Earth Sciences Commons^™

Geology And Geophysics Of The Mogollon Mining District And The Bearwallow Mountain 7.5 Minute Quadrangle, Catron County, New Mexico, Charles Frost Hoffman

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The Mogollon Mining District and the Bearwallow Mountain 7.5-minute quadrangle are located in southwestern New Mexico, and are comprised of mid-Tertiary volcanic rocks that were the result of voluminous eruptions within the Mogollon-Datil Volcanic Field. This thesis aims to better understand the geology and structure of the Bearwallow Mountain 7.5-minute quadrangle and the Mogollon Mining District, and to analyze the use of Very Low Frequency electromagnetic techniques to delineate buried structures in volcanic terranes. I use Very Low Frequency electromagnetic methods and field mapping to evaluate the effectiveness of the method, and to better understand the geology and ore bodies …

Socioeconomic Analyses Of Renewable Energy Options For Sub-Saharan Africa : A Regional And National Approach, Sydney Oluoch

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The energy demands of future Sub Saharan African (SSA) economies will be primarily driven by population and economic development. The expected primary challenge will be meeting the increased energy demands while mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This can be achieved by reducing dependence on fossil fuels and transitioning towards renewable sources of energy. This dissertation aims at assessing renewable energy options for SSA through three primary objectives. First, we provided insight into the scope, trends, and focus of renewable energy research in SSA by quantitatively reviewing scientific articles. The approach allowed us to determine the geographical scope, different types of …

Comparative Geochemical Analysis Of Ordovician And Mississippian Cherts In Relation To The Northern Arkansas And The Tri-State Mississippi Valley-Type Ore Districts, Jonathan T. Chick

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It has been hypothesized that Ordovician, Mississippian, and younger carbonate and clastic formations found within the Ouachita Basin of west-central Arkansas and northward onto the Ozark Dome have experienced interaction with hydrothermal fluids due to tectonic forces produced by the Ouachita Orogeny. Lead (Pb) isotope analyses and resulting values produced through previous and concurrent geochemical studies of several formations indicate that the Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) ores were produced from a mixing and cooling of these sedimentary basinal brines by meteoric or connate waters. Reduction of sulfate to sulfide is one of the possible mechanisms by which MVT ore precipitation may …

Spatial Analysis Of Soil Creep Rates On Mount Sequoyah, Fayetteville Arkansas, Amy Suzanne Morris

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mount Sequoyah in Fayetteville, Arkansas, is a part of the Boston Mountains, which are considered a deeply dissected plateau. The area is prone to mass wasting, which is the general downslope movement of sediments, soils, and rock through different processes that cause instabilities along a hillslope, and in its soil and loose rubble mantle. For this study, we looked at soil creep, which is the small-scale movement of soil downhill because of gravity, wetting and drying cycles, and heating and cooling cycles.

By measuring the tilt of utility poles, we determined multiple causes of soil creep. The variables that are …

Soil Microbial Diversity And Litter Decomposition Increase With Time Since Land Use Disturbance In Tropical Montane Forests Of Malaysian Borneo, Renee Sniegocki

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Logging and forest conversion are occurring at alarming rates in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. These disturbances alter soil chemistry, microbial diversity, and disrupt carbon cycling through shifts in litter decomposition. Direct links between microbial diversity and soil properties such as pH are well established; however, the indirect impacts of logging and forest conversion on microbial diversity and litter decomposition are poorly understood. We used surface (5 cm) soil to assess soil physicochemical properties, next-generation DNA sequencing to assess soil microbial diversity, and standardized litterbags to assess litter decomposition stabilization at five sites along a land use disturbance gradient …

Understanding Ice Mixtures Under Pluto Simulated Conditions And Their Implications For Geophysical Processes, Caitlin Joannah Ahrens

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

New Horizons at Pluto has given the planetary science community the first images of Pluto’s surface, including geologic wonders and compositional variability. Methane, nitrogen, and carbon monoxide make up the bulk of the volatile plutonian surface along with water ice. In this work, these three main volatiles are specifically investigated in the laboratory setting to understand the spectral properties and behavior of binary and ternary mixtures. The spectra are taken in the near-infrared wavelengths (1 – 2.5 µm) using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy techniques utilizing the Pluto Simulation Chamber housed at the University of Arkansas, which can reach conditions …

