Natural Resources and Conservation Commons^™

Vadose Zone Processes And Chemical Transport, H. M. Gaber, Steven Comfort, Patrick J. Shea, Thomas A. Machacek

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Permeable zerovalent iron (Fe⁰) barriers have become an estab- lished technology for remediating contaminated ground water. This same technology may be applicable for treating pesticides amenable to dehalogenation as they move downward in the vadose zone. By conducting miscible displacement experiments in the laboratory with metolachlor [2-chloro-N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-N-(2-methoxy-1-methylethyl) acetamide; a chloroacetanilide herbicide] under unsaturated flow, we provide proof-of-concept for such an approach. Transport experiments were conducted in repacked, unsaturated soil columns attached to vacuum chambers and run under constant matrix potential (-30 kPa) and Darcy flux (approximately 2 cm d^-1 ). Treatments included soil …

Land Surface Dynamics In Kazakhstan: Dynamic Baselines And Change Detection, Geoffrey M. Henebry, Kirsten M. De Beurs, Anatoly A. Gitelson

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Analysis of the spatio-temporal structure of NDVI in the Pathfinder AVHRR Land data set for Kazakhstan from 1981-1999 reveals significant changes in the distributions of the scale of fluctuation (SOF) before and after 1992 in some ecoregions at certain phases of the growing season. These differences are likely due to actual influences on the land surface and not changes in sensor characteristics. Further analysis is required to identify and quantify these influences.

Realtime Data Filtering Models For Air Temperature Measurements, Kenneth G. Hubbard, X. Lin

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Air temperature measurement biases caused by solar radiation and ambient wind speed are well-known. However, realtime air temperature filtering models are essential for generating homogeneous climate data by transforming one air temperature measurement system into another, and correcting in-situ air temperature biases especially for non-aspirated radiation shield systems. This study investigated the air temperature biases caused in the commonly used radiation shields in the United States, including the ASOS, MMTS, Gill, CRS, ASP-ES, and NON-ASPES shields along with corresponding temperature sensors. The realtime air temperature filtering models developed for each air temperature system are capable of removing the solar radiation …

Novel Algorithms For Remote Estimation Of Vegetation Fraction, Anatoly A. Gitelson, Yoram J. Kaufman, Robert Stark, Don Rundquist

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Spectral properties of a wheat canopy with vegetation fraction (VF) from 0% to 100% in visible and near-infrared (NIR) ranges of the spectrum were studied in order to devise a technique for remote estimation of VF. When VF was < 60%, from emergence till middle of the elongation stage, four distinct, and quite independent, spectral bands of reflectance existed in the visible range of the spectrum: 400 to 500 nm, 530 to 600 nm, near 670 nm, and around 700 nm. When VF was between 60% and 100%, reflectance in the NIR leveled off or even decreases with an increase of VF. The decreased reflectance in the NIR, occurring at or near the midseason, can be a limiting factor in the use of that spectral region for VF estimation. It was found that for VF > 60%, the information content of reflectance spectra in visible range can be expressed by only two independent pairs of spectral bands: (1) the blue from 400 to 500 nm and the red near 670 nm; (2) the green around 550 nm and the red edge region near 700 nm. We propose using only the visible range of the spectrum to quantitatively …

Macrohabitat Composition Surrounding Successful And Depredated Northern Bobwhite Nests, Eric L. Staller, William E. Palmer, John P. Carroll

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Relationships among macrohabitat and depredation of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) nests are poorly understood. Yet, macrohabitat composition may influence the nest predator community and, therefore, the vulnerability of northern bobwhite nests to depredation. We determined if macrohabitat composition surrounding bobwhite nests influenced nest placement, nest success, and which predators were responsible for depredating nests. We characterized macrohabitats at 2 scales, 8 and 16 ha, by surrounding both bobwhite nests, and an equal number of random locations, with a circular buffer. Random points were placed within the area used by bobwhites on our study area. We then determined the …

Wood Thrush Movements And Habitat Use: Effects Of Forest Management For Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers, Jason Lang, Larkin A. Powell, David Krementz, Michael J. Conroy

