Earth Sciences Commons^™

Biotechnology In The Improvement Of Forage Crops, Indra K. Vasil

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Major advances in the cellular and molecular biology of plants recently have created new opportunities for the application of the many novel methods of biotechnology to the genetic modification and improvement of crop plants. The techniques of plant cell culture, particularly those allowing the regeneration of plants from single cells, play an important and integral role in the various strategies currently being pursued for plant improvement by unconventional means. In the past, initiation and maintenance of, as well as plant regeneration from, tissue cultures of species of the Gramineae (Poaceae) proved to be difficult. Nevertheless, cultures capable of plant regeneration …

Present State Of Grassland Production And Utilization And Future Perspectives For Grassland Farming In Humid Tropical Asia, I M. Nitis

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Forage in humid tropical Asia consists of natural pasture, crop residues, shrub and tree leaves. Reserch has shown that the yield and quality of such forage can be increased and performance of the livestock utilizing such forage can be improved. Grassland farming contributes to the feed supply for livestock, to conservation, and is one component of an integration, which may increase economic returns and maintain the ecological balance of the region. Future research emphases on companion cropping, three strata forage, development of tidal flooding areas, agroforestry, carbon/nitrogen cyling, pasture persistency, seed production, post harvest, forage utilization and farming modelling are …

Grassland Resources And Future Development Of Grassland Farming In Temperate China, Zhu Tingcheng, Li Jiandong, Zu Yuangang

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In the first part of the paper the grassland resources in the semiarid area of China are descrived. Grasslands cover 2.86 million km2 of the total territory and 100 million livestock are being raised there. Steppes and meadows are classified into several types according to the ecological types of the dominant species and environments, etc. Area, geographical distribution, community structure, species composition, dynamics, nutritive value of herbages, primary production and utilization of each grassland type are outlined. In the second part, the necessity to promote grassland farming and the possibility of its development are discussed based upon the land, population, …

An Interdisciplinary Approach For Increasing Yield And Improving Quality Of Forages, J R. Wilson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The contribution of some basic plant disciplines, principally physiology and histology, to the improvement of pasture yield and quality is discussed. Studies of temperate pasture grasses have identified several sources of loss of potential yield and have provided selection criteria for increasing yield. Integration of this physiological research with studies of forage consumption on the same pastures is proving a valuable inter- disciplinary approach to defining management options for maximising pasture and/or animal productivity. In tropical grasses, research towards increasing total dry matter yield is perhaps unwarranted but there is need for more co-operative studies involving plant and animal scientists …

Contribution Of Grassland Science To The Development Of Forage Production And Future Perspectives For Grassland Farming In Japan, H Oizumi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The utilization of grassland in Japan dates to fairy old times, but its real improvement in terms of industry did not start until the termination of the World War II. As the climatic conditions in Japan differ very much from those of European coutries, the style of grassland farming in Japan is somewhat different from that of Europe. The improvement of grassland farming in Japan after the World War II was divided into four stages, according to the tendency of the number of cattle and the acreage of forage crops. The Japanese Society of Grassland Science was established in 1954. …

Prospects For Increasing Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation In Temperate Grasslands, P/ Roger Ball, J R. Crush

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The contribution of some basic plant disciplines, principally physiology and histology, to the improvement of pasture yield and quality is discussed. Studies of temperate pasture grasses have identified several sources of loss of potential yield and have provided selection criteria for increasing yield. Integration of this physiological research with studies of forage consumption on the same pastures is proving a valuable inter- disciplinary approach to defining management options for maximising pasture and/or animal productivity. In tropical grasses, research towards increasing total dry matter yield is perhaps unwarranted but there is need for more co-operative studies involving plant and animal scientists …

Turning Waste Into Fertilizer: Aloe Vera Leaf Shavings Improve Plant Growth And Support Soil Fertility In Organic Systems, Isaiah Edward Jaramillo, Carine Cocco, James Jihoon Kang, Chu-Lin Cheng, Engil Pereira

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The Aloe vera industry discards large amounts of outer leaf tissue (“shavings”), creating an opportunity to repurpose this byproduct as a sustainable fertilizer. This study evaluated whether aloe shavings can serve as a plant-based alternative to compost in organic Aloe vera production. A field trial in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas tested three treatments: aloe shavings (applied to supply 39 kg N ha−1), organic compost (39 kg N ha−1), and a non-fertilized control. Laboratory incubations further assessed nitrogen mineralization and microbial respiration. Aloe shavings significantly enhanced vegetative growth: leaf number increased from 5.7 to 12.3 leaves per plant …

