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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Investigating The Effects Of Urbanization On Residual Forest Soils In Knox Co., Tennessee, Benjamin Lee Reichert Dec 2014

Investigating The Effects Of Urbanization On Residual Forest Soils In Knox Co., Tennessee, Benjamin Lee Reichert

Masters Theses

As the process of urbanization advances across the country, so does the importance of urban forests, which include both trees and the soils in which they grow. Soil microbial biomass, which plays a critical role in nutrient transformation in urban ecosystems, is affected by factors such as soil type and the availability of water, carbon, and nitrogen. However, the microbial dynamics of urban forest soils remain largely unknown. A key mechanistic link between plant species diversity and ecosystem function is heterotrophic microbial communities that inhabit the soil and mediate principal processes that control ecosystem carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling. …


Measuring Carbon Dioxide (Co2) Flux Of Agricultural Practices In Sub-Saharan Africa, Debra Blumberg O'Dell Aug 2014

Measuring Carbon Dioxide (Co2) Flux Of Agricultural Practices In Sub-Saharan Africa, Debra Blumberg O'Dell

Masters Theses

Agriculture has an important role in addressing two of the world’s most pressing problems: meeting global food demand and mitigating climate change. If agriculture is not practiced sustainably it will fail to meet future food demand and likely intensify the pace of global climate change. There are some agricultural practices, such as Conservation Agriculture, that can produce food sustainably and have the potential to mitigate climate change. However it is not clear which agricultural practices contribute to climate mitigation and by how much. By measuring the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of specific agricultural practices, the ability of practices to sequester …