United States Southern Great Plains Research Articles

Consumer willingness-to-pay for a resilient electrical grid

The research objective is to estimate consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for electricity grid fortification. Data are from a representative survey of Oklahoma citizens. Extreme weather events, aging utility infrastructure, increased demand for affordable energy, and terrorism threaten the safety and security of the way most citizens access electricity. This study is a first look at public willingness to support energy grid security measures in the United States Southern Great Plains. Findings suggest that consumers would pay an additional $14.69 in monthly utility bills for a fortified grid. This WTP estimate is close to a recent energy bill hike of $14 initiated by local electricity providers. The findings provide policymakers and energy providers with information on consumer willingness to support efforts to modernize the current grid.

Moth bean and tepary bean as green nitrogen sources in intensive winter wheat cropping systems

Use of cover crops have been suggested to increase agricultural sustainability by providing multiple ecosystems services. Replacing summer fallow with drought tolerant legumes could serve both as a cover and a green source of N for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and help mitigate economic and environmental problems by increasing resilience of agroecosystems in the United States (US) Southern Great Plains (SGP). Field experiments were conducted in 2018 and 2019 at the USDA - ARS Oklahoma and Central Plains Agricultural Research Center near El Reno, OK. The overall objective of the study was to quantify the potential of two summer legumes, tepary bean [Phaseolus acutifolius (A.) Gray] and moth bean [Vigna aconitifolia (Jacq.) Marechal], as green sources of N for winter wheat production in comparison with soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. The PROC MIXED procedure of the SAS statistical software was used to analyze biomass production by legumes, their impacts on soil water, soil N and yield of winter wheat, and N transfer from green N biomass to following winter wheat. Green N crops did not differ in biomass production, but soybean provided 22 % and 40 % more N than tepary bean and moth bean, respectively. Soil water was reduced under all green N crops than summer fallow at termination of green N crops and wheat planting. Biomass of green N crops increased N content in soils at wheat planting. Grain yield of winter wheat was significantly higher under tepary bean (5295 kg ha−1) than soybean (4300 kg ha−1), moth bean (4560 kg ha−1) and the control treatment (4323 kg ha−1). Nitrogen recovery in wheat biomass was greater under moth bean and tepary bean compared to soybean. Both moth bean and tepary bean could serve as green sources of N for winter wheat in the US SGP.

Machine Learning Downscaling of SoilMERGE in the United States Southern Great Plains

SoilMERGE (SMERGE) is a root-zone soil moisture (RZSM) product that covers the entire continental United States and spans 1978 to 2019. Machine learning techniques, Random Forest (RF), eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and Gradient Boost (GBoost) downscaled SMERGE to spatial resolutions straddling the field scale domain (100 to 3000 m). Study area was northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas. The coarse resolution of SMERGE (0.125 degree) limits this product’s utility. To validate downscaled results in situ data from four sources were used that included: United States Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) observatory, United States Climate Reference Network (USCRN), Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN), and Soil moisture Sensing Controller and oPtimal Estimator (SoilSCAPE). In addition, RZSM retrievals from NASA’s Airborne Microwave Observatory of Subcanopy and Surface (AirMOSS) campaign provided a nearly spatially continuous comparison. Three periods were examined: era 1 (2016 to 2019), era 2 (2012 to 2015), and era 3 (2003 to 2007). During eras 1 and 2, RF outperformed XGBoost and GBoost, whereas during era 3 no model dominated. Performance was better during eras 1 and 2 as opposed to the pre-L band era 3. Improvements across all eras, regions, and models realized from downscaling included an increase in correlation from 0.03 to 0.42 and a decrease in ubRMSE from −0.0005 to −0.0118 m3/m3. This study demonstrates the feasibility of SMERGE downscaling opening the prospect for the development of a long-term RZSM dataset at a more desirable field-scale resolution with the potential to support diverse hydrometeorological and agricultural applications.

Water storage and use efficiencies of rainfed winter wheat-summer green manure systems of the US Southern Great Plains