Microclimatic Conditions In Shulgan-Tash Cave (Southern Ural, Russia): Implications For The Preservation Of Eastern Europe’S Largest Paleolithic Art Collection, Olga Chervyatsova, Rayan Akhmedyanovb, Nailya Saifullina, Ludmila Kuzmina, Mihael Kotov, Yuri Dublyansky

International Journal of Speleology

This study presents the results of a long-term investigation of the microclimatic conditions in Shulgan-Tash Cave (Southern Urals, Russia), which hosts the largest assemblage of Upper Paleolithic paintings (ca. 16.3–19.6 ka) in Eastern Europe. The cave exhibits two distinct seasonal ventilation regimes – winter and summer – differentially influence its two levels of galleries. In the Lower Level, which contains 83% of the images, near-atmospheric CO₂ concentrations persist year-round, and temperature variations associated with seasonal infiltration events are minimal (1.0–1.3°C). By contrast, the Upper Level, including the decorated Hall of Paintings, is affected by downdrafts of CO₂-rich …

Factors Influencing Plant Community Structure And Composition Of Restored Tamaulipan Thornscrub Forests, Jerald T. Garrett, Audrey J. Hicks, Christopher A. Gabler

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of Texas is a biodiversity hotspot due to its high alpha, beta, and gamma diversity and high regional endemism, which are at high risk of degradation. The region has lost 95% of its native thornforest habitat primarily due to agricultural and urban expansion. This study aims to evaluate the current vegetative structure and composition of restored thornforest sites located in the LRGV to identify restoration methods and site characteristics that affect forest restoration outcomes. Twelve restored thornforest sites were selected for this study that varied in time since restoration, patch size, degree of isolation, …

Chemical Analyses Of Soil Samples, Johan Du Toit, Shantell Garrett

Browse all Datasets

Results of chemical analyses of soil collected in the foothills of the Henry Mountains, south-central Utah, in the fall of 2020.

Extremely Poleward Shift Of Antarctic Circumpolar Current By Eccentricity During The Last Interglacial, Lijuan Lu, Xufeng Zheng, Michael E. Weber, Victoria Peck, Brendan T. Reilly, Zhong Chen, Wen Yan, Tianyu Chen, Hong Yan, Xun Gong, Shuzhuang Wu, Liwei Zheng, Shiming Wan, Yan Du, Lisa Tauxe, Qinghua Yang, Stefanie Brachfeld, Trevor Williams, Yasmina M. Martos, Zhiheng Du, Marga García, Lara F. Pérez, Hu Yang, Bingyue Huang, Jonathan Warnock, Shuh-Ji Kao

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) exerts substantial control on the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the Southern Ocean, playing a key role in modulating the global carbon cycle and climate. However, the orbital-scale forcing and future changes in the strength and position of the ACC remain elusive. Here, we reconstruct the history of ACC extending back to the Last Interglacial (LIG; 128-113 ka) using sediment cores from the Scotia Sea. Based on high-resolution measurements of sortable silt mean grain size, we find that bottom current speed is synchronized with eccentricity, superimposed by precession. During the LIG when both eccentricity …

Tillage Legacy, Grasses And Soil Texture Shape Soil Organic Carbon Recovery In Semi-Arid Woodland, Samantha Colunga, Alejandro Fierro-Cabo, Bradley O. Christoffersen, Engil Pereira

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Soil degradation from intensive tillage poses a critical barrier to carbon sequestration, particularly in semi-arid regions where low rainfall limits ecosystem recovery. As climate change expands arid zones globally, understanding the long-term potential for soil organic carbon (SOC) recovery in degraded lands becomes increasingly urgent. Here, we analyze reforested chronosequences (4–36 years post-abandonment) in formerly cultivated subtropical thornscrub woodlands to assess SOC dynamics across gradients of soil texture and degradation. We introduce a novel degradation index (DI), integrating SOC deficit and grass dominance, to evaluate how invasive grasses, commonly overlooked in restoration metrics, impede nitrogen (N2)-fixing tree establishment and, consequently, …

The Taxonomy And Origins Of Folia: A Brief Review, Donald G. Davis, Louise D. Hose, Harvey R. Duchene

