Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
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Item Algal biofilms and lipids: bicarbonate amendment and nitrate stress to stimulate lipid accumulation in algal biofilms(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Engineering, 2022) Rathore, Muneeb Soban; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Brent M. Peyton; This is a manuscript style paper that includes co-authored chapters.Algal biofuels are compounds obtained by transesterification of algal lipids to fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) which can be used as biodiesel. Algal biofilms have a potential for commercial applications of algal biomass for biofuel production and provide concentrated biomass requiring less water removal to reduce biofuel production costs. Lipid production in algal biofilms is low as compared to planktonic algal growth systems and strategies for enhancing lipid content in algal biofilms need to be developed. The overarching goal of the studies presented herein was to develop lipid accumulation strategies in algal biofilms using nutrient stresses to increase triacylglycerides (TAGs) and FAMEs. First, a reactor was designed for photoautotrophic biofilm growth incorporating a novel algal biomass harvesting mechanism. Chlorella vulgaris biofilm growth was demonstrated to establish the reactor characteristics under three different inorganic carbon regimes and the presence of excess calcium to facilitate biofilm attachment and accumulation. Excess calcium resulted in precipitate formation and increasing ash content in biomass and caused difficulty in biofilm detachment. However, the highest biomass accumulation was observed in the bicarbonate and the bicarbonate with calcium treatments. Second, two different algal strains were tested for lipid accumulation under two nutrient conditions: nitrate limitation and bicarbonate addition. Algal strains included, an extremophilic freshwater diatom RGd-1, a Yellowstone National Park (YNP) isolate, and oleaginous chlorophyte C. vulgaris. High bicarbonate content at low nitrate concentration in the bulk medium provided the highest lipid accumulation as determined by Nile Red fluorescence and Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) analysis of extracted FAMEs (7-22 % wt/wt). For prevention of biomass loss and quick response to nutrient stresses to stimulate lipid accumulation, the growth medium was exchanged after initial biofilm accumulation and operated in batch mode. This was implemented to quickly introduce nutrient stresses using fresh medium to vary bicarbonate and nitrate concentrations as needed. Thus, the work presented here demonstrated enhanced lipid production in algal biofilms with nitrate stress and bicarbonate amendment is a viable strategy to increase lipid accumulation. Increased lipid content may help offset the cost for biodiesel production with more lipid product and lower processing requirements for water removal.Item Daily signals in nitrate processing provide a holistic perspective on stream corridor hydrologic and biogeochemical function(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2023) Foster, Madison Jo; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Robert A. Payn; This is a manuscript style paper that includes co-authored chapters.Understanding interactive pathways of biogeochemical reaction and water movement in stream corridors is critical given the role stream corridors play in mitigating nitrate loading from agricultural watersheds. However, few studies consider the interactive effects of nitrate loading, riparian processing, and stream ecosystem processing, which may limit abilities to predict downstream nitrate delivery. Riparian groundwater inputs and stream ecosystem processing may vary due to daily cycles in evapotranspiration or stream ecosystem primary production. Recent advances in high-frequency monitoring of stream chemistry throughout the day exhibit potential to explore both hydrologic and biogeochemical influences on nitrate attenuation. In this thesis, I explore how diel variations in stream reach nitrate processing can provide holistic perspectives on the attenuation of nitrate along stream corridors within a watershed that is heavily influenced by agricultural land use. Nitrate processing is defined as the evident changes in nitrate concentration in parcels of water as they travel along a given reach of a stream, as measured from nitrate sensors located at the head and base of ca. 0.5 km reaches. To understand controls on diel variation in nitrate processing, we measured diel processing signals in agricultural headwater reaches in Central Montana, USA spanning variable atmospheric and flow conditions from March through August in 2020-2022. Across 168 days with valid data, most signals exhibited little diel variation (n = 106) and this lack of variation occurred most frequently during cooler and shorter days. In contrast, signals with greater variation were common during longer days, warmer temperatures, and lower flows (n = 62). This seasonal shift in patterns suggests that solar radiation and stream flow are primary controls on diel nitrate processing signals in these low-order reaches. In addition to diel variation, less overall nitrate attenuation in the study reach with direct inputs of high-nitrate upland waters suggest that the degree of hydrologic connection to upland aquifers influences apparent reach nitrate processing. This work highlights how understanding the drivers of diel processing signals may lead to a more holistic understanding of how multiple interacting processes in stream corridors influence nitrate delivery to downstream ecosystems.Item Glacial effects on stream water nitrate: an examination of paired catchments in southern Montana(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2019) Allen, Jordan