Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Effect Of Drought On The Bird Species Spiza Americana, Emily Nelson

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Climate change is becoming an integral part of our environment. Recognizing its effects on ecosystems and species’ health is important for the future of the natural world. There is an influx of changes that are happening to species, specifically birds due to climate change, and these changes are largely negative. A variation that is happening from the changing climate is an increase in drought conditions, which may have effect on the avifauna community. Drought causes a significant difficulty for species survival in all parts of the globe that includes hardships finding food and unsuccessful nesting. The implications of this problem …

Temporal And Spatial Interactions Between Coyotes And Red Foxes Along The Urban-Rural Interface, Adam Mortensen

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Intraguild competition between predators may cause one predator to alter their temporal activity patterns or occupancy to reduce competition or avoid aggressive encounters. I conducted a temporal activity pattern and occupancy study of coyotes (Canis latrans) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in and around Lincoln, Nebraska using camera traps deployed from September of 2020 to May of 2021. I evaluated the activity patterns of coyotes, red foxes, and humans in urban and rural settings along with the activity patterns of red foxes when sympatric or allopatric with coyotes and determined the coefficient of overlap (Δ) between …

Mental Health Incorporation In Nebraskan Recovery Plans Following The 2019 Midwestern Floods, Isabelle Murray

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

In March 2019, Nebraska was hit with major floods that caused extensive damage throughout the state. Nebraskans spent the following months recovering from many aspects of the natural disaster. One aspect of emergency response and the act of recovery that is commonly overlooked is the mental health of individuals following the traumatic events. The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the level of incorporation of mental health care and services in recovery plans following natural disasters. The qualitative analysis of recovery plans focused on Nebraska and the county-level response to the 2019 Midwestern floods. The objectives were to identify …

Mitigation Strategies For Municipal Solid Waste Generation In Lincoln, Justine Mileski

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This study was completed to explore mitigation solutions to Municipal Solid Waste (MWS) in the City of Lincoln. Due to population growth, especially in urban environments, waste generation is an increasingly difficult problem that requires complex solutions. This work is done to explore efficacy of various mitigation strategies such as recycling and composting of waste. This study will be conducted utilizing data found in the City of Lincoln Solid Waste Plan 2040 and applying it to the EPA Policy and Program Impact Estimator. Specifically, withing the EPA Policy and Program Impact Estimator, curbside collection and pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) programming will be …

Impact Of Ethnic Markets On Food Accessibility In Lincoln, Ne, Connor Mcfayden

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This study used availability surveys and demographic mapping to analyze the impact of ethnic grocery stores on food accessibility in Lincoln, Nebraska. Access to fresh, healthy foods has been shown to be an important factor in public health, one in which low-income and minority populations are more likely to experience barriers such as long distances to the nearest grocery store. A growing body of research has described ethnic markets as important sources of fresh, healthy food for vulnerable populations, but on the whole the contributions of ethnic markets are overlooked in policy and research. In addition, ethnic markets may face …

Relationship Of Land Use Categories And Water Quality For Low Order Streams, Jake Mcenaney

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The relationship of land use categories and water quality was explored in three different streams in the tri-state area of Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri. These streams included: a fourth order stream, Salt Creek, near Waverly, NE, a third order stream, Maple Creek, near Nickerson, NE, and a sixth order stream, Nodaway River, near Graham, MO. Stream order was to be kept relatively low due to the impact tributary rivers have on a given stream's nitrate concentration. Nearby land use is expected to impact nutrient concentrations to a greater extent for smaller rivers than on larger rivers with more tributaries. First, …

The Effect Of Urban Forests On Air Quality And Human Health, Chance Wilken

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Following the industrial revolution, the impacts of climate change have been increasingly impactful on both rural and urban populations around the world. As population density and urbanization increase throughout the globe, the influences of climate change will continue to play a dangerous role in its influence on people's lives. Due to negative health impacts on humans and the economic costs in cities, climate change is one of the most important issues to understand in the 21st century. Air quality and human health are two components of climate change that are impacted most significantly. The bulk of this work is to …

Using The Theory Of Planned Behavior To Understand The Behavioral Use Of Single-Use Plastic Bags By Students At The University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Josephine Stoessel

