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Integration Of Matlab And Machine Learning To Accelerate Evaluation Of Biological Activity In Agricultural Soils And Promote Soil Health Improvement Goals, Andrew Stiven Ortiz Balsero

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Traditionally, assessments of soil biological activity have been confined to laboratory settings, creating a disconnect with practical in-field methods. To bridge this gap, cotton fabric degradation has been used to illustrate soil microbial activity under different management practices. While effective, these demonstrations are subjective and labor-intensive.

Researchers have explored using image processing software like ImageJ and Adobe Photoshop to streamline this process. Although these tools accurately quantified fabric degradation under varying soil conditions, the methods remained labor-intensive and complex. Consequently, these methods were still not ideal for on-farm use by agricultural practitioners.

To further address labor and complexity limitations, the …

Enhancing Monthly Streamflow Prediction Using Meteorological Factors And Machine Learning Models In The Upper Colorado River Basin, Saichand Thota

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Understanding and predicting streamflow along river basins is vital for planning future developments and ensuring safety, especially with climate change challenges. Our study focused on forecasting streamflow at Lees Ferry, a key location along the Colorado River in the Upper Colorado River Basin. We employed four machine learning models - Random Forest Regression, Long short-term memory, Gated Recurrent Unit, and Seasonal Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average; and combined historical streamflow data with meteorological factors such as snow water equivalent, temperature, and precipitation. Our analysis spanned 30 years of data from 1991 to 2020.

Our findings revealed that the Random Forest Regression …

Identifying New Potential Breeding Pond Sites For The Dusky Gopher Frog In Southern Mississippi, Shelbie Kellum

Master's Theses

The main objective of this thesis was to identify potential new pond sites across southern Mississippi for the critically endangered dusky gopher frog (DGF). Ephemeral ponds are the preferred breeding habitat for the species, but they are quite rare in the region due to the diminishment of the longleaf pine ecosystem. This research addresses gaps in the current literature by providing a broad overview of dusky gopher frog breeding habitat identification. LiDAR derived datasets as well as tools within ArcGIS Pro were utilized in order to perform spatial analysis on sites of interest in south Mississippi. By using this methodology …

Variation In Zero Plane Displacement And Roughness Length For Momentum Revisited, Ashvath Singh Kunadi, Richard P. Silberstein, Sally E. Thompson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Zero plane displacement height (d0) and momentum roughness length (z0m), describe the aerodynamic characteristics of a vegetated surface. Usually, d0 and z0m are assumed to be constant functions of the physical characteristics of the surface. Prior evidence collected from the literature and our examination of flux tower data show that d0 and z0m vary in time at sites with tree and shrub canopies, but not grasslands. The conventional explanations of these variations are based on linear functions of wind velocity and friction velocity, with little theoretical basis. This study explains the variation in aerodynamic parameters by matching four analytical canopy …

Upscaling Relative Permeability And Capillary Pressure From Digital Core Analysis In Otway Formation: Considering The Order And Size Effects Of Facies, Masoud Aslannezhad, Mohammad Sayyafzadeh, David Tang, Zhenjiang You, Stefan Iglauer, Alireza Keshavarz

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Digital Core Analysis (DCA) has emerged as a crucial instrument in reservoir characterization in recent times. With the advent of high-resolution micro-CT imaging, it is now possible to visualize the three-dimensional microstructures of in-situ pores and flow patterns within rocks. DCA offers several notable benefits over traditional techniques, such as a higher density of measurements, faster processing times, and the preservation of rock samples. It also demonstrates considerable flexibility with challenging core conditions and can derive numerous parameters from each individual sample. The objective of this work is to utilise DCA data from Otway formation to enhance reservoir characterisation and …

“Lucid Waters And Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets”: Pathways And Prospects For Ecological Gdp In The Yellow River Basin, Guangqian Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

