Life Sciences Commons^™

The Real Cost Of Beef: A Monetary Assessment Of The Environmental Degradation Caused By Beef Production, Carolyn Babcock

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The environmental degradation caused by beef production is severe. The current literature assesses the ecological damage, but falls short of assigning a per pound dollar amount to reflect the real cost of beef. In the United States, most of the environmental focus has been centered around the use of public lands for grazing and the grazing fee the government considers appropriate. The fee covers the maintenance of the grazing program, which includes maintenance of the actual land. This paper will concentrate on beef-related environmental degradation and select specific damage for monetary valuation.

An Ecological History Of Tintic Valley, Juab County, Utah, Jeffrey A. Creque

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This work was a case study of historical ecological change in Tintic Valley, Juab County, Utah, an area historically impacted by mining and ranching activities common to much of the American West. The temporal framework for the study was approximately 120 years, the period of direct Euroamerican influence. In recognition of the ecological implications of cultural change, however, the impacts of prehistoric and protohistoric human activity on study area landscape patterns and processes were also explicitly addressed.

The study included a narrative description of historic land uses and ecological change in Tintic Valley, and examined the changes in landscape patterns …

A Survey Of Employees Of The United States Department Of Agriculture's Animal Damage Control Program, Susan A. Schroeder

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the attitudes of employees of the United States Department of Agriculture's Animal Damage Control (ADC) Program. This research examined ADC employees' attitudes about wildlife, the ADC program and ADC employment, wildlife damage management methods, euthanasia and the killing process, and the role of various public and private groups on ADC policy. This study also applied the theory of organizational capture to the ADC program to test its utility in explaining the attitudes and behaviors of employees. Results were based on a survey of ADC employees conducted in January 1995.

Survey responses were analyzed to explore associations between …

The Influence Of Forest Fragmentation And Landscape Pattern On American Martens And Their Prey, Christina D. Hargis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Habitat fragmentation occurs when large tracts of an orginal habitat are replaced by smaller patches of two or more habitat types, largely through human activities. I studied the behavior of six measures of landscape pattern that seemed appropriate for quantifying fragmentation, and used these measures to investigate the effects of forest fragmentation on American martens (Martes americana) and their prey. The measures I selected were edge density, contagion, mean nearest neighbor distance between patches, mean proximity index, perimeter-area fractal dimension, and mass fractal dimension. To test the behavior of these measures with a variety of landscape patterns, I …

Second Growth Forest As Potential Marten Habitat In Western Newfoundland: An Examination Of Forest Habitat Structure And Microtine Abundance, Brian R. Sturtevant

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The American marten (Martes americana) is associated with large tracts of relatively undisturbed, mature coniferous forests. I examined coarse woody debris (CWD) structure and small mammal abundance with respect to forest age and stem structure within second-growth forests, in comparison with old-growth stands in western Newfoundland. Results suggest that a critical change in marten habitat quality may occur at stand senescence, due to decreased tree competition, more complex subcanopy structure, and increased meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) abundance.

Analysis of stem structure within a chronosequence of 19 second-growth stands indicated high intertree competition, with dense canopy closure …

Habitat Selection And Movement Of A Stream-Resident Salmonid In A Regulated River And Tests Of Four Bioenergetic Optimization Models, Mark D. Bowen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A bioenergetics model was constructed for stream-resident drift-feeding salmonids. Model predictions of surplus power (energy available per unit time for growth and reproduction) were not statistically distinguishable from observations of surplus power in three laboratory studies. Of 40 experimental trials in these three studies, the model correctly predicted surplus power in 39 cases (p < 0.05).

I collected observations of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) focal velocity and physical habitat availability in the Green River of northeastern Utah, USA (1988-1990). In the winter of 1988, Flaming Gorge Dam generated hydropower and delivered an lJDStable discharge regime with a higher mean discharge …

Mule Deer Highway Mortality In Northeastern Utah: An Analysis Of Population-Level Impacts And A New Mitigative System, Mark E. Lehnert

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Rerouting highways to accommodate construction of the Jordanelle Reservoir in northeastern Utah caused a dramatic increase in vehicle collisions with mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). I evaluated the effectiveness of a new system of highway crosswalk structures installed to reduce deer losses and preserve seasonal migrations. In addition, I constructed computer simulation models to investigate how highway mortality has impacted the Jordanelle deer population.

