Progress 05/01/24 to 04/30/25

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience includes, but is not limited to natural resource, agricultural sciences, and environmental science researchers. In addition to these practitioners, the general public will benefit from the research outcomes with increased knowledge on the impacts of climate change. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We have established a working agreement with the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) program to provide an overseas research training opportunity for Center participants. During this training opportunity, Center of Excellence participants will have an opportunity to travel abroad to train with researchers in other countries. Three of the Center participants (Drs. Chandra Reddy, De'Etra Young, and William Sutton) traveled to Dakar, Senegal in December 2023 (December 12th- 19th) for an initial site visit for the faculty overseas training seminar. During the initial site visit we met with the ministers of agriculture, West Africa Research Center, and the Centre de Suivi Ecologique. We had a faculty travel seminar scheduled for India during May 2025, but had to cancel the event due to the federal funding freeze of this agreement. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been disseminated to the larger COE-NREE during the 2024 Association of Research Directors (ARD) Meeting in Nashville Tennessee. At this meeting we presented the COE-NREE overview during the Center of Excellence breakout session. We will continue to ramp up our Center website that will include updates on Center activities, along with short bios for each Center researcher. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?As of now, all Center activities have been halted due to a federal funding freeze related to this agreement. Pending activation of the funds, the COE-NREE participants will continue original planned research objectives within each of the primary Thrust Areas. In addition to this research, we will also establish plans for the CAORC overseas research opportunity. All Center participants will have the opportunity to apply and travel during this international research/training effort. Potential travel locations for the initial CAORC include Senegal and/or other localities.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Thrust Area 1: We have established research plots in three geographic localities, including the Bankhead National Forest (Alabama), Chipola Experimental Forest (Florida), and Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area (Tennessee). We have supported 6 students that are currently conducting graduate and undergraduate research theses. A total of three students are currently pursuing a postgraduate degree with the Center. In terms of new technologies, we are utilizing remote sensing technologies, light detection, radar (LiDAR) imagery, radiotelemetry, and Autonomous Recording Devices (ARD) to monitor wildlife populations remotely. Future efforts will include continued monitoring of forested environments to evaluate the impacts of management on forest structure, wildlife populations, biomass production, and carbon sequestration in southeastern forested environments. We have increased sampling efforts in the Bankhead National Forest project to include remote camera sampling for increased detection of rare species such as the northern pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus) and spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius). We are currently completing analysis of herpetofaunal field data collected during summer 2023 and 2024 from the 16 longleaf pine forest stands consisting of four forest treatments along a restoration chronosequence. We surveyed stands using a passive sampling design that consisted of three drift-fences outfitted with box traps and pitfall traps conducive for sampling amphibians and reptiles. In total, we have documented clear effects of restoration on species occurrence and have noted that rare and conservation concern species tend to occur in forest stands with recent prescribed burn management. In addition to herpetofaunal encounter data, we also monitored avian occupancy in the same forest stand chronosequence. Each stand was surveyed via a transect approach three times throughout the breeding season. All data have been entered, and we have conducted preliminary data analyses. During the first field season, we recorded 64 species and 1853 detections. During the 2024 field season, we repeated sampling in all stands to create a database that contains repeated temporal sampling data. Overall, this project is critical for the continuation of a long-term collaborative relationship that we have established with the USDA Forest Service's Southern Research Station and Bankhead National Forest. For the soil carbon study that is currently being conducted in the Chippola National Forest, we have completed the sample processing in preparation for the fractionation process.The samples processed included baseline samples, after drum chopping samples and after fire samples. We have set up a litter decomposition study that will determine the microbial influence on biogeochemistry dynamics, including soil carbon thermal stability, carbon, nitrogen and isotopes. We also plan to sequentially retrieve litter decomposition bags from the field for processing and microbial analysis. Thrust Area 2: A variety of field trials and laboratory investigations have been initiated across multiple research objectives. Nine students are currently completing graduate and undergraduate research theses. Three students pursuing a post-graduate degree are either supported directly