Digital Commons Network^™

From Flames To Forage: How Wildfire Affects Elk Behavior And Abundance, Megan M. Whetzel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) is an ecologically and culturally important wildlife species in the Intermountain West, but it is facing habitat changes caused by increasing fire activity. Wildfire frequency is projected to continue to change into the future, yet increases in annual area burned and increases in area burned at high severity may actually represent opportunities for some species. Large herbivores like elk may benefit from increased access to regenerating areas where forage abundance and quality are often elevated. Therefore, effective management of wildlife populations may depend on quantifying how large ungulates, like elk, alter …

Pedestrian Behavior At Signalized Intersections Throughout Utah, Sadie Boyer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Pedestrians and vehicles interact with each other all over the world. Pedestrian-vehicle interactions are most likely to occur at intersections. One way to streamline these interactions and reduce the number of potential conflicts is by using traffic signals. Signalized intersections were developed to increase the overall safety and efficiency of movements involving motorists and, later, pedestrians (Clark, 2022). The number of signalized intersections is increasing across the country as vehicle volumes increase. This means that pedestrian-vehicle conflicts are also increasing. Pedestrian-vehicle conflicts can have serious, even fatal, consequences if not appropriately managed.

This study was a sponsored project by the …

The Dove's Advantage: Impact Of Gender And Conflict On Executive Approval, Micala H. Gillespie

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Do citizens evaluate female vs. male leaders’ foreign policy decisions differently? The number of countries that have had female leaders continues to expand, but little is known about how domestic audiences reward or punish female (relative to male) leaders for foreign policy choices. This study examines how the gender of a national leader conditions the relationship between their hawkish/dovish ideology and public approval for rapprochement policies in militarized interstate conflicts. Results from time-series cross-sectional data using multiple regression models with fixed effects from 31 countries and 127 leaders show that public approval tends to be lower for women leaders and …

Integrating Black Bear Behavior, Spatial Ecology, And Population Dynamics In A Human-Dominated Landscape: Implications For Management, Jarod D. Raithel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The American black bear (Ursus americanus) has made a robust recovery within the human-dominated, social-ecological systems characterizing the Mid-Atlantic United
States. For example, in northwestern New Jersey (NJ), USA, black bear abundance increased from an estimated 450-500 in 1996 to 3200-3400 in 2010. Bear recovery
coincided with increasing human populations, coupled with shifting settlement patterns toward sprawling suburban communities. Consequently, conflicts have rapidly proliferated over the past three decades and resulted in >1400 incidents of verified property damage, >400 livestock kills, >250 pet attacks and/or kills, seven human attacks and one human fatality since 2001. The New Jersey …

The Behavior And Ecology Of Cursorial Predators And Dangerous Prey: Integrating Behavioral Mechanisms With Population-Level Patterns In Large Mammal Systems, Aimee Tallian

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Driving into Yellowstone National Park for the first time is a moving experience. Gazing over the sweeping landscapes, seeing a geyser erupt 80 feet into the air, and having your first ‘wildlife encounter’, whether that be a 2 ton bull bison aggressively wallowing on his dirt mound, snorting and kicking up dust, or watching a pack of 6 wolves move through a valley off in the distance, pausing to howl in search of their companions. Yellowstone staff wishes to manage our park in a way that preserves these remarkable experiences. In order to effectively manage this dynamic ecosystem, it is …

Ecology, Behavior And Taxonomy Of Anurans From Brazil's Atlantic Forest, Rodrigio Barbosa Ferreira

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Anura is a diverse group with more than 7382 species described, which represents 88% of the species belonging to the Class Amphibia. Anurans are among the first organisms to be affected by environmental stressors, so when they show decline in the wild, it is a warning to other species, including humans. It is alarming that one-third of the world’s anurans are facing extinction. Following the same trend, a substantive portion of the 988 recognized species of the Atlantic Forest have suffered population declines and local extinctions, attributed primarily to habitat changes.

