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Articles 211 - 240 of 520

Full-Text Articles in Earth Sciences

Biomass Residues Improve Soil Chemical And Biological Properties Reestablishing Native Species In An Exposed Subsoil In Brazilian Cerrado, Thaís Soto Boni, Engil Isadora Pujol Pereira, Adriana Avelino Santos, Ana Maria Rodrigues Cassiolato, Kátia Luciene Maltoni Jun 2022

Biomass Residues Improve Soil Chemical And Biological Properties Reestablishing Native Species In An Exposed Subsoil In Brazilian Cerrado, Thaís Soto Boni, Engil Isadora Pujol Pereira, Adriana Avelino Santos, Ana Maria Rodrigues Cassiolato, Kátia Luciene Maltoni

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Revegetation of exposed sub-soil, while a desirable strategy in the recovery processes, often fails due to extreme soil chemical properties, such as low organic matter and pH levels inhospitable to biological activities such as nutrients cycling and plant establishment. This is the case for approximately 800 ha of the Cerrado biome in Brazil, where erecting the embankment of a hydroelectric dam in the 1960’s stripped vegetation, soil, and subsoil layers thereby distorting the soil properties. This work evaluates the effectiveness of restoration management (RM) treatments, to restore the soil quality, including biological activity and chemical attributes. In a factorial scheme, …

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A Participatory Assessment Of Nitrified Urine Fertilizer Use In Swayimane, South Africa: Crop Production Potential, Farmer Attitudes And Smallholder Challenges, Benjamin C. Wilde, Eva Lieberherr, Engil Isadora Pujol Pereira, Alfred Odindo, Johan Siz Jun 2022

A Participatory Assessment Of Nitrified Urine Fertilizer Use In Swayimane, South Africa: Crop Production Potential, Farmer Attitudes And Smallholder Challenges, Benjamin C. Wilde, Eva Lieberherr, Engil Isadora Pujol Pereira, Alfred Odindo, Johan Siz

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Long-term nutrient mining of soil hampers agricultural production across Africa. However, emerging sanitation technologies afford a hygienically safe and ecologically sustainable solution to this development challenge by providing fertilizers derived from human excreta that could facilitate a socio-technical transition toward a more sustainable food system. To evaluate one such technology, nitrified urine fertilizer (NUF), we conducted participatory action research to assess the potential, from both a biophysical and social perspective, of NUF to serve as a soil fertilizer to support smallholder agricultural production in Swayimane, South Africa. To achieve this objective, we formed a stakeholder group comprised of a cooperative …

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Quantitative Relationships Between River And Channel-Belt Planform Patterns, Tian Y. Dong, Timothy A. Goudge Jun 2022

Quantitative Relationships Between River And Channel-Belt Planform Patterns, Tian Y. Dong, Timothy A. Goudge

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Channel planform patterns arise from internal dynamics of sediment transport and fluid flow in rivers and are affected by external controls such as valley confinement. Understanding whether these channel patterns are preserved in the rock record has critical implications for our ability to constrain past environmental conditions. Rivers are preserved as channel belts, which are one of the most ubiquitous and accessible parts of the sedimentary record, yet the relationship between river and channel-belt planform patterns remains unquantified. We analyzed planform patterns of rivers and channel belts from 30 systems globally. Channel patterns were classified using a graph theory-based metric, …

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The Estuarine Ecological Knowledge Network Makes Progress: International Project Sites And Potential Ways Forward, Grant S. Mccall, Anthony Akpan, Doru Banaduc, Diego F. Figueroa, Nelson Fontoura, Robert Hitchcock, Sherman Horn, Devashish Kar, Thong Tran Jun 2022

The Estuarine Ecological Knowledge Network Makes Progress: International Project Sites And Potential Ways Forward, Grant S. Mccall, Anthony Akpan, Doru Banaduc, Diego F. Figueroa, Nelson Fontoura, Robert Hitchcock, Sherman Horn, Devashish Kar, Thong Tran

