Earth Sciences Commons^™

Influence Of The Nature Of Hay On Its Ingestibility And The Kinetics Of Intake During Large Meals In Sheep And Cows, R Baumont, J P. Brun, J P. Dulphy

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Ingestibility is the quantity of a forage that can be eaten by a standard animal when it is fed ad libitum as the sole feed (INRA, 1978). The eating pattern of ruminants reflects the way in which intake is controlled. The animal eats a large meal when a new batch of forage is distributed ; meals thereafter are small until the next distribution (Dulphy & Faverdin, 1987). To make a closer study of forage ingestibility, it seemed interesting to record the daily pattern of intake and to analyse in detail the large meals, which are 60 to 90 % of …

Relative Palatability Of Some Little-Known Tropical Forage Legumes, R Schultze-Kraft, C Lascano, G Benavides, J M. Gomez

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In preliminary agronomic evaluations some of the little­know legumes recently selected in Southeast Asia have shown good adaptation to an acid, low-fertility Ultisol (CIAT, 1984, 1985). It is recognized that early evaluation of forage species should include an assessment of relative palatability (Joblin, 1962), particularly for tropical legumes where some species have been found to be highly unpalatable to cattle (Warmke et al., 1952). This paper reports on two cafeteria grazing trials conducted to assess the relative palatability of some new Southeast Asian legume germplasm as well as some South American species and ecotypes assumed to be of low palatability.

Fiber Composition Of Successive Cuts Of Lucerne, D Kolarski, J Pavesic-Popovic,, O Krstic, K Koljajic

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The plant cell walls contain lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, fiber bound protein and fiber bound minerals. Their nutritive value is limited by their degree of lignification, while cell con­tents is not limited (Barton et al., 1977). Type and extent oflig­nin-polysaccharide bounding could affect digestion more than amount of lignin (Jung et Fahey, 1983). The purpose of these studies was to determine chemical and fiber composition of four cuts of lucerne (Medicago sativa, CV Kl).

Relationship Between The Mineral Content In Pastures And The Content Of These Elements In Blood Serum In Dairy Cows, A Lachowski, I Kuczynska, W Wojciechowski

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grass tetany, a conditioned Mg deficiency of improper K: (Ca + Mg) ratio is a nutritional problem in various parts of Poland. The aim of the investigations was to determine to what degree the mineral content of grasses in the pastures influenced the mineral content in blood serum in dairy cows. This is very important when the animals are grazing and when cattle slurry is used on grasslands. In the literature we can find opinion con­sidering hypomagnaesemia as a metabolic disorder of rumin­ants typified by low blood serum Mg and generally accompanied by hypocalcemia. It has been related to low …

Etude D'Un Facteur Antinutritionnel De La Luzerne: Les Saponines, M Lila, G Genier, W Pietraszek

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Les proteines de luzerne (Medicago sativa) extraites par des procedes industriels ne peuvent etre incorporees qu'en faible proportion dans les rations pour monogastriques a cause d'un effet antinutritionnel du essentiellement a la presence de sapo­nines et plus particulierement d'acide medicagenique (Pie­traszek, 1985). La technologie d'extraction ne permettant pas d'eliminer ces molecules, il a ete envisage d'ameliorer la qualite de ces proteines extraites par la diminution de la teneur dans la plante par voie genetique. Pour cela il fallait etudier la variabilite genetique disponible au sein de l'espece Medicago sativa et definir un test rapide per­mettant de discriminer en grande serie …

Mineral Composition Of Grasses Grown On Peat Soils In Northwestern Hungary And Fertilization Experiments. Manganese, R Schmidt, J Varga, G Tolgyesi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The main goal of these experiments which were carried out for four years was to study the mineral composition of grasses grown on peat soil, where preliminary studies indicated manga­nese, copper and zinc deficiency. We tried to eliminate these deficiences by agrochemical methods, because in our opinion, intervening in the first part of the foodchain - in the soil - we can contribute to solving of the deficiency problems more fund­amentaly (Ti:ilgyesi et al., 1983).

