Life Sciences Commons^™

Food Availability Modulates Temperature-Dependent Effects On Growth, Reproduction, And Survival In Daphnia Magna, Gustavo S. Betini, Xueqi Wang, Tal Avgar, Matthew M. Guzzo, John M. Fryxell

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Reduced body size and accelerated life cycle due to warming are considered major ecological responses to climate change with fitness costs at the individual level. Surprisingly, we know little about how relevant ecological factors can alter these life history trade‐offs and their consequences for individual fitness. Here, we show that food modulates temperature‐dependent effects on body size in the water flea Daphnia magna and interacts with temperature to affect life history parameters. We exposed 412 individuals to a factorial manipulation of food abundance and temperature, tracked each reproductive event, and took daily measurements of body size from each individual. High …

Interactions With Humans Shape Coyote Responses To Hazing, Julie K. Young, Edd Hammill, Stewart W. Breck

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Medium and large carnivores coexist with people in urban areas globally, occasionally resulting in negative interactions that prompt questions about how to reduce human-wildlife conflict. Hazing, i.e., scaring wildlife, is frequently promoted as an important non-lethal means for urbanites to reduce conflict but there is limited scientific evidence for its efficacy. We used a population of captive coyotes (Canis latrans) to simulate urban human-coyote interactions and subsequent effects of hazing on coyote behavior. Past experiences with humans significantly affected the number of times a coyote approached a human to necessitate hazing. Coyotes that had been hand fed by …

Snowpack Properties Vary In Response To Burn Severity Gradients In Montane Forests, Jordan Maxwell, Samuel B. St. Clair

Aspen Bibliography

Wildfires are altering ecosystems globally as they change in frequency, size, and severity. As wildfires change vegetation structure, they also alter moisture inputs and energy fluxes which influence snowpack and hydrology. In unburned forests, snow has been shown to accumulate more in small clearings or in stands with low to moderate forest densities. Here we investigate whether peak snowpack varies with burn severity or percent overstory tree mortality post-fire in a mid-latitude, subalpine forest. We found that peak snowpack across the burn severity gradients increased 15% in snow-water equivalence (SWE) and 17% in depth for every 20% increase in overstory …

Colorants In Cheese Manufacture: Production, Chemistry, Interactions, And Regulation, Prateek Sharma, Annalisa Segat, Alan L. Kelly, Jeremiah J. Sheehan

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Colored Cheddar cheeses are prepared by adding an aqueous annatto extract (norbixin) to cheese milk; however, a considerable proportion (∼20%) of such colorant is transferred to whey, which can limit the end use applications of whey products. Different geographical regions have adopted various strategies for handling whey derived from colored cheeses production. For example, in the United States, whey products are treated with oxidizing agents such as hydrogen peroxide and benzoyl peroxide to obtain white and colorless spray‐dried products; however, chemical bleaching of whey is prohibited in Europe and China. Fundamental studies have focused on understanding the interactions between colorants …

Antioxidant Activity Of Sesame Seed Lignans In Sunflower And Flaxseed Oils, S. Y. Hadeel, S. A. Khalida, M. K. Walsh

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

This study investigated the antioxidant activity of crude lignan extracts and purified lignans (sesamin, sesamolin, and sesamol) in sunflower and flaxseed oils. Lignan extracts were prepared from roasted sesame seed oil (LRSO) and unroasted sesame seed oil (LUSO). Additionally, the individual lignans were purified from both oils. The crude extracts and purified lignans were added at concentrations of 0.01, 0.02 and 0.03% to the oils and stored at 25 and 65°C over time and peroxide values and thiobarbituric acid values were measured. Each oil showed an increase in oxidation over time, with the samples stored at 65°C exhibiting accelerated oxidation. …

A 100-M-Scale Modeling Study Of A Gale Event On The Lee Side Of A Long Narrow Mountain, Halie Xue, Jian Li, Tingting Qian, Hongping Gu

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

In this study, a gale event that occurred on the lee side of a long narrow mountain was investigated, together with the associated mountain flows, using a realistic-case large-eddy simulation (LES) that is based on the Weather Research and Forecasting Model. The mountain is located on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, where approximately 58 gales occur annually, mostly in the afternoons during the winter season. Benefitting from realistic topography and high horizontal resolution as fine as 111 m, the LES can replicate features similar to the wind fields observed during the gale period. Investigation of the early morning wind structure over …

