Exploring Elementary Students’ Scientific Knowledge Of Agriculture Using Evidence-Centered Design,
2017
University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Exploring Elementary Students’ Scientific Knowledge Of Agriculture Using Evidence-Centered Design, Molly Brandt, Cory Forbes, Jenny Keshwani
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
The public is more disconnected from agriculture than ever. Americans are now two to four generations removed from the farm with a majority of Americans having no direct experience in agriculture. As a result, the public lacks the knowledge and appreciation of the food, fuel, and fiber it demands. The National Agricultural Learning Objectives (NALOs) were recently developed to describe students’ agricultural knowledge but have, as yet, not been used to guide research into students’ agricultural literacy. The purpose of this project is to further understand students’ agricultural literacy through NALO-based assessment of students’ knowledge. This study focused on the …
Assessment Of Irrigation Physics In A Land Surface Modeling
Framework Using Non-Traditional And Human-Practice Datasets,
2017
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Assessment Of Irrigation Physics In A Land Surface Modeling Framework Using Non-Traditional And Human-Practice Datasets, Paticia M. Lawston, Joseph A. Santanello Jr., Trenton E. Franz, Matthew Rodell
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Irrigation increases soil moisture, which in turn controls water and energy fluxes from the land surface to the planetary boundary layer and determines plant stress and productivity. Therefore, developing a realistic representation of irrigation is critical to understanding land–atmosphere interactions in agricultural areas. Irrigation parameterizations are becoming more common in land surface models and are growing in sophistication, but there is difficulty in assessing the realism of these schemes, due to limited observations (e.g., soil moisture, evapotranspiration) and scant reporting of irrigation timing and quantity. This study uses the Noah land surface model run at high resolution within NASA’s Land …
Unusual Aerobic Performance At High
Temperatures In Juvenile Chinook Salmon,
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha,
2017
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Unusual Aerobic Performance At High Temperatures In Juvenile Chinook Salmon, Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha, Jamilynn B. Poletto, Dennis E. Cocherell, Sarah E. Baird, Trinh X. Nguyen, Valentina Cabrera-Stagno, Anthony P. Farrell, Nann A. Fangue
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Understanding how the current warming trends affect fish populations is crucial for effective conservation and management. To help define suitable thermal habitat for juvenile Chinook salmon, the thermal performance of juvenile Chinook salmon acclimated to either 15 or 19°C was tested across a range of environmentally relevant acute temperature changes (from 12 to 26°C). Swim tunnel respirometers were used to measure routine oxygen uptake as a measure of routine metabolic rate (RMR) and oxygen uptake when swimming maximally as a measure of maximal metabolic rate (MMR) at each test temperature. We estimated absolute aerobic scope (AAS = MMR − RMR), …
Nest Site Selection And Nest Survival Of Greater Prairie-Chickens Near A
Wind Energy Facility,
2017
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Nest Site Selection And Nest Survival Of Greater Prairie-Chickens Near A Wind Energy Facility, Jocelyn Olney Harrison, Mary B. Brown, Larkin A. Powell, Walter H. Schacht, Jennifer A. Smith
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Rapid development of wind energy facilities in the Great Plains of North America has raised concerns regarding their potential negative impact on the nesting ecology of Greater Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus). We investigated the effects of a pre-existing, 36-turbine wind energy facility on nest site selection and nest survival of Greater Prairie-Chickens in the unfragmented grasslands of the Nebraska Sandhills, USA. In 2013 and 2014, we monitored 91 nests along a 24-km disturbance gradient leading away from the wind energy facility. We found little evidence of an effect of the wind energy facility on Greater Prairie-Chicken nest site …
Defining Ecological Drought
For The Twenty-First Century,
2017
University of California, Santa Barbara
Defining Ecological Drought For The Twenty-First Century, Shelley D. Crausbay, Aaron R. Ramirez, Shawn L. Carter, Molly S. Cross, Kimberly R. Hall, Deborah J. Bathke, Julio L. Betancourt, Steve Colt, Amanda E. Cravens, Melinda S. Dalton, Jason B. Dunham, Lauren E. Hay, Michael J. Hayes, Jamie Mcevoy, Chad A. Mcnutt, Max A. Moritz, Keith H. Nislow, Nejem Raheem, Todd Sanford
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
THE RISING RISK OF DROUGHT. Droughts of the twenty-first century are characterized by hotter temperatures, longer duration, and greater spatial extent, and are increasingly exacerbated by human demands for water. This situation increases the vulnerability of ecosystems to drought, including a rise in drought-driven tree mortality globally (Allen et al. 2015) and anticipated ecosystem transformations from one state to another—for example, forest to a shrubland (Jiang et al. 2013). When a drought drives changes within ecosystems, there can be a ripple effect through human communities that depend on those ecosystems for critical goods and services (Millar and Stephenson 2015). For …
Book Review: Ecology And Conservation Of Lesser Prairie-Chickens, Edited By David A. Haukos And Clint W. Boal. 2016.,
2017
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Book Review: Ecology And Conservation Of Lesser Prairie-Chickens, Edited By David A. Haukos And Clint W. Boal. 2016., Larkin Powell
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Scholars, conservationists, policymakers, and students will find critical information and a detailed case study on an avian species of conservation concern in this edited volume. Haukos and Boal have gathered work by 29 contributing authors in a well-designed set of 18 chapters that showcases current information about the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus). The book is timely in covering this species, which has found itself in the throes of the court system recently, having been designated with federal protection as a threatened species in 2014, only to have the courts vacate the listing rule in 2015, just as this volume went …
Modeling With A Conceptual
Representation: Is It Necessary?
