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MSU Graduate Theses

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Missouri

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Gastrointestinal Parasite Prevalence Of Missouri Dogs Against Various Risk Factors, Mattie Cobban Jan 2024

Gastrointestinal Parasite Prevalence Of Missouri Dogs Against Various Risk Factors, Mattie Cobban

MSU Graduate Theses

Gastrointestinal parasites infect various mammalian species, including dogs, causing symptoms like diarrhea, lethargy, anemia, and possible death. Some gastrointestinal parasites possess zoonotic potential posing risk to dog owners, shelter workers, trainers, veterinary staff, groomers, and the public since dogs have access to public areas such as parks and stores. This study aims to understand the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites of dogs in southwest Missouri under different environmental conditions. Fecal samples were collected from the Polk County Humane Society, local dog trials, and dog owners. The Mini-FLOTAC fecal flotation method was employed to quantify the type and number of parasite ova …


Evaluating The Impact Of Off-Farm Decisions On Federal Government Program Utilization And Financial Success For Missouri's Beginning Farmers, Lyndsey Ann Parker Jan 2022

Evaluating The Impact Of Off-Farm Decisions On Federal Government Program Utilization And Financial Success For Missouri's Beginning Farmers, Lyndsey Ann Parker

MSU Graduate Theses

Farmers and ranchers will have to increase production by approximately 70% by the year 2050 according to the American Farm Bureau Federation (2017). People in the agriculture industry face several challenges from start-up costs to limited land availability (Ahearn, 2011). There are federal and state government programs available to assist with some of these challenges but bring their own hardships as well. This study measures off-farm decisions that affect financial performance and utilization of government programs for Missouri’s farmers and ranchers. Three types of financial performance of Missouri farms are prioritized in this study, liquidity (current ratio), solvency (debt-to-asset ratio), …


An Exploration Of The Role Of Farm Business Decisions In Addressing Financial Challenges For Missouri's Beginning Farmers, Lucas Paloschi Dec 2021

An Exploration Of The Role Of Farm Business Decisions In Addressing Financial Challenges For Missouri's Beginning Farmers, Lucas Paloschi

MSU Graduate Theses

The next generation of farmers takes an important role in the food production for subsequent years. The American Farm Bureau Federation’s (2017) estimation that 70% increase of production will need to be achieved within the next 30 years set awareness across the globe. Researchers have been studying and trying to find means to aid beginning farmers in a variety of ways. This study measures farm decisions that affect financial performance of farmers aiming to facilitate beginning producers’ decision making. Three regressions were used to analyze how different variables affect farmers’ profitability and repayment capacity. Using a county-level data for the …


The Assessment Of Predictor Variables For Hard Tick Abundance In Southwestern Missouri, Casey L. Adkins May 2019

The Assessment Of Predictor Variables For Hard Tick Abundance In Southwestern Missouri, Casey L. Adkins

MSU Graduate Theses

The risk of tick-borne infection is increasing across the United States, and in Missouri, ticks are expanding into novel regions due to climate change, habitat fragmentation, and biodiversity loss. Regions in which ticks are encroaching experience novel vectors for lineage associated pathogens. Novel tick detection can be low due to sampling practices targeting known ticks, which can lead to unreliable distribution maps and poor predictive distribution models. Such models should account for biotic factors, abiotic factors, and their interactions to provide a dynamic view of their impact on tick abundance and identify variables that can serve as indicators. Further, a …


A Low-Water Crossing Impacts Movement Behavior Of Northern Hog Suckers In An Ozark Stream, Jeff Michael Williams May 2019

A Low-Water Crossing Impacts Movement Behavior Of Northern Hog Suckers In An Ozark Stream, Jeff Michael Williams

MSU Graduate Theses

Low-water crossings are common in Ozark streams and can restrict longitudinal movement in fishes. I evaluated the impact of the Cedar Grove low-water crossing on Northern Hog Sucker Hypentelium nigricans movement behavior in Missouri’s Current River. Radio-tagged fish upstream (henceforth ‘above’; N = 24) and downstream (henceforth ‘below’; N = 26) of the crossing were followed monthly for a year to assess 1) frequency of fish passage, 2) direction of passage, and 3) maximum displacement of mobile (displacement > 1 km) fish. I then looked at diel movement behavior of stationary (displacement < 1 km) fish near the crossing to assess 1) total displacement and linear home range, 2) direction of diel displacement, and 3) habitat use. Passage was limited to four below-tagged fish and was more likely to occur in the upstream direction and during high flow. The direction of maximum displacement in mobile fish was primarily away from the crossing, and below-tagged fish exhibited over seven times greater displacement than above-tagged fish. Diel displacement and linear home range were greater in above-tagged fish, likely due to degraded upstream habitat that increased the distance between day and night habitats. My results suggest the crossing is a semi-permeable barrier that also affects local-scale movement behavior of Northern Hog Suckers. Alternatives to the low-water crossings at Cedar Grove, such as modifying the side channel into a fish bypass, should be considered to promote natural longitudinal movement of fishes in the upper Current River.


Producer Interest In A Food Hub: A Look At Attributes, Adaptations And Attitude, Jennifer Michele Muzinic Dec 2015

Producer Interest In A Food Hub: A Look At Attributes, Adaptations And Attitude, Jennifer Michele Muzinic

MSU Graduate Theses

Demand for locally-sourced food in the United States has spurred the introduction of a number of food hubs in recent years. The objective of this study was to examine the attitudes of agricultural producers in the Missouri Ozarks towards participation in a food hub. A survey of 218 farmers was conducted to assess how likely producers were to sell into a food hub and whether those producers would be willing to alter their supply to accommodate the needs of the proposed hub. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis and regression analysis were used to uncover which variables were most likely to contribute …


Management And Production Practices Of The Missouri Beef Cattle Industry, Jordan Lee Kinder Jan 2015

Management And Production Practices Of The Missouri Beef Cattle Industry, Jordan Lee Kinder

MSU Graduate Theses

A survey of beef cattle producers in Missouri was conducted to evaluate the management and production practices of the beef cattle industry. Production and demographic data from 112 (response rate of 5.9%) were analyzed to identify areas in need of future research and education. The web-based survey was conducted through Survey Monkey© and distributed by the Missouri Cattlemen's Association to a list of their members. Responding producers were located in 65 of the 114 counties in Missouri, with 63.3% located north of Interstate 44 and 36.7% south of Interstate 44. The majority (47.3%) of producers were between ages 31 and …


Geology And Wine In Missouri: Spatial Analysis Of Terroir Using A Geographic Information System And Remote Sensing, Kathryn Nora Barnard Jan 2009

Geology And Wine In Missouri: Spatial Analysis Of Terroir Using A Geographic Information System And Remote Sensing, Kathryn Nora Barnard

MSU Graduate Theses

The concept of terroir, based on the French word meaning 'sense of place,' suggests that flavor and quality of wine is associated with certain physical characteristics of the earth as well as viticulture and viniculture practices. The physical characteristics of terroir include soil, geology, topography, and climate. Designated American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) are discrete appellations in the United States that have well-established and historic viticultural practices, but the relationship between terroir and AVA appellations is complex. Wineries are a growing industry in the United States and the use of a GIS and remote sensing has proved useful in many other …