Biology Commons^™

Soil Moisture Dynamics In Cover Cropping Systems: From Local To Global Scales, Manish Gautam

Theses and Dissertations

Cover cropping systems, which have gained recognition for their ability to enhance soil health and promote sustainability are also associated with potential risks related with declining soil moisture and pose a dilemma for farmers considering the adoption of cover crops in water deficit semi-arid settings worldwide. To address this pressing issue, we conducted a participatory cover cropping trial in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) region, encompassing four different farms and supplemented this experiment with a meta-analysis to answer our soil moisture and climate parameters and quantify the impact of cover crops on soil moisture levels. The findings revealed that …

Home Range Dynamics And Juvenile Dispersal Of Gray Hawks In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Michael Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

Using GPS-GSM transmitters I determined when 14 juvenile Gray Hawks (Buteo plagiatus) in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas fledged from their natal areas and how far they traveled once they dispersed. These transmitters also allowed me to calculate home range sizes for 22 adults. Additionally, with the GPS-GSM transmitters and 15 VHF transmitters, I discovered that adult Gray Hawks in the study area remained in their territories year-round. Home range sizes were calculated using the minimum convex polygon estimator, the estimation of kernel home-range, and the estimation of kernel Brownian bridge home-range. The same three methods allowed me …

Survey Assessment Of Community Knowledge And Prevention Of Chagas Disease And Its Vector In Hidalgo And Cameron Counties, Adam Dennis Wiejaczka

Theses and Dissertations

Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, kills thousands of people annually and is the dominant cause of infectious myocarditis worldwide. Kissing bugs are vectors that carry T. cruzi . and are found in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV). There is no vaccination nor cure for Chagas. The best mechanism of prevention is to control vector infestations. Little research is available regarding the level of understanding local communities have about Chagas.

Our goal was to test the knowledge of several communities in the LRGV on Chagas disease. Our hypothesis states that local communities do not have sufficient …