Natural Resources and Conservation Commons^™

Identifying Phytoremediation Performing Plant Species That Can Be Utilized In The Improvement Of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soils, Ashley Clark*, Samuel Mutiti

Graduate Research Showcase

Heavy metal pollution is a problem associated with industrialization and development. Two major metals that are commonly mined and can enter the environment, which can jeopardize communities’ health, are copper (Cu) and lead (Pb). There are different options for reducing heavy metal pollution in the environment via remediation efforts, including physical, chemical, and biological methods. However, physical and chemical remediation can be costly and labor-intensive, making them unsuitable for regions that do not have the funds to utilize these practices. Biological remediation is a more cost-conservative practice that has been shown in many studies to be effective in the gradual …

Including Methane Emissions From Agricultural Ponds In National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, Martino E. Malerba, Tertius De Kluyver, Nicholas J. Wright, Odebiri Omosalewa, Peter I. Macreadie

Climate Science Research Articles

Agricultural ponds are a significant source of greenhouse gases, contributing to the ongoing challenge of anthropogenic climate change. Nations are encouraged to account for these emissions in their national greenhouse gas inventory reports. We present a remote sensing approach using open-access satellite imagery to estimate total methane emissions from agricultural ponds that account for (1) monthly fluctuations in the surface area of individual ponds, (2) rates of historical accumulation of agricultural ponds, and (3) the temperature dependence of methane emissions. As a case study, we used this method to inform the 2024 National Greenhouse Gas Inventory reports submitted by the …

Machine Learning And Geostatistical Approaches For Discovery Of Weather And Climate Events Related To El Niño Phenomena, Sachi Perera

Computational and Data Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

El Nino and La Nina are worldwide environmental phenomena brought about by repetitive changes in the water temperature of the Pacific Ocean. Even though the El-Nino impact focuses on a smaller area in the Pacific Ocean near the Equator, these developments have global repercussions, where temperature and precipitation are influenced across the globe, causing droughts and floods simultaneously. In this dissertation, we first derived a drought vulnerability index for the Nile basin, identifying regions with high and low drought risk under ENSO conditions. Next, we evaluated the coherence and periodicity of the ENSO signal to detect its implications on MENA …

Impact Of Pollution On Marginalized Communities: Case Study Of Omaha, Nebraska, Miqaela Davis

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Environmental justice has been a struggle within our country for years. The goal of Environmental justice is for the fair treatment and equal voice for every single individual regardless of race, income, gender, etc. There has been environmental injustice and racism in many cities, but this study focuses on Omaha, Nebraska. Key questions include: What are some specific pollutants that are prevalent in areas with differing racial majorities in Omaha? What are some of the health patterns in these areas and does it relate to environmental racism? How has Omaha reinforced environmental racism through city planning? Using the Climate and …

Framing Wildlife Conservation: Exploring Political Bias In States' Wildlife Action Plans, Ciara Nelson

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Climate change affects regions of the United States differently due to factors such as the country's diverse physical landscapes, political environments, and population distributions. This variation leads to varying impacts on humans, wildlife, and ecosystems, with anthropogenic climate change—acknowledging humans as a significant contributor—being a point of contention, especially among some prominent politicians. The relationship between political party affiliation and climate change acknowledgment is evident, with recent political discourse highlighting differing views on the severity of climate change. This political framing influences how environmental policies are perceived and accepted, with the choice of language and framing playing a crucial role …

Assessing Sustainability Within The Brewing Industry: A Literature Review And Benchmarking Analysis., Elijah Thomas Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goals of this study were twofold: to further examine sustainability within the brewing industry through a literature analysis across four academic journals, and a benchmarking analysis of a Louisville, Kentucky brewery’s resource consumption and emissions production. Publications related to the brewing industry were examined for the presence of sustainability keywords: “efficiency, sustainability, carbon footprint, climate change and greenhouse gas”. Benchmarking examined the local brewery’s primary production facility to determine their performance compared to other surveyed breweries pursuing sustainability across the country. Literature examination found noticeable discrepancies between the appearance of sustainability topics within article abstracts and their discussion within …