This study, following Xi Jinping’s ecological civilization philosophy and the two mountains concept, explores pathways for realizing ecological value and mechanisms for ecological GDP in the Yellow River Basin. The research demonstrates that the two mountains concept breaks through the limitations of traditional development paradigms, providing a foundational guide for ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin. The research shows that constructing an ecological asset system and incorporating it into GDP accounting is the key to addressing the challenges of ecological value transformation. This requires adherence to the principles of “requisition-compensation balance” and “market-based transaction”, coupled with …

Theoretical Connotations And Chinese Practices Of Nature-Based Solutions, Bojie Fu, Jun Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The global ecological environment is confronted with severe challenges such as intensified climate change, drastic reduction of biodiversity and land degradation, which seriously affect the sustainable development of human beings. These challenges promote profound reflection on the relationship between human beings and nature. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) has emerged as an innovative concept of global ecological governance thateffectively responds to societal challenges. Its development has gone through embryonic stage, developmental stage and comprehensive application stage. Multidisciplinary principles such as restoration ecology and landscape ecology constitute the theoretical foundation of NbS. China has effectively integrated the concept of NbS with the construction …

Scientific Understanding And Transformation Pathways For “Ice And Snow Are Also As Valuable As Gold And Silver”, Qi Feng, Shijin Wang, Rongfang Zhao, Bao Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

“Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”, and “ice and snow are also as valuable as gold and silver”. Excellent ecology, ecological enrichment, and happy life are concrete manifestations of the Chinese-style modernization featuring harmonious coexistence between human beings and nature. Compared with lucid waters and lush mountains, ice and snow covered land is mostly concentrated in winter and spring, making it rather difficult to transform them into mountains of gold and silver. How to forge a pathway of high-quality development of the ice and snow economy to drive the revitalization of rural industries in winter and spring is …

Three-Stage Transformation And Practical Path Of “Lucid Waters And Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets” Concept, Lei Shen, Chao Zhang, Shuai Zhong

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

“Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” concept (hereinafter referred to as two mountains concept) serves as the important component for China’s ecological civilization construction, breaking the dilemma of traditional development and environmental protection, and fostering the synergy between economy and ecology. Based on a framework integrating conceptual evolution, institutional construction, and practical implementation, this study examines the three stages: the awakening of paradigm and local breakthroughs during the ice-breaking period (2005–2012), system construction and national promotion in the establishment period (2013–2017), and value transformation and global contribution in the sublimation period (2018–present). The analysis reveals that the two …

Editorials

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

No abstract provided.

Exploration And Practice Of Major Function Zoning Based On That “Lucid Waters And Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets, Jie Fan, Jian Gao

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

President Xi Jinping’s thought of that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” has led China to modernize in a new form of ecological civilization, and it is also the general guideline for upgrading the major function zoning (MFZ) from planning to a national strategy and basic institution. Focusing on key ecological function zones of the MFZ, this study contends that the implementation of the MFZ strategy is a systematic exploration and innovative practice of the two mountains concept. It clarifies that the original intention of the MFZ is to protect lucid waters and lush mountains by combing through …

Practicing Concept Of “Lucid Waters And Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets” To Advance High-Quality Development Of Territorial Space, Kai Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The concept of “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” (two mountains concept) constitutes an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, providing the fundamental guidance for establishing China’s territorial space planning system and its associated technical framework. This study analyzes the specific manifestations and root causes of the periodic conflicts between urban development space and ecological space in China. It further examines the theoretical value and practical significance of the two mountains concept in fostering a harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature from the perspective of spatial planning. Currently, China is in a critical period for …

Empirical Study On “Lucid Waters And Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets” In Harmonious Development Of Human-Mountain Relationship In Southwest Mountainous Regions, China, Yiping Fang, Xinjun He, Xueyuan Huang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

