Earth Sciences Commons^™

Wool Production From Annual Pastures Intensively Grazed By Wethers In Southern Western Australia, M W. Hyder, A N. Thompson, P T. Doyle, M Grimm, P J. Michael

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Intensively grazing annual pastures in southern Western Australia to target amounts of feed on offer increased the greasy wool production per hectare three-fold or more compared to production from a setstocked grazing regime. Feed on offer was maintained at 0.8, 1.1, 1.4, 2.0, 2.8 t DM/ha during spring and wool growth per hectare compared to that of sheep set-stocked at the district average of 8 sheep/ha. The role of intensive grazing as a tactic to increase production and profitability of wool producers in Mediterranean environments is discussed.

Utilized Metabolizable Energy And Its Impacts On The Management Of Grass Pastures In The Central Chaco Of Paraguay, D Stosiek, A Glatzle, R Schultze-Kraft

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Animal production from sown pastures of Gatton Panic (Panicum maximum Jacq.) and Estrella (Cynodon nlemfuënsis Vand.) on a luvic Kastanozem in the Central Chaco of Paraguay (mean annual rainfall 850 mm) was measured over two years (Sep. 1992 to Nov. 1994). The pastures were grazed continuously by Brahman X Hereford steers at six stocking densities, ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 American Animal Units (1 AU = 454 kg) per hectare. Herbage availability, chemical composition (ME, XP, fibre) and cattle liveweight gains were measured at four weekly intervals. Building regression models for Utilized metabolizable energy (UME in GJ/ha) and …

Milk Production From Ruzi Grass Alone, Ruzi Mixed With Leucaena And Ruzi Supplemented With Dolichos Lablab, S Tudsri, S Prasanpanich, S Swasdiphanich

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Three groups of dairy cattle were compared under different grazing managements viz. strip-grazed on pure ruzi grass (Brachiaria ruziziensis), strip-grazed on mixed pasture between ruzi and leucaena (Luecaena luecocephala) and strip-grazed on pure ruzi and supplemented with lablab (Lablab purpureus). The results showed that the animals that received the legumes through supplementary or mixed with the grass produced higher in daily milk yield (13.63 and 13.26 kg/cow) and fat percentage (4.7 and 4.5) than that of the pure grass alone (12.00 kg/cow for milk yield and 4.2 % for fat). This advantage was due …

Zea Mays Grazing In Cattle Production Systems, V Mundy, B E. Anderson, T L. Gompert, T L. Mader, C A. Shapiro

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Nebraska producers have used silage maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids as a grazed forage in dairy and beef production systems. In an onfarm case study, farmers and researchers collaborated to gather information on production practices, grazing management, and plant characteristics of grazing maize within three forage-based dairy and beef systems. Production practices were generally similar to conventional grain corn production, except that in one system maize was seeded directly into a suppressed grass sod. Milk production from grazing maize was 23 kg/day/animal, compared to 24 kg/day/ animal before using maize and 22 kg/day/animal after using maize. Average gain of …

Grazing Management Of Lotus In Eastern Australia: A Participatory Approach, M J. Blumenthal, J F. Ayers, Z Hochman

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Both Lotus uliginosus Schkukr and L. corniculatus L. require lenient grazing management for persistent production. However, grazing systems, where Lotus is adapted in eastern Australia are based on intermittent set stocking. Conflict between plant ecophysiology and the adverse influences of traditional grazing systems that limit the adoption of new grazing management technology have been addressed by a participatory (co-learning) research and development process. The approach taken involved the use of a facilitator who ran an initial meeting to involve stakeholders and subsequently established “colearning” groups and “co-learning” experimental sites. These sites are monitored, progress is reviewed, and knowledge is …

Rhizobium Specificity In Leucaena, B F. Mullen, V E. Frank, R A. Date

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Twenty-seven accessions of Leucaena, representing 20 species, were assessed for effective N-fixing symbioses in association with 13 strains of Rhizobium in N-free conditions in a glasshouse. Fifteen accessions formed effective symbioses with most strains of Rhizobium. Only 4 accessions required specific strains. Conversely, 9 of the strains of Rhizobium formed effective symbioses with most accessions of Leucaena. Only one strain was ineffective. Strains CB3060 and CB3126 were effective with 21 and 22 accessions of Leucaena, respectively.