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Reduction in the use of single-use plastic bags is a necessary sustainability step as it will reduce pollution of air, soil, waterways, and ingestion by marine animals. The Theory of Planned Behavior is used in this study to determine which components are the influencing factors for why students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln use single-use plastic bags. An understanding of these factors allows for suggestions and recommendations for actions that can be taken by the university to combat this environmental issue. EcoCoin is an incentive-based program created by Penn State, and is the focus of this study. The literature review …

Precipitation Impact On Crop Yield, Ian Ritchie

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Climate change is a massive force impacting and changing many weather trends, including precipitation rates. This thesis will study the relationship between crop yield and changes in precipitation. Understanding crop yield is important in determining overall crop supply every year as well as crop prices. Many factors can have either a negative or a positive impact on crop yields. One of these many factors is precipitation. This thesis looks directly at the impacts of changes in precipitation on corn yield in Iowa from 1991-2020. To do this, a regression analysis was performed to compare changes in yearly precipitation rates for …

Investigating Predation Risk Experienced By Wintering Birds At A Supplied-Food Garden, Madison Smart

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Wintering birds are particularly susceptible to predation while foraging at feeders. The ‘starvation vs. predation’ survival trade-off is felt most acutely in winter because energy demands are higher compared to milder seasons. This study investigated sense of predation risk experienced by members of a wintering mixed-species flock. The objective was to determine which species take on increased predation risk in order to forage at feeders, and if there was bias for one species over another. A raptor (experimental) and non-raptor (control) model were presented to a mixed-flock at feeders within Pioneers Park Nature Center. The first species to return to …

Effects Of Land Use In Nebraska On Insect Biodiversity And Eastern Monarch Populations, Carina Olivetti

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

How are Nebraska land use decisions affecting eastern monarch butterfly decline? What are the driving factors causing monarch decline? What are the challenges of insect monitoring and data organizing? The purpose of this exploratory research project was to investigate these questions and simultaneously illustrate the importance of insect biodiversity, focusing largely on the monarch butterfly. The eastern population of the monarch butterfly has declined 80% over the past two decades. The state of Nebraska lies within their migratory path and is therefore critical to their survival. The hypothesis is that monarch populations are declining because of the combined impacts of …

Quantifying Model Structural Uncertainty Using Airborne Electromagnetic Data, Burke J. Minsley, Nathan Leon Foks, Paul A. Bedrosian

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The ability to quantify structural uncertainty in geological models that incorporate geophysical data is affected by two primary sources of uncertainty: geophysical parameter uncertainty and uncertainty in the relationship between geophysical parameters and geological properties of interest. Here, we introduce an open-source, trans-dimensional Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (McMC) algorithm GeoBIPy—Geophysical Bayesian Inference in Python—for robust uncertainty analysis of time-domain or frequency-domain airborne electromagnetic (AEM) data. The McMC algorithm provides a robust assessment of geophysical parameter uncertainty using a trans-dimensional approach that lets the AEM data inform the level of model complexity necessary by allowing the number of model layers …

Metabarcoding Assays For The Detection Of Freshwater Mussels (Unionida) With Environmental Dna, Katy E. Klymus, Catherine A. Richter, Nathan Thompson, Jo Ellen Hinck, Jess W. Jones

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Freshwater mussels of the order Unionida are a widely distributed taxon that are important in maintaining freshwater ecosystems and are also highly imperiled throughout the world. Monitoring of mussel populations with environmental DNA (eDNA) is an attractive alternative to traditional methods because it is noninvasive and requires less labor and taxonomic knowledge from field personnel. We developed eDNA metabarcoding assays specific to freshwater mussels and tested them at six sites in the Clinch River, located in the southeastern United States. Our objective was to determine the utility of eDNA metabarcoding for future monitoring of mussel populations and restoration efforts in …

Long-Term African Dust Delivery To The Eastern Atlantic Ocean From The Sahara And Sahel Regions: Evidence From Quaternary Paleosols On The Canary Islands, Spain, Daniel R. Muhs, Joaquín Meco, James R. Budahn, Gary L. Skipp, Kathleen R. Simmons, Matthew C. Baddock, Juan F. Betancourt, Alejandro Lomoschitz