Jon; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Mark L. Skidmore and Jean Dixon (co-chair)Nitrogen is frequently a limiting nutrient in biologic systems. Previous research on alpine streams and lakes in the Beartooth Mountains, Montana/Wyoming has demonstrated nitrate concentrations in waters draining glaciated catchments that are up to ten times greater than comparable adjacent non-glaciated catchments. The enhanced nitrate concentrations in the glacial fed lakes have been associated with increased diatom abundance relative to the snow fed-lakes. However, the source of the enhanced nitrate input remained undetermined, as well as how nitrate concentrations vary temporally during summer melt. This study measured concentrations of nitrate and ammonium and the isotopic composition of nitrate over the 2016 melt-season in a paired catchment system, in the Beartooth Mountains, Montana. The two catchments have similar elevations, atmospheric inputs, bedrock geology, area, and contain lakes, however, one catchment contains a glacier, the other does not. The stream waters in the glaciated catchment showed significantly elevated nitrate concentrations relative to those in the non-glaciated catchment and to catchment atmospheric input, as determined by snowpack nitrate concentrations. Nitrate concentrations in the glacial stream were observed to increase both temporally as the melt-season progressed, and spatially, with distance downstream from the glacier terminus. Ammonium concentrations in the glacial stream were highest close to the glacier terminus, declining with distance downstream, but also increasing during the melt season. Nitrate isotopic values distinguish the stream waters from atmospheric inputs indicating additional nitrate sources in the catchment. Potential additional sources include inorganic nitrogen released from bedrock sources and microbially fixed nitrogen. Abiotic laboratory weathering experiments simulating subglacial conditions reacted deionized water with finely milled bedrock at 4°C, and a modest quantity of ammonium was released. Potassium is often replaced by ammonium in minerals. Rocks from the study area contained ~3% potassium by weight. Ammonium could then be converted to nitrate through microbial processes within the proglacial environment adding to the atmospheric nitrate input to the stream nitrate budget. However, estimated rates of sediment production, and by inference ammonium production, cannot account for the observed nitrate concentrations and flux, indicating an additional nitrate source, which is most likely ultimately derived from microbial nitrogen fixation.Item Fallow replacement and alternative fertilizer practices : effects on nitrate leaching, grain yield and protein, and net revenue in a semiarid region(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2015) John, Andrew Augustus; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Clain JonesHigh nitrate concentrations in groundwater have been observed in agricultural regions worldwide. In the Judith River Watershed of central Montana, groundwater nitrate concentrations have increased from 10 to 23 mg L-1 over the span of 20 years. Nitrate leaching from agricultural fields is a major concern for growers and stakeholders in the region. Little research has been conducted in dryland semiarid regions on the effects of agricultural practices on nitrate leaching. We conducted a 2-yr study comparing three alternative management practices (pea rotation, controlled-release urea, split nitrogen application) to grower standard practices (fallow, conventional urea, spring broadcast urea) on grain yield, grain protein, net revenue, and the amount of nitrate leached. Eight field treatment interfaces were established across three farms and each treatment was in duplicate per year. Ten soil and biomass sampling locations were designated on both sides of the interface. Net revenue was calculated by enterprise budgets constructed from local and state data. Nitrate leaching was calculated using a nitrogen mass balance equation. Replacing pea with fallow decreased winter wheat grain yield and protein yet had no effect on net revenue during the first year of the study (2013). In the second year, pea-winter wheat earned $83 ha -1 more (P<0.1) than fallow-winter wheat. Neither fertilizer alternative management practice had an effect on net revenue. In the 2013 treatment year, wheat after pea leached less nitrate (20 kg N ha -1) than wheat after fallow (56 kg N ha -1), indicating more deep percolation of nitrate with fallow practice. In the 2014 treatment year, a greater amount of nitrate leached (P<0.1) while using controlled-release urea than conventional urea, possibly in part because the controlled release urea was applied earlier than conventional urea. The results of our study revealed that replacing fallow with pea can decrease the amount of nitrate that leaches out of the root zone. Also, this practice either increased or had no effect on net revenue, revealing its ability to be economically feasible for a grower to implement. Based on our findings, future research should likely focus on practices that decrease rates of deep percolation.Item Groundwater nitrate transport and residence time in a vulnerable aquifer under dryland cereal production(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2013) Miller, Christine Ross; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Stephanie A. Ewing; Stephanie A. Ewing, W. Adam Sigler, E. N. J. Brookshire, Clain A. Jones, Douglas Jackson-Smith and Gary S. Weissmann were co-authors of the article, 'Groundwater nitrate transport and residence time in a vulnerable aquifer under dryland cereal production' submitted to the journal 'Journal of geophysical research - biogeosciences' which is contained within this thesis.Selection of agricultural management