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Pursue Undergraduate Research Journal Volume 2 (Issue 1) 2019

Pursue: Undergraduate Research Journal

The scholarly journal, “PURSUE: Undergraduate Research Journal” (ISSN 2473-6201), provides undergraduates an avenue to publish their original research abstracts and articles in the following areas: psychology, sociology, biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, computer science, mathematics, humanities, agriculture, architecture, health, business, and education (this list is not exclusive).

The original research articles included in this journal are peer reviewed and selected by the journal’s Editorial Board. The review process allows undergraduate researchers to receive feedback from notable scientists in their field of study and teach them about the publication process. Publication of their work will not only inform the scientific community; it …

Seasonal Soil Carbon Fluxes In Transitioning Agricultural Soils In Central Washington State: Relations To Land-Use, Environmental Factors And Soil Carbon-Nitrogen Characteristics, Brandon Kautzman

All Master's Theses

Changing agricultural land-use practices to increase soil carbon sequestration contributes to climate change mitigation and improved food security by moving CO₂ from the atmosphere into soil as soil organic carbon (SOC). In 2016, a farm in Thorp, Washington, Spoon Full Farm, began converting land historically farmed using conventional methods of tillage and synthetic fertilizers to conservation farming methods with direct seeding and organic soil amendments with a goal of sequestering carbon in the soil. This project evaluates relationships of soil CO₂ respiration and net ecological exchange (NEE) with land-use types, seasonal environmental factors (air temperature, relative humidity, soil …

Biogeochemical Response To Vegetation And Hydrologic Change In An Alaskan Boreal Fen Ecosystem, Danielle L. Rupp

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Boreal peatlands store approximately one third of the earth’s terrestrial carbon, locked away in currently waterlogged and frozen conditions. Peatlands of boreal and arctic ecosystems are affected increasingly by shifting hydrology caused by climate change. The consequences of these relatively rapid ecosystem changes on carbon cycling between the landscape and the atmosphere could provide an amplifying feedback to climate warming. Alternatively, the advancement of terrestrial vegetation into once waterlogged soils could uptake carbon as a sink. Previous work suggests that fens will become an increasingly dominant landscape feature in the boreal. However, studies investigating fens, their response to hydrologic and …

Spatial Estimation Of Hydraulic Properties In Structured Soils At The Field Scale, Xi Zhang

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Improving agricultural water management is important for conserving water during dry seasons, using limited water resources in the most efficient way, and minimizing environmental risks (e.g., leaching, surface runoff). The understanding of water movement in different zones of agricultural production fields is crucial to developing an effective irrigation strategy. This work centered on optimizing field water management by characterizing the spatial patterns of soil hydraulic properties. Soil hydraulic conductivity was measured across different zones in a farmer’s field, and its spatial variability was investigated by using geostatistical techniques. Since direct measurement of hydraulic conductivity is time-consuming and arduous, pedo-transfer functions …

Ephemeral Gully Erosion Modeling And Surveying With Close-Range Digital Photogrammetry, M. A. Islam, C. Weerasekara, Y. Zhou, A. Y. Shesukov

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Northwest Margin Of The High Plains Aquifer: Structure, Depositional History And Hydrogeology, Nebraska Geological Society Field Trip, Doug Hallum, Dennis O. Terry, Jr., Michael Leite, Jennifer Balmat

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

The northwest portion of the High Plains Aquifer in Nebraska corresponds with the western Sandhills, Box Butte, Sioux and Dawes County tablelands, and the Nebraska Pine Ridge in northwest Nebraska. This field excursion will travel beyond the margins of the High Plains aquifer into the White River valley and onto the Oglala National Grasslands. These areas are not only rich in natural resources, but rich in history as well. While this excursion will explore earth history, depositional environments and a portion of the High Plains Aquifer, the authors encourage all attendees to take additional time to explore the cultural, military …

Conservation Agriculture In The Heartland: Farmer Perceptions Of Soil Health And The Adoption Of Cover Crops, Lillian Clarissa Cobo

