Life Sciences Commons^™

Evaluation Of Masculinization Treatments To Produce Feminized Hemp Seed (Cannabis Sativa L.), Ted Fitzgerald, J. Wyatt Brown

Master's Theses

Cannabis sativa L. (hemp) develops plants with either male or female flowers, and growers of hemp greatly prefer female flowers which bear the glandular trichomes that contain cannabinoids. Feminized (all female) seeds are highly desired, which are produced by crossing a female plant with a masculinized female plant. Masculinization is achieved through the inhibition of ethylene and/or addition of gibberellins before flower initiation in female plants. The hemp industry uses silver thiosulfate (STS) to masculinize hemp, but spraying silver poses environmental concerns. This study compared STS to three other ethylene-inhibiting agents: aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG), cobalt nitrate (CBN), and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP). Treatments …

Sensory Stressors Impact Species Responses Across Local And Continental Scales, Ashley A. Wilson

Master's Theses

Pervasive growth in industrialization and advances in technology now exposes much of the world to anthropogenic night light and noise (ANLN), which pose a global environmental challenge in terrestrial environments. An estimated one-tenth of the planet’s land area experiences artificial light at night — and that rises to 23% if skyglow is included. Moreover, anthropogenic noise is associated with urban development and transportation networks, as the ecological impact of roads alone is estimated to affect one-fifth of the total land cover of the United States and is increasing in space and intensity. Existing research involving impacts of light or noise …

Santa Rosa Island Restoration Study: Fog Fences Vs. No Fences, Aimee Newell, Stephen Bednar, Kathryn Mceachern

STAR Program Research Presentations

Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, was grazed by cattle, sheep, pigs, elk, and deer for 154 years, degrading the island’s vegetation and causing erosion. In 1998, the livestock were removed, and in 2011 the remaining big game animals were removed, allowing ecosystem recovery to begin. This study evaluated growth of two native species planted in 2016, at the cloud forest restoration site on the Soledad Ridge. Baccharis pilularis (coyote brush) was planted as nursery stock from 2-inch pots, while Quercus pacifica (island scrub oak) was planted as sprouted acorns. The plants were watered with drip irrigation 2016-2018, …

An Albino Mutant In Brassica Rapa Maps To The Pdx2 Locus On Chromosome 10, Beatriz M. Garcia

STAR Program Research Presentations

We have identified an albino mutant in the plant Brassica rapa. This recessive mutation could provide insights into the photosynthetic pathways of all plants. Previously the mutation was mapped to chromosome 10 of Brassica rapa. To narrow down the chromosomal region containing the albino mutation, we grew a segregating population of plants. DNA was extracted from albino and wildtype (green) plants and genotyped using PCR markers on chromosome 10. The genotype detected using the INDEL2 marker perfectly predicted whether a plant was albino or WT. This indicates that the INDEL2 marker is tightly linked to the albino mutation. INDEL2 is …

Effect Of Evapotranspiration Rate On Almond Yield In California, Dafne Isaac Serrano

Master's Theses

Since 2011, California has been under drought conditions. These conditions have not only affected water availability for farmers, but also production. California’s second most valuable crop, almonds, has been affected by drought conditions. This study used three models (Model 1-3) to describe almond yield variability from year to year and almond yield variability within a year in Kern County, CA. The study evaluated 185 almond farms that were classified in three locations (east side, west side and north west side). The years of the study were 2011 (wet year) and 2013-2015 (drought condition years). Model 1 determined a functional regression …

Tof-Sims Analysis Of Plant Seed Interactions With Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria, Tammy Pheuphong, Rachel Komorek, Xiao-Ying Yu

STAR Program Research Presentations

The use of time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) in plant biology is a relatively unexplored and quickly developing field. The majority of research in plant SIMS involves the application of ToF-SIMS to study dried wood tissues, and only a handful of studies apply SIMS on plant stems, roots, and/or seeds. Our project provides a brief description and review of previous work using SIMS on plant stems, roots, and/or seeds, along with an emphasis on the sample preparation in each study. Additionally, the use of Brachypodium distachyon (Brachypodium) as a model system for research on grasses has also become more …