Despite the unique life history characteristics that make amphibians …

Ecology And Behavior Of Coyotes In Urban Environments At Varying Spatial Scales, Sharon A. Poessel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As urban development continues to increase throughout the world, wildlife species, including carnivores, will be affected either positively or negatively. Coyotes (Canis latrans) have learned to efficiently adapt to highly developed areas, and conflicts between humans and coyotes, such as attacks on humans and pets, are increasing. We conducted three studies of urban coyotes to understand the factors affecting habitat use by coyotes so that wildlife managers can reduce human-coyote conflicts. Each study was conducted at progressively larger scales, with the first study at a fine scale using captive coyotes, the second study at a local scale in the …

Effect Of High Intensity Ultrasound On Crystallization Behavior And Functional Properties Of Lipids, Yubin Ye

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The elimination of trans-fatty acids from food formulations has resulted in the search of new lipids and novel processing conditions that can provide optimum functional properties in fats while providing good nutritional properties. High intensity ultrasound (HIU) has been extensively studied on sonocrystallization of lipids since early 2000. Sonocrystallization refers to the induction of crystallization by HIU without generating any chemical changes. This dissertation aims to provide information on the effects of HIU on crystallization behavior and physical properties of different shortenings based on previous sonocrystallization research. Results in this dissertation showed that HIU successfully induced the crystallization of …

Attitudes And Behavioral Intentions Of Eighth-Grade Students Toward Figures Of Varying Body Weight, Erin L. Mcleary

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The current study examined attitudes toward and willingness to interact of 8th grade students toward their peers based on peer weight status. One-hundred-seventy primarily Caucasian, eighth-grade students (72 male, 98 female) from a public elementary school viewed a picture of a potential peer who was either average weight, overweight, or obese. After viewing the figure, participants completed The Adjective Checklist and The Shared Activity Questionnaire-B (SAQ-B. The Adjective Checklist measured attitudes toward obesity and the SAQ-B measured how they would interact with the potential peer in general social, academic, and active recreational situations. It was hypothesized that girls would rate …

An Algorithm To Recognize Multi-Stable Behavior From An Ensemble Of Stochastic Simulation Runs, Eduardo Monzon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Synthetic biological designers are demanding tools to help with the design and verification process of new biological models. Some of the most common tools available aggregate multiple simulation results into one “clean” trajectory that hopefully is representative of the system’s behavior. However, for systems exhibiting multiple stable states, these techniques fail to show all the possible trajectories of the system. This work introduces a method capable of detecting the presence of more than one “typical” trajectory in a system, which can also be integrated with other available simulation tools.

Attentional Factors In Temporal Distortion: The Effects Of Food Availability On Responses Within The Interval Bisection Task, Robert N. Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Time estimation is a process that underlies many complex behaviors. Accurately timed performance depends upon some biological mechanism, which may be revealed by experimental methods. There have been several proposals on the subject of the function of the timing mechanism, some of which have revealed contradictory findings regarding the effect of distraction on timing. Whereas some studies have revealed underestimation (reports of time moving more slowly than it actually is) of the target interval following distracter presentation, others have revealed generalized disruption (no meaningful evidence of timing). The purpose of the present study was to determine whether food presentation for …

Perspective And Practices To Address Rough-And-Tumble Play In The School Setting: A Survey Of School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Teams In Utah, Jason C. Basinger

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Prior research of rough-and-tumble play (RTP) has shown mixed results—different definitions, varying functions, and positive and negative outcomes. Few researchers have studied interventions to address RTP in school settings. With unclear evidence of RTP outcomes and the extent school interventions are addressing RTP in school settings, this study explored the extent and effectiveness of intervention programs being implemented to prevent/reduce negative outcomes of RTP in elementary schools.