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The Estuarine Ecological Knowledge Network (EEKN) brings together scientists and coastal fishing communities in seeking new ways forward for Earth's major river deltas and estuaries, including the Mississippi (United States), Rio Grande (United States), Danube (Romania/Ukraine), Ganges (India/Bangladesh), Niger (Nigeria), and Mekong (Vietnam) river deltas, and the Patos Lagoon (Brazil). Such environments are universally understood as crucial for the biological productivity of oceans and they are home to hundreds of millions of human inhabitants, many of whom directly depend on that marine richness in terms of the operation of their socioeconomic systems. As human-induced climate change and its consequences for …

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Where To Invest Project Efforts For Greater Benefit: A Framework Formanagement Performance Mapping With Examples For Potato Seed Health, C. E. Buddenhagen, Y. Xing, J. L. Andrade-Piedra, G. A. Forbes, P. Kromann, I. Navarrete, S. Thomas-Sharma, Robin A. Choudhury, K. F. Andersen Onofre, E. Schulte-Geldermann May 2022

Where To Invest Project Efforts For Greater Benefit: A Framework Formanagement Performance Mapping With Examples For Potato Seed Health, C. E. Buddenhagen, Y. Xing, J. L. Andrade-Piedra, G. A. Forbes, P. Kromann, I. Navarrete, S. Thomas-Sharma, Robin A. Choudhury, K. F. Andersen Onofre, E. Schulte-Geldermann

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Policymakers and donors often need to identify the locations where technologies are most likely to have important effects, to increase the benefits from agricultural development or extension efforts. Higher-quality information may help to target the high-benefit locations, but often actions are needed with limited information. The value of information (VOI) in this context is formalized by evaluating the results of decision making guided by a set of specific information compared with the results of acting without considering that information. We present a framework for management performance mapping that includes evaluating the VOI for decision making about geographic priorities in regional …

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Meningococcal Meningitis In Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review, Amit U. Raysoni May 2022

Meningococcal Meningitis In Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review, Amit U. Raysoni

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The scourge of Meningococcal Meningitis in the Sub-Saharan African nations is well known. This review paper focuses on this very important topic and describes the symptoms, diagnoses, and available vaccines for the same. The review then focuses on the Meningitis Belt of Africa and elucidates on the introduction of MenAfriVac™ vaccine. The review ends with the success of this vaccine and the future of Meningococcal Meningitis in the context of overall global climate change.

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Effects Of Biochar Production Methods And Biomass Types On Lead Removal From Aqueous Solution, Paola Granados, Sergio Mireles, Engil Isadora Pujol Pereira, Chu-Lin Cheng, James Jihoon Kang May 2022

Effects Of Biochar Production Methods And Biomass Types On Lead Removal From Aqueous Solution, Paola Granados, Sergio Mireles, Engil Isadora Pujol Pereira, Chu-Lin Cheng, James Jihoon Kang

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Biochar has proven its potential in removing heavy metal ions from water. The objective of this study was to evaluate locally obtained biomass feedstocks for biochar production and their efficiency as a sorbent for aqueous lead (Pb2+) removal. The biomass feedstocks consisted of avocado seed, avocado peel, grapefruit peel, and brown seaweed, which represent agricultural and marine biomasses. The biochar materials were produced in two different methods: (1) a laboratory tube furnace at 300 °C and (2) a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) biochar maker, “BioCharlie Log”. The biochars were characterized for selected physicochemical properties, and batch adsorption tests with 10 …

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Hydrologic Modeling Study To Determine Hydrologic Impact Of Resacas On The Lower Laguna Madre Watershed, Antonio L. Reyna May 2022

Hydrologic Modeling Study To Determine Hydrologic Impact Of Resacas On The Lower Laguna Madre Watershed, Antonio L. Reyna