Does It Work?,
2017
Rutgers University
Modeling With A Conceptual Representation: Is It Necessary? Does It Work?, Rebecca C. Jordan, Steven Gray, Amanda E. Sorensen, Samantha Pasewark, Suparna Sinha, Cindy E. Hmelo-Silver
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
In response to recent educational imperatives in the United States, modeling and systems thinking have been identified as being critical for science learning. In this paper, we investigate models in the classroom from two important perspectives: (1) from the teacher perspective to understand how teachers perceive models and use models in the classroom and (2) from the students perspective to understand how student use model-based reasoning to represent their understanding in a classroom setting. Qualitative data collected from 19 teachers who attended a professional development workshop in the northeastern United States indicate that while teachers see the value in teaching …
Reframing Communication About Zika And
Mosquitoes To Increase Disease Prevention Behavior,
2017
Rutgers University
Reframing Communication About Zika And Mosquitoes To Increase Disease Prevention Behavior, Amanda E. Sorensen, Rebecca C. Jordan, Shannon Ladeau
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Emergence of invasive vector species and the diseases they carry present a clear danger to the public as well as a challenge for scientists and experts to control effectively. Given the urgent need to address this phenomenon, we suggest that desired public action toward these invasive vectors can be motivated through intentional framing in science communication. In this paper, we sought to evaluate the effect of framing about ZIKV (Zika virus) on reported willingness to comply with mosquito prevention action. Post framing intervention, we found a significant increase (N = 26, p < 0.001) in individuals willing to take preventative action against mosquitoes. By methodically investigating best communication practices, this study and others can help practitioners mobilize communities to address large-scale ecological problems. Additionally, the principles outlined here may be transferrable to other communication efforts about ecological issues outside of ZIKV and mosquitoes.
Ecology And Conservation Of Lesser Prairie-Chickens,
2017
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Ecology And Conservation Of Lesser Prairie-Chickens, Larkin A. Powell
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Scholars, conservationists, policymakers, and students will find critical information and a detailed case study on an avian species of conservation concern in this edited volume. Haukos and Boal have gathered work by 29 contributing authors in a well-designed set of 18 chapters that showcases current information about the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus). The book is timely in covering this species, which has found itself in the throes of the court system recently, having been designated with federal protection as a threatened species in 2014, only to have the courts vacate the listing rule in 2015, just as this …
Culturally Induced Range Infilling Of Eastern Redcedar: A Problem In Ecology,
An Ecological Problem, Or Both?,
2017
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Culturally Induced Range Infilling Of Eastern Redcedar: A Problem In Ecology, An Ecological Problem, Or Both?, Aubrey Streit Krug, Daniel R. Uden, Craig R. Allen, Dirac L. Twidwell Jr
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
The philosopher John Passmore distinguished between (1) “problems in ecology,” or what we might call problems in scientific understanding of ecological change, and (2) “ecological problems,” or what we might call problems faced by societies due to ecological change. The spread of eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) and conversion of the central and southern Great Plains of North America to juniper woodland might be categorized as a problem in ecology, an ecological problem, or both. Here, we integrate and apply two interdisciplinary approaches to problem-solving—social-ecological systems thinking and ecocriticism—to understand the role of human culture in recognizing, driving, and …
Modeling With A Conceptual
Representation: Is It Necessary?
