Soil Science Commons^™

Radical Social Ecology As Deep Pragmatism: A Call To The Abolition Of Systemic Dissonance And The Minimization Of Entropic Chaos, Arielle Brender

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper aims to shed light on the dissonance caused by the superimposition of Dominant Human Systems on Natural Systems. I highlight the synthetic nature of Dominant Human Systems as egoic and linguistic phenomenon manufactured by a mere portion of the human population, which renders them inherently oppressive unto peoples and landscapes whose wisdom were barred from the design process. In pursuing a radical pragmatic approach to mending the simultaneous oppression and destruction of the human being and the earth, I highlight the necessity of minimizing entropic chaos caused by excess energy expenditure, an essential feature of systems that aim …

Cretaceous Dinosaurs And The World They Lived In: A New Species Of Ornithischian Dinosaur From The Early Cretaceous (Aptian) Of Texas, Reconstruction Of The Brain Endocast And Inner Ear Of Malawisaurus Dixeyi, And Reconstruction Of The Paleoclimate And Paleoenvironment Of Cretaceous Terrestrial Formations In Texas And Oklahoma Using Pedogenic Minerals, Kate Andrzejewski

Earth Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Material from over thirty individuals of a new ornithopod was recovered from the Proctor Lake locality in the Twin Mountains Formation (Aptian) of north-central Texas. This material includes various ontogenetic stages, providing insight into the growth patterns of this species. The new ornithopod is recovered basal to Iguanodontia, but more derived than Hypsilophodon foxii. The presence and morphology of 4 premaxillary teeth along with a combination of both basal and derived characters distinguish this taxon from all other ornithopods.

A braincase of the Cretaceous titanosaurian sauropod Malawisaurus dixeyi was CT scanned and a 3D rendering of the endocast and inner …

Physical Processes Dictate Early Biogeochemical Dynamics Of Soil Pyrogenic Organic Matter In A Subtropical Forest Ecosystem, Jason Stuart, Russell Anderson, Patrick Lazzarino, Kevin A. Kuehn, Omar R. Harvey

Faculty Publications

Quantifying links between pyOM dynamics, environmental factors and processes is central to predicting ecosystem function and response to future perturbations. In this study, changes in carbon (TC), nitrogen (TN), pH, and relative recalcitrance (R50) for pineand cordgrass-derived pyOM were measured at 3–6 weeks intervals throughout the first year of burial in the soil. Objectives were to (1) identify key environmental factors and processes driving early-stage pyOM dynamics, and (2) develop quantitative relationships between environmental factors and observed changes in pyOM properties. The study was conducted in sandy soils of a forested ecosystem within the Longleaf pine range of the United …

Gwas For Fusarium Head Blight Related Traits In Winter Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) In An Artificially Warmed Treatment, Elisane W. Tessmann, David A. Van Sanford

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Global temperature increases will affect Fusarium head blight (FHB) levels in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). A pressing question is whether current sources of resistance will be effective in a warmer environment. We evaluated phenotypic response to disease in 238 soft winter wheat breeding lines and cultivars grown in 2015–2016 and 2016–2017 under control and warmed (+3 °C) conditions. Warming was achieved with heating cables buried 3 cm in the rhizosphere. We measured heading date, plant height, yield, FHB rating, Fusarium damaged kernels (FDK), deoxynivalenol (DON), leaf blotch rating, powdery mildew rating and leaf rust rating. There were significant ( …

Comparing Strip Trials Of Chicken Litter, Compost, Hog Manure, And Wet Cattle Manure On Soil Fertility, Tanner Douma, Emily Hummel, Wendi Jo Vande Voort

Student Work

Utilizing agriculture animal and biodegradable waste can reduce the input costs of fertilizers while enhancing the soil. This comparative study focuses on the nutrient values soil receives from agricultural waste. The central objective was, “Due to the historical over-application of manure leading to environmental concerns, a comparative study of soil fertility and economic viability of manures and compost are analyzed in a one-year study”. On an 18.7 acre corn plot, 11 strips were applied with four different manure types, which were randomized, during the 2017 growing season. Chicken litter, compost, hog manure, wet cattle manure, and control strips were replicated …

Comparison Of Cultivation Methods Impact On Playability Of Agrostis Stolonifera Greens, K. Dickson, J. Sorochan, Gregg Munshaw, A. Thomas

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Creeping bentrgrass putting greens require intense management due to stoloniferous growth (thatch accumulation) and excessive wear and traffic by equipment and golfers. Increases in thatch and soil compaction are often managed with cultivation practices, which lead to downtime for golfers. Field research was conducted in Knoxville, TN, and Elizabethtown, KY, to compare new and traditional cultivation methods for their impact on playability on creeping bentgrass putting greens. Treatments included air injection, dry sand injection, solid tine cultivation topdressed with sand, hollow tine cultivation topdressed with sand, and non-treated control. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design replicated three …

