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Landscape Effects on the Beneficial Arthropod Community in Agriculturally Dominated Environments
Full text linkEcosystem services in agriculturally dominated regions rely, at least in part, on arthropods. Environment and biodiversity influence beneficial arthropods in population size, community structure, diversity, and ecosystem service provisioning. Predation is among the most important services provided by arthropods in agroecosystems. Understanding what alters predation and predator activity can support the successful application of biological control and, more broadly, integrated pest management. Land use and edge adjacency, field characteristics, landscape, seasonality, and diel period all alter predatory behavior. Crop fields dominate Nebraska agroecosystems, although interspersed perennial grasslands persist through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Such grasslands supply crucial resources and habitat for wildlife important to High Plains ecology. We investigated arthropod activity density; family diversity; and sentinel prey consumption amount, frequency, timing, and predator identity in crop fields and adjacent grasslands. We collected above ground and epigeal arthropods monthly from May to September, 2022–2023 with sticky cards and pitfall traps; measured and recorded consumption of moth egg and fly pupae sentinel prey using time lapse cameras. Further we conducted qualitative interviews with landowners of either CRP or crop fields. Land use and edge adjacency influenced predator activity density and family richness differently between epigeal and above ground guilds, although both were affected by landscape factors. Sentinel prey consumption varied across months, land use, and edge adjacency. Prey visitation was highest in grass centers, although aerial visitor richness decreased as the season progressed. Structural equation modeling indicated that landscape factors were important determinants of prey visitors and consumption. In both communities, prey consumption was not directly related to predator activity density, and only slightly influenced by aerial predator richness. Nebraska landowners perceive wildlife and ecology as an interconnected system of essential parts, linked by personal experiences, and understand principles governing organism interactions, food webs, and ecosystem services. Understanding the ecology that influences predators and predation can reveal which arthropods contribute major predation services and suggest how to ensure that these organisms continue to thrive in the landscape.Advisors: Julie A. Peterson and John Ruberso
Towards Advancing Streamflow and Peak Flow Prediction with Machine Learning: Identifying Infrastructure at Risk
Full text linkDue to climate change and its impact, the need for adaptive strategies for natural disaster mitigation and resource management has never been more urgent. Central to this is water resource management, which is essential for sustainable human activities, ecological balance, and the mitigation of natural hazards like floods. Streamflow is a crucial element of water resource management and plays a vital role in planning and building water infrastructure, implementing emergency response plans, supporting flood mitigation initiatives, and regulating agricultural and industrial use. However, accurate prediction of streamflow still remains a challenge due to the complex non-linear and non-stationary interaction between hydrological and climate processes and human action. These challenges highlight the need for innovative and reliable prediction methods. Due to advancements in technology, data availability, and computer power, Machine Learning (ML) is showing promise in this field. However, there are still some gaps, such as including physics in ML models, utilizing the power of spatial and temporal signals, and data synergy. This dissertation fills these gaps by developing robust ML frameworks that enhance both scientific understanding and practical implementation for streamflow prediction.Advisor: Tirthankar Ro
Sociological Understandings of Entrepreneurial Action and Intention
Full text linkEntrepreneurship as a trend has emerged across many different disciplines, drawing on theory from psychology, economics, and sociology. Importantly, sociologic aspects of entrepreneurship remain hidden from scholarship, as existing topics are often vague or narrowly partitioned. In my dissertation, I utilize sociological understandings of human interactions which define entrepreneurial intention and action. Specifically, I explore how entrepreneurs’ religion, rurality, and social media use influences their behaviors. Throughout these three quantitative essays, I contribute to a better understanding of the social psychology of entrepreneurship, and why entrepreneurial pursuits are so intricately linked to every aspect of society. Throughout my research, which provides a new direction for entrepreneurship researchers, I build a framework for understanding the entrepreneur as a part of a social system of interconnected relationships on which ideas and behaviors are formed.Advisor: Varkey Titus, Jr
Nebraska National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA)
No full textNAMA PALOOZA, the 2025 Agri-Marketing Conference, was held April 9-11 in Kansas City, Missouri. The conference is an annual event that brings together National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) professional and student members. There are 27 professional chapters and 32 student chapters from across the United States and Canada. The conference is a great opportunity to foster connections between students and professionals in marketing, advertising, communications, promotion, sales, and public relations
Navigating Farm Succession Without a Family Heir: Everyone Needs These Documents
No full textIn my work with agricultural families, I’m seeing a growing and difficult reality: many farms and ranches today don’t have a successor within the family. While this absence can simplify parts of estate planning, it often creates deeper, more emotional challenges, especially when legacy and identity are tied to the land.
