Digital Commons Network^™

Finding Fishers: Determining The Distribution Of A Rare Forest Mesocarnivore In The Northern Rocky Mountains, Jessica M. Krohner

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The Northern Rocky Mountain fisher population (Pekania pennanti), is classified as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need and is of special concern to state, federal, and tribal entities. In this thesis, we present methods to effectively survey fishers across the northern Rockies of Idaho and Montana, and provide estimates of fisher distribution at a population range-wide scale through occupancy analyses. We also assess factors that influence fisher occurrence through covariate analyses and identify core fisher habitat in the northern Rockies through spatial occupancy modeling. By sampling broadly across the landscape, we provide baseline distributional data for comparison against …

Influence Of Environmental Variables On Survival Rates Of Pronghorn (Antilocapra Americana) Neonates Across Idaho, Brett R. Panting

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was completed to better understand pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana) populations found throughout Idaho. Antelope were studied in three separate and distinct study areas. The Big Desert, Camas Prairie, and Little Lost and Pahsimeroi valleys were all selected as study sites. Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) is concerned with current pronghorn populations found throughout Idaho. Pronghorn are a valued big game species found in Idaho. Increasing pronghorn populations in Idaho is a focus of IDFG.

We captured and VHF-collared pronghorn fawns found in our three study areas. Fawns were monitored daily with telemetry equipment for …

Groundwater And Surface Water Contributions To Metals Loading In Bayhorse Creek At The Abandoned Ramshorn Mine Site Near Bayhorse, Idaho, Hannah L. Mcdonough

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) purchased property encompassing the abandoned Ramshorn mine to develop a state park. Because the abandoned copper-lead-silver mine was a potential hazard to the local creek and sediment, the IDEQ conducted several assessments to identify environmental risks. Between 2003 and 2006, the IDEQ completed a number of basic soil and water investigations in the location of mine waste. The IDEQ received investigation and cleanup funds through the EPA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) program.

The USFS allocated $10,000 toward a two-year master’s level project to …

Factors Influencing The Ecology Of Greater Sage-Grouse Inhabiting The Bear Lake Plateau And Valley, Idaho And Utah, Casey J. Cardinal

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) are a sagebrush obligate species and as such an indicator of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitat quality and quantity. Sage-grouse populations have declined across western North America. This decline has been attributed to habitat loss and degradation of the sagebrush ecosystem. To determine factors that may cause localized declines in sage-grouse populations, managers may need site-specific information on the ecology and habitat use patterns of meta-populations. This information is currently lacking for sage-grouse populations that inhabit the Bear Lake Plateau and Valley (BLPV), encompassing parts of Idaho, Utah and Wyoming. I captured, radio-marked …

Factors Influencing Epiphytic Lichen Communities In Aspen-Associated Forests Of The Bear River Range, Idaho And Utah, Paul C. Rogers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In western North America, quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is the most common hardwood in montane landscapes. Fire suppression, grazing, wildlife management practices, and climate patterns of the past century are some of the threats to aspen coverage in this region. Researchers are concerned that aspen-dependent species may be losing habitat, thereby threatening their long-term local and regional viability. Though lichens have a rich history as air pollution indicators, I believe that they may also be useful as a metric of community diversity associated with habitat change. To date, few studies have specifically examined the status of aspen's epiphytic lichen …

Factors Affecting Spawning And Survival Of Bear Lake Bonneville Cutthroat Trout In St. Charles Creek, Idaho, Paul Burnett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I described the spawning ecology of the Bear Lake Bonneville cutthroat trout (BLBCT) in St. Charles Creek. I tracked cutthroat trout with used radio telemetry. I conducted redd counts to describe spawning conditions. Most cutthroat trout in the Big Arm strayed into the Bear River. Cutthroat trout migrations in the Little Arm and main fork were very limited (< 4 km). Redd distributions showed very similar patterns between 1989, 2000 and 2001 with most redds being built in the lowest kilometer of stream. Artificial fish transportation changed the redd distribution in 2002. More redds were built in the main fork and redds were distributed throughout the stream. Redds built in the main fork were characterized by lower levels of fine sediment and higher water velocities as compared to the redds built on the Little Arm. The results of this research will be used to aid resource managers in developing a management plan for wild BLBCT.

