Earth Sciences Commons^™

Soil Resilience And Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi: How Fungi Can Inform Climate Change Mitigation And Adaptation In Maya Milpa Management, Courtney Mathers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In Mexico’s state of Yucatán, climate change impacts like prolonged and less predictable dry season length are manifesting as threats to agricultural production and food security. Nearly two thirds of Yucatán’s population is indigenous, many of whom live in rural communities that rely on rainfed subsistence agriculture (INEGI 2015). Ensuring sufficient food production in the face of climate change relies on the quality of agricultural soils. With both mismanagement of agricultural soils and climate change posing as threats to food production in Mexico, soil management practices that increase a soil quality should be identified and promoted. The primary objective of …

Response Of Soil Biochemical And Physical Properties To Long Term Prairie Cordgrass And Kura Clover Intercropping System, Vaishnavi Varikuti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prairie cordgrass (Spartina pectinata) (PCG) is a warm-season perennial grass that can be used as a biofuel feedstock and can be grown on marginal lands. Previous studies on intercropping of a perennial legume i.e., kura clover (Trifolium ambiguum) (KC) with PCG can improve soil biochemical properties, increase biomass production, mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while reducing the chemical fertilizer requirement. However, there is a lack of evidence about the effects of PCG production on soil biochemical and physical properties during the cropping season and at deeper soil depths in reference to support plant growth, environmental implications and enhance the soil …

The Significance Of A New 11,000-Year Volcanic Record From The South Pole And Inferences From Comparisons With Other Volcanic Records, Derek Lee Brandis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Snow accumulation at the polar regions of the planet preserves chemical substances from the atmosphere creating natural archives. Records of the atmospheric environment including atmospheric chemical composition and the climate can be reconstructed from ice cores from the polar ice sheets. Sulfur emitted by explosive volcanic eruptions is preserved as sulfate in polar snow and can be used to reconstruct the record of volcanic eruptions. Since large volcanic eruptions impact the environment and climate, records of volcanic eruptions from ice cores can help us to study and understand climate change and model the future climate environment. A 1750-m ice core …

Machine-Learning And Meta-Analysis Techniques To Quantify And Predict Soil Organic Carbon, N2O-N And Co2-C Emissions In Cover Crop Systems, Deepak Raj Joshi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

People worldwide are challenged by multiple threats including climate change, growing populations, and soil degradation. Addressing these challenges requires understanding of the local environment, farming systems and modern technologies. These technologies include new ways to process information that include artificial intelligence, machine learning and meta-analysis. Models produced using these technologies may be useful for predicting the consequences of implementing conservation practices that reduce GHG emissions as well as for determining the carbon footprint of cropping systems that include environmentally friendly conservation technologies such as growing cover crop. Therefore, our objectives of this study were to: 1) provide an overview of …

Effects Of Conservation Management Practices On Soil Health And Crop Yields In Eastern South Dakota, Alex Mclain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Conservation management practice adoption on agricultural land has increased in recent years due to increasing public and private investment. The anticipated impact of increasing conservation management practice adoption are reduced greenhouse gas emissions and improved soil, water, and air quality. Understanding how these conservation management practices affect agricultural producers economically is vital to properly incentivize these practices. The existing literature on how conservation management practices affect soil health and crop yields is mixed and generally has been conducted on experimental research stations. These studies may not fully account for the on-farm effects of conservation management practices. The objectives of this …

Phosphorus Use And Management Based On Fertilizer Placement, Rate Of Application, And Soil Biota In No-Till Situations, Brennan Alexander Bingham Lewis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phosphorus (P) pollution has become a concern among multiple scientific organizations as it leads to eutrophication, an algal bloom that depletes lacustrine and marine ecosystems of native species. Multiple strategies can be implemented to reduce phosphorus loss from agriculture fields, which is often implicated as a cause of eutrophication. Soil phosphorus chemistry results in phosphate fertilizers absorbing to clay minerals over time. Soil phosphorus is lost from agricultural fields primarily through wind and water erosion. No-till practices prevent soil erosion, which reduces the phosphorus from loading into waterways. Fertilizer placement affects phosphorus loss. Surface application of phosphorus fertilizers increases the …

