Digital Commons Network^™

From Seed To Harvest: A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment Of Conventional Vs. Organic Cotton Agriculture, Rebecca Hoehn

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Conventional and organic cotton farming practices both have benefits and detriments to each type. Cotton agriculture is responsible for the use of a third of the agriculture industries’ pesticide use. In order to help alleviate the use of pesticide dependency the following study reviews the use of pesticides as well as other stressors of both systems and hopes to decide how sustainable agriculture in the cotton industry can be attained. Evaluations of both systems have been compared in order to reach the decisions of sustainability.

Assessment Of Ruminal Fermentation Characteristics Of Condensed Tannin-Containing Forages Using Continuous Cultures, Christina Marie Williams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Two independent studies were conducted to assess the effects of feeding condensed tannin (CT)-containing forages to continuous cultures to evaluate their impacts on ruminal fermentation and digestibility, with an emphasis on methane (CH4) and ammonia-N (NH3-N) production. In Chapter 3, treatments consisted of: 1) 100% alfalfa hay (AH), 2) 50% AH and 50% birdsfoot trefoil hay (dry matter (DM) basis; AHBFTH), and 3) 100% birdsfoot trefoil hay (BFTH). Three replicated runs lasted 8 d each, with the first 5 d allowed for microbial adaptation to the diets, and 3 d for data collection and sampling. Methane, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) …

An Exogenous Approach To Circumventing Demolition By Neglect: The Impact Of Agricultural Preservation On Historic Colonial Towns, Galen Newman

All Dissertations

The effects of city decentralization and counter-urbanization of the American landscape have resulted in simultaneous negative impacts on both historic structures and agricultural landscapes. Rapid conversion of farmland has helped to facilitate the relocation of both populations and commercial activities in communities across the United States, leaving inner cities replete with functionless, unused, and unmaintained heritage structures. As civic core areas have become shells of their former selves, many once-vital structures have been removed while others have been abandoned and left to decay--a process known as demolition by neglect. While historic preservation efforts have attempted to salvage these historic structures, …

Effect Of High School Completion Of The Agricultural Education Program On The Rate Of Return On Investment For The Commonwealth Of Virginia, Phillip Scott Bevins

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

This research study sought to determine the effect high school completion of the agricultural career and technical education program has on the rate of return on investment by public schools in Virginia. The research questions guiding this study included: (1) Were students able to find employment related to the agricultural career and technical education program they completed, (2) What federal and state funding was allocated for students participating in the agricultural career and technical education programs in the state of Virginia, (3) Was there a significant level of tax revenues generated by incomes from those who participated in the agricultural …

Agricultural Resources Available To Women Of Arusha, Tanzania, Travis Barnett

Agribusiness

Paper includes prior research and background about gender inequality and a woman's role in African society. Research documents agriculturally related resources available to women living in Arusha, Tanzania. Research documents agricultural, educational and financial resources provided by Non Government Organizations (NGO's) and Farm Systems Research (FSR) headquarters. Also includes documentation of societal and geographical resources, such as crop production and market locations and times within the Arusha region.

Analysis Of Integrating Solar Power At Cal Poly's On-Campus Dairy Operation, Kyle Wayne Wright

Agribusiness

This study was performed to determine the feasibility of integrating a full offset solar power unit at Cal Poly’s dairy operation. The dairy is relatively small, with four hundred cows and only two hundred mature milking cows. The dairy’s average annual electricity use is approximately 330,000-kilowatt hours. Based on the size and annual electricity demand, REC Solar, a local solar power company, was able to determine that a 216-kilowatt system would be necessary to meet the electricity demands.

In order to develop an accurate study, governmental grants, rebates and incentives were researched. These forms of aid would provide financial support …

Hydroponic Production: An Educational Dvd For High School Agricultural Education, Lindy Mattice, Chelsey Brown

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this project was to create an educational video based upon hydroponic farming. It was created for agricultural educators, in hope high school agricultural teachers would show it in their classrooms. The goal was for students to be able to see a commercial style hydroponic system, and to understand the basic concepts of operation. The video was intended to be supplemented with additional printed information on alternative farming methods. It was not intended to be a sole source of information, but should instead be used to enhance the learning environment for students.