Conservation practices such as green manures and no-tillage can reduce soil erosion, enhance soil biological activity, increase water storage in soils, and provide nitrogen (N) in support of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). However, green manures utilize soil water during the summer months, and such water depletion may negatively impact production by wheat in ecoregions with limited water resources. This 5-year study quantified the impacts of tillage systems and green manures on water storage efficiency (WSE) during summer, water use efficiency (WUE), and grain yield of winter wheat. The study was conducted during 2011–2016 in the United States (US) Southern Great Plains (SGP). Three legumes as green manures (cowpea, pigeon pea, and soybean) were compared with summer fallow and three levels of applied inorganic N (0, 45 and 90 kg N ha-1) at wheat planting, under conventional and no-till cultivation. Summer WSE was significantly (P < 0.05) reduced in response to green manures; summer fallow was also inefficient in storing soil water. Grain yield and WUE of wheat were reduced in response to green manures compared to summer fallow during dry years but there were no differences during wet or normal rainfall years. No till significantly increased WSE under all treatments, and reduced evapotranspiration during a subset (either summer or wheat growing season) of years but did not affect amounts of soil water. Our results demonstrate replacing summer fallow in continuous systems of winter wheat with green manures have limited effects on improving water availability or efficiencies in water use by wheat. More-effective approaches for using green manures to support winter wheat in the SGP include opportunity cropping during years with adequate moisture to support double-cropping or utilizing more water-efficient legumes or cropping systems.

Estimation of Possible Primary Biological Particle Emissions and Rupture Events at the Southern Great Plains ARM Site

AbstractWe use 10 years of data from the Department of Energy (DoE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurements (ARM) United States Southern Great Plains (SGP) site with nearby regional pollen and fungal spore measurements to indirectly estimate the seasonal influence of these two primary biological aerosol particles (PBAP). We estimate possible primary emissions of larger PBAP and PBAP rupture events, which form submicron organic aerosol during precipitation or high relative humidity. High pollen counts at two urban stations near SGP occur during late winter/early spring (day of year (DOY) 50–120) and late summer (DOY 240–310). Around 4–19 days per year show possible pollen events (PPE) when near‐surface lidar observations of daily linear particle depolarization ratio &gt;0.1 are coincident with high organic aerosol fraction. For PPE days with rainfall, aerosol size distribution observations show enhanced submicron particle concentrations consistent with pollen rupture events. For fungal spores, high fungal spore counts occur during late spring/early summer (DOY 110–195) and late summer/autumn (DOY 220–340). Based on size distribution observations, up to 7% of days have possible fungal spore rupture events (PFE) with higher aerosol number count specifically over the range expected for fungal spore fragment mobility diameter (20–50 nm). These short‐lived PFE correlate with rainfall or occur after prolonged exposure to rainfall (e.g., &gt;10 h). While the SGP site lacks direct measurements of bioaerosol and large particle sizes, this analysis suggests that PBAP primary emissions and rupture events could occur about 32 days per year, representing an important component of the aerosol budget during seasonal emissions.

Winter Canola: A Potential Dual‐Purpose Crop for the United States Southern Great Plains

Core Ideas Canola forage production was higher than wheat in fall but not in later harvests. Many of the forage quality parameters were superior in canola compared with wheat. Forage harvest decreased canola yield even before bolting but not in wheat. Canola has dual‐purpose use potential (forage and seed yield) with LF harvest. Winter canola (Brassica napus L. biennus) has the potential to be a dual‐purpose crop in the US Southern Great Plains, a region with cereal fallow mono‐cropping. However, there is little information on dual‐purpose canola in the region. Therefore, field studies were conducted in Clovis, NM, in 2013, 2014, and 2015 to compare harvesting time effect on forage productivity (dry matter), quality, and oil and seed production of canola and wheat. Harvesting time treatments were late‐fall (LF), mid‐winter (MW), early‐spring (ES), late‐spring (LS), and no‐harvest (NH). The two forage crops were canola (cv. DKW44‐10, Griffin, and Safran) and wheat (cv. TAM 111 and TAM 113). In general, crop dry matter increased and forage nutritive values decreased with delay in harvest. Dry matter of LF to ES harvests ranged from 2950 to 7740 (canola) and from 2390 to 7490 kg ha−1 (wheat), suggesting superior forage production of canola with LF to ES harvests. Crops had similar crude protein and acid detergent fiber. Canola's neutral detergent fiber was lower (238 vs. 425 g kg−1), whereas its relative feed value (188–425) was higher than wheat (127–204). Average canola seed yields (excluding 2014) were 4360, 3040, 2940, and 2720, 930 kg ha−1 with the NH, LF, MW, ES, and LS forage harvests, respectively. Forage harvest had inconsistent effects on wheat seed yield. These results show canola's potential to produce high‐quality forage and seed yield and indicate that canola can be used as a rotational break crop in the crop–livestock production systems of the Southern Great Plains.

