Earth Sciences Commons^™

Implementing Organic Fertilization Practices To Improve Aloe Vera Growth And Soil Health In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Isaiah Edward Jaramillo

Theses and Dissertations

Aloe vera (L.) (Aloe) Burm. f., is valued for its applications across the cosmetic, medicinal, and food industries due to its leaf gel. In the aloe industry, the extraction of gel from leaves generates significant quantities of organic waste, which presents an opportunity to repurpose this material as an amendment in aloe cultivation. While Aloe is renowned for its resilience, understanding the feasibility of using these organic shavings as a soil fertility amendment in aloe production is critical. This research aims to identify sustainable fertilization methods for Aloe that can maintain and/or improve crop yield while enhancing soil health. This …

A Nursery Study Of The Interplay Between Soil Texture, Rooting Space, And Nurse Plants On Seedling Growth And Root Development In Woody Species Of Tamaulipan Thornscrub, Lance I. Santos

Theses and Dissertations

Reforestation attempts in semi-arid regions are plagued with seedling mortality. Blanket greenhouse practices may not be optimal, in addition, commensalism interactions between nurse plants are considered. To better understand the effects of soil texture and nurse plant interactions on growth and drought tolerance, two experiments were developed. For soil texture, Border palo verde seedlings were grown in different-sized plant bands with three soil types. To observe the effects of nurse plants, an experiment using guayacan, was developed using Texas Ebony, as a leguminous nurse plant. Plants were also exposed to a drought experiment. The results suggest that some soil textures …

Personal Exposure To Black Carbon: Impact Of Time-Activity Patterns And Environmental Factors On Exposure Levels, Sai Deepak Pinakana, Johnathan R. Gonzalez, Amit U. Raysoni

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Black carbon (BC) is a critical environmental pollutant with significant implications for human health. This study aims to quantify personal exposure to BC by focusing on the influence of microenvironments and time-activity patterns in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) region of South Texas, USA. Over eight days in March and April 2023, a portable aethalometer and GPS tracking instruments were used to measure BC exposure among a study participant, alongside recording the time spent in various microenvironments. The BC measurements were correlated to the time activity patterns to calculate BC inhaled dosage values thereby elucidating its impact on human health. …

Red Harvester Ants Pogonomyrmex Barbatus (Smith, 1858) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Do Not Distinguish Between Sorghum Head Mold Symptomatic And Asymptomatic Seeds, Lilly Victoria Elliott-Vidaurri, Hannah J. Penn, Robin A. Choudhury

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Red harvester ants, Pogonomyrmex barbatus (Smith, 1858) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), common in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, are known to gather seeds from areas around their nests and store the seeds inside their nests for later consumption. As these ants often nest in and near agricultural fields, some of these seeds may be from crops and may also be infected with fungal plant pathogens. These pathogens can degrade seed coats and may cause the seeds to rot within the ant nests, decreasing storage time and potentially spreading the pathogen to other stored seeds. We studied how head mold, a …

Place-Based Conservation In Coastal And Marine Ecosystems: The Importance Of Engagement With Underrepresented Communities, Viniece Jennings, Kelly M. San Antonio, Mya J. Brown, Lalah Choice, Queriah Simpson, Imani Ford, Hyun Jung Cho, Pedro Solis, Ashley Lacey, De’Marcus Robinson

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Through the years, research has described the importance of community-based approaches in the management of coastal and marine ecosystems. Coastal and marine issues are multifaceted and require place-specific approaches developed in partnership with vulnerable communities who are impacted by environmental stressors. Place-based conservation, a management approach that focuses on unique, place-specific characteristics, and other similar methods. It considers the need to integrate human dimensions and location-centered approaches, which are often lacking in typical natural resource management. Meaningful engagement with underrepresented communities can holistically account for socioeconomic factors and cultural knowledge that inform best management practices. As the health of marine …

Results From A Multi-Laboratory Ocean Metaproteomic Intercomparison: Effects Of Lc-Ms Acquisition And Data Analysis Procedures, Mak A. Saito, Jaclyn K. Saunders, Matthew R. Mcilvin, Erin M. Bertrand, John A. Breier, Margaret Mars Brisbin

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Metaproteomics is an increasingly popular methodology that provides information regarding the metabolic functions of specific microbial taxa and has potential for contributing to ocean ecology and biogeochemical studies. A blinded multi-laboratory intercomparison was conducted to assess comparability and reproducibility of taxonomic and functional results and their sensitivity to methodological variables. Euphotic zone samples from the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) in the North Atlantic Ocean collected by in situ pumps and the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Clio were distributed with a paired metagenome, and one-dimensional (1D) liquid chromatographic data-dependent acquisition mass spectrometry analysis was stipulated. Analysis of mass spectra from …