As the country with the largest mountainous area in the world, China’s research on two mountains (“lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”) concept in mountainous sustainable development holds significant theoretical and practical implications for unleashing green productivity, fostering new quality productive forces, and advancing the modernization of harmonious coexistence between humans and mountains. This study employs emergy analysis and literature review to evaluate the value transformation efficiency of two mountains concept across 37 national two mountains practice bases in mountainous counties of Southwestern China. The results indicate that: (1) the transformation level is higher in urban core areas …

Strategic Insights For Developing Protected Areas System With National Parks As Mainstay In New Era: Marking 20 Years Of “Lucid Waters And Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets”, Baorong Huang, Xuetian Hu, Huizhi Zhang, Ling Tang, Zhi Wang, Zhi Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

In the new era, the advancement of Chinese path to modernization places new demands on the development of a protected areas system with national parks as the mainstay. At the same time, as reform deepens, the system faces emerging challenges, including outdated conservation concepts, insufficient systemic integration, proliferation of management exclusions, and weak social functions, hindering the effective transformation of lucid waters and lush mountains into invaluable assets. This study recommends that, guided by the two mountains concept and aligned with the strategic goals of national modernization, China must comprehensively advance the construction and reform of the protected areas system …

Prospective And Strategic Value Of Roadmap For Regional Sustainable Development Research—Post-Evaluation Of Regional Development Research In China: A Roadmap To 2050, Rui Guo, Hanchu Liu, Jie Fan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

In 2007, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) pioneered China’s 2050 science and technology development strategy and roadmap research, published the “Innovation 2050” strategic research series in 2009. The Regional Development Research in China: A Roadmap to 2050 (hereafter referred as to Roadmap) was one of these 19 reports. This study evaluates the implementation effectiveness of CAS’s regional sustainable development initiatives since publication through the lens of Xi Jinping’s Thought on Ecological Civilization particularly the “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” (two mountains) concept, while concurrently assessing the Roadmap’s strategic research outcomes. Key findings include the followings. (1) …

Innovative Practices And Application Exploration Of Gross Ecosystem Product (Gep) Accounting In Lishui City, Zhejiang Province, Qin Qiao, Qingxia Lin, Yi Li, Huiyi Yu, Chao Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Improving the mechanism for realizing the value of ecological products is a crucial approach to implementing the concept that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,” and it holds significant importance for promoting the transformation of ecological value and the green transition of the economy and society. As China’s first pilot city for the ecological product value realization mechanism, Lishui City has consistently innovated in gross ecosystem product (GEP) accounting and the application of its outcomes, offering a model and reference for nationwide ecological product value realization. This study systematically examines Lishui’s exemplary practices in ecological product value realization …

Vivid Practice Of Enriching People With Tea In Wuyishan, Nanping, Fujian, Zhenlin Fan, Shengmeng Zheng, Jiamei Wu, Sen Liang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The tea industry serves as the hallmark of Wuyishan City, Fujian Province, and represents a distinctive sector that promotes local prosperity and urban development. Wuyi Mountain leverages its Danxia landform ecological foundation and centuries-old tea culture heritage to integrate the coordinated development of tea culture, tea industry, and tea science and technology, thereby establishing an innovative pathway for transforming “lucid waters and lush mountains” into “ecological premiums” and ultimately into “invaluable assets”. To address structural issues in the traditional tea industry, Wuyishan has promoted ecological cultivation as the foundation for enhancing processing standardization and brand development, thereby facilitating industrial transformation …

Empowering High-Quality Development In Mengyin County Of Shandong Province Through Honey Peach Industry, Xue Wang, Yunquan Miao, Liangjie Xin

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

As a typical old revolutionary base area county, mountainous county, and national key ecological function zone, Mengyin County has deeply implemented the concept of “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” (two mountains concept), empowering the high-quality development of its peach industry through ecological means. By optimizing the ecological environment, Mengyin has laid a solid foundation for the peach industry, transforming its pristine ecology into a natural competitive advantage for industrial growth. Leveraging scientific and technological innovation, the county has driven the upgrading and extension of the peach industry chain, while simultaneously pioneering circular agriculture models and integrating tertiary …