Zika Virus Infection Causes Temporary Paralysis In Adult Mice With Motor Neuron Synaptic Retraction And Evidence For Proximal Peripheral Neuropathy, John D. Morrey, Alexandre L. R. Oliveira, Hong Wang, Katherine Zukor, Mateus Vidigal De Castro, Venkatraman Siddharthan

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Clinical evidence is mounting that Zika virus can contribute to Guillain-Barré syndrome which causes temporary paralysis, yet the mechanism is unknown. We investigated the mechanism of temporary acute flaccid paralysis caused by Zika virus infection in aged interferon αβ-receptor knockout mice used for their susceptibility to infection. Twenty-five to thirty-five percent of mice infected subcutaneously with Zika virus developed motor deficits including acute flaccid paralysis that peaked 8-10 days after viral challenge. These mice recovered within a week. Despite Zika virus infection in the spinal cord, motor neurons were not destroyed. We examined ultrastructures of motor neurons and synapses by …

Seed‐To‐Seedling Transitions Exhibit Distance‐Dependent Mortality But No Strong Spacing Effects In A Neotropical Forest, Philippe Marchand, Liza S. Comita, S. Joseph Wright, Richard Condit, Stephen P. Hubbell, Noelle G. Beckman

Biology Faculty Publications

Patterns of seed dispersal and seed mortality influence the spatial structure of plant communities and the local coexistence of competing species. Most seeds are dispersed in proximity to the parent tree, where mortality is also expected to be the highest, because of competition with siblings or the attraction of natural enemies. Whereas distance‐dependent mortality in the seed‐to‐seedling transition was often observed in tropical forests, few studies have attempted to estimate the shape of the survival‐distance curves, which determines whether the peak of seedling establishment occurs away from the parent tree (Janzen–Connell pattern) or if the peak attenuates but remains at …

Not All Fuel-Reduction Treatments Degrade Biocrusts: Herbicides Cause Mostly Neutral To Positive Effects On Cover Of Biocrusts, Lea A. Condon, Margaret L. Gray

Ecology Center Publications

In response to increasing fire, fuel‐reduction treatments are being used to minimize large fire risk. Although biocrusts are associated with reduced cover of fire‐promoting, invasive grasses, the impact of fuel‐reduction treatments on biocrusts is poorly understood. We use data from a long‐term experiment, the Sagebrush Steppe Treatment Evaluation Project, testing the following fuel‐reduction treatments: mowing, prescribed fire, and the use of two herbicides: one commonly used to reduce shrub cover, tebuthiuron, and one commonly used to combat cheatgrass, imazapic. Looking at sites with high cover of biocrusts prior to treatments, we demonstrate positive effects of the herbicide, tebuthiuron on lichens …

Docosahexaenoic Acid Consumption Impedes Early Interferon- And Chemokine-Related Gene Expression While Suppressing Silica-Triggered Flaring Of Murine Lupus, Abby D. Benninghoff, Melissa A. Bates, Preeti S. Chauhan, Kathryn A. Wierenga, Kristen N. Gilley, Andrij Holian, Jack R. Harkema, James J. Pestka

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Exposure of lupus-prone female NZBWF1 mice to respirable crystalline silica (cSiO₂), a known human autoimmune trigger, initiates loss of tolerance, rapid progression of autoimmunity, and early onset of glomerulonephritis. We have previously demonstrated that dietary supplementation with the ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) suppresses autoimmune pathogenesis and nephritis in this unique model of lupus flaring. In this report, we utilized tissues from prior studies to test the hypothesis that DHA consumption interferes with upregulation of critical genes associated with cSiO₂-triggered murine lupus. A NanoString nCounter platform targeting 770 immune-related genes was used to assess …

Green And Animal Manure Use In Organic Field Crop Systems, Patrick M. Carr, Michel A. Cavigelli, Heather Darby, Kathleen Delate, Jed O. Eberly, Heather K. Fryer, Greta G. Gramig, Joseph R. Heckman, Ellen B. Mallory, Jennifer R. Reeve, Erin M. Silva, David H. Suchoff, Alex L. Woodley