by the COE-NREE or are completing research on topics germane to the program. We are utilizing drone technology, cryopreservation, and size fractionalization for sorghum microspores, documentation of new germplasm and testing of new Sorghum and Amaranth genotypes, and carbon sequestration of fish aquaculture operations. In terms of climate smart animal production, the preliminary reproductive performance across 111 heifer/cow exposures demonstrated that the Mashona x Dexter females (n = 57) had higher (P< 0.01) summer fertility rates (73.7%) compared to Dexter straightbred females (n = 54; 44.4%). Birth and weaning weight data on 66 progeny births to date are currently being processed. Related genomic work demonstrated the genetic diversity of the foundation TSU Mashona population relative to several other breeds, including commercial, heritage, and other tropically-adapted breeds. In terms of evaluating heat stress on physiological, hematological, immunological and metabolomic responses on ewes, we allocated14 ewes to heat stress (HT, n = 7) or cooling (CTL, n = 7) conditions for 6 weeks during the summer season. We found that the Temperature Humidity Index (THI) The THI for the HT and CTL groups ranged from 81.3 - 89.5 and from 73.5 - 75.6, respectively. The HT group presented a significant (P < 0.05) increase in respiratory rate when compared to the CTL group. Hematology analysis revealed a significant (P < 0.05) increase of neutrophils and a decrease in lymphocyte % at week 3 in the HT group. In terms of understanding how climate change and climate smart agricultural practices influence switchgrass production, we simulated the impacts of precipitation change on switchgrass productivity and soil CO2and NO2emissions. Our research evaluating Amaranth as a climate smart crop revealed that plant germplasm was researched to solve the problems of growing amaranth and sorghum in the hot and sometimes dry conditions of the southeastern part of the United States, specifically in the state of Tennessee and at TSU's AREC site in Nashville. We designed a field experiment to study two varieties of grain amaranth with agronomic management conditions developed at Tennessee State University including double row culture and mechanical tillage over three planting dates as the conditions of the TSU experimental field. We continued analysis of the field data from 2024 summer experiment with grain amaranth varieties, Hopi Red and TSU Tiger (planned new release).These experiments served as seed multiplication as well as observation trials with two block of each variety planted on 30 x 50 foot plots and evaluated manually and with drone flights and UAV image capture. Thrust Area 3: We have been able to implement research across multiple areas through field and laboratory research. In total, nine students are completing graduate and undergraduate research theses. In addition, numerous students have participated in experiential learning opportunities through this research since the project's inception. In terms of new technologies employed via this program, we are utilizing I-tree urban forest assessment technology, ArcGIS and remote sensing technologies to evaluate the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance on water quality, quantity, and urban forest cover. In terms of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) research, sampling continued through the summer and fall of 2024 for algal toxins in the TSU Research Wetland.This included synoptic grab samples and time-averaged SPATT samplers for microcystin, anatoxin, saxitoxin and cylindrospermopsin cyanotoxins.Other field parameters included pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, specific conductance, chlorophyll-a and phycocyanin fluorescence, Secchi tube readings and some nutrient samples (NO3 and PO4). Samples were collected every 2 weeks during the sampling season through November, 2024.Sampling also extended to ponds at Metro Nashville parks (Sevier Lake, Lost Pond, Ted Rhodes Golf pond), two locations on JPP reservoir near water utility intakes, one location on Old Hickory reservoir near a utility intake and two sites on the Cumberland River associated with utility intakes.The goal was to determine if surface waters used by middle Tennesseans for drinking water were under threat of harmful algal blooms.This information is important to water utilities and others that use these waters for irrigation or drinking waters. Thrust Area 4: We have been working with the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) to establish overseas faculty training opportunities. In addition to Senegal, we will likely explore other opportunities, including India.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Byl, TD., Cunningham, C., Bradley, M., Gardner, K., Gibson, M., Kelley, N. 2024. Evidence of a red tide event in the late Cretaceous Period at Coon Creek Formation, Tennessee. 134th Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, TN Nov 23, 2024. www.tennacadsci.org/docs/2024TASProgram.pdf
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Cotton, A., Young, D., Byl, T.D., 2024. Determining if Bacillus bacteria breakdown algal toxins using sediment cores in an urban wetland, Nashville, TN. 134th Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, TN Nov 23, 2024. Second Place  Oral Presentation. www.tennacadsci.org/docs/2024TASProgram.pdf
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Cotton, J.A., Byl, TD. 2025. Harmful algal bloom monitoring in the Tennessee State University wetland. Posters at the Capitol, Nashville, TN. February 2025. (also given as an oral presentation at the Tennessee State University Research Symposium, March 2025).