Characterization Of Biological Properties Of Fodder Value Of Dandelion, Taraxacum Officinale Web., M Falkowski, I Kukulka, S Kozlowski

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In recent years the quantities of dandelion appearing on newly established grasslands has increased quite significantly. In such conditions it can no longer be treated as a meadow herb whose fodder value, according to European literature, equals half of that of valuable fodder plants. Becoming a weed, dan­delion has been the object of investigations on ways of elimina­ting it from the sward by means of herbicides (Schlotter et al., 1988). At the same time, experiments are under way on biologi­cal properties of dandelion with the aim to explain the causes of its expansion. It was found that there is an …

Location Of Polyphenols In Leaves Of Serciea Lespedeza, C O'H Mosjidis, C M. Peterson, J A. Mosjidis

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Preliminary studies in sericea lespedeza, a nonbloating for­age legume, indicated that its palatability and digestibility were reduced by high levels of phenolics (Clarke el al., 1939). Another study suggested that younger parts of the shoots are more palatable than older leaves and stems (Donnelly el al., 1971). Nevertheless, younger leaves have been reported to con­tain higher levels of phenolics (Burns, 1966). Polyphenols have been thought to play a role as growth regulators and in protection against insects and diseases. Also they seem to be associated with lignification (Salatino el al., 1988). The present study was performed to determine whether his­tological …

Effect Of Endophytic Fungus Infection, Water Stress And Genotype On K, Ca And Mg Concentration Of Fescue, S R. Wilkinson, D P. Belesky, W C. Stringer

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Replacement of endophyte infected tall fescue with endo­phyte free tall fescue is recommended to avoid tall fescue toxi­cosis. Fribourg et al. (1988) suggest that the endophyte may enhance tolerance of tall fescue to environmental stresses, including drought. This controlled environment study was undertaken to determine the effect of water stress on the K, Ca and Mg concentration of four genotypic selections of tall fescue with and without fungal endophytes. This paper emphasizes water stress and endophyte effects. The growth characteristics are reported elsewhere (Belesky et al. 1989).

Effect Of Fertilizers On Cutting On Time On Chemical Composition Of Sward From Permanent Meadow, A Golob, Zdenka Berloznik, M Leskosek, Vekoslava Stibilj

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Ecological problems and surpluses of milk and meat have given rise to less intensive systems of grassland utilisation. One of such system is utilisation of air nitrogen via legume sym­biosis with nitrogen fixing bacteria. In Slovenia, where conditions for legume growth are more favourable than in NW Europe, natural meadows fertilized with P and K only give reasonable yields - on average around 7 t DM per ha (Leskosek, 1981). Most legumes suffer after fre­quent defoliation so such meadows should be defoliated only 2- 3 times during the growing season. Under less frequent cutting regime nutritive value of forage is …

The Effect Of N And K Fertilizers On The No3 Content Of Different Grass Species And Mixtures, A Szodfridt, J Varga

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The major quantity of the annual grassland vegetation comes from the first cut in Hungary because of the continental climate of the country. Next to the energy content of grasses it is important to have informations about the amount of some possible toxic components such as nitrate. The critical NO3- value is considered to be 0.25-0.31 % in DM (Andreev, 1981), NO3 content higher than 0.6 % in DM is toxic (Kemp et al., 1977). Ebert et al. (1977) showed that 120 kg/ha N given for the 1st cut did not raise NO3 content higher than the critical value. K …

Determination Of Condensed Tannins In Tropical Legume Forages, L Telek

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The effect of condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins) in ruminant nutrition is complex and needs further interdiscipli­nary reinvestigations with improved analytical methods. With the « cell rupture » theory of legume pasture bloat (Howarth et al., 1978), the role of condensed tannins seems to be secondary; they are acting as protein precipitants (Goplen et al., 1980) and inhibiting microbiological proliferation in cell­ular spaces (Howarth et al., 1982). Their assumed interference with digesting enzymes in vivo is doubtful (Mole and Water­man, 1985). On the importance of condensed tannins in nutrition, several reviews were published (McLeod, 1974; Tempel, 1982; Kumar and Singh, 1984 and …

Screening Sericea Lespedeza Germplasm For Tannin Concentration In The Leaves And Herbage Palatability, J C. Petersen, J A. Mosjidis, N S. Hill

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Several million hectares in the subtropical world are currently used as grazing land for beef and dairy cattle, how­ever, in many cases animal production is very low. To improve animal nutrition, cultivated legume species can be introduced. Sericea lespedeza has potential and could be utilized in the acid soils of the· subtropics. Generally, sericea is low in palatability and nutritive value because its leaves contain tannins, which have long been associ­ated with low intake and reduced digestibility. Tannins are responsible for an astringent or bitter taste caused by the pre­cipitation of salivary glycoprotein (Goldstein and Swain, 1963). Chopping or macerating …

