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Effects Of Traditional And Microbially-Focused Restoration Techniques On Soil Communities In Tallgrass Prairies, Zachary J. Whitacre

Masters Theses

Tallgrass prairies have virtually disappeared in many parts of their former range due to the conversion of this ecosystem to farmland. In more recent years there have been efforts to restore these prairies on reclaimed agricultural land. However, these restored prairies do not resemble their remnant counterparts in many ways, such as in soil microbial community composition and metrics related to carbon storage. In Chapter 1, I show that bacterial communities in a restored prairie and an adjacent remnant prairie in southwest Michigan differ in their immediate and longer-term responses to prescribed fire, a commonly used prairie restoration and maintenance …

Plant U-Box Proteins 25 And 26 Are Involved In Regulation Of Crosstalk Between Salicylate And Jasmonate Signaling Pathways, Dustin C. Rowland

Masters Theses

The jasmonic (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) signaling systems regulate diverse plant developmental processes and immune responses. Due to the opposite end-goals of various pathogen-response pathways, a certain level of antagonism between the JA and SA pathways is required. However, over-suppression of any single pathway would leave a plant susceptible to invasion by a specific class of pathogen. We investigate the regulation of crosstalk between the JA- and SA-mediated immune pathways and how the dilemma of specific susceptibility may be avoided. Manipulation of Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes was utilized to determine the effects of protein knockout on pathogen-specific susceptibility and resistance. …

Spectral Discrimination Of Phragmites Australis At Different Phenological Stages In Saginaw Bay, Michigan, Trenton Benedict

Masters Theses

Michigan Great Lakes wetlands are among Michigan’s most significant bio-diversified ecosystems. One threat to this ecosystem is invasive species. Phragmites australis is one of these invasive species creating problems in the wetlands. Identifying Phragmites through satellite imagery creates difficulties in discriminating Phragmites from other vegetation accurately. This study used an ASD HandHeld 2 field spectroradiometer to identify the phenological spectral properties between Phragmites and cattails. The Euclidean distance was analyzed the spectral curves from the spectroradiometer to determine the separability between Phragmites and cattails. The largest Euclidean distance determined the best month to separate the spectral signatures of Phragmites and …

A Gravity Investigation Of The Tobacco Root Batholith Southwest Montana, Stephen Charles Tatum

Masters Theses

The objective of this research was to delineate and profile the Late Cretaceous Tobacco Root batholith in southwestern Montana through the application of the gravitational method. This survey was accomplished by obtaining 232 gravity measurements in four profiles across the batholith. After correcting for known variations in the gravity field, a Bouguer anomaly map of the batholith and surrounding host rocks was created. Four residual gravity profiles and map, created by subtracting the regional gravity from the Bouguer anomaly, reveal a maximum negative gravity anomaly in the center portion of the batholith which is parallel to the trend of the …

Functional Annotation, Transcriptional Characterization And Enzymatic Contributions Of Essential Amino Acid Biosynthesis-Related Genes, Teresa J. Clark

Masters Theses

In plants, essential amino acid biosynthesis predominantly or exclusively occurs in the plastid. The plastid in the heterokont alga Nannochloropsis oceanica is surrounded by four membranes, which add great complexity to intracellular trafficking and communication. N. oceanica genes in essential amino acid biosynthesis were functionally annotated. The biosynthesis pathways resemble the pathways in Arabidopsis thaliana, but the gene content seems to be simpler in N. oceanica.

In addition, two A. thaliana mutants with loss-of-function mutations in the aspartate kinase-homoserine dehydrogenase 2 (AK-HSDH2) gene were characterized. These ak-hsdh2 mutants demonstrate unexpected accumulation of aspartate-derived amino acids (ADAAs), particularly threonine, in …

The Effect Of Indoleacetic Acid And Related Chemicals On Growth Patterns Of Decapitated Bean Plants, Lewis V. Buchanan

Masters Theses

Bean plants were used to study effects of IAA and related chemicals on plant growth patterns. Plant apical growth tips were removed, eliminating apical donimance. Decapitated plants were treated in experimental groups with IAA, tryptophan, 5-hydroxy indoleacetic acid, serotonin, and melatonin. Two other groups served as controls, one cut, and one uncut.

Growth measurements were taken to determine if the treatments could effectively restore apical dominance. Cut control plants showed a loss of apical dominance, with decreased apical growth, and release of inhibition of axillary growth, when compared to the uncut group.

Tryptophan and meltonin treatments restored little or no …

A Three-Year Field Study Of Cacalia Atriplicifolia, L. With Emphasis On Dispersal Mechanisms, Joann T. Athey

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Evidence Of Eutrophication In Wall Lake Barry County, Michigan, John J. Meany

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Coastal Plain Floristic Element In Michigan, Gary J. Pierce

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A Floral Survey Of The Lake Michigan College- Ross Property, Van Buren County, Michigan, William Monroe Knott

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Audible Sound On The Germination And Root Elongation Of Oats And Wheat, Ferne George Ellis

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Useful Seed Plants And Plant Products Of Kenya, Elizabeth A. Muthiani

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Antibiotic Potential In The Liverworts, Especially Ricciocarpus Natans (L.) And Marchantia Polymorpha (L.), Theodore Roy Shields

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Vegetational Pattern On A Sand Area Dominated By Prairie Species In Southwestern Michigan, Daniel Lee Pokora

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Foliage Production And Consumption In An Oak Forest, David A. Boyce

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Flavonoid Chemotaxonomy Of Cacalia (Compositae), Paul Ernest Goldenbaum

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Nitrogen Fertilization On The Establishment, Density, And Strength Of Merion Kentucky Bluegrass Sod Grown On A Mineral Soil, Kent W. Kurtz

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.