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Use Of Uav Imagery And Nutrient Analyses For Estimation Of The Spatial And Temporal Contributions Of Cattle Dung To Nutrient Cycling In Grazed Ecosystems, Amanda Shine

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Nutrient inputs from cattle dung are crucial drivers of nutrient cycling processes in grazed ecosystems. These inputs are important both spatially and temporally and are affected by variables such as grazing strategy, water location, and the nutritional profile of forage being grazed. Past research has attempted to map dung deposition patterns in order to more accurately estimate nutrient input, but the large spatial extent of a typical pasture and the tedious nature of identifying and mapping individual dung pats has prohibited the development of a time- and cost-effective methodology. The first objective of this research was to develop and validate …

Utilizing An Electronic Feeder To Measure Mineral And Energy Supplement Intake In Beef Heifers Grazing Native Range, Kacie L. Mccarthy, Sarah R. Underdahl, Michael Undi, Stephanie Becker, Carl R. Dahlen

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Introduction

Grasslands in the Northern Plains provide the primary forage source for ruminants throughout much of the year (Schauer et al., 2004). Supplementation practices are often necessary to maintain production and offset forage nutritive decline throughout the grazing season (Schauer et al., 2004; Cline et al., 2009). Typically, to maintain a targeted production level, energy and protein supplementations are used for grazing livestock (Caton and Dhuyvetter, 1997). For developing heifers consuming low-quality forages, inclusion of energy ingredients into supplements may be beneficial for growth and reproductive performance (Schillo et al., 1992; Ciccioli et al., 2005; Cappellozza et al., 2014). In …

The Effects Of Native And Domestic Grazers On The Health Of Bumble Bee (Bombus Spp.) Populations In A Historical Tallgrass Prairie Ecosystem, Mckenna Conforti

Honors Program Projects

Bumble bees (Bombus spp.) play an important role in the pollination of ecologically and economically significant plants worldwide. In recent years, bumble bee populations have suffered decline throughout North America, particularly in the Midwest. Many factors likely contribute to this decline, including the use of pesticides, disease, and habitat loss. Although cattle grazing space is a common use for Midwestern grassland, a comparison had not been made between the capacity of cattle pasture to support bumble bee communities with the capacity of tallgrass prairie, a habitat thought to be optimal for requisite floral resources. Additionally, the reintroduction of bison …