The Effect Of Selenium Fertilizer On The Selenium Status Of Sheep Grazing Annual Pasture In South-Western Australia, B R. Whelan, D W. Peter, N J. Barrow, D J. Buscall, V C. Cox

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

White muscle disease was first reported in grazing livestock in Western Australia by Gardiner (1961). Sheep affected by the disease could be divided into two categories : young suckling lambs in winter and early spring, and weaners and hoggets in summer (Gardiner et al., 1962). Subsequent investigations showed that, while there were few clinical symptoms of sel­enium deficiency, there were probably many sheep suffering from ill-thrift. This sub-clinical deficiency caused reduced liveweight gains, reduced wool production and lowered ewe fertility. It was most noticeable in areas of greater than 600 mm of annual rainfall on the lighter sandy soils with …

Synthesis Of Cell Wall Components In Maize Internodes, J H. Cherney, J J. Volenec, G A. Brown

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Cell wall structure affects intake and digestibility of forages by rummants. Before microbial degradation of cell walls can be understood, it will be necessary to have a better understanding of cell wall formation. Internodes of grasses elongate in a_cropetal succession, with two internodes usually elongating s1multaneously. Elongating internodes consist of three regions : 1) a zone of cell division, 2) a zone of cell elongation, and 3) a zone of secondary cell wall deposition. This tissue provides an excellent system for studying cell wall changes in rapidly developing tissues. Our objectives were to : 1) examine changes in cell wall …

Natural And Artificial Drying Effects On Condensed Tannins Of Sericea Lespedeza, T H. University Of Georgia, W R. Windham, J J. Evans, C S. Hoveland

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Sericea lespedeza [Lespedeza cuneata (Dumont-Cours.) G. Don.] is well adapted to acid soils and low fertility but has generally been considered a low-quality forage due to high levels of tannin and indigestible fiber. Tannin levels increase during midsummer (Windham et al. 1988). The most com­monly used assay for tannin in sericea is the vanillin-HCl pro­cedure (Burns, 1963) on oven-dried samples. Oven-drying has been reported to cause increased polymerization or oxidative changes in tannins (Goldstein and Swain, 1963). Fresh-frozen sericea contained higher amounts of extract­able tannin than field-dried forage and fiber digestibility of high-tannin sericea by sheep was much lower …

The Demise Of Fossil Cycad National Monument As A Consequence Of Paleontological Resource Mismanagement, Nathaniel Valentine, Vincent Santucci, Justin Tweet, Aubrey Bond

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Located in the Black Hills of South Dakota (Figure 1), Fossil Cycad National Monument boasted well-preserved specimens of cycadeoid fossils from the Cretaceous and concentrations of these fossil plants were greatest at the site’s location (Santucci and Hughes, 1998). I studied historical records to estimate the number of fossils removed by paleontologists at the site between 1890-1957.

Survey Of A Paired Gravity Anomaly Within The Benton Uplift Of The Ouachita Mountains, Isaac B. Prud'homme

Physics Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Benton Uplift west of Hot Springs, AR is underlain by a paired gravity anomaly on the order of 80 mGal. Nicholas & Rozendal (1975) have theorized that the gravitational low is caused by a “downwarp of the crust into the mantle”1 however the cause of the gravitational high is still debated. This paired gravity anomaly within the Benton Uplift follows the Ouachita orogenic belt southwest for 500 miles where it meets the Marathon uplift in southwest Texas. We conducted a gravity survey along a 108-km-long transect east of two previous gravity surveys.2,3 We corrected the data from this transect …

Assessing Biochar And Industrial Hemp To Remediate Heavy-Metal-Contaminated Soil, Sophie W. Sward

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Environmental degradation is becoming increasingly prevalent as global industrialization runs rampant. Anthropogenic activity, such as mining, deposits inorganic pollutants into the environment, leading to potential soil and water contamination. Traditional, engineering-based remediation and containment procedures alter soil structure and aggregate stability and affect the biological function of the area impacted by mining activities. Phytoremediation is a more energy-efficient, and therefore cost-effective, method of environmental restoration. Phytoremediation, on its own, works in soils that are less contaminated so that the selected plant can actually grow. Soil amendments, such as biochar, can be added to improve remediation potential in more contaminated soils. …