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The benefits of cover crops are widely recognized by those interested in conservation agriculture and soil health. These benefits include soil erosion control, nutrient loss reduction, and overall improvement of soil health. However, while these benefits are well-documented, the adoption rate of cover crops in the American Heartland remains astoundingly low. While some studies have attempted to determine the reasons for this low adoption rate, the information relating to how farmer perceptions of soil health impact cover crop adoption is almost nonexistent. Furthermore, there is a clear absence of mixed method studies in the literature relating to this subject. This …

Impacts Of Plant-Microbe Interactions On Seedling Performance In A Riparian Forest Invaded By Lonicera Maackii, Taylor E. K. Strehl

Masters Theses

Soil microbes have profound impacts on plant growth and survival and can either promote or inhibit plant dominance. Exotic plants are often strongly invasive because they have escaped their natural enemies, potentially including antagonistic soil microbes. I examined how the invasive shrub Lonicera maackii and a common native tree, Acer negundo, responded to soil microbial communities to determine the role of soil microbes in regulating invasion success. This was done by growing both species with microbes from invaded (L. maackii) and uninvaded (A. negundo) soils collected from three locations within a riparian forest. Seedlings were …

Deciduous Shrub Encroachment Effects On Tundra Soil Properties, Daniela Aguirre

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Deciduous shrub abundance is increasing in tundra ecosystems as an effect of rising temperatures which may change tundra physical properties and, in turn, microbial communities and biogeochemical processes. Two mechanisms through which shrub presence may affect tundra ecosystems were examined in this study; the physical presence of the shrubs and effects of increasing shrub litter inputs. In a sub-arctic alpine tundra ecosystem, dominated by the deciduous shrub Betula glandulosa, both shrub presence (shrub present and removed) and litter quantity (no litter/litter removed, ambient litter, and twice ambient litter) were manipulated; multiple ecosystem properties where measured within the treatment plots over …

Middle To Late Holocene (7200-2900 Cal. Bp) Archaeological Site Formation Processes At Crumps Sink And The Origins Of Anthropogenic Environments In Central Kentucky, Usa, Justin Nels Carlson

Theses and Dissertations--Anthropology

Though some researchers have argued that the Big Barrens grasslands of Kentucky were the product of anthropogenic land clearing practices by Native Americans, heretofore, this hypothesis had not been tested archaeologically. More work was needed to refine chronologies of fire activity in the region, determine the extent to which humans played a role in the process, and integrate these findings with the paleoenvironmental and archaeological record. With these goals in mind, I conducted archaeological and geoarchaeological investigations at Crumps Sink in the Sinkhole Plain of Kentucky. The archaeological record and site formation history of Crumps Sink were compared with environmental …

Carbon Dioxide Measurement In Irish Blanket Peatlands: An Assessment Of Pool-Soil Flux Variability, Mariya Radomski, Alan Gilmer, Vivienne Byers, Eugene Mcgovern

Articles

Peatlands have been recognised as having a significant role in the mediation of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels with direct implications for global climate change. Longitudinal in situ measurement systems for CO2 concentrations in blanket peatland ecosystems are difficult to implement where the nature of terrestrial–aquatic connectivity and hydrodynamics have a significant effect on the carbon cycle. The need for greater data on CO2 concentrations and flux monitoring in these settings has been well recognised. However, applying the most appropriate monitoring approach presents a special challenge. This paper sets out the development of a direct method for field based longitudinal …

Targeted Short-Term Nutrient Reduction To Manage Ventenata Dubia An Invasive Winter Annual Grass: Soil And Plant Responses, Jaren F. Lamm

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Invasive winter annual grasses, IWAGs, have degraded extensive ecosystems around the world and continue to invade new ones yearly. IWAGs readily form large monocultures or near monocultures, thus management and restoration goals largely focus on maintaining or increasing plant diversity in impacted ecosystems. Unfortunately, common management methods also reduce native plant diversity and harm the soil microbiome. These effects require additional measures to be taken, like reseeding, and plant diversity is still usually well below remnant targets. Early season short-term nutrient reduction to manage IWAGs is largely unexplored and would potentially decrease IWAG abundance, active earlier than most plants, but …