International Journal of Speleology

All folia demonstrate a few common elements: folia (singular, folium) are planar or sub-planar speleothems, slanting downward and away from cave walls and ceilings, and genetically associated with fluctuating environmental interfaces. They were first identified and named from examples in western USA hypogenic caves but have since been identified elsewhere in the world. Folia shelves are typically composed of calcite and interweave smoothly along sub-horizontal contours. Calcite accretion, both chemical and mechanical from suspended particles, follows water-surface fluctuations to form protrusions in arrays along walls and ceilings where new accretion tends to follow the water-surface downward during descending phases, gradually …

Vulnerability Of Blue Carbon In Coastal Freshwater Ecosystems To Sea-Level Rise, Suvrajit Ghosh, Jonathan Obrist-Farner, Jeffery R. Stone, Marta Wojewodka-Przybyt, Ryan Smith, Mark Brenner, Jason H. Curtis, Susan R. H. Zimmerman, Alex Correa-Metrio, Paula Gabriela Echeverrio Galinda, Madeline J. Brosky, Liseth Perez

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Coastal freshwater ecosystems are economically and ecologically important and provide multiple environmental services worldwide. They sequester carbon at rates ten times faster, and store five times more carbon per unit area than do mature tropical forests. Vulnerability of these carbon sinks to marine inundation, however, is expected to increase in response to global sea-level rise (GSLR). To better understand the implications of future GSLR, we investigated the geochemical and biological consequences of episodic Holocene marine incursions into Lake Izabal, a large coastal freshwater ecosystem on the Caribbean coast of Central America. About 8300 cal yr BP, marine incursion transformed Lake …

Integrating Satellite Observations And Modeling Approaches To Study Tectonic And Land Surface Hazards, Jeng Hann Chong

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

The increasing availability of Earth observation satellites, such as SAR and optical platforms, has improved our ability to study the ground deformation processes during, after, and leading up to these natural hazards, such as earthquakes and debris flows. In this dissertation, I analyze satellite geodetic interseismic velocities across the Rakhine-Bangladesh megathrust and the influence of having realistic modeling assumptions for subduction zones to better constrain seismic hazard. I also examined changes in post-fire debris flow likelihood four years after the 2020 Lake Fire in Southern California using a suite of satellite data and field observations. Together, these studies highlight how …

A Better Great Plains: Bridging The Implementation Gap For A Better Future, David W. Sandahl

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The Northern Great Plains is experiencing extensive native grassland loss and landscape degradation, jeopardizing both ecological integrity and the socio-economic systems that rely upon these ecosystems. In an early effort to lessen degradation, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) introduced the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) which generated ecosystem services benefits such as reduced soil erosion, improved water quality, and increased species diversity through the retirement of cropland and rangeland for 10- or 15-year contracts. However, CRP has not fully modernized alongside today’s agriculturalists and adoption remains shaped by an historically fraught socio-political context characterized by deep-seated mistrust between ranchers, …

Laboratory Investigation Of High-Temperature Preformed Particle Gels For Fluid Control In Granite Cores For Geothermal Applications, K. Caleb Darko, Yanbo Liu, Thomas P. Schuman, Mingzhen Wei, Baojun Bai

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

To understand the applicability of high-temperature preformed particle gel (HT-PPG) for control of short-circuiting in enhanced geothermal systems (EGSs), core flooding experiments were conducted on fractured granite cores under varying fracture widths, gel particle sizes and swelling ratios. Key parameters such as injection pressure, water breakthrough pressure, and residual resistance factor were measured to evaluate HT-PPG performance. The gel exhibited strong injectability, entering granite fractures at pressure gradients as low as 0.656 MPa/m; HT-PPG yields a superior sealing performance by significantly reducing the permeability; and dehydration occurs during HT-PPG propagation, with a dehydration ratio ranging from 4.71% to 11.36%. This …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Bridge Grate And Pipe Cattle Guard Designed To Mitigate Ocelot Road Mortality On Texas State Highway, Rupesh Maharjan, John H. Young Jr., Kevin W. Ryer, Md. Saydur Rahman, Richard J. Kline

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The mitigated and fenced section of State Highway 100, extending from Laguna Vista to Los Fresnos, includes five wildlife crossing structures and 16 modified cattle guards (also called wildlife guards) installed to mitigate ocelot road mortality. Bridge grate and pipe wildlife guards were deployed at vehicle entries, and we evaluated their effectiveness in preventing meso-carnivores and ungulates from entering the roadway through the fence gaps from April 2020 to 2024. Wildlife guards collectively were >82% effective in repelling ungulate attempts to enter the roadway, while only 16.64% of meso-carnivore attempts were repelled. The pipe wildlife guard (PWG) design repelled 86.79% …