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

We monitored adult and juvenile breeding-season movements and habitat use of radio-tagged Wood Thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina) at the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, central Georgia, USA. We investigated the effects that management for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers (Picoides borealis), thinning and burning >30 year old loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) habitat, had on Wood Thrushes, a ground-foraging and midstory-nesting species. Adult Wood Thrush pairs regularly moved long distances between nesting attempts (range 1 to 17,388 m). The only experimental effect we found on adult movements was a decrease in weekly emigration rates (AP) from thinned and burned compartments …

Call Parameters And Facial Features In Bats: A Surprising Failure Of Form Following Function, Amanda Goudy-Trainor, Patricia W. Freeman

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

We attempted to correlate echolocation call parameters to a comprehensive array of ear and nose measurements from 12 families of bats. Surprisingly, we failed to find any significant relationships. We did find consistent differences between nasal and oral emitters such as: (a) nasal emitters have higher frequencies with maximum energy for their size than oral emitters, (b) nasal emitting bats tend to have longer, narrower skulls, and (c) nasal emitters have a shorter distance from the nostril to the eye (muzzle length).

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 33, No.4 December 2001

The Prairie Naturalist

SPECIES, SEASON, AND DENSITY OF BURIED SEEDS SURVIVING FOX SQUIRREL DEPREDATION ▪ C. C. Smith, and J. M. Briggs

RELATI0NSHIP OF HYDROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND POPULATlONS OF BREEDING PIPING PLOVERS ▪ D. S. Licht,

DEMODICOSIS IN A WHITE-TAILED DEER (ODOCOILEUS VIRGINIANUS) IN SOUTH DAKOTA ▪ C. N. Jacques, J. A Jenks. M. B. Hildreth. R. J. Schauer, and D. D. Johnson

SURVEYS OF CALLING AMPHIBIANS IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ D. H. Johnson, and R. D. Batie

EFFECTS OF HUMAN PRESENCE ON VOCALIZATIONS OF GRASSLAND BIRDS IN KANSAS ▪ S. L Bye, R. J. Robel, and K. E. Kemp

Reviewers 2001

Author …

Comparison Of Instream Methods For Measuring Hydraulic Conductivity In Sandy Streambeds, Matthew K. Landon, David L. Rus, F. Edwin Harvey

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Streambed hydraulic conductivity (K) values were determined at seven stream transects in the Platte River Basin in Nebraska using different instream measurement techniques. Values were compared to determine the most appropriate technique(s) for use in sandy streambeds. Values of K determined from field falling- and constant-head permeameter tests analyzed using the Darcy equation decreased as permeameter diameter increased. Seepage meters coupled with hydraulic gradient measurements failed to yield K values in 40% of the trials. Consequently, Darcy permeameter and seepage meter tests were not preferred approaches. In the upper 0.25 m of the streambed, field falling- and constant-head permeameter tests …

Effects Of Binary Combinations Of Herbicides On Freshwater Algae, Jill K. Taylor

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

No abstract provided.

Intermediate Rings Between A Local Domain And Its Completion, Ii, William Heinzer, Christel Rotthaus, Sylvia Wiegand

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

We present results connecting flatness of extension rings to the Noetherian property for certain intermediate rings between an excellent normal local domain and its completion. We consider conditions for these rings to have Cohen-Macaulay formal fibers. We also present several examples illustrating these results.

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 33, No.3 September 2001

The Prairie Naturalist

SEASONAL REPRODUCTION IN SIGMODON HISPIDUS INHABITING TALLGRASS PRAIRIES OF OKLAHOMA ▪ J. A. Wilson and R. L. Lochmiller

USE OF THE INDEX OF BIOLOGICAL INTEGRITY IN EASTERN SOUTH DAKOtA RIVERS ▪ C. L. Milewski, C. R. Berry, and D. Dieterman

SEED USE BY VERTEBRATES AND INVERTEBRATES IN TALLGRASS PRAIRIE ▪ A. W. Reed, G. A. Kaufman, J. E. Boyer, Jr., and D. W. Kaufman

RANGE EXPANSION OF THE PILEATED WOODPECKER IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ J. A. Dechant 163

LAB FATTENING AND NON-INVASIVE ESTIMATES OF BODY COMPOSITION IN DEER MICE ▪ E. T. Unangst, Jr., M. J. Blair, M. W. Granger, …

Movement Of Rainbow And Brown Trout In Relation To Water Quality And Food Availability In Lake Ogallala, Nebraska, Corey M. Huxoll

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

No abstract provided.

