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A Qualitative Research Approach To Understanding Challenges That May Inhibit Optimal Usage Of Automatic Milking Systems In Northern Utah, Jessica Christensen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Dairy robotics, i.e., Automatic Milking Systems (AMS), is a relatively new field, one that has great promise to optimize efficiency, production, and animal welfare of dairy cattle. However, despite quantitative research findings that indicate AMS success, dairy farmers still face challenges integrating AMS into their production systems. During the fall of 2018, interviews were conducted with northern Utah dairy farmers regarding their robotic systems. The respondent data was analyzed to reveal repeated problems with the robots. This analysis was then used to direct research in order to propose solutions to the farmers' AMS challenges. Conclusions were then summarized in an …

Non-Suitable Habitat A Cause For Declining Bobolink Populations In Northern Utah, Bethany Q. Unger

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Bobolink, Dolichonyx oryxivories, populations are declining in Utah. I characterized the habitat conditions of known bobolink nesting sites in Utah and compared these conditions to those for nest sites in Wisconsin where bobolinks are abundant. My habitat assessment included identifying vegetation species, vegetation cover, pH, temperature, and precipitation at each site location. Vegetation cover different between Utah and Wisconsin nest sites. Precipitation varied for both locations with no correlation between water availability and bobolink presence. One possible driver for the reduction in bobolinks throughout Utah is the drastic increase in temperature. Other possible external factors include livestock grazing, edge distance, …

Factors Influencing Farmers' Utilization Of Auto-Guidance Technology In Northern Utah, Thomas A. Bleazard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Few studies have documented the use of auto-guidance technologies in the western United States. This study sought to discover farmers’ training preferences and what drives adoption of auto-guidance systems in northern Utah. A presentation of auto-guidance systems was made to crop school attendees. Afterwards an auto-guidance simulator was used to demonstrate to participants how these systems worked and let them engage in an experiential learning experience with laptops. A survey was administered to collect information on farmers’ training preferences and use of auto-guidance technologies. Results of the survey showed that farmers have a large interest in learning about auto-guidance technologies, …

Economic Assessment Of Organic, Eco-Friendly, And Conventional Peach Production Methods In Northern Utah, Trevor D. Knudsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fruit producers in Northern Utah face several challenges to their production, urbanization, decreased availability of agricultural land, and competition from domestic producers and imports. As consumers are willing to pay premiums for foods differentiated by production method, such as eco-friendly and organic, conversion to these methods may increase the profitability of fruit growing operations.

This study found that consumers in Northern Utah are willing to pay a premium for peaches grown using organic and eco-friendly production practices over conventionally grown peaches. The study also found that of the three methods of peach production examined (conventional, eco-friendly, and organic), organic had …

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 ( …

Alfalfa Weevil, Hypera Postica (Gyllenhal), (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Response To Environmental Factors In Alfalfa Fields In Northern Utah, Larry Edward Jech

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Economic damage to forage alfalfa by the alfalfa weevil occurs frequently enough in northern Utah to warrant applications of an insecticide in some years but not all. Currently a five to ten day period is available to recognize injurious populations then make applications.

Sticky boards, pitfall traps, Berlese funnels sweep samples, stem bouquets, climatic variation and marking techniques were evaluated for alfalfa weevil population predictions. The prevailing climate was the most important factor controlling early adult activities. Early adult feeding and sexual development was the key to forecasting later larval populations. Regional surveys were not adequate for local control recommendations. …

Energetics Of The American Kestrel (Falco Sparverius) During Three Seasons In Northern Utah, Lucinda Haggas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Behavioral activities and predatory behavior of 18 American Kestrels (Falco sparverius, 9 males and 9 females) were observed for 350+ hours during 3 seasons (nonbreeding = Jan-Feb , breeding = mid-Mar-Apr, and postbreeding = late-Aug-Sept) in northern Utah. Daily energy expenditure (DEE) of male and female kestrels was estimated with a model that incorporated flight activity data from free-living birds and laboratory measurements on daytime and nighttime metabolic rates and energy costs of tissue production derived from captive kestrels. Production costs were included in the DEE for breeding and postbreeding kestrels.