Soil Properties That Influence The Occurrence Of Hydrogen Sulfide Toxicity In Rice Fields, Julia Marie Fryer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) producers face many challenges throughout each growing season. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) toxicity is a physiological disorder where sulfate (SO42-) is excessively reduced to the toxic gas, H2S. This can reduce yield and, in severe cases, result in crop death. The main research objectives were to: i) understand chemical and physical characteristics in soils prone to H2S toxicity, ii) determine influential soil characteristics on the incidence of H2S toxicity, iii) determine ammonium sulfate ((NH4)2SO4) fertilizer additions influence on H2S toxicity, and iv) predict when and where H2S will occur. Three greenhouse experiments were conducted using Arkansas field …

Nitrous Oxide Emissions From Rice Production On A Silt-Loam Soil In Arkansas, Casey Rector

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a common crop grown in Arkansas under flooded-soil conditions. The saturated to nearly saturated soil makes rice production an ideal environment for the production of potent greenhouse gases, such as nitrous oxide (N2O). The objectives of this study were to i) evaluate the impact of water management practice (full-season-flood and intermittent-flood) and cultivar (pure-line and hybrid) on N2O fluxes, season-long N2O emissions, and global warming potential (GWP; 2016) and ii) evaluate the impact of tillage practice [conventional tillage and no-tillage (NT)] and type of urea fertilizer [ N-(n-butyl) thiosphosphoric triamide (NBPT)-coated and non-coated urea] on …

Advancing The Understanding Of Environmental Transformations, Bioavailability And Effects Of Nanomaterials, An International Us Environmental Protection Agency—Uk Environmental Nanoscience Initiative Joint Program, Mitch M. Lasat, Kian Fan Chung, Jamie Lead, Steve Mcgrath, Richard J. Owen, Sophie Rocks, Jason M. Unrine, Junfeng Zhang

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Nanotechnology has significant economic, health, and environmental benefits, including renewable energy and innovative environmental solutions. Manufactured nanoparticles have been incorporated into new materials and products because of their novel or enhanced properties. These very same properties also have prompted concerns about the potential environmental and human health hazard and risk posed by the manufactured nanomaterials. Appropriate risk management responses require the development of models capable of predicting the environmental and human health effects of the nanomaterials. Development of predictive models has been hampered by a lack of information concerning the environmental fate, behavior and effects of manufactured nanoparticles. The United …

Regional Trends In Early-Monsoon Rainfall Over Vietnam And Ccsm4 Attribution, Rong Li, S.-Y. Simon Wang, Robert R. Gillies, Brendan Buckley, Jin-Ho Yoon, Changrae Cho

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

The analysis of precipitation trends for Vietnam revealed that early-monsoon precipitation has increased over the past three decades but to varying degrees over the northern, central and southern portions of the country. Upon investigation, it was found that the change in early-monsoon precipitation is associated with changes in the low-level cyclonic airflow over the South China Sea and Indochina that is embedded in the large-scale atmospheric circulation associated with a “La Niña-like” anomalous sea surface temperature pattern with warming in the western Pacific and Indian Oceans and cooling in the eastern Pacific. The Community Climate System Model version 4 (CCSM4) …

Drought Drives Rapid Shifts In Tropical Rainforest Soil Biogeochemistry And Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Christine S. O'Connell, Leilei Ruan, Whendee L. Silver

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Climate change models predict more frequent and severe droughts in the humid tropics. How drought will impact tropical forest carbon and greenhouse gas dynamics is poorly understood. Here we report the effects of the severe 2015 Caribbean drought on soil moisture, oxygen, phosphorus (P), and greenhouse gas emissions in a humid tropical forest in Puerto Rico. Drought significantly decreases inorganic P concentrations, an element commonly limiting to net primary productivity in tropical forests, and significantly increases organic P. High-frequency greenhouse gas measurements show varied impacts across topography. Soil carbon dioxide emissions increase by 60% on slopes and 163% in valleys. …

Preferensi Petani Terhadap Keragaan Padi (Oryza Sativa) Unggul Untuk Lahan Sawah Di Wilayah Pangandaran Dan Cilacap, Muhammad Khais Prayoga, Neni Rostini, Mieke Rochimi Setiawati, Tualar Simarmata, Silke Stoeber, Kustiwa Adinata

Jurnal Kultivasi

The object that conducted in this study is farmer's preferences of rice plant charac-teristics. This study was taken in 3 villages which are village Ciganjeng, village Pamotan, and village Rawaapu. The method used in this study was quantitative design with descriptive analysis. The respondents were 64 rice plant farmers. Measuring instrument used was questionnaire and interview. The result of this study showed that farmers has its own preference for the character of rice plants. Conclution of this study is farmers preferred rice plants which has an average height of plants, wide leaves, leave's surface, leave's angle, and rice straw's type; …

The Effects Of Time And Topography On Deep Carbon Storage In The Clarks River Valley Of Western Kentucky, Benedict W. Ferguson

Scholars Week

Soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics at depths greater than one meter in valley bottoms are not well understood. This study examines the stock of SOC with depth across alluvial landforms in the Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge. Nine cores along three transects from terraces to floodplains and adjacent channel bars were collected to depths of 4 meters or refusal. Bulk density, clay content, and loss-on-ignition were used to estimate stocks. Age estimates based on radiocarbon suggest the landforms range in age from 7975 to 52 yr BP. Average SOC and carbon (C) flux varied with values of 1.76 kg/m^{2 …}