Reflectance Spectral Features And Detection Of Superficial Scald–Induced Browning In Storing Apple Fruit, Olga B. Chivkunova, Alexei E. Solovchenko, S. G. Sokolova, Mark N. Merzlyak, I. V. Reshetnikova, Anatoly A. Gitelson

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Reflectance (R) spectra of Antonovka apples in the visible and near infrared ranges of the spectrum were studied during fruit storage. Specific spectral features of reflectance of healthy ripening fruits and those arising as a result of superficial scald development and browning induced artificially by n–hexane treatment were revealed and compared. Both superficial scald and n–hexane treatment brought about a strong decrease of reflectance, especially, in the green near 550 nm. During natural fruit ripening in the absence of superficial scald development, a high correlation was found between reflectances at 550 and 700 nm. In contrast, as a …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 33, No.2 June 2001

The Prairie Naturalist

A LITERATURE-BASED CHECKLIST OF KANSAS ROBBER FLIES (DIPTERA: ASILIDAE) ▪ R. J. Beckemeyer

DISTRIBUTIONS OF ROOSTING SANDHILL CRANES AS

IDENTIFIED BY AERIAL THERMOGRAPHY ▪ T. L. Parrish, W. A. Hubert, S. H. Anderson, M. 1. Pucherelli, and W. Mangus

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS FOR NORTH DAKOTA 2000 ▪ R. N. Randall

FIRST RECORD OF THE CINERElJS SHREW FOR RILEY COUNTY, KANSAS. R. S. Matlack, D. W. Kaufman, and R. E. Charlton

BADGER REMOVES EGG FROM ISLAND IN PRAIRIE ALKALI LAKE ▪ B. R. Casler and R. K. Murphy

ON THE RARITY OF FOOD PROVISIONING BY MALE DICKCISSELS ▪ L. D. Igl …

Effects Of Woody Cover In The Landscaping On Riparian Avifauna And A Preliminary Nesting Assessment, Micah W. Perkins

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

No abstract provided.

Movements And Habitat Use By Hatchery-Reared Pallid Sturgeon In The Lower Platte River, Nebraska, Vaughn A. Snook

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

No abstract provided.

Do Species And Functional Groups Differ In Acquisition And Use Of C, N And Water Under Varying Atmospheric Co2 And N Availability Regimes? A Field Test With 16 Grassland Species, Peter B. Reich, David Tilman, Joseph Craine, David Ellsworth, Mark G. Tjoelker, Johannes M. H. Knops, David A. Wedin, Shahid Naeem, Dan Bahauddin, Jenny Goth, Wendy Bengtson, Tali D. Lee

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Summary:

• To evaluate whether functional groups have a similar response to global change, the responses to CO₂ concentration and N availability of grassland species from several functional groups are reported here.
• Sixteen perennial grassland species from four trait-based functional groups (C₃ grasses, C₄ grasses, non-leguminous forbs, legumes) were grown in field mono-cultures under ambient or elevated (560 μmol mol^-1) CO₂using free-air CO₂enrichment (FACE), in low N (unamended field soil) or high N (field soil + 4 g N m^-2 years^-1) treatments.
• There were no CO …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 33, No.1 March 2001

The Prairie Naturalist

VEGETATION STRUCTURE AND INVERTEBRATE BIOMASS OF CONVENTIONAL AND SUSTAINABLE SORGHUM FIELDS IN KANSAS ▪ R. J. Robel and C Xiong

MONTHLY OPEN-WATER BOTTOM TRAWLING AT TWO SOUTH DAKOTA LAKES ▪ B. G. Blackwell and M. L. Brown

WINTER SURVIVAL AND HOME RANGE OF FEMALE RING-NECKED PHEASANT IN RELATION TO FOOD' PLOTS ▪ A E. Gabbert, J. R. Purvis, L. D. Flake, and A P. Leif

THIRD BREEDING RECORD OF BLUE GROSBEAK IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ K. H. Haas and C A Haas

EVIDENCE OF AMERICAN WOODCOCK NESTING IN SOUTHEASTERN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ F. Y Sargeant and G. A Sargeant

