose Mercury News over a 65-year period provided insight into how the farming industry was …

Comparison Of Ammonia And Particulate Matter Air Sample Concentrations At Task-Locations Within Swine Confinement Buildings., Earl Dan Bembry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: A task-associated analysis of ammonia and particulate matter concentrations was conducted on swine farms in breeding and gestation barns. The purpose of this study was to determine if specific tasks performed by workers increase concentrations of ammonia and particulate matter exposure.

Methods: An exploratory, descriptive design was used to determine if swine confinement workers have increased ammonia and particulate matter exposure when performing assigned tasks in breeding and gestation barns. A convenience sample of 8 workers volunteered from among all breeding and gestation workers (n=24). Data collection occurred in the morning at each of the 8 farms …

Can R&D Investment Offset The Negative Impact Of Climate Change On Agricultural Productivity?, Nazrul Islam, Ruhul A. Salim

Climate Science Published Reports

Productivity growth in agriculture helps maintain the nation's economic prosperity. However, long-run productivity growth in agriculture faces several challenges such as the potential worsening of climate due to global warming and the loss of productive land due to land use competition, salinity, wind erosion and soil acidity. Strategic policy making and appropriate funding for sustained productivity growth in agriculture is therefore crucial.

Research and development (R&D) to drive innovation is an acknowledged main source of productivity growth. The development and application of technologies generated through R&D boosts agriculture's productivity. Agricultural R&D activities in Australia and in most other developed economies …

Market Situation And Outlook For Hogs, Poultry And Small Ruminants, A. Lee Meyer

Agricultural Economics Presentations

No abstract provided.

Beef, Dairy, And Equine, Kenneth H. Burdine

Agricultural Economics Presentations

No abstract provided.

Crop Yield Gaps: Their Importance, Magnitudes, And Causes, David B. Lobell, Kenneth G. Cassman, Christopher B. Field

Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences Research: Publications

Future trajectories of food prices, food security, and cropland expansion are closely linked to future average crop yields in the major agricultural regions of the world. Because the maximum possible yields achieved in farmers’ fields might level off or even decline in many regions over the next few decades, reducing the gap between average and potential yields is critical. In most major irrigated wheat, rice, and maize systems, yields appear to be at or near 80% of yield potential, with no evidence for yields having exceeded this threshold to date. A fundamental constraint in these systems appears to be uncertainty …

Climate Change Assessment And Agriculture In General Equilibrium Models: Alternative Modeling Strategies, Ruslana Palatnik, Roberto Roson

Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei Working Papers

Agricultural sectors play a key role in the economics of climate change. Land as an input to agricultural production is one of the most important links between economy and the biosphere, representing a direct projection of human action on the natural environment. Agricultural management practices and cropping patterns have a vast effect on biogeochemical cycles, freshwater availability and soil quality. Agriculture also plays an important role in emitting and storing greenhouse gases. Thus, to consistently investigate climate policy and future pathways for the economic and natural environment, a realistic representation of agricultural land-use is essential. Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) models …

The Changing Faces Of Agriculture, Tennessee Agriculture 2009 Department Report & Statistical Summary, Tennessee. Department Of Agriculture.

Annual Report

No abstract provided.

Hedonic Regression Analysis Comparing Napa To Paso Robles Red Wine Prices With An Emphasis On Screw Cap Closure Methods, Todd Patrick Griffin

Agribusiness

The purpose of the senior project was to test and estimate quantitative and qualitative relationships between wine bottle characteristics in two different wine consuming regions of California. A hedonic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the significance on price fluctuations based on varietals of wine that contain labels of origin from two American Viticultural Areas (AVA’s) in California. A hedonic regression analysis divided the price of the product into variables that composed the product. The division of variables allowed the researcher to examine and observe whether they are of high or low significance to the estimation of price. The senior …

Library Impact Statement For Afs 132 Aminal Agriculture, Food Policy And Society

Library Impact Statements

Library Impact Statement submitted in response to new course proposal for AFS 132 Animal Agrriculture, Food Policy and Society. New course was supported with no need for additional resources. Responding library faculty member: Andrée J. Rathemacher. Requesting faculty member: Professor Michael A. Rice.