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Curry, S., Swanson, R., McKinney, M., 2024. Evaluating Plant Diversity of Green Roofs in Tennessee. 134th Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, TN Nov 23, 2024. www.tennacadsci.org/docs/2024TASProgram.pdf
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Hughes, K., J Carr, 2024. What is the quantity of microplastic found in plastic water bottles compared to other containers of water? 134th Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, TN Nov 23, 2024. https://www.tennacadsci.org/docs/2024TASProgram.pdf
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Joyner, A., Chen, M., McKinney, M., Carr, J. 2024. Urbanization and Water Quality: Insights from Knoxville's Urban and Mountainous Watersheds. 134th Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, TN Nov 23, 2024. www.tennacadsci.org/docs/2024TASProgram.pdf
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Moore, D., Archer, R., Hill, K., Byl, T.D., 2024. Increasing HAB Monitoring in Urban Environments and Addressing Diversity in the Geosciences through Illuminating Projects. ED33A-2279 American Geophysical Union conference, Washington DC. https://agu.confex.com/agu/agu24/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/1760721
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Oppong Judith, Clement E. Akumu, Samuel Dennis, and Stephanie Anyanwu. 2025. Leveraging Deep Learning for Weed Canopy Cover Mapping in Precision Agriculture. TNGIC Middle Tennessee Fall Regional Forum (October 31, 2024), Murfreesboro, TN.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Robinson, S., D. Walker, R. Brubaker, A. Cochran, and W. B. Sutton. 2024. Longleaf Pine Restoration, Habitat Management, & Pathogen Prevalence: Insights into Upland Squamate Ecology in William B. Bankhead National Forest. The Gopher Tortoise Council Annual Meeting, St. Petersburg, Florida.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Robinson, S., D. Walker, R. Brubaker, A. Cochran, and W. B. Sutton. 2024. Monitoring Herpetofauna and Ophidiomyces ophidiicola Prevalence in Response to Longleaf Pine Forest Restoration in William B. Bankhead National Forest. The Wildlife Society Annual National Meeting, Baltimore, Maryland.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Robinson, S., R. Brubaker, A. Cochran, and W. B. Sutton. 2024. Monitoring the Response of Herpetofaunal Assemblages to Longleaf Pine Forest Restoration in William B. Bankhead National Forest. The Tennessee Herpetological Society Annual Meeting, Bristol. Tennessee.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Robinson, S., D. Walker, R. Brubaker, A. Cochran, and W. B. Sutton. 2024. Monitoring herpetofauna and Ophidiomyces ophidiicola prevalence in response to Longleaf Pine Forest Restoration in Bankhead National Forest. The Alabama Chapter of the Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Clanton, Alabama.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Salas, J.L., Byl, TD. 2025. Tree survey of invasive trees near a wetland scheduled for restoration. Posters at the Capitol. Nashville, TN, February 2025.
• Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Sutton, W. B. 2025. Managing southeastern forests for the conservation of amphibian and reptile biodiversity. Department of Environmental Sciences Seminar Series. Tennessee State University. March, 2025.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Sutton, W. B. 2025. The Center of Excellence for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment: A Climate Smart Approach. TSU-UTK Summit for Research Collaboration. McMinville, Tennessee, February 2025.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Williams, EK., Moore, D., Byl, TD., Snow, E. 2024. Diversifying the geosciences. ED31A-03. American Geophysical Union conference, Washington DC. https://agu.confex.com/agu/agu24/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/1565582
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2025 Citation: Byl, T.D., Moore, D.M., Cunningham, C., and Young, D., 2025, Science needs for determining the effects of climate change on harmful algal blooms in the southeastern United States: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 20251004, 29 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251004.