Converting Agricultural Lesson Plans To Be Common Core Compliant For Grades 3-5, Hattie Kaymarie Jameson, Brittany Rose Withnell

Agricultural Education and Communication

There are few Common Core approved lesson plans for teachers to incorporate into traditional science programs in California. The Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom (AITC) program provides K-12 educators lesson plans with an agricultural focus. Only 13 out of 45 of the lesson plans that the California AITC website offers are Common Core approved (Learn About Ag, 2017).

Agricultural literacy is valuable to consumers, can lead to careers in agriculture, and can create a greater understanding of the world and of science for students. The agricultural lessons give students a real life relationship with what they are learning and …

The Population Genetics Of Morro Bay Eelgrass (Zostera Marina), Julia Gardner Harencar

Master's Theses

Seagrass populations are in decline worldwide. Zostera marina (eelgrass), one of California’s native seagrasses, is no exception to this trend. In the last 8 years, Morro Bay, California has lost 95% of its eelgrass. Eelgrass is an ecosystem engineer, providing important ecosystem services such as sediment stabilization, nutrient cycling, and nursery habitats for fish. The failure of recent restoration efforts necessitates a better understanding of the causes of eelgrass decline in this estuary. Previous research on eelgrass in California has demonstrated a link between population genetic diversity and eelgrass bed health, ecosystem functioning, and resilience to disturbance and extreme climatic …

Ultramafic Geoecology Of South And Southeast Asia, M.L. Galey, A. Van Der Ent, M.C.M. Iqbal, N. Rajakaruna

Biological Sciences

Globally, ultramafic outcrops are renowned for hosting foras with high levels of endemism, including plants with specialised adaptations such as nickel or manganese hyperaccumulation. Soils derived from ultramafic regoliths are generally nutrient-deficient, have major cation imbalances, and have concomitant high concentrations of potentially phytotoxic trace elements, especially nickel. The South and Southeast Asian region has the largest surface occurrences of ultramafic regoliths in the world, but the geoecology of these outcrops is still poorly studied despite severe conservation threats. Due to the paucity of systematic plant collections in many areas and the lack of georeferenced herbarium records and databased information, …

Araucaria In The Urban Landscape: A Novel Leaning Pattern And Evidence Of Cultivated Hybridization, Jason W. Johns

Master's Theses

Our understanding of the natural world is constantly evolving and strengthening as more observations are made and experiments are performed. For example, we understand that tree stems grow toward the light (positive phototropism; Darwin 1880, Loehle 1986, Christie et al. 2013) and against gravity (negative gravitropism; Knight 1806, Hashiguchi et al. 2013). We also know that plants respond to mechanical stimulus and perturbation (thigmotropism; Braam 2005). Genes and their resulting proteins have been described to uncover some of the mechanisms for these environmental responses, but relatively speaking, we have just scratched the surface (Wyatt et al. 2013). While the discovery …

Studying The Effects Of Serpentine Soil On Adapted And Non-Adapted Species Using Arduino Technology, Kiana Saniee, Edward Himelblau, Brian Paavo

STAR Program Research Presentations

Abstract: Serpentine soils are formed from ultramafic rocks and are represent an extreme environment for plants. Serpentine soils are unique in that they carry high concentrations of heavy metals, are nutrient deficient, particularly in calcium, and have poor water retention capabilities. Although these soils constitute harsh conditions for plant growth, there are a number of species that are adapted and even endemic to serpentine soil. Water retention by commercial potting mix was compared with serpentine soil. Also, serpentine adapted and non-adapted species were grown in both soil treatments and physiological data were collected. We used the Arduino electronic platform to …