How To Realize Value Of Public Ecosystem Services And Promote Its Supplement? A Government Solution In Beijing, Baolong Han, Qi Wang, Haoqi Wang, Zhiyun Ouyang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The regulating services provided by ecosystems are an important safeguard for regional ecological security, and are typical public service products characterized by non-excludability and non-rivalry. Compared with the material provisioning products and cultural service products of ecosystems, regulating services face significant shortcomings in market-based value realization and monetization capacity, making them difficult to trade and monetize. This study systematically introduces the experiences of Beijing and particularly Yanqing District and Mentougou District in overcoming bottlenecks and promoting the monetization and enhancement of regulating service products. In the area of value realization, major efforts have focused on policy preparation and the cultivation …

Practice Path And Empirical Evidence Of “Lucid Waters And Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets” Concept In Changshan Archipelago, Northern Yellow Sea, China, Hui Wang, Sirui Chen, Rina Wu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Against the backdrop of the in-depth integration of China’s “maritime power” strategy, the “dual-carbon” goals and the concept that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” (hereinafter referred to as the two mountains concept), the Changshan Archipelago, as the only border island group in China and the largest island group in the northern Yellow Sea, have the dual attributes of an ecological barrier and an economic carrier. It is an ideal sample for exploring the transformation of the two mountains concept on islands. This study elaborates on its strategic positioning in safeguarding national maritime frontier security, maintaining the northern …

Atmospheric Water Resources Utilization: Technology, Applications, And Ecological Economic Benefits, Min Chen, Tiejian Li, Yuefei Huang, Guoxin Chen

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Water resources are important elements for maintaining ecological balance and ensuring biodiversity, which are also the basic resources for the development of agriculture, industry, and services. It is of great significance to alleviate the shortage of water resources and reduce drought losses in western China by using low-frequency and intense sonic rain enhancement technology to actively utilize abundant atmospheric water resources and increase regional precipitation. This study introduces the principle of low-frequency and intense sonic rain enhancement technology using acoustic cloud water resources, and analyzes its rain enhancement effect and ecological and economic benefits by taking the acoustic rain enhancement …

Scientific Interpretation Of Notion That “Lucid Waters And Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets” And Its Case Study, Kai Fang, Chenglin Li, Sirui Zhu, Ling Zhu, Wei Wu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The notion that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” serves as a basis of thinking for embracing ecological civilization in China’s new era. This study makes an effort to define both ecological economization and economic ecologization, identify the typologies, and elaborate on the theoretical logic of interaction between them. By proposing such a conceptual framework, the study further looks back to the practical experiences in Anji County, the birthplace of the notion, by focusing on the practical logic of the interaction between them. Finally, the study comes up with policy recommendations for the notion: establishing ecological product markets …

Learning From “Nature-Based Solutions” To Promote Optimal Management Of Integrated Ecological Conservation And Restoration In Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, Jun Wang, Bojie Fu, Xiao Zhang, Yanxu Liu, Wenwu Zhao

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The Qinghai-Xizang Plateau plays an important role as an ecological security barrier for China and the world, where the ecological environment has generally improved in recent years. Nevertheless, the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau still faces management challenges in dealing with the three relationships, namely, key problems and coordinated governance, natural recovery and artificial restoration, and high-quality development and high-level protection. This study proposes the application of “Nature-based Solutions” for adaptive management, including the implementation of ecological protection and restoration planning based on the “three-scale framework”, the ecological protection and restoration projects adaptation management under climate change and human disturbance based on quantitative …

Oregon State Rank Assessment For Midget Quillwort (Isoetes Minima), Lindsey K. Wise

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Oregon state conservation status assessment for midget quillwort (Isoetes minima) using NatureServe methodology, 2024.

Recommendations For The Revision Of Animal Units And Their Application In The Western Australian Rangelands, Ian Mclean, Sally Finch

Natural resources commissioned reports

This report provides recommendations for the practical application of a methodology for calculating and applying Animal Units in the rangelands of Western Australia.