A geometric photography model for determining cloud top heights using MISR images

Cloud top height (CTH) is an important factor in weather forecasting and monitoring. An accurate CTH has scientific significance for improving the quality of both weather analyses and numerical weather prediction. The three-dimensional geometric method has been widely recognized as a CTH calculation method that provides relatively high accuracy. In this paper, we used the theory of digital photogrammetry and remote sensing technology to establish a geometric photography model (GPM) that can simultaneously determine CTHs and cloud movement speed (CMS) by introducing the CMS into the collinearity equation of photogrammetry. The CTH is derived by constructing three-dimensional image pairs of multitemporal Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) red spectral band images from three angles. Compared with CTHs observed by ground-based lidar at the United States Southern Great Plains, the difference of CTHs using the GPM relative to the reference value was less than 300 m. By analyzing the ground control points, the GPM error is estimated to be approximately 300 m. Compared with MISR CTH data, the CTHs calculated in this study were similar to that of MISR without wind.

GHG Mitigation Potential of Different Grazing Strategies in the United States Southern Great Plains

The possibility of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by ruminants using improved grazing is investigated by estimating GHG emissions for cow-calf farms under light continuous (LC), heavy continuous (HC) and rotational grazing, also known as multi-paddock (MP), management strategies in Southern Great Plain (SGP) using life cycle assessment (LCA). Our results indicated a GHG emission with these grazing treatments of 8034.90 kg·CO2e·calf−1·year−1 for cow-calf farms in SGP region, which is high, compared to that for other regions, due to the high percentage (79.6%) of enteric CH4 emissions caused by relatively lower feed quality on the unfertilized rangeland. Sensitivity analyses on MP grazing strategy showed that an increase in grass quality and digestibility could potentially reduce GHG emission by 30%. Despite higher GHG emissions on a per calf basis, net GHG emissions in SGP region are potentially negative when carbon (C) sequestration is taken into account. With net C emission rates of −2002.8, −1731.6 and −89.5 kg C ha−1·year−1 after converting from HC to MP, HC to LC and from LC to MP, our analysis indicated cow-calf farms converting from continuous to MP grazing in SGP region are likely net carbon sinks for decades.

Assessment of observed and model‐derived soil moisture‐evaporative fraction relationships over the United States Southern Great Plains

AbstractThe relationship between soil moisture (SM) and evaporative fraction (EF) is an important component of land‐atmosphere interactions. Frequently, land‐atmosphere studies are based on land‐surface models and not on observations. This study examines SM‐EF interactions over the United States Southern Great Plains using both in situ observations and simulations from the Variable Infiltration Capacity hydrologic model. Specifically, we evaluate how the relationship between SM and EF varies by season, we determine why these variations occur, and we compare model‐derived and observed SM‐energy flux relationships. Data from four sites (2004–2008) that are part of the United States Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement—Southern Great Plains network are used in this study. Results show that SM‐EF interactions in both the model and observations are in general agreement with the evaporative regime theory described in past studies. That is, EF is a linear function of SM when SM is between the wilting point and the critical value, and when SM is above the critical value, EF is not dependent on SM. However, SM‐EF relationships vary substantially from year to year. EF is a linear function of SM only when daily net radiation is above normal. Our results suggest that the strength of SM‐EF interactions is not solely controlled by soil wetness but is also strongly influenced by daily net radiation and meteorological conditions.

Comparison of improved Aura Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; with HIPPO and SGP aircraft profile measurements

Abstract. Thermal infrared radiances from the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) between 10 and 15 μm contain significant carbon dioxide (CO2) information, however the CO2 signal must be separated from radiative interference from temperature, surface and cloud parameters, water, and other trace gases. Validation requires data sources spanning the range of TES CO2 sensitivity, which is approximately 2.5 to 12 km with peak sensitivity at about 5 km and the range of TES observations in latitude (40° S to 40° N) and time (2005–2011). We therefore characterize Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) CO2 version 5 biases and errors through comparisons to ocean and land-based aircraft profiles and to the CarbonTracker assimilation system. We compare to ocean profiles from the first three Hiaper Pole-to-Pole Observations (HIPPO) campaigns between 40° S and 40° N with measurements between the surface and 14 km and find that TES CO2 estimates capture the seasonal and latitudinal gradients observed by HIPPO CO2 measurements. Actual errors range from 0.8–1.8 ppm, depending on the campaign and pressure level, and are approximately 1.6–2 times larger than the predicted errors. The bias of TES versus HIPPO is within 1 ppm for all pressures and datasets; however, several of the sub-tropical TES CO2 estimates are lower than expected based on the calculated errors. Comparisons to land aircraft profiles from the United States Southern Great Plains (SGP) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) between 2005 and 2011 measured from the surface to 5 km to TES CO2 show good agreement with an overall bias of −0.3 ppm to 0.1 ppm and standard deviations of 0.8 to 1.0 ppm at different pressure levels. Extending the SGP aircraft profiles above 5 km using AIRS or CONTRAIL measurements improves comparisons with TES. Comparisons to CarbonTracker (version CT2011) show a persistent spatially dependent bias pattern and comparisons to SGP show a time-dependent bias of −0.2 ppm yr−1. We also find that the predicted sensitivity of the TES CO2 estimates is too high, which results from using a multi-step retrieval for CO2 and temperature. We find that the averaging kernel in the TES product corrected by a pressure-dependent factor accurately reflects the sensitivity of the TES CO2 product.

