Life Sciences Commons^™

Evaluating Beaver Translocation Methods For Desert River Restoration, Christine E. Sandbach

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wildlife translocation, or moving wild animals from their original home to a new location, is a common conservation practice; however, translocation programs have variable success rates. Beaver translocation is often used in stream restoration projects due to beavers’ role as ecosystem engineers—beavers enhance riparian habitat by building dams that hold water and create more diverse channels. Beaver translocation success is often limited by high mortality and long distance movement after release, and improvement in translocation methods is needed. My objective was to evaluate two methods of improving beaver translocation success in a degraded desert river in east-central Utah: beaver dam …

Population Physiology, Demography, And Genetics Of Side-Blotched Lizards (Uta Stansburiana) Residing In Urban And Natural Environments, Spencer B. Hudson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wildlife populations across the globe are poised to lose their natural habitat to urbanization, yet there is limited information on how different species handle living in cities. Animals in urban environments are often susceptible to novel stressors, which can threaten their individual health and population viability. The physiological characteristics of animals, such as those related to metabolic hormones, oxidative stress, and immunity, are expected to be important for survival in this context. If so, animals persisting in urban areas may demonstrate physiological differences from their natural counterparts, perhaps due to evolutionary change. These potential outcomes have been documented in birds …

A Comparison Of The Ecology Of Resident And Translocated Beavers Used For Passive Restoration In Degraded Desert Rivers, Emma Doden

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ecosystem engineers are species that create, destroy, modify, or maintain habitat. As ecosystem engineers, beavers have the potential to assist in stream restoration. Translocation is the capture and relocation of an animal to another area. Translocation of nuisance beavers has become a popular method to reduce human-wildlife conflict and restore waterways. However, few projects monitor beavers after release and compare behavior to naturally occurring resident beavers. Translocations to desert rivers are also rare. We captured, tagged, and monitored 47 beavers which we translocated to desert river restoration sites on the Price and San Rafael Rivers, Utah, USA. We compared translocated …

Intraspecific Variation In Prey Susceptibility Mediates The Consumptive Effect Of Predation: A Case Study Of Yellowstone Elk And Wolves, Lacy M. Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The reintroduction of wolves (Canis lupus) to Yellowstone National Park starting in 1995 is an important case study for understanding the consequences of predation on a prey population. Simulation studies conducted prior to and shortly after wolf reintroduction predicted that wolf predation of elk (Cervus canadensis) would have a modest influence on elk abundance. Predation of elk by wolves has been well documented and elk have remained the primary prey for wolves despite a decline in elk abundance. I used two quantitative approaches to estimate the influence of wolf predation on adult female elk survival and …

Efficacy Of Translocation As A Management Tool For Urban Mule Deer In Utah, Channing R. Howard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An increase in urbanization in the United States has led to an increase in human-wildlife interactions with deer (Odocoileus spp.) which have been able to adapt and thrive in these urban environments. In Utah, urbanization has occurred along the Wasatch Front which was once traditional mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) winter range habitat. This urban expansion coupled with an increasing use of these urban areas by mule deer, have led to increasing conflicts with deer. Overabundant urban deer have led to increased concerns over safety from deer-vehicle collisions, and damage to personal property including gardens and landscaping. …

Influence Of Environmental Variables On Survival Rates Of Pronghorn (Antilocapra Americana) Neonates Across Idaho, Brett R. Panting

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was completed to better understand pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana) populations found throughout Idaho. Antelope were studied in three separate and distinct study areas. The Big Desert, Camas Prairie, and Little Lost and Pahsimeroi valleys were all selected as study sites. Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) is concerned with current pronghorn populations found throughout Idaho. Pronghorn are a valued big game species found in Idaho. Increasing pronghorn populations in Idaho is a focus of IDFG.