Eco-Anxiety Effects College Students, Alexa Edmundson

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

A survey was conducted on the UNL student population to evaluate whether college students, 18-25 year olds who are currently attending an accredited post-secondary school, are experiencing eco-anxiety and if eco-anxiety affects their pro-environmental behaviors. Climate change is taking a toll not only physically on us but also mentally. The mental health of people, especially college students, is not often studied in relation to climate change, but if we are to understand how to create change in this issue then we need to be looking at the whole picture. The hypothesis is that if college students are experiencing eco-anxiety, then …

Charging Forward: A Comparative Analysis Of Facilitators To Electric Vehicle Adoption In Three U.S. States, Abigail Schroeder

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Electric vehicles (EVs) are a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, but low consumer adoption rates present a challenge. In order to understand what factors may facilitate EV adoption, a comparative analysis of three U.S. states was performed. These states have the highest rates of EV adoption in the country. Thus, studying them provided insights into what may make EV adoption successful. California, Hawaii, and Washington are the states with the highest EV adoption rates. Based on previous research, a list of 12 characteristics that may influence EV adoption was compiled and applied to each state, focusing on …

Educational Influences On Environmental Perception: A Semester Analysis Of The New Ecological Paradigm Scale In Undergraduates, Zoe Zingler

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This study evaluated the impact of a geography course, GEOG 181: Global Environmental Issues, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on students’ endorsement of the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) using a pre-course and post-course NEP scale survey. Analyzing paired responses (n = 40) through t-tests and z-scores, only four of 15 statements had statistically significant shifts observed for the entire sample. However, a targeted analysis of students initially possessing lower endorsement of the NEP—early deniers—revealed significant paradigm shifts post-course. While women initially showed stronger NEP endorsement, men demonstrated notable changes following the course towards endorsement of the NEP. Academic majors, whether …

Rice Biomass Response To Various Phosphorus Fertilizers In A Phosphorus-Deficient Soil Under Simulated Furrow-Irrigation, Jonathan B. Brye

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Wastewater-recovered phosphorus (P), in the form of the mineral struvite (MgNH4PO4⋅6H2O), may provide a sustainable alternative to rapidly decreasing rock phosphate reserves. Struvite can be generated via chemical and/or electrochemical precipitation methods, potentially reducing the amount of P runoff to aquatic ecosystems. The objective of this greenhouse tub study was to evaluate the effects of chemically- and electrochemically precipitated struvite (CPST and ECST, respectively) on above- and belowground plant response in a hybrid rice cultivar (Gemini 214, RiceTec) grown using furrow-irrigation compared to other common fertilizer-P sources [i.e., triple super phosphate (TSP) and diammonium phosphate (DAP)] in a P-deficient silt …

Innovative Rate Design As A Free Market Solution To Climate, Resiliency, And Economic Challenges, Brendan J. Moore

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

A century-old problem of electricity rate design is cost-shifting between ratepayers (Wellinghoff, J. & Tong, J., 2015). A much newer cost-shifting example of great and increasing importance happens whenever ratepayer generated “renewable energy” is sold to the grid—all too often, this is accused of being unfairly rewarded (Ritchie, 2016). ProRate resolves both these concerns and ProRate can actually be derived simply from the premise of avoiding “all” cost shifts between ratepayers (Katz, CLEPm Rewards to Arrest Demand Cost-Shifting, 2019; Katz, CLEP5 Rewards to Arrest Energy Cost-Shifting, 2019). Another major problem with the Old Utility Model is the lack of price …

The Water That Will Be: A Qualitative Look Into The Effects Of Visual Imagery On Participation In Water Conservation Initiatives, Shane Martin White

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explored the role of visual imagery in water conservation initiatives, focusing on its impact on public understanding, emotional connection, and willingness to participate. Drawing from the Theory of Planned Behavior and Affective Disposition Theory, the study investigated how art interventions can enhance comprehension and engagement with water conservation easements. Utilizing qualitative methods, including interviews, focus groups and PhotoVoice, data was collected from stakeholders in the Illinois River Watershed region. The research examined current levels of understanding regarding conservation easements, evaluated the effectiveness of visual imagery interventions in enhancing public awareness, and identified the potential for collaborative approaches between …

5-Year Strategic Direction, 2024–2028: Institute Of Agriculture And Natural Resources, University Of Nebraska–Lincoln, Institute Of Agriculture And Natural Resources University Of Nebraska-Lincoln

Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources: Institute Publications

IANR: Integrating Learning, Discovery, and Engagement for an Even Better Nebraska

Includes an introduction, description of the components of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the IANR pillars, stratgeic aims for 2024–2028, and a section on implementation.