Evaluation Of Towed Tem Potential For Rapid Characterization Of Levee Foundations, Kolawole Arowoogun, Katherine Grote, Jeremy Maurer

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Assessing the geologic conditions of levee foundation soils is a challenging task owing to the extensive length of most levees and the heterogeneity of many alluvial deposits. Traditional investigation techniques (such as boring and cone penetrometer testing [CPT]) are expensive, invasive, and provide spatially-limited information. As a result, they are restricted to pre-identified problematic zones in the levee. To overcome these challenges, geophysical instruments capable of better spatial coverage are proposed for rapid geoelectrical characterization of levees. In this study, we presented a field-based application of the towed time-domain electromagnetic method (tTEM) system in characterizing the subsurface geology adjacent to …

Pioneering The Pacific In Earth Sciences: Uh Mānoa Students Establish The First Sigma Gamma Epsilon Chapter In HawaiʻI And Beyond, Ken H. Tungpalan, Olivia Schmitt, Wellington Rothschild, Susannah Heller, Alyssa N. Kamanu

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

The Iota Delta Chapter is proud to announce its establishment as the first Sigma Gamma Epsilon chapter in the Pacific, with the hope that it will serve as a foundation for future chapters across the region. The chapter has been created at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa within the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST). The Department of Earth Sciences is loosely divided into three working research divisions (Geophysics and Tectonics [G&T], Marine and Environmental Geology [MEG], and Volcanology, Geochemistry, and Petrology [VGP]), with numerous laboratories and research facilities.

Sigma Gamma Epsilon Chapter And Student Awards For Academic Year 2024–2025, Lee S. Potter

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

The Society of Sigma Gamma Epsilon (SGE) encourages efforts to broaden the education and impact of its members through community outreach. In Academic Year 2024–2025, seven (7) awards were given at the chapter level: The Chapter Service Award to Gamma Sigma, Gamma Chi, and Epsilon Sigma; and The James C. Walters Quality Chapter Award to Gamma Sigma, Gamma Chi, Epsilon Sigma, and Theta Beta. Individual merit was recognized through the W. A. Tarr awards given to thirty-two members by their respective chapters. Two awards, the Austin A. Sartin and Charles J. Mankin Outstanding Poster Awards, were given to two students …

47th Biennial Convention Of Sigma Gamma Epsilon, Western Illinois University, April 11–13, 2025, Richard L. Ford, Lee S. Potter

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

The Society of Sigma Gamma Epsilon (SGE), the national honorary society for the Earth sciences, held its 47th biennial convention (April 11–13, 2025) at the Quad Cities campus, located in Moline, Illinois, of Western Illinois University (WIU). The convention was hosted by SGE’s Delta Psi Chapter and the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Geographic Information Sciences at WIU. Ten (10) of SGE’s approximately 57 active collegiate chapters sent delegates to the convention. The traditional convention field trip, an exploration of the Paleozoic stratigraphy and economic geology of the Quad Cities area of Illinois and Iowa, made stops at the Fryxell …

The Compass - Volume 94 Issue 3 - Complete Issue, Scott R. Beason

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Coniferous Trees And Water Availability On Soil Acidification, Jessica A. Cheever

Journal of the Symposium of University Research and Creative Expression

Project Mentor(s): Mary Poulson, PhD

Water availability and coniferous tree species can cause acidification and a change in soil fertility. Previous research in European forests found that rainfall, soil acidity, and conifer prevalence influenced soil quality and biodiversity. However, not much is known about these effects in the Pacific Northwest’s forests. Three forests were chosen based on a gradient of annual precipitation. The Hoh Rain Forest, the Tiger Mountain State Forest, and the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest were used for wet, mesic, and dry conditions, respectively. Each location had a three-by-six grid spaced 50 meters between each plot. The location was …

Refining The Geochronologic Framework Of The Early Cretaceous Nonmarine Western Interior Basin, Usa, Jack Fekete

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Early to mid-Cretaceous marks a period of dynamic shifts in tectonism, depositional environments, climate, and biota across the mid-North American continent. However, despite their importance for understanding crucial biotic and geologic transitions during this period, nonmarine Early Cretaceous strata of the Western Interior Basin (WIB) remain poorly constrained geochronologically. Radiometric dating of syndepositional detrital minerals, such as ash-fall zircon, offers a solution to refining geochronologic frameworks. However, a magmatic lull in the Cordilleran magmatic arc during the Early Cretaceous limited the delivery of syndepositional zircon to the WIB, impeding such refinement. In this dissertation, I developed and tested new …

