College of Agriculture & Natural Resources
Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/1598
The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations.
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Item MODELING GROUNDWATER FLUCTUATIONS IN THE COASTAL PLAIN OF MARYLAND: AN ANN POWERED STRATEGY(2024) Steeple, Jennifer Lynne; Negahban-Azar, Masoud; Shirmohammadi, Adel; Environmental Science and Technology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Groundwater management in the face of climate change presents a critical challenge with far-reaching implications for water resource sustainability. This study evaluates the effectiveness of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) as predictive tools for estimating current groundwater levels and forecasting future groundwater levels in the Aquia aquifer in the Coastal Plain ofMaryland. The groundwater levels of the Aquia aquifer have declined under the pressures of land use change, increases in agricultural irrigation, and population growth. We tested, trained, and employed eight county-level artificial neural network (ANNs) models to predict and project Aquia aquifer groundwater levels for the near (2030-2050) and far (2050-2100) future under two socio-economic pathways (SSP245 and SSP585). The models exhibited significant predictive performance during testing (R²= 0.82-0.99). Minimum temperature and population were the most influential variables across all county-based models. When used to forecast groundwater level under two climate scenarios, the models predicted declining groundwater levels over time in Calvert, Caroline, Queen Anne’s, and Kent counties, aligning with regional trends in the Aquia aquifer. Conversely, Anne Arundel, Charles, St. Mary’s, and Talbot counties exhibited projected increases in groundwater levels, likely influenced by correlations with the variable irrigated farm acreage, underscoring the importance of considering nonlinear relationships and interactions among variables in groundwater modeling. The study highlights the ability of ANNs to accurately predict county-scale groundwater levels, even with limited data, indicating their potential utility for informing decision-making processes regarding water resource management and climate change adaptation strategies. This study also assessed the usability of multiple methods to fill in the missing data and concluded that using the repeated groundwater level data still resulted in powerful ANN models capable of both predicting and forecasting ground water levels in the Coastal Plain of Maryland.Item Assessing Crop Water Productivity under Different Irrigation Scenarios in the Mid–Atlantic Region(MDPI, 2021-06-30) Paul, Manashi; Negahban-Azar, Masoud; Shirmohammadi, AdelThe continuous growth of irrigated agricultural has resulted in decline of groundwater levels in many regions of Maryland and the Mid–Atlantic. The main objective of this study was to use crop water productivity as an index to evaluate different irrigation strategies including rainfed, groundwater, and recycled water use. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to simulate the watershed hydrology and crop yield. It was used to estimate corn and soybean water productivity using different irrigation sources, including treated wastewater from adjacent wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The SWAT model was able to estimate crop water productivity at both subbasin and hydrologic response unit (HRU) levels. Results suggest that using treated wastewater as supplemental irrigation can provide opportunities for improving water productivity and save fresh groundwater sources. The total water productivity (irrigation and rainfall) values for corn and soybean were found to be 0.617 kg/m3 and 0.173 kg/m3, respectively, while the water productivity values for rainfall plus treated wastewater use were found to be 0.713 kg/m3 and 0.37 kg/m3 for corn and soybean, respectively. The outcomes of this study provide information regarding enhancing water management in similar physiographic regions, especially in areas where crop productivity is low due to limited freshwater availability.Item FROM HARM TO HOPE: REIMAGINING AN ABANDONED ASYLUM AS A SPACE OF REFLECTION, REJUVENATION, AND REJOICE(2023) Reise, Matthew; Sullivan, Jack; Plant Science and Landscape Architecture (PSLA); Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The Crownsville State Hospital opened in 1913 as the first and only mental institution in the state of Maryland to serve the Black community. After 91 years of operation rife with neglect, abuse, exploitation, and other acts of inhumanity, the hospital closed and has laid virtually abandoned since. In this thesis, I will propose ways of reactivating Crownsville’s historic campus through acknowledging the property’s horrific past, by providing support and amenities to the region’s most vulnerable individuals, and by creating space to celebrate the identity of communities who were historically persecuted