The Effects Of Foliar Nutrient Applications On Split, Yield, And Internal Fruit Quality Of 'Wonderful' Pomegranate (Punica Granatum L.), John Matthew Chater

Master's Theses

Fruit split is the most important physiological disorder in pomegranate production, causing devastating crop losses worldwide. Foliar nutrient applications have been used experimentally to mitigate pomegranate fruit split but none have been conducted using the industry standard cultivar, Wonderful, and little is known about the effects of foliar nutrient applications on pomegranate. Additionally, investigations into putative health benefits of pomegranate fruit have increased interest in its production but limited evidence exists regarding effects of agricultural practices such as foliar fertilizer applications on internal fruit quality. ‘Wonderful’ pomegranate trees at 2 commercial orchards were treated with foliar applications of ZnSO_{4 …}

Production And Harvest Of Microalgae In Wastewater Raceways With Resource Recycling, Alexander Colin Roberts

Master's Theses

Microalgae can be grown on municipal wastewater media to both treat the wastewater and produce feedstock for algae biofuel production. However the reliability of treatment must be demonstrated, as well as high areal algae productivity on recycled wastewater media and efficient sedimentation harvesting. This processes was studied at pilot scale in the present research.

A pilot facility was operated with nine CO₂-supplemented raceway ponds, each with a 33-m² surface area and a 0.3-m depth, continuously from March 6, 2013 through September 24, 2014. The ponds were operated as three sets of triplicates with two sets continuously fed …

The Pioneer Of Santa Rosa Island, Andrea Martinez, Michael Perez, Kathryn Mceachern, Sarah Chaney, Ken Niessen

STAR Program Research Presentations

Santa Rosa Island which is part of the Channel Islands in California has a ranching history that goes as far back as the year 1843. While rich in history, the island is no longer “rich” in native plant populations due to the sheep, cattle and other livestock that once occupied the island. As a result of these grazers that the ranchers livelihood depended on, a great disturbance in the native plant population took place. It is up to plants such as Baccharis pilularis, commonly known as Coyote brush, to assist these endangered and threatened plants to once again flourish …

A Preliminary Study Of The Role Of Nickel In Enhancing Flowering Of The Nickel Hyperaccumulating Plant Alyssum Inflatum Nyár. (Brassicaceae), R. Ghasemi, Z. Zare Chavoshi, R.S. Boyd, Nishanta Rajakaruna

Biological Sciences

Alyssum inflatum is a native of serpentine soils and is able to hyperaccumulate nickel (Ni), but the importance of Ni to reproduction in the species is unknown. We investigated if reproductive fitness is enhanced by Ni in the growth medium, and included a treatment involving a relatively high level of Mg to provide a comparison with elevated levels of another metal. Seedlings were grown in a modified Hoagland solution culture in an inert medium of Perlite and were treated with Ni (100 μM), a high concentration of Mg (5 mM), or under control conditions (solution culture without Ni or the …

Additional Lichen Records And Mineralogical Data From Metal-Contaminated Sites In Maine, Ian D. Medeiros, Alan M. Fryday, N. Rajakaruna

Biological Sciences

Geochemistry and mineralogy of rocks play important roles in the occurrence of individual lichen species and assembly of lichen communities. Whereas lichens of metal-enriched settings have been a focus of study for many decades, only a few such lichen inventories exist for North America. We reexamined the lichen biota of Pine Hill, a serpentine outcrop on Little Deer Isle, Maine and Callahan Mine, a copper-and zinc-enriched Superfund site in Brooksville, Maine by conducting additional field surveys and reexamining unidentified taxa from previous collections. To better characterize the substrates upon which the lichens were found, we conducted elemental analyses via x-ray …

Census And Mapping Of Chorro Creek Bog Thistle In Reservoir Canyon, San Luis Obispo, Ca, Tyler Michael Lutz