Agronomic Performance Of 118 Leucaena Accessions In The Subtropical Environment Of Southeast Queensland, Australia, B F. Mullen, H M. Shelton

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The DM productivity in contrasting environments of 118 Leucaena accessions was evaluated in sub-tropical Australia over a 2 year period. Harvests were timed to coincide with hot/wet and cool/dry seasons and data were analysed to compare growth in these environments. Eleven accession groups were identified by cluster analysis. Group 1, which contained F1 and F4 interspecific hybrids, were highly productive in all environments. Growth of L. leucocephala accessions was severely checked by psyllids in hot/ wet environments. Four groups comprising 60 accessions were unproductive in all environments. Identification of specific adaptation to cold temperature within groups in psyllid susceptible accessions …

The Effects Of Storage Period On The Germinability Of Rhodes Grass (Chloris Gayana), K C. Kawonga

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

An experiment was initiated to investigate the post harvest changes in the seed quality of Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana). The aim of the study was to find out the causes of poor germination of locally produced Rhodes grass seed. Random samples (72) were taken from a seed lot grown at Golden Valley Research Station. Seventy-two random samples were subdivided into groups of twelve and were stored at six locations. Half the samples were stored at room temperature and the other half were stored in the refrigerator for a period of one to six months. The germination test was …

Technology Development Of Pasture Seed Production For Small Scale Farmers In Uganda, P Lusembo, E N. Sabiiti, C Ebong

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Pasture seed production by smallholder farmers in Uganda is hardly developed. The stages of development since the early 1960s are described as initial forage evaluation for adaptability and productivity of various species, seed production trials in relation to plant population, fertilizer requirements and the use of support systems for climbing forage legumes. Annual seed production by smallholder farmers, under an informal seed production system, is reported to have risen from 1,200kg in 1989 to over 35 metric tonnes of forage legume seed in 1995. This was attributed to the availability of appropriate seed production technology and the presence of a …

Flowering Cycle-Related Seed Quality Parameters On 15 New Guineagrass (Panicum Maximum Jacq.) Hybrids, R Usberti, A Usberti Jr, R S. Paterniani

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Fifteen new guineagrass (Panicum maximum Jacq) hybrids, widely variable in flowering cycles, were tested for eleven seed quality parameters: seed viability (tetrazolium)-TZ; normal germination (with and without previous chemical scarification)-TG and NG; presence of viable seeds after the germination tests- RSTG and RSNG; seed dormancy-DTG and DNG; germination rate-TGR and NGR and seed vigor (after accelerated aging test) -AATG and AANG. The genetic materials used presented no significant differences for tetrazolium seed viability. Late- and intermediate-flowering genotypes showed the highest correlations between flowering cycle and seed quality for TG, NG, TGR and NGR (r= 0.468**; 0.731**; 0.422* and 0.683**, …

Effect Of Plant Density On Yield And Yield Components And Seed Chemical Composition Of Some Sunflower Varieties, N A. Noueldin, M E. El-Bially, B A. El-Ahmer, M G. El-Baz

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The objective of this research is to study the effect of varieties (Mayak, Elorida 2000 and sigce 475), hill distance (20, 30 and 40 cm) and ridge width (50, 60 and 70 cm) on productivity of sunflower (Helianthus annus L.). The highest oil % was obtained by sowing sigco 475 at a 40 cm hills distince under 60 cm. ridge width and the highest oil yield feddan-1* as well as seed yield feddan-1 was obtained by sowing Mayak on 20cm hills under a 50cm ridge width.

