Natural Resources and Conservation Commons^™

Host-Pathogen Interactions In A Changing World: Microbes, Mucosal Defenses, And Multiple Hosts, Brandon C. Labumbard

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

As fungal diseases continue to emerge, research increasingly focuses on host-microbiome interactions and links to disease. Certain skin-associated microbes may benefit hosts by protecting them from invading pathogens. Seasonal changes in the host environment can also result in shifts in the microbial community and pathogen virulence – potentially influencing disease dynamics. I investigated how cutaneous microbial communities differ across hosts, seasons, and Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) infection status by sequencing the microbial communities of 1,100 leopard frogs at five locations across the US. Percent anti-Bd function varied seasonally and with Bd infection status. Bacterial communities also varied across locations and time. …

Feasibility Studies For Use Of Copper Slag In Clinker Manufacture, Suresh Vanguri, Suresh Palla, Gonthi Prasad, Sanjeev Kumar Chaturvedi, Bibekananda Mohapatra

Makara Journal of Science

This study investigated the feasibility of using copper slag (CS-C) as a raw material in the production of Portland cement (PC). The effect of addition of 0%-3.5% CS-C on the clinkerization process, mineralogy, microstructure, and compressive strength development was studied. The Presence of CS-C in the raw mix resulted in the reduced temperature of clinkerization by about 50 °C. The quality of clinker prepared from the raw mix containing 3% CS-C and burned at 1400 °C was comparable to that of clinker prepared from the raw mix containing no CS-C and burned at 1450 °C. Gradual polymorphic modification of alite …

Colorado River Basin Water Accounts: 1-Page Summary, David E. Rosenberg

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

26 Colorado River managers and experts constructively improved basin water accounts as a framework to transition emergency reservoir operations into more sustainable, equitable, and adaptive water uses.

Analyzing The Effects Of Climate Impacts In El Salvador And How They Influence Pollution, Ecosystems And Communities, Veronica Norio-Tomasino

Master's Projects and Capstones

Due to projections of rising temperatures and increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events, the rate at which climate change is impacting nations is devastating. However, developing countries and vulnerable communities are not the primary contributors to climate change, but they are at a greater risk for climate impacts by industrialized nations. As a result of increased human activity, developing nations such as El Salvador are particularly susceptible to climate-related events. Deforestation, water pollution, and human health risks are some activities that have contributed to El Salvador's vulnerability to climate change, drastically affecting rural communities suffering from multidimensional poverty. …

Scientists And Activists Work To Save The Planet, Myriam G. Vidal Valero

Capstones

Climate change and human intervention in nature are affecting people, ecosystems and ways of living all over the world. This portfolio of environmental pieces showcases the dire consequences of not addressing these issues, how solutions can be reached and the challenges facing those who try to change things.

Literature Review On Water Desalination Plant Production And Brine Disposal Methods, Grace Kollars

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Water scarcity is an issue all around the world because people have a lack of clean and available drinking water. One way this issue can be eased and people can have more access to water is implementing water desalination plants around the world. Since most of the water on earth cannot be drunk, there are ways to turn the over abundance of salty waters we have on this planet into fresh, drinkable water to ease the water insecurity. There are many methods out there that can be used for water desalination, most of them involving membrane technologies. The most efficient …

Analyzing Recycling Options For Wind Turbine Blade Waste, Awinita Bunner

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic literature review to identify recycling options for wind turbine blade waste. Wind energy is a rapidly growing energy source due to its renewability and accessibility. However, the turbines that produce this energy have blades that must be replaced throughout the turbine’s lifetime. The standard disposal method of decommissioned blades is the landfill. However, problems are arising within states as landfills are being overrun by the wind turbine blades once they reach their end-of-life. Conducting this study aims to provide a list of recycling options and provide an evaluation of each …

Outdoor Recreation And Its Effect On Our Relationship With The Environment, Martin Brannaman

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This study was conducted at the University of Nebraska Outdoor Adventure Center. This study employed a pre-post retrospective assessment looking at individuals' connection with nature after embarking on a direct outdoor experience. A direct outdoor experience is when an individual is outside and not surrounded by manmade structures (Kil, 2016). I believe that after a direct outdoor experience the sample group will have a significant change in their connection to nature. The objective is to measure change in a group's connection to nature, through the Connectedness to Nature Scale (CNS, Mayer & Frantz, 2004). The population was a group of …