Soil Hydro-Physical Properties, Computed Tomography Measured Pore Parameters, And Soil Health Indicators As Influenced By Tillage And Crop Rotation Systems, Goutham Thotakuri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Long-term tillage and crop rotation systems are important agricultural management practices as these can have direct impact on the soil’s key properties. The objectives of this study were to (ⅰ) quantify the soil pore characteristics under long-term tillage and crop rotation using X-ray computed tomography (XCT) and to assess the relationships between XCT-measured pore parameters and soil hydro-physical properties; and (ⅱ) evaluate the impacts of long-term tillage and crop rotation on select soil health indicators. The objective (ⅰ) was carried out at Haskell Agricultural Laboratory (HAL), Concord, NE; and objective (ⅰi) was carried out at South Central Agricultural Laboratory (SCAL), …

It's Not Just No-Till: Crop Rotations Are Key To Improving Soil Quality And Grain Yields At Dakota Lakes Research Farm, Natalie Sturm

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No-till is increasingly promoted as a vital agricultural practice to address the challenge of improving soil quality while maintaining the ability to produce food, feed, fuel, and fiber. However, questions remain regarding 1) how different crop rotations impact soil quality under no-till management specifically and 2) whether significant improvements in soil quality can be made without negatively impacted crop yields. In this study, we demonstrate that even under the same long-term no-till management, differences in grain yields and soil biological, chemical, and physical properties exist between crop rotations at Dakota Lakes Research Farm in central South Dakota. We propose that …

Combining Soil Health And Fertility Measurements To Improve The Accuracy Of Predicting Corn Grain Yield Responses To P And K Fertilization, Benjamin Groebner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have pointed to changes in climate and land management practices to justify the need to reevaluate the accuracy of current South Dakota (SD) corn (Zea mays L.) P and K fertilizer recommendations. Also, an increase in soil health understanding has created the potential for soil health measurements to be used to improve the accuracy of these recommendations. The objectives for this study were to 1) evaluate the current P and K critical values and 2) determine the effect of including soil health indicators on improving fertilizer recommendation accuracy. This project was conducted throughout central and eastern SD from 2019-2021 …

Northern Great Plains Saline Sodic Soil Development, Classification, Remediation, And Management., Shaina Westhoff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Soil salinity and sodicity are issues of growing concern in the United States (U.S.) and globally. Knowledge gaps for glaciated, dryland salt-affected soils exist because much original salinity and sodicity research focused on irrigated systems. Land managers are being asked to produce food, feed, fiber, and fuel for an expanding global population. The number of land managers and crop advisors who are affected by these soils is increasing. Addressing salinity and sodicity knowledge gaps will be critical for their success. Salinity and sodicity have been impeding crop productivity since the advent of cultivation. Saline and sodic soils form via multiple …

Stratigraphic Analysis Of The Capps Limestone In The North Norton Oil Field In Runnels County, Texas, William Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Desmoinesian (Middle Pennsylvanian) Capps Limestone Member of the Mineral Wells Formation is a carbonate reservoir located in North Central Texas. It consists of interbedded limestone, sandstone, and shale units. Much of the Capps Limestone exists in the subsurface of Brown, Coleman, Runnels, Coke, Nolan, and Taylor counties, however, the Capps Limestone outcrops on the surface in Brown, Eastland, and Palo Pinto counties.

The cored interval from Runnels County was deposited in a marginal marine environment during the Middle Pennsylvanian Period. Although the Capps Limestone was first described in the 1890s, there is still much to be discovered about its …

Distinguishing Mustela From Neogale (Mustelidae) Through Both A Qualitative And Quantitative Analysis Of Skull And Tooth Morphology, Ronald W. Peery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Weasels and mink (Mustela and Neogale) can be difficult to distinguish osteologically due to similarities in morphology, thus suggesting the need for an accurate tool in distinguishing among taxa. This study utilized a combination of character state and stepwise discriminant function (DFA) analyses to examine potential distinguishing features of skull and tooth morphology. Measurements and ratios were collected from all 18 extant musteline species, as well as the extinct Neovison macrodon, Mustela rexroadensis, Mustela meltoni, Mustela gazini, and Mustela jacksoni. Unidentified musteline specimens from the Gray Fossil Site were also included. Results of …

Soil Gypsum Content Analysis Of The Proposed Road Route Extension Of Fm 2185 In The Gypsum Plain, Culberson County, Texas, Chikaodili Ohakawa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Soils serve as the underlying substrate on which foundations for most structures are built. The properties of a soil type are therefore an important consideration in building engineered structures. Gypsic soils are problematic for construction of such structures. One of the main problems with gypsic soils is dissolution. Gypsum (CaSO₄·2H₂O) in soils dissolves easily creating voids which can be detrimental to the integrity of engineering structures. To mitigate this, it is important to determine the amount of gypsum present in soils, before construction is initiated.