Theses and Dissertations

During a high intensity storm events, a series of catastrophic events occur. These catastrophic events include flooding and destruction of infrastructure. Engineers have determined a method to design for high intensity storms based off hydrologic analysis of previous storms. With this data engineers can determine the outflow of major rivers and streams that may impact infrastructure. By determining the watershed engineers can predict the flow of the water and as well as the location of the outfall. In the Rio Grande Valley, water quality is very important because after rain events stormwater from cities is carried out towards the Laguna …

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A Socio-Ecological Model To Assess Tuberculosis In Migrant Farmworkers In The Us-Mexico Border Region, Amit U. Raysoni May 2022

A Socio-Ecological Model To Assess Tuberculosis In Migrant Farmworkers In The Us-Mexico Border Region, Amit U. Raysoni

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The migrant and seasonal farmworker toiling in the fields and orchards of the United States of America surmounts innumerable problems daily. Some of these problems pertain to the overall health of the farmworker in addition to the various occupational hazards that he or she faces. This research paper focuses on Tuberculosis infection—both latent and active—in the migrant farmworkers in the United States with a special focus on the US-Mexico border. Using the Socio-Ecological Model as a theoretical framework, the TB health issues faced by this group are studied. The various determinants of health at every level of the Socio-Ecological Model …

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Investigation Of A Simultaneaous Direct And Indirect Contact Dehumidifier Using Parallel Strings For Hdh Desalination, Josue Perez Perez May 2022

Investigation Of A Simultaneaous Direct And Indirect Contact Dehumidifier Using Parallel Strings For Hdh Desalination, Josue Perez Perez

Theses and Dissertations

Freshwater is a limited and precious resource. Currently, half a billion people in the world face sever water scarcity all year round. Humidification dehumidification (HDH) systems have received special attention among the variety of small-scale desalination technologies due to its potential to create affordable and sustainable seawater desalination, especially when combined with natural power sources such as waves, wind, and solar rays. Improvements in the development of HDH desalination systems have been achieved in recent years. Nonetheless, the improvements that have received most attention focus on solar heaters and humidifiers. Dehumidification systems have often been adapted from air conditioning condensation …

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Red Harvester Ant (Pogonomyrmex Barbatus F. Smith; Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Preference For Cover Crop Seeds In South Texas, Lilly Victoria Elliott-Vidaurri, Daniella Rivera, Adrian Noval, Robin A. Choudhury, Hannah J. Penn Apr 2022

Red Harvester Ant (Pogonomyrmex Barbatus F. Smith; Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Preference For Cover Crop Seeds In South Texas, Lilly Victoria Elliott-Vidaurri, Daniella Rivera, Adrian Noval, Robin A. Choudhury, Hannah J. Penn

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Harvester ants often selectively forage seeds, causing these ants to be viewed as pests in agricultural areas where they may forage on crop seeds. While little research has been done on harvester ant preferences for cover crop seeds, grower observations in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) suggest that ants may remove these seeds before germination. We examined red harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex barbatus F. Smith) preferences for cover crop seeds (fescue, oat, sunn hemp, radish, vetch, and wheatgrass) and the effects of a commonly used bacterial seed inoculant. We evaluated relative preferences using seed depots presented to colonies with no …

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A Nematode Community-Based Integrated Productivity Efficiency (Ipe) Model That Identifies Sustainable Soil Health Outcomes: A Case Of Compost Application In Carrot Production, A. Habteweld, A. Kravchencko, Parwinder Grewal, H. Melakeberhan Apr 2022

A Nematode Community-Based Integrated Productivity Efficiency (Ipe) Model That Identifies Sustainable Soil Health Outcomes: A Case Of Compost Application In Carrot Production, A. Habteweld, A. Kravchencko, Parwinder Grewal, H. Melakeberhan

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Percent soil organic matter (SOM), pH and crop yield are among the biophysicochemical process-driven soil health indicators (SHIs). However, identifying sustainable soil health conditions using these SHIs is limited due to the lack of Integrated Productivity Efficiency (IPE) models. We define IPE as a concept that identifies best-to-worst-case soil health outcomes by assessing the effect of agronomic practices on weighted abundance of functional guilds (WAFG) of beneficial soil organisms and SHIs simultaneously. Expressing WAFG of all beneficial nematodes (x-axis) and SHIs (y-axis) as a percent of untreated control and regression of x and y reveals four quadrants describing worst-to-best-case outcomes …