Eastern Redcedar Reduces Regeneration And Diversity In The Forests Of The Niobrara River Valley, Abigail Ridder

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Boundary forests are found growing interdigitated with grasslands across the Great Plains. The Niobrara River valley boundary forest has a unique composition of species not seen anywhere else in North America. Encroachment of eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana L.) into grasslands and forests is significantly increasing eastern redcedar’s presence in the Niobrara River Valley as well as in the rest of the Great Plains region. This tree species is capable of significantly decreasing recruitment and diversity in grasslands, which can change the composition of the entire ecosystem. However, the effect of eastern redcedar on recruitment and diversity of naturally forested ecosystems …

Next-Generation Sequencing Shows Increasing Temperatures Affect Stream Fungal Communities, Regan Hodgson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Under climate change predictions, surface air temperature is expected to continue to rise and will likely affect functioning of stream ecosystems and microbial communities. Aquatic hyphomycetes are key fungal decomposers of plant litter in headwater streams controlling carbon, energy, and nutrient flows to higher trophic levels. This project addressed the effects of temperature on stream fungal communities in two recently conducted experiments (microcosm and streamside channel studies) using Illumina sequencing. The objectives were to determine (1) if temperature affects community structure of stream fungi based on relative abundances of ITS2 rDNA sequences, (2) if the effects of temperature on aquatic …

Habitat Use And Diel Movements Of Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys Molitrix In Two Southeastern Reservoirs, Levi Umland

Honors College Theses

Bigheaded carp have spread rampantly throughout the Mississippi watershed and continue to spread by navigating through rivers, locks, and dams. The long-term effects these species will have on our ecosystems and natural resources is unknown. Their movements, behavior, and general seasonal patterns are well studied within rivers. However, their movements and behavior within reservoirs is poorly understood due to their initial numbers within reservoirs being lower than in rivers. To address this gap, I investigated the distribution and movement rates of Silver Carp within two reservoirs, Kentucky Reservoir and Barkley Reservoir, and possible correlative variables, including wind, temperature, residency, sex, …

Towards Structured Planning And Learning At The State Fisheries Agency Scale, Caleb A. Aldridge

Theses and Dissertations

Inland recreational fisheries has grown philosophically and scientifically to consider economic and sociopolitical aspects (non-biological) in addition to the biological. However, integrating biological and non-biological aspects of inland fisheries has been challenging. Thus, an opportunity exists to develop approaches and tools which operationalize planning and decision-making processes which include biological and non-biological aspects of a fishery. This dissertation expands the idea that a core set of goals and objectives is shared among and within inland fisheries agencies; that many routine operations of inland fisheries managers can be regimented or standardized; and the novel concept that current information and operations can …

Larval Ecology Of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus Thynnus): New Insights From Otolith Microstructure, Biotic, And Abiotic Analyses From The Gulf Of Mexico And Mediterranean Sea, Estrella Malca

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABT), Thunnus thynnus, spawn in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) and the Mediterranean Sea (MED). Spawning occurs within narrow temporal and environmental parameters. Efforts to characterize growth of ABT in wild conditions revealed a wide range of growth variability during the early life stages. This series of studies examined potential biotic and abiotic influences of larval growth from seven ABT cohorts, and identified several key drivers of growth for this commercially valuable species. A detailed investigation of larval dynamics using otolith microstructure was conducted as follows. First, companion growth curves and stable isotope analysis from the same …

Exposure Of Egyptian Rousette Bats (Rousettus Aegyptiacus) And A Little Free-Tailed Bat (Chaerephon Pumilus) To Alphaviruses In Uganda, Rebekah C. Kading, Erin M. Borland, Eric C. Mossel, Teddy Nakayiki, Betty Nalikka, Jeremy P. Ledermann, Mary B. Crabtree, Nicholas A. Panella, Luke Nyakarahuka, Amy T. Gilbert, Julian C. Kerbis-Peterhans, Jonathan S. Towner, Brian R. Amman, Tara K. Sealy, Barry R. Miller, Julius J. Lutwama, Robert M. Kityo, Ann M. Powers