Environmental Forensic Characterization Of Former Rail Yard Soils Located Adjacent To The Statue Of Liberty In The New York/New Jersey Harbor, Diane Hagmann, Michael A. Kruge, Matthew Chi-Hymn Cheung, Maria Mastalerz, José Luis Gallego, Jay Prakash Singh, Jennifer Krumins, Xiaona N. Li, Nina M. Goodey

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Identifying inorganic and organic soil contaminants in urban brownfields can give insights into the adverse effects of industrial activities on soil function, ecological health, and environmental quality. Liberty State Park in Jersey City (N.J., USA) once supported a major rail yard that had dock facilities for both cargo and passenger service; a portion remains closed to the public, and a forest developed and spread in this area. The objectives of this study were to: 1) characterize the organic and inorganic compounds in Liberty State Park soils and compare the findings to an uncontaminated reference site (Hutcheson Memorial Forest); and 2) …

Peatlands And Histosols In Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge, West Virginia, Mitzy Leigh Schaney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Canaan Valley in West Virginia contains a greater area of peatlands than any other locality in the mid-Atlantic Highlands. Extensive fieldwork focused on peat stratigraphy and pedology, combined with high-resolution radiocarbon dating, was used to evaluate five peatlands within Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge (CVNWR) in the central Appalachian Mountains. One hundred soil cores were profiled and described, 30 with laboratory data, including 52 radiocarbon dates. Calibrated basal peat dates among the five mapped peatlands indicate a late Pleistocene timeframe for the onset of peat genesis, ranging from ~18,600 to ~15,200 cal yr BP. The dates for peat initiation are …

Internet Of Things In Smart Agriculture: Enabling Technologies, Abdul Salam, Syed Shah

Computer Information Technology Faculty Publications

In this paper, an IoT technology research and innovation roadmap for the field of precision agriculture (PA) is presented. Many recent practical trends and the challenges have been highlighted. Some important objectives for integrated technology research and education in precision agriculture are described. Effective IoT based communications and sensing approaches to mitigate challenges in the area of precision agriculture are presented.

Laboratory Evaluation Of Recycled Crushed Glass Cullet For Use As An Aggregate In Beach Nourishment And Marsh Creation Projects In Southeastern Louisiana, John C. Wildman

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

To combat the rapid degradation of the Louisiana coast, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority has planned strategic land building initiatives throughout the Louisiana Gulf coast, including beach nourishment and marsh creation projects. It is commonly agreed that the state lacks sufficient renewable sediment resources to maintain the planned CPRA land building program. However, Louisiana, the state that commonly ranks last in state recycling percentage, recycles an estimated 0.6% of the waste glass consumed in the state. Glass is predominantly silica sand. This thesis evaluates laboratory‑determined characteristics of recycled crushed glass cullet to assess its suitability as a renewable …

An Analysis Of Mixed-Layer Clay Minerals And Major Element Geochemical Trends In Middle-Upper Pennsylvanian-Aged Paleosols As A Proxy For Characterizing Basin-Wide Diagenetic Patterns And The Paleoenvironment Of The Illinois Basin, U.S.A., Julia A. Mcintosh

Earth Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Pennsylvanian-aged paleosols from four Illinois Basin (IB) cores were sampled to characterize clay mineralogy, paleosol morphology, and major element geochemistry. This data combined with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) data from two other stratigraphically equivalent cores were used to better understand basin-wide diagenetic patterns. Paleosols unimpacted by diagenesis are considered reliable proxies for continued geochemical analyses and paleoclimate interpretations of middle to late Pennsylvanian (Desmoinesian-Missourian) low-latitude environments.