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Africa is the most important source of dust in the world today and dust storms from that continent frequently deposit sediment on the nearby Canary Islands. Many investigators have inferred African dust inputs to Canary Islands paleosols based only on the presence of quartz. However, some local rocks do contain this mineral, so quartz alone is insufficient proof of dust deposition. Further, it is not known whether the Sahara Desert or the Sahel region is more important as a dust source. We address these issues by study of sequences of Pleistocene aeolian sands on the islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. …

The Marine Terraces Of Santa Cruz Island, California: Implications For Glacial Isostatic Adjustment Models Of Last-Interglacial Sea-Level History, Daniel R. Muhs, R. Randall Schumann, Lindsey T. Groves, Kathleen R. Simmons, Christopher R. Florian

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) models hypothesize that along coastal California, last interglacial (LIG, broadly from ~130 to ~115 ka) sea level could have been as high as +11 m to +13 m, relative to present, substantially higher than the commonly estimated elevation of +6 m. Areas with low uplift rates can test whether such models are valid. Marine terraces on Santa Cruz Island have previously been reported to occur at low (<10 m) elevations, but ages of many such localities are not known. Using lidar imagery as a base, marine terraces on Santa Cruz Island were newly mapped, elevations were measured, fossils were collected for U-series dating (corals), strontium isotope compositions and amino acid geochronology (mollusks), and paleozoogeography (all taxa). Sr isotope compositions of mollusks from the highest of three marine terraces give ages of ~2.5 Ma to 1.9 Ma, along with Pliocene ages, fromshells interpreted to be reworked. U-series ages of corals fromthewestern part of the island indicate that low-elevation terraces north of the Santa Cruz Island fault correlate to the LIG. Where corals are lacking, amino acid ratios and faunal aspects support terrace correlation to the LIG high stand of sea. Elevations of most terrace localities north of the east-west trending Santa Cruz Island fault, in both thewestern and eastern parts of the island, range from5.75mto 8mabove sea level, well belowthe modeled paleo-sealevel range. Subsidence is ruled out as a mechanism for explaining the lower-than-modeled elevations, because higher-elevation terraces are present alongmuch of the Santa Cruz Island coast north of the fault, indicating longterm tectonic uplift. The low elevations of the LIG terrace fragments are, however, consistent with a low rate of uplift derived from the higher, ~2.5–1.9 Ma terrace. A number of other localities on the Pacific Coast, also dated to the LIG, have marine terrace elevations below the modeled level. GIA models may have overestimated last interglacial sea level by a substantial amount and need to be revised if used for forecasts for future sea-level rise.

Eolian Sediments, Daniel R. Muhs

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Eolian (windblown) sediments form some of the world’s most dramatic landscapes and comprise important parts of the geologic record. This article reviews the characteristics, origins, and significance of eolian deposits, including windblown sand, silt, and dust.

Landforms composed of eolian sand, either as dunes or sand sheets, occupy substantial areas over the surface of the Earth (perhaps as much as 6% globally, but over ~20% of the world’s arid zones, according to Pye and Tsoar, 2009). Low-latitude arid or semiarid regions, usually under the influence of subtropical high-pressure cells, are some of the largest areas of eolian sand accumulation (Lancaster, …

A Tiling Algorithm-Based String Similarity Measure, Peter Revesz

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

This paper describes a similarity measure for strings based on a tiling algorithm. The algorithm is applied to a pair of proteins that are described by their respective amino acid sequences. The paper also describes how the algorithm can be used to find highly conserved amino acid sequences and examples of horizontal gene transfer between different species.

Peroxo Species Formed In The Bulk Of Silicate Cathodes, Zhenlian Chen, Bjoern Schwartz, Xianhui Zhang, Wenqiang Du, Lirong Zheng, Ailing Tian, Ying Zhang, Zhiyong Zhang, Xiao Cheng Zeng, Zhifeng Zhang, Liyuan Huai, Jinlei Wu, Helmut Ehrenberg, Deyu Wang, Jun Li

Chemistry Department: Faculty Publications

Oxygen redox in Li-rich oxides may boost the energy density of lithium-ion batteries by incorporating oxygen chemistry in solid cathodes. However, oxygen redox in the bulk usually entangles with voltage hysteresis and oxygen release, resulting in a prolonged controversy in literature on oxygen transformation. Here, we report spectroscopic evidence of peroxo species formed and confined in silicate cathodes amid oxygen redox at high voltage, accompanied by Co2+/Co3+ redox dominant at low voltage. First-principles calculations reveal that localized electrons on dangling oxygen drive the OO dimerization. The covalence between the binding cation and the O-O dimer determines the degree of electron …