Seed Banks In A Natural Pasture In Tasmania, Australia: Implications For Species Composition Change, D A. Friend, A S. Cameron, A J. Povey, P L. Dolan

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Seed banks in a natural pasture in Tasmania were examined as part of a study of the effects of grazing on changes in species composition. The dominant native perennial grasses had relatively low seed banks, whereas annual grasses, sedges, rushes and a number of forbs had relatively high seed banks. The results confirm the vulnerability of the native grasses to local extinction in the event of loss of the established plants, e.g. through overgrazing.

Tropical Forage Seed Production In Southeast Asia: Current Status And Prospects, C Phaikaew, L Guodao, A Abdullah, M Tuhulele, E Magboo, B Bouahom, W Stur

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The demand for forage seed in southeast Asia has increased in recent years. More than 1,200 tons of seed were produced in Thailand in 1995 with smaller quantities of seed having been produced in China, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia. Large quantities have been produced of Brachiaria ruziziensis, Stylosanthes hamata, Stylosanthes guianensis and Panicum maximum. There are good prospects to increase forage seed production and to develop trade between countries in the southeast Asian region. There is a need to increase seed production of widely adapted species, and expand production of forages for other purposes such as turf …

Traditional Grassland And Fodder Management Systems In Tanzania And Potential For Improvement, R M. Otsyina, I Essai, D Asenga

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The “Ngitiri” fodder conservation system was developed by the Sukuma agro-pastoralists as a strategy to alleviate acute dry season fodder constraints. This traditional agroforestry system provides the basis and opportunities for development of improved silvipastoral systems. Ngitiri is a major source of dry season fodder supply for livestock and thatch for roofing. The system is widespread in the Sukuma landuse system in central Tanzania. This paper presents the scope and importance of the Ngitiri system, management aspects, constraints, and farmers’ perceptions on improvement. Implications for agroforestry technology development in the Sukuma agropastoral system are also discussed.

Forage Seed Production In Egypt For Domestic Marker And For Export, M A. El-Nahrawy, A Rammah, O Niemelainen

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In Egypt, no major effort is made to provide local and export markets with seeds of correctly identified and pure cultivars of forage crops in spite of the existence of all the essential factors for a successful seed industry. A wide genetic base of indigenous forage crops such as berseem clover and alfalfa, proper irrigation, a harvest and seed maturation period free from rain, sunshine and clear sky all year and highly fertile soils in isolated areas are available. Moreover, uncertified, uncontrolled and unidentified local seeds of berseem clover and alfalfa are highly demanded by foreign markets due to their …

Numerical Simulations Suggest Asteroids (101955) Bennu And (162173) Ryugu Are Likely Second Or Later Generation Rubble Piles., K J Walsh, R-L Ballouz, W F Bottke, C Avdellidou, Harold Connolly Jr., M Delbo, D N Dellagiustina, E R Jawin, T Mccoy, P Michel, T Morota, M C Nolan, S R Schwartz, S Sugita, D S Lauretta

School of Earth & Environment Departmental Research

Rubble pile asteroids are widely understood to be composed of reaccumulated debris following a catastrophic collision between asteroids in the main asteroid belt, where each disruption can make a family of new asteroids. Near-Earth asteroids Ryugu and Bennu have been linked to collisional families in the main asteroid belt, but surface age analyses of each asteroid suggest these bodies are substantially younger than their putative families. Here we show, through a coupled collisional and dynamical evolution of members of these families, that neither asteroid was likely to have been created at the same time as the original family breakups, but …

Mid- To Late-Miocene Hypogene Speleogenesis Tied To The Tectonic History Of The Central Basin And Range Province, Usa, Louise D. Hose, Victor Polyak, Harvey R. Duchene, J. Douglas Powell, Leslie A. Melim, Gretchen M. Baker, Donald G. Davis, Yemane Asmerom

International Journal of Speleology

Twenty-five caves displaying evidence of hypogene speleogenesis in White Pine County, Nevada, were studied between May 2022 and October 2023. Results demonstrate that the central Basin and Range Province is a major hypogenic cave region with speleogenesis dating back to the Middle Miocene. The U-Pb radiometric dates of cave mammillaries obtained so far cover a wide span of time, ranging between 14 Ma to 2 Ma. Tectonic shearing along the Snake Range Décollement up to about 22 Ma probably brackets the maximum age of speleogenesis. Thus, speleogenesis began between 22-14 Ma, which predates most of the Basin and Range extensional …