An Ecological/Life History Comparison Of Two Whitefish Species In Bear Lake, Utah/Idaho, Brett W. Thompson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ecological traits of the endemic Bear Lake whitefish Prosoopium abyssicola and the Bonneville whitefish prosopium silonotus were investigated. Spatial distributions indicated distinctive differences in depth contour preference. Catch per unit effort data indicated that Bonneville whitefish prefer shallow depths and warmer water temperatures, whereas Bear Lake whitefish prefer deep, cold water.

Diet differences between the two species were large. Differences in both age distribution and growth rate patterns were also observed. The Bonneville whitefish population was predominantly composed of juvenile age classes. Very large adults reached ages of 12-14 years. Bear Lake whitefish exhibited a different population structure with few …

Seasonal Movements Of Fluvial Bonneville Cutthroat Trout In The Thomas Fork Of The Bear River, Idaho-Wyoming, Warren Colyer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The majority of interior cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki) subspecies have been extirpated from large rivers by anthropogenic activities that have fragmented habitats and introduced non-native competitors. Selective pressures against migratory behaviors and mainstream river occupation and conservation schemes that isolate genetically pure populations above barriers have restricted gene flow and prevented the expression of fluvial life history traits in many populations. Existing knowledge about the movements and home range requirements of fluvial cutthroat trout is therefore limited. We implanted a total of 55 Bonneville cutthroat trout (BCT) in the Thomas Fork River, Idaho, with radio transmitters and located …

Morphometric Evaluation Of The Whitefish Complex In Bear Lake, Utah/Idaho, Alan Ward

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Whitefish populations around the world have long been difficult to categorize taxonomically. The whitefish of Bear Lake, Utah/Idaho are no exception. There are three recognized species of Prosopium that are endemic to the lake. Two of these species, Prosopium spilonotus and Prosopium abyssicota, have previously been indistinguishable outside of spawning times. Previous studies have proposed additional taxa within P. spi/onotus to further complicate the identification among these taxa.

Morphological characteristics were quantified on wild whitefish from Bear Lake, as well as from progeny reared in the laboratory from the wild adult fish. The purported taxa were separated in the field …

Preventive Predation Management: An Evaluation Using Winter Aerial Coyote Hunting In Utah And Idaho, Kimberly Kessler Wagner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

To evaluate preventive aerial coyote hunting as a depredation management technique, I compared sheep losses to coyote (Canis latrans) predation and the hours of corrective predation management required on summer grazing areas with and without hunting the prior winter from helicopters. Correlations were used to test for relationships between the extent, intensity, and timing of aerial hunting and lamb losses to coyote predation. Data on the age, sex, and reproductive status of coyotes killed using aerial hunting on coyote populations.

Winter aerial hunting reduced confirmed and estimated lamb losses to coyote predation and the hours of effort required …

Seasonal Variation In The Species Composition, Abundance, And Size-Frequency Distribution Of Zooplankton In Bear Lake, Utah-Idaho, Edmundo G. Moreno

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Bear Lake, a large oligotrophic lake (282 km²), was studied from October 1986 to December 1987 to determine the temporal changes in the zooplankton assemblage at one site in the pelagic zone and one in the littoral area. In this study, species composition, abundance, biomass, and size frequency distribution were determined. Additionally, chlorophyll a, water transparency, and temperature and oxygen profiles were measured to help interpret zooplankton changes during the study.