Reevaluating The Drumian Carbon Isotope Excursion (Dice) In Western-Central Utah, Michelle M. Norman

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The Drumian Stage of the Cambrian Period is defined by the First Appearance Datum (FAD) of the cosmopolitan trilobite Ptychagnostus atavus in 504.5 Ma strata deposited on the slope and shelf of the Laurentia margin. The Drumian Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP), showing the best preserved example of P. atavus compared to global outcrops, is defined in the Drum Mountains of west-central Utah. Due to the inconsistent nature of fossil preservation, researchers have sought secondary proxies to identify Drumian-aged strata in the absence of age-diagnostic fauna. One key proxy is the Drumian Carbon Isotope Excursion (DICE), an ~-2.5‰ carbon …

Fossil Leaf Cuticle: Best Practices For Preparation And Paleo-Co2 Analysis, Xiaoqing Zhang, Dana L. Royer, Carina E. Colombi, Juan Martin Drovandi, Jennifer C. Mcelwain, Gaëtan Guignard, Qin Leng, Barry H. Lomax, Nathan D. Sheldon, Rebekah A. Stein, Garland R. Upchurch, Yongdong Wang, Hong Yang, Richard S. Barclay, Ying Cui, Wolfram Kürschner, Joseph N. Milligan, Isabel Montañez, Jon D. Richey, Tammo Reichgelt, Gongle Shi, Selena Y. Smith, Margret Steinthorsdottir

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Leaf cuticle is the waxy envelope that protects leaves from desiccation, UV damage, and abrasion. The cuticle encodes information about a plant's chemistry and leaf epidermal and stomatal cell morphology. Fossil leaf cuticle has been used to determine taxonomic affinities for almost two centuries and recognized in recent decades for its value in reconstructing paleoenvironments and paleoclimates, especially atmospheric CO2. Fossil leaf cuticle preparation techniques are typically reported as single workflows tied to individual studies, starting with finding fossils in the field through the steps of preparing cuticle for chemical and morphological analysis, including decisions about type of microscopy and …

A System And Method For Measuring Spatially Varying Surface Appearances With A Study Of Feathers, Jessica Baron-Lis

All Dissertations

Real-world materials, particularly biological structures such as feathers exhibit complex appearances that vary spatially across their surfaces. The field of computer graphics provides a means of understanding such surfaces through material modeling which uses both analytical models and data acquired from light-surface interactions. There are many efforts within the past decade in measuring materials for graphics, but common limitations in these works include not accounting for spatially varying properties and reliance on neural networks and synthetic datasets.

Feathers from modern birds present diverse appearances due to how light interacts with their unique hierarchical microstructures. Variations in those structures lead to …

Earthscape Ai Dataset V1.1, Matthew Massey, Abdullah-Al-Zubaer Imran

Research Data--KGS

EarthScape v1.1 Dataset Download Links:

esv1p1_smokeset.zip (197 MB)

esv1p1_splits.zip (2.5 MB)

esv1p1_usa_ky_data.zip (1 MB)

esv1p1_usa_ky_hardin_howevalley.zip (26.3 GB)

esv1p1_usa_ky_hardin_sonora.zip (26.3 GB)

esv1p1_usa_ky_warren.zip (166 GB)

Surficial geologic mapping is essential for understanding Earth surface processes and supporting applications in engineering, hazard assessment, and resource management. However, traditional mapping approaches are labor-intensive, limiting spatial coverage and introducing subjectivity. To address these challenges, we introduce EarthScape, a multimodal, AI-ready geospatial dataset designed for surficial geologic mapping and Earth surface analysis. EarthScape integrates high-resolution aerial RGB and near-infrared (NIR) imagery, digital elevation models (DEM), multi-scale terrain features derived from DEMs, and hydrologic and infrastructure vector …

From Seasonality To Causality: Understanding Urban Water Usage Using Statistical And Machine Learning Models, Kelsey Hawkins

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (MS) Theses

This study examines the relationship between climate conditions and residential water usage, focusing on how seasonal and environmental changes influence water consumption. Utilizing data from over 100,000 households across three micro-climate zones for over a five-year period, we apply statistical analysis and machine learning techniques to assess the impact of temperature, precipitation, evapotranspiration, and location on water usage. By integrating climate and billing data, this research provides a data-driven approach on water usage behaviors in Irvine, CA, in collaboration with Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD).