Reichweite Ordering, as determined from XRD analysis ofprofiles, indicates that diagenesis impacted the deep interior of the basin and the southern portion of the basin. Further investigation of illitization mechanisms derived …

The Evolution Of Irrigated Arzyk-Shokh Soils Under Anthropogenic Factor, G. Yuldashev, U. Mirzaev

Scientific journal of the Fergana State University

This article deals with role of the anthropogenic factor in the process of modern evolutionary development of irrigated meadow saz soils in Central Fergana.

Pengaruh Cara Pemberian Pupuk Organik Cair Vinasse Terhadap Pertumbuhan Awal Bawang Dayak (Eleutherine Palmifolia), Rina Ekawati, Lestari Hetalesi Saputri

Jurnal Kultivasi

Pupuk organik bermanfaat untuk meningkatkan kandungan hara, bahan organik tanah, serta memperbaiki sifat fisik, kimia, dan biologi tanah. Vinasse merupakan limbah dari proses pembuatan bioetanol pada industri pengolahan gula, jika telah mengalami proses pengomposan dapat digunakan sebagai pupuk organik cair (POC) vinasse yang dapat meningkatkan pertumbuhan tanaman. Bawang dayak merupakan salah satu tanaman hortikultura yang dapat dijadikan sebagai tanaman berkhasiat obat. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mempelajari pengaruh cara pemberian pupuk organik cair vinasse terhadap pertumbuhan awal tanaman bawang dayak. Percobaan ini dilakukan di Politeknik Lembaga Pendidikan Perkebunan (LPP) Yogyakarta, dari bulan Juli hingga November 2018. Penelitian ini menggunakan rancangan acak …

Analisis Kandungan Logam Berat Aluminium (Al), Dan Timbal (Pb) Pada Buah Jambu Biji Varietas Kristal (Psidium Guajava L.) Dan Tanah Di Desa Bumiaji, Kota Batu, Hidayati Karamina, Ariani Trisna Murti, Tri Mudjoko

Jurnal Kultivasi

Bumiaji merupakan kawasan wisata yang terletak di Kota Batu. Dengan suhu mencapai 20oC menyebabkan Bumiaji menjadi tempat pengembangan kawasan yang cocok untuk penanaman tanaman hortikultura contohnya jambu biji varietas kristal. Budidaya jambu biji varietas kristal tidak lepas dengan pemeliharaan tanaman dengan cara pengaplikasian pupuk organik maupun anorganik dan pestisida dalam jumlah banyak dan dalam jangka waktu yang panjang. Usaha-usaha peningkatan hasil produksi di atas ternyata dapat memberikan dampak kurang baik bagi lingkungan sekitar khususnya tanah. Adapun tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah mengetahui seberapa besar jumlah logam berat yang berada pada tanah dan buah jambu biji varietas kristal. Penelitian ini menggunakan …

Pengaruh Pupuk Hayati Majemuk Dan Pupuk Fosfor Terhadap Pertumbuhan Dan Hasil Kedelai Di Inceptisol Jatinangor, Aep Wawan Irwan, Tati Nurmala

Jurnal Kultivasi

Kedelai merupakan salah satu tanaman yang membutuhkan fosfor dalam jumlah besar. Ketersediaan P merupakan faktor pembatas utama pada pertumbuhan dan produksinya. Fosfor tidak banyak tersedia untuk tanaman, sehingga dibutuhkan pupuk hayati yang mengandung mikroorganisme untuk dapat melarutkan fosfor. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memperoleh dosis pupuk hayati majemuk dan pupuk P yang efektif dan dapat memberikan pengaruh terbaik terhadap pertumbuhan, komponen hasil, dan hasil tanaman kedelai kultivar Anjasmoro. Penelitian dilakukan pada bulan Maret sampai Juni 2017 di Kebun Percobaan Ciparanje, Fakultas Pertanian Universitas Padjadjaran, dengan ketinggian tempat yaitu ± 780 mdpl. Percobaan dilakukan dengan menggunakan Rancangan Acak Kelompok terdiri dari 9 …