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Pre-Growth Environmental Stresses Affect Foodborne Pathogens Response To Subsequent Chemical Treatments, Amandeep Singh, Veerachandra K. Yemmireddy Apr 2022

Pre-Growth Environmental Stresses Affect Foodborne Pathogens Response To Subsequent Chemical Treatments, Amandeep Singh, Veerachandra K. Yemmireddy

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes are known to survive under different environmental stresses with an effect on their physiological properties. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of different environmental stresses on the foodborne pathogens response to subsequent chemical treatments. Three types of pathogens Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes were subjected to different environmental stresses: (i) Desiccation (ii) high salt (iii) low pH, and (iv) temperatures (14, 23, and 37 °C) during their growth. The cells harvested at their early stationary growth phase were subsequently subjected to chlorine (100 …

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Development And Validation Of An Edna Protocol For Monitoring Endemic Asian Spiny Frogs In The Himalayan Region Of Pakistan, Muhammad Saeed, Muhammad Rais, Ayesha Akram, Maggie R. Williams, Kenneth F. Kellner, Syed A. Hashsham, Drew R. Davis Apr 2022

Development And Validation Of An Edna Protocol For Monitoring Endemic Asian Spiny Frogs In The Himalayan Region Of Pakistan, Muhammad Saeed, Muhammad Rais, Ayesha Akram, Maggie R. Williams, Kenneth F. Kellner, Syed A. Hashsham, Drew R. Davis

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Wildlife monitoring programs are instrumental for the assessment of species, habitat status, and for the management of factors affecting them. This is particularly important for species found in freshwater ecosystems, such as amphibians, as they have higher estimated extinction rates than terrestrial species. We developed and validated two species-specific environmental DNA (eDNA) protocols and applied them in the field to detect the Hazara Torrent Frog (Allopaa hazarensis) and Murree Hills Frog (Nanorana vicina). Additionally, we compared eDNA surveys with visual encounter surveys and estimated site occupancy. eDNA surveys resulted in higher occurrence probabilities for both A. …

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Development And Assessment Of An Environmental Dna (Edna) Assay For A Cryptic Siren (Amphibia: Sirenidae), Krista M. Ruppert, Drew R. Davis, Md Saydur Rahman, Richard J. Kline Apr 2022

Development And Assessment Of An Environmental Dna (Edna) Assay For A Cryptic Siren (Amphibia: Sirenidae), Krista M. Ruppert, Drew R. Davis, Md Saydur Rahman, Richard J. Kline

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Environmental DNA (eDNA) assays have become a major aspect of surveys for aquatic organisms in the past decade. These methods are highly sensitive, making them well-suited for monitoring rare and cryptic species. Current efforts to study the Rio Grande Siren in southern Texas have been hampered due to the cryptic nature of these aquatic salamanders. Arid conditions further add to the difficulty in studying this species, as many water bodies they inhabit are ephemeral, sometimes constraining sampling efforts to a short window after heavy rain. Additionally, sirens are known to cease activity and reside underground when ponds begin to dry …

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Characterization Of Particulate Matter Species In An Area Impacted By Aggregate And Limestone Mining North Of San Antonio, Tx, Usa, Amit U. Raysoni, Esmeralda Mendez, August Luna, Joe Collins Apr 2022

Characterization Of Particulate Matter Species In An Area Impacted By Aggregate And Limestone Mining North Of San Antonio, Tx, Usa, Amit U. Raysoni, Esmeralda Mendez, August Luna, Joe Collins

