Life Sciences Commons^™

Restoration Strategies For Wetlands In The Arid West: Seeding And Planting Approaches For Lakeshore Ecosystems, Jes Braun

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Wetlands are widely recognized for their valuable benefits such as providing habitat, improving water quality, and reducing the impacts of flooding. However, wetlands face threats from development, drought, and invasive species. This is particularly apparent in the arid west, where upstream water use and drought make water scarcer and contribute to dramatically changing water levels. Here, I investigated revegetation techniques for lakeshore wetlands, using Utah Lake as a case study. Although recent management efforts have minimized invasive Phragmites cover, the desired plant communities are not returning as quickly as needed, highlighting the need to research restoration techniques. Through my research, …

An Overview Of Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis In Utah, With A Focus On Boreal Toads And Their Changing Conservation Status, Samantha A. Beirne

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The Boreal Toad (Anaxyrus boreas) has disappeared from a large portion of its range in southern Utah and it has been questioned whether Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd, also known as chytrid) has played a role in its disappearance. The role of chytrid in range contraction of Boreal Toads and other amphibians in Utah is unknown. The primary objective of this project is to determine if any historic Boreal Toad specimens have chytrid to determine its arrival in Utah. If any old specimens test positive, the secondary goal of this study is to determine if there is a relationship between …

Contribution Of A Novel Obligatory Heterofermentative Nonstarter Lactobacillus Species To Late Gassy Defect In Cheddar Cheese, Fatih Ortakci

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Cheddar cheese is usually aged for 3 to 24 months at temperatures ranging from 5 to 13°C. Ripening at elevated temperatures hastens the process, reducing manufacturing costs and enabling manufacturers to bring the product to market more quickly. However, cheeses ripened at elevated temperatures sometimes exhibit late gassy defect that may cause a textural defect, commonly referred to as slit defect. This results in crumbling and
losses during cutting of as much as 50%, making slit defect a major economic issue in the cheese industry. Moreover, loose or blown cheese packages are unsuitable for sale in the supermarkets due to …

Factors Contributing To The Conservation Of Phacelia Submutica (Boraginaceae), A Threatened Species In Western Colorado: Reproductive Biology And Seed Ecology, Alicia M. Langton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Conservation and recovery plans for rare species require biological and ecological information to discern how they may be susceptible to human disturbances. Phacelia submutica is a threatened annual species in western Colorado. Human activities including energy development, recreation, and livestock grazing are occurring within the species’ range. To provide conservation practitioners with a scientific basis for management, this research aimed to elucidate elements of the species’ ecology. Chapter 2 describes the reproductive biology of P. submutica. Potential insect pollinators were not observed during two years of observations. Floral traits and development ensure self-pollination and reduce the likelihood that insects …

A Data-Intensive Assessment Of The Species Abundance Distribution, Elita Baldridge

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

One of the most commonly observed patterns in ecology is the fact that at most locations there are a large number of relatively rare species, composed of only a few individuals per species, and a small number of relatively common species. This pattern of commonness and rarity is quantified by the species abundance distribution. As one of the most commonly observed patterns in ecology, it has been studied intensively for over 100 years.

A major emphasis of this research has been developing models to try to understand the forces that generate such a general pattern. As a result, there are …

An Ecological/Life History Comparison Of Two Whitefish Species In Bear Lake, Utah/Idaho, Brett W. Thompson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ecological traits of the endemic Bear Lake whitefish Prosoopium abyssicola and the Bonneville whitefish prosopium silonotus were investigated. Spatial distributions indicated distinctive differences in depth contour preference. Catch per unit effort data indicated that Bonneville whitefish prefer shallow depths and warmer water temperatures, whereas Bear Lake whitefish prefer deep, cold water.

Diet differences between the two species were large. Differences in both age distribution and growth rate patterns were also observed. The Bonneville whitefish population was predominantly composed of juvenile age classes. Very large adults reached ages of 12-14 years. Bear Lake whitefish exhibited a different population structure with few …

Genetic Relationships Between Two Rare Plant Species, Aliciella Caespitosa And A. Tenuis, And Their Putative Progenitor, A. Subnuda, Carrie L. Mccracken

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Isolated populations have potential to become new species that should have less genetic variation than their ancestors. Small populations are more likely to lose genetic variation, which is, thus, expected to be greater in ancestors. Aliciella caespitosa and A. tenuis, two endemic species, may be derived from small populations of A. subnuda, a widespread species. Chloroplast DNA sequences were used to test this hypothesis. Allozyme data were used to compare genetic variation and numbers of alleles. Chloroplast data do not support the proposed relationships between A. subnuda and the other two species. Allozyme data were not more variable …

Factors Affecting The Sprouting Response Of Woody Caatinga Species And Their Implications For Improved Caatinga Management, Linda Howell Hardesty

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In northeast Brazil grazing is a major use of much of the semiarid woodlands (caatinga). Animal production is limited by lack of dry season forage, primarily deciduous tree leaves. Management is constrained by the persistence of undesirable trees that sprout from the stump (coppice). This study evaluates the possibility of manipulating coppicing trees to improve caatinga management, particularly dry season forage production.