A survey was created and conducted with 30 school problem-solving teams in a western state to obtain information concerning RTP in elementary school settings. Teams provided estimated percentages of RTP leading to beneficial …

Analysis Of Irrigation Decision Behavior And Forecasting Future Irrigation Decisions, Sanyogita Andriyas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Farmers play a pivotal role in food production. To be economically successful, farmers must make many decisions during the course of a growing season about the allocation of inputs to production. For farmers in arid regions, one of these decisions on any given day is whether to irrigate. This research is the first of its kind to investigate the probable reasons that lead a farmer to make irrigation decisions and use those reasons/factors to forecast future irrigation decisions. This study can help water managers and canal operators to estimate short-term irrigation demands, thereby gaining information that might be useful to …

Parent Nutrition Education And The Influence On Family Lifestyle Behavior Changes, Kelsey Rich

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Utah State University in the collaboration with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) proposes to develop and implement a program to help families develop healthy eating habits and lifestyle behaviors. Recently, childhood overweight and obesity has reached epidemic proportions. The diseases associated with adult obesity are now being seen in the pediatric population; therefore, there is a call for preventative efforts. A diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in combination with an active lifestyle discourages the presence of obesity. Currently, most childhood obesity prevention efforts have taken place in the school setting and have only had short term …

Cattle Browsing Sagebrush Steppe During Fall: Effects On Plant Community Structure And Influence Of Experience On Cattle Foraging Behavior And Body Weights, Charles A. Petersen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Historic and repetitious spring grazing by livestock, combined with altered fire regimes, has increased the density and abundance of big sagebrush and reduced the frequency of perennial grasses and forbs on many western landscapes. Periodic disturbance is critical for maintaining and improving sagebrush ecosystems. Compared with traditional disturbances – chemical, mechanical, and fire – strategic grazing with livestock offers several benefits. They include creating locally adapted cattle that can rejuvenate sagebrush steppe, which reduces costs associated with mechanical and chemical rejuvenation treatments and feeding cattle during winter, the major cost of ranch operation.

I evaluated the practicality of strategically timed …

Livestock Foraging Behavior In Response To Sequence And Interactions Among Alkaloids, Tannins, And Saponins, Tiffanny L. Jensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

During the past several decades, people worldwide have expressed a growing interest in reconstructing ecosystems to enhance ecological, economic, and social values. Yet, to do so we must find ways to enhance biodiversity, environmental quality and the sustainability of grazing lands. In all these instances, plants are the glue that binds soils, water, herbivores, and people. However, monocultures or simple grass-legume mixtures are not always ideal for intensively managed pastures due to their seasonality, susceptibility to pests, and monotony of plant nutrients and toxins. All plants contain so-called “toxins,” more appropriately referred to as secondary compounds, which are crucial in …

The Application Of Instructional Design Principles In The Development Of Sportsmanship Education Software And Its Impact On Children’S Acquisition Of Sportsmanlike Attitudes And Behaviors, Michael J. Petersen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Millions of people participate in sporting events as either athletes or spectators, or both. The presence or absence of sportsmanship they experience can affect them in both negative and positive ways. The purpose of this study was to determine whether schoolchildren who use a computer-based sportsmanship education program would learn and exhibit more sportsmanship than those who did not use the software. It was determined that younger children were more affected by the software than the older children were.

Effects Of Tannin-Containing Feed On Haemonchous Contortus In Sheep And Its Behavioral Implications, Jessica A. Juhnke

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Herbivores prefer foods that supply required nutrients and avoid those with excess nutrients and plant secondary compounds (PSC). Nevertheless, PSC such as condensed tannins can provide beneficial medicinal effects to herbivores. The objectives of this study were to determine: 1) if parasitized lambs increased preference for a tannin-rich food after they experienced the beneficial antiparasitic effects of tannins relative to parasitized lambs that did not experience such benefits, 2) if preference for the tannin-containing food in the former group decreased when parasite burdens subsided, and 3) if the tannin-enriched food decreased parasitic burdens.