We captured and VHF-collared pronghorn fawns found in our three study areas. Fawns were monitored daily with telemetry equipment for …

Effects Of Changing Environments On Survival Of A Widely Distributed Ungulate, S Andrew Sims

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wildlife species distributed over large areas of land inhabiting varying environments are experiencing shifts in their home ranges due to human expansion and climate change. As these species home ranges shifts out of familiar, critical habitat they are forced to interact with novel environments, which in turn affects the species population demographics. In order to manage and conserve these species accordingly, specifically in a time of large-scale change, it is imperative that we add to current understandings of how they interact with various environments. Furthermore, frequently generating short-term predictions of demographic drivers will allow for conservation and management insight that …

Effect Of Predator Removal On Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus Urophasianus) Ecology In The Bighorn Basin Conservation Area Of Wyoming, Elizabeth Kari Orning

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The decline of greater sage-grouse distribution and population densities across western North America has led conservation, research, and management objectives to focus efforts on understanding sage-grouse populations across their range. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of direct and indirect predation effects on hen survival and nest success of sage-grouse. The project was conducted in Hot Springs and Park Counties in the Bighorn Basin of Wyoming. The study had three main objectives: 1) obtain and quantify the types and impacts of predators on sage-grouse hen survival and nest success, 2) compare the effect predator removals …

Factors Affecting Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus Urophasianus) Survival And Movement In South-Central Utah, Danny Caudill

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Greater sage-grouse are the largest North American grouse species and are dependent on sagebrush for survival. Sage-grouse populations have declined throughout the west. Habitat fragmentation and degradation are likely the main causes of declining populations, and concern has lead to the petitioning for the sage-grouse to be listed under the Endangered Species Act. Survival of adult and juvenile sage-grouse is thought to be limiting population growth. However, survival of juvenile sage-grouse is poorly understood. I aimed to improve the knowledge gap regarding juvenile sage-grouse survival. With improved knowledge of juvenile survival, management actions can be employed to benefit sage-grouse populations. …

Comparative Ecology Of Narrowly Sympatric Horned Lizards Under Variable Climatic Conditions, Kevin V. Young

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

We studied the Flat-tailed Horned Lizard, Phrynosoma mcallii, and the Sonoran Horned Lizard, P. goodei, in an area of narrow sympatry near Yuma, Arizona, and found they overlapped broadly in use of available food resources, body size, and growth rates. We compared diet (Chapter 2), growth and reproduction (Chapter 3), and survivorship (Chapter 4) of P. mcallii and P. goodei during two years of drought followed by a year of higher-than-average rainfall. We predicted that P. mcallii would be more tolerant of drought conditions than its congener, since P. mcalliiis found only in an extremely arid region while …

Factors Affecting Spawning And Survival Of Bear Lake Bonneville Cutthroat Trout In St. Charles Creek, Idaho, Paul Burnett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I described the spawning ecology of the Bear Lake Bonneville cutthroat trout (BLBCT) in St. Charles Creek. I tracked cutthroat trout with used radio telemetry. I conducted redd counts to describe spawning conditions. Most cutthroat trout in the Big Arm strayed into the Bear River. Cutthroat trout migrations in the Little Arm and main fork were very limited (< 4 km). Redd distributions showed very similar patterns between 1989, 2000 and 2001 with most redds being built in the lowest kilometer of stream. Artificial fish transportation changed the redd distribution in 2002. More redds were built in the main fork and redds were distributed throughout the stream. Redds built in the main fork were characterized by lower levels of fine sediment and higher water velocities as compared to the redds built on the Little Arm. The results of this research will be used to aid resource managers in developing a management plan for wild BLBCT.

Reproductive Allocation And Survival In Grasshoppers: Effects Of Resource Availability, Grasshopper Density, And Parasitism, David Heath Branson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A major challenge in ecology is to understand intraspecific variation in life histories. Variation in resource availability can lead to differences in reproductive allocation and life histories. Grasshoppers are a good organism for the study of variation in life histories, since they exhibit life history plasticity in response to biotic and environmental factors. An optimality model for grasshoppers was developed that predicts optimal total allocation to reproduction and optimal effort-per-offspring as functions of resource availability and mortality. Relative allocation to reproduction is predicted to increase with resource availability, while relative allocation to survival declines. A resource-based trade-off between egg size …