Struvite Behavior And Effects As A Fertilizer-Phosphorus Source Among Arkansas Soils, Ryder Shaw Anderson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Phosphorus (P) is a fundamental element that is involved in many essential biological processes in all forms of life and is a major component in commercial fertilizers. Traditional P fertilizers are derived from rock phosphate (RP), which is limited in supply and expected to be depleted over the next 250 years. Phosphorus recovery technology has been an area of recent interest due to the potential food security risk of traditional RP-derived fertilizer-P sources. Magnesium ammonium phosphate (MgNH4PO4 · 6H2O), which is the mineral struvite, is a wastewater-recovered mineral that has gained attention as a potential sustainable fertilizer-P source. The primary …

Core And Geophysical Analysis Of Biogenic Tufa Deposits In The Spring River In Northern Arkansas, Tyler W. Engelbart

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The Spring River is fed by Mammoth Spring, a large spring on the Missouri-Arkansas border which produces roughly 240 million gallons of water per day (MGD). In this area there are deposits that appear as dams which cause water to pool upstream. Aerial analysis of the dams shows that there are approximately 100 of these features present in the first 45 miles downstream of Mammoth Spring. These deposits, known as tufa, are not uncommon in a karstic area of a spring fed river, but these are more frequent farther downriver than near the mouth of the spring. Preliminary mapping data …

An Introduction To “Microbial Biogeochemistry: A Special Issue Of Aquatic Geochemistry Honoring Mark Hines”, W. Berry Lyons, David J. Burdige

OES Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) This issue of Aquatic Geochemistry is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Mark E. Hines (Fig. 1) and his contributions to the fields of microbial biogeochemistry and aquatic geochemistry. Mark passed away in March of 2018, and through his career as a researcher, teacher, mentor, colleague, and university administrator, he greatly influenced the lives of all around him. We hope that this volume will serve not only as a memory of Mark, but also as a way to recognize his significant influences and major contributions in the fields of carbon, sulfur, and trace element biogeochemistry.

The Australian Pastures Genebank, Steve Hughes

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Australian grazing enterprises, including all food and fibre productions, as well as crop rotation, are worth $42 billion per annum to the Australian economy, employing around 693,000 Australian workers. Australia has been a major beneficiary from the introduction and utilization of genetic resources in pasture and forages. Assured access to plant genetic diversity underpins Australia’s ability to maintain agricultural productivity in the face of environmental and economic challenges.

Australia is custodian of potentially the world’s largest and globally significant collection of pasture and forage genetic resources. Much of this is unique and held in state-based collections and represents an invaluable …

The Landscape As A Unit For Rangeland Inventory In Arid And Semi-Arid Regions Of Iran (Case Studies: Touran Biosphere Reserve And Behkadaye Rajinia Development Project), Mansour Mesdaghi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Severe land fragmentation, degradation, and pollution problems will force us to think about a rural community and research group in Iran to combine our experiences and skills to deal with the challenges of improving land use sustainability (Bosch at el.1995; Mesdaghi, 1993). Planning rangeland inventory requiring recognition of the ecological processes operating at different scales and their particular characteristics (Friedel and Laycock, 1995).

In ancient countries like Persia (Iran), past land use suggests that rangelands exploitation by local herders was co-adapted with natural environments (Nyerges, 1980; Mesdaghi, 1993). Iranian rangelands, however, were nationalized through the land reforming and the …

Livestock Grazing In India: Policy Issues, M. M. Roy

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The grazing/range lands have been very important in India since ancient times when cattle breeding and milk production was regarded as the second most important profession, next only to agriculture. However, during last five decades increasing domestic animal population has placed enormous grazing pressure on such lands, leading to grassland deterioration and desertification especially in arid and semiarid regions (GOI, 2007; Kala, 2009).