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Dual‐use cover/green manure (CGM) crops and animal manure are used to supply nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) to organically grown field crops. A comprehensive review of previous research was conducted to identify how CGM crops and animal manure have been used to meet N and P needs of organic field crops, and to identify knowledge gaps to direct future research efforts. Results indicate that: (a) CGM crops are used to provide N to subsequent cash crops in rotations; (b) CGM‐supplied N generally can meet field crop needs in warm, humid regions but is insufficient for organic grain crops grown in …

Ploidy And Clonal Membership In Populus Tremuloides From Radseq Data, James A. Walton, Benjamin Blonder, Karen E. Mock

Browse all Datasets

Ipyrad pipeline parameters files, raw sequence data, barcodes and supporting scripts for clonal and cytotype sample assignment of Populus tremuloides.

Detecting Tree Mortality With Landsat-Derived Spectral Indices: Improving Ecological Accuracy By Examining Uncertainty, Tucker J. Furniss, Van R. Kane, Andrew J. Larson, James A. Lutz

Ecology Center Publications

Satellite-derived fire severity metrics are a foundational tool used to estimate fire effects at the landscape scale. Changes in surface characteristics permit reasonably accurate delineation between burned and unburned areas, but variability in severity within burned areas is much more challenging to detect. Previous studies have relied primarily on categorical data to calibrate severity indices in terms of classification accuracy, but this approach does not readily translate into an expected amount of error in terms of actual tree mortality. We addressed this issue by examining a dataset of 40,370 geolocated trees that burned in the 2013 California Rim Fire using …

Preserving Evolutionary History With Improved Confidence, K. Bodie Weedop, A. Ø. Mooers, C. M. Tucker, William D. Pearse

Ecology Center Publications

We thank Faith (2019) and Mindell (2019) for their insightful perspectives on our study of the impact of phylogenetic imputation on the assessment of evolutionary distinctiveness (ED; Isaac et al., 2007). As Mindell highlights, the finding that ED scores for species on a phylogeny are remarkably robust despite having species missing from that phylogeny is encouraging; our results suggest that we can be confident in moving forward with prioritization of the species for which we have data. This is important because in some cases, for example, it may take considerable time to obtain samples …

Future Climate Change Will Have A Positive Effect On Populus Davidiana In China, Jie Li, Guan Liu, Qi Lu, Yanru Zhang, Guoqing Li, Sheng Du

Aspen Bibliography

Since climate change significantly affects global biodiversity, a reasonable assessment of the vulnerability of species in response to climate change is crucial for conservation. Most existing methods estimate the impact of climate change on the vulnerability of species by projecting the change of a species’ distribution range. This single-component evaluation ignores the impact of other components on vulnerability. In this study, Populus davidiana (David’s aspen), a tree species widely used in afforestation projects, was selected as the research subject under four future climate change scenarios (representative concentration pathway (RCP)2.6, RCP4.5, RCP6.0, and RCP8.5). Exposure components of range change as well …

Past Management Spurs Differential Plant Communities Within A Giant Single-Clone Aspen Forest, Paul C. Rogers, Jan ŠEbesta

Ecology Center Publications

Sustainable aspen ecosystems hold great promise for global biodiversity conservation. These forests harbor relatively high species diversity, yet are threatened by fire suppression, land development, timber-focused management, extended droughts, and chronic herbivory. “Pando” is a high-profile quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) forest in Utah, USA which is putatively the ‘largest living organism on earth.’ Pando comprises an estimated 47,000 genetically identical stems, but is threatened by human impacts. Our interest in the present study is whether changes to the giant organism were affecting understorey vegetation and whether discrete zones are displaying divergent community compositions. For instance, recent research has demonstrated strong …

Variations In Tetrodotoxin Levels In Populations Of Taricha Granulosa Are Expressed In The Morphology Of Their Cutaneous Glands, Pedro Luiz Mailho-Fontana, Carlos Jared, Marta Maria Antoniazzi, Juliana Mozer Sciani, Daniel Carvalho Pimenta, James P. Strange, Taran Grant, Edmund D. Brodie Jr., Edmund D. Brodie Jr.