Pertumbuhan Bibit Kelapa Sawit (Elaeis Guineensis Jacq.) Dengan Pemberian Kompos Blotong Disertai Dengan Frekuensi Penyiraman Yang Berbeda Di Pembibitan Utama, Mira Ariyanti, Santi Rosniawaty, Hana Alfianita Utami

Jurnal Kultivasi

Blotong merupakan salah satu bentuk limbah di pabrik gula yang memiliki nilai manfaat untuk diterapkan sebagai pupuk organik. Pada blotong terkandung beberapa unsur hara yang bermanfaat bagi tanaman yaitu unsur 1.51% N, 5.63% P2O5, 0.26% K2O dan 32.38% C-organik. Selain itu pemanfaatan blotong sebagai pupuk organik diharapkan mengurangi penggunaan pupuk anorganik dimana penggunaan yang berlebihan dalam jangka waktu yang lama secara terus menerus akan menyebabkan tanah tidak sehat karena mengerasnya lapisan tanah. Tujuan percobaan ini adalah mengkaji pertumbuhan bibit kelapa sawit dengan pemberian kompos blotong yang dikombinasikan dengan frekuensi penyiraman yang berbeda. Percobaan dilakukan mulai Desember 2017 sampai dengan April …

Peningkatan Produktivitas Tanaman Kedelai Kultivar Anjasmoro Asal Benih Terdeteriorasi Dengan Kompos Trichoderma Dan Bokashi, Sumadi, Denny Sobardini Sobarna, Pujawati Suryatmana, Meddy Rachmadi, Erni Suminar

Jurnal Kultivasi

Trichoderma spp merupakan golongan fungi yang bersifat antipatogen, khususnya layu kecambah, sedangkan bokashi merupakan kompos yang diperkaya dengan beberapa mikroba yang bermanfaat bagi pertumbuhan tanaman.Tulisan ini merupakan rangkuman penelitian pot menggunakan kompos Trichoderma spp sebagai pelapis benih terdeteriorasi disertai bokashi kotoran hewan yang dilakukan pada tanah lahan kering dan tanah sawah pada tahun 2014 dan 2017. Percobaan pertama membandingkan efektivitas beberapa agen hayati sebagai pelapis benih pengaruhnya terhadap vigor benih dan hasil tanaman. Hasil percobaan menunjukkan penggunaan kompos Trichoderma hasilnya lebih baik dibandingkan agen hayati lainnya. Hasil percobaan selanjutnya menunjukkan bahwa pelapisan benih dengan 1 sampai 3 g kompos Trichoderma …

Respon Pertumbuhan Dan Hasil Tanaman Hanjeli Pada Panen Awal Akibat Pemberian Dosis Pupuk Biosilika Dan Paklobutrazol Di Lahan Kering Jatinangor, Ruminta, Tati Nurmala, Yuyun Yuwariah, Nita Yuliani Pratiwi

Jurnal Kultivasi

Hanjeli (Coix lacryma-jobiL) merupakan salah satu tanaman pangan alternatif dan tanaman fungsional. Hanjeli belum sepenuhnya dimanfaatkan petani salah satunya karena tanaman yang cukup tinggi dan memiliki umur cukup lama. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui dosis pupuk biosilika dan konsentrasi paklobutrazol yang dapat memberikan pengaruh terbaik terhadap pertumbuhan dan hasil tanaman hanjeli pulut dipanen awal (matang kuning). Penelitian dilaksanakan bulan Agustus 2017-Januari 2018 di Ciparanje, Universitas Padjadjaran, Jatinangor, Sumedang. Rancangan percobaan yang digunakan adalah rancangan petak terbagi yang terdiri dari petak utama pupuk biosilika dengan dosis 0 kg/ha; 100 kg/ha; 200 kg/ha dan anak petak paklobutrazol dengan konsentrasi 0 ppm; 1250 …

Assessment Of Soil Properties And Vegetation In A Mounded Native Tallgrass Prairie With An Aquic And Udic Soil Moisture Regime In The Ozark Highlands Region Of Northwest Arkansas, Tyler Joseph Durre

