Digital Commons Network^™

Functional Response Of Orius Albidipennis (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) To Megalurothrips Sjostedti (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), Linus M. Gitonga, W. A. Overholt, B. Löhr, J. K. Magambo, J. M. Mueke

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

A locally available anthocorid predator, Orius albidipennis Reuter, was evaluated as a candidate biocontrol agent for Megalurothrips sjostedti Trybom, a major pest of French beans, Phaseolus vulgaris (L), in Kenya. The functional response of adult O. albidipennis to larval and adult M. sjostedti was studied at 15, 25, and 28°C and densities of 5, 10, 20, and 30 larval and adult M. sjostedti per cage, over 24 h. More larvae and adult M. sjostedti were killed at the higher densities and with an increase in temperature. The data provided good fit to both type I and II functional response models. …

An Analysis Of Field Data For Evidence Of Anaerobic Degradation Of Pah And Btex Plumes At Manufactured Gas Plant Sites, Georgene Mortimer

Dissertations

Field data (including geology, hydrogeology, soil chemistry, groundwater chemistry, and aquifer characteristics) were analyzed at eight MGP sites located in the New Jersey Coastal Plain. These data were used to calculate biodegradation rate constants, which were then compared with laboratory microcosm data and published values. Isopleths were drawn from the field data to indicate the dominant biodegradation mechanisms at each of the sites, and stoichiometric calculations were used to determine the total capacity of the electron acceptors present to degrade the plume contaminants. In examining these data, the protocol described by the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence (AFCEE) was …

Sustainable Agriculture : Pragmatism, Distinctions On Artifacts And The Role Of The Land Ethic, Dustin Mulvaney

Theses

This thesis will explore the ethical dimensions of global agriculture from the productionist paradigm to the land ethic in the context of the sustainable agriculture promoted in the fair trade, shade grown, and organic coffee movements. Much of the sustainable development debate in the environmental ethics literature has centered on justifications (from anthropocentric and nonanthropocentric worldviews) for preserving nature. Since agriculture is an artifact of human sedentary civilization, traditional nonanthropocentric arguments do not suffice because of the tendency to focus exclusively on natural systems. Building on the work of Katz's "Pragmatic ReConsideration" and Light's "methodological pragmatism," the role of anthropocentric …

Humidity And Temperature Boundaries For Biofilm Formation In Yucca Mountain, Terry Ann Else, Penny S. Amy, James Jay, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

To determine the long-term success of the recommended Yucca Mountain high-level nuclear waste repository, studies of bacterial colonization and biofilm development are needed. Bacteria involved in microbially-influenced corrosion and degradation are known to form biofilms with the potential to impact the integrity of repository packaging and structural materials. Temperature and humidity are environmental factors that can greatly affect biofilm formation. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the temperature and humidity conditions that affect biofilm formation. Microcosms, which simulated the repository environment of Yucca Mountain, were placed at temperatures ranging from 30° C to 70° C and in relative humidities ranging …

The Probe, Issue 222 – May/June 2002

The Probe: Newsletter of the National Animal Damage Control Association

Forging a New Partnership for the Public TrUSt: Wildlife Professionals & the Nuisance Wildlife Control Industry -- Lynn Braband
What is the risk of rabies from rodents?
10th Wildlife Damage Management Conference: April 6-9, 2003, Clarion Resort on the Lake, Hot Springs, Arkansas
Book Review: Resolving Human-Wildlife Conflicts: The Science of Wildlife Damage Management by Michael Conover.
CDC Emerging Zoonotic Concern in the Form of a Parasitic Roundworm -- Justin Harrington
Colorado's Boulder County has approved a new grasslands management plan that includes a provision to feed unwanted prairie dogs to blackfooted ferrets and raptors.
A bill being drafted in …

Report To Congress: Operations Of Glen Canyon Dan Pursuant To The Grand Canyon Protection Act Of 1992, Water Years 1999-2001, Secretary Of The Interior

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

Section 1804(c)(2) of the Grand Canyon Protection Act (GCPA) of 1992 requires the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to: . . . transmit to the Congress and to the Governors of the Colorado River Basin States a report, separate from and in addition to the report specified in section 602(b) of the Colorado River Basin Project Act of 1968, on the preceding year and the projected year operations undertaken pursuant to this Act. This report responds to the above-cited reporting requirements. The report focuses on Glen Canyon Dam operations for water years 1999 through 2001, projected dam operations for water …

Habitat Use And Partitioning Between The Evening Bat, Nycticeius Humeralis, And The Big Brown Bat, Eptesicus Fuscus, In Indiana, Joseph E. Duchamp

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to look at possible methods of prey-resource partitioning between two sympatric species of bat that have similar diets: the evening bal, Nycticeius humeralis, and the big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus. Thirty-four adult female bats were radio tracked during this study: 11 evening bats and 11 big brown bats near a suburb oflndianapolis, IN in 2001, and 11 evening bats and l big brown bat in the bottomland forest of Prairie Creek, IN in 1999 and 2000. Habitat use and foraging patterns were evaluated using radio-telemetry and a geographic information system (GIS). Habitat selection was …

Compositional Trends And Spatial Patterns Over A Quarter Century: Forest Dynamics Of Dobbs Park, Indiana, Nancy Hoalst Pullen

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Thirty-five permanent plots were reexamined to identify and describe the spatial and temporal characteristics of Dobbs Park, an isolated old-growth forest stand in westcentral Indiana. The 3.6 ha stand was resurveyed in summer 2000, with all stems greater than 10 cm dbh measured, and accessions and deaths recorded. The results are compared to original data collected in summer 1974, with compositional and spatial patterns identified via GIS and spatial analysis. The stand has declined slightly in density from 342 stems/ha to 333.15 stems/hectare (-2.6%) while basal area (dominance) for the stand has increased from 23.6 m2/ha to 25.8 m2/ha (+8.8%) …

Seagrass And Caulerpa Monitoring In Hillsborough Bay Thirteenth Annual Report, City Of Tampa Department Of Sanitary Sewers

Reports

This is the thirteenth annual report to FDER to satisfy the requirements set forth in Reclaimed Water and Effluent Limitations and Monitoring Requirements condition #10 of the Howard F. Curren WWTP operation permit FL0020940-001-DW1P.