Effect Of Biomass Water Dynamics In Cosmic-Ray Neutron Sensor Observations: A Long-Term Analysis Of Maize–Soybean Rotation In Nebraska, Tanessa Morris

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

The precise measurement of soil water content (SWC) is crucial for effective water resource management. This study utilizes the Cosmic Ray Neutron Sensor (CRNS) for area-averaged SWC measurements, emphasizing the need to consider all hydrogen sources, including the time-variable ones like plant biomass and water content. Chapter 1 presents a background on soil moisture estimation, CRNS technology, and an overview of the study. It discusses various soil moisture measurement techniques, highlights the gap in knowledge addressed by CRNS technology, explains CRNS functionality and advancements, and outlines the study's motivations and methods.

Chapter 2 reports a study conducted near Mead, Nebraska, …

Examining The Relationship Between Manning's Roughness Coefficient And Stage, Henry Holtkamp

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper uses LOESS regression to predict Manning's roughness coefficient to calculate flows in natural stream channels. Manning's roughness coefficient can introduce variability into Manning's equation, potentially destabilizing results. Utilizing LOESS to find n based on backcalculated n from collected discharge vs. stage information is the best way to acquire accurate Manning's roughness coefficient values at a variety of flows. Book values tend to drastically overestimate which can have wide-ranging implications for water allocation, flood management, maintaining environmental flows, and maintaining water quality.

Evaluating Novel Approaches For Improving Anadromous Fish Passage In Coastal Rivers, Aaron Bunch

All Dissertations

Few of the world's rivers remain free-flowing for over 1000 km, significantly impacting anadromous fish populations due to dam-induced habitat fragmentation. Three partial migration barriers (low-head dams) on North Carolina's Cape Fear River (USA)—lock and dam 1 (LD1), lock and dam 2 (LD2), and lock and dam 3 (LD3)—impact American shad Alosa sapidissima, Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus, and striped bass Morone saxatilis populations. Mitigation strategies to pass fish upstream have included conservation locking, nature-like fishway construction, and environmental flows (e-flows). This study introduced a novel e-flow (dam submergence flow), tested acoustic double-tagging techniques for tracking American …

Modification, Transport, And Sources Of Hydrocarbon Oxidation Products From Groundwater At Crude Oil And Diesel Spill Sites In Minnesota: Unveiling Common “Theems” Via Spectroscopy & Chromatography, Eduardo E. Turcios Valle

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, petroleum-contaminated groundwater from three spill-affected Minnesota sites—two contaminated with crude oil; one with diesel—is investigated to elucidate whether differences in degradation products from different parent oils exist. After spill events, parent molecules from the leaked oil seep underground and undergo microbial degradation over time, transforming into hydrocarbon oxidation products (HOPs), water-soluble contaminants that infiltrate groundwater aquifers, flowing into nearby environments and towns while exhibiting environmental persistence, toxicity to aquatic biota, and potential risks to humans that become exposed. Spectroscopic and chromatographic study of the structural themes and spatial distributions of HOPs reveals preferential degradation of aliphatic (biolabile) …

Agricultural Groundcover Update March 2024, Justin Laycock

Natural resources published reports

• In March, over 10% (1,577,000 ha) of the arable farmland in the south-west of Western Australia had less than 50% vegetative groundcover, which is inadequate to prevent wind erosion.

• The northern grainbelt had the highest risk of wind erosion and over 20% of this farmland had inadequate groundcover.

• About 1.3% (191,000 ha) of arable land had a high to very high risk of wind erosion because groundcover was less than 30%.