Short-Eared Owl Post-Fledging Survival And Breeding Season Diet, Thomas A. Rivest

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

My research primarily focused on the survival of short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) from leaving the nest until their emigration from their natal territories during 1993 and 1994. I attached tarsal-mounted radio transmitters to nestlings prior to fledging. Of 25 fledgling short-eared owls monitored, 16 (64%) died prior to dispersal and one (4%) died after dispersing. Mammalian predation (5, 29.4%) was the primary cause of mortality followed by starvation (4, 23.5%), exposure (2, 11.8%), auto collision (1, 5.9%), burial (1, 5.9%), and unknown causes (4, 23.5%). Hatch date was found to be negatively correlated with fledgling survival.

A secondary …

Physical Factors Influencing Survival To Emergence And Time Of Emergence Of Shoreslope-Spawned Kokanee Salmon In Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Utah-Wyoming, Randall J. Jeric

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I used incubation baskets containing viable eggs and spawning substrate to estimate the survival to emergence and time of emergence of kokanee salmon Oncorhynchus nerka at depths to 20 m in Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Utah-Wyoming. Traps on the incubation baskets captured fry emerging from a known quantity of eggs. Water drawn into a syringe from an intragravel pipe buried near each incubation basket was used to determine intragravel dissolved oxygen concentrations throughout the intragravel period. Water from control baskets without eggs did not have significantly greater dissolved oxygen concentrations than adjacent water. A jar associated with each incubation basket collected …

Survival Of Lactobacillus Acidophilus And Bifidobacteria Bifidum In Ice Cream For Use As A Probiotic Food, Sharareh Hekmat

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ice cream mix (12% fat, 11% milk solids nonfat, 12.5% sugar, and 4.5% corn syrup solids) was fermented with Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum. Half of the mix was heat treated at 82°C for 30 minutes and cooled to 40-41°C. The other half was warmed to 40-41°C and inoculated with the starter cultures. Both were made into ice cream and stored at -29°C. Survival of L. acidophilus and B. bifidum and of ẞ-galactosidase activity were monitored during 17 weeks of frozen storage. Reinforced clostridial medium was used to enumerate culture bacteria. Colony counts, after fermentation, for both L. acidophilus …

Effects Of Drought On The Survival Of Rhizobium Leguminosarum Biovar Trifolii And The Nodulation Of Subterranean Clover In An Acid Soil, Carmen Bueno

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Twenty-nine Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar trifolii strains were tested for acidity tolerance in acidified liquid medium. Only 41% of the strains grew at pH 4.1. One acid-tolerant strain, USDA 2160, and one acid-sensitive strain, 162-X-103 from Nitragin Co., were inoculated on seeds of 'Nungarin', 'Seaton Park' and 'Clare' subclover cultivars. The inoculated and pelleted seeds were sown in potted Cluff soil with pH 5.7. Three desiccation levels were imposed by delaying watering for 0, 15 or 30 days. Four gravimetric soil water contents (6.0, 6.6, 10.5 and 12.5%) were maintained under a greenhouse line-source sprinkler system for 7 weeks. The desiccation …

Effect Of Spring Grazing By Cattle On Growth And Survival Of Shrub Seedlings Interplanted In Crested Wheatgrass, Lynn M. Mcconville

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A short duration-high intensity grazing trial was conducted in spring of 1985 to determine whether shrub establishment in crested wheatgrass pastures could be enhanced through spring grazing by cattle, or by fertilization of shrub seedlings. Data was collected on diet selection by cattle during spring grazing, and on subsequent shrub growth and survival. Shrubs studied were transplants of sagebrush, Artemisia tridentata, fourwing saltbush, Atriplex canescens, bitterbrush, Purshia tridentata, and one year old bitterbrush seedlings.