Twenty-two lambs were familiarized with beet pulp …

Reducing Reliance On Supplemental Winter Feeding In Elk (Cervus Canadensis): An Applied Management Experiment At Deseret Land And Livestock Ranch, Utah, Dax L. Mangus

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wildlife managers have fed elk in North America for nearly 100 years. Giving winter feed to elk can compensate for a shortage of natural winter range and may boost elk populations while also helping prevent commingling with livestock and depredation of winter feed intended for livestock. In contrast to these benefits of supplemental feeding, there are economic and environmental costs associated with feeding, and elk herds that winter on feeding grounds have a higher risk of contracting and transmitting disease. Brucellosis is of primary concern now, and Chronic Wasting Disease may be in the future. Many see the discontinuation of …

Ecology And Conservation Of Cougars In The Eastern Great Basin: Effects Of Urbanization, Habitat Fragmentation, And Exploitation, David C. Stoner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research was designed to investigate cougar response to urbanization, habitat fragmentation, and exploitation from behavioral, demographic, and landscape perspectives. The source-sink model has been proposed as an alternative framework for the management of exploited cougar populations. I addressed the basic question of whether cougars conform behaviorally to the predictions of the source-sink model, and consequently, the applied question of whether the model could be used for the conservation of this species. To achieve this I evaluated three scale-specific questions using radio-telemetry and hunter-harvest data collected from 1996-2010. At the subpopulation scale, I tested the hypothesis that cougars are wildland …

Labyrinth Weirs, Brian Mark Crookston

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Labyrinth weirs are often a favorable design option to regulate upstream water elevations and increase flow capacity; nevertheless, it can be difficult to engineer an optimal design due to the complex flow characteristics and the many geometric design variables of labyrinth weirs. This study was conducted to improve labyrinth weir design and analyses techniques using physical-model-based data sets from this and previous studies and by compiling published design methodologies and labyrinth weir information.

A method for the hydraulic design and analyses of labyrinth weirs is presented. Discharge coefficient data for quarter-round and half-round labyrinth weirs are offered for sidewall angles …

Identifying Motivations To Encourage Women To Adopt Positive Financial Behaviors, Megan E. Rowley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Seventeen women between the ages of 25 and 54 who self-identified as having made a positive financial change within the past two years were interviewed in four focus groups. Participants were asked to identify their motivations for financial behavior change.

The analysis of this research data indicated the participants in this study progressed through the stages of change in Prochaska's Transtheoretical Model while making personal financial changes. Factors such as emotion, family influence, and life transition helped many women move from earlier stages (Precontemplation, Contemplation) to later stages (Preparation, Action) of change. Although participants utilized a wide variety of first …

A Comparative Study To Identify Factors Affecting Adoption Of Soil And Water Conservation Practices Among Smallhold Farmers In The Njoro River Watershed Of Kenya, Steven P. Huckett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Natural resource conservation is important for human well-being, especially in fragile environments of developing countries. This study occurred in 2006 among 6,500 smallhold farmers residing along a 25-km segment of a heavily utilized river. Research objectives were to determine use and adoption constraints for 14 soil and water conservation practices (SWCPs). Farms were reportedly contributing to a decline in river water quality via soil erosion. Recent occupation of the upper watershed by immigrants magnified concerns that resource degradation could escalate. A multi-method approach incorporating quantitative surveys, qualitative interviews, and participant observation was used to interpret constraining factors within the biophysical …

Identifying And Understanding The Spatial Distribution Of Bobcat And Coyote Behavior, Ryan Radford Wilson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A common observation in animal space use studies is that animals do not use space uniformly, but rather use some areas of their home ranges and territories with much higher intensity than others. Numerous methods have been developed to estimate these "core areas"; however, all of the current methods available are based on arbitrary rules. Additionally, most studies do not attempt to understand what behavioral processes lead to the observed patterns of non-uniform space use. This study has four main objectives: 1) to develop an objective and more precise method for estimating core areas, 2) to understand the processes leading …

Pullout And Tensile Behavior Of Crimped Steel Reinforcement For Mechanically Stabilized Earth (Mse) Walls, Oscar Ernesto Suncar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many research studies made on hundreds of MSE walls have shown that in order to get lower values of lateral earth pressure coefficients from an active condition on the backfill soil, thus lower exerted loads and stresses on the reinforcement, the wall needs to yield. This is typical of extensible polymer-based wall systems, such as geosynthetics. Steel systems, on the other hand, are very rigid and do not allow enough deformation on the wall to generate the active condition.

