Expanding Emissions Markets to Reduce Agricultural Nitrogen Run-Off

Synthetic fertilizers have been critical in averting global food shortages; however, synthetic fertilizers and their production have led to numerous environmental harms, including greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, and soil degradation. Scientists are working on a new technology that will create a more efficient and less impactful fertilizer process, but the legal mechanisms to encourage widespread adoption and subsequent environmental benefits fall short. In the absence of regulation, market tools can encourage behavior change. If the pollution reduction by exchanging fertilizer is turned into a tradable asset, agricultural users can benefit financially, which lowers potential barriers to participation in a new fertilizer market. When carefully designed, offsets for carbon, nitrogen oxide, and nitrogen can be created to represent reduced pollution from a new fertilizer process and sold to generate revenue streams. Existing offset markets serve as models and examples of unintended consequences. This Article will re-evaluate the potential for fertilizer offset markets through the lens of other trading schemes. Recommendations include ensuring carbon reductions adhere to offset criteria and consider environmental justice factors; broadening existing nitrogen protocols to accommodate alternative fertilizers and increasing education regarding nitrous oxide emissions; and expanding water quality trading markets to incorporate nontraditional participants and objectives

Grand Canyon National Park Centennial Paleontological Resources Inventory: A Century of Fossil Discovery and Research

On an otherwise unremarkable fall day in 2017, National Park Service Senior Paleontologist Vincent Santucci made an astonishing proposal: he offered to lead a comprehensive paleontological inventory of Grand Canyon National Park. Astonishing, in that such a survey had not yet been accomplished at what is arguably the world’s most geologically iconic national park and that the timing could not have been better. We were preparing to celebrate the 2019 Centennial of Grand Canyon National Park; the first complete paleontological park inventory would be a highlight of the celebration. This proposal kicked off a whirlwind of activity and collaboration that resulted in a year-long effort by a world-class team of multi-disciplinary geologists and paleontologists to research, investigate, and ground-truth the astonishing array of fossils up to 1.25 billion years old that are exposed in the canyon. This adventure included the first-ever PaleoBlitz at a national park in October 2019, development of a popular set of paleontology trading cards, presentations during the Grand Canyon National Park Paleontology Symposium, and hosting of the tenth anniversary of National Fossil Day. The culmination of this extensive work was the publication of a volume presenting the remarkable history of life and its evolution as uniquely exposed in GRCA. Out of this effort would come an improved understanding of ancient environments, extinction events, the discovery of new life forms, and a catalogue of ancient life. Lead Paleontologist Vince Santucci sets the context for this study, the impetus for the largest effort of its kind by the NPS, and the critical work behind the scenes. Dr. Earl Spammer provides an evocative and fascinating account of the 160-year history of fossil exploration at the canyon. The following paleontology inventory chapters are organized chronologically, by stratigraphic strata, and taxonomically, characterizing trace fossils, invertebrates, vertebrates, and plants found in the predominantly Precambrian to Paleozoic rocks of the Grand Canyon. Several of the life forms presented by these authors were newly discovered during the week-long PaleoBlitz held at the canyon. A series of experts presents the inventory of life in the canyon’s fossil record, from the very earliest life forms starting around 1.25 billion years ago in the Precambrian era (stromatolites and microfossils), through explosions of ancient life, punctuated by extinction events, in the Paleozoic era from the Cambrian (~541–485 million years ago) up into the Permian (~270 million years ago), as seen by the diversity of fossils (trilobites, brachiopods, mollusks, corals, fish, sharks, horsetails, seed ferns, clubmosses, conifers) preserved in these rocks. This variety of ancient life was abruptly cut off in the late Permian by earth’s most catastrophic extinction event, which was followed by the slow recovery of life between approximately 252 and 215 million years ago in the early Mesozoic era, barely represented in the youngest GRCA rocks by fossil logs and reptilian trackways. A separate chapter presents the much more recent lifeforms of the Ice Age (Pleistocene and Holocene), represented by fossils (extinct mountain goats, ground sloths, tortoises, packrats, camels) found in GRCA’s caves. Finally, the inventory is capped by a section outlining appropriate paleontological resource inventory, monitoring, and protection efforts, with recommendations for outreach, education, and stewardship of these unique treasures. During these hectic times, it is important to contemplate the long history of life, punctuated by massive extinction events, to imagine ancient worlds with exotic climates, and to ponder what lifeforms are yet to be discovered in these rich environments exposed so uniquely at Grand Canyon. This volume will reward you with the opportunity to celebrate the wonderous diversity of plants, animals, and environments that have inhabited this now iconic setting, and invite you to explore the complete inventory more deeply, and perhaps even add to it