The energy cost of gonadal growth for males (0.02 …

Comparison Of The Mineralogy And Morphology Of Some Cambic And Argillic Horizons In Soils Of Northern Utah, Randal Jay Southard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The mineralogy and morphology of a soil with a cambic horizon (Stingal) and a soil with an argillic horizon (Hansel), occurring in northern Utah, were studied. Pedons representing the central concept of each of the soils were sampled by genetic horizon for laboratory analyses. Particle- size distribution, calcium carbonate equivalent, cation-exchange capacity, organic carbon , and the mineralogy of the silt, coarse clay, and fine clay fractions were determined. Thin sections of the soils were examined with a petrographic microscope. Selected peds were observed using a scanning electron microscope, and elemental analyses were made with an x-ray analyzer.

The two …

An Investigation Of The Environmental Relationships Of Selected Forest Habitat Types In Northern Utah, Penelope Morgan Lawton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It was the purpose of this study to examine an assumption basic to the forest habitat type classification system. Included in each habitat type is all land capable of supporting a single climax plant community type. In practice, land is grouped based on species camposition, relative abundance, and successional trends of the vegetation supported by the land. Land units of the same habitat type are assumed to represent similar environments. No previous critical evaluation of this assumption has been done.

Land in the study area had been previously classified under the habitat type system. Relationships between vegetation and environment were …

The Wood And Bark Biomass And Production Of Populus Tremuloides, Abies Lasiocarpa And Picea Engelmannii In Northern Utah, George L. Zimmerman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Thirty-two engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) ranging in d.b.h. from 9.4 to 84.6 cm, twenty subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) with d.b.h.'s from 8.1 to 58.8 cm, and twenty aspen (Populus tremuloides) ranging in d.b.h. from 4.5 to 48.2 cm. were destructively sampled in Northern Utah to construct wood and bark biomass and production prediction equations for above and below ground parts. These prediction equations were then applied to stand table data from 20 x 25 meter plots representing a sere that changes from subalpine meadow to aspen to fir to a 'climax' stand of spruce. …

Increased Calf Production And Returns From Improved Range And Livestock Management On A Northern Utah Ranch, Michael H. Ralphs

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The operating costs for farms and ranches in the United States have increased 81 percent between 1970 and 1976. Calf prices over this same period have fluctuated dramatically and have fallen from a high of $58/cwt in 1973 to a low of $26/cwt in 1975. Since 1973, the increasing operating costs have exceeded the returns gene rated by the low calf prices and have left operators in a negative financial position. This case study has shown that the operator has increased both the scale and efficiency of his operation through improved lives tock husbandry and range improvements, yet has been …

Nitrogen Fertilization Studies In Dryland Winter Wheat And Potential Nitrogen Losses From The Soil At The Blue Creek Experimental Station In Northern Utah, Subhawat Intalop

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study compared the effects of nitrogen sources on the available inorganic soil nitrogen, nitrogen movement, nitrogen losses, and wheat yields when nitrogen fertilizers were applied to soil planted to dryland winter wheat at the Blue Creek Experimental Station in northern Utah.

In the fall 1973 soil samplings, the fertilizers producing the largest mineral nitrogen contents in the 0-30 cm soil depths were ammonium nitrate > ammonium sulfate > S-coated urea, when they were broadcast at the practical rate of 56 kg N/ha. There was no increase in the mineral nitrogen at the deeper depths in the fall or at any depth …

Ecology Of The Common Snipe In Northern Utah, Samuel C. Winegardner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The study addresses five areas relating to the biology and management of common snipe (Capella gallinago), including habitat requirements, food habits, breeding biology, sexing and aging and census techniques.

The primary habitat requirement of snipe was determined to be areas that were saturated or covered with shallow water. Secondary requirements were vegetation of less than 3 decimeters in height and between 30 and 50 percent density.

Food habit studies determined that snipe selected animal material with larger and more abundant organisms being preferred without regard to species . Plant material appeared to be ingested only incidentally.