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Aggregate and limestone mining in San Antonio's Bexar and Comal counties in Texas, USA, has caused considerable health concerns as of late. Aggregate mining actions can result in localized air quality issues in any neighborhood. Furthermore, heavy truck traffic, hauling, and transportation of the mined material contribute to pollution. In this research, PM species were sampled at four locations north of the San Antonio city limits. The data were collected using a TSI Air Quality Sampler that sampled PM1, PM2.5, PM4, PM10, wind speed, wind direction, temperature, and relative humidity. Continuous data with 1 min averages were recorded during the …

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Cover Crops May Exacerbate Moisture Limitations On South Texas Dryland Farms, Stephanie Kasper, Faeqa Mohsin, Lindsey Richards, Alexis Racelis Apr 2022

Cover Crops May Exacerbate Moisture Limitations On South Texas Dryland Farms, Stephanie Kasper, Faeqa Mohsin, Lindsey Richards, Alexis Racelis

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Cover crops are a sustainable management tool for mediating weed pressure, reducing soil erosion, and enhancing soil organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) levels. Yet, adoption rates across water-limited farms in Texas remain low, especially among producers without irrigation access, due to concerns that cover crop use of soil moisture will negatively impact subsequent cash crop yields. This three-year cover crop trial in a rain-fed sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) farm in Lyford, Texas, trialed different cover crop mixes and seeding rates and confirmed that cover cropping leads to significant soil moisture deficits and cash crop failure when rainfall is low …

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Centering Community Voices In Mining Governance, Anna Erwin, Zhao Ma, Emma Patricia Salas O'Brien, Jonathan Bauchet, Nelly Ramirez Calderon, Eliseo Zeballos Zeballos, Glenn Roberto Arce Larrea, Ruxandra Popovici, Laura Zanotti, Chelsea A. Silva Mar 2022

Centering Community Voices In Mining Governance, Anna Erwin, Zhao Ma, Emma Patricia Salas O'Brien, Jonathan Bauchet, Nelly Ramirez Calderon, Eliseo Zeballos Zeballos, Glenn Roberto Arce Larrea, Ruxandra Popovici, Laura Zanotti, Chelsea A. Silva

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Peru has shifted away from centralized mining management to governance among government, companies, and communities. Various mechanisms facilitate community participation, including the mining canon, dialogues, and corporate social responsibility programs. Even with these laws and mechanisms, mining pollution and conflicts continue. In this study, we ask: how do communities perceive and participate in mining governance? And what are some alternative ways, driven by community priorities, to address governance in mining contexts? We collected 53 semi-structured with agricultural actors in two Peruvian districts with mining activity and analyzed those perspectives through the lens of community-centered governance. Our analyses revealed how centering …

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Automation And Coupling Of Models For Coastal Flood Forecasting In South Texas, Cesar Davila Hernandez, Sara E. Davila, Martin Flores, Jungseok Ho, Dong-Chul Kim Mar 2022

Automation And Coupling Of Models For Coastal Flood Forecasting In South Texas, Cesar Davila Hernandez, Sara E. Davila, Martin Flores, Jungseok Ho, Dong-Chul Kim

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Forecasting natural disasters such as inundations can be of great help for emergency bodies and first responders. In coastal communities, this risk is often associated with storm surge. To produce flood forecasts for coastal communities, a system must incorporate models capable of simulating such events based on forecasted weather conditions. In this work, a system for forecasting inundations based predominantly on storm surge is explored. An automation and a coupling strategy were implemented to produce forecasted flood maps automatically. The system leverages an ocean circulation model and a channel water flow model to estimate flood events in South Texas specially …

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Comparative Evaluation Of Physicochemical And Fermentative Responses Of Three Sorghum Varieties From Dryland And Irrigated Land And The Properties Of Proteins From Distillers’ Grains, Jikai Zhao, Thomas Weiss, Zhenjiao Du, Shan Hong, Scott R. Bean, Yonghui Li, Donghai Wang Mar 2022

Comparative Evaluation Of Physicochemical And Fermentative Responses Of Three Sorghum Varieties From Dryland And Irrigated Land And The Properties Of Proteins From Distillers’ Grains, Jikai Zhao, Thomas Weiss, Zhenjiao Du, Shan Hong, Scott R. Bean, Yonghui Li, Donghai Wang

