Life Sciences Commons^™

Does The Conversion Of Grasslands To Row Crop Production In Semi-Aridareas Threaten Global Food Supplies, David E. Clay, Sharon A. Clay, Kurtis D. Reitsma, Barry H. Dunn, Alexander J. Smart, Gregg G. Carlson, David Horvath, James J. Stone

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

In the world's semi-arid regions, high crop demands have produced short term economic incentives to convert food production on native grasslands to dryland row crop food production, while genetic enhancements and equipment have reduced the risk of crop failure. The objectives of this paper were to discuss (1) the importance of considering the long-term sustainability of changing land use in semi-arid regions; (2) the impact of extreme climatic events on ecosystem functioning; and (3) factors contributing to higher crop yields in semi-arid regions. Semi-arid regions contain fragile areas where extreme climate events may be a tipping point that converts an …

A New Perspective On Trait Differences Between Native And Invasive Exotic Plants, A. Joshua Leffler, Jeremy J. James, Thomas A. Monaco, Roger L. Sheley

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Functional differences between native and exotic species potentially constitute one factor responsible for plant invasion. Differences in trait values between native and exotic invasive species, however, should not be considered fixed and may depend on the context of the comparison. Furthermore, the magnitude of difference between native and exotic species necessary to trigger invasion is unknown. We propose a criterion that differences in trait values between a native and exotic invasive species must be greater than differences between co-occurring natives for this difference to be ecologically meaningful and a contributing factor to plant invasion. We used a meta-analysis to quantify …

Disease And Predation: Sorting Out Causes Of A Bighorn Sheep (Ovis Canadensis) Decline, Joshua B. Smith, Jonathan A. Jenks, Troy Grovenburg, Robert W. Klaver

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Estimating survival and documenting causes and timing of mortality events in neonate bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) improves understanding of population ecology and factors influencing recruitment. During 2010–2012, we captured and radiocollared 74 neonates in the Black Hills, South Dakota, of which 95% (70) died before 52 weeks of age. Pneumonia (36%) was the leading cause of mortality followed by predation (30%). We used known fate analysis in Program MARK to estimate weekly survival rates and investigate the influence of intrinsic variables on 52-week survival. Model {S1 wk, 2–8 wks, .8 wks} had the lowest AICc (Akaike’s Information Criterion corrected for …

The Journal Of Undergraduate Research: Volume 12

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

This is the complete issue of the South Dakota State University Journal of Undergraduate Research, Volume 12.

Benchmark Survey, Sdsu Extension

SDSU Extension Reports

In 2011, SDSU Extension faced significant state and federal budget cuts (FY2012), which meant the concept of a traditional Extension system would not be financially feasible. In response to these cuts, SDSU Extension implemented a new staffing model, reorganized into eight Regional Extension Centers and emphasized a web-based delivery system through www.iGrow.org. How did these changes impact SDSU Extension’s ability to support its land-grant mission to provide educational programs that strengthen agriculture and natural resources, families and communities? To find out, SDSU Extension contracted with a third-party marketing firm to interview 400 crop and livestock producers throughout South Dakota. The …

Greater Polar Moment Of Inertia At The Tibia In Athletes Who Develop Stress Fractures, Lee A. Weidauer, Teresa Binkley, Matthew Vukovich, Bonny Specker

Health and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Several previous investigations have determined potential risk factors for stress fractures in athletes and military personnel.
Purpose: To determine factors associated with the development of stress fractures in female athletes.
Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.
Methods: A total of 88 female athletes (cross-country, n ¼ 29; soccer, n ¼ 15; swimming, n ¼ 9; track and field, n ¼ 14; volleyball, n ¼ 12; and basketball, n ¼ 9) aged 18 to 24 years were recruited to participate in a longitudinal bone study and had their left distal tibia at the 4%, 20%, and 66% sites …