The season of cutting can influence coppicing. Trees were cut early and late in the wet and dry seasons. After two years, trees of all species cut in the late wet season produced less biomass than those cut …

The Effect Of Various Environmental Factors On The Growth Of A Red Pigmented Dunaliella Species From The Great Salt Lake, Sam Oeun May

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A red, obligately halophilic Dunaliella species believed to be D. salina was isolated from the North Arm of the Great Salt Lake, Utah, and its optimum growth conditions were determined.

The red pigmented Dunaliella species required an optimum NaCl concentration of 10%, temperature 28°C, and an illuminance of 7500 lux. Ammonium carbonate was preferred over potassium nitrate and ammonium chloride. Potassium nitrate was preferred over ammonium chloride. The average division (generation) time under the above conditions was 46.5 hours.

The alga grown in ammonium carbonate showed a lower content of chlorophyll a compared to those grown in potassium nitrate and …

The Role Of Vegetation Architecture In Determining Spider Community Organization, Cynthia L. Hatley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The relationships between vegetation architecture and spider community attributes were examined in a big sage (Artemisia tridentata) community. Spiders were separated into guilds using similarities of species' hunting behavior. Shrub architecture was experimentally manipulated in the field by either clipping 50% of a shrub's foliage to decrease foliage density or tying together a shrub's branches to increase foliage density.

Temporal patterns of spider species density, diversity (H') and evenness (J') showed midsummer peaks in both 1974 and 1975. Seasonal spider guild trends reflected the temporal prominence of a member species or genus. These temporally abundant species appeared to …

Importance Of Legumes, Especially The Trifolium Species, In Range Improvement, Abdelhai A. Ibnattya

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This paper analyzes the most important characteristics of legumes, which have led to their utilization in range improvement all over the world. It emphasizes the Trifolium spp. (esteemed among the legume family), their contributions to soil a n d forage improvement, and the success obtained from their utilization, especially in semi-arid ranges. Many references originally from Australia, United States, Morocco, and Portugal were used as sources of data because of the ample utilization of these species in these countries. Careful analysis related to requirements, potentialities, and production of clovers were used and recommendations were made for different ecological areas where …

Plant Demographic Studies Of A Desert Annuals Community In Northern Utah Dominated By Nonnative Weedy Species, David R. Duba

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Field and laboratory investigations were conducted relating to factors controlling distribution and abundance of annual species growing in a disturbed portion of the salt desert shrub zone on fine-textured soils. Dominant species on the site in the two study years were the nonnative, Halophytic, late-summer maturing, Halogeton glomeratus (Bieb.) C.A. Mey., and Bassia hyssopifolia (Pall.) Kuntze. Contrasting amounts of precipitation were received in the two years; in 1974, spring conditions were so dry that two early-maturing, sub-dominant annuals, Descurainia pinnata (walt.) Britton, and Lepidium perfoliatum L. were essentially absent. They successfully reproduced under more favorable 1975 conditions.

Studies on species …

Aquatic Invertebrate Consumption By The Major Fish Species In The Blacksmith Fork River, Theodore F. Meyers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Exponential rates of digestion are described for brown trout and whitefish for July, October, December (1969), and April (1970). The slope of the line fitted to the digestion data from each month was defined as the instantaneous rate of digestion and applied to an exponential growth model to determine the instantaneous consumption rate.

The digestion and consumption rates were applied to field measurements of percent fullness to determine the amount of food material ingested during a 24 hour period. Brown trout consumed 127, 24, 19, and 84 mean percent of their stomach capacity in the July, October, December, and April …

A Study Of The Biology Of The Species Of Protocalliphora In The Northern Wasatch Range, Terry L. Whitworth

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A total of 733 bird nests, representing 55 species from 23 habitats, was examined. Forty-nine percent of the nests of 39 bird species were infested with 16 species of Protocalliphora.

Infestation of bird nests by Protocalliphora is believed to be related to a number of factors, which are discussed. Loosely constructed nests, nests heavily saturated with feces, and nests occupied early in the season had low rates of infestation. Nests of colonial birds were more frequently infested than those of solitary birds. Nests of some birds were rarely or never infested.

Sixteen species of Protocalliphora are differentiated and their …

The Anatomical And Morphological Effects Of Dcpa On Seedlings Of Selected Species Of Plants, Bijan Shaybany

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Seeds of oat, green foxtail, squash and tomato were germinated in soil treated with different levels of DCPA (dimethyl 2, 3, 5, 6-tetrachlorote-rephthalate). The concentrations used varied according to the sensitivity of the plants to the chemical.

The response of oat and foxtail to DCPA was similar. The growth of booth root and shoot was reduced. This reduction was directly related to the concentration of DCPA. Anatomical studies showed that cells in the shoot and root meristems of treated plants were completely disarranged and that some of the cells of these regions were hypertrophied. Some clumping of nuclei was observed …

Life Cycles Of Three Species Of Eimeria From The Uinta Ground Squirrel, Spermophilus Armatus, Kenneth S. Todd Jr.

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A study of the coccidia of the Uinta ground squirrel, Spermophilus (Citellus) armatus, was undertaken to determine the incidence of coccidia in a population of these ground squirrels, the life cycle and pathogenicity of the coccidia, and the host specificity of certain of the species of coccidia found in this and five other species of ground squirrels (S. richardsoni, S. variegatus, S. lateralis, S. columbianus, and S. beecheyi).

Uinta ground squirrels were live trapped and their feces examined to determine the incidence of coccidian infection. Specimens of S. armatus were maintained in the laboratory and given a pure inoculum of …