RESEARCH INSTITUTE
FUNDED PROPOSALS
2002-03
Table of Contents
Mr. Robert Duron. Assistant Professor of Business
“American Accounting Association at FBD Conference”
Dr. Ron Weedon, Professor of Biology
Steven B. Rolfsmeier, Susan J. Rolfsmeier, and Leslie Stewart-Phelps, Assistant Researchers
“Phytogeography of boreal and eastern disjunct species in the Nebraska Sandhills”
Dr. Ron Weedon, Professor of Biology
Steven B. Rolfsmeier, Susan J. Rolfsmeier, Starla A. Tronstad, and Julie Lancaster, Assistant Researchers
“The Identify of Lappula cenchrusioides A. Nels. (Boraginaceae) and Related Species in the Northern Great Plains”
Dr. Joe Corsini, Assistant Professor of Biology Science
Dr. Mike Leite, Associate Professor of Earth Science
“Taphonomy and Taxonomy of Fossil Turtles in the White River Group – Year 2”
Dr. Georgia Young, Assistant Professor of Agriculture
D. M. Sanchez, J. Despain, W. Crawford, and Chad Feik, Assistant Researchers
“Effect of Breed and Nutritional Status on Metabolism of Leafy Spurge Toxins in Goats”
Dr. Ron Weedon, Professor of Biology
Steven B. Rolfsmeier, Assistant Researcher
“Vascular Plants New to Nebraska and Surrounding States”
Mr. Robert Duron
Assistant Professor of Business
“American Accounting Association at FBD Conference”
$750 Funded
Project No. 222631
This proposal seeks funding for travel by the principal researcher to attend and present a paper at the 2003 Southwest Regional Meeting of the American Accounting Association at FBD in Houston, Texas March 5-7, 2003. The paper, Perceived Environmental Factors and Benefits of ABC in Nonprofit Institutions of Higher Learning, presents a significant portion of the findings of the 2001 Higher Education Cost Management Survey (CSC Research Institute Project No. 222612) for which the final grant completion report was submitted to the Research Institute on October 17, 2001.
Status: Final Report Received 13 May 2003
Dr. Ron Weedon, Professor of Biology
Steven B. Rolfsmeier, Susan J. Rolfsmeier, and Leslie Stewart-Phelps, Assistant Researchers
“Phytogeography of boreal and eastern disjunct species in the Nebraska Sandhills”
$$3,295.40 Funded
Grant No. 222630
Despite its recent geologic origin and homogeneous appearance, the Nebraska Sandhills contains a diverse and interesting flora comprised of species from outside the region, including some that are far removed from their known geographic range. Some of the most intriguing (and geologically problematic) components of the flora are boreal disjunct species of Sandhills fens, which are believed to be relicts of the Pleistocene periglacial flora that predates formation of the Sandhills themselves. These elements are now known to be far more widespread in the region than was previously thought. In addition, a number of newly discovered disjunct eastern species further complicates the picture of how the flora of the Sandhills came to be. This study proposes to update the status of disjunct species in the Sandhills, determine their phytogeographic affinities and habitat preferences, and map their geographic distribution within the region. The resulting patterns will be studied in relation to known geology and other physical and edaphic factors in hopes of providing a more detailed picture of the recent biological history of the Sandhills.