The crosswalk system restricted deer crossings to specific, well-marked areas along highways where motorists could anticipate them. Subsequent to installation, mortality declined 42.3% and 36.8% along a four-lane and two-lane highway, respectively. I was unable …

Livestock As Seed Disseminators For Reseeding Degraded Rangelands: The Role Of Dung In Gap Formation And Plant Establishment, Brian S. Auman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Livestock (cattle and sheep) were examined as seed disseminators for reseeding degraded Intermountain rangelands. "Hycrest" crested wheatgrass [Agropyron desertorum (Fisch. ex Link) Schult. X A. cristatum (L.) Gaert.] seed was fed to yearling Holstein steers and Suffolk ewes. Dung was collected from each animal type and deposited on plots of high and low densities of an annual [cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.)] and perennial [squirreltail (Sitanion hystrix Nutt.)] grass species. The experiment evaluated the ability of the dung to suppress the resident vegetation, and the recruitment and establishment of Hycrest seedlings emerging from the dung.

Sheep dung had …

Evaluation Of The Delta Waterfowl Foundation's Adopt-A-Pothole Project, Daniel S. Vice

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The establishment of dense nesting cover (DNC) for breeding waterfowl is a common management practice on large blocks of former agricultural land. The Delta Waterfowl Foundation's Adopt-A-Pothole (AAP) program establishes DNC adjacent to small wetland complexes to increase waterfowl use and productivity. I evaluated waterfowl use and nesting success on AAP lease sites in southwestern Manitoba in 993- 94 and compared the relative amount and success of overwater and upland nesting by mallards using these sites.

Diving duck breeding pair densities were higher on treatment sites in both 1993 and 1994 (P = 0.02 and 0.02, respectively). Dabbling duck …

A Test Of An Alternate Calibration Matrix For Niosh Method 7300, Robert T. Vitek

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if the analytical results (when determining cadmium, lead, and zinc concentrations) for air sample filters prepared and analyzed according to N:OSH Method 7300, differ significantly, from those obtained when the instrument is calibrated using EPA Method 200.7 acid matrix standards. The null hypothesis was that no statistically significant difference, measured at the 95% confidence level, would exist between results obtained from the two calibration standards. Careful standard and sample preparation, the use of an internal standard, and the application of working standard and working internal standard correction factors served to isolate the …

Comparison Of Sapling Community Structure In Created And Natural Forested Wetlands In Southeastern Virginia, Sharon Ann Haines

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Forested wetlands are being destroyed at a rapid rate. Wetlands are valuable for flood control, aquifer recharge, and for their role in denitrification and storage of global carbon. When wetlands are lost, their functions and value to humans are lost as well. One response to the continued development of wetlands has been the artificial creation of new wetlands. This study compared the species density, relative density, coverage and frequency of occurrence of the woody vegetation in two southeastern Virginia created wetlands with that in two reference wetlands, also in southeastern Virginia, to determine the structural similarity of their respective communities. …

The Evolution Of International Fisheries Management In The North Pacific Ocean And Prospects For The Future, Paul Augustus Flynn

Theses and Major Papers

The abundant resources of the North Pacific Ocean have been the subject of international disputes and negotiations through the 20th century. The management of species which range throughout this vast area, are not under the jurisdiction of a single state. That fact has required the establishment of a framework in which allocation and conservation measures can be researched and agreed upon. This has been accomplished through various multilateral and bilateral agreements. From the voluntary Japanese suspension of a directed salmon fishery off the coast of Alaska in 1938 to recently completed multilateral treaties, significant advances have been made in Pacific …

Protection Of Marine Fish Habitat: Towards An Integrated Approach To Management, Andrea L. Oliver

Theses and Major Papers

This paper focuses on the problems associated with marine fish habitat protection and conservation at the federal level in the United States. The intent of the study is to provide a general overview of the issues, impacts, management problems and potential solutions. Federal statutory legislation that impacts marine fish habitat and agency authority derived from those legislative mandates are examined with a view toward promoting integrated management for marine biodiversity and overall ecosystem health. The concepts of coordinated and integrated approaches to management are discussed in the context of the present management regimes. Given the fragmented authority over the policy …

Demersal Predator Exposure To Toxic Organic Contaminants: Direct Effects Of Macrofauna In Trophic Transfer, Patrick Winfield Lay