Still, grazing based livestock play an important role in rural economy of the as well over 50 per cent of them depend on grazing (of varying degrees) in forests, community lands and other lands in many parts …

Cplr And Water Resource Utilization By Livestock Farmers In Different Ecosystems Of India, Purushottam Sharma, Sadhna Pandey, R. K. Sharma, J. P. Upadhyay, Satyapriya, A. K. Ray, Nagaratna Biradar, S. Radotra

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The common property resources comprises of all such resources that are meant for common use of the villagers including all resources. The National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO), 1999 in its report defines CPRs as “Resources accessible to and collectively owned\held\managed by an identifiable community and on which no individual has exclusive property rights are called common property resources”. Over the time, there has been gradual decline in CPRs availability to the villagers. The CPRs play an important role in the livelihood of resource poor farmers. According to NSSO, 1999, the percentage of Common Property Land Resources in total geographical area, …

Livestock And Local Development: Going To A New Human-Animal Relationship, Jean François Tourrand, Laurent Dobremez, Benoit Dedieu, Guillaume Duteurtre, Marie Gabrielle Piketty, Philippe Lescoat, Bernard Hubert

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Along the last ten years, the French National Agency for Research (ANR) has financed several projects regarding livestock at local and global scale. Five of these projects decided to gather their results in order to better understand the long-term livestock dynamics and the scenarios for the future. Research actions have been developed in fifteen sites in diverse biomes located in seven countries of Europe, Africa, America and Asia. Review of literature and preliminary data collected in the sites showed the high complexity of the livestock dynamics. For example, in some cases, intensification of the livestock farming systems regards land. In …

Community Pasture Development As An Approach To Common Property Resources Management In Rajasthan, India, Jayprakash Sharma

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Semiarid areas of the state of Rajasthan have community lands in almost every village. Most of them are grouped under wastelands and are usually covered with coarse grasses such as Dichanthium, Cenchrus and Lasiurus. Grass growth on these lands faces constraints such as extreme temperatures, steep slope, variable precipitation and scarcity of water in general. Land degradation has created tremendous pressure on increasing livestock, especially the goat population. As pasture management and enhancement of productivity of improved grasses were key factors to sustain livestock through common property resource management, BAIF Development Research Foundation, a rural development organization, implemented projects …

Conservation Prioritization Of Semi-Arid Savannas In India: A Multi-Scale Landscape Approach, Abi Tamim Vanak

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The semi-arid savanna grasslands of peninsular India are unique habitats that support a vast proportion of Indiaís agropastoralist community. They are also home to critically endangered species such as the Great Indian bustard and other endangered and endemic species such as the Indian wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) and blackbuck antelope (Antilope cervicapra). Unfortunately, savanna grasslands have not received the attention of conservationists or policy makers, resulting in a lack of protection for both the endangered and endemic wildlife as well as the habitat. Given the high human-dependence on these biomes, traditional conservation measures such as large protected areas are not …

Enhancing The Productivity Of Grassland And Wasteland Through Management In Hills, Jaideep Kumar Bisht

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Total area available for grazing in the country is about 40% of the land area. Pasture lands constitute the main grazing resources of the country, available over an area of 12 million ha (3.94% of the geographical area). An idea of the meager fodder availability can be had from the fact that about 50% of the cattle population, depending largely upon free rangeland grazing in forests, pastures, village commons and the like, end up getting only about 1.5 kg of dry fodder/ day/ ACU (Adult Cattle Unit) as against the healthy fodder requirement norm of 3% body weight. The grasslands …

Remediation Strategies To Reduce Heavy Metal Uptake In Lettuce Grown In Contaminated Urban Soil, Ryley Thomas

UCARE: Research Products

Urban soils are increasingly used to produce food for local consumption, which requires at the same time management strategies that prevent the plant uptake of potentially present contaminants. This study was conducted to test different soil amendments for their ability to retain lead (Pb) and arsenic (As) within the soil matrix. The analyzed soil was taken from a potential community garden lot near a railroad in Lincoln, NE where elevated concentrations in Pb and As had been detected. Ponderosa pine biochar and spent coffee grounds were used as soil additives because of their documented chemical reactivity towards soil cations or …