Status: Progress Report Received 10 September 2003
Dr. Ron Weedon, Professor of Biology
Steven B. Rolfsmeier, Susan J. Rolfsmeier, Starla A. Tronstad, and Julie Lancaster, Assistant Researchers
“The Identify of Lappula cenchrusioides A. Nels. (Boraginaceae) and Related Species in the Northern Great Plains”
$4,362.50 Funded
Grant No. 222629
Although it is represented by no more than five species in North America, the genus Lappula is poorly studied and there is little consensus as to the actual number and identify of the species. Probably the most poorly studied is Lappula cenchrusoides, a presumably native species found from eastern Wyoming and western Nebraska northward to eastern Montana and western North Dakota. Some botanists consider it to be synonymous with Lappula squarrosa, an introduced Eurasian species widespread in North America. Observations of both species in Nebraska indicate that they are morphologically distinct in the field. In this study, populations of Lappula cenchrusoides will be studied in the field throughout its range to obtain measurements on fresh material, as well as to record detailed information on habitat, phenology, and edaphic factors. These data, along with measurements from herbarium material from several regional herbaria (including the type specimens of L. cenchrusoides and the related L. erecta), will be used in a statistical analysis to determine whether L. cenchrusoides is demonstrably distinct from L. squarrosa. A second phase of the second would center on common garden experiments and inclusion of genetic and biochemical data.
Status: Progress Report Received 10 September 2003
Dr. Joe Corsini, Assistant Professor of Biology Science
Dr. Mike Leite, Associate Professor of Earth Science
“Taphonomy and Taxonomy of Fossil Turtles in the White River Group – Year 2”
$5,197.40 Funded
Grant No. 222628
Last year we proposed to pursue two avenues of inquiry with fossil turtles in the Chadron and Brule formations exposed at Toadstool Park. The first was collection of taphonomical data describing the preservational state of approximately one hundred turtles in the strata. The second was to begin to excavate and classify, to the species level when possible, the turtles marked during collection of the field data. In meeting the goals, the PI’s along with Mr. Costello have collected taphonomical data from 220 turtles and collected eight turtles (some of them weighing in at over 200 pounds). This year Corsini and Leite along with another student, Amanda Dopheide, propose to continue collecting the taphonomical data using a more extensive data sheet and to begin preparation of the excavated specimens for identification.
Status: Final Report Received 10 September 2003
Dr. Georgia Young, Assistant Professor of Agriculture
D. M. Sanchez, J. Despain, W. Crawford, and Chad Feik, Assistant Researchers
“Effect of Breed and Nutritional Status on Metabolism of Leafy Spurge Toxins in Goats”
$4,074.40 Funded
Grant No. 222627
Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) was introduced to North America from Europe and has since developed into a serious economic and ecological threat to agricultural and natural resource areas. Although cattle are the primary domestic specie found in the Great Plains they consume very little leafy spurge due to the sensitivity to the toxins found in leafy spurge. However, domestic sheep and goats can and will consume larger quantities of leafy spurge. Research has shown that goats have less dietary overlap with cattle (5-20% vs. 20-35%) and will consume larger quantities of leafy spurge than sheep given the opportunity to select their diet. However, there is little research that has evaluated how the genetic makeup (breed) or nutritional status of these animals affects their ability to clear toxins found in leafy spurge from their system. Thus, the objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of breed and nutritional status of goats on the ability to clear toxins from leafy spurge.
Status: Progress Report Received 3 October 2003
Dr. Ron Weedon, Professor of Biology
Steven B. Rolfsmeier, Assistant Researcher
“Vascular Plants New to Nebraska and Surrounding States”
$2,425 Funded
Grant No. 222626
This study will bring Nebraska’s floristic status up-to-date by producing a paper with details of 30-50 species not previously reported from the state and surrounding areas. Data included in the paper will be of use to participants in the Flora of North America project and in production of a second edition of the Synthesis of the Flora of North America. The study will utilize the resources of the Herbaria of the University of Nebraska and Chadron State College, and as part of the study, the remaining backlog of the latter herbarium will be identified so that it can be processed and distributed. The project will produce a manuscript to be submitted to a high profile journal, and will grow the Chadron State Herbarium past 50,000 specimens. Both results are a first step toward establishing recognition of the Herbarium as a resource and repository of botanical information in the northern high plains. Funding of this CSC Research Institute grant proposal also directly sets up our Herbarium for the initiation of the Herbarium collections database, the initial funding for which has been provided by our Nebraska Environmental Trust grant, commencing in mid-2003.