The survey of local high school …

The Homestead: Revisited, Christopher William Kramer

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

This paper discusses ideas for harmony on 100 acres in mid-eastern New York. Problems leading to this research include the depletion of resources from irresponsible energy use and profit-driven industrial agriculture; dependency on fossil fuels and centralized energy; and lack of connection between people within communities, with their environment, and with sources of food and water. It is feared that sustainable, resilience building practices that nourished generations throughout history are being neglected. This specific application provides depth and concreteness to the discussion and planning process. Resources including books, maps, reports, and periodicals were integrated to select the site and plan …

Evaluation Of Semiochemical Strategies For The Protection Of Whitebark Pine Stands Against Mountain Pine Beetle Attack Within The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Greta Katherine Schen-Langenheim

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

High-dose verbenone, verbenone plus nonhost volatiles (NHVs), and both semiochemicals in combination with aggregant-baited funnel traps were tested for stand- level protection against mountain pine beetle attack for two consecutive years (2004-2005) at three seral high elevation whitebark pine sites in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. In 2004, two 0.25-hectare treatments comprised of 25 high-dose verbenone pouches or verbenone pouches combined with single baited funnel traps were tested in a push-pull strategy. In 2005, 25 high-dose verbenone and 25 NHV pouches, or verbenone and NHV in combination with baited funnel trap clusters were tested. In both years, treatments were compared to …

Physiological And Molecular Function Of Hap3b In Flowering Time Regulation And Cold Stress Response, Mingxiang Liang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Heme-activated proteins (HAPs) are transcription factors that have multiple roles in plant growth and development, such as embryogenesis, flowering time control, and drought tolerance.

In the present study I found that HAP3b was also involved in controlling response to cold stress. Transcript profiling and gene expression analyses indicated that HAP3b repressed the CBF3 regulon under normal growth conditions. As a result, plants with HAP3b-overexpressed showed decreased survival rates while plants homozygous for the null allele hap3b showed an improved freezing tolerance compared to wild-type plants.

To understand the mechanism of HAP3b in Arabidopsis, i.e. whether it also acts …

The Influence Of Collective Action And Policy In The Development Of Local Food Systems, Lori Porreca

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The modern global agrifood system has had significant negative impacts on consumers and producers. This has precipitated the rise of local food systems that are purported to improve the health and livelihoods of consumers and producers. High expectations have led to significant public and private resources dedicated to the development of local food systems. Despite this, there has been little systematic research exploring the social and institutional conditions that facilitate or frustrate local food system development.

Using a comparative case study approach, this study explored the ways local structural conditions, collective action, food system policies, and the political context affect …

That Dame's Got Grit: Selling The Women's Land Army, Pamela Jo Pierce

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis analyzes the marketing of the Women's Land Army (WLA) using archival sources. I explore how farmerettes, the name given to WLA members, used their patriotic work on the farm as a means of redefining femininity and interrogating the definition of "true womanhood." "That Dame's Got Grit" discusses how the WLA was sold in World War I and World War II. The first chapter describes the press book used to market Little Comrade, a 1919 film about a fashionable farmerette. The theme of uniforms, an idea that weaves throughout the thesis, emerges strongly in this chapter. "A Seductive …

Random Forests Applied As A Soil Spatial Predictive Model In Arid Utah, Alexander Knell Stum

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Initial soil surveys are incomplete for large tracts of public land in the western USA. Digital soil mapping offers a quantitative approach as an alternative to traditional soil mapping. I sought to predict soil classes across an arid to semiarid watershed of western Utah by applying random forests (RF) and using environmental covariates derived from Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and digital elevation models (DEM). Random forests are similar to classification and regression trees (CART). However, RF is doubly random. Many (e.g., 500) weak trees are grown (trained) independently because each tree is trained with a new randomly …

Evapotranspiration Of Kentucky Bluegrass, Lynda L. Fenton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Rapid population growth in arid regions of the western US is placing increased demand on water resources. Variability in precipitation and common occurrence of drought have promoted scrutiny of water use in urban lawns and gardens. However, few reliable measurements of water use of these landscapes exist. Quantifying the amount of water used vs. required by landscapes such as turfgrass would allow significant water conservation. Evapotranspiration (ET) is affected by biophysical factors such as: available energy, turbulent mixing, saturation deficit, soil water, and stomatal conductance. In order to simulate the water use by turfgrass, the relative importance of these processes …

Internship Report - Secondary Program Of Agricultural Education, Nicholas J. Dreesmann

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship report includes validation documents required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The documents are used during the review process conducted by subject matter experts from the California Department of Education. The internship included the development of the outdoor laboratory facility to accommodate horticultural instruction and student projects, and upgrading the agricultural mechanics facilities with new welding booths and equipment.

Aspects Of The Reproduction Of An Invasive Crab, Hemigrapsus Sanguineus, In Northern And Southern New England, Emily F. Gamelin

Master's Theses and Capstones

Populations of the invasive shore crab, Hemigrapsus sanguineus , were studied in northern and southern New England to determine if crabs differ in reproductive behavior or characteristics between these regions. Additionally, effects of temperature on reproductive activity were quantified through laboratory experimentation.