In this study, three methods were employed in the determination of …

Detailed Structural And Stratigraphic Analysis Of The Salt-Sediment Interactions On Top Of The Wheeler Dome Salt Tongue, Mississippi Canyon Area, Gulf Of Mexico, Ryan Jaska

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Mississippi Canyon is in the northeastern part of the Gulf of Mexico, south of the state of Mississippi. In this area, there are many different salt structures present including salt canopies, diapirs, and salt pillows. The Callovian aged Louann Salt covers this area and is the cause of many of the salt structures and structures of the overlying formations seen in Gulf of Mexico today. Salt is mobile when subjected to stress from overlying sediment and gravity. Stress will force the salt to not only move upward, but to also move down slope deeper into adjacent basins through the …

Impacts Of Oil And Gas Wastes On Landfill Leachate, Sewage Treatment Plants, And The Environment, Lauren Badertscher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Between January 2011 and March 2021 oil and gas wells in Pennsylvania produced

305,637,795 barrels of liquid waste and 6,992,957 tons of solid waste with the majority from

Marcellus Shale unconventional wells. This waste is not considered hazardous and over 89% of

the solid waste generated by unconventional and conventional oil and gas extraction has been

disposed of in landfills over the past decade. This study examined trends in the quantity of waste

produced and methods of disposal. Landfills accepting this waste were identified and their

general method of leachate treatment, using onsite facilities or offsite at wastewater treatment

plants, …

Develop A Multi-Functional Green Pervious Concrete (Mgpc) Pavement With Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (Pahs) Removal Function., Hong Shang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stormwater runoff induced Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) contaminant increasingly imperils the groundwater quality and the sustainable development of human society due to the potential carcinogenic risks. Pavement can be considered as the first line of defense for contaminant removal of the stormwater runoff. New construction materials with stormwater runoff quantity and quality control are in urgent demand for updating the existing pavement system. An innovative material called Multi-functional Green Pervious Concrete (MGPC) was developed in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at University of Louisville. This material uses organoclay as the amendment to enhance the PAHs removal capacity of …

Spatial Analyses Of Gray Fossil Site Vertebrate Remains: Implications For Depositional Setting And Site Formation Processes, David Carney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project uses exploratory 3D geospatial analyses to assess the taphonomy of the Gray Fossil Site (GFS). During the Pliocene, the GFS was a forested, inundated sinkhole that accumulated biological materials between 4.9-4.5 mya. This deposit contains fossils exhibiting different preservation modes: from low energy lacustrine settings to high energy colluvial deposits. All macro-paleontological materials have been mapped in situ using survey-grade instrumentation. Vertebrate skeletal material from the site is well-preserved, but the degree of skeletal articulation varies spatially within the deposit. This analysis uses geographic information systems (GIS) to analyze the distribution of mapped specimens at different spatial scales. …

Using An Inventory Of Unstable Slopes To Prioritize Probabilistic Rockfall Modeling And Acid Base Accounting In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Thomas A. O'Shea

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An inventory of unstable slopes along transportation corridors and performance modeling are important components of geotechnical asset management in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM). Hazards and risk were assessed for 285 unstable slopes along 151 miles of roadway. A multi-criteria model was created to select fourteen sites for two-dimensional probabilistic rockfall simulations and Acid Base Accounting (ABA) tests. Simulations indicate that rock material would likely enter the roadway at all fourteen sites. ABA test results indicate that influence of significant acid-producing potential is generally confined to slaty rocks of the Anakeesta Formation and graphitic schist of the Wehutty Formation. …