Progress 05/01/23 to 04/30/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience includes, but is not limited to natural resource, agricultural sciences, and environmental science researchers. In addition to these practitioners, the general public will benefit from the research outcomes with increased knowledge on the impacts of climate change. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We have established a working agreement with the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) program to provide an overseas research training opportunity for Center participants. During this training opportunity, Center of Excellence participants will have an opportunity to travel abroad to train with researchers in other countries. Three of the Center participants (Drs. Chandra Reddy, De'Etra Young, and William Sutton) traveled to Dakar, Senegal in December 2023 (December 12th- 19th) for an initial site visit for the faculty overseas training seminar. During the initial site visit we met with the ministers of agriculture, West Africa Research Center, and the Centre de Suivi Ecologique. We will likely plan the faculty training seminar for May 2025.? How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been disseminated to the larger COE-NREE during the 2024 Association of Research Directors (ARD) Meeting in Nashville Tennessee. At this meeting we presented the COE-NREE overview during the Center of Excellence breakout session. We will continue to ramp up our Center website that will include updates on Center activities, along with short bios for each Center researcher. The COE-NREE participants will continue original planned research objectives within each of the primary Thrust Areas. In addition to this research, we will also establish plans for the CAORC overseas research opportunity. All Center participants will have the opportunity to apply and travel during this international research/training effort. Potential travel locations for the initial CAORC include Senegal and/or other localities. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The COE-NREE participants will continue original planned research objectives within each of the primary Thrust Areas. We anticipate that several Center participants will likely have draft manuscripts ready for submission to peer-reviewed journals. In addition, we will also establish plans for the CAORC overseas research opportunity. All Center participants will have the opportunity to apply and travel during this international research/training effort. Potential travel locations for the initial CAORC include Senegal and/or other localities.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Thrust Area 1: We have established research plots in three geographic localities, including the Bankhead National Forest (Alabama), Chipola Experimental Forest (Florida), and Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area (Tennessee). We are supporting six students that are currently conducting graduate and undergraduate research theses. A total of three students are currently pursuing a postgraduate degree with the Center. In terms of new technologies, we are utilizing remote sensing technologies, light detection, radar (LiDAR) imagery, and Autonomous Recording Devices to monitor wildlife populations remotely. Future efforts will include continued monitoring of forested environments to evaluate the impacts of management on forest structure, wildlife populations, biomass production, and carbon sequestration in southeastern forested environments. We will likely increase sampling efforts in the Bankhead National Forest project to include remote camera sampling for increased detection of rare species such as the northern pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus) and spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius). We collected herpetofaunal field data during summer 2023 from the 16 longleaf forest stands consisting of four forest treatments along a restoration chronosequence. We surveyed stands using a passive sampling design that consisted of three drift-fences outfitted with box traps and pitfall traps conducive for sampling amphibians and reptiles. In addition to herpetofaunal encounter data, we also monitored avian occupancy in the same forest stand chronosequence. Each stand was surveyed via a transect approach three times throughout the breeding season. All data have been entered and we have conducted preliminary data analyses. During the first field season, we recorded 64 species and 1853 detections. Overall, this project is critical for the continuation of a long-term collaborative relationship that we have established with the USDA Forest Service's Southern Research Station and Bankhead National Forest. For the soil carbon study that is currently being conducted in the Chippola National Forest, we have completed the sample processing in preparation for the fractionation process.The samples processed included baseline samples, after drum chopping samples and after fire samples. We have set up a litter decomposition study that will determine the microbial influence on biogeochemistry dynamics, including soil carbon thermal stability, carbon, nitrogen and isotopes. We also plan to sequentially retrieve litter decomposition bags from the field for processing and microbial analysis. Thrust Area 2: A variety of field trials and laboratory investigations have been initiated across multiple research objectives. Nine students are currently completing graduate and undergraduate research theses. Three students pursuing a post-graduate degree are either supported directly by the COE-NREE or are completing research on topics germane to the program. We are utilizing drone technology, cryopreservation, and size fractionalization for sorghum microspores, documentation of new germplasm and testing of new Sorghum and Amaranth genotypes, and carbon sequestration of fish aquaculture operations. In terms of climate smart animal production, the preliminary reproductive performance across 111 heifer/cow exposures demonstrated that the Mashona x Dexter