Number of broods per season increased with temperature, but the seasonal total was limited to three broods in laboratory experiments. Broods experienced limited success at the lowest temperature, 10°C. The reproductive season was longer at lower latitudes, and females at this site had smaller average ovigerous size. Patterns of ovigery varied between the regions, suggesting the production of …

A Feasibility Study: Forest Carbon Stocks And Stock Change Of The White Mountain National Forest, Erica Jane Cate

Master's Theses and Capstones

Interest has heightened for forest managers to account for the impacts of management activities on forest carbon sequestration. This study was designed to assess the feasibility of developing estimates of WMNF forest carbon based on the available information. The yield curves, inventory data and resulting carbon projections were dependent on a number of assumptions and subject to various sources of error and bias. Thus, they should not be relied on as definitive estimates and forecasts, or used as a basis for policy recommendations. Under the specific approaches used in this study, forest carbon stocks appear to be accumulating in the …

Landscape Genetics Of The New England Cottontail: Effects Of Habitat Fragmentation On Population Genetic Structure And Dispersal, Lindsey E. Fenderson

Master's Theses and Capstones

The New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) is a species of conservation concern. Population recovery will require knowledge of genetic structure and dispersal patterns. To this end, I used microsatellite loci to assess genetic structure at two spatial scales: across the entire range (broadscale) and within the northernmost population (finescale).

Range-wide, cottontails are separated into five distinct populations. There was little evidence of gene flow among populations and they have experienced extensive genetic drift. Several populations had comparatively reduced genetic diversity.

Intensive fine-scale surveys revealed four genetically differentiated populations. Interstate-95 is a dispersal barrier, though other major roads did not impact …

An Evaluation Of Supplemental Food To Increase Winter Survival Of Cottontail Rabbits, Toni Weidman

Master's Theses and Capstones

The New England cottontail is currently endangered throughout much of its range. The cause of this decline has been habitat loss that has facilitated intense predation. Cottontails living on small patches have high mortality rates due to lack of quality cover and browse and high predation pressure. The goal of this study was to determine if provisioning supplemental food during the winter could increase cottontail survival rates by reducing risky foraging behavior in poor habitat that exposes the rabbits to predators. Among fed rabbits the survival rate (70%) was substantially greater than the survival rate for unfed rabbits (32%). A …

Updated Life History And Population Structure Assessment Of Spiny Dogfish, Squalus Acanthias, In The Gulf Of Maine, Walter Bubley

Doctoral Dissertations

Spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) are considered to be the most abundant shark species in the Western North Atlantic, but recently there was a decline in biomass estimates following a nearly ten-fold increase in fishery landings. Because fishing pressure has been shown to affect population dynamics in targeted species, an update of previous life history parameters is warranted to effectively manage the population. Although updated and accurate life history parameters are important, it is crucial that these parameters are applied to the correct populations, especially when there is evidence of population structuring in the Western Atlantic. This comprehensive study addressed the …

Spatial Management Of Groundfish Resources In The Gulf Of Maine And Georges Bank, Jamie Marie Cournane

Doctoral Dissertations

In the marine environment, studies suggest that overfishing suppresses sustainability and resilience in fish populations. In the 1990s, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) implemented five large year-round fishery closures in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank. These closures are partially protected marine protected areas (MPAs) restricting commercial fishing with bottom-tending gears. To date, evaluation of their performance has focused on the productivity of individual species.

This research aims to understand if fish biodiversity changed after implementation of the five large fisheries closures. Here, a variety of datasets and statistical approaches are used.

Modern patterns constructed from NMFS bottom-trawl …

Somatic Condition, Growth And Distribution Of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus Thynnus) In The Gulf Of Maine, Walter J. Golet

Doctoral Dissertations

Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), a highly migratory apex predator, utilize temperate feeding grounds to place their tissues into positive lipid balance following reproduction and subsequent migration to northern latitudes. Commercial fishermen target Atlantic bluefin tuna between June and October, but landings have declined 70% from 2004-2009 suggesting adult bluefin tuna may no longer be utilizing the Gulf of Maine as a foraging ground. A series of linear and additive models fitted to multiple fishery dependent datasets identified significant declines in the somatic condition of Atlantic bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Maine. Significant changes in the somatic condition of …

The Effects Of Chlortetracycline, Lasalocid, And The Combination On Growth, Health, Apparent Total Tract Nutrient Digestibility, And Nitrogen Retention Of Post-Weaned Dairy Heifers, Kelly Anne Greenbacker

Master's Theses and Capstones

The experiment compared the effects of chlortetracycline (CTC), lasalocid (L), and the combination (LCTC) on dairy heifers. Forty calves, 12 wk of age, were assigned to control (C), L (1 mg/kg BW/d), CTC (350 mg/d), or LCTC. Individual DMI was measured daily. Skeletal measures, BW, BCS, blood urea N and glucose concentrations were measured weekly. Calves received an external marker to estimate apparent total tract nutrient digestibilities. Total collection of urine was obtained from 20 calves to determine N retention. The DMI was higher (P=0.01) for CTC versus L and C, and DMI was lower for L versus LCTC. ADG …