Isotopic Analysis And Mobility Mapping Of Mammuthus Columbi From The Mammoth Site In South Dakota, Matthew Harrington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, South Dakota preserves a unique death assemblage of sub-adult and adult male Columbian mammoths (Mammuthus columbi). Extensive work on the site has led to a detailed understanding of the taphonomy of the assemblage; yet the life histories and ecology of these mammoths remain relatively unknown. Tooth enamel from four Mammoth Site mammoth individuals were bulk sampled with one of the individuals (MSL 742) also serially micro-sampled for 𝛿¹³C, 𝛿¹⁸O, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr. Isotopic results indicate that MSL 742 remained within the southern and western Black Hills …

Analysis And Risk Estimation Of High Priority Unstable Rock Slopes In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee And North Carolina, Samantha Farmer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) received 12.5 million visitors in 2020. With a high traffic volume, it is imperative roadways remain open and free from obstruction. Annual unanticipated rockfall events in GRSM often obstruct traffic flow. Using the Unstable Slope Management Program for Federal Land Management Agencies (USMP for FLMA) protocols, this study analyzes high priority unstable rock slopes through 1) creation of an unstable slope geodatabase and 2) generation of a final rockfall risk model using Co-Kriging from a preliminary risk model and susceptibility model. A secondary goal of this study is to provide risk estimation for the …

The Effects Of Prescribed Burning On Soil Water Infiltration Rates And Other Select Soil Physical And Chemical Properties In East Texas, Cassady Pennington Dunson, Brian P. Oswald, Kenneth Farrish, Tyson Hart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on whether prescribed burning affects soil physical and chemical properties, especially water infiltration, in Western Gulf Coast forests. Soil water infiltration rates were measured 1) pre-burn (before the fire), 2) post-burn (one month after the fire), and 3) at vegetation green-up (three months after the fire). Soil samples were also collected to determine the effects of prescribed burning on soil pH, bulk density, particle density, pore space, soil strength, O-horizon weight and depth (organic matter), water stable aggregates, and soil fertility. This project was conducted on two different burn intervals. The National Forests and Grasslands of Texas …

Mineralogical Restrictions On Porosity In The Taylor Sand Of The Cotton Valley Group, Northern Louisiana Salt Basin, Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, Kaleb C. Mcclain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Cotton Valley Group has been targeted for hydrocarbons since the 1940s. However, the reservoir was initially considered uneconomical to drill due to its low permeability and porosity. Since then, recent technological advances in hydraulic fracturing have allowed the Cotton Valley Sandstone members to become prolific, profitable plays, renewing interest in drilling and exploration across the northwest/northern Louisiana region.

In this research, mineralogical restrictions on the porosity in the Lower Taylor Sand of the Cotton Valley Group were studied from core (10,035’ft/3,059m -10,150’ft/3,094m) from Blackburn Field, northwest Claiborne Parish. Twelve samples were taken at intervals throughout the Taylor Sand, starting …

Precambrian Basement Influence On The Deposition Of The Upper Ordovician Utica Shale Play In East Central Ohio, William Kaleb Kirk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Ordovician Utica shale play is a major oil and gas producing interval in the Appalachian Basin. The Utica shale play can be found as far as New York and Canada and to the south into Indiana and Kentucky. The play consists of the Trenton/Lexington limestones, Point Pleasant Formation, and Utica shale. The shallow marine fossiliferous limestones of the Trenton and shallow marine shaley limestones of the Lexington are overlain by an interbedded shale and limestone of the Point Pleasant Formation, which grade into the deeper marine interbedded shales and limey shales of the Utica. These formations are highly heterogeneous, …

Deposition And Diagenesis Of The Blossom Sand, Panola County, Texas, Hannah Chambers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Late Cretaceous Blossom Sand within the Austin Group is a historic gas reservoir in the East Texas basin, located at depths of approximately 2,000 ft below the surface. Since the discovery of the Carthage Field in 1918 in the East Texas Basin, the Blossom Sand has produced approximately 26 BCF of gas with minor amounts of oil. Despite its notoriety in the Carthage Field, there is very little research that has been conducted on this unit, although it crops out in northeast Texas and is found in the subsurface of southwest Arkansas, western Louisiana, and the East Texas Basin. …

Geochemical Characterization Of The Utica Shale Play Using Xrf-Based Chemostratigraphy In Ohio, Barbara Kemeh, Julie M. Bloxson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Utica shale is an extensive gas shale play within the Appalachian Basin, expanding from Quebec through New York, into Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. Currently a target for gas exploration, it is also the source rock for much of the Paleozoic reservoirs throughout the basin. However, the Utica-Point Pleasant lithology varies significantly across the Appalachian Basin which can make it challenging to characterize.