females (n = 57) had highersummer fertility rates (73.7%) compared to Dexter straightbred females (n = 54; 44.4%). Birth and weaning weight data on 66 progeny births to date are currently being processed. Related genomic work demonstrated the genetic diversity of the foundation TSU Mashona population relative to several other breeds, including commercial, heritage, and other tropically-adapted breeds. In terms of evaluating heat stress on physiological, hematological, immunological and metabolomic responses on ewes, we allocated14 ewes to heat stress (HT, n = 7) or cooling (CTL, n = 7) conditions for 6 weeks during the summer season. We found that the Temperature Humidity Index (THI) The THI for the HT and CTL groups ranged from 81.3 - 89.5 and from 73.5 - 75.6, respectively. The HT group presented a significant increase in respiratory rate when compared to the CTL group. Hematology analysis revealed a significant increase of neutrophils and a decrease in lymphocyte % at week 3 in the HT group. In terms of understanding how climate change and climate smart agricultural practices influence switchgrass production, we simulated the impacts of precipitation change on switchgrass productivity and soil CO2and NO2emissions. Our research evaluating Amaranth as a climate smart crop revealed that plant germplasm was researched to solve the problems of growing amaranth and sorghum in the hot and sometimes dry conditions of the southeastern part of the United States, specifically in the state of Tennessee and at TSU's AREC site in Nashville. We designed a field experiment to study two varieties of grain amaranth with agronomic management conditions developed at TSU including double row culture and mechanical tillage over three planting dates as the conditions of the TSU experimental field. In our ongoing research on carbon sequestration in aquacultural operations, three undergraduate students have been recruited to conduct a literature review to understand the carbon absorption dynamics in fishponds. Through the literature review, students have gained insights into the carbon sequestration dynamics in aquaculture ponds. This knowledge enriches their understanding that aquaculture ponds have the capacity to accumulate significant quantities of organic carbon in their sediments, making the establishment of ponds a viable option for proprietors aiming to enhance carbon storage. Thrust Area 3: We have been able to implement research across multiple areas through field and laboratory research. In total, nine students are completing graduate and undergraduate research theses. In addition, numerous students have participated in experiential learning opportunities through this research since the project's inception. In terms of new technologies employed via this program, we are utilizing I-tree urban forest assessment technology, ArcGIS and remote sensing technologies to evaluate the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance on water quality, quantity, and urban forest cover. In terms of evaluating the impacts of population growth on water quantity and quality in Louisiana,we have acquired data for the distribution of groundwater and surface water resources among parishes with the highest population in Louisiana. We have conducted preliminary analyses to examine the use of ground and surface water in Louisiana parishes with the highest and lowest human populations from 1960 to 2020. Collectively,this study will fill the gaps in scholarly research on how population changes in specific Louisiana parishes have influenced the quantity and quality of water resources, utilizing advanced models such as GIS. In reference to evaluating the impacts of soil contaminants, we conducted a soil adsorption study of metformin on two iron oxide minerals, hematite, and magnetite to support the findings in the in situ spectroscopic experiments. Initial selection of soils is made to assess and predict the adsorption mechanism on Tennessee Soil.This research will increase our understanding of the mobility of organic contaminants, which is important to predict ecological health. Our work so far has revealed the aqueous speciation of metformin, a diabatic drug at various pH values and its surface complexation mechanism on a common iron mineral hematite. Thrust Area 4: We have been working with the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) to establish overseas faculty training opportunities. In addition to Senegal, we will likely explore other opportunities, including India.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Christian, J., D. Hui, X. Shi, M. Mayes, and D. Ricciuto. 2024. Effects of Global Warming and Elevated CO2 on Peatland Ecosystem Productivity and Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Modeling Study. ESA 2024 Annual Meeting, August 4-9, 2024, Long Beach, CA.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Gosh, K., M. L. McCallum, M. Reagor, F. Bradford, and A. Compere. Carbon sequestration dynamics in aquaculture ponds: influences of fish species selection, pond age, and farming practices. Aquaculture America Conference. Feb 18-21, 2024, San Antonio, Texas.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Harrison, M., Mills-Widemon, A., Ikuejamoye-Omotore, S., Pech-Cervantes, A. A., Ogunade, I. M., Terrill, T. H., & Estrada-Reyes, Z. M. (2024). Short-Term heat stress affects the plasma metabolome of Florida Cracker sheep. Journal of Animal Science, 102 (Supplement_3).
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Hui, D., J. Christian, F. Hayay. 2024. Impacts of precipitation change on switchgrass productivity and soil CO2 emission: A modeling study. ESA 2024 Annual Meeting, August 4-9, 2024, Long Beach, CA.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Ikuejamoye-Omotore, S., Harrison, M., Mills-Widemon, A., Pech-Cervantes, A. A., Ogunade, I. M., Terrill, T. H., Siddique, A., & Estrada-Reyes, Z. M. (2024). Utilization of infrared thermography as a non-invasive method for assessing short-term heat stress in Florida Cracker sheep. Journal of Animal Science, 102 (Supplement_3).