Modelling the response of an alluvial aquifer to anthropogenic and recharge stresses in the United States Southern Great Plains

This paper uses Visual MODFLOW to simulate potential impacts of anthropogenic pumping and recharge variability on an alluvial aquifer in semi-arid northwestern Oklahoma. Groundwater withdrawal from the aquifer is projected to increase by more than 50% (relative to 1990) by the year 2050. In contrast, climate projections indicate declining regional precipitation over the next several decades, creating a potential problem of demand and supply. The following scenarios were simulated: (1) projected groundwater withdrawal, (2) a severe drought, (3) a prolonged wet period, and (4) a human adjustment scenario, which assumes future improvements in water conservation measures. Results indicate that the combined impacts of anthropogenic pumping and droughts would create drawdown of greater than 12 m in the aquifer. Spatially, however, areas of severe drawdown will be localized around large-capacity well clusters. The worst impacts of both pumping and droughts will be on stream–aquifer interaction. For example, the projected aquifer pumpage would lead to a total streamflow loss of 40%, creating losing stream system regionally. Similarly, a severe drought would lead to a total streamflow loss of >80%. A post-audit of the model was also carried out to evaluate model performance. By simulating various stress scenarios on the alluvial aquifer, this study provides important information for evaluating management options for alluvial aquifers.

Estimating smoke emissions over the US Southern Great Plains using MODIS fire radiative power and aerosol observations

A newly developed method, which involves the use of satellite measurements of energy released by fires, was used to estimate smoke emissions in the United States (US) Southern Great Plains (SGP). This SGP region was chosen because extensive agricultural and planned burning occurs there annually. Moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) aerosol optical depth (AOD) and fire radiative energy (FRE) release rates (R FRE), acquired in 2004 from the Terra and Aqua satellites, were used to derive a FRE-based smoke emission coefficient ( C e kg MJ −1), which when multiplied by R FRE (MJ s −1) gives the rate of smoke emission (kg s −1). Correlations between the smoke emission rates and the R FRE were significant for Terra-MODIS ( R 2=0.645, n=146, p<0.0001) and Aqua-MODIS ( R 2=0.752, n=178, p<0.0001). Furthermore, the C e values derived independently from Terra and Aqua were in close agreement, and the average C e for this area is 0.049±0.024 kg MJ −1. A Monte Carlo (MC) probabilistic approach was used to approximate uncertainties from the smoke emission and resulting C e. For the first time, smoke emission estimates have been derived for the US SGP using observations of energy released by fires. Although more work is necessary, the present study demonstrates the feasibility of using R FRE for smoke emission estimation in that region. Burning peaked during the spring and fall seasons. Moreover, qualitative examination of smoke emission patterns side-by-side with local air-quality measurements indicated that the impact of smoke from local biomass burning activities was significant on the regional air-quality.

Diagnosis of the summertime warm and dry bias over the U.S. Southern Great Plains in the GFDL climate model using a weather forecasting approach

Weather forecasts started from realistic initial conditions are used to diagnose the large warm and dry bias over the United States Southern Great Plains simulated by the GFDL climate model. The forecasts exhibit biases in surface air temperature and precipitation within 3 days which appear to be similar to the climate bias. With the model simulating realistic evaporation but underestimated precipitation, a deficit in soil moisture results which amplifies the initial temperature bias through feedbacks with the land surface. The underestimate of precipitation may be associated with an inability of the model to simulate the eastward propagation of convection from the front‐range of the Rocky Mountains and is insensitive to an increase of horizontal resolution from 2° to 0.5° latitude.

The added value of spaceborne passive microwave soil moisture retrievals for forecasting rainfall‐runoff partitioning

Using existing data sets of spaceborne soil moisture retrievals, streamflow and precipitation for 26 basins in the United States Southern Great Plains, a 5‐year analysis is performed to quantify the value of soil moisture retrievals derived from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) X‐band (10.7 GHz) radiometer for forecasting storm event‐scale runoff ratios. The predictive ability of spaceborne soil moisture retrievals is objectively compared to that obtainable using only available rainfall observations and the antecedent precipitation index (API). The assimilation of spaceborne observations into an API soil moisture proxy is demonstrated to add skill to the forecasting of land surface response to precipitation.

