Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

"Patterns In The Abundance Of Benthic Algae In Streams", Courtney Wright

Honors Theses

Benthic, microscopic algae are the main drivers of primary productivity in streams. The relationship between the abundance and productivity of benthic algae in streams and lakes and the availability of limiting nutrients, especially soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), has been extensively studied (reviewed in Allan and Castillo 2007, Larned 2010). However, nearly all of this research has been conducted on the periphyton assemblage found on hard substrates (e.g., stones, wood), while very little work has addressed the factors affecting the abundance of epipelic algae (i.e., the algae associated with depositional (soft) sediments such as sands and silts). One of the few …

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 …

Potential Effects Of Elevated Co2 On Pitcher Plant Nectar Composition, Prey Capture, And Inquiline Communities, Deirdre Courtney

Honors Theses

Human activities such as fossil fuel burning and deforestation have contributed significantly to the increasing levels of CO₂ in the atmosphere since the industrial revolution. Under the IPCC A1FI emission scenario, we are expected to reach levels as high as 1000 ppm by the end of the century. On average, C₃ plants experience a 27% increase in carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio under elevated CO₂. As a result, C₃ plants typically exhibit an increase in carbon-based secondary compounds. Carnivorous plants are a rare type of C₃ plant that has adapted to survive in low …

The Characterization Of Algae Grown On Nutrient Removal Systems And Evaluation Of Potential Uses For The Resulting Biomass, Kristin Hampel

Dissertations

Eutrophication resulting from excess nutrient loads is a major environmental issue that affects surface water quality and causes surplus primary production, thereby reducing dissolved oxygen concentrations. A method for managing nutrients in surface waters involves absorption of excess nutrients by deliberately cultivating benthic algal turf biomass, then harvesting it for a variety of uses, including biofuels, soil amendments, or feed supplements, thus coupling nutrient removal to additional economic drivers.

The goals of this work are to (1) evaluate the composition of algal biomass grown to remove surface water nutrients, (2) compare biomass grown at different geographic locations and in dissimilar …

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 …

My 21st Century Expedition: Following The Route Of Schoolcraft 1820, 1832 To The Source Of The Mississippi River, Lorah Patterson

Honors Theses

The journal of Lorah Patterson during her expedition from Schoolcraft, Michigan, to the source of the Mississippi River. Supplemental file contains complete Herbarium. The thesis includes only a few examples.

Stability Of Eukaryotic Elongation Factor One Alpha Protein In The Cell, Jennifer Watry

Honors Theses

Eukaryotic Elongation Factor One Alpha (eEF1A) is an abundant protein found in every cell of every organism and is involved in functions concerning protein synthesis and degradation, the cytoskeleton, and signaling. How these functions are regulated is not yet understood for this protein. Regulation of the protein may be controlled by transcription of the genes encoding the protein or the stability and modification of the protein. The goal of this project was to determine the stability of eEf1A proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana. Protein stability was determined by treating tissues with cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis. Gel electrophoresis and …

The Effects Of Elevated Co2 And Environmental Variation On Plant Phenotype, Herbivore Performance, And Evolutionary Potential In A Brassicacae Model System, John Michael Landosky

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

For Shade And Comfort: Ornamental Plants In Nineteenth- Century Midwestern Domestic Landscapes, Cheryl Lyon-Jenness

Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the extent and type of ornamental plant use in nineteenth-century Midwestern domestic landscapes, considers reasons for expanded horticultural interest between 1850 and 1880, and explores the significance of ornamental plants as part of Midwestern material culture.

Content analysis of over seven hundred lithographic images of homes and homegrounds from three southeastern Michigan counties, combined with demographic information, confirmed widespread ornamental plant use among an economically and culturally diverse group of Midwesterners by the 1870s. A number of cultural trends encouraged this expanded horticultural interest Exploration of readily available midnineteenth- century newspapers, magazines, and advice manuals revealed that …

The Effects Of Rose Bengal Application On The Production Of Salicylic Acid In Nahg Tobacco Plants, Nicole Christine Ott

Honors Theses

Plants have the ability to develop resistance to a wide range of pathogens following exposure to a single bacterium, fungus, or virus. This resistance occurs in all tissues, not only those that were previously infected. This mechanisms is termed systemic acquired resistance (SAR). The phenolic compound salicylic acid (SA) has been linked to SAR in tobacco, arabidopsis, and cucumber plants. Oxidative stress also causes SA production, which leads to SAR. An engineered tobacco plant (nahG) that does not have the ability to accumulate SA has been used as a research tool in investigations concerning SA activity. Rose Bengal …

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 …

An Analysis Of Cadmium And Lead Uptake In Hydroponically Grown Corn Seedlings, Julie Jones Medlin

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze selected growth parameters of hydroponically grown corn seedlings (Zea mays) in relation to the uptake of the heavy metals, lead and cadmium. The corn seedlings were treated with various concentrations of lead and cadmium at different levels of pH, and phosphate and ferric ion concentrations. Root and shoot lengths were measured before and after heavy metal treatment to determine the relative growth in the different treatment solutions. Wet and dry weights were also obtained. The plant material was digested with nitric and perchloric acids in preparation for analysis for heavy metal content …

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 Effects Of Moist-Heat Treatments And Stratification On Germination Of Prairie Plant Seeds, John E. Stuurwold

Honors Theses

Germination of Silphium terebinthenaceum was enhanced by a post-stratification most-heat treatment at 80°C. Tested seeds of four other perennial herbs common to midwestern prairies (Andropogon scoparius, Sorghastrum nutans, Eryngium yuccifolium, and Solidago rigida) showed little adverse or beneficial effects of the heat treatment. Heat treatments alone had little effect on the seeds; the length of stratification periods necessary to effect maximal germination varied. The significance of these findings is examined in the light of related literature on grassland fire ecology.

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

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

An Ecological Study Of Coliform Bacteria Associated With Vaccinium Corymbosum, Harry C. Bittenbender

Honors Theses

Recent research has shown that there are coliform populations associated with the cultivated high bush blueberry, Vaccinium corynbosum. This study is aimed at determining the ecology of these colofirms, as they are related to blueberry production from the farm to the warehouse. Tests will be made to identify the Salmonella group, those associated with "food poisoning." Total bacterial coliform counts will also be made. This paper is primarily an ecological study of the coliforms found on blueberry farms near Grand Junction, though fruit samples were taken from all warehouses of the M.B.G.A.

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.