Common snipe …

Aerial Photography In Estimating Waterfowl Populations In Northern Utah, Timothy H. Provan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this project was to evaluate effectiveness of aerial photography as a waterfowl census technique. An aerial photographic pattern was formulated and tested during the spring and fall months of 1971 and 1972 at Ogden Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Weber County, Utah. The reliability and feasibility of the technique for censusing waterfowl proved effective and practical.

Eight flights per season, 4 routes per flight, and 30 photos per route taken over unit 1 of the Ogden Bay Waterfowl Management Area was the experimental design or pattern for the study. The level of accuracy and the cost involved with …

Breeding Ecology Of The Ferruginous Hawk In Northern Utah And Southern Idaho, Richard P. Howard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Forty-three and 54 Ferruginous hawk (Buteo regalis) pairs were found occupying territories in northern Utah and southeastern Idaho during 1972 and 1973, respectively. Of these 38 and 27 nesting pairs laid eggs. Nesting success was 77.1 percent in 1972 and 74.6 percent in 1973. for successful nests, an average of 2.9 and 2.6 young hatched and 2.7 and 2.3 young fledged during the respective years. This population is reproductively comparable to others in Utah and Colorado. Analysis of prey items collected from the nests indicated that black-tailed jack-rabbits (Lepus californicus) constitute 86 percent of the biomass …

Population Biology Of The Black-Tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus Californicus) In Northern Utah, L. Charles Stoddart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Population biology of the black-tailed jackrabbit population on a 250-square-mile area in Curlew Valley, northern Utah, was studied from 1962-70. During this period the fall population density index increased from 40.0 in 1962, to 60.6 in 1963, decreased progressively to a low of 21.2 in 1967, then increased the following 3 years to a high of 185.0 in 1970.

Breeding was synchronous with four conception periods each year; in some years a fifth conception period was evident. The first conception period occurred about the last half of January; other periods followed at 40-day intervals indicating a 40-day gestation period and …

Demand For Boating In Selected Counties Of Northern Utah, Harold D. Morris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Each year many new families enter the recreational boating force. Boat ownership throughout the nation has increased over the past few years until it no longer appears to be a status symbol, but merely a very popular means of increasing family enjoyment of the great out-of-doors.

Demand For Household Water In Northern Utah, 1962, Seth H. Schick

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Water is not a single use resource. It can be used for completely unrelated purposes. There are four general uses for water: household, industrial, agricultural, and recreational. Since water is an economic good it must be properly allocated among the four uses to maximize the returns to society. Also, There must be proper allocation among competing units within each major use.

An Economic Study Of Alternative Methods Of Obtaining Dairy Herd Replacements In Northern Utah, 1961, J'Wayne Mcarthur

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Dairying ranked second in producing farm income in the state of Utah in 1929 (II). Twenty-two and two tenths percent of cash receipts from the sale of agricultural products came from dairying. Beef enterprises were the only larger source of farm income in the state, with 24.7 per cent of the total cash receipts. Because of the importance of dairying in the state, much work has been done to provide dairymen with information that will enable them to obtain a higher net return from dairying.

Red Raspberry Root Rot In Northern Utah, Robert L. Powelson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

During the last few years, red raspberry growers in Utah have been finding that plantings gradually lose vigor and are not profitable. In the largest raspberry growing area in Utah, Utah County, figures taken from the U.S. census from 1930 to 1950, show a decrease in acres of raspberries grown from 401 in 1930 to 190 in 1950 (2). In many instances this deterioration of raspberry plantings in Utah has not been definitely associated with known plant pathogenic fungi or virus infections. Neither can the expansion of suburbs account for this decrease. In certain cases it has been obvious that …

A Study Of The Winter Foraging Habits Of Mule Deer In Enclosures In Northern Utah With A Test Of The Half-And-Half Sampling Technique, Donald R. Flook

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mule deer provide recreational bunting to a large number of sportsmen in Utah, and also have a high aesthetic value.

Prior to settlement, deer are believed to have wintered in the valleys and lower foothill areas. However, in northern Utah agricultural development bas removed many valleys and lower foothill areas from the available winter range. The winter deer range in this area has therefore been restricted to a relatively small area of foothill country, and low elevation mountain slopes and benches.