An Evaluation Of Habitat Models For The Common Loon (Gavia Immer), Alexis M. Rudko

Master's Theses and Capstones

The Loon Preservation Committee (LPC) has been collecting field data for the common loon (Gavia immer) in New Hampshire for thirty-six years. A habitat model for lakes throughout New Hampshire was created by Dr. Mark Brennan for the time period 1980--2002. This project re-evaluates Brennan's habitat model using new data from 2003--2008. Two additional models, one with all lakes and another with the three largest lakes excluded, were created and compared to Brennan's model to see if the overall accuracy improved. These models show which lakes have high and low potential for loon habitat. The results of the re-evaluation of …

Evaluation Of Post Harvest Conditions Contributing To Attacks By The Red Turpentine Beetle, Dendroctonus Valens Leconte At The Massabesic Experimental Forest In Southern Maine, Garret D. Dubois

Master's Theses and Capstones

Silvicultural management of Pinus strobus L. runs the risk of damaging residual trees and can increase the probability of attack from damaging insects, including the common bark beetle Dendroctonus valens Le Conte. Considered a secondary pest, it is possible that D. valens is capable of economic impacts such as the downgrading of logs and lumber due to defect and blue-stain. To assess post harvest conditions that contribute to the probability and severity of D. valens attacks in Pinus strobus, stand and tree characteristics were sampled in four silvicultural treatments and one control site in southern Maine. Results showed that clearcuts …

Valley Of Heart's Delight: Orchards To Hard Drives In The San Jose Mercury News, Megan Lynn Alpers

Master's Theses

This research was conducted to explore how the San Jose Mercury News (formerly San Jose Mercury Herald) covered the Santa Clara Valley's transition from an agricultural community known as "The Valley of Heart's Delight" to Silicon Valley, focusing on the changes made in the reporting of farm and ranch news.

The time period surveyed in this thesis is from 1935 to 2000. The purpose was to establish any changes to reporting agricultural news over the years. A social history of agricultural journalism in the San Jose Mercury News over a 65-year period provided insight into how the farming industry was …

The Major Histocompatibility (Mh) Genes: Somatic Mutation And Mate Choice In Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha), Leila Helou

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An analysis of a library consisting of major histocompatibility (MH) class I A1 and class II B1 sequences for Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) identified mutation clusters or "hotspots" in the sequence, as well as identical mutations occurring independently. This suggests that the MH genes in Chinook salmon undergo somatic mutation. In sperm competition experiments jacks sired a higher proportion of eggs than hooknose males. Furthermore, an analysis of variance indicated that cryptic female choice had occurred. To further investigate this, I genotyped parents and offspring at the MH class I and class II peptide binding region to determine whether the …

The Effects Of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes On Plant Growth, Matthew Ray

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nanotechnology is not only being used to enhance commercial goods but the research into the use of nanomaterials as soil and groundwater remediation options has been underway for some time. The research to date suggests that once CNTs have been taken up by humans, or other species they may cause inflammation, oxidative stress, cell damage, or adverse effects on cell performance. However, when considering the interactions between CNTs and plants cells or developing plants the outcomes are less certain and may be counterintuitive. Interactions between developing plants seem to show neutral or positive short-term effects. Research conducted thus far shows …

Isotopic Analysis Of Arctic Ground Squirrel Tissues And Potential Food Sources, Julee Shamhart

Master's Theses and Capstones

Given limited knowledge of the food sources of Arctic ground squirrels, an important arctic prey species, it is difficult to predict the implications of changes in food source availability that could result from climate change. I hypothesized that Arctic ground squirrels at two colonies, Atigun and Toolik, would have similar feeding habits and mushrooms would contribute to their diet The Arctic ground squirrels at Toolik had significantly higher del15N (3.7 per mill difference) and del13C values (1.3 per mill difference) than those at Atigun. Mixing models indicated that the signatures observed in the Atigun hair could result from a combination …

Addition Of Varying Amounts Of Sodium Bicarbonate To Colostrum Replacer: Effects On Igg Absorption, Serum Bicarbonate, And Hematocrit In Neonatal Calves, Rosemarie G. Cabral

Master's Theses and Capstones

Fifty-two calves were assigned to a randomized complete block design and were randomly assigned by block to one of four treatments: colostrum replacer with no sodium bicarbonate, colostrum replacer with 15g of sodium bicarbonate, colostrum replacer with 30g of sodium bicarbonate, and colostrum replacer with 45g of sodium bicarbonate to test for linear and quadratic effects. Calves were fed colostrum replacer (≥200g of IgG) in one feeding at 0 h and 2L milk replacer at 12, 24, 36, and 48 h. Only calves from multiparous cows, without dystocia, and born in calving pens were used. Sodium bicarbonate had a negative …