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The bioaccumulation and metabolism of organic contaminants (PAH, PCB) by three estuarine polychaetes, Nereis succinea (Frey and Leuckart 1847), Paraprionospio pinnata (Ehlers 1901) and Polydora ligni (Webster 1879), and by the fish predator, spot (Leiostomus xanthurus Lacepede 1802), were examined in laboratory experiments. Variations in trophic transfer of these contaminants resulting from differences in prey and contaminant type were also investigated. Toxicokinetic modeling reveals that metabolism of organic contaminants by invertebrate species result in variations in uptake, metabolism and elimination rate constants. Incorporation of prey metabolism potential in kinetic models increases the latter's predictability of biota-sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs), or …

Introduced Cyprinid (Carp) Fishes In Western Australia And Their Management Implications, K. R. Breheny

Theses : Honours

Australia has no native cyprinid species and five introduced species have established self-sustaining populations. This study examines the cyprinid species present in Western Australia and estimates their distribution. The potential for introduced cyprinids to cause environmental impacts is explained and ameliorative action recommended. The presence and distribution of cyprinid species is assessed by examination of museum records, published literature, reported collections, anecdotal evidence and sampling of wetland habitats. Two species, Carassius nuratus (Goldfish) and Cyprinus carpio (Koi carp) are believed to have established populations and a map of estimated distribution is compiled. The capacity for introduced carp to undergo sudden …

Lipid Class Composition Of Oysters, Crassostrea Virginica, Exposed To Sediment-Associated Pahs, Tong Li

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Potential For Population Regulation Of The Zebra Mussel, Dreissena Polymorpha, In The Hudson River, Larry C. Boles

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Captive Environmental Influences On Behavior In Zoo Drills And Mandrills (Mandrillus), A Threatened Genus Of Primate, Erik Terdal

Dissertations and Theses

Drills (Mandrillus leucophaeus) are an endangered species of African monkey (Cercopithecidae), and their sole congener the mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) is vulnerable to extinction. Both species are threatened in the wild by deforestation and hunting.

Drills have a poor record of captive reproduction. Many individuals appear to have behavioral deficiencies which interfere with reproduction. Thus, the zoo population of drills does not serve as a “hedge” against the species’ total extinction: drills are endangered in captivity as well as in the wild. Mandrills, by contrast, reproduce well in captivity. Information on the behavior of mandrills in captivity may help zoo managers …

Expression Of The Xenobiotic Transporter P-Glycoprotein In The Mummichog (Fundulus Heteroclitus), Peter S. Cooper

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The mammalian mdr1 P-glycoprotein (Pgp) has been implicated in xenobiotic resistance of drug-resistant cell lines and tumors, and may function in excretion or exclusion of toxic xenobiotics at several sites within the body. Pgp gene family members are expressed in excretory epithelia of several aquatic taxa and may contribute to the survival of pollution-tolerant aquatic animals in contaminated environments. For this reason the expression of Pgp family members was investigated in the livers and liver tumors of creosote-resistant mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) inhabiting a creosote-contaminated site (Atlantic Wood) in the Elizabeth River, Virginia. Expression of members of the Pgp gene family …

Breeding Ecology, Success, And Population Management Of The Piping Plover (Charadrius Melodus) At Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, Virginia, Robert Richard Cross

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Modelling The Effects Of Rehabilitation And Changed Agricultural Practices In A Saline-Affected Rural Catchment, M. K. Heller

Theses : Honours

The Bremer river catchment, on the South-coast of Western Australia, is typical of most river catchments in this region in that it has been seriously affected by sedimentation, salinisation and eutrophication brought on by the gradual dominance of agricultural land management practices. Vegetated rehabilitation and changed agricultural land management practices (ie minimum / zero tillage) have now been widely adopted throughout the catchment in response to these degradation issues. This study examined the potential impact minimum / zero tillage, vegetated rehabilitation and remnant vegetation could have on both a farm and catchment wide scale. A Geographical Information System was developed …

Small Mammal Community Structure In Restored Prairies, Kathleen A. Falout

Masters Theses

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources currently manages approximately 4,000 hectares of natural prairie. High human impacts coupled with small patch size result in challenging management decisions for prairie conservation. The ideal restored prairie would consist of a mosaic of habitats varying in vegetation from forb-grass dominated areas to oak savannas, with concurrent stages of vegetative succession occurring across the habitats. A study was conducted at the Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area located in Vermillion County, IL, to analyze small mammal diversity and community composition among three different stages of prairie restoration.

The three treatment categories were: fallow …