Applications And Potentials For Biogenic Methane Recovery Operations In Nebraska Agriculture, Industry, And Economic Development, David Micheal Dingman

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

ABSTRACT: This thesis report illustrates the applications and potentials of biogenic methane recovery in Nebraska’s agricultural and industrial sectors and as a means for increasing sustainable economic development in the state’s rural communities. As the nation moves toward a new green economy, biogenic methane recovery as a waste management strategy and renewable energy resource presents significant opportunities for Nebraska to be a national and world leader in agricultural and industrial innovation, advanced research and development of renewable energy technology, and generation of new product markets. Nebraska’s agricultural economy provides a distinct advantage to the state for supporting methane recovery operations …

Slides: Indian Water Rights, Robert T. Anderson

Western Water Law, Policy and Management: Ripples, Currents, and New Channels for Inquiry (Martz Summer Conference, June 3-5)

Presenter: Robert T. Anderson, Native American Law Center, University of Washington Law School

19 slides

Slides: Status Of Southern Nevada Water Authority (Snwa): Third Intake Into Lake Mead And Groundwater Project, Kay Brothers

Western Water Law, Policy and Management: Ripples, Currents, and New Channels for Inquiry (Martz Summer Conference, June 3-5)

Presenter: Kay Brothers, Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), Las Vegas, NV

37 slides

Slides: Northern Integrated Supply Project, Northern Front Range--Colorado, Don Carlson

Western Water Law, Policy and Management: Ripples, Currents, and New Channels for Inquiry (Martz Summer Conference, June 3-5)

Presenter: Don Carlson, Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District

20 slides

Slides: Water Leasing In The Lower Arkansas Valley: The "Super Ditch Company", Peter Nichols

Western Water Law, Policy and Management: Ripples, Currents, and New Channels for Inquiry (Martz Summer Conference, June 3-5)

Presenter: Peter NIchols, Trout, Raley, Montano, Witwer & Freeman, Denver, CO

28 slides

Slides: Finding Flows: Fish Still Need Water Everyday, Melinda Kassen

Western Water Law, Policy and Management: Ripples, Currents, and New Channels for Inquiry (Martz Summer Conference, June 3-5)

Presenter: Melinda Kassen, Director of the Western Water Project, Trout Unlimited

12 slides

Slides: Agricultural Resilience And Urban Growth: A Closer Look, William R. Travis

Western Water Law, Policy and Management: Ripples, Currents, and New Channels for Inquiry (Martz Summer Conference, June 3-5)

Presenter: William R. Travis, Department of Geography, Center for Science & Technology Policy Research, CIRES, University of Colorado at Boulder

30 slides

The Use Of Soil Enzyme Activities And Active Carbon As Indicators Of Soil Quality In Response To Management Practices, Tracy Marie Woodruff

Student Theses and Dissertations

In order to meet the increasing needs of food, fiber, and fuel, management practices that enhance the soil health must be sought out. The two studies conducted examined the effects of management practices on soil enzyme activities and active carbon concentration. A forested ecosystem in Oregon was examined following nutrient treatments on forest plots. The effects of tillage, residue management and time on soil enzyme activities and active C were measured in a greenhouse study from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR, USA. In both studies, β-glucosidase, arylsulfatase, acid phosphatase, and active carbon were analyzed in soil samples. Results …

The Biogeography Of Plant Domestication, Alese M. Colehour

Macalester Reviews in Biogeography

Ranging between 11,000 and 4,000 years ago, several independent origins of agriculture appeared, though scholars disagree on exactly how many. This period, known as the “Neolithic Revolution” or the “Origins of Agriculture,” marks the initial emergence of food production economies. Archaeologists and biologists have worked alongside one another, often using a biogeographical approach, to investigate the origins of useful species, their range expansion, and genetic evolution through analyzing remains found at excavation sites around the world. Plant communities influence patterns in human behaviors and by understanding trends in biogeography we can begin to answer questions such as: Why did plant …

Rainwater Harvesting Pilot Project Report, Liam Mccarton, Sean O'Hogain, Anna Reid, Niamh Mcintyre, Jenny Pender

Reports

The rainwater harvesting pilot project was commissioned by the National Rural Water Monitoring Committee in 2005 to assess the feasibility of supplementing treated mains water used for non-potable purposes. The project involved the design, installation, commissioning and monitoring of rainwater harvesting facilities in a rural housing development in County Carlow and in a 250-acre livestock farm in County Meath. Construction was carried out between 2005-2007.