A Decade Of Monitoring Reveals A Dynamic Fish Assemblage On A Substantial Artificial Reef In The Texas Gulf Of Mexico, David Hicks, Ethan T. Getz, Richard Kline, Carlos E. Cintra-Buenrostro

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Fish communities on artificial reefs have rarely been monitored over long periods to evaluate success of reef deployment. Here, we used roving diver surveys to assess changes in fish assemblages on a large, reefed vessel during 2008–2017. Multivariate analyses revealed a dynamic community that stabilized after 5 years. Species richness increased and species dominance decreased during 2008–2017. The fish community shifted toward reef-associated species such as hogfish and pufferfish. Species composition shifted, but trophic structure was relatively stable, which suggested that functional groups may not reflect larger community shifts. Our results indicate that fish communities on artificial reefs are temporally …

Evaluating Indoor Air Quality In Residential Environments: A Study Of Pm2.5 And Co2 Dynamics Using Low-Cost Sensors, Kabir Bahadur Shah, Dylan Kim, Sai Deepak Pinakana, Mkhitar A. Hobosyan, Armando Montes, Amit U. Raysoni

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Indoor air quality (IAQ) poses a significant public health concern, and exposures to high levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon dioxide (CO2) could have detrimental health impacts. This study focused on assessing the indoor air pollutants in a residential house located in the town of Mission, Hidalgo County, South Texas, USA. The PM2.5 and CO2 were monitored indoors: the kitchen and the bedroom. This investigation also aimed to elucidate the effects of household activities such as cooking and human occupancy on these pollutants. Low-cost sensors (LCSs) from TSI AirAssure™ were used in this study. They were deployed within …

Factors Influencing The Faunal Recolonization Of Restored Thornscrub Forest Habitats, Audrey J. Hicks, Jerald T. Garrett, Christopher A. Gabler

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Tamaulipan thornscrub forests (thornforests) have high ecological and economic values, yet over 90% of these forests have been lost, and they remain threatened, making them a conservation hotspot. For decades, federal, state, NGO, and corporate entities have been acquiring land and actively or passively restoring these forests, but results have been mixed and seldom monitored. This study characterized and quantified faunal communities of restored thornforest habitats in south Texas and examined the relationships between restored faunal communities and key site characteristics and environmental factors. We surveyed and analyzed mammal, bird, Lepidoptera, and herptile communities within 12 restored sites in the …

A Multivariate Approach To Assessing Landscape Structure Effects On Wildlife Crossing Structure Use, Thomas J. Yamashita, Humberto L. Perotto-Baldivieso, David B. Wester, Kevin W. Ryer, Richard J. Kline, Michael E. Tewes, John H. Young Jr., Jason V. Lombardi

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Complexity in landscape structure is often assessed using individual metrics related to ecological processes. However, this rarely incorporates important relationships among metrics and may miss landscape structure effects. Multivariate statistics provide techniques for assessing overall landscape structure effects. We assessed how multivariate statistics could be used to connect landscape structure with an ecological process [bobcat (Lynx rufus) wildlife crossing structure (WCS) use]. We tested how landscape structure at WCS sites compared to the surrounding landscape and how structure affected detections at WCS sites. Our study was conducted in Cameron County, Texas, USA where WCSs are in various …

Stable Isotope Analysis Of Antipatharian Diets From The Northwestern Gulf Of Mexico, Keir J. Macartney, Victoria Salinas, Zachary Rivera, David Hicks

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Antipatharians, or black corals, form a key component of the benthic fauna found throughout the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). In the northwestern GOM, they are a common member of the communities found on the natural relic coral—algal banks known as the South Texas Banks as well as on artificial reefs. They are known to provide important habitat for many ecologically and economically important species in the area but are relatively understudied. Here we present a study on their trophic ecology using stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen from 2 species, Antipathes atlantica and Stichopathes luetkeni from a mesophotic artificial …

A Call For Better Understanding Household Complexity In Environmental Social Science, Rebecca Nixon, Brooke Mcwherter, Anna Erwin, Jonathan Bauchet, Zhao Ma

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Editorial: Critical Praxis And The Social Imaginary For Sustainable Food Systems, Max Stephenson Jr., Kim Niewolny, Laura Zanotti, Anna Erwin