General Patterns Of Salinization And Desalinization Of Soils Of Cones Of Carrying Out Of The River Isfayram-Shakhimardansay, U. Mirzaev

Scientific journal of the Fergana State University

General patterns of salinization and desalinization of soils of cones of carrying out of the river Isfayram-Shakhimardansay

General Patterns Of Salinization And Desalinization Of Soils Of Cones Of Carrying Out Of The River Isfayram-Shakhimardansay, U. Mirzaev

Scientific journal of the Fergana State University

General patterns of salinization and desalinization of soils of cones of carrying out of the river Isfayram-Shakhimardansay

Herbivory And Eutrophication Mediate Grassland Plant Nutrient Responses Across A Global Climatic Gradient, T. Michael Anderson, Daniel M. Griffith, James B. Grace, Eric M. Lind, Peter B. Adler, Lori A. Biederman, Dana M. Blumenthal, Pedro Daleo, Jennifer Firn, Nicole Hagenah, W. Stanley Harpole, Andrew S. Macdougall, Rebecca L. Mcculley, Suzanne M. Prober, Anita C. Risch, Mahesh Sankaran, Martin Schütz, Eric W. Seabloom, Carly J. Stevens, Lauren L. Sullivan, Peter D. Wragg, Elizabeth T. Borer

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Plant stoichiometry, the relative concentration of elements, is a key regulator of ecosystem functioning and is also being altered by human activities. In this paper we sought to understand the global drivers of plant stoichiometry and compare the relative contribution of climatic vs. anthropogenic effects. We addressed this goal by measuring plant elemental (C, N, P and K) responses to eutrophication and vertebrate herbivore exclusion at eighteen sites on six continents. Across sites, climate and atmospheric N deposition emerged as strong predictors of plot‐level tissue nutrients, mediated by biomass and plant chemistry. Within sites, fertilization increased total plant nutrient pools, …

Soil Phosphorus Characterization And Vulnerability To Release In Urban Stormwater Bioretention Facilities, Benjamin James Shetterly

Dissertations and Theses

Modern urban stormwater infrastructure includes vegetated bioretention facilities (BRFs) that are designed to detain water and pollutants. Phosphorus (P) is a pollutant in stormwater which can be retained in BRF soils in mineral, plant, and microbial pools. We explored soil properties and phosphorus forms in the soils of 16 operational BRFs in Portland, OR. Since soil hydrology can significantly impact P retention, we selected BRFs along an infiltration rate (IR) gradient. We conducted sequential fractionation and tests of P pools and measured P release in a subset of soils after drying and flooding samples for ten days. We hypothesized that …

Fire-Induced Mineralogical Changes In Midwest Tallgrass Prairie Soils, Lacey Legrand

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Tallgrass prairies are productive ecosystems that historically covered a large part of the Midwest and in the past were subjected to frequent, natural fire regimes. Today prairie remnants are often managed by ecological burns. Glacier Creek Preserve is a restored prairie in Omaha, Nebraska that includes randomized research plots established in 1978 to study the effects of burning on vegetation and provides a controlled field environment to investigate the effects of fire on soils. The purpose of this study is to compare soil mineralogy in long-term burned and unburned plots to answer the question: “Does prescribed burning induce mineralogical changes …

Agriculture In The Classroom Farm Day Lesson Plan, Tessa Nicole Thompson

Agricultural Education and Communication

Nontraditional educational programs have been proclaimed desirable by many teachers, and proven effective through data collection and feedback (Coombs and Ahmed, 1974). Of the more popular unconventional educational programs, outside learning activities are commonly implemented as they are not only advantageous to students, but to teachers as well (Cengelci, 2013; Knoblock, 2008). Though nontraditional, much thought must be put into creating lesson plans for these educational programs.

El Dorado County’s Agriculture in the Classroom program utilizes nontraditional outdoor learning activities to conduct “Farm Day.” This lesson plan, created for Farm Day, is to teach third graders the importance of composting …

Do Precision Chemical Amendment Applications Impact Sodium Movement In Dryland Semiarid Saline Sodic Soils?, Tulsi P. Kharel, David E. Clay, Cheryl Reese, Thomas Desutter, Doug D. Malo, Sharon Clay

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Expanding sodicity and salinity problems have placed many northern Great Plains (NGP) soils at the sustainability tipping point. This study assessed the impact of chemical restoration on water and salt transport in undisturbed soil columns collected from three hillslope model landscape positions. The backslope (Redfield), footslope (White Lake), and toeslope (Pierpont) soils had moderate (3.27 ± 0.59), high (7.3 ± 3.34), and very high (13.29 ± 3.2) sodium adsorption ratio (SAR_e) values, respectively. The soils were treated with KBr and one of four soil amendments (none, H₂SO₄, CaSO₄, and CaCl₂). …