Investigating The Effects Of Sea-Level Rise And Increasing Salinity On Procambarus Lunzi Of Sapelo Island, Georgia, Samuel Long

Biology Theses

Barrier islands have great ecological and economical importance and face a threat from increasing sea-level due to climate change. Erosion of existing freshwater lens and ocean inundation could greatly change freshwater availability on the island. This could have significant impacts on freshwater crayfish like Procambarus lunzi, which are complexly intertwined into the trophic food web of the island. This study’s goal was to investigate the salinity tolerance of this crayfish on Sapelo Island, Georgia, in an attempt to predict the possible effects and response to sea-level rise by this crayfish. Crayfish were wild-caught from the island in March, June, and …

Participatory Pasture Development In Hot Arid Region Of India, Arun Kumar Misra, R. P. Singh, Ram Narayan Kumawat, Mavji Patidar, M. M. Roy

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Livestock production is one of the main occupations of resource-poor and resource-rich people living in India’s arid regions, and common grazing lands have always played a major role in livestock based livelihood systems, as around 50% of animals depend on grazing (Misra et al, 2015). According to the National Sample Survey Organization, common property land resources constitute about 15% of the total geographical area of India, of which 23% is community pasture and grazing lands and 16% have been classified as village forests and woodlots (NSSO, 1999). At another level, India has the largest livestock population in the world, …

Feasibility Of Buffalo Rearing On Pasture In Tropical Climate Of Andaman And Nicobar Islands, M. S. Kundu, A. Kundu, S. Dam Roy

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Andaman and Nicobar group of Islands form the Southern most tip of the Indian subcontinent, located (6-14° N latitude and 92-94°E longitude) in the South Eastern part of the Bay of Bengal .There are 572 Islands of which only 37 are currently inhabited. The Islands are beautiful and unique. The indigenous plants, animals, livestock, and marine life contribute to uniqueness of these Islands. The total livestock population has increased to many fold from meager 38.6 thousand in 1961 to 154.75 thousand in 2012. The buffalo constitute 5.08 per cent of the livestock of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The buffaloes …

Landscape-Scale Patterns Of Fire And Drought On The High Plains, Usa, Paulette L. Ford, Charles Jackson, Matthew Reeves, Benjamin Bird, David Turner

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

We examine 31 years (1982-2012) of temperature, precipitation and natural wildfire occurrence data for Federal and Tribal lands to determine landscape-scale patterns of drought and fire on the southern and central High Plains of the western United States. The High Plains states of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming have been in the midst of ongoing extreme drought, experiencing below normal precipitation and above normal temperatures for the past several years. Climate change is predicted to have multiple effects on fire regimes. Longer periods of drought conditions, coupled with hot, dry and windy weather, provide …

Traditional Conservation Of Buffalo Breed By Pastoralists Through Maintaining Of Grassland Ecosystem, Banni-Kachchh, Gujarat-India, P. N. Joshi, Ramesh Bhatti, Sabyasachi Das

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Banni region, situated at 23019’N to 23052’N to 68056’E to70032’E, comprises around 25,00 sq.km area under Bhuj taluka of Kutch district of Gujarat state, is home of Muslim nomadic pastoralists and Meghwal Hindus. Banni is situated in Arid climate, with high temperature in most of time which reached maximum up to 480C -500C during May June. Pastoral community, call themselves Maldhari, in Banni region depends on Banni Grassland for the raring of their livestock mainly Banni Buffalo which registered as 11th buffalo breed of India in 2011. Maldharis even rearing unique Kankarej Cattle for Milk Production and selling bullocks …

Sediment Outflow Under Simulated Rainfall Conditions With Varying Geotechnical Properties, Pranjay Joshi, Akhilesh Kumar, P. V. Singh, Jahangeer Jahangeer

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

The vulnerability of soil toward erosion might be reduced by having a good vegetative cover over the soil surface, slope improvement, and improving soil properties so that it is not easily detached and transported. However, the establishment of proper vegetative cover is a long process because it takes time for seeds to germinate and attain maturity. As an alternative approach, if soil resistance was increased by increasing the shear strength of soil against erosive forces offered by eroding agents, the soil system would become capable of withstanding the detachment of its particles on the application of shear stress. To achieve …

