Digital Commons Network^™

Greater Sage-Grouse Vital Rate And Habitat Use Response To Landscape Scale Habitat Manipulations And Vegetation Micro-Sites In Northwestern Utah, Charles P. Sandford

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) has been a species of conservation concern since the early 20^th century. The decline of populations has largely been attributed to loss and degradation of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats. To contribute to the knowledge of sage-grouse ecology and quantify the effectiveness of landscape scale habitat manipulations intended to benefit sage-grouse, I monitored habitat use and vital-rates (i.e., nest and brood success) of 45 sage-grouse females in the Box Ender Sage-Grouse Management Area (SGMA) in northwestern Utah. Using telemetry locations of sage-grouse females with known nest and brood fates, I generated …

An Analysis Of The Feasibility Of Anaerobic Digestion On Small-Scale Dairies In Utah, Steven Chans Lund

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

With an ever increasing concern for the environment, different methods of managing organic waste on dairy farms have been explored and analyzed. Anaerobic digestion has long been a popular method of managing organic waste. Its popularity stems from the potential to decrease greenhouse gases, improve air quality and provide a source of additional revenue for the farm. Problems with implementing anaerobic digestion arise from high failure rates, high start-up costs and continuous maintenance and equipment replacement.

Subsidies for the initial investment and improved technology have increased the possibility of large-scale dairy farms to adopt anaerobic digestion. Due to economies of …

The Demography And Determinants Of Population Growth In Utah Moose (Alces Alces Shirasi), Joel S. Ruprecht

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Moose (Alces alces) occur widely in northern regions of the world. Across their distribution, the species is considered to be of high intrinsic, ecological and recreational value. Populations of moose along their southern range limit in North America have shown erratic population dynamics in recent decades including severe numeric declines in some areas. Moose in Utah belong to the Shiras subspecies, which is a relatively understudied population segment. Additionally, moose in Utah represent the southernmost naturally occurring moose populations worldwide. Concerns over possible declines and a paucity of baseline data on moose within the state prompted the Utah …