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Native tallgrass prairies were once considered to be the dominant pre-settlement vegetation type in the eastern third of the Great Plains, but are now designated as America’s most endangered ecosystem due to conversion to agricultural land. Prairie mounds are unique soil features still present in remnant native tallgrass prairies across the United States. The main objective was to determine the effects of soil moisture regime (i.e., aquic and udic), mound position, (i.e., mound summit, backslope, toeslope, inter-mound), soil depth (i.e., 10-cm intervals from 0 to 90 cm), and their interactions on soil physical, chemical, and hydraulic properties in a mounded …

Carbon Sequestration In Grassland Soils Across Arkansas, Marya Jean Mckee

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The capture, conversion, and long-term storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) as soil organic carbon (SOC), a process known as soil C sequestration, is a possible solution to the current and ever-increasing threat of rising greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change. Tallgrass prairies, which once historically covered the country, are known to accumulate and sequester large amounts of C from the atmosphere deep within the soil, due to their extensive rooting systems. The purpose of this research was to increase understanding of soil C sequestration dynamics and general functioning in disappearing native grassland ecosystems within Arkansas, as well as the …

Evaluation Of Soybean Maturity Group And Planting Date In A Soybean-Rice Rotation On Overall Crop Productivity, Carrie Ortel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about the effects of soybean (Glycine max L.) management techniques on soil-nitrogen (N) credit development and its impact on the subsequent rice (Oryza sativa L.) crop’s success. This study was conducted to determine how soybean maturity group (MG) and planting date effect overall soybean productivity and its influence on the following rice crop. Various soybean planting dates (optimum and late) and MGs (3.5, 4.7, 5.4, and 5.6) were grown and followed in rotation with a rice crop. Six rates of pre-flood fertilizer-N (0, 44, 89, 134, 179, 224 kg N ha-1) were applied to the rice crop. …

Methanogens, Plausible Extraterrestrial Life Forms On Mars, And Their Tolerance To Increasing Concentrations Of Illite Clay, Chandler Kern

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Methanogens, some of Earth’s most primitive prokaryotic organisms, are candidates for possible life forms capable of inhabiting Mars. Specifically, four different species (Methanobacterium formicicum, Methanococcus maripaludis, Methanosarcina barkeri, Methanothermobacter wolfeii) were analyzed for their tolerance to the presence of illite clay. Illite is a crystalline mineral that has been identified from regions of Mars’s surface. Results indicated that all four species grew with some success in the illite at different concentrations. This experimentation with methanogens’ abilities to survive and reproduce in the presence of illite allows for a more accurate understanding of the potential capability of microbial …

Breeding For Resilience To Increasing Temperatures: A Field Trial Assessing Genetic Variation In Soft Red Winter Wheat, Kathleen Russell, David Van Sanford

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Breeding for resilience to climate change is a daunting prospect. Crop and climate models tell us that global wheat yields are likely to decline as the climate warms, causing a significant risk to global food security. High temperatures are known to affect crop development yet breeding for tolerance to heat stress is difficult to achieve in field environments. We conducted an active warming study over two years to quantify the effects of heat stress on genetic variation of soft red winter (SRW) wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Forty SRW cultivars and breeding lines were chosen based on marker genotypes at …

Hydrogeologic Framework Studies Of Portions Of The Niobrara River, Douglas R. Hallum, Steven S. Sibray, Leslie M. Howard

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

The Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (NeDNR) and Upper Niobrara-White Natural Resources District (UNWNRD) expressed interest in improving understanding and their ability to effectively manage water resources in and around a particular reach of the Niobrara River. Aquifer-thickness contours mapped by the Conservation and Survey Division (CSD) indicate that the principle aquifer has zero thickness in this area. Additionally, the statewide geologic bedrock map produced by CSD shows non-aquifer strata of the White River Group along the same reach, and this setting is consistent with the designation of an “aquifer absent area,” as in the present document. Water-management policy development …