Biology Faculty Publications

Tetrodotoxin (TTX), one of the most toxic substances in nature, is present in bacteria, invertebrates, fishes, and amphibians. Marine organisms seem to bioaccumulate TTX from their food or acquire it from symbiotic bacteria, but its origin in amphibians is unclear. Taricha granulosa can exhibit high TTX levels, presumably concentrated in skin poison glands, acting as an agent of selection upon predatory garter snakes (Thamnophis). This co-evolutionary arms race induces variation in T. granulosa TTX levels, from very high to undetectable. Using morphology and biochemistry, we investigated differences in toxin localization and quality between two populations at the extremes …

Sage‐Grouse Breeding And Late Brood‐Rearing Habitat Guidelines In Utah, David K. Dahlgren, Terry A. Messmer, Benjamin A. Crabb, Michel T. Kohl, Shandra Nicole Frey, Eric T. Thacker, Randy T. Larsen, Rick J. Baxter

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Delineation, protection, and restoration of habitats provide the basis for endangered and threatened species recovery plans. Species recovery plans typically contain guidelines that provide managers with a scientific basis to designate and manage critical habitats. As such, habitat guidelines are best developed using data that capture the full diversity of ecological and environmental conditions that provide habitat across the species’ range. However, when baseline information, which fails to capture habitat diversity, is used to develop guidelines, inconsistencies and problems arise when applying those guidelines to habitats within an ecologically diverse landscape. Greater sage‐grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage‐ grouse) populations …

Improving Lake Mixing Process Simulations In The Community Land Model By Using K Profile Parameterization, Qunhui Zhang, Jiming Jin, Xiaochun Wang, Phaedra E. Budy, Nick Barrett, Sarah E. Null

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

We improved lake mixing process simulations by applying a vertical mixing scheme, K profile parameterization (KPP), in the Community Land Model (CLM) version 4.5, developed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Vertical mixing of the lake water column can significantly affect heat transfer and vertical temperature profiles. However, the current vertical mixing scheme in CLM requires an arbitrarily enlarged eddy diffusivity to enhance water mixing. The coupled CLM-KPP considers a boundary layer for eddy development, and in the lake interior water mixing is associated with internal wave activity and shear instability. We chose a lake in Arctic Alaska and …

Invasive Phragmites Australis Management Outcomes And Native Plant Recovery Are Context Dependent, Christine B. Rohal, Chad R. Cranney, Eric L. G. Hazelton, Karin M. Kettenring

Ecology Center Publications

The outcomes of invasive plant removal efforts are influenced by management decisions, but are also contingent on the uncontrolled spatial and temporal context of management areas. Phragmites australis is an aggressive invader that is intensively managed in wetlands across North America. Treatment options have been understudied, and the ecological contingencies of management outcomes are poorly understood. We implemented a 5‐year, multi‐site experiment to evaluate six Phragmites management treatments that varied timing (summer or fall) and types of herbicide (glyphosate or imazapyr) along with mowing, plus a nonherbicide solarization treatment. We evaluated treatments for their influence on Phragmites and native plant …

The C-Fern (Ceratopteris Richardii) Genome: Insights Into Plant Genome Evolution With The First Partial Homosporous Fern Genome Assembly, D. Blaine Marchant, Emily B. Sessa, Paul G. Wolf, Kweon Heo, W. Brad Barbazuk, Pamela S. Soltis, Douglas E. Soltis

Ecology Center Publications

Ferns are notorious for possessing large genomes and numerous chromosomes. Despite decades of speculation, the processes underlying the expansive genomes of ferns are unclear, largely due to the absence of a sequenced homosporous fern genome. The lack of this crucial resource has not only hindered investigations of evolutionary processes responsible for the unusual genome characteristics of homosporous ferns, but also impeded synthesis of genome evolution across land plants. Here, we used the model fern species Ceratopteris richardii to address the processes (e.g., polyploidy, spread of repeat elements) by which the large genomes and high chromosome numbers typical of homosporous ferns …

Impacts Of Eutrophication On Benthic Invertebrates & Fish Prey Of Birds In Farmington And Bear River Bays Of Great Salt Lake, Trip Armstrong, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Farmington Bay’s watershed is primarily in the heavily populated metropolitan Salt Lake City, and consequently, it receives approximately 50% of its inflow from nutrient‐ rich wastewater releases. The high nutrient loads make it eutrophic and reducing the loading has been suggested to reduce blooms of toxic cyanobacteria. However, the bay also supports thousands of wading birds and waterfowl, and there is concern that reducing nutrient inflows might reduce the production of bottom‐dwelling insects and other invertebrates that the birds rely upon.