The zooplankton species assemblage comprised eight species of cladocera, seven species of copepods, and five species of rotifers. The abundance and biomass of the zooplankton assemblage, particularly …

Phosphorus Dynamics In Dingle Marsh, Idaho, Rex C. Herron

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Phosphorus mass-balance studies of Dingle Marsh, Idaho indicated that the marsh was an annual net sink for total suspended sol ids and all forms of phosphorus under consideration: total phosphorus, particulate phosphorus, total dissolved phosphorus, dissolved organic phosphorus, and orthophosphate phosphorus. During some months, however, more phosphorus was exported from the marsh than entered.

Phosphorus mass-balance dynamics were compared between night and day. Total suspended solids and particulate phosphorus dynamics were controlled by sedimentation of particulate material, a physical process, and were unaffected by light conditions. Dissolved organic and ortho-phosphorus were affected by light conditions indicating, at least indirectly, that …

Rodent Density And Species Composition In The Snake River Birds Of Prey Natural Area, Idaho, Jon R. Montan Jr.

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Rodent densities were estimated in the major vegetation types of the Snake River Birds of Prey Natural Area in 1975 and 1976 by a combination of live-trapping and kill-trapping. Only deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) were numerous enough to permit reliable density estimates. Relative densities of other rodent species were indicated by kill-trap capture rates. Densities of deer mice correlated well (r = 0.99) with kill-trap capture rates. The use of kill-trapping in place of live-trapping in 1976 permitted extensive sampling throughout the 1930 km² study area. Differences were found among the major vegetation and land-use types in …

Consumer Profile Differences Among Utah And Idaho Boaters, Thomas D. Singleton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate the consumer characteristics of boaters in Utah and Idaho. This has entailed a descriptive analysis of boater's socio-economic profiles, facilities and equipment, preferences and attitudes, and activity patterns.

Concomitantly a test of the hypothesis that boating is not a homogenous recreational activity was attempted. Two statistical analyses were carried out. The first test was to determine whether the profiles of boaters having different activity specialities differed. This was accomplished by finding the means of selected boater characteristics (i.e., income, children, length of boat) for each boating speciality. The L.S.D. multiple …

Demographic Analysis Of A Utah-Idaho Coyote Population, Jeffrey J. Knudsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I estimated various demographic parameters of the coyote population in Curlew Valley, northern Utah and southern Idaho, during the period August 1972 through September 1974. Field work provided estimates of relative and absolute coyote densities and established causes of coyote mortality. Laboratory analyses of 866 coyote carcasses supplied information on sex and age ratios, ovulation frequencies, pregnancy rates, and litter sizes.

Annual ovulation frequencies and pregnancy rates for the entire population varied from 70 to 92 percent and 57 to 88 percent respectively. Age-specific ovulation frequencies varied from 63 to 91 percent, respectively, for pups and adults. Similarly, age-specific pregnancy …

Plant Demographic Studies Of Tall Threetip Sagebrush-Grass Vegetation On The Eastern Snake River Plains, Idaho, Kenneth Harold Rea

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It has commonly been assumed that grazing decreases the longevity of plants, however, very few studies address this question. Knowledge of mean age, longevity and other aspects of population dynamics would help improve estimates of productivity and nutrient cycling and aid understanding of range condition and trend. These data would also aid in developing a theory of community organization and control.

As a step toward these ends, pantograph records from twelve 1 m² plots established at the U. S. Sheep Station on the Snake River Plains of southeastern Idaho between 1923 and 1935 were examined. The plots were mapped …

Diatom Phytoplankton And Periphyton Studies Of The Headwaters Of Henrys Fork Of The Snake River, Island Park, Idaho, Richard L. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

An ecological baseline study of the diatom flora was conducted on the headwaters of Henrys Fork of the Snake River, Idaho. The diatom flora of this spring fed drainage basin consisted of both phytoplankton and periphyton. Thirty-nine genera, two hundred forty-four species, eighty-two additional varieties, and seven additional forms were identified from these waters. Species of Melosira, Stephanodiscus, Fragilaria, Synedra, and Asterionella were found in the plankton of Henrys Lake and Island Park Reservoir. Diatoma, Fragilaria, Synedra, Eunotia, Achnanthes, Navicula, Pinnularia, Gomphonema, Cymbella, Nitzschia, and Surirella were the important genera present in the periphyton.