Biological Sciences

Chorro Creek bog thistle (Cirsium fontinale var. obispoense) is a federally endangered variety of Fountain thistle endemic to western San Luis Obispo County. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service knows of nineteen populations, many with multiple colonies. A population was discovered in the Reservoir Canyon Natural Reserve in 2001, but has not been monitored or described since the time of its discovery. In fall of 2013, a census of the population was performed, the four colonies were mapped, and a floristic survey was conducted. A field experiment was initiated to determine if reducing the riparian canopy coverage can …

The Influence Of Hydrogeomorphology, Soil Redox Conditions, And Salinity On The Spatial Zoning Of Saltgrass, Salt Rush, And Cattails In Scotts Creek Marsh, Swanton Pacific Ranch, Ca, Mark D. Gormley

Master's Theses

Scotts Creek Marsh (SCM) is a small coastal wetland ecosystem in Davenport, CA. The vegetation of SCM is dominated by three halophytic zones comprised of saltgrass, salt rush, cattails. The objectives of the study were (i) to investigate the variables that influence the zoning of the three dominant halophyte communities in SCM and (ii) to the test the effectiveness of Indicator of Reduction in Soil (IRIS) tubes to indicate the reduction of S. The study examined the following parameters from April 6 to July 21, 2013: (i) the HGM of Scotts Creek Marsh, (ii) soil oxidation and reduction (redox) conditions, …

Survey Of Suitable Plants For Cal Poly's Green Wall, Katrina Burritt

Horticulture and Crop Science

Green wall technology is a growing industry in the United States and has been very successful for a several years throughout Europe. The objective of this survey was to study the success of several different species of plants on a vertical wall facing south at Cal Poly’s Horticultural Department Unit. At first the focus was aimed at using California native species, because it was thought that natives would be better acclimated to the exposure in this specific location. It became apparent that plants should not be selected for the wall based just on the fact that they are California natives. …

High School Horticulture Curriculum, Margaret Maratsos

Horticulture and Crop Science

Horticulture is just one of the many topics covered in a high school agriculture curriculum, and yet, there are very few lesson plans or resources available to teachers for these classes specifically. The objectives of this project were to compile a set of lesson plans, lab plans, and tests that would emphasize interactive and investigative learning. The lesson plans were written in such a way that they reflected a certain set of standards, set down by the state of California, and were meant to serve as a bare outline of topics that would be discussed within a week’s worth of …

The Invasion Of California Grasslands: Past, Present, And Future Implications, Danielle Simone Caziarc

Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Botanical Report Of Tierra Redonda Mountain Blm Area Of Critical Environmental Concern, San Luis Obispo County, California (W120˚59’41”; N35˚45’59”)., Anthony Baniaga, Andrew Theo Fitanides

Biological Sciences

The purpose of this document is to report the results of a botanical survey of a portion of the Tierra Redonda Mountain Area of Critical Environmental Concern. The survey was conducted for the Bureau of Land Management, and executed between October 2009 and June 2010. Tierra Redonda Mountain is the type locality for the Tierra Redonda formation, and has weathered to form steep slopes of exposed chaparral and protected woodlands. Four general community types were found; foothill woodland, chaparral, southern coastal scrub and dune scrub. Alliances determined by The Manual of California Vegetation (2nd ed.) were: Quercus douglasii Woodland, Quercus …

Techniques For Triggering Germination Of Adenostoma Fasciculatum In Revegetation Projects At Rocky Canyon Quarry, Stephanie B. Scolari

Master's Theses

Rocky Canyon Quarry is a granite mine located in the Santa Lucia Mountains about 5 miles southeast of the city of Atascadero. The Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA), which passed in 1975, dictates that California mines must rehabilitate lands disturbed by mining operations. Dr. V. L. Holland and his students in the Biological Sciences Department at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) have been working on restoration and revegetation of the Rocky Canyon Quarry since the early 1990’s.

Adenostoma fasciculatum (chamise) dominates the chaparral communities (chamisal chaparral) found in Rocky Canyon. Chamise is the most common …