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

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

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

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

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

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

National Parks Field Journal, Isadora Davis

Art and Design Student Scholarship and Projects

A handwritten, richly illustrated field journal by Binghamton University art major Isadora Davis, recording a trip through national parks in the American West via SUNY Broome's BIO 217: Ecology of National Parks. Davis uses colored pencil drawings and pressed botanical specimens to record landscapes, birds, mammals, and plant life in Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Wind Cave, and Badlands National Parks, as well as Custer State Park. Davis's sketches and diagrams visually explore how to decode past landscapes from current formations, while her written entries explain species diversity, animal behavior, and the mechanisms causing geological formations and geothermal events. Part memoir of …

Mapping Recent Timber Harvest Activity In A Temperate Forest Using Single Date Airborne Lidar Surveys And Machine Learning: Lessons For Conservation Planning, G. Bursh Fisher, Andrew J. Elmore, Matthew C. Fitzpatrick, Darin J. Mcneil, Jeff W. Atkins, Jeffery L. Larkin

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

Effective planning for natural resource management and wildlife conservation requires detailed information on vegetation structure at landscape scales and how structure is influenced by land- use practices. In many forested landscapes, the largest impacts of land use on forest structure are driven by forest management activities, which can include invasive species control, prescribed fire, partial harvests (e.g. shelterwood harvests) or overstory removals and clearcuts. Active timber management is often used to achieve forest conservation objectives, but to be used effectively, managers require knowledge of harvest frequency and extent in adjacent forests and at landscape scales. In this paper, we develop …

Discrimination Of Deposit Types Using Magnetite Geochemistry Based On Machine Learning, Peng Wang, Shang Guo Su, Guan Zhi Wang, Yang Yang Dong, Danlin Yu

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The application of trace elements in magnetite for deposit genesis research is significant, highlighting its potential as a valuable mineral exploration tool. However, traditional low-dimensional analysis methods are not effective in revealing the genetic types of deposits using magnetite trace elements, as they fail to fully utilize the rich high-dimensional information provided by magnetite trace element analysis. To address this limitation, we implemented a supervised machine learning method, eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), to correlate the multi-element composition of magnetite with deposit types. Our study encompassed 3,865 magnetite trace element datasets from six distinct deposit types (BIF, IOA, IOCG, magmatic, porphyry, …

A Geochemical Mechanism For >10 M Apparent Downward Offsets Of Magnetic Reversals Inferred From Comparison Of Two Scotia Sea Drill Sites, Brendan T. Reilly, Lisa Tauxe, Stefanie A. Brachfeld, Bridget Kenlee, Marcus Gutjahr, Andrew W. Dale, Iván Hernández-Almeida, Sidney Hemming, Ian Bailey, Xufeng Zheng, Daven Cheu, Reece Taglienti, Michael E. Weber, Maureen E. Raymo, Trevor Williams

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

We document an apparent downward displacement of the Matuyama-Brunhes magnetic reversal by ∼20 m at Scotia Sea International Ocean Discovery Program Site U1538 (Pirie Basin) by comparison with the well-defined paleomagnetic record at nearby Site U1537 (Dove Basin). Detailed stratigraphic correlation between the two sites is possible due to similar lithologic variations. However, the two sites have distinctly different porewater geochemistry. Notably, Site U1538 indicates a greater demand for electron acceptors to oxidize organic carbon and Fe²⁺ enrichment below the depth of SO4²⁻ depletion. Magnetic parameters indicate enrichment of an authigenic magnetic mineral with strong remanence properties around …

Drone-Based Airborne Vlf-Em In Detecting Groundwater Contamination Due To Landfill Leachate, Chanho Park, Mine Dogan

Waldo Library Student Exhibits

Modern landfills follow a strict state and federal regulation on their location, design, operation and monitoring practices. One of the key focus in the regulations is in terms of leachate. While the exact composition of the leachates depends on various factors such as waste composition and degradation processes, in general they contain groups of dissolved organic matter, inorganic cations and heavy metals.