Cattle did not browse sagebrush or fourwing saltbush transplants, but utilization of bitterbrush transplants and seedlings averaged 15 and 42 percent, respectively. Shrub …

Mule Deer Reproduction And Survival In The Lasal Mountains, Utah, Randall B. Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) reproduction and survival on the LaSal Mountains, Utah were studied from 1978-81. Reproductive rates were high, suggesting that summer and fall forage quality was adequate and was not responsible for low recruitment observed in recent years. The combined fetal rate, determined from laparotomies and carcasses, was 1.72 for all females older than 1 year (N = 114). Fetal rates were 1.15 for yearlings (N = 20), 1.80 for prime females (2-7 years, N = 78), and 1.75 for old females (8+ years, N = 16). No evidence of breeding was found among fawns (N …

An Evaluation Of Factors Affecting Establishment And Survival Of Russian Wildrye (Elymus Junceus Fisch.) On Foothill Ranges In Utah, Dale Lynn Drawe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Several factors affecting establishment and survival of Russian wildrye were studied in the greenhouse and in the field.

Greenhouse studies conducted at Utah State University examined (1) the effects of competition on vigor and production of Russian wildrye, (2) moisture use by Russian wildrye and four weeds, and (3) effects of moisture level on emergence and seedling vigor.

During 1967 and 1969 at Tintic Valley field experiments were initiated to study effects on germination and seedling establishment of (1) seasons, (2) methods, and (3) intensities of seeding Russian wildrye. In 1968 and 1969 studies were made of phenology and root …

Survival And Distribution Of Rennin During Cheddar Cheese Manufacture, John Ta-Chuang Wang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Residual rennin in cheese whey and curd was measured by using a special sensitive substrate. The substrate was made by reconstituting 6 g NDM in 500 ml of buffer containing 0.2 M CaCl₂, 0.5 M cacodylic acid and 0.2 M triethanolamine at pH 5.7. Cheese curd was blended into a 1:7 slurry (1 part curd, 7 parts water), and 1.67% sodium chloride was added to the whey and slurry to liberate residual rennin from casein. The residual rennin in cheese whey and slurry were determined simultaneously with an identical sample containing known rennin activity. Samples with known activity …

Microenvironmental Effects Of Erosion Control Treatments On Seedling Survival In A Southeastern Utah Salt Desert Area, Ross W. Wein

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A study of the microclimate of erosion control treatments was carried out in two habitat types in a semiarid southeastern Utah, salt desert shrub area. The soils are highly eroded Mancos shale and support a low density of salt desert shrub species which offers little protection against high intensity summer convectional rainstorms.

Gully plugs and contour furrows had been installed by the Bureaus of Reclamation and Land Management to prevent runoff of soil laden water which results from these summer rainfalls. Formerly this sediment was carried to the Colorado River and deposited in Lake Powell.

The purpose to t he …

An Evaluation Of Conservation Reserve Lands In Relation To Pheasant Production And Survival, Richard M. Bartmann

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) is one of the most important upland game species over much of the nation. It is also one of the most difficult to effectively manage for the increasing hunter population. The high value of agricultural lands renders habitat improvement programs by state agencies a financial impossibility except on an extremely localized basis. Therefore, the primary pheasant management tool largely remains hunting season manipulation.

The federal government through various agricultural programs may have an influence upon pheasant habitat. Public Law 540 entitled "Agricultural Act of 1956," more commonly referred to as the "Soil Bank …

Some Factors Which May Influence Survival Of Game Farm-Reared Pheasants After Release Into The Wild, Taylor F. Cottle

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was undertaken in an attempt to determine some of the factors which may influence the survival of Utah game farm-reared pheasants following their release into the wild. The survival of these birds is below the desired level after they are released, as is indicated by the low percentage taken by the sportsmen during the hunting season. In recent years the return from released game farm-reared pheasants is about 7 to 8 percent.¹ Consequently, if survival rate of these birds could be increased, more birds would be available to supplement the wild stock. Also, an increase in the …

The Emergence And Survival Of Certain Forage Plants When Seeded In A Saline Soil, Devere Richard Mcallister

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Salty soils are recognized as an ever increasing problem connected with irrigation agriculture. Millions have been spent by state, federal and private agencies on technical research in an attempt to solve this problem. Other millions have been spent on drainage projects, land leveling, field explorations and soil amendments attempting to alleviate the situation in the field.