For this research, steel reinforcement for MSE walls that behaves similar to geosynthetics was developed. This was done by using crimps …

The Impact Of Knowledge, Attitudes, And Peer Influence On Adolescent Energy Drink Consumption, Alyson C. Ward

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adolescents are labeled as sensitive to caffeine, though despite this predisposition, consumption is high among this population. Energy drinks are a current trend in soft-drink-like beverages and are marketed to 11-35 year olds. However, unlike soft drinks, energy drinks are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, and therefore do not have to limit their caffeine content.

This cross-sectional, correlational study sought to identify the role that knowledge, attitudes, and peers play in adolescent energy drink consumption. Adolescents (n = 199), ages 18 to 21, at a university in the west were surveyed. Descriptive statistics revealed that 25% …

The Effects Of Social Status And Learning On Captive Coyote (Canis Latrans) Behavior, Lynne Barbara Gilbert-Norton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many canids live within hierarchical social systems that could promote differences in learning or in behavior between ranked individuals. Differences in foraging and territorial behavior have been observed between ranked coyotes (Canis latrans), yet effects of learning and social status on coyote behavior are not thoroughly understood. I explored a) coyote response to an artificial scent boundary and whether response differed by status, b) how foraging coyotes tracked temporal resource change, and c) how coyotes find spatially distributed food, and the effect of dominance on foraging behavior. I used male/female pairs of captive coyotes at the National Wildlife Research Center …

Brief Application Of Contingent Reversals: Treatment Utility In Increasing Appropriate Classroom Behaviors, Jaclyn King Knapp

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Identifying positive behavioral interventions for students who display disruptive behavior in the classroom has become a critical issue for schools due to the high frequency of these behaviors and recent changes in legislative requirements. To address this issue, the present study investigated the utility of brief experimental analysis approach as a means to identify the most efficient and effective interventions for three students displaying problem behaviors in the classroom. By using a multi-element design, the brief experimental analysis was conducted by randomly applying interventions for three common functions of problem behavior in the classroom: teacher attention, peer attention, and escape …

Naive Prey Versus Nonnative Predators: A Role For Behavior In Endangered Species Conservation, Stephanie A. Kraft

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fish are one of the most imperiled groups of vertebrates worldwide. Threats to fish fall into one of four general categories: physical habitat loss or degradation, chemical pollution, overfishing, and nonnative species introductions. Nonnative predatory fish often have a devastating impact on native prey, especially with endemic fish, whose restricted distribution and often limited evolutionary history with predators make them particularly susceptible to nonnative predators. One reason nonnative fish are often so efficient predators is that the native fish do not recognize the predator as a threat. Although many studies have examined the role of predator odor recognition, no fish …

Centering Pregnancy And Traditional Prenatal Care: A Comparison Of Health Practices, Kaylynn Shakespear

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Centering Pregnancy is an alternative method of providing prenatal care with increased education and social support with health assessment in a group setting. This study, a cross-sectional, correlational, convenience-sample design, sought to determine the difference between women who receive prenatal care in Centering Pregnancy prenatal care and those in traditional prenatal care in regards to health behaviors. Adult pregnant women (n = 125) were surveyed from at least 28 weeks gestation. The sample comprised primarily White low-income women. Using multiple linear regression, it was determined that women in Centering Pregnancy had significantly lower index health behavior scores compared with …