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Mills-Widemon, A., Harrison, M., Ikuejamoye-Omotore, S., Pech-Cervantes, A. A., Ogunade, I. M., Terrill, T. H., Siddique, A., & Estrada-Reyes, Z. M. (2024). The effect of short-term heat stress on physiological, hematological, and immunological parameters of Florida Cracker sheep. Journal of Animal Science, 102 (Supplement_3).
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2023 Citation: Robinson, S., R. Brubaker, D. Walker, and W. B. Sutton. 2023. Monitoring herpetofauna and Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola in response to pine restoration in Bankhead National Forest. Tennessee Herpetological Society Meeting. Union City, Tennessee
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Robinson, S., R. Brubaker, D. Walker, and W. B. Sutton. 2024. Monitoring herpetofauna and Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola in response to pine restoration in Bankhead National Forest. Southeastern Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation. Nauvoo, Alabama.

Progress 05/01/22 to 04/30/23

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience includes, but is not limited to natural resource, agricultural sciences, and environmental science researchers. In addition to these practitioners, the general public will benefit from the research outcomes with increased knowledge on the impacts of climate change. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We have established a working agreement with the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) program to provide an overseas research training opportunity for Center participants. During this training opportunity, Center of Excellence participants will have an opportunity to travel abroad to train with researchers in other countries. Two of the Center participants (Drs. William Sutton and De'Etra Young) will conduct site visits to a potential CAORC site likely in winter 2023 - 2024. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been disseminated to the larger COE-NREE during two 1890 Foundation meetings with the larger Centers of Excellence groups. In addition, we completed an initial COE-NREE virtual meeting with all Center participants from July 31st- August 1st, 2023. We are planning a secondary meeting that will occur in April during the 2024 Association of Research Directors (ARD) Meeting in Nashville Tennessee. We also plan to unveil a Center website that will contain short bios for each researcher under the COE. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The COE-NREE participants will continue original planned research objectives within each of the primary Thrust Areas. In addition to this research, we will also establish plans for the CAORC overseas research opportunity. All Center participants will have the opportunity to apply and travel during this international research/training effort. Potential travel locations for the initial CAORC include Senegal and/or other localities.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The College of Agriculture at Tennessee State University (TSU) is collaborating with Alabama A&M University, Southern University, Florida A&M University, and Langston University to hostThe 1890 Center of Excellence for Natural Resources, Renewable Energy, and the Environment (COE-NREE): A Climate Smart Approach. The COE-NREE is housed in the Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research (IAGER) at Tennessee State University. The COE-NREE's primary goals and thrust areas are, 1) Natural Resource Management and Conservation, 2) Sustainable Energy and Agricultural Production, 3) Environmental Protection and Equity, and 4) Workforce Training and Development. These four multidisciplinary thrust areas will coordinate and unify diverse participants via scholarly research, teaching, and Extension activities, and provide collaborative opportunities among 1890 institutions to tackle contemporary environmental issues that impact terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. We are taking a One Health approach to evaluate the collective impacts of climate change, land-use patterns, and water resource availability on ecosystem integrity. Thrust Area 1:We have established research plots in three geographic localities, including the Bankhead National Forest (Alabama), Chipola Experimental Forest (Florida), and Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area (Tennessee). We are supporting six students that are currently graduate and undergraduate research theses. In addition, seven students have participated in experiential learning opportunities through this research since the project's inception. Three students are currently participating in an environmental sciences/forestry internship. A total of 4 students are currently pursuing a post-graduate degree with the Center. One student who conducted her M.S. research on a COE-NREE-related project in the Bankhead National Forest graduated during summer 2023 with a degree in Environmental Sciences from Tennessee State University. In terms of new technologies, we are utilizing remote sensing technologies, light detection, radar (LiDAR) imagery, and Autonomous Recording Devices (ARD) to monitor wildlife populations remotely. Future efforts will include continued monitoring of forested environments to evaluate the impacts of management on forest structure, wildlife populations, biomass production, and carbon sequestration in southeastern forested environments. Thrust Area 2:A variety of field trials and laboratory investigations have been initiated across multiple research objectives. Six students are currently completing graduate and undergraduate research theses.In addition, 22 students have participated in experiential learning opportunities through this research since the project's inception. Currently, one student is participating in an internship opportunity in Plant Sciences / Plant Breeding. Five students pursuing a post-graduate degree are either supported directly by the COE-NREE or are completing research on topics germane to the program. We are utilizing drone technology, cryopreservation, and size fractionalization for sorghum microspores, documentation of new germplasm and testing of new Sorghum and Amaranth genotypes, and carbon sequestration of fish aquaculture operations. Thrust Area 3:We have been able to implement research across multiple areas through field and laboratory research. Thus far, we have supported nine students completing graduate and undergraduate research theses. In addition, 41 students have participated in experiential learning opportunities through this research since the project's inception. Three students are currently participating in an environmental sciences/forestry internship. In terms of new technologies employed via this program, we are utilizing I-tree urban forest assessment technology, ArcGIS and remote sensing technologies to evaluatethe impacts of anthropogenic disturbance on water quality, quantity, and urban forest cover.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Blair, M. W., Londo�o, J. M., Buitrago-Bitar, M. A., Wu, X., and Brenner, D. M. 2023. Differentiation of Andean and Mesoamerican accessions in a proposed core collection of grain amaranths. Frontiers in Plant Science 14:1144681.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Kieffer, C., Hui, D., Matamala, R., Li, J., Tyler, D., and Dzantor, E.K., 2023. Evaluation of eastern gamagrass as dual-purpose complementary bioenergy and forage feedstock to switchgrass. GCB Bioenergy 10.111/gcbb/13054.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Kaur, N., Hui, D., Ricciuto, D.M., Mayes, M.A., and Tian, H., 2023. Response patterns of simulated corn yield and soil nitrous oxide emission to precipitation change. Ecological Processes 12:17.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Brubaker, R. and W. B. Sutton 2023. Impacts of Pyrophytic Pine Restoration on Herpetofaunal Populations in the Bankhead National Forest. Bankhead Liaison Panel. Double Springs, AL. February, 2023.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Felts, A. and A. Aziz. 2023. Standardizing current research protocols towards genetic modification for androgenic responsive microspores of recalcitrant Sorghum bicolor. Graduate Agricultural Sciences, 45th (March 28-30, 2023) Annual Tennessee State University-wide Research Symposium. Nashville, Tennessee. March 29, 2023.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Gourdin, T., and A. Aziz. 2023. Sorghum Microspore Cryopreservation Separated per Different Developmental Stages. Tennessee Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (TLSAMP) 20th Annual Research Conference. Airport Embassy Suites/Hilton Hotel, 10 Century Blvd., Nashville, TN 37214. February 16-17, 2023.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Hui, D., A. Harris, C. Kieffer, N. Kaur, S. Aras, C-L, Yu, Q. Deng, and P. Fay. 2022. Interannual variations and responses of switchgrass physiology, growth, and soil respiration under precipitation changes. ESA Annual Meeting 2022, Montreal, Canada.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Johnson, P., and A. Aziz. 2023. Sweet Sorghum Varieties for Biofuel Production in Tennessee Field Conditions. Tennessee Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (TLSAMP) 20th Annual Research Conference. Airport Embassy Suites/Hilton Hotel, 10 Century Blvd., Nashville, TN 37214. February 16-17, 2023.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Kaur, N., Y. Huang, W. Ren, D. Hui. 2023. Effects of climate-smart agricultural practices on crop yield and greenhouse gas emissions: Data synthesis. To behold in ESA Annual Meeting 2023, Portland, OR.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Thompson, T. and Y. Wang, A. Cantrell. 2023. Breeding Ecology and Habitat Selection of Cerulean Warblers (Setophaga cerulea) in Bankhead National Forest. 100th Annual meeting of Alabama Academy of Sciences. March 8-10, 2023, Birmingham, AL.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Wright, B. and A. Aziz. 2023. Individual microspore isolation from sweet sorghum cultivars towards genetic analysis. Undergraduate Poster, 45th (March 28-30, 2023) Annual Tennessee State University-wide Research Symposium. Nashville, Tennessee. March 30, 2023.