A Community-Based Exercise Intervention Transitions Metabolically Abnormal Obese Adults To A Metabolically Healthy Obese Phenotype, Lance C. Dalleck, Gary Van Guilder, Tara B. Richardson, Donald L. Bredle, Jeffery M. Janot

Health and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Lower habitual physical activity and poor cardiorespiratory fitness are common features of the metabolically abnormal obese (MAO) phenotype that contribute to increased cardiovascular disease risk. The aims of the present study were to determine 1) whether community-based exercise training transitions MAO adults to metabolically healthy, and 2) whether the odds of transition to metabolically healthy were larger for obese individuals who performed higher volumes of exercise and/or experienced greater increases in fitness. Methods and results: Metabolic syndrome components were measured in 332 adults (190 women, 142 men) before and after a supervised 14-week community-based exercise program designed to reduce …

The Effectiveness Of Telemedicine For Weight Management In The Move! Program, April D. Ahrendt, Kendra K. Kattelmann, Thomas S. Rector, David A Maddox

Health and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

PURPOSE: To examine the effectiveness of videoconferencing technology for delivering comprehensive weight management treatment.
METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted by extraction of data from medical records for the years 2008-2010. The treatment included a series of 12 weekly MOVE!® classes delivered using videoconferencing. Data were extracted from the time of baseline weight to 1 year after baseline weight for the MOVE! participants (n = 60) and from a concurrent control group (n = 60) that did not participate in MOVE! treatment.
FINDINGS: Results indicated that the MOVE! group lost weight while the control group gained weight, resulting in …

Growing South Dakota (Winter 2014), College Of Agriculture &. Biological Sciences

Growing South Dakota (Publication of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences)

This issue contains the SDSU Agricultural Experiment Station 2013 Annual Report

[Page] 2 The World’s First: Collaborative Effort Produces Multi-Hybrid Planter To Advance Precision Ag
[Page] 4 70 Years Of Data: Ranchers Benefit From Long-Term Grazing Studies
[Page] 6 Better Beef: Fetal Programming Study Analyzes Effects Of Cow Nutrition On Meat Quality
[Page] 7 Winter College News
[Page] 8 Consumer Sciences, Animal Health, Livestock Marketing: Important Research Continues In These Areas
[Page] 10 Improving Human Health: Role Of Nondigestible Fiber, Antioxidants Studied To Prevent Disease
[Page] 11 Food Safety Focus: Targeting Heat-Resistant Microbes To Improve Dairy Products
[Page] 12 Engineering …

Dairy Digest 2014, South Dakota State University Dairy Club

Dairy Digest

No abstract provided.

The Jackrabbit Dairy Review, Vikram Mistry

The Jackrabbit Dairy & Food Review

No abstract provided.

South Dakota Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (Prams)-Like 2014 Data Report, Bonny Specker, Wei Bai, Teresa Binkley, Tianna Beare, Kriston Koepp, Maggie Minett, Loralie Peterson, Lee Weidauer, Howard Wey

Ethel Austin Martin Program Publications

The health status of South Dakotans is commonly reported from public health surveillance surveys. Surveys such as the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) provide information that is used by policy makers, public health professionals, advocacy groups, health care organizations, and others to develop initiatives to improve the health of the population. South Dakota has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the U.S., ranking in the bottom half of states, yet there are little data available on factors that influence health behaviors and attitudes of mothers that can ultimately influence birth outcomes. The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System …

Fire Type Classification In The Brazilian Tropical Moist Forest Biome, Sanath Kumar Sathyachandran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Brazilian Tropical Moist Forest Biome (BTMFB) is “Earth’s greatest biological treasure and a major component of the earth system” and forest degradation and deforestation by fire is a serious issue in this region. Fires in the BTMFB can be broadly classified as maintenance, deforestation and forest fire types. Spatially and temporally explicit information on the incidences of fire types are important as they have widely varying atmospheric emissions and ecological impacts. Satellite based remote sensing is a practical means of monitoring the BTMFB that spans almost 4 million km2. However, there has been no way to reliably …