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Three sorghum varieties [waxy sorghum (WS), high protein sorghum (HPS), and normal sorghum (NS)] grown under dryland and irrigated conditions were evaluated with respect to the physicochemical and fermentative properties. The proteins were extracted from wet distillers' grains with solubles (WDGS) and characterized in terms of purity and in vitro digestibility. Starch, crude protein, crude fat, and fiber contents of the sorghums ranged from 64.16 to 68.05 g/100 g, 11.49–13.54 g/100 g, 2.45–2.98 g/100 g, and 1.62–1.80 g/100 g, respectively. For the same variety, the sorghums grown under dryland conditions had higher protein (0.33–0.91 g/100 g) and lower …

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Comparative Assessment Of Pollutant Concentrations And Meteorological Parameters From Tceq Cams Sites At Houston And Rio Grande Valley Regions Of Texas, Usa In 2016, Esmeralda Mendez, Jonathan Rodriguez, August Luna, Amit U. Raysoni Mar 2022

Comparative Assessment Of Pollutant Concentrations And Meteorological Parameters From Tceq Cams Sites At Houston And Rio Grande Valley Regions Of Texas, Usa In 2016, Esmeralda Mendez, Jonathan Rodriguez, August Luna, Amit U. Raysoni

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Spatial and temporal heterogeneity in pollutant concentrations exists at the intra-urban level. In this research work, the concentrations of various pollutants and meteorological parameters are characterized between various central ambient monitoring sites at Houston, TX, and the Rio Grande Valley Regions of South Texas. Meteorological (temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction) and pollutant (O3, SO2, CO, NO2, and various PM species) concentrations were downloaded from the appropriate Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Central Ambient Monitoring Station (CAMS) sites for the year 2016. Correlation Analyses and Coefficient of Divergence (COD) analyses suggest that statistically significant differences occur between the …

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Now You See Me: “First” Records Of The Greater Amberjack Seriola Dumerili At Rapa Nui Range Extension Or Increased Scientific Effort?, Naiti Morales, Amy Rose Coghlan, Erin E. Easton, Alan M. Friedlander, James J. Herlan, Carlos F. Gaymer Mar 2022

Now You See Me: “First” Records Of The Greater Amberjack Seriola Dumerili At Rapa Nui Range Extension Or Increased Scientific Effort?, Naiti Morales, Amy Rose Coghlan, Erin E. Easton, Alan M. Friedlander, James J. Herlan, Carlos F. Gaymer

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

We report new records of the fisheries-harvested subtropical greater amberjack Seriola dumerili for the south-east Pacific Ocean. Previously, only one species of Seriola (the yellowtail amberjack Seriola lalandi) was scientifically recorded for Rapa Nui (also known as Easter Island) despite local fishers' asserting that three Seriola morphotypes are found in the region. Here we present the first 'scientific record' of what could be a pre-existing (albeit transient) species of the Rapa Nui ecoregion. Establishing the existing range limits of commercially and ecologically valuable species is key for observing climate-driven distribution shifts, and the inclusion of traditional ecological knowledge is likely …

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Reducing Adverse Impacts Of Amazon Hydropower Expansion, Alexander S. Flecker, Qinru Shi, Rafael M. Almeida, Héctor Angarita, Jonathan M. Gomes-Selman, Roosevelt García-Villacorta, Suresh A. Sethi, Steven A. Thomas, N Leroy Poff, Bruce R. Forsberg Feb 2022

Reducing Adverse Impacts Of Amazon Hydropower Expansion, Alexander S. Flecker, Qinru Shi, Rafael M. Almeida, Héctor Angarita, Jonathan M. Gomes-Selman, Roosevelt García-Villacorta, Suresh A. Sethi, Steven A. Thomas, N Leroy Poff, Bruce R. Forsberg