BOOK …

Gap Filling Strategies For Long Term Energy Flux Data Sets, Eva Falge, Dennis D. Baldocchi, Richard Olson, Peter Anthoni, Marc Aubinet, Christian Bernhofer, George Burba, Reinhart Ceulemans, Robert Clement, Han Dolman, Andre Granier, Patrick Gross, Thomas Grunwald, David Hollinger, Niels-Otto Jensen, Gabriel Katul, Petri Keronen, Andrew Kowalski, Chun Ta Lai, Beverly E. Law, Tilden Meyers, John Moncrieff, Eddy Moors, J. William Munger, Kim Pilegaard, Ullar Rannik, Corinna Rebmann, Andrew E. Suyker, John Tenhunen, Kevin Tu, Shashi Verma, Timo Vesala, Kell Wilson, Steve Wofsy

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

At present a network of over 100 field sites are measuring carbon dioxide, water vapor and sensible heat fluxes between the biosphere and atmosphere, on a nearly continuous basis. Gaps in the long term measurements of evaporation and sensible heat flux must be filled before these data can be used for hydrological and meteorological applications. We adapted methods of gap filling for NEE (net ecosystem exchange of carbon) to energy fluxes and applied them to data sets available from the EUROFLUX and AmeriFlux eddy covariance databases. The average data coverage for the sites selected was 69% and 75% for latent …

Gap Filling Strategies For Defensible Annual Sums Of Net Ecosystem Exchange, Eva Falge, Dennis D. Baldocchi, Richard Olson, Peter Anthoni, Marc Aubinet, Christian Bernhofer, George Burba, Reinhart Ceulemans, Robert Clement, Han Dolman, Andre Grainer, Thomas Grunwald, David Hollinger, Niels-Otto Jensen, Gabriel Katul, Petri Keronen, Andrew Kowalski, Chun Ta Lai, Beverly E. Law, Tilden Meyers, Jon Moncrieff, Eddy Moors, J. William Munger, Kim Pilegaard, Ullar Rannik, Corinna Rebmann, Andrew E. Suyker, John Tenhunen, Kevin Tu, Shashi Verma, Timo Vesala, Kell Wilson, Steve Wofsy

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Heightened awareness of global change issues within both science and political communities has increased interest in using the global network of eddy covariance flux towers to more fully understand the impacts of natural and anthropogenic phenomena on the global carbon balance. Comparisons of net ecosystem exchange (F_NEE) responses are being made among biome types, phenology patterns, and stress conditions. The comparisons are usually performed on annual sums of F_NEE; however, the average data coverage during a year is only 65%. Therefore, robust and consistent gap filling methods are required.

We review several methods of gap …

Fluxnet: A New Tool To Study The Temporal And Spatial Variability Of Ecosystem-Scale Carbon Dioxide, Water Vapor, And Energy Flux Densities, Dennis Baldocchi, Eva Falge, Lianhong Gu, Richard Olson, David Hollinger, Steve Running, Peter Anthoni, Ch. Bernhofer, Kenneth Davis, Robert Evans, Jose Fuente, Allen Goldstein, Gabriel Katul, Beverly Law, Xuhui Lee, Yadvinder Malhi, Tilden Meyers, William Munge, Walt Oechel, K.T. Paw U, Kim Pilegaard, H.P. Schmid, Riccardo Valentini, Shashi Verma, Timo Vesala, Kell Wilson, Steve Wofsy

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

FLUXNET is a global network of micrometeorological flux measurement sites that measure the exchanges of carbon dioxide, water vapor, and energy between the biosphere and atmosphere. At present over 140 sites are operating on a long-term and continuous basis. Vegetation under study includes temperate conifer and broadleaved (deciduous and evergreen) forests, tropical and boreal forests, crops, grasslands, chaparral, wetlands, and tundra. Sites exist on five continents and their latitudinal distribution ranges from 70°N to 30°S.