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Microeukaryote Metabolism Across The Western North Atlantic Ocean Revealed Through Autonomous Underwater Profiling, Natalie R. Cohen, Arianna I. Krinos, Riss M. Kell, Rebecca J. Chmiel, Dawn M. Moran, Matthew R. Mcilvin, Paloma Z. Lopez, Brianna A. Alanis, Eric W. Chan, John A. Breier

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Microeukaryotes are key contributors to marine carbon cycling. Their physiology, ecology, and interactions with the chemical environment are poorly understood in offshore ecosystems, and especially in the deep ocean. Using the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Clio, microbial communities along a 1050 km transect in the western North Atlantic Ocean were surveyed at 10–200 m vertical depth increments to capture metabolic signatures spanning oligotrophic, continental margin, and productive coastal ecosystems. Microeukaryotes were examined using a paired metatranscriptomic and metaproteomic approach. Here we show a diverse surface assemblage consisting of stramenopiles, dinoflagellates and ciliates represented in both the transcript and protein fractions, …

Robust Hydropower Planning Balances Energy Generation, Carbon Emissions And Sediment Connectivity In The Mekong River Basin, M. Tangi, Rafael Schmitt, Rafael M. Almeida, S. Bossi, Alexander S. Flecker, F. Sala, A. Castelletti

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

We present a framework for strategic dam planning under uncertainty, which includes GHG emissions mitigation as a novel objective. We focus on the Mekong River Basin, a fast‐developing region heavily relying on river‐derived ecosystem services. We employ a multi‐objective evolutionary algorithm to identify strategic dam portfolios for different hydropower expansion targets, using process‐related and statistical models to derive indicators of sediment supply disruption and GHG emissions. We introduce a robust optimization approach that explores variations in optimal portfolio compositions for more than 5,000 state‐of‐ the‐world configurations, regarding sediment origins and trapping and GHG emissions. Thus, we can rank dam projects' …

Road Mitigation Structures Designed For Texas Ocelots: Influence Of Structural Characteristics And Environmental Factors On Non-Target Wildlife Usage, Anna Rivera Roy, Kevin W. Ryer, Md. Saydur Rahman, John H. Young Jr., Richard J. Kline

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Roads negatively impact wildlife through habitat fragmentation, loss of habitat connectivity, and wildlife-vehicle collisions, thus road mitigation structures, such as wildlife crossing structures (WCS), wildlife guards (WG), and fencing are commonly used to address this issue all over the world, including in the United States. In South Texas, such structures were built or modified along a State Highway in an effort to address road mortality for the endangered ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) and non-target wildlife species. The goal of this study was to examine temporal changes in wildlife interactions with WCS and WG during and after their construction and …

Red Harvester Ant, Pogonomyrmex Barbatus, Nests Impact Soil Compaction But Not Temperature In Peri-Urban Habitats Of The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Geovanni Hernandez, Hannah J. Penn, Richard Cano, Lilly Victoria Elliott-Vidaurri, Robin A. Choudhury

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Ants are vital ecosystem engineers that can influence soil properties, subsequent soil processes, and associated biota via underground nest construction. Harvester ants consume seeds and are often found in arid areas. They frequently alter the soil chemistry and bulk density of the soils in and around their nest sites. Many species of harvester ants also intentionally remove vegetation around their nest openings, which creates cones or discs of bare soil that may further alter soil temperatures. However, much of the work to study the impacts of harvester ants on soil properties has occurred in shrubland and grassland settings rather than …

Agenda De Investigación Para El Manejo Sustentable Del Manglar En Tamaulipas, México [Research Agenda For The Sustainable Management Of Mangroves In Tamaulipas, Mexico], Carlos Zamora-Tovar, Alejandro Fierro-Cabo, Glenda Nelly Requena-Lara

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Se presenta un análisis de la información ecológica disponible sobre los manglares de Tamaulipas, México. El objetivo fue establecer una línea base de conocimiento que defina el estado del arte a partir de la información publicada; actualizar la estructura forestal con datos propios observados en el año 2018; y determinar una agenda de investigación prioritaria para el manejo sostenible del ecosistema de man-glar, ecosistema de vital importancia por la gran variedad de recursos y servicios ambientales que aporta a la sociedad. La investigación bibliográfica recopiló 32 trabajos relevantes: 16 publicaciones formales, siete ediciones institucionales y nueve consideradas literaturas gris; recopilación …

Valorization Of Seafood Waste For Food Packaging Development, Zhijing Zhan, Yiming Feng, Jikai Zhao, Mingyu Qiao, Qing Jin