Animal Units have evolved over time, in their definition, derivation and the size of the standard animals used. This has resulted in their being varying and inconsistent approaches within and across jurisdictions which has limited their application.

The Animal Unit methodology applied in this report is used in other rangeland and pastoral regions, it therefore progresses a nationally consistent approach.

The standard animals used in this methodology are:

• Animal Equivalent (AE), a 450 kg Bos taurus steer …

Exploring Producers' Willingness To Pay For Ecosystem Services: Three Essays On Soil Health, Location Preferences, And Cover Crop Adoption, Kaouter Essakkat

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation comprises three essays: one assessing Midwest producers' willingness-to-pay (WTP) for soil health-enhancing ecosystem services (ES), another examining the impact of policy implementation locations on WTP, and a third identifying factors influencing producers' adoption of cover crops (CC).

The first essay pioneers the understanding of agricultural producers’ valuation of soil health-associated ES amid growing concerns of soil degradation due to agricultural intensification. Using a discrete choice experiment, this study assesses producers’ WTP for a policy that incentivizes ES provision, specifically improved water quality, carbon sequestration, and enhanced crop yield. Surveying producers across Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska, our results show …

Population Demography, Occupancy, And Connectivity Of Invasive Bigheaded Carp In The Platte River, Nebraska And Its Tributaries, Blake W. Logan

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

Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Bighead Carp H. nobilis, collectively referred to as bigheaded carp, are invasive species in the United States of America that have expanded their range throughout the Missouri River basin in the last three decades. It may be desirable to develop management plans directed at the monitoring, control, or removal of bigheaded carp within the Missouri River basin. However, a knowledge gap exists regarding bigheaded carp ecology in Missouri River tributaries, which may be important for the development of management plans. As such, this study characterized bigheaded carp population demographics, occupancy, and connectivity in …

Virtual Fencing In Livestock Management: Effects On Beef Cattle Stress And Enhancing Wildlife Conservation, Kaitlyn E. Dozler

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

I examined the effects of virtual fencing on beef cattle stress and how implementing the technology can aid wildlife habitat conservation at the University of Nebraska Gudmundsen Sandhills laboratory (GSL) near Whitman, NE. First, I examined how virtual fencing influences acute heart rate changes in beef cattle fitted with the virtual fencing collars. No significant difference in the average heart rate of a cow (P > 0.05) was observed between the 30 min control and virtual fenced periods for both trial dates. Second, I examined the influence of topography on wildlife species richness and presence at GSL using wildlife camera …

Spatial Ecology Of Mountain Lions Throughout Their Distribution In California, Kyle D. Dougherty

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

Mountain lions (Puma concolor) have been studied extensively throughout their wide geographic distribution in the Western Hemisphere, but most research has been conducted at relatively small spatial scales. We used GPS telemetry data contributed by researchers in 16 study areas throughout California to advance understanding of mountain lion spatial ecology. First, we investigated multi-scale resource selection of mountain lions relative to spatially varying risk of intentional human-caused mortality associated with livestock depredation management. We show that individuals that proactively avoided mortality risk when selecting home ranges were able to relax their avoidance of risk when making resource selection …

Hybridization Between The Rare Gray-Headed Chickadee And The Abundant Boreal Chickadee In The Midst Of Shifting Climate, Matthew R. Armstrong

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

As species respond to changing climate, distributions and abundances may shift and alter species interactions. Hybridization, a relatively widespread phenomenon becoming more common with climate change, can have beneficial and detrimental effects on population growth rates and genetic integrity. Beneficial effects due to the introduction of advantageous alleles and increased genetic diversity may result from hybridization. Species may also accrue fitness costs associated with changing climates if mismatches occur between environmental variables and phenotypes. The gray-headed chickadee, Poecile cinctus lathami, is an extremely rare songbird that has experienced marked declines in recent decades within its restricted distribution in Alaska …