How Does Hummock Creation In Submerging Salt Marshes Alter Nitrous Oxide Fluxes?, Juliette Doyle

Honors Scholar Theses

Climate change is altering ecosystems and the services they provide. Salt marsh ecosystems typically protect coastal areas and filter nitrogen out of water, but are rapidly submerging due to rising sea levels and human development that prevents landward migration. Recent restoration efforts to preserve salt marshes attempt to build elevation capital and promote vegetation and animal habitat, but it is unclear how such efforts affect salt marsh biogeochemistry and dynamics of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas. To better understand how adding sediment to submerging salt marshes may alter nitrous oxide fluxes, I leveraged a salt marsh hummock creation experiment …

High Intraspecific Diversity Of Pocillopora Damicornis In Southeast Asia Reflects Adaptive Potential To Climate Change, Maria Lucille Carr

Theses and Dissertations

Marine heatwaves are increasing in intensity and frequency because of increased emissions of greenhouse gases. On coral reefs, warmer temperatures cause coral bleaching, mortality, and shifts in benthic composition. However, coral bleaching responses and survival vary geographically. Several hypotheses may explain such geographical differences in thermal tolerance, including the possibility that some localities may support higher intraspecific diversity than other localities, increasing the likelihood of survival of some individuals through heatwaves. Here we assessed geographic patterns of intraspecific genetic diversity in the ubiquitous coral Pocillopora damicornis. Intraspecific genetic diversity was assessed for 428 sequences across 44 sites in the Pacific …

Eco-Anxiety Effects College Students, Alexa Edmundson

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

A survey was conducted on the UNL student population to evaluate whether college students, 18-25 year olds who are currently attending an accredited post-secondary school, are experiencing eco-anxiety and if eco-anxiety affects their pro-environmental behaviors. Climate change is taking a toll not only physically on us but also mentally. The mental health of people, especially college students, is not often studied in relation to climate change, but if we are to understand how to create change in this issue then we need to be looking at the whole picture. The hypothesis is that if college students are experiencing eco-anxiety, then …

The Effects Of Partisanship On Legislative Support For Environmental Policies In The United States, Rachel Summers

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This study investigates the relationship between political partisanship and support for environmental policies at the state level in the United States from the years 2017-2022. To do this, the study focused on two policy areas, water and land, for the average proposed, enacted, and failed bills for all 50 states in the timeframe, with the states categorized as Democratic, swing, or Republican based on the 2016 and 2020 elections. While the study did find that Democratic states were more likely to introduce environmental bills than Republican states, the study also found that there was no statistical difference in the enactment …

Grading Climate Action Plans In The Midwest, Megan Baker

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

As agreed upon by international climate scientists, decarbonization in the American Midwest is critical to keeping the planet below the 1.5C increase in global temperature from pre-industrial levels. However, most previous research that evaluates climate action plans (CAPs) to find their weaknesses and provide policy recommendations neglects this crucial region of the United States. To fill this gap, this paper replicates Deetjen et al.’s (2018) review of CAPs in 29 US cities by applying their CAP rubric to 11 Midwestern cities. The results of both quantitative analysis were used to analyze the differences in plans in the Midwest versus the …

The Influence Of Methyl Orange On The Co2-Brine Wettability Of Organic-Acid-Aged Calcite Samples: Implications For Co2 Geo-Storage, Fatemah Alhammad, Mujahid Ali, Nurudeen Yekeen, Muhammad Ali, Mohammadreza Kamali, Stefan Iglauer, Alireza Keshavarz

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The underground storage of CO2 in a depleted carbonate formation is a suitable method for limiting its anthropogenic release and minimize global warming. The rock wettability is an essential factor controlling the mechanisms of CO2 trapping and its containment safety in the geo-storage formation. The geo-storage rock contains innate organic acids which alters the wettability of the rock surface from the hydrophilic condition to the hydrophobic state, thus reduce the CO2 storage capacity. In this study, methyl orange which is a toxic dye that is generally released into environment was used as wettability modifier to change the wettability of stearic …

Stress Phenotyping Analysis Leveraging Autofluorescence Image Sequences With Machine Learning, Sruti Das Choudhury, Carmela Rosaria Guadagno, Srinidhi Bashyam, Anastasios Mazis, Brent E. Ewers, Ashok Samal, Tala Awada

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Background: Autofluorescence-based imaging has the potential to nondestructively characterize the biochemical and physiological properties of plants regulated by genotypes using optical properties of the tissue. A comparative study of stress tolerant and stress susceptible genotypes of Brassica rapa with respect to newly introduced stress-based phenotypes using machine learning techniques will contribute to the significant advancement of autofluorescence-based plant phenotyping research.