The Utica shale Play consists of the Trenton/Lexington Limestones, Point Pleasant Formation and Utica shale. The Point Pleasant Formation and Utica shale are often grouped together, especially in Ohio because they are difficult to visually distinguish …

Morphology And Paleoecology Of Nimravides Galiani (Felidae) And Barbourofelis Loveorum (Barbourofelidae) From The Late Miocene Of Florida, Christianne Ormsby

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Saber-toothed remains have been found worldwide throughout the Cenozoic, until the end of the Pleistocene. One site from Alachua County, Florida preserves a diverse Miocene fauna, including the machairodontine Nimravides galiani (Felidae) and the saber-toothed Barbourofelis loveorum (Barbourofelidae). Both taxa roamed what would become the Love Bone Bed site during the Late Miocene (Late Clarendonian NALMA), ~ 9.5 Mya. Previous descriptions focused on crania; yet the large sample of postcrania remained undescribed. Hence, this project includes a detailed postcranial description of both taxa. Results show that N. galiani resembles extant felids, whereas B. loveorum resembles Smilodon fatalis, as well …

Gravel Geology And Muskoxen Paleontology Of A Late Pleistocene Fossil Site In Saltville, Virginia, Nickolas A. Brand

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two distinct studies within the Saltville Valley of southwestern Virginia revealed insights into local Pleistocene geology and paleontology. A variety of analytical techniques were applied to gravel deposits within the paleontological site of SV-5/7 that revealed this unit is very poorly sorted, has a subangular matrix, and contains significant components of silt and sand in addition to rounded cobbles. These results suggest that rather than being deposited by fluvial processes as previously suggested, these gravels were likely the result of one or many debris flows. Additionally, the identity of fossil muskoxen from Saltville was reassessed using cranial and dental material. …

Sub-Surface Structural Analysis Of The Appalachian Basin In Morrow County, Ohio, Adrian Isaiah-Sias Valdez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Located in the western most region of the Appalachian Basin, Morrow County, Ohio, was once one of the largest oil-producing regions in the nation and continually produces today. To date, approximately 30 million barrels of oil and 6.5 billion cubic feet of gas have been produced, primarily from the Copper Ridge Dolomite. Past studies suggest that regional remnant doming within the Copper Ridge accounts for production, however it is hypothesized that faulting within the basement rock exerts an important control on trapping and migration of hydrocarbons. In order to gain insight into the underlying structure and the causes of significant …

Characterization And Delineation Of Potential Evaporite Geohazards Using Electrical Resistivity Methods Along Fm 2185, Culberson County, Texas, Lenora Diane Perkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Extensive karst development within the Delaware Basin of West Texas and southeastern New Mexico poses a significant geohazard threat to infrastructure. Dissolution of regional evaporite strata have led to manifestations of karst geohazard phenomena including sinkholes, subsidence features, and caves. The study area is located within the Gypsum Plain in Culberson County, Texas, and includes outcrops of Castile and Rustler strata that host gypsum karst geohazards. Land reconnaissance surveys conducted during the summer of 2019 documented numerous surficial manifestations of karst features proximal to Farm to Market Road 2185 (FM 2185). In combination with traditional survey techniques, electrical resistivity methods …

The Effects Of Saline Soil On Microbiome And The Isolation Of Root-Associated Microbes To Relieve Salinity Stress, Duncan Jakubowski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increasing levels of salinity in once-viable lands for crop production is a serious and growing problem in the Northern Great Plains. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of saline soil on the microbial composition of plant roots and bulk soil, to measure metabolic changes in plant roots from saline soil, to determine the viability of root-associated microbes as inoculants to increase stress tolerance in plants, as well as determine the impact of saline soil on nitrogen cycling genes linked to greenhouse gas production. This study hypothesizes that high soil salinity levels have a significant impact on …