Colorado State University

About: Colorado State University is a education organization based out in Fort Collins, Colorado, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Laser. The organization has 31430 authors who have published 69040 publications receiving 2724463 citations. The organization is also known as: CSU & Colorado Agricultural College.

Multiple elements of soil biodiversity drive ecosystem functions across biomes.

Abstract: The role of soil biodiversity in regulating multiple ecosystem functions is poorly understood, limiting our ability to predict how soil biodiversity loss might affect human wellbeing and ecosystem sustainability. Here, combining a global observational study with an experimental microcosm study, we provide evidence that soil biodiversity (bacteria, fungi, protists and invertebrates) is significantly and positively associated with multiple ecosystem functions. These functions include nutrient cycling, decomposition, plant production, and reduced potential for pathogenicity and belowground biological warfare. Our findings also reveal the context dependency of such relationships and the importance of the connectedness, biodiversity and nature of the globally distributed dominant phylotypes within the soil network in maintaining multiple functions. Moreover, our results suggest that the positive association between plant diversity and multifunctionality across biomes is indirectly driven by soil biodiversity. Together, our results provide insights into the importance of soil biodiversity for maintaining soil functionality locally and across biomes, as well as providing strong support for the inclusion of soil biodiversity in conservation and management programmes.

Review of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicle market modeling Studies

Abstract: Hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles (HEVs, PHEVs, and EVs) are emerging automotive products that have the capability to increase vehicle fuel economy, but at an incremental purchase cost relative to conventional vehicles. In general, their reduced petroleum consumption and improved efficiency provides life cycle economic benefits to consumers, society, automakers, and policymakers. These stakeholders have sought to understand the role of HEVs, PHEVs, and EVs in the future vehicle fleets by estimating the diffusion rate of these technologies into the automotive marketplace. This review presents a comprehensive summary of the literature of HEV, PHEV and EV penetration rate studies, their methods, and their recommendations. These studies have applied a suite of analytical and computational tools to model the consumer acceptability of these technologies under a wide variety of policy and macroeconomic scenarios. The results of these studies are compared and synthesized to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the field and to propose further means for improvement of advanced technology vehicle market modeling exercises. On the basis of this review, the authors recommend that modeling of HEV, PHEV and EV penetration rates should include improved interfaces with consumer surveys, modeling of automakers' actions, federal and state policy and its effect on automotive markets, competition among technologies, market volume, vehicle classifications, and model parameters sensitivity analysis.

Increasing precipitation event size increases aboveground net primary productivity in a semi-arid grassland

Abstract: Water availability is the primary constraint to aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) in many terrestrial biomes, and it is an ecosystem driver that will be strongly altered by future climate change. Global circulation models predict a shift in precipitation patterns to growing season rainfall events that are larger in size but fewer in number. This “repackaging” of rainfall into large events with long intervening dry intervals could be particularly important in semi-arid grasslands because it is in marked contrast to the frequent but small events that have historically defined this ecosystem. We investigated the effect of more extreme rainfall patterns on ANPP via the use of rainout shelters and paired this experimental manipulation with an investigation of long-term data for ANPP and precipitation. Experimental plots (n = 15) received the long-term (30-year) mean growing season precipitation quantity; however, this amount was distributed as 12, six, or four events applied manually according to seasonal patterns for May–September. The long-term mean (1940–2005) number of rain events in this shortgrass steppe was 14 events, with a minimum of nine events in years of average precipitation. Thus, our experimental treatments pushed this system beyond its recent historical range of variability. Plots receiving fewer, but larger rain events had the highest rates of ANPP (184 ± 38 g m−2), compared to plots receiving more frequent rainfall (105 ± 24 g m−2). ANPP in all experimental plots was greater than long-term mean ANPP for this system (97 g m−2), which may be explained in part by the more even distribution of applied rain events. Soil moisture data indicated that larger events led to greater soil water content and likely permitted moisture penetration to deeper in the soil profile. These results indicate that semi-arid grasslands are capable of responding immediately and substantially to forecast shifts to more extreme precipitation patterns.

Do faster starts increase the probability of evading predators

Abstract: Summary 1 Nearly all fish evade predation strikes by rapidly accelerating out of the strike path, a behaviour called the fast-start evasion response. The many studies investigating morphological, behavioural and ecological correlates of fast-start performance assume that faster starts increase the probability of evasion. 2 We tested this faster-start hypothesis by measuring the effect of acceleration ability on evasion outcome (success, failure) in Guppies (Poecilia reticulata) evading the strike of a natural predator, the Pike Cichlid (Crenicichla alta). 3 Four parameters affect evasion outcome: two parameters important to the predator–prey interaction but not to the faster-start hypothesis – (1) the time required to reach the prey by the striking predator (measured by the initial distance between predator and prey and strike velocity), (2) the evasion path of the prey relative to the strike path of the predator; and two parameters relevant to the faster-start hypothesis – (1) the ability of the prey to generate rapid tangential acceleration (measured by net distance travelled, maximum velocity, and maximum acceleration), and (2) the ability of the prey to rapidly rotate during the initial stage of the fast start. 4 On average, a one standard deviation increase in fast-start performance increases the odds of surviving a predation strike 2·3-fold. These results support the assumption that faster starts increase the probability of successfully evading a predation strike.