Soils And Paleosols, Daniel R. Muhs

United States Geological Survey: Publications

This article reviews the nature of modern and ancient soils. Soils are naturally occurring bodies that mantle most of the land surface of the Earth. They are found on virtually every part of the Earth’s land surface, other than areas covered by water bodies (lakes and rivers), glacial ice, or steep slopes in mountainous terrain. Soils occur at the interface of the geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere and are the medium of growth for much of the Earth’s plant and animal life. The study of soils as naturally occurring bodies on the Earth’s surface is called pedology (in contrast to …

Multi-Level Movement Response Of Invasive Wild Pigs (Sus Scrofa) To Removal, Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau, Peter E. Schlichting, David A. Keiter, Joshua B. Smith, John C. Kilgo, George Wittemyer, Kurt C. Vercauteren, James C. Beasley, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

BACKGROUND: Lethal removal of invasive species, such as wild pigs (Sus scrofa), is often the most efficient approach for reducing their negative impacts. Wild pigs are one of the most widespread and destructive invasive mammals in the USA. Lethal management techniques are a key approach for wild pigs and can alter wild pig spatial behavior, but it is unclear how wild pigs respond to the most common removal technique, trapping.We investigated the spatial behavior of wild pigs following intensive removal of conspecifics via trapping at three sites within the Savannah River Site, SC, USA. We evaluated changes in …

Temporal And Spatial Blood Feeding Patterns Of Urban Mosquitoes In The San Juan Metropolitan Area, Puerto Rico, Matthew W. Hopken, Limarie J. Reyes-Torres, Nicole Scavo, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Zaid Abdo, Daniel Taylor, James Pierce, Donald A. Yee

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Simple Summary: Understanding the biodiversity of urban ecosystems is critical for management of invasive and pest species, conserving native species, and disease control. Mosquitoes (Culicidae) are ubiquitous and abundant in urban ecosystems, and rely on blood meals taken from vertebrates. We used DNA from freshly blood-fed mosquitoes to characterize the diversity of vertebrate host species in the San Juan Metropolitan Area, Puerto Rico. We collected two mosquito species that fed on a variety of vertebrates. Culex quinquefasciatus fed on 17 avian taxa (81.2% of blood meals), seven mammalian taxa (17.9%), and one reptilian taxon (0.85%). Aedes aegypti blood meals were …

Evaluating The Effects Of Mountain Beaver (Aplodontia Rufa) Management On Conifer Stocking In Western Oregon, Jimmy D. Taylor, Vanessa M. Petro

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa) is the most primitive rodent species in North America and is endemic to the Pacific Northwest, USA. Within their range, mountain beaver cause more conflict with conifer forest regeneration than any other vertebrate species. Most damage occurs as a result of clipping and browsing new seedlings, which reduces stocking density and delays stand development. An integrated approach using trapping and a registered toxicant (baiting) has been suggested as the most efficacious means to reduce seedling loss during stand initiation. We evaluated this management strategy in intensively managed conifer stands across two mountain ranges in …

Serological Responses Of Raccoons And Striped Skunks To Ontario Rabies Vaccine Bait In West Virginia During 2012–2016, Shylo R. Johnson, Dennis Slate, Kathleen M. Nelson, Amy J. Davis, Samual A. Mills, John T. Forbes, Kurt Vercauteren, Amy T. Gilbert, Richard B. Chipman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Since the 1990s, oral rabies vaccination (ORV) has been used successfully to halt the westward spread of the raccoon rabies virus (RV) variant from the eastern continental USA. Elimination of raccoon RV from the eastern USA has proven challenging across targeted raccoon (Procyon lotor) and striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) populations impacted by raccoon RV. Field trial evaluations of the Ontario Rabies Vaccine Bait (ONRAB) were initiated to expand ORV products available to meet the rabies management goal of raccoon RV elimination. This study describes the continuation of a 2011 trial inWest Virginia. Our objective was to evaluate raccoon …