Does It Work?,
2017
Rutgers University
Modeling With A Conceptual Representation: Is It Necessary? Does It Work?, Rebecca C. Jordan, Steven Gray, Amanda E. Sorensen, Samantha Pasewark, Suparna Sinha, Cindy E. Hmelo-Silver
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
In response to recent educational imperatives in the United States, modeling and systems thinking have been identified as being critical for science learning. In this paper, we investigate models in the classroom from two important perspectives: (1) from the teacher perspective to understand how teachers perceive models and use models in the classroom and (2) from the students perspective to understand how student use model-based reasoning to represent their understanding in a classroom setting. Qualitative data collected from 19 teachers who attended a professional development workshop in the northeastern United States indicate that while teachers see the value in teaching …
Mesoscale Modeling Of The Meteorological Impacts Of Irrigation
During The 2012 Central Plains Drought,
2017
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Mesoscale Modeling Of The Meteorological Impacts Of Irrigation During The 2012 Central Plains Drought, Clint Aegerter, Jun Wang, Cui Ge, Suat Irmak, Robert Oglesby, Brian D. Wardlow, Haishun Yang, Jingshen You, Martha Shulski
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
In the summer of 2012, the central plains of the United States experienced one of its most severe droughts on record. This study examines the meteorological impacts of irrigation during this drought through observations and model simulations using the Community Land Model coupled to the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model. A simple parameterization of irrigation processes is added into the WRF Model. In addition to keeping soil moisture in irrigated areas at a minimum of 50% of soil moisture hold capacity, this irrigation scheme has the following new features: 1) accurate representation of the spatial distribution of irrigation area …
A Quantitative Framework For Assessing Ecological Resilience,
2017
Norwegian Institute for Water Research
A Quantitative Framework For Assessing Ecological Resilience, Didier L. Baho, Craig R. Allen, Ahjond Garmestani, Hannah Fried-Petersen, Sophia E. Renes, Lance Gunderson, David G. Angeler
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Quantitative approaches to measure and assess resilience are needed to bridge gaps between science, policy, and management. In this paper, we suggest a quantitative framework for assessing ecological resilience. Ecological resilience as an emergent ecosystem phenomenon can be decomposed into complementary attributes (scales, adaptive capacity, thresholds, and alternative regimes) that embrace the complexity inherent to ecosystems. Quantifying these attributes simultaneously provides opportunities to move from the assessment of specific resilience within an ecosystem toward a broader measurement of its general resilience. We provide a framework that is based on reiterative testing and recalibration of hypotheses that assess complementary attributes of …
Location Matters: Evaluating Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus Cupido) Boom Chorus Propagation,
2017
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Location Matters: Evaluating Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus Cupido) Boom Chorus Propagation, Edward J. Raynor, Cara E. Whalen, Mary Bomberger Brown, Larkin A. Powell
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Anthropogenic disturbances can affect species of conservation concern by influencing their behavior. Of special concern is the possibility that noise from anthropogenic structures in grassland habitats, such as wind turbines and roads, may affect the propagation of the low-frequency boom chorus of lekking male Greater Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus cupido). We used sound pressure levels from acoustic recordings taken at 10 leks in the Nebraska Sandhills, USA during 2013 and 2014 in a SPreAD-GIS sound propagation model to make spatial projections of the boom chorus under a variety of conditions including landscape composition, conspecific attendance, and weather. We then used sets of …
A Calibration-Free, Robust Estimation Of Monthly Land Surface Evapotranspiration Rates For Continental-Scale Hydrology,
2017
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
A Calibration-Free, Robust Estimation Of Monthly Land Surface Evapotranspiration Rates For Continental-Scale Hydrology, Jozsef Szilagyi
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
A Framework For Pollination Systems Thinking And Conservation,
2017
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
A Framework For Pollination Systems Thinking And Conservation, Doug Golick, Jenny Dauer, Louise Lynch, Erin Ingram
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
Can An Immersion Exhibit Inspire Connection To Nature And Environmentally Responsible Behavior?,
2017
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Can An Immersion Exhibit Inspire Connection To Nature And Environmentally Responsible Behavior?, Lisa Pennisi, N. Qwynne Lackey, Stephen M. Holland
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
Northern Bobwhite Nest Site Selection In Field Borders,
2017
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Northern Bobwhite Nest Site Selection In Field Borders, Danielle J. Berger, Jessica N. Piispanen, Tim F. Ginnett, Jason D. Riddle
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
The Impact Of Water Quality In Narragansett Bay On Housing
Prices,
2017
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
The Impact Of Water Quality In Narragansett Bay On Housing Prices, Tingting Liu, James J. Opaluch, Emi Uchida
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
The Differential Structure Of An Orbifold,
2017
University of Colorado Boulder
The Differential Structure Of An Orbifold, Jordan Watts
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