on the grounds. I will explore the Crownsville campus through the lens of a cultural landscape, and attempt to balance the preservation of existing assets with the development of new community features.Item MARYLAND RESIDENTIAL FIREWOOD/WOOD PELLET UTILIZATION ANALYSIS: A SURVEY TO DETERMINE LOCAL INTEREST AND ASSESS CURRENT AND FUTURE MARKET POTENTIAL(2017) Wu, Cuiyin; Tjaden, Bob; Environmental Science and Technology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)In order to help the forest industry to revitalize from the 2008 economic recession, this research studied the market potential of firewood and wood pellets as a home heating source. Questionnaires were mailed to 7,000 single family homeowners in rural and suburban Maryland, and 1,184 responses were received (19% response rate). It is estimated that 256,419 cords of firewood and 81,863 tons of wood pellets were burned statewide in the heating season of 2015-2016. The aesthetic value of wood heating is the major motivation; work and mess is the principal barrier. The average volume of wood consumed annually per household is 1.8 cords of firewood or 1.9 tons of wood pellets. The average prices of wood consumed are $192 per cord for firewood and $266 per ton for wood pellets. The threshold prices of electricity, natural gas, oil, and propane for homeowners to switch to wood heating are estimated. Few homeowners know about Maryland Energy Administration’s Clean Burning Wood Stove Grant Program.Item The Marcellus Shale in Maryland and Twitter: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Tweets from November 2016(2017) Breitenother, Allison Gost; Puett, Robin; Environmental Science and Technology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Recent research shows about 75% of US adults are on social networking sites. Social media platforms like Twitter, provide potential new modes of networked public participation around contested technologies while affording communities a space for identity development and expression. During 2016, Maryland saw increasing interest in and debate around opening the State to hydraulic fracturing. To understand public perception of hydraulic fracturing, researchers collected tweets associated with relevant hashtags. Data collection occurred during the month of November 2016 which included the 2016 General Election and the release of proposed regulations in Maryland. The final sample of tweets for this period was n=638 stratified across thirteen hashtags. The timing, actors involved and central themes of the discussion around hydraulic fracturing in Maryland were analyzed using qualitative methods. The frequency of tweets by date showed three peaks – November 14, November 18 and November 22. November 14, 2016 was when the Maryland Department of the Environment released the proposed regulations, November 18 was a day of action referred to as #frackfreefriday and the content of tweets from November 22 focused on the regulations. Additional analysis showed individual actors and the hashtag #dontfrackmd contributed the most to the final. Additional stratification by hashtag, content and stance towards fracking further described the Twitter discourse around hydraulic fracturing in Maryland during the study period. Additional analysis is recommended to understand the public perception expressed on Twitter for the entire Marcellus Shale region as it pertains to hydraulic fracturing.Item Opening a Distillery: Legal Details That Producers Need to Know(2016-08) Suri, MayhahItem 2015-16 Legal Services Directory(2015-06) Agriculture Law Section, Maryland State Bar AssociationDirectory of members as of June 2015 of the Maryland State Bar Association's Agriculture Law Section.Item Simulated Trading for Maryland’s Nitrogen Loadings in the Chesapeake Bay: A Policy Overlook(CANRP, 2012-04-13) Hanson, Jim; McConnell, TedJim Hanson and Ted McConnell looked at whether decreasing nutrients into the Bay could cost less if trading is permitted. Rather than having the sewage treatment plants install new technology (high cost), these sewage plants could pay farmers to plant more cover crops (low cost) to meet the nitrogen loading goals.Item Does it Matter Who Writes Your Nutrient Management Plan?(CANRP, 2012-03-02) Lichtenberg, Erik; Parker, Doug; Lawley, ChadDr. Erik Lichtenberg and Dr. Doug Parker of the University of Maryland, along with Dr. Chad Lawley of the University of Manitoba, studied the content of nutrient management plans written before they were required by law to see if that content varied according to the type of provider.Item The Challenging Future Of Maryland Dairy Farms(CANRP, 2012-01-20) Leathers, Howard; Johnson, DaleMaryland dairy farmers face many challenges that put the future of their operations in question. University of Maryland researchers Howard Leathers and Dale Johnson examine the factors behind the problem and point to critical steps that both farmers and government leaders can take to stem or reverse the decline of dairy farms in Maryland.