Environmental Variables Measured At Multiple Spatial Scales Exert Uneven Influence On Fish Assemblages Of Floodplain Lakes, Daniel J. Dembkowski, L.E. Miranda

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

We examined the interaction between environmental variables measured at three different scales (i.e., landscape, lake, and in-lake) and fish assemblage descriptors across a range of over 50 floodplain lakes in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley of Mississippi and Arkansas. Our goal was to identify important local- and landscape-level determinants of fish assemblage structure. Relationships between fish assemblage structure and variables measured at broader scales (i.e., landscape-level and lake-level) were hypothesized to be stronger than relationships with variables measured at finer scales (i.e., in-lake variables). Results suggest that fish assemblage structure in floodplain lakes was influenced by variables operating on three different …

Phenology Of Annulus Formation In Walleye And Smallmouth Bass Otoliths, Brianna J. Graff, Daniel J. Dembkowski, Melissa R. Wuellner

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Walleye Sander vitreus and smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu were sampled monthly (May-October) from Lake Sharpe, South Dakota during 2006 and 2007 to estimate the timing of otolith annulus formation and to evaluate the influence of fish age, sex, and sample location (walleye only) on the timing and detection of annulus formation. Timing of annulus formation was evaluated using marginal increment analysis. Walleye samples were stratified by age, sex, and sample location (i.e., upper and lower Lake Sharpe) and smallmouth bass samples were stratified by age and sex. Monthly mean marginal increment measurements for both species generally increased from May to …

Gape:Body Size Relationship For Smallmouth Bass, Craig L. Schake, Daniel J. Dembkowski, Melissa R. Wuellner

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

The types and sizes of prey fishes consumed by predatory fish often are limited by gape dimensions of the predator (Slaughter and Jacobson 2008). In general, the size of prey consumed is positively related to predator size when prey are available across a wide range of sizes (Werner and Hall 1974). Opportunistic predators with large gape dimensions, such as smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), may consume a wide range of prey types and sizes, thereby exerting top-down influences on prey population dynamics and potentially restructuring aquatic communities (e.g., Werner and Hall 1974, Jackson 2002). Although feeding ecology of smallmouth bass varies …

Bed-Site Selection By Neonatal White-Tailed Deer In Central North Dakota, Brian A. Schaffer, Jonathan A. Jenks, Troy Grovenburg, William F. Jensen

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Understanding bed-site selection and vegetation characteristics provides valuable information for population management (Verme 1977, Huegel et al. 1985a, Nelson and Woolf 1987). Predation and other natural-caused mortalities of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) neonates are most likely to occur within the first 60 days of life; a time period when selected habitat characteristics are vital to survival (Verme 1977, Huegel et al. 1985a, Nelson and Woolf 1987, Grovenburg et al. 2010). Prior to the study of Grovenburg et al. (2010), limited research had been completed on bed-site selection of neonatal white-tailed deer in the grasslands of the Northern Great Plains. In …

Wetland Issues Affecting Waterfowl Conservation In North America, Heath M. Hagy, Scott C. Yaich, John W. Simpson, Eduardo Carrera, David A. Haukos, W.Carter Johnson, Charles R. Loesch, Fritz A. Reid, Scott E. Stephens, Ralph W. Tiner, Brett A. Werner, Greg S. Yarris

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

This paper summarises discussions by invited speakers during a special session at the 6th North American Duck Symposium on wetland issues that affect waterfowl, highlighting current ecosystem challenges and opportunities for the conservation of waterfowl in North America. Climate change, invasive species, U.S. agricultural policy (which can encourage wetland drainage and the expansion of row-crop agriculture into grasslands), cost and competition for water rights, and wetland management for non-waterfowl species were all considered to pose significant threats to waterfowl populations in the near future. Waterfowl populations were found to be faced with significant threats in several regions, including: the Central …