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Proposed hydropower dams at more than 350 sites throughout the Amazon require strategic evaluation of trade-offs between the numerous ecosystem services provided by Earth's largest and most biodiverse river basin. These services are spatially variable, hence collective impacts of newly built dams depend strongly on their configuration. We use multiobjective optimization to identify portfolios of sites that simultaneously minimize impacts on river flow, river connectivity, sediment transport, fish diversity, and greenhouse gas emissions while achieving energy production goals. We find that uncoordinated, dam-by-dam hydropower expansion has resulted in forgone ecosystem service benefits. Minimizing further damage from hydropower development requires considering …

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Identifying Available Resources And Agricultural Practices Useful In Soil Fertility Management To Support Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato Cultivation On Smallholder Farms In Mozambique, Rafaela Feola Conz, Engil Isadora Pujol Pereira, Abdul Naico, Maria Isabel Andrade, Johan Six Jan 2022

Identifying Available Resources And Agricultural Practices Useful In Soil Fertility Management To Support Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato Cultivation On Smallholder Farms In Mozambique, Rafaela Feola Conz, Engil Isadora Pujol Pereira, Abdul Naico, Maria Isabel Andrade, Johan Six

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Orange-fleshed sweet potato is an important source of macro-and micronutrients for humans, particularly in resource-poor rural communities. However, sweet potato cultivation removes large amounts of nutrients from the soil. Hence, soil fertility replenishment is vital to secure long-term food production. The lack of access to fertilizers hinders the ability of farmers to supply and replenish soil nutrients, intensifying food insecurity. This study aimed at identifying locally available organic residues and agricultural practices with potential application in soil fertility management to prevent soil degradation in southern Mozambique. We conducted a survey to gather information on the farmers’ demographics and farming systems …

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Native And Non-Native Plant Species Differentially Affect Arthropod Community Dynamics With Consequences For Crop Production In Lower Rio Grande Valley, Kaitlynn Lavallee, Pushpa G. Soti, Alexis Racelis, Rupesh R. Kariyat Jan 2022

Native And Non-Native Plant Species Differentially Affect Arthropod Community Dynamics With Consequences For Crop Production In Lower Rio Grande Valley, Kaitlynn Lavallee, Pushpa G. Soti, Alexis Racelis, Rupesh R. Kariyat

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

In agricultural ecosystems, arthropods play critical roles- including biocontrol, pollination services, and as herbivores. While herbivory negatively affects crop production, the recent decline in beneficial insect numbers have created a global concern, and consequently have led into multiple lines of conservation strategies. Agroecological practices that can provide sustenance, nesting, and refuge for beneficial organisms are considered as some of them, except we lack a better understanding of how seasonal and crop specific variation can affect their community dynamics. In this study, we examined this by investigating how native and non-native plants, when incorporated into a vegetable agroecosystem in Lower Rio …

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Interannual Variability And Seasonal Dynamics Of Evapotranspiration Of Arundo Donax L. And Populations Of Its Biological Control Agent (Tetramesa Romana), Alexis Racelis, Pradeep Wagle, Jose R. Escamilla Jr., John A. Goolsby, Prasanna Gowda Jan 2022

Interannual Variability And Seasonal Dynamics Of Evapotranspiration Of Arundo Donax L. And Populations Of Its Biological Control Agent (Tetramesa Romana), Alexis Racelis, Pradeep Wagle, Jose R. Escamilla Jr., John A. Goolsby, Prasanna Gowda

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Giant reed (Arundo donax L.), a woody grass native to the Mediterranean, has become a cause of concern for national water security in its invaded range of the arid southwestern United States, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The main objective of this study was to provide the first, landscape-level estimates of water use by giant reed. The study utilized the eddy covariance method to quantify evapotranspiration (ET) throughout the 2014 and 2015 growing seasons along the Rio Grande River in Eagle Pass, Texas. We monitored ET concurrently with the implementation of a biological control program targeting giant reed. …

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Saturating Relationship Between Phytoplankton Growth Rate And Nutrient Concentration Explained By Macromolecular Allocation, Jongsun Kim, Gabrielle Armin, Keisuke Inomura Jan 2022