Endemic Whitefishes Of Bear Lake, Utah-Idaho: A Problem In Systematics, Robert G. White

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The systematic status of whitefishes endemic to Bear lake, Utah-Idaho, has remained tenuous since their original description. Clarification of this problem was the major objective of the present study. The general approach was an integrated one, including examination of morphological, biochemical and ecological parameters; artificial hybrids were produced and compared with questionable groups from the natural population.

Morphological analysis revealed five forms of Bear Lake whitefishes Prosopium gemmiferum (Bonneville cisco) and P. abyssicola (Bear lake whitefish) were well differentiated from other forms and were treated as originally described. The P. spilonotus (Bonneville whitefish) group, however, was found to be made …

Ecology Of Badgers In Curlew Valley, Utah And Idaho With Emphasis On Movement And Activity Patterns, Frederick G. Lindzey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Between March, 1969 and July, 1970, 16 badgers (Taxidea taxus) were caught and fitted with radio transmitters in the southern part of Curlew Valley. The animals were followed telemetrically; seven animals contributed sufficient data from which home-range, movement and activity patterns could be discerned. The aver age annual home-range size of five females was 664 acres (± s.d. 99 .5 acres). Female home-range sizes were approximately the same within crested wheat-grass (Agropyron aristatum) and sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) vegetation types, with greater distances traveled each night by females in the crested wheat-grass. Both home-range size and total movement were less …

Flora Of The National Reactor Testing Station, N. Duane Atwood

Theses and Dissertations

The National Reactor Testing Station (NRTS) is located along the western edge of the upper Snake River Plain in southeastern Idaho. The area covered in this study comprises 894 square miles of rolling to broken land. The plain is broken by three large buttes, all volcanic in nature. The Snake River Plain was formed by the interbedding of volcanic rocks, lake, and alluvial deposits. The alluvial deposits are Quaternary in age as are the basalt flows, and the three buttes are middle Teritary. The vegetation is semi-desert and belongs to the northern desert shrub biome. Annual precipitation at the station …

Existing And Potential Outdoor Recreation Resources In Bear Lake Valley, Utah And Idaho, Dennis H. Black

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Providing adequate outdoor recreational opportunities to the public is now a national problem. Of the many influences affecting the demand for recreation, increased income, population increase, sociological changes, and rapidly increasing technological developments are the more important. In the face of these factors, we must plan better to insure sufficient future needs. This will require evaluation and development of many recreation opportunities.

The Bear Lake are of northeastern Utah and southeastern Idaho is situated along U.S. 89 and within close driving distance of much of Utah's population. Up to the present there has been little orderly or planned development of …

Relationship Of Certain Environmental Factors To Benthic Fish Densities In Bear Lake, Idaho-Utah, Thomas J. Hassler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The project was initiated in June of 1958 and financed by the National Science Foundation and the Wildlife Management Department of Utah State University.

The broad aspects of the study were to determine if a relationship exists between certain physical and biological factors and benthic fish densities. The project vas divided into two parts: (l) to determine the time and extent of thermal stratification, zooplankton densities, conductivity changes within the lake and conductivity differences between the lake and its tributaries; (2) to determine it a relationship exist between benthic fish densities, temperatures, depths, conductivities and benthic zooplankton densities. The data …

An Evaluation Of Methods Of Concentrating And Counting The Phytoplankton Of Bear Lake, Utah-Idaho, William J. Clark

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The phytoplankton, or plant plankton, live in the open water throughout their life cycle and obtain the necessary nutrients from the water. They are important contributors to the total plant production of lakes and ponds.