Life Sciences Commons^™

Ground, Proximal, And Satellite Remote Sensing Of Soil Moisture, Ebrahim Babaeian, Morteza Sadeghi, Scott B. Jones, Carsten Montzka, Harry Vereecken, Markus Tuller

T.W. "Doc" Daniel Experimental Forest

Soil moisture (SM) is a key hydrologic state variable that is of significant importance for numerous Earth and environmental science applications that directly impact the global environment and human society. Potential applications include, but are not limited to, forecasting of weather and climate variability; prediction and monitoring of drought conditions; management and allocation of water resources; agricultural plant production and alleviation of famine; prevention of natural disasters such as wild fires, landslides, floods, and dust storms; or monitoring of ecosystem response to climate change. Because of the importance and wide-ranging applicability of highly variable spatial and temporal SM information that …

Greenhouse- And Field-Measured Plant-Soil Feedbacks Are Not Correlated, Leslie Forero, Josephine Grenzer, Johannes Heinze, Conrad Schittko, Andrew Kulmatiski

Ecology Center Publications

Plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs) have become a commonly invoked mechanism of plant coexistence and abundance. Yet, most PSF experiments have been performed in greenhouse conditions. To test whether or not greenhouse-measured PSF values are of similar magnitude and positively correlated with field-measured PSFs, we compared PSF values from five different studies that measured PSF values in both greenhouse and field conditions. For 36 plant species, greenhouse-measured PSF values were larger than and not positively correlated with field-measured PSF values. Similarly, these 36 species produced 269 soil-specific PSF values, and for each site there was no positive correlation between these greenhouse- and …

Unclogging The Pipeline: Advancement To Full Professor In Academic Stem, Helga Van Miegroet, Christy Glass, Ronda R. Callister, Kimberly Sullivan

Ecology Center Publications

Purpose: Women remain underrepresented in academic STEM, especially at the highest ranks. While much attention has focused on early-career attrition, mid-career advancement is still largely understudied and undocumented. This paper analyzes gender differences in advancement to full professor within academic STEM at a mid-size public doctoral university in the western US, before and after the NSF-ADVANCE Program (2003-2007).

Methodology: Using faculty demographics and promotion data between 2008 and 2014, combined with faculty responses to two waves of a climate survey, the magnitude and longevity of the impact of ADVANCE on mid-career faculty advancement across gender is evaluated.

Findings: This study …

Extension-Based Community Engagement Project Contributions To Landscape Architecture Core Competencies And Professional Values, Ole Sleipness, Jake Powell, David Anderson, David Evans, Roslynn Mccann, Shuolei Chen

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

This study evaluates the contribution of Extension-based community engagement design projects to the development of core technical competencies and professional values in the landscape architecture program at Utah State University. Many university design programs--including landscape architecture--employ community engagement to address local and regional design dilemmas. Programs within traditional agriculture schools often frame these activities as contributory to their institutions' land-grant missions. Engaged scholarship is well enumerated within the literature of landscape architecture. However, little has been published on how Extension facilitates these engagements or its contribution to the development of core competencies and professional values. Utah State University's (USU) landscape …

Defending Behavior Of Peer Victimization In School And Cyber Context During Childhood And Adolescence: A Meta-Analytic Review Of Individual And Peer-Relational Characteristics, Ting-Lan Ma, Diana J. Meter, Wei-Ting Chen, Yen Lee

Human Development and Family Studies Faculty Publications

Adolescent defending of peer victimization in the school and cyber context has received increased attention in developmental science and is an important component of antibullying interventions. However, the overall prevalence, and individual characteristics that correlate with defending in adolescence, have not been systematically and statistically reviewed. Framed in Bronfenbrenner’s social-ecological theory, this meta-analytic review included 172 reports out of 155 studies of defending including 150,978 children and adolescent participants from 4 continents (i.e., North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia) to analyze two aspects: (1) the average proportion of defenders in the population and (2) associations between defending and individual and …

Detecting Soil Macrofauna Using Ground-Penetrating Radar, Melanie N. Stock, David J. Hart, Nicholas J. Balster

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Fossorial amphibians spend up to ten months belowground, but research into this critical habitat has been impeded by a lack of noninvasive detection methods. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR), however, offers a promising tool because amphibians have theoretically strong electromagnetic (EM) contrasts relative to the soil matrix, and thus potentially high detectability. The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate GPR by (2) experimentally-inducing three soil thermal regimes that promote stratification in the burrowing depths of 15 Eastern American Toads (Anaxyrus americanus americanus) during the winter of 2011–2012 in Madison, WI, USA. We calculated reflectability and established the unique …

Greater Sage-Grouse Translocations: The Science Behind Utah's Conservation Policy, Michel Kohl, Melissa Chelak, Terry Messmer

All Current Publications

This fact sheet discusses the history of translocating greater sage-grouse in Utah. This includes information on protocols, success rates, and genetic implications.

Identifying And Preventing Porcupine Damage To Trees, Michael R. Kuhns, Megan Dettenmaier, Jessica Tegt

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes the basic ecology and behavior of the porcupine and identifies ways to determine if porcupines are damaging trees on your property. We explain specific techniques for protecting trees and property from porcupine damage.

A Guide To Municipal Water Conservation Pricing In Utah, Eric C. Edwards, Sara A. Sutherland

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides information on the use of price to encourage water conservation in Utah.

Strawberry Cultivars For The Intermountain West - Research Report, Tiffany Maughan, Brent Black, Shengrui Yao, Robert Flynn

All Current Publications

This fact sheet reports on a strawberry cultivar trial conducted at New Mexico State University’s Alcalade facility.

Landscaping For Season Long Color, Jaydee Gunnell, Sheriden M. Hansen, Linden Greenhalgh, Holly Christley

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes plants that can give landscapes color all season long with blooms in spring, summer, fall and winter interests. It includes a listing of trees, shrubs, perennials, vines, ground covers, bulbs, and ornamental grasses.

Spotted Lanternfly [Lycorma Delicatula (White)], Lori R. Spears, Ann Mull

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes spotted lanternfly, an invasive planthopper that is native to China and first detected in the U.S. in 2014. It includes information on plant hosts, damage symptoms, life history, monitoring, and management,

Minimizing Regrowth When Removing Russia Olive = Points To Consider, Dennis Worwood, Ron Patterson, Steve Price

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides the results of a variety of trials conducted to gain a greater understanding of the patterns of Russian olive regrowth and determine management practices that reduce the regrowth potential of mechanically-removed Russian olive.

Vegetable Irrigation: Leafy Greens, Dan Drost, Tiffany Maughan

All Current Publications

Different irrigation methods are commonly used to irrigate leafy greens, each with different management considerations. Furrow irrigation is quite common but many growers are converting to use drip irrigation to save water, improve plant growth, and optimize productivity. Regardless of the irrigation system used, there are some basic principles to understand that will help ensure proper irrigation. This fact sheet discusses these basic principles.

Leadership Keys: Unlocking Doors To Success, Cindy Nelson

All Current Publications

This leadership curriculum is designed to teach leadership skills to adolescents using the leadership keys theme and fun, hands-on activities. The five lessons are intended to be used in a series, but lessons and activities may be successfully used individually.