Very Low Frequency-Electromagnetic (VLF-EM) has been widely used for delineating leachate plume direction and boundaries. Previous studies using VLF-EM were carried out as on-ground measurements due to limitations in technologies. With the advancements in Unmanned Airborne Systems (UAS), …

46th Biennial Convention Of Sigma Gamma Epsilon, University Of Tennessee At Martin, September 16-18, 2022, 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 46th biennial convention (September 16-18, 2022) at satellite facilities of University of Tennessee at Martin (UT Martin) located in Selmer, Tennessee. The convention was hosted by SGE’s Eta Alpha Chapter and the Department of Agriculture, Geoscience, and Natural Resources at UT Martin. Ten (10) of SGE’s approximately 60 active chapters sent delegates to the convention. The traditional convention field trip, an outing to UT Martin’s Coon Creek Science Center, focused on collecting and preparing marine fossils from the Upper Cretaceous Coon Creek Formation. …

Fluvial Channel Path Evolution – Documenting Decades Of Change Along The Little Wabash River, East Central Illinois, Usa, Diane M. Burns, David Viertel, Kwang Il Yoo

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

As highly dynamic landforms, rivers etch their channels into the surrounding and underlying strata over time, continuously reshaping the landscapes they traverse. This study examines geomorphological changes of the Little Wabash River in East Central Illinois between 1938 and 2011. The Little Wabash River is a meandering river sourced in southwestern Coles County, Illinois, and flows southward approximately 390 km to its confluence with the Wabash River. The historical location of the Little Wabash River was delineated to establish a baseline survey using archival aerial photography acquired in 1938. To understand how the channel evolved, investigations were conducted in each …

The Compass - Volume 93 Issue 1 - Complete Issue, Scott R. Beason

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

No abstract provided.

Sigma Gamma Epsilon Student Research Poster Session, Geological Society Of America Annual Meeting 2022, Denver, Colorado, Usa, Scott R. Beason

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

The Society of Sigma Gamma Epsilon sponsors an annual poster session at every Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America. The 2022 Sigma Gamma Epsilon undergraduate research poster session took place during the 2022 Geological Society of America Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado, USA, on Monday, October 10, 2022. Ten (10) posters were presented in Exhibit Hall F at the Colorado Convention Center between 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM at the poster session. Titles, authors (italics for the presenting author), affiliations, and abstracts for each poster are listed in this report.

The Expression Of Mantle Seismic Anisotropy In The Global Seismic Wavefield, Jonathan Wolf, Maureen D. Long, Daniel A. Frost, Tarje Nissen-Meyer

Faculty Publications

The dependence of seismic wave speeds on propagation or polarization direction, called seismic anisotropy, is a relatively direct indicator of mantle deformation and flow. Mantle seismic anisotropy is often inferred from measurements of shear-wave splitting. A number of standard techniques to measure shear-wave splitting have been applied globally; for example, *KS splitting is often used to measure upper mantle anisotropy. In order to obtain robust constraints on anisotropic geometry, it is necessary to sample seismic anisotropy from different directions, ideally using different seismic phases with different incidence angles. However, many standard analysis techniques can only be applied for certain epicentral …

Biostratigraphic Revision Of Esthonyx (Tillidontia, Mammalia) In The Contect Of Climate Change In The Lower Eocene Of The Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, John Colter Johnson

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Esthonyx is an early Eocene tillodont found in North America, Europe, and India. The genus was named by Edward Drinker (E. D.) Cope in 1874 based on specimens from the San Jose Formation in New Mexico. Since then, several species of Esthonyx have been described from North America alone. The best record of Esthonyx comes from the central Bighorn Basin (BHB) in Wyoming, where it appears in 220 localities in a 640 m-thick stratigraphic succession. Since the last summary of Esthonyx in the BHB, several hundred new specimens have been collected and curated at the Denver Museum of Nature and …