Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Assessing The Impact Of The Tennessee Equine Industry, Olivia Watson

Masters Theses

The Tennessee equine industry is alive and prevalent across the entire state. However, due to the expansiveness of the industry, lack of consistent record keeping, and large discrepancies among reporting agencies, it has proven to be difficult to accurately account for the total impact of the industry in terms of population, demographics, and overall economic impact. The objective of this study was to 1) determine population demographics and economic impact of the equine industry in Tennessee and 2) determine the public perception on the addition of live equine racing within the state. An anonymous, online assessment was developed (March-August 2022; …

An Analysis Of How Consumers Use Best-If-Used-By Dates As A Cue For Evaluating Food Products, Beth Anne Billie Ray

Masters Theses

Food waste is a significant problem in the United States with over 133 billion pounds of food that goes unused or neglected by consumers every year. Consumers use best-if-used-by dates (BUBDs) as a cue in evaluating food and deciding when to throw away food. Using an experimental sensory approach, 183 consumers evaluated the appearance and taste of salads and lunch meat with varying BUBDs. After completing sensory evaluations, participants were then asked to state their willingness to pay (WTP) for each of the varying BUBDs and the percentage of the food product their household would consume, based on their recent …

Labor Migration Triggered By Covid-19 And Its Impact On Climate Change Adaptation Of Producers In Sunsari District, Nepal, Amrit Shrestha

Masters Theses

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many temporary labor workers who were employed in foreign countries lost their jobs and had to return to their homeland. These skilled laborers are involved in daily household tasks and farming decision-making processes. This study investigates the role of labor migrants who returned to their households due to COVID-19 on the climate change adaptation of farmers. The migrant laborers are relatively better educated, willing to adopt modern technology, and receive training. An ordered logistic regression was used to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on household’s access to institutional factors (Extension services, subsidies, and internet) as …

Liquid Border, Yingfan Jia

Masters Theses

A River is a mighty and constantly-evolving force, leaving behind an intricately designed and constantly changing system. Not just a river, the Rio Grande stretches all the way from Colorado before intersecting with the US-Mexico Border in southern Texas - a point where the powerful forces of nature now merge with a clearly-defined political boundary. The outcome of this is a unique ecological niche, which may often go unnoticed despite its distinctiveness.

Texas is famous for its farms and ranches, and the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas was once an agricultural hub. However, urbanization and the depletion of water …

The Root Of Culture: Human Ritual And The Soils Of West Virginia, Aleece Mount

Masters Theses

The Cumberland Mountains of Southern West Virginia are home to mountaintop removal, with the Guyandotte River watershed exhibiting some of the most extreme examples. The strip-mining practices have removed fertile soil, altered water courses, deeply polluted the land, and stripped people of their wealth – prosperity in happiness and abundance of possessions and resources. This has resulted in some of the nation’s worst health, education, and economic conditions. The communities of this watershed live at the heart of the economic and political forces that undermine community and ecological well-being.

Southern West Virginia has a deep and continued history of living …

Consumer Perceptions Of Flatheaded Borer Control Methods, Samuel Gerloff

Masters Theses

Flatheaded borers are insect pests that cause damage to ornamental and fruit producing plants. This study examines consumers’ willingness to pay for four alternative flatheaded borer control methods across four products. The four products tested included two plants (maple trees, blueberry bushes) and two fruits (apples (3 pounds), blueberries (1 pint)) to ascertain if differences were observed between product categories (plant verses food) and potential product uses for the plant categories (aesthetic vs food producing). The four control methods included a chemical drench, spray, cultivar selection, and cover crop. A no control option was also included. Survey data were collected …