The price of neglect: Revisiting Fossil Cycad National Monument (1922–1957)

The history associated with the discovery, research, preservation, protection, and loss of the fossil cycadeoid locality near Minnekahta in the southern Black Hills of South Dakota—which for 35 years was designated as Fossil Cycad National Monument—has gained considerable public attention. Several publications have attempted to capture portions of this history through the assimilation of information from archives, reports, correspondence, photographs, and other records associated with the monument. Previously unknown records continue to emerge, helping to expand and reshape the understanding of the monument’s unfortunate history, and also raising new questions. Some of the newly uncovered information is presented here. Additionally, several questions are identified that hopefully might be advanced through communication with individuals who are able to share additional information or historical records to fill in some of the gaps related to the history of Fossil Cycad National Monument

Dynamics of dental evolution in ornithopod dinosaurs.

Ornithopods were key herbivorous dinosaurs in Mesozoic terrestrial ecosystems, with a variety of tooth morphologies. Several clades, especially the 'duck-billed' hadrosaurids, became hugely diverse and abundant almost worldwide. Yet their evolutionary dynamics have been disputed, particularly whether they diversified in response to events in plant evolution. Here we focus on their remarkable dietary adaptations, using tooth and jaw characters to examine changes in dental disparity and evolutionary rate. Ornithopods explored different areas of dental morphospace throughout their evolution, showing a long-term expansion. There were four major evolutionary rate increases, the first among basal iguanodontians in the Middle-Late Jurassic, and the three others among the Hadrosauridae, above and below the split of their two major clades, in the middle of the Late Cretaceous. These evolutionary bursts do not correspond to times of plant diversification, including the radiation of the flowering plants, and suggest that dental innovation rather than coevolution with major plant clades was a major driver in ornithopod evolution

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Paleontological Resources Management Plan (Public Version)

Executive Summary Since Agate Springs Ranch was founded by James H. Cook in 1887, exquisite examples of transitional Miocene mammalian fauna have been found along this stretch of the Niobrara River valley. Collectively these paleontological discoveries, along with the existing archeological and historical Native American collection, were the basis for establishing Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (AGFO) as a unit of the National Park System (NPS). The fossil remains from the Harrison and Anderson Ranch formations span a short, but important, time period within the Miocene Epoch. AGFO has provided science with an intimate look into North American mammalian evolution of the time that is matched nowhere else, with body fossils and trace fossils (burrows) of many mammals in excellent condition. Investigation of the paleontological resources at AGFO has been very limited since its establishment, but the opportunities for research and discovery are still substantial. Public and academic interest in the Monument’s paleontological resources are considerable. Although there are existing legal authorities, policies and guidelines regarding the management of paleontological resources, at both the departmental and agency levels, more specific guidance would be helpful for the management of AGFO’s non-renewable fossils. This document has been prepared to provide more specific guidance and recommendations for paleontological resources management at AGFO. The Introduction outlines the significance of AGFO’s paleontological resources and defines the purpose, need, and objectives for the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument Paleontological Resources Management Plan (PRMP). This plan also identifies the legal authorities, requirements, and mandates underpinning AGFO’s mission as a unit of the NPS, with special attention to authorities that address managing and preserving paleontological resources. Background Geology and Paleontology provides a basic park geologic description, discusses the scope of AGFO’s paleontological resources, and summarizes past paleontological work performed at the Monument. This information includes historical information from periods both before and after authorization of the Monument as a unit of the NPS. This section also presents the paleontological significance of AGFO and its specimens, such as how AGFO’s taxa are cornerstones of North American geochronology and biostratigraphy. Paleontological Resources Management begins by listing in greater detail the strategic objectives related to paleontological resources within the NPS and at AGFO. This section then proceeds to discuss the specific considerations related to paleontological resource inventories and monitoring along with management requirements (from policy and guidelines) specific to AGFO. This section discusses what a paleontology inventory is and why, when and how to conduct one; fundamentals of paleontological resource monitoring; the various types of threats to paleontological resources and how to mitigate them; and resource condition assessment and site monitoring protocols. It also addresses how to handle paleontological resources discovered or recovered during other park activities. Paleontological Research Management presents NPS and AGFO research goals, how to evaluate the scientific significance of research, and how to weigh the significance of research against other park mandates, operations, and goals. The section also includes a description of the permitting process, recommended park-specific permit conditions, and rules for overseeing collection and excavation. Museum Collections and Curation documents AGFO’s current paleontological collections, collections management and curation policies, AGFO’s photographic archives, collections from AGFO in external repositories, type specimens from AGFO, and Monument compliance with museum security policies. Interpretation discusses goals and current implementation for how AGFO interprets its paleontological resources for the public. This includes: the primary themes for interpretation; the exhibits, tools and programs used by AGFO to interpret fossil resources; the target audiences for the interpretive programs; teaching good stewardship of paleontological resources; and a discussion of public accessibility to AGFO, its interpretive materials, and the paleontological resources. Relation of Paleontological Resources to Other Park Programs provides an overview of how each park division may interact with paleontological resources and have their duties cross over with paleontological resource management related actions. It also discusses the potential impacts of paleontological resource management on other types of AGFO resources (archeological, biological, historical, and physical). Paleontological Resource Data Management discusses various paleontological resource records, datasets, and other archives. AGFO’s paleontological archives and library, as well as their current status, are discussed along with an overview of the type of contents stored within them. The NPS Paleontology Program Archives and Library, and how to exchange data and records between them and the AGFO archives, are also described. This section also reviews geospatial data available to AGFO and issues of sensitivity and confidentially related to paleontological resource data and information. Finally, the Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations summarizes the work done on the AGFO PRMP, discusses ongoing and planned projects which assist in implementing the instructions and goals set out in this PRMP, and makes a variety of recommendations for future paleontological resource management at AGFO