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The reservoir for zoonotic o’nyong-nyong virus (ONNV) has remained unknown since this virus was first recognized in Uganda in 1959. Building on existing evidence for mosquito bloodfeeding on various frugivorous bat species in Uganda, and seroprevalence for arboviruses among bats in Uganda, we sought to assess if serum samples collected from bats in Uganda demonstrated evidence of exposure to ONNV or the closely related zoonotic chikungunya virus (CHIKV). In total, 652 serum samples collected from six bat species were tested by plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) for neutralizing antibodies against ONNV and CHIKV. Forty out of 303 (13.2%) Egyptian rousettes …

Demographic Groups Differ In Urban Recreational Behavior, Brandon Barlow

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

Urban recreational behavior is an essential component to understanding both how our recreational opportunities will be utilized and how they can be further improved. By improving recreational opportunities, we can ensure safe and reliable emotional and physical outlets for users. As urban areas continue to expand both in geographic area and in population size, urban recreational opportunities will also see growth in the number of recreational users. Demographics provide the opportunity to further understand and predict recreational behavior, producing a variety of decision management tools. Our goal was to understand differences in urban recreational behavior among demographic groups. To address …

Sturgeon Chub Distributional Patterns And Habitat Use And Benthic Fish Assemblage Structure In Missouri River Tributaries Of South Dakota, Mitchell R. Magruder

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

Native species of the Missouri River drainage inhabiting benthic habitats dominate state and federal lists of species at risk. Sicklefin Chub Macrhybopsis meeki and Sturgeon Chub Macrhybopsis gelida are two native Missouri River benthic minnows that are currently under review for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) due to extensive population declines and local extirpations within their native range. Substantial alterations to the Missouri River threaten Macrhybopsis spp. and other benthic fishes; however, large, less impacted tributaries in South Dakota may act as refugia for native species. The extent of Sicklefin Chub and Sturgeon Chub populations is largely …

Vegetation Type Is An Important Predictor Of The Arctic Summer Land Surface Energy Budget, Jacqueline Oehri, Gabriela Schaepman-Strub, Jin Soo Kim, Raleigh Grysko, Heather Kropp, Inge Grünberg, Vitalii Zemlianskii, Oliver Sonnentag, Eugénie S. Euskirchen, Merin Reji Chacko, Giovanni Muscari, Peter D. Blanken, Joshua F. Dean, Alcide Di Sarra, Richard J. Harding, Ireneusz Sobota, Lars Kutzbach, Elena Plekhanova, Aku Riihelä, Julia Boike, Nathaniel B. Miller, Jason Beringer, Efrén López-Blanco, Paul C. Stoy, Ryan C. Sullivan, Marek Kejna, Frans Jan W. Parmentier, John A. Gamon, Mikhail Mastepanov, Christian Wille, Marcin Jackowicz-Korczynski, Dirk N. Karger, William L. Quinton, Jaakko Putkonen, Dirk Van As, Torben R. Christensen, Maria Z. Hakuba, Robert S. Stone, Stefan Metzger, Baptiste Vandecrux

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Despite the importance of high-latitude surface energy budgets (SEBs) for land-climate interactions in the rapidly changing Arctic, uncertainties in their prediction persist. Here, we harmonize SEB observations across a network of vegetated and glaciated sites at circumpolar scale (1994–2021). Our variance-partitioning analysis identifies vegetation type as an important predictor for SEB-components during Arctic summer (June-August), compared to other SEB-drivers including climate, latitude and permafrost characteristics. Differences among vegetation types can be of similar magnitude as between vegetation and glacier surfaces and are especially high for summer sensible and latent heat fluxes. The timing of SEB-flux summer-regimes (when daily mean values …