An observing system simulation experiment for hydros radiometer-only soil moisture products

Based on 1-km land surface model geophysical predictions within the United States Southern Great Plains (Red-Arkansas River basin), an observing system simulation experiment (OSSE) is carried out to assess the impact of land surface heterogeneity, instrument error, and parameter uncertainty on soil moisture products derived from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Hydrosphere State (Hydros) mission. Simulated retrieved soil moisture products are created using three distinct retrieval algorithms based on the characteristics of passive microwave measurements expected from Hydros. The accuracy of retrieval products is evaluated through comparisons with benchmark soil moisture fields obtained from direct aggregation of the original simulated soil moisture fields. The analysis provides a quantitative description of how land surface heterogeneity, instrument error, and inversion parameter uncertainty impacts propagate through the measurement and retrieval process to degrade the accuracy of Hydros soil moisture products. Results demonstrate that the discrete set of error sources captured by the OSSE induce root mean squared errors of between 2.0% and 4.5% volumetric in soil moisture retrievals within the basin. Algorithm robustness is also evaluated for the case of artificially enhanced vegetation water content (W) values within the basin. For large W(>3 kg/spl middot/m/sup -2/), a distinct positive bias, attributable to the impact of sub- footprint-scale landcover heterogeneity, is identified in soil moisture retrievals. Prospects for the removal of this bias via a correction strategy for inland water and/or the implementation of an alternative aggregation strategy for surface vegetation and roughness parameters are discussed.

Tillage and cropping system effects on selected conditions of a soil cropped to grain sorghum for twelve years

Soil and water conserving practices must be used to sustain dryland crop production in semiarid regions. In this 1994 study, we evaluated the effects of different cropping system and tillage method treatments on surface residue cover, organic matter content, aggregation, and water infiltration for a soil used for grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] production in the United States Southern Great Plains from 1982 to 1994. Cropping systems were continuous sorghum (CS) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)— fallow—grain sorghum—fallow (designated WSF) and tillage methods were no‐tillage (NT) and stubble mulch tillage (SMT). Treatments were CS‐NT, CS‐SMT, WSF‐NT, and WSF‐SMT. Surface residue cover before planting sorghum was >70% with CS‐NT and WSF‐NT, 29% with CS‐SMT, and 12% with WSF‐SMT. Surface cover after planting was =50% with both NT treatments, whereas amounts with other treatments were similar to those before planting. Soil organic matter contents (0‐ to 10‐cm depth) were greater on CS than on WSF plots, but were not affected by tillage method in either cropping system. Water stable aggregation (0‐ to 2‐cm depth) was greater with SMT than with NT in both cropping systems, but differences between cropping systems were not significant. Dry aggregates were smaller with NT than with SMT. Water infiltration was or tended to be greater on CS than on WSF plots, apparently because the WSF plots contained more water when infiltration was measured. Infiltration was not affected by tillage method, apparently because the greater amount of surface residues on NT plots counteracted the less water stable aggregates and smaller dry aggregates that had potential for reducing infiltration on the NT plots. This study indicates that no cropping system‐tillage method combination treatment had a consistently beneficial or detrimental effect on soil conditions. In conclusion, both cropping systems (CS and WSF) and both tillage methods (NT and SMT) are suitable for conserving soil and water resources and, therefore, for sustaining dryland crop production in the semiarid United States Southern Great Plains.

Breeding for Seedling Vigor in Sand Bluestem (Andropogon hallii Hack.) and Other Native Grasses1

Agronomy JournalVolume 48, Issue 1 p. 37-40 Article Breeding for Seedling Vigor in Sand Bluestem (Andropogon hallii Hack.) and Other Native Grasses1 William R. Kneebone, William R. Kneebone Research Agronomist. United States Southern Great Plains Field Station, Woodward, Okla.Search for more papers by this author William R. Kneebone, William R. Kneebone Research Agronomist. United States Southern Great Plains Field Station, Woodward, Okla.Search for more papers by this author First published: 01 January 1956 https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj1956.00021962004800010011xCitations: 15 1 Contribution from the Field Crops Research Branch, A.R.S., U.S.D.A. and the Oklahoma Agr. Exp. Sta. AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume48, Issue1January 1956Pages 37-40 RelatedInformation