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Packaging plays a crucial role in protecting food by providing excellent mechanical properties as well as effectively blocking water vapor, oxygen, oil, and other contaminants. The low degradation of widely used petroleum-based plastics leads to environmental pollution and poses health risks. This has drawn interest in renewable biopolymers as sustainable alternatives. The seafood industry generates significant waste that is rich in bioactive substances like chitin, chitosan, gelatins, and alginate, which can replace synthetic polymers in food packaging. Although biopolymers offer biodegradability, biocompatibility, and non-toxicity, their films often lack mechanical and barrier properties compared with synthetic polymer films. This comprehensive review …

The Fishing Cat: New Insights On Distribution In The Northern Sector Of Chitwan National Park, Nepal, Rupesh Maharjan, Rama Mishra, Jhamak Bahadur Karki

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Fishing cat Prionailurus viverrinus (Bennett, 1833) is an elusive and medium-sized feline species with distinguished marking patterns on their head and body separating them from other feline species. Despite being distributed widely among diverse geographic locations, their abundance has declined due to significant habitat loss and human disturbances. There exists a substantial research gap regarding their abundance and distribution in Nepal. In this article, we presented the updated documentation of the fishing cat distribution in the northern sector of Chitwan National Park through our species-focused camera trapping survey. The study was carried out between April and May 2021 with a …

Ecological Effects On Greenhouse Gas Emissions In Vegetated Estuarine Soils Of The Lower Laguna Madre, David R. De La Garza

Theses and Dissertations

Coastal wetlands are important ecosystems that provide numerous ecosystem services including erosion control, habitat for fauna, and carbon sequestration. Notably, coastal wetlands are producers of greenhouse gases (GHGs) but are able to store significant amounts of carbon relative to their surface area. Mangrove forests are amongst the most effective ecosystems for carbon sequestration. Soil emits (GHGs) containing carbon (such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4)), which are produced by organic matter decomposition and soil organic carbon mineralization, and both are an important component of the global carbon cycle. Soil emissions may be affected by a variety of factors including …

Review Of Agricultural Biomass Burning And Its Impact On Air Quality In The Continental United States Of America, Sai Deepak Pinakana, Amit U. Raysoni, Alqamah Sayeed, Juan L. Gonzalez, Owen Temby, Dawid K. Wladyka, Katarzyna Sepielak

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Burning is a common method to dispose agricultural biomass residue. This practice is widely used by farmers during pre- and post-harvest seasons for crops such as wheat, rice, grass seed, soy, cotton, sugarcane, and corn. Farmers choose this method because it is cost and time effective. These burning activities emit several types of pollutants into the atmosphere, including CH4, SOx, NOx, CO, CO2, and particulate matter of different sizes (i.e., PM1, PM2.5 and PM10). Globally, the United States of America ranks third, preceded by China and India, in greenhouse gas emissions due to agricultural burning activities. According to the 2020 …

Urban Soil Compaction Remediation By Shallow Tillage And Compost In Hydroseeded Lawn, James Jihoon Kang, Adam Flores, Engil Isadora Pujol Pereira, Jungseok Ho

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Construction activities often involve removal of topsoil and compaction of the exposed soil by heavy equipments. Such compacted soils with low organic matter can lead to low infiltration and poor vegetation establishment. The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of tillage (shallow till) and compost on soil physical and biological properties in a hydroseeded lawn as a post-construction best management practice for soil compaction remediation. The experimental site received a total of four land treatments in five replicated trials and it was hydroseeded with common Bermuda grass: 1) No Tillage + Compost (NT-C), 2) No Tillage + …

Using Bayesian Multispecies Models To Evaluate Fish And Invertebrate Detection Probability And Distribution In The Hypersaline Bahia Grande Tidal Basin, Roy M. Ulibarri, Catherine M. Eckert, David Hicks, David Montagne, Brandon Jones, David R. Stewart

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Objective

In 2000, the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge acquired the Bahia Grande (Texas) management unit, a space that had lain barren and arid for 70 years. A large cooperative partnership launched a restoration project to replenish the basin and recover its original tidal hydrology. In 2005, the construction of a pilot channel successfully restored water throughout the basin, and plans to eventually widen the channel were developed. Our study aims to evaluate an estuarine habitat restoration by assessing ecological drivers and the impacts on species diversity.