Fungal Palynomorphs From The Lower Cretaceous (Berriasian–Albian) Of Jangareddygudem Area Of The Chintalapudi Subbasin, Andhra Pradesh, South Part Of India, Harinam Joshi, Neerja Jha, Sarah Gonçalves Duarte, Sari̇ye Duygu Durak, Haytham Elatfy

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

A diverse array of thalli, fruiting bodies, spores, and other fungal structures has been observed in palynological samples collected from the sedimentary sequence MJR-11, drilled in the Jangareddygudem area of the Chintalapudi subbasin, Andhra Pradesh, southern India. The sedimentary sequence is dated to the Kimmeridgian–early Albian, based on palynology. However, the focus of the present work is on the Early Cretaceous (Berriasian–early Albian). A well-developed and diverse fungal assemblage consistently occurred throughout most of the succession, together with predominant conifer pollen grains and highly diversified pteridophytic and bryophytic spores. Furthermore, the recorded palynomorphs suggest deposition under both continental and marine …

Fault Morphology Along A Sinistral Active Fault Near A Continental Triple Junction: The Ilıca Segment At The Northern Termination Of The East Anatolian Fault Zone, Türkiye, Aynur Di̇kbaş, Hani̇fe Merve Önal

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The East Anatolian fault zone (EAFZ) is an approximately 430 km long sinistral transform fault that bounds the southwestern margin of the Anatolian microplate between Karlıova (Bingöl) and Kahramanmaraş. It constitutes part of the Karlıova triple junction (KTJ) in eastern Anatolia. Near the KTJ, the Ilıca and Karlıova segments delineate the EAFZ. The Ilıca segment, approximately 38 km long, exhibits distinct fault-related geological structures, including linear valleys, elongated ridges, saddles, sag ponds, shutter ridges, thermal springs, and travertines. Based on extensive mapping using high-resolution imagery and field investigations, the Ilıca segment has been categorized into three sections: section 1 and …

First Insights Into The Origin Of Iron In Eastern Cilicia During The Iron Age, Using Osmium Isotope And Trace Element Analysis, Ivan Stepanov, Hüseyi̇n Öztürk, Michael Brauns, Ernst Pernicka, Nurullah Hanilçi, Ümi̇t Güder

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Due to the abundance of ore resources and the probable technological advances of the Hittite civilisation, the Anatolian plateau is conventionally regarded as “the birthplace” of iron smelting technology. The present paper presents a complex archaeometric investigation of iron production remains from the Middle and Late Iron Age phases (c. 750–575 BC) at Kinet Höyük, a major trading port on the coast of eastern Cilicia (modern-day Dörtyol, Hatay). To provide an initial insight into the sources of iron processed at Kinet Höyük and to generate an overview of the 187Os/188Os and 187Re/188Os isotope ratios expected from eastern Anatolian iron ores, …

Coseismic Surface Deformation Analyses Using Sar And Optical Images: 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquake Sequence, Türkiye, Han-Kyung Bae, Gwang-Woo Oh, Jin-Hyuck Choi

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake sequence in Türkiye, including Mw 7.7 and 7.6 mainshocks, caused significant surface ruptures along the East Anatolian Fault (EAF) and Sürgü–Çardak Fault (SCF). We calculated the coseismic displacement fields through pixel offset tracking (POT) analysis of Sentinel-1 SAR data and optical image correlation (OIC) analysis of Sentinel-2 imagery. Our results reveal distinct sinistral motion along both the EAF and SCF, with maximum offsets of about 7 and 9 m, respectively. Deformation zones were identified both on and off the fault, highlighting the relationship between the rupture geometry and the broader deformation field. A comparative evaluation of …

Geomagnetic Activity For The Kp = 7.3 Geomagnetic Storm In November 2023 Assessed By Observational Data, Eli̇f Çi̇ftçi̇, Özlem Hacioğlu

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The geomagnetic storm of 4–6 November 2023, driven by an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection (CME), was a significant event marked by a peak geomagnetic activity index (Kp) of 7.3 on a 0–9 scale, indicating severe disturbance in Earth’s magnetic field. This CME-induced storm was characterized by intense auroral displays and reached a G3 level (Dst = −172 nT) around 12:40 UT on 5 November, with auroras observed at midlatitudes across Europe. This study examines the effects of the storm on the horizontal (H), declination (D), and vertical (Z) components of the geomagnetic field using data from sunlit-side magnetometer measurements. Planetary …