Methods: Autofluorescence spectral images have been used to design a stress detection classifier with two classes, stressed and non-stressed, using machine learning algorithms. The benchmark dataset consisted of time-series image sequences from three Brassica rapa genotypes (CC …

Ai’S Carbon Shadow: An Exploration Of The Energy Dilemma And Earth’S Future, Olga Roussos

Student Publications and Presentations

As artificial intelligence continues to advance, more processing power and energy usage are required. This increase in energy consumption by AI leads to increased carbon emissions in the atmosphere as well as rapid resource depletion. The effects of AI’s growing energy consumption can have severe negative impacts on global climate, biodiversity, sustainability, and other aspects of the environment. This research aims to highlight the volume of energy that artificial intelligence uses, the expected environmental effects of artificial intelligence’s expansion, as well as the potential innovative solutions and sustainable practices that can be implemented to decrease energy usage and preserve the …

Arkansas Soil Erosion And Conservation Methods In Ornamental Landscapes, Abby J. Cutsinger

ATU Scholars Symposium

This study will attempt to identify the best soil erosion mitigation methods for Arkansas ornamental landscape settings by comparing the strengths and weaknesses of known techniques. Since soil is not a renewable resource, we must apply conservation practices wherever possible, not just in agricultural settings. To determine the most effective erosion prevention techniques, this study will review soil studies conducted by the NRCS and NASA, as well as articles on best practices observed in ornamental landscape and agricultural industries. These are analyzed by comparing and contrasting techniques against known problems with Arkansas soil to determine which methods are most effective. …

The State Of The Carbon Capture And Sequestration Industry In California In 2024: Challenges And Policy Solutions, Noah Jackson

School of Public Policy Capstones

Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) is the process of capturing CO₂ from an above ground carbon source, transporting it to a sequestration well, and permanently sinking it deep underground. Despite the state of California depending on CCS to reach carbon neutrality, not one CCS project is operational yet in the state. Due to the recent creation and expansion of state low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) credits and the federal 45Q credits, CCS projects are beginning to be developed. Between 2021 and 2023 twelve Class VI applications were submitted to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in California.

This paper …

Rollins Oral History Interview With Bruce Stephenson, Bruce Stephenson, Wenxian Zhang

Oral Histories

Bruce Stephenson earned a BA in history from Florida Southern College and a Master in city planning from Ohio State University.  He worked as land use planner for Pinellas County, Florida before receiving a PhD from Emory University.  His dissertation unveiled John Nolen’s 1923 plan for St. Petersburg, Florida’s first comprehensive city plan, and centered Stephenson's first book, Visions of Eden.

Dr. Stephenson started his teaching career at Rollins in 1988 and served as a professor in Environmental Studies for more than 35 years. His second book, John Nolen, Landscape Architect and City Planner, earned the JB Jackson …

Genomic Population Structure Of Great Hammerhead Sharks (Sphyrna Mokarran) Across The Indo-Pacific, Naomi L. Brunjes, Samuel M. Williams, Alexis L. Levengood, Matt K. Broadhurst, Vincent Raoult, Alastair V. Harry, Matias Braccini, Madeline E. Green, Julia L. Y. Spaet, Michael J. Travers, Bonnie J. Holmes

Fisheries Research Articles

Context

Currently, little information exists describing the population structure of great hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna mokarran) in Australian waters. Aims

This study used single nucleotide polymorphisms to investigate fine-scale population structure in S. mokarran across the Indo-Pacific. Methods

DNA was extracted from 235 individuals across six Australian locations and a Red Sea outgroup. Population parameters were calculated and visualised to test structuring across locations. Key results

No fine-scale population structuring was observed for S. mokarran across the Indo-Pacific. However, population structuring occurred for all Australian locations when compared to the Red Sea outgroup. Conclusions

Findings suggest a single stock …