Identification Of Differential Agronomic Traits In Early Stage Teosinte, Flint, Dent, And Sugar (Sweet) Corn Varieties In Competition With Weeds, S.A. Hansen, S. A. Clay, David Horvath, S. Flint-Garcia

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Weed competition reduces corn yield. Today’s corn monoculture relies heavily on herbicide inputs to maintain yield. However, teosinte, corn’s ancestor, was successfully grown in mixed production systems. Harnessing genes and traits that allow teosinte to be a better competitor but which may have been lost during corn domestication could help producers reduce herbicide inputs and maintain yield. The first step to finding those genes is to identify varieties of corn and lines of teosinte that have a higher tolerance of weeds or greater weed suppressive ability. Five introductions of teosinte and 14 varieties of corn (including dent, heritage, and sweet …

Identifying Promising New Falcata Alfalfa Populations For Use In Semiarid Rangelands, Derek Kannenberg

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a valuable crop worldwide. In addition to its use as forage, the nitrogen fixation capabilities of root nodules make it a valuable component for improving soil health. Unfortunately, the semi-arid region of the Northern Great Plains introduces a number of environmental stresses that are detrimental to stand establishment and persistence. The ability to produce adventitious shoots from roots is generally considered a favorable trait for increasing stress resistance. This study aimed to identify alfalfa populations possessing the ability to produce adventitious shoot from root segments. Seven Plant Introductions (PIs), selected from the National Plant …

A Comparison Of Corn Yield Forecasting Models, Nicholas Jorgensen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to compare and analyze several different yield forecasting methods. The study analyzes corn yields in Ohio and South Dakota for the years 1986 through 2012. A base model, with a trend and state dummy variable is developed. Two competing models, one with objective variables and one with subjective variables, are then developed as additions to the base model. The competing objective model is developed by adding accumulated growing degree days (GDD) and accumulated rainfall variables. The competing subjective model is developed by adding a USDA crop conditions index (CCI) variable. The models are estimated …

Developing A Survey To Measure School Wellness Policy Engagement Among School Administrators, School Staff And Parents, Tara J. Pratt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: As a means to combat the childhood obesity epidemic, congress enacted the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. This act required all school districts participating in the Healthy School Lunch or Breakfast Program to create and implement a school wellness policy. In 2010 the Healthy, Hunger- Free Kids Act required additional components be added to school wellness policies, such as public notification of wellness policy initiatives. There is currently not a survey tool available that measures these new mandate requirements among school administrators, school staff and parents in school wellness policies. Goal: The goal of this research …

Lactational Performance Of Dairy Cows Fed Yeast Derived Microbial Protein In Low And High Forage Diets, Angela Kristia Manthey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of substituting soybean meal products with yeast-derived microbial protein [(YMP) DEMP; Alltech Inc., Nicholasville, KY] in diets containing two forage concentrations. Sixteen Holstein cows (4 primiparous and 12 multiparous) were randomly assigned to a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Diets contained low (LF; 45% of diet DM) or high forage (HF; 65% of diet DM) and YMP at 0 (NYMP) or 2.25% (WYMP) of the diet. The forage mix consisted of 67% corn silage and 33% alfalfa hay (DM basis). …

The Effects Of Maternal Energy Restriction During Mid-Gestation On Growth Performance, Immune Function, And Gene Expression In The Resultant Beef Offspring, Anna Rose Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fetal or developmental programming evaluates the effects of maternal alterations on the developing fetus and the potential consequences later in life. To understand the effects of mid-gestation energy restriction on beef cows and their calves the objectives of this dissertation were to determine the effects of dietary energy restriction on measurements associated with cow energy status, and the effects on growth performance, the humoral immune response, and subcutaneous adipose tissue gene expression in the resultant beef offspring. Pregnant beef cows were allotted into 2 treatment groups during mid-gestation: 1) fed at maintenance (Positive Energy Status (PES)); or 2) fed just …