Methods

We evaluated species richness, detection/occupancy rates, and species–habitat relationships, and we estimated …

A Pilot Study On Particulate Matter Concentrations From Cooking And Its Effects On Indoor Air Pollution In A Mexican American Household In Mission, South Texas, Usa, Sai Deepak Pinakana, Carlos Garcia Patlan, Esmeralda Mendez, Amit U. Raysoni

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

This pilot study focuses on particulate matter (PM) while cooking in a South Texan household. Dishes such as Beef, Burger, Fish, Chicken, Egg Sandwich, and Hotdog were prepared. Indoor PM levels were compared with outdoor PM levels. A DustTrak DRX was used to monitor the PM released during the cooking process. PM2.5 levels were highest while cooking beef, 162.79 + 209.62 μg m−3. Hot Dog preparation resulted in the lowest PM2.5 concentration of 27.72 + 5.58 μg m−3. Indoor PM2.5 levels were observed to be greater in contrast to outdoor levels when compared to the outdoor levels (96 words).

Amino-Modified Upcycled Biochar Achieves Selective Chromium Removal In Complex Aqueous Matrices, Kenneth Flores, Diego F. Gonzalez, Helia Magali Morales, Arnulfo Mar, Sergi Garcia-Segura, Jorge L. Gardea-Torresdey, Jason Parsons

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Chromium pollution of groundwater sources is a growing global issue, which correlates with various anthropogenic activities. Remediation of both the Cr(VI) and Cr(III), via adsorption technologies, has been championed in recent years due to ease of use, minimal energy requirements, and the potential to serve as a highly sustainable remediation technology. In the present study, a biochar sorbent sourced from pineapple skins, allowed for the upcycling of agricultural waste into water purification technology. The biochar material was chemically modified, through a green amination method, to produce an efficient and selective adsorbent for the removal of both Cr(VI) and Cr(III) from …

Biotechnology For Sustainable Materials: Innovating Today For A Greener Tomorrow, Shashi Kant Bhatia, Saurabh Bhatia, Maria Eugenia Inda-Webb, Konstantina Kourmentza, Tae Seok Moon, Vijai Singh, Vishal Ahuja, Jingbo Li, Sanjeet Mehariya, Jikai Zhao

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Soil Carbon Sequestration Efforts In Arid And Semi-Arid Climates Under Conservation Agriculture And Reforestation, Samantha Lynn Colunga

Theses and Dissertations

Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a vital role in the global carbon cycle and aids in climate change mitigation. However, deforestation and intensive agricultural practices threaten topsoil and carbon (C) pools through soil disturbances releasing vast amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) by enhancing the decomposition of organic materials. Degraded soils typically lack stable aggregates, nutrient and water retention, and overall low fertility. In arid and semi-arid regions, soils are in an even more dire situation, as low precipitation and high temperatures slow down the accumulation of SOC. This thesis has two objectives: 1) to evaluate whether conservation tillage practices increase …

Year-Round Co2 Emissions From The Drawdown Area Of A Tropical Reservoir: Strong Seasonal And Spatial Variation, Ícaro Barbosa, José R. Paranaíba, Sebastian Sobek, Sarian Kosten, Rafael M. Almeida, Vitor Duque, Natália Mendonça, Nathan Barros, Raquel Mendonça

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Highlights

• Drawdown areas emitted 80% of reservoir CO2 with just 1/5 area.

• Emissions from reservoir shorelines near forests were greater than from areas near grassland.

• CO2 emissions increase with the distance from the water.

• Estimates of reservoir drawdown CO2 flux vary by ∼ 300 % across the seasons examined here.

• There was no discernible difference in CO2 emissions between day and night-time.

• A significant increase in CO2 fluxes was observed 30 min after a rewetting event.

Abstract

A growing body of literature points to drawdown areas as important sources of atmospheric CO2 within reservoirs. Yet seasonal and temporal patterns of …

Disaster Plant Pathology: Smart Solutions For Threats To Global Plant Health From Natural And Human-Driven Disasters, Berea A. Etherton, Robin A. Choudhury, Ricardo I. Alcalá Briseño, Romaric A. Mouafo-Tchinda, Aaron I. Plex Sulá, Manoj Choudhury, Ashish Adhikari, Si Lin Lei, Nattapol Kraisitudomsook, Jacobo Robledo Buritica

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Disaster plant pathology addresses how natural and human-driven disasters impact plant diseases, and the requirements for smart management solutions. Local to global drivers of plant disease change in response to disasters, often creating environments more conducive to plant disease. Most disasters have indirect effects on plant health through factors such as disrupted supply chains and damaged infrastructure. There is also the potential for direct effects from disasters, such as pathogen or vector dispersal due to floods, hurricanes, and human migration driven by war. Pulse stressors such as hurricanes and war require rapid responses, while press stressors such as climate change …