This article is the fourth in a series supporting farm and ranch owners facing this transition. If you\u27re just joining, I recommend reading the earlier pieces for a valuable background. You can find them at cap.unl.edu
Teaching as Advocacy: Bridging the Gap Between World Language Classrooms and Community
No full textWorld Language education in the United States faces significant challenges, including declining enrollments and diminished community support. This paper introduces Teaching as Advocacy as a proactive framework to address these issues, proposing a mindset that integrates advocacy seamlessly into teaching practices. By leveraging community engagement and emphasizing Connection and Community, the framework extends classroom learning into real-world contexts. Strategies such as cross-disciplinary collaborations, service-learning projects, partnerships with ethnic communities, and strategic use of social media amplify the impact of language education, demonstrating its value through tangible outcomes. This paper offers practical examples to showcase how Teaching as Advocacy revitalizes World Language (WL) programs, connects classrooms to communities, and fosters public awareness of the benefits of WL learning and cultural appreciation. By adopting this approach, educators can advocate effectively for World Language programs, building sustainable, community-centered support systems that champion linguistic and cultural diversity
Differentiating Creativity for Exceptional Learners
No full textIt is daunting to design accommodations and construct universally accessible creative learning opportunities to meet all students’ needs. This interactive investigation of differentiating instruction will present three students that have intellectual disability, emotional disturbance, and learning disability. Practice creating art-based accommodations and leave with a bank of co-created resources.
ArtTEAMs Contributors
Universal Design for Learning
Group Investigations
Case Study #1
Case Study #2
Case Study #3
Case Study #1 Share and Show
Case Study #2 Share and Show
Case Study #3 Share and Sho
Mind-Body-Spirit Framework: Employing humanistic trauma-responsive pedagogical practices
No full textArtTEAMs Contributors
Spirit - Zones Check-in: Starting from a place of connection
Body - Somatic hello: Getting grounded together
Research Problem
Research Questions
Significance of the Study
Limitations of the Study
What does the research say? Building an evidence-based framework
-The Pathology of ACEs
-Modern School Problems Need a Human-Centered Multi-Theoretical Approach
-The Theoretical Lenses
-Teacher Positionality: Challenges and Resilience
-Transforming Teaching to be Trauma-Responsive
-Gaps & Missing Research
Methodology & Design
The MBS-Framework
Design Thinking
Data Collection Methods: Sources
Big Takeaways!
-The Influence of Grandparents was Apparent
-Human Connection, Promising Framework, Impact on Rural Teaching
-My Positionality Mattered
Mind - Bi-Lateral Art
Mind - WOOP
Body - Move Like a…
Mind - Body Scan
Body -Mirroring
Spirit - Empathetic Listening
My Bookshelf
Mind Strategies
Body Strategies
Spirit Strategie
A New Species of Leaf Litter Inhabiting Species of \u3cem\u3eStevenaltica\u3c/em\u3e Konstantinov, Linzmeier and \u3cem\u3eSavini\u3c/em\u3e from the United States (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini)
No full textA new species, Stevenaltica parvarotunda Bown, Clark, and Konstantinov (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is described from Ohio, U.S.A. This is the first report of this genus in North America. Brief comments are made regarding Exoceras Jacoby and Leptophysa Baly