Saturating Relationship Between Phytoplankton Growth Rate And Nutrient Concentration Explained By Macromolecular Allocation, Jongsun Kim, Gabrielle Armin, Keisuke Inomura

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Phytoplankton account for about a half of photosynthesis in the world, making them a key player in the ecological and biogeochemical systems. One of the key traits of phytoplankton is their growth rate because it indicates their productivity and affects their competitive capability. The saturating relationship between phytoplankton growth rate and environmental nutrient concentration has been widely observed yet the mechanisms behind the relationship remain elusive. Here we use a mechanistic model and metadata of phytoplankton to show that the saturating relationship between growth rate and nitrate concentration can be interpreted by intracellular macromolecular allocation. At low nitrate levels, the …

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Linking Migration To Community Resilience In The Receiving Basin Of A Large-Scale Water Transfer Project, Anna Erwin, Zhao Ma, Ruxandra Popovici, Emma Patricia Salas O’Brien, Laura Zanotti, Chelsea A. Silva, Eliseo Zeballos Zeballos, Jonathan Bauchet, Nelly Ramírez Calderón, Glenn Roberto Arce Larreah Dec 2021

Linking Migration To Community Resilience In The Receiving Basin Of A Large-Scale Water Transfer Project, Anna Erwin, Zhao Ma, Ruxandra Popovici, Emma Patricia Salas O’Brien, Laura Zanotti, Chelsea A. Silva, Eliseo Zeballos Zeballos, Jonathan Bauchet, Nelly Ramírez Calderón, Glenn Roberto Arce Larreah

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Large-scale water transfer projects (LWTPs) transfer water to urban and agricultural areas. The Majes-Siguas canal, established in 1983, is an LWTP that created a thriving agricultural area through irrigating the Majes district in the Atacama Desert of Peru. Like other LWTP receiving basins, the project has attracted an influx of migrants who work on the farms. At the same time, the Majes LWTP is the district’s only source of water and has an aging infrastructure which presents significant risks. While many studies critically analyze the consequences of LWTPs in water supply basins, few evaluate the resilience of communities living in …

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Snook (Centropomus Undecimalis) Behavior And Accelerometer Telemetry In The Bahia Grande Of Texas, Jonathan Truett Cawlfield Dec 2021

Snook (Centropomus Undecimalis) Behavior And Accelerometer Telemetry In The Bahia Grande Of Texas, Jonathan Truett Cawlfield

Theses and Dissertations

There has been very little study of the Texas population of snook. No studies have have looked at behavior in the Texas snook population. In this study we look at behavioral patterns and activity level in Lower Laguna Madre snook utilizing accelerometer telemetry tags. Twenty-one common snook were surgically implanted with tags and monitored from summer and fall of 2019 until September 2020. The accelerometer tags which sum acceleration over the x, y, and z planes calculated (ODBA) which was used to estimate behavior. This behavior was then compared with environmental data like diel period, tidal period, water temperature, and …

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Assessment And Monitoring Of Deltaic Wetlands And Fluvial Systems: Refining And Validating A Multimetric Index Of Resaca Ecosystem Health, David Lecusay Jr. Dec 2021

Assessment And Monitoring Of Deltaic Wetlands And Fluvial Systems: Refining And Validating A Multimetric Index Of Resaca Ecosystem Health, David Lecusay Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Resacas are ancient distributary channels of the lower Rio Grande River historically serving as floodwater drainage pathways onto the Laguna Madre, Texas. Resacas provide numerous ecosystem services and critical habitat for many species. Mainly influenced by urbanization, integrating a multimetric index for assessing and monitoring resaca ecosystem health is required for adaptive management. The Resaca Health Index (RHI) integrates structural and functional components: (1) nonredundant metrics describing fish communities (Fish Community Index); (2) Trophic State Index derived from Secchi depth; (3) decay constant from riparian vegetation leaf litter decomposing in the water column; and (4) a riparian quality index based …

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