Our analysis utilizes time series modeling, including a Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) and …

Evaluation Of High Temperature Borehole Heat Exchangers For Thermal Energy Storage, Robert J. Mcdaniel

All Theses

The development of renewable power sources like solar panels and wind turbines is crucial to lowering greenhouse gas emissions and slowing the increase in global temperature. These sources are limited by the intermittency of power output depending on factors such as weather or time of day. Storing energy during periods of peak productivity improves the efficiency of renewable sources and makes them more competitive with fossil fuels. The excess energy can be stored underground as heat. At high enough temperatures (>150ºC) and discharge rates (>70 kW) the stored energy can be converted back into electricity. This turns the …

The 1991 California 'Miracle March': Precipitation Myth Or Miracle?, Cody D. Poulsen, Rachel E.S. Clemesha, Ian M. Howard, Alexander Gershunov, Michael D. Dettinger, Zhenhai Zhang, Rosa Luna-Nino, David W. Stahle, Ralph F. Martin

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The term 'Miracle March' is colloquially used in California to describe an anomalously wet spring that alleviates drought conditions caused by a winter precipitation deficit. This study centers on the influential water year 1991, which is the standard reference point for this phenomenon. The spring precipitation impact on water year totals and the geographic extent of the spring precipitation anomaly during the 1991 'Miracle March' (MM91) is without equal in the observational record. This exceptional precipitation episode was initiated by a week-long sequence of extreme atmospheric rivers that started landfalling on February 27th. To this day, MM91 is routinely referenced …

Insights From Automated Mineralogic Analysis Of Modern Sand, Quinten Jones

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Methods for determining and categorizing the modal compositions of sand and sandstone have long been a subject of debate in the field of sedimentary geology. Point counting is the most commonly used technique for determining modal compositions from petrographic slides, which are then categorized based on relative proportions of quartz, feldspar, and rock (or lithic) fragments. However, this approach fails to adequately preserve relevant textural data, such as grain size and sorting, which play an important role in diagenesis and in influencing reservoir quality. Additionally, the categorical nature of point counting results in a lack of specificity and loss of …

Leveraging Machine Learning Models For Enhanced Landslide Prediction In Western North Carolina, Andrew Edmonds

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Landslides pose significant hazards to human safety, infrastructure, and the environment, particularly in regions of high elevation that experience extended periods of heavy rainfall. This research focuses on preparing and evaluating landslide susceptibility maps (LSMs) for the Blue Ridge Mountains, a portion of the Appalachian Mountains in western North Carolina, utilizing three machine learning algorithms: Logistic Regression, Random Forest, and Gradient Boosting Regression. Sixteen landslide conditioning factors, reflecting topographic, geological, environmental, and anthropogenic influences, were identified for model input. The landslide inventory database, comprising 7,350 locations, was randomly divided into training (80%) and testing (20%) sets. The performance of each …

Geochemical Analysis For Potential Critical Mineral Resources In Carbon Fly Ash, Korei D. Patterson Teer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The growing demand for critical minerals, coupled with the increasing supply chain vulnerabilities, has intensified the need for alternative domestic resources of critical minerals beyond traditional mining. Many of these critical minerals are essential for advanced technologies, energy storage, and national security, yet the United States remains heavily dependent on foreign imports, particularly from China. This study evaluates the economic potential of critical mineral recovery from Carbon Fly Ash (CFA), a byproduct of coal combustion, to determine its viability as a secondary source of critical minerals. A geochemical and mineralogical assessment was conducted on CFA samples from various storage sites …

Ediacaran Paleocommunity Structure, Body Size Evolution, And The Rise Of Complex Animals, Matthew Philip Craffey

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The Ediacaran period (635-538ma) is a key interval in the evolution of life as it records the first macroscopic animal communities. Major extinction pulses appear to have altered the composition of the global marine biosphere between each sub-interval of the Ediacaran Period: the Avalon, White Sea, and Nama assemblage Zones. While considerable attention has been paid to the causes of these extinction pulses, less has been afforded to the consequences of Ediacaran biotic turnover for community organization and function. Moreover, it is unclear how body size - the defining trait of macrofauna - affected the transition between animal groups across …