Earth Observation And Cloud Computing In Support Of Two Sustainable Development Goals For The River Nile Watershed Countries, Wenzhao Li, Hesham El-Askary, Venkat Lakshmi, Thomas Piechota, Daniele Struppa

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

In September 2015, the members of United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with universal applicability of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets. The SDGs are consequential for the development of the countries in the Nile watershed, which are affected by water scarcity and experiencing rapid urbanization associated with population growth. Earth Observation (EO) has become an important tool to monitor the progress and implementation of specific SDG targets through its wide accessibility and global coverage. In addition, the advancement of algorithms and tools deployed in cloud computing platforms provide an equal opportunity to use EO …

Amritmahal: Need For Conserving The Living Pastoral Heritage Of Karnataka, Jahnavi G. Pai, Manohar Patel, Vinay K. Sreeniva

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Karnataka is home to the biodiversity-rich Western Ghats with its range of habitats spanning from scrub forest in the lower elevations to the wet evergreen forests in the higher elevations. In stark visual contrast, the Deccan Plateau is blanketed by arid plains dominated by scrub jungles and dry grasslands. These plains are a melting pot of rich biodiversity, culture and associated traditional knowledge. They have also been important centres for breeding livestock and have supported local livelihoods. In spite of this cultural and ecological importance, these arid plains, especially grasslands with sparse woody vegetation, are increasingly being termed as wastelands. …

The Significance Of Nomadic Pastoralism For Sustaining Soil Fertility In Northern Karnataka, India, Athani B., Gopikrishna, N. Kuruba

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Pastoralist groups in India, including the Raika of Rajasthan, Pullikulum cattle breeders in Tamil Nadu, and groups such as the Dhangar, Kuruba and Kuruma of the Deccan Plateau realize a major proportion of their income from penning their herds and flocks on farmers’ fields. Focusing on shepherds from Northern Karnataka, this paper makes a first attempt at calculating the impact of penning on livelihoods, soil fertility and the national economy.

Golla--The Semi Nomadic Pastoralists And Small Animal Bioconservationists Of Odisha, India Produce Animal Proteins From Minimum To Maximum For Many, Balaram Sahu

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Golla, the nomadic pastoralists of Odisha, is one of the ancient nomadic pastoralists of southeastern part of India. In the state of Odisha, Golla are found in districts of Ganjam, Gajapati and to some extent in Nayagrah district. In Ganjam and Gajapati, the Golla are mostly present in different villages, locally called as “Golla Gaon” means Golla village.

The Golla rears goats and sheep by practicing migration through natural grass and pasturelands. The people of Golla community are generally illiterate, hard working, enduring, brave and efficient traditional healers of small ruminants. The practice of migration, not only …

Mitigating Policy Measures To Increase Fodder Availabilty In Natural Calamities Situations, Om Singh

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Though the availability of feed and fodder has improved in the last decade, still there exists a substantial gap between demand and availability of fodder in the country, particularly during the lean periods and at the time of natural calamities including droughts and or flood situations. Availability of adequate quantity of feed and fodder for livestock is essential for improving livestock productivity. Under the Rasthriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), the States have sufficient funds and autonomy to undertake development of feed and fodder besides other agricultural and allied activities. There is a need to disseminate the benefits of using high …

Policy Perspective For Grassland Based Integrated Farming System: Innovation & Challenges In Indian Context, Kamal Kumar Datta, Soumitra Chowdhury, Madhu Mohini

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Indian agriculture is increasingly getting influenced more and more by economic factors. This needs not be surprising because irrigation expansion, infrastructure development, penetration of rural markets, development and spread of short duration and drought resistant crop technologies have all contributed to minimizing the role of non-economic factors in crop choice for even small farmers. Both at micro and macro level, the picture of livestock sector is very much disintegrated where growth is mainly from fishery and meat production and not from milk production. The common perception that animal rearing is not as remunerative as poultry or fishery seems to be …