Soil Organic Carbon And Site Characteristics In Aspen And Evaluation Of The Potential Effects Of Conifer Encroachment On Soil Properties In Northern Utah, Mical K. Woldeselassie

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the Intermountain West, aspen (Populus tremuloides) has declined mainly due to a combination of successional processes, fire suppression and long-term use of ungulates which has led to replacement by conifers, sagebrush or other shrub communities. Conifer encroachment is believed to cause critical changes in the ecosystem properties. In order to understand the impacts of conifer encroachment on soil properties such as soil organic carbon (SOC) storage, soil morphology, and soil chemical properties, and the implications of such changes, it is very important to assess the soil properties under the two vegetation types. The objectives of this study …

Evaluating And Designing Urban Food Systems: The Role Of Local Initiatives, Alison Maria Meadow

Anthropology

In the search for solutions to environmental and human health problems linked to the dominant global food system, too much attention has been given to the scale of food systems and too little attention given to the specific practices and outcomes of various food system components and initiatives. The community of Fairbanks, Alaska is used to examine whether local-food system initiatives can improve an urban food system's social equity and environmental sustainability. Three studies of the current food system and nascent local-food system were conducted. The first study examines community-wide physical and economic access to fresh foods in general and …

Historical Review Of Elk–Agriculture Conflicts In And Around Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba, Canada, Ryan K. Brook

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Conflicts between elk (Cervus elaphus) and farmers have been occurring since the 1880s when agriculture began around what is now Riding Mountain National Park (RMNP). Initially, the conflicts were related to low elk numbers caused primarily by unregulated harvest of elk. The creation of RMNP in 1930 and the associated ban on hunting allowed elk numbers to reach critically high levels. Since farming began, elk have been associated with considerable damage to fences and crops around RMNP, with annual damage often >$240,000. Hunting on agricultural lands has been the most common approach to mitigating elk impacts, despite its limited success. …

Impacts Of Climate Change On Indirect Human Exposure To Pathogens And Chemicals From Agriculture, Aba Boxall, A Hardy, S Beulke, T Boucard, L Burgin, Pd Falloon, Pm Haygarth, T Hutchinson, Rs Kovats, G Leonardi, Ls Levy, G Nichols, Sa Parsons, L Potts, D Stone, E Topp, Db Turley, K Walsh, Emh Wellington, Rj Williams

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Objective Climate change is likely to affect the nature of pathogens and chemicals in the environment and their fate and transport. Future risks of pathogens and chemicals could therefore be very different from those of today. In this review, we assess the implications of climate change for changes in human exposures to pathogens and chemicals in agricultural systems in the United Kingdom and discuss the subsequent effects on health impacts. Data sources In this review, we used expert input and considered literature on climate change; health effects resulting from exposure to pathogens and chemicals arising from agriculture; inputs of chemicals …

G09-1975 Nebraska - An Opportunity For Dairy Expansion And Relocation, Jeffrey F. Keown

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This 2009 NebGuide discusses why dairy producers might choose Nebraska in order to expand and/or relocate their dairy. It looks at several areas important to dairy producers, and emphasizes the availability of feed and other natural resources of utmost importance to the dairy industry. While this NebGuide is not expansive and does not list feed prices, utility rates, etc., it does list the reasons why Nebraska is a good place to look at for a dairy operation.

G09-1856 Commercially Available Dna Tests For Genetic Improvement Of Beef Cattle, Matthew L. Spangler

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Misinterpreting DNA tests can cost beef cattle producers time and money. This 2009 NebGuide discusses how to interpret commercial DNA marker tests.

Sabbatical Leave Proposal And Report, Don Bergfield

Sabbaticals

The primary goal of my sabbatical is to become more proficient in Spanish by cultural immersion. Additionally, I plan to study various forms of agriculture in Central America and possibly South America. The time afforded through this sabbatical will allow me to have an extended stay in Costa Rica to interact with colleagues teaching agriculture at the University of Costa Rica and to immerse myself in the Latino culture.

Food Literacy All Organic Food Is (Not) Created Equal, Lauren Shulman

Theses & ETDs

The language of certified organic food lacks clarity. As the organic industry has blossomed, so has the myriad of available organic products, yet the term "organic" has remained the label to describe all of these items. Since these items are certified "organic" in accordance with regulated standards, it is assumed that all organic industry participants mean the same thing when using the term "organic." By examining the founding organic ideals and comparing these ideals to the manifestations of certified "organic" practices, this analysis suggests that not all organic foods are produced, processed and distributed equally. The term "organic" has environmental, …