Earlier Snowmelt May Lead To Late Season Declines In Plant Productivity And Carbon Sequestration In Arctic Tundra Ecosystems, Donatella Zona, Peter M. Lafleur, Koen Hufkens, Barbara Bailey, Beniamino Gioli, George Burba, Jordan P. Goodrich, Anna K. Liljedahl, Eugénie S. Euskirchen, Jennifer D. Watts, Mary Farina, John S. Kimball, Martin Heimann, Mathias Göckede, Martijn Pallandt, Torben R. Christensen, Mikhail Mastepanov, Efrén López-Blanco, Marcin Jackowicz-Korczynski, Albertus J. Dolman, Luca Belelli Marchesini, Roisin Commane, Steven C. Wofsy, Charles E. Miller, David A. Lipson, Josh Hashemi, Kyle A. Arndt, Lars Kutzbach, David Holl, Julia Boike, Christian Wille, Torsten Sachs, Aram Kalhori, Xia Song

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Arctic warming is affecting snow cover and soil hydrology, with consequences for carbon sequestration in tundra ecosystems. The scarcity of observations in the Arctic has limited our understanding of the impact of covarying environmental drivers on the carbon balance of tundra ecosystems. In this study, we address some of these uncertainties through a novel record of 119 site-years of summer data from eddy covariance towers representing dominant tundra vegetation types located on continuous permafrost in the Arctic. Here we found that earlier snowmelt was associated with more tundra net CO2 sequestration and higher gross primary productivity (GPP) only in June …

Oak Savanna Restoration And Climate Change Mitigation Through Silvopasture In Minnesota, James Siems

Environmental Studies Student Work

Reducing emissions of world food systems will be critical to combatting climate change. Silvopasture systems, which integrate managed forests with pastureland, have been shown to be a more sustainable alternative to traditional livestock production and have the ancillary benefit of diversifying the sources of income for farmers. Silvopasture may also have the capacity to serve as a mechanism for ecological restoration. This paper combines existing literature with an interview of a farmer who is engaging in silvopasture to evaluate the potential of silvopasture as means to restore Minnesota’s disappearing oak savanna ecosystem, while improving the sustainability of food production within …

Aquaculture In Africa: Aquatic Animal Welfare, Impact On The Environment And The Sustainability Of The Sector, Mwenda M. Mbaka, Janice H. Cox, Stephen Ronan

Aquaculture

The African aquaculture sector recorded the fastest growth in the world between 2006-2018, averaging 10% or more, and is expected to partially fill the growing fish supply-demand gap up to 2063. In 2018, there were about 1.2 million aquafarmers across the continent, an increase from 920 thousand in 2014. According to the African Development Bank, expansion of aquaculture in Africa is hampered by "the overwhelming predominance of tilapia farming, which relies heavily on the production of fingerlings from a limited number of genetically improved strains that are resistant to the many diseases affecting this species, and on the production of …

Why Energy Efficiency Is Needed In Rwanda, Jean Ishinzibigwi

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

Perspective on the benefits of energy efficiency and cost savings on energy was changed by the experience of working with the Nebraska Industrial Assessment Center. Visiting various industrial locations in Nebraska to see how different energy-saving techniques are employed to save money on energy costs and reduce energy waste. Rwanda can put several ideas into action to lessen the energy loss, which is too much now.

The government's Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA) and other departments are crucial to Rwanda's energy sector. The primary ministry in charge of developing renewable energy is MININFRA (methane, peat, geothermal, solar and wind energy). The …

Stop Methane Emissions, Jacob Anderson

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

We all know of the worldly issue called global warming. A huge cause of global warming is the emission and buildup of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is the leading contributor to global emissions at 74.4% and methane is second at 17.3% (Our World in Data 2019). On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

which includes a charge that starts in 2024 at $900 per metric ton of methane emitted and will raise to $1500 by 2028 (CRS). This should introduce an incentive for facilities to update their plant, machinery, and equipment …

Bridgeport Poised To Be Site Of Nebraska’S Next Environmental Catastrophe, Kjersten Hyberger

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

Bridgeport Ethanol LLC is Nebraska’s first ethanol plant to be under contract for Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) in the state. Despite ongoing safety concerns by federal regulators and organized opposition from affected landowners, Carbon America is pushing forward with their plans to have the Bridgeport CCS facility operational by 2024. At a time when Nebraska has barely begun cleanup of the AltEn disaster in Mead, and the agrochemical contamination levels in our soil and groundwater are at historic levels, we cannot carelessly add one more pollutant to the mix.