practices to reduce nitrate leaching from soils can only be successful if both nitrate loading rates from soils to shallow aquifers and groundwater residence times are quantified. Elevated nitrate concentrations in shallow unconfined aquifers are commonly observed in agricultural areas as a result of increased N inputs. In the Judith River Watershed (JRW) in central Montana, USA, notably high nitrate concentrations in groundwater and stream water have exceeded the U.S. EPA drinking water standard of 10 mg L -1 for at least two decades. This large (24,400 ha) watershed drains immediately into the Missouri River, a tributary of the Mississippi River. Over an eleven month period in 2012, we measured groundwater and surface water nitrate concentrations across a hydrologically isolated strath terrace. We use the resulting data to constrain nitrate accumulation dynamics in the shallow aquifer. Nitrate is relatively conservative in this location, as it is high in groundwater (17.57 +/- 4.29 mg L -1; all groundwater samples pooled together), and remains high in streams and springs that drain the landform (15.67 +/- 9.45 mg L -1; all surface water and spring samples pooled together). We use a numerical model to simulate the character of nitrate accumulation in the aquifer as a whole, in order to evaluate how the entire period of cultivation has contributed to current nitrate concentrations, and begin to predict response times for effects of land use change. We consider the effect of groundwater residence time and travel time on nitrate loading using particle tracking in a three dimensional model aquifer. We find no correlation with nitrate concentrations in groundwater and emerging surface waters, and suggest approaches for improving both the geometry of the model and the selection of sites in future work. Overall, our results imply that groundwater residence times are several decades at most, suggesting that similar timeframes will be needed to reduce overall nitrate concentrations in groundwater and emergent streams to below drinking water standards. Preliminary evaluation of several management scenarios suggests that both increased fertilizer use efficiency and rotational strategies may be needed to prevent the loss of soil N to groundwater.Item Effect of summer fallowing, perennial crop cover and conservation reserve practices on soil nitrate distribution(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1994) Pannebakker, Lynn S.; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Jim BauderDryland agriculture is an economically feasible method of producing crops in some parts of the semi-arid regions of the mid-west and western United States. Summer fallowing, which is commonly practiced in these regions, serves to replenish soil moisture and plant-available nitrate-nitrogen (N0 3--N), while also stabilizing production and more uniformly distributing the work load. In areas where dryland agriculture is concentrated, summer fallowing may lead to N0 3--N contamination of ground-water due to lack of plant uptake of excess water and N. Under certain conditions of precipitation, soil percolation, slope, and cropping intensity, summer fallowing has been shown to cause elevated N03--N concentrations in shallow groundwater wells. These elevated N0 3--N levels have been detected in several areas of the U.S. Two areas where high N0 3--N concentrations have been repeatedly found in groundwater samples are in northeastern and central Montana. Judith Basin and Fergus Counties of Montana were selected for soil sampling to assess any differences in soil NO3--N concentrations under three different land use systems: 1) crop fallow rotation, 2) acreage enrolled in the USDA Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS) conservation reserve program (CRP), 3) and rangeland. Soil samples were collected to a depth of three m (10 ft) at four different sites in each county. Soil samples from all sampling depths at each of the eight sites were analyzed for gravel percent (>2 mm diameter) , N0 3--N load, and N0 3--N concentration. Samples from 0 m to 0.6 m were also analyzed for total-N concentration. Trends in soil N0 3-N give evidence that summer fallowing may be the cause of N0 3--N in shallow groundwater in some areas Of Montana where dryland cropping is practiced. Overall, average soil N0 3--N concentration throughout the sampled soil profile was 4.2, 2.0, and 1.3 mgkg-1 for the crop fallow, CRP, and rangeland land use practices, respectively. Average N0 3--N concentration in Fergus County ranged from 2.5 mgkg-1 to 20.4 mgkg-1 under crop fallow while it ranged from only 0.9 to 6.2 mgkg-1 and from 0.9 to 4.2 mgkg-1 for the CRP and rangeland uses, respectively. Average N0 3--N concentration in Judith Basin County ranged from 1.4 mgkg-1 to 6.9 mgkg-1, 0.6 mgkg-1 to 2.0 mgkg-1, and from 0.8 mgkg-1 to 1.4 mgkg-1 under crop fallow, CRP, and rangeland land use systems, respectively. Assuming that extensive use of crop fallow causes increased N0 3--N concentrations under some conditions, alternative land use management practices may be effective in reducing N0 3--N levels in such areas.Item Spatial investigation of ground water nitrate-nitrogen and coliform bacteria in the Gallatin Local Water Quality District, Gallatin County, Montana(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2003) Greenup, Mary TaylorItem Encapsulated mixed-bed ion-exchange resins : practical uses monitoring nitrate movement and nitrogen soil fertility(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1997) Miller, John HowardItem Control of microbial souring of oil in a porous media column(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Engineering, 1995) Reinsel, Mark AndrewItem Soil and terrain attributes for evaluation of leaching in a Montana farm field(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1995) Landon, Melissa Ann