Life Sciences Commons^™

Common Raven Density And Greater Sage-Grouse Nesting Success In Southern Wyoming: Potential Conservation And Management Implications, Jonathan B. Dinkins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Declines in the distribution and abundance of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter "sage-grouse") in western North America over the past century have been severe. The goal of my research was to increase the understanding of factors influencing where sage-grouse hens placed their nests, how common ravens (Corvus corax: hereafter "raven") impacted sage-grouse nest success, and whether high raptor densities negatively impacted hen survival of sage-grouse. I compared raven and raptor densities at sage-grouse nest and brood locations to available habitat. I also assessed how sage-grouse positioned their nests and broods relative to proximity to man-made structures, …

Importance Of Grass-Legume Choices On Cattle Grazing Behavior And Performance, Brody Todd Maughan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Livestock production systems have emphasized low diversity of high-producing forage species dependent upon costly fossil-fuel inputs. However, diversity of plants in natural systems is common, and diverse plant communities enable herbivores to meet needs for nutrition and health. Plants provide herbivores with nutrients and bioactive compounds – plant secondary compounds (SCs), which at appropriate concentrations can reduce internal parasites and greenhouse gas emissions, improve nutrient utilization and enhance meat quality in ruminants. In addition, SCs confer plants more resistance to environmental challenges such as drought or pests.

With my MS program, I sought to explore foraging behavior in cattle grazing …

Effects Of Inorganic Nutrients And Dissolved Organic Carbon On Oxygen Demand In Select Rivers In Northern Utah, Joseph L. Crawford

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Our nation’s waterways are a valuable resource whose quality is influenced by their surroundings as well the amount of nutrients (largely nitrogen and phosphorus) in the water. Nutrients play an important role in aquatic ecosystems; however, if nutrient levels become too high, it is detrimental to water quality. Excess fertilizer that runs off of agricultural land and into the rivers and streams is a common source of nutrients in our waterways. Other sources of nitrogen and phosphorus include effluent released from wastewater facilities.

There are many negative side effects of high nutrients in the water. They can create large algal …

Legacy Effects Of Habitat Degradation By Lesser Snow Geese On Ground-Nesting Savannah Sparrows Along The Hudson Bay Lowlands, Stephen L. Peterson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Little is known of the direct and indirect legacy of Lesser Snow Goose (LSGO) habitat degradation in northern Canada on the biodiversity of other avian species. It is believed that a human-induced trophic cascade caused in part by agricultural habitat modification along migratory routes and wintering grounds has contributed to the increase in LSGO numbers, which has resulted in increased foraging pressure by LSGO on northern breeding and stopover sites. This habitat degradation may lead to decreased abundance and richness of Arctic / sub-Arctic avian species across landscapes that LSGO utilize and degrade.

Here we evaluated the annual change in …

Modeling Usa Stream Temperatures For Stream Biodiversity And Climate Change Assessments, Ryan A. Hill

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Stream temperature in one of the most biologically important aspects of water quality, but we lack temperature information for the vast majority of streams within the USA. Stream temperature can be influenced by several types of landscape and waterway alteration including upstream urbanization, agriculture, and reservoir releases. Stream temperatures are also expected to be affected by climate change over the next
century. We need to know how stream temperatures vary naturally, how they are influenced by human activity, and how they will respond to climate changes to effectively manage stream ecosystems. I used data from several thousand streams within the …

Mule Deer And Wildlife Crossings In Utah, Usa, Megan Schwender

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) negatively impact wildlife populations and create dangerous driving situations for motorists. In Utah, USA, mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) encounter a variety of hazards as they attempt to cross highways and interstates, some of which are 8 lanes wide. Agencies have sought to mitigate the risks posed to drivers and mule deer by building crossing structures for wildlife. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of crossing structures in Utah to safely pass mule deer under highways and to determine the variables that best explain mule deer passage use. From 2008 - 2011 …

Development Of Sediment Budgets At Multiple Scales, Susannah O'Brien Erwin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Channel morphology in alluvial rivers is determined by the flow of water and sediment, and the characteristics of the materials making up the channel boundary. Many modern river management problems depend upon our ability to predict channel behavior in response to changes in the delivery of water or sediment. Sediment delivery to a river may be altered by natural or human-caused changes, such as changes in land use in the watershed, construction and operations of dam, forest fires, or climate change. Understanding and predicting the effects of these alterations is important because changes in sediment supply and transport may alter …

Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat Selection And Use Patterns In Response To Vegetation Management Practices In Northwestern Utah, Stephanie E. Graham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) are a sagebrush obligate species and an indicator of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitat quality. Sage-grouse populations have declined across western North America. Fragmentation of landscapes and habitat loss have been identified as factors that negatively impact sage-grouse populations. Wildfires can increase the distribution of invasive plants and contribute to fragmentation and habitat loss across sagebrush ecosystems. Greenstripping has been identified as a technique to reduce the threat of wildfire and subsequent spread of invasive species. Forage kochia (Bassia prostrata) is a semi-shrub that contains a high moisture content year-round, high …