In May of this year the Legislature passed the Nebraska …

Puerto Rico Left In The Dark, Again, Eulices Garcia

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

Puerto Rico, the United States third largest island, often gets overlooked when hurricane season comes and goes. Where most of the attention goes to the Florida peninsula or East coast, Puerto Rico is still one of America’s closest territories. As part of America’s extended family, Puerto Rico should not be overlooked when natural disasters occur. When these disasters happen, they can have a tremendous impact on the island itself and the people in it. One major concern that has not been truly fixed yet is the energy crisis in Puerto Rico. Whenever storms hit, there is always a possibility of …

Carbon Capture Is Not Climate Action, Bella Devney

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

A new technology is being brought to Western Nebraska in the form of Carbon Capture and Storage in the name of climate action, but the health of Nebraska’s environment and people are being ignored. Bridgeport Ethanol Plant announced this fall that they plan to begin building technology that will capture and store “175,000 tons/yr” which is a small percentage of the 4,577 million tons emitted by the US in 2020.

Carbon can be captured from the atmosphere itself or in the Ethanol Plant’s case from the point of the CO2 production. After carbon is captured from the plant’s smokestack, it …

Nuclear Energy, Evan Detina

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

The use of nuclear power as a primary energy source is a controversial discussion. However, if reversing or stopping the effects of climate change is our main goal, then this is a top contender. Fossil fuels account for 34 billion tons of emissions annually according to Ritchie, Hannah, et al. (2020). Instead, we can create energy through nuclear fission. I believe nuclear energy should become a much larger player in the energy game.

The first practical use of nuclear power became apparent on December 2, 1942 when a physicist, Enrico Fermi, develOp-ed a self-sustaining nuclear fission reaction at the University …

Big Blue Wind Project: Why Solar May Be A Better Solution For Nebraska's Energy Future Than Wind, Page Nippert

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

With nonrenewable resources such as coal and oil causing greenhouse gas emissions, a shift to renewable resources is needed not only to reduce CO₂ emissions, but also to allow energy independence. The switch to renewable resources is vital, and in Nebraska, these resources are being introduced commonly as solar and wind farms depending on the area.

NextEra Energy is proposing The Big Blue Wind project in Jefferson County. I’m opposing this project for reasons similar to why it’s being proposed – for the environment and the community.

The project aims to benefit the community economically by creating jobs, county …

New Natural Gas Pipeline Benefits Europe And Africa, Victor Moreno Lozano

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

European countries have agreed to start filling up their natural gas gap, with the new natural gas pipeline from Africa. Nigeria and Morocco agreed to develop this pipeline in 2016, but after the beginning of the Ukraine-Russia war, things have speeded up.

After the economical punishments Europe imposed on Russia, Russia decided to increase the price of the natural gas exported to Europe and decrease the amount of gas. Most European countries have a big dependency on Russia's natural gas, countries like Germany import 50% of their natural gas from Russia.

Since winter is coming up, European countries are dealing …

Are Electric Cars A Solution In Rwanda?, Elysee Ndayishimiye

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

Numerous studies have been conducted that demonstrate how environmentally friendly electric vehicles are. They produce fewer greenhouse gases, which makes them an effective way to reduce both air pollution and greenhouse emissions. In order to combat rising air pollution and support a green city initiative, Rwanda considered introducing more electric vehicles. The Global Electric Mobility Program, run by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), aims to assist low- and middle-income nations in switching from conventional (gas) to electric vehicles. Rwanda has joined this program. Due to the high cost of switching to electric vehicles in poor nations like Rwanda and …

Eco-Dystopian Novels Written By Women: Second, Third, And Fourth Wave Feminism, Trystyn Cox

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The project is thematic; analysis of eco-dystopian novels written by American female authors in the 20th and 21st centuries in order to determine if the different waves of feminism experienced in the United States had any influence over the books. By doing an analysis of eco-dystopian novels the study identifies if there were any outside societal movements or issues going on at the time that may have influenced how the book was created or if a particular book was able to open innovative ideas to the society at the time it was published. I researched the second, third, and fourth …