Marriott School of Management: Study of alumni perceptions on various school of management functions

The Marriott School of Management (MSM) has interest in finding out how alumni and supporters perceive the MSM, and the effectiveness of their communication. The MSM\u27s primary communication with the alumni is Exchange magazine. Larry MacFarlane, editor of Exchange (under the direction of K. Fred Skouson, Dean of the Marriott School of Management), has requested Image Marketing to find out how the alumni perceive the MSM and Exchange magazine. This research will help in directing their strategic plan to students, alumni, and recruiters. Image Marketing is comprised of Brent Powell, Ken Ozawa, Don Tweet, Todd Hendricks and Thomas Jones

Pleistocene/Holocene Cave Fossils From Grand Canyon National Park: Ice Age (Pleistocene) Flora, Fauna, Environments, and Climate of the Grand Canyon, Arizona

The Colorado Plateau is a distinct physiographic province in western North America covering an area of roughly 337,000 km2 (130,115 mi2) across parts of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. Elevations range from about 360 m (1,180 ft) in the overall Grand Canyon (GC; which includes the Grand Canyon National Park, GRCA) river corridor to an average at the eastern South Rim of 2,072 m (6,800 ft) to 3,850 m (12,630 ft) on the nearby San Francisco Peaks at Flagstaff, Arizona, with an average elevation of 1,525 m (5,000 ft). The Colorado River of Grand Canyon is located along the southwestern portion of the Colorado Plateau in Arizona and is renowned for its dramatic display of geomorphic effects created by fluvial incision and its unique dry-preservation of fossils from the Ice Age (late Pleistocene and Holocene [Quaternary]; most recent 2.58 million years). Although there were at least 22 glacial-interglacial cycles during the Ice Age, this discussion is limited to the most recent episode (called the Wisconsinan Glaciation), which includes the transition to the modern climate (latest Pleistocene and Holocene; the most recent 50,000 years of geologic history)

Atomic layer deposition of two dimensional MoS₂ on 150 mm substrates

Low temperature atomic layer deposition (ALD) of monolayer to few layer MoS₂ uniformly across 150mm diameter SiO₂/Si and quartz substrates is demonstrated. Purge separated cycles of MoCl5 and H₂S precursors are used at reactor temperatures of up to 475 °C. Raman scattering studies show clearly the in-plane (E¹₂g) and out-of-plane (A₁g) modes of MoS₂. The separation of the E¹₂g and A1g peaks is a function of the number of ALD cycles, shifting closer together with fewer layers. Xray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates that stoichiometry is improved by postdeposition annealing in a sulfur ambient. High resolution transmission electron microscopy confirms the atomic spacing of monolayer MoS₂ thin films