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Evaluation Of Survey Methods And Development Of Species Distribution Models For Kit Foxes In The Great Basin Desert, Stephen J. Dempsey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Historically, kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis) once occupied the desert and semi-arid regions of southwestern North America, ranging from Idaho to central Mexico. Their range-wide decline has warranted the kit fox to be designated as a state sensitive species in Utah. Once considered the most abundant carnivore in western Utah, the kit fox has been in steep decline over the past decade, creating a demand to determine kit fox presence in the Great Basin desert. Currently there is little consensus on which survey methodology is best for detecting kit fox presence. We tested 4 survey methods (scat deposition, scent …

Evaluation Of Translocation Criteria For Trumpeter Swans Reintroduced To Northern Utah: Habitat Quality And Interactions With Tundra Swans, Katharina A. M. Engelhardt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fifty-seven Trumpeter swans (Cygnus buccinator) were translocated to the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and the Bear River Club Company in northern Utah. The purpose of this effort was to encourage dispersal of the Rocky Mountain population of Trumpeter swans during the winter, and to reestablish a migratory route to southern wintering grounds. I assessed the success of the translocation by evaluating 13 translocation criteria proposed in the literature. In this study I addressed two of these criteria in detail by evaluating habitat quality at the translocation sites and by analyzing potential competitive interactions with Tundra swans ( …

Evaluation Of Low-Quality Forages In A Winter Dietary Regimen Of Western White-Face Ewes Used For Milk Production, Raúl Meneses

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The evaluation of ammoniation of mature grass (1/3 Festuca sp, 1/3 Bromus and 1/3 Dactylis sp) as a basal diet for pregnant ewes and its effects on ruminal fermentation were studied. Ammoniation increased the forage dry matter intake (DMI), crude protein (CP), and gross energy digestibility. Ruminal pH and total volatile fatty acid were not affected by ammoniation (P > .05). Individual VFA concentrations were affected significantly.

In a third experiment, ammoniated wheat straw was evaluated as a basal diet for wintering pregnant ewes. Ammoniated straw replaced grass hay in the diet. Dry matter intake was not different (P > .05). Final …

Development And Evaluation Of An Expert System For Use As An Aid In Culling Dairy Cattle, Max L. Checketts

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An expert system for identifying cows to be culled, MAXCULL, was programmed to run on an IBM or compatible personal computer. It was designed to be used with Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) records as an aid in decision making. MAXCULL used fifty-two health, seventeen reproduction, and thirty-nine production rules in the analysis.

MAXCULL was initially developed using two expert system tools. VP-Expert and Super Expert both had inductive abilities and were reasonably priced. VP-Expert was selected to continue the development of the MAXCULL system. The program used a rule-based method of storing knowledge, which was obtained from literature reviewed in …

Evaluation Of Six Strains Of Rainbow Trout (Salmo Gairdneri) Stocked As Fingerlings In Porcupine Reservoir, Utah, Mark Hudy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Different strains of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri), Ten Sleep, Sand Creek, Beitey, Shepherd-of-the-Hills, New Zealand, Fish Lake-Desmet, Desmet, were compared for survival to the creel, growth and catchability after being stocked in a fluctuating 80 ha Utah reservoir. Fish were stocked in the spring and fall as fingerlings and monitored by creel censusing, gill netting and electrofishing. Fish were tagged with coded wire snout tags prior to stocking. An angler opinion survey was conducted to determine angler satisfaction with numbers and size of fish caught.

Regardless of strain, spring stocking was superior to fall stocking in survival to …

An Evaluation Of Wool Density Sampling Procedures When Using The Wira Fleece Caliper, Doyle J. Matthews

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wool is still the most valuable and the most versatile fiber used by man. Many questions regarding its production have gone unanswered for centuries. This problem is undertaken in the hope of contributing information which might be used in further study on the problem of wool density.