Parsing The Effects Of Demography, Climate, And Management On Recurrent Brucellosis Outbreaks In Elk, Gavin C. Cotterill, Paul C. Cross, Jerod A. Merkle, Jared D. Rogerson, Brandon M. Scurlock, Johan T. Du Toit

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Zoonotic pathogens can harm human health and wellbeing directly or by impacting livestock. Pathogens that spillover from wildlife can also impair conservation efforts if humans perceive wildlife as pests. Brucellosis, caused by the bacterium Brucella abortus, circulates in elk and bison herds of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and poses a risk to cattle and humans. Our goal was to understand the relative effects of climatic drivers, host demography, and management control programs on disease dynamics.

Using > 20 years of serologic, demographic, and environmental data on brucellosis in elk, we built stochastic compartmental models to assess the influences of climate forcing, …

Paving The Way: A Plan For Tackling Urban Forestry Challenges And Gaining Public Support, Lauren Nicole Dupéy, Megan Dettenmaier, Michael R. Kuhns, Darren Mcavoy, Mark W. Brunson

Extension Research

The benefits of urban trees are well known; however, tree roots often damage sidewalks, requiring root cutting, tree removal, and sidewalk replacement. We used alternative materials that allowed for tree retention and sidewalk replacement at two sites in northern Utah. From these projects, we developed a plan to help Extension professionals build support for novel urban forestry techniques and tools by forming collaborative partnerships, conducting public and professional outreach, and evaluating public opinions through the use of drop-off/pick-up surveys. Our project highlights the importance of having a proactive outreach plan when conducting Extension programming that involves new practices and products.

Parsing The Effects Of Demography, Climate And Management On Recurrent Brucellosis Outbreaks In Elk, Gavin C. Cotterill, Paul C. Cross, Jerod A. Merkle, Jared D. Rogerson, Brandon M. Scurlock, Johan T. Du Toit

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

1. Zoonotic pathogens can harm human health and well‐being directly or by impacting livestock. Pathogens that spillover from wildlife can also impair conservation efforts if humans perceive wildlife as pests. Brucellosis, caused by the bacterium Brucella abortus, circulates in elk and bison herds of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and poses a risk to cattle and humans. Our goal was to understand the relative effects of climatic drivers, host demography and management control programmes on disease dynamics.
2. Using >20 years of serologic, demographic and environmental data on brucellosis in elk, we built stochastic compartmental models to assess the influences of climate forcing, …

2019 Costs And Returns For Non-Irrigated Safflower, Northern Utah, Michael Pace, Clark Israelsen, Ryan Larsen, Jacob Hadfield

All Current Publications

This fact sheet presents a sample budget for costs and returns for non-irrigated safflower in northern Utah.

High Tunnel Site Selection, Tiffany Maughan, Dan Drost, Brent Black

All Current Publications

This fact sheet is a step-by-step discussion of considerations that should be made when deciding where to build or move a high tunnel.

High Tensile Permanent Electric Fence, Planning And Design, Matthew Palmer, Eric Thacker, Shannon Cromwell, Kevin Heaton, Kohl Carter

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides detailed information about planning and designing a permanent electric fence.

Fertigation Facts, Kyle Egbert, Matt Yost, Bryce Sorensen, Grant Cardon, Niel Allen, Ryan Larsen

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides general information on forms of fertigation for primary plant nutrient, fertigation timng, and fertigation economics.

Peach Twig Borer Mating Disruption, Marion Murray, Diane G. Alston

All Current Publications

Mating disruption became commercially available in the early 1990s, and was adopted by many Utah growers about a decade later. Use of this pest management technology can be daunting due to high up-front costs and monitoring requirements; however, after two to three seasons of use, the cost of mating disruption is the same or even less than conventional pest management.