Differing Alterations Of Odor Volatiles Among Pathogenic Stimuli, Patrick Millet, Talia Martin, Maryanne Opiekun, Gary K. Beauchamp, Bruce A. Kimball

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Alterations of the volatile metabolome (the collection of volatiles present in secretions and other emanations) that occur in response to inflammation can be detected by conspecifics and chemometric analyses. Using a model system where mouse urinary metabolites are altered by treatment with lipopolysaccharide (found in the outer cell membrane of gram-negative bacteria), we hypothesized that alteration of body odor volatiles will vary according to the pathogen responsible for inducing the inflammation. We tested this hypothesis by treating mice with different immunogens that engage different immune signaling pathways. Results suggest that alterations of body odor volatiles resulting from inflammation do contain …

Surveillance Of Plasticizers, Bisphenol A, Steroids And Caffeine In Surface Water Of River Ganga And Sundarban Wetland Along The Bay Of Bengal: Occurrence, Sources, Estrogenicity Screening And Ecotoxicological Risk Assessment, Paromita Chakraborty, Nancy W. Shappell, Moitraiyee Mukhopadhyay, Sathaporn Onanong, Daniel D. Snow

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

The transboundary River Ganga serves as a conduit for meltwater from the Himalayas and is a major freshwater source for two thirds of Indian population before emptying into the Sundarban Delta, the largest estuary in the Bay of Bengal. Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) such as phthalic acid esters (PAEs) and bisphenol A (BPA) used as organic plastic additives can pollute the aquatic environment receiving plastic litter. Hence, we have investigated these EDCs in water samples from Ganga and Sundarban wetland of India. Since these compounds exhibit estrogenic potential, we have further measured steroids and evaluated the estrogenic activity (estradiol equivalents, …

Transmission Routes Of The Microbiome And Resistome From Manure To Soil And Lettuce, Yuepeng Sun, Daniel D. Snow, Harkamal Walia, Xu Li

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

The land application of animal manure can introduce manure microbiome and resistome to croplands where food crops are grown. The objective of this study was to characterize the microbiome and resistome on and in the leaves of lettuce grown in manured soil and identify the main transmission routes of microbes and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) from soil to the episphere and endosphere of lettuce. Shotgun metagenomic results show that manure application significantly altered the composition of the microbiome and resistome of surface soil. SourceTracker analyses indicate that manure and original soil were the main source of the microbiome and resistome …

Occurrence Of Arsenite In Surface And Groundwater Associated With A Perennial Stream Located In Western Nebraska, Usa, Arindam Malakar, Rajesh Singh, Jeffrey Westrop, Karrie A. Weber, Christopher N. Elofson, Manish Kumar, Daniel D. Snow

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

Dissolved arsenic typically results from chemical weathering of arsenic rich sediments and is most often found in oxidized forms in surface water. The mobility of arsenic is controlled by its valence state and also by its association with iron oxides minerals, the forms of which are both influenced by abiotic and biotic processes in aqueous environment. In this study, speciation methods were used to measure and confirm the presence of reduced arsenic species in the surface water of Frenchman creek, a gaining stream that crosses the Colorado- Nebraska border. Selective extraction analysis of aquifer and stream bed sediments shows that …

Nebraska Water Center Annual Report 2019-2020

Nebraska Water Center: Literature

Contents

Introduction: Foreword • Director’s Letter • Nebraska Water Center (NWC) Overview and Timeline • In Memoriam: Kyle Hoagland

Research • Water Sciences Laboratory • Nebraska Vadose Zone Program • Ogallala Water Coordinated Agriculture Project • Water for Agriculture Project • Greeley Award • U.S. Geological Survey 104b Projects

Extension & Outreach: NWC Events • Nebraska Nitrate Initiative • Bazile Groundwater Management Area • Water and Integrated Crops Hub • Water Faculty Directory • State Legislative Funding • Water Resources Advisory Panel

Teaching: Know Your Well • Sorab Panday Spotlight • NWC Postdoc Profiles • NWC Student Intern Profiles • …

Emerging Materials For Spin-Charge Interconversion, T. Nan, D. C. Ralph, E. Y. Tsymbal, A. Manchon

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

No abstract provided.

Two-Dimensional Ferroelectricity By Design, E. Y. Tsymbal

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

No abstract provided.