FLUXNET has several primary functions. First, it provides infrastructure for compiling, archiving, and distributing carbon, water, and energy flux measurement, and meteorological, plant, and soil …

Test Of An Extended Mathematical Approach To Calculate Maize Leaf Area Index And Leaf Angle Distribution, Elizabeth A. Walter-Shea, Mark A. Mesarch

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of An Algorithm For Predicting Albedo In Heliotropic Crops, Elizabeth A. Walter-Shea, A. Weiss

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Value Of Incorporating Satellite-Derived Land Cover Data In Mm5/Place For Simulating Surface Temperatures, Todd M. Crawford, David J. Stensrud, Franz Mora, James W. Merchant, Peter J. Wetzel

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The Parameterization for Land–Atmosphere–Cloud Exchange (PLACE) module is used within the Fifth- Generation Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5) to determine the importance of individual land surface parameters in simulating surface temperatures. Sensitivity tests indicate that soil moisture and the coverage and thickness of green vegetation [as manifested by the values of fractional green vegetation coverage (fVEG) and leaf area index (LAI)] have a large effect on the magnitudes of surface sensible heat fluxes. The combined influence of LAI and fVEG is larger than the influence of soil moisture on the partitioning of the surface energy …

Some Perspectives On Recent In Situ Air Temperature Observations: Modeling The Microclimate Inside The Radiation Shields*, X. Lin, Kenneth Hubbard, Elizabeth A. Walter-Shea, James Brandle, G.E. Meyer

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Air temperature measurement has inherent biases associated with the particular radiation shield and sensor deployed. The replacement of the Cotton Region Shelter (CRS) with the Maximum–Minimum Temperature System (MMTS) and the introduction of Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) air temperature observing systems during the NWS modernization introduced bias shifts in federal networks that required quantification. In rapidly developing nonfederal networks, the Gill shield temperature systems are widely used. All of these systems house an air temperature sensor in a radiation shield to prevent radiation loading on the sensors; a side effect is that the air temperature entering a shield is …

Impacts Of Predation On Northern Bobwhite And Scaled Quail, Dale Rollins, John P. Carroll

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) and scaled quail (Callipepla squamata) populations have declined throughout most of their distribution, and these declines have become more dramatic in recent years. In this review, we examine the role of predation in quail management. Predation is the major source of nest loss and of mortality for young and adult quail. Mean nest success across studies reviewed was 28%. Estimates of annual survival rates have varied from 5 to 26% for radiotelemetry studies and from 15 to 30% based on age-ratio studies. Breeding season survival estimates ranged from 13 to 51% in telemetry …

Bollgard Cotton: An Assessment Of Global Economic, Environmental, And Social Benefits, Julie M. Edge, John H. Benedict, John P. Carroll, H. Keith Reding

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Insect-protected crops like Bollgard (Monsanto Company, St. Louis) Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton are bringing cotton growers new alternatives to broad-spectrum insecticide use in integrated pest management. After five years (1996-2000) of commercial use, a number of benefits of Bt cotton technology to growers, the environment, and society at large have been reported; however, the benefits of the technology have not been examined to date from a holistic point of view. Accordingly, the objectives of this paper were to examine the potential economic, environmental, and social benefits of Bt cotton compared with broad-spectrum insecticide use, as reported in current literature, …

Field-Scale Remediation Of A Metolachlor-Contaminated Spill Site Using Zerovalent Iron, Steven Comfort, Patrick J. Shea, Thomas A. Machacek, H. Gaber, B.-T. Oh

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Pesticide spills are common occurrences at agricultural cooperatives and farmsteads. When inadvertent spills occur, chemicals normally beneficial can become point sources of ground and surface water contamination. We report results from a field trial where approximately 765 m³ of soil from a metolachlor [2-chloro-N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-N-(2-methoxy-1-methylethyl) acetamide] spill site was treated with zerovalent iron (Fe⁰). Preliminary laboratory experiments confirmed metolachlor dechlorination by Fe⁰ in aqueous solution and that this process could be accelerated by adding appropriate proportions of Al₂(SO₄)₃ or acetic acid (CH₃COOH). The field project was …

Escherichia Coli O157:H7 In Free-Ranging Deer In Nebraska, David G. Renter, Jan M. Sargeant, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Jeff D. Hoffmann, Jerry R. Gillespie

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

In order to determine the prevalence and distribution of the human pathogen, Escherichia coli O157:H7, in free-ranging deer, hunters were asked to collect and submit fecal samples from deer harvested during a regular firearm season (14–22 November 1998). Prior to the season, 47% of the hunters with permits in the southeastern Nebraska (USA) study area indicated a willingness to participate in the study. Approximately 25% of successful hunters in the area submitted deer fecal samples. Escherichia coli O157:H7 was cultured from four (0.25%) of 1,608 total samples submitted. All of the fecal samples that were properly identified (1,426) and all …