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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Alteration Of Behavior By Desert Bighorn Sheep From Human Recreation And Desert Bighorn Sheep Survival In Canyonlands National Park: 2002 - 2010, Kanalu K. Sproat
Alteration Of Behavior By Desert Bighorn Sheep From Human Recreation And Desert Bighorn Sheep Survival In Canyonlands National Park: 2002 - 2010, Kanalu K. Sproat
Theses and Dissertations
Human encroachment into wilderness areas can influence the persistence of wildlife populations by decreasing and degrading habitat, displacement, and decreasing survival. For bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), some human activities are detrimental, causing both physiological stress and habitat abandonment. Between 1979 and 2000, human recreation has increased over 300% in areas occupied by desert bighorn sheep (O. c. nelsonii) in southeastern Utah. We investigated if an increase in human activity in areas used by bighorns affected their behavior. We observed 34 bighorn sheep using focal-animal sampling for >14 hrs to compare time spent grazing and scanning between areas of high and …
Post-Fire Soil Water Repellency: Extent, Severity And Thickness Relative To Ecological Site Characteristics Within Piñon-Juniper Woodlands, Daniel Lewis Zvirzdin
Post-Fire Soil Water Repellency: Extent, Severity And Thickness Relative To Ecological Site Characteristics Within Piñon-Juniper Woodlands, Daniel Lewis Zvirzdin
Theses and Dissertations
Erosion and weed dominance often limit the recovery of burned piñon-juniper woodlands. Soil water repellency (SWR) is one factor that may contribute to this by increasing overland flow and impeding seedling establishment. In spite of these effects, the extent of SWR within piñon-juniper woodlands is unknown. In this study, the extent, severity and thickness of SWR were sampled across 41 1,000 m2 plots within three 2009 Utah wildfires. Predictive models of SWR were built from ecological site characteristic data collected at each site. Across the study, SWR was found at 37% of the points sampled. SWR extent was strongly related …
Influence Of Soil Water Repellency On Post-Fire Revegetation Success And Management Techniques To Improve Establishment Of Desired Species, Matthew D. Madsen
Influence Of Soil Water Repellency On Post-Fire Revegetation Success And Management Techniques To Improve Establishment Of Desired Species, Matthew D. Madsen
Theses and Dissertations
The influence of soil water repellency (WR) on vegetation recovery after a fire is poorly understood. This dissertation presents strategies to broaden opportunities for enhanced post-fire rangeland restoration and monitoring of burned piñon and juniper (P-J) woodlands by: 1) mapping the extent and severity of critical and subcritical WR, 2) determining the influence of WR on soil ecohydrologic properties and revegetation success, and 3) evaluating the suitability of a wetting agent composed of alkylpolyglycoside-ethylene oxide/propylene oxide block copolymers as a post-fire restoration tool for ameliorating the effects of soil WR and increasing seedling establishment. Results indicate that:
• Post-fire patterns …
Beneficial Fungal Interactions Resulting In Accelerated Germination Of Astragalus Utahensis, A Hard-Seeded Legume, Sean D. Eldredge
Beneficial Fungal Interactions Resulting In Accelerated Germination Of Astragalus Utahensis, A Hard-Seeded Legume, Sean D. Eldredge
Theses and Dissertations
Seed germination is pivotal in the life cycle of native plants in a restorative context because initiation of the metabolic processes critical to establishment is key to survival in such a competitive environment. Dormancy characteristics of some native plants including the subject species, Astragalus utahensis, have evolved mechanisms to control germination in order to maintain a seed bank and ensure germination at the right time under optimal conditions. In vitro germination studies confirm beneficial interactions between Alternaria and Aspergillus fungi and Astragalus utahensis seed. Inoculated seed trials (1.0 x 106 spores/mL) exhibited a highly significant difference in percent germination between …