The City of Tampa, Bay Study Group (BSG), has monitored the effects of sewage pollution abatement in Hillsborough Bay since 1976. During the mid 1980's, water quality improvements and evidence of minor seagrass revegetation in Hillsborough Bay prompted the BSG to initiate a seagrass study to compliment other programs assessing the environmental status of Hillsborough Bay.

Results Of The City Of Tampa Surface Water Compliance Monitoring Program For The Year 2001 And Examination Of Long-Term Water Quality And Biological Indicator Trends In Hillsborough Bay, City Of Tampa Department Of Sanitary Sewers

Reports

This report is submitted to Florida Department of Environmental Regulation (FDER) to satisfy the requirements set forth in specific condition No. 10 of Howard F. Curren WWTP permit FL0020940-001-DW1P. The report is based on data obtained by the City of Tampa (COT) surface water compliance monitoring program approved on August 14, 2000 by the FDEP. The report also includes examination of long-term trends for water quality parameters and biological indicators collected by the City of Tampa Bay Study Group and the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County (EPC).

The Pollinator Fauna Of Two Spring Wildflowers Of Midwestern Deciduous Forest, Erigenja Bulbosa And Claytonia Virginica, Robert P. Jean

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Eastern deciduous forests have spectacular spring floral display and a diverse array of insect pollinators. From March to May, some 20-25 species of understory herbs flower in west-central Indiana. I focused on the earliest species to bloom, Erigenia bulbosa (Apiaceae), and the most abundant, Claytonia virginica (Portulacaceae), which flowers immediately after Erigenia. l characterized insect visitor assemblages in terms of species richness and relative abundance, and measured visitation rates. For Erigenia (Chapter 1), I asked whether early flowering was necessarily associated with pollinator scarcity. I examined six sites in 2000 and resampled three of these in 2001. Erigenia attracted 10 …

Land Usage Impacts On Springhead Salamander Populations, At Callaway Extended Properties, Harris County, Georgia, Neil Allen Pearce

Theses and Dissertations

Recent scientific studies have indicated that anrphibian populations appear to be declining in many areas of the world or exhibiting local population fluctuations. Some of the reasons given for this population decline are associated with land usage, and the negative biological impacts of many forms of land management practices. A study was conducted at the Callaway Gardens Extended Properties in Pine Mountain Georgia which compared the local aquatic salamander populations of five spring -fed streams in the Cason J. Callaway Memorial Forest, and five spring-fed streams in the Lower Valley Area. Using a cat ch-per-unit -effort sampling methodology, a comparison …

Profitable And Productive Farming Systems For Management Of Nolba Catchment, B R. Eastough, Nolba Focus Catchment Group

Resource management technical reports

Summary of the main points covered at each of the several workshop and two demonstrations by the Nolba Catchment Group, Western Australia. The areas addressed include: low recharge farming systems; impact on the environment of integrated weed management; management of organic matter in soils within the catchment; dune stabilisation and groundwater hydrology.

1080 Summary Information, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia, Department Of Conservation And Land Management, Western Australia, Department Of Health, Western Australia

Biosecurity research reports

Fluoroacetate, the active ingredient of 1080, occurs naturally in toxic plants in Australia, South Africa, and South America. Manufactured I080 underpins most vertebrate pest control programs in Australia and New Zealand. Fluoroacetate occurs naturally in about 40 plant species in Australia with most of these plants restricted to the south-west of WA.

I080 was introduced to rabbit control programs in the early 1950s and therefore has a long history of proven effectiveness and safety in Australia. There have been few repo1ted problems associated with human safety, environmental persistence, bioaccumulation or impact on populations of non-target species.

In particular, I080 baits …

Reproduction In Captive Wild-Caught Coyotes (Canis Latrans), Jeffrey S. Green, Frederick F. Knowlton, William C. Pitt

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We assessed reproductive patterns of coyotes (Canis latrans) from a 12-year data set involving 24 pairs of captive animals acquired from Latah County, Idaho. None of the females had placental scars (fetal implantation sites) at 1 year of age, but over 80% had placental scars by 2 years of age. The fraction with placental scars remained at 80–90% through age 9 years and then declined to ,40% by age 12 years. Similarly, mean number of placental scars per female rose rapidly through 2–3 years of age, remained stable until age 8 years, and then progressively declined to a …

Rescue Of Embryonic Dysmorphogenesis In Diabetic Rats By Using The Antioxidant Α- Lipoic Acid, Muhaira Hamad Majed Al Ghafli

Theses

Background:

The risk of congenital anomalies in children of diabetic mothers is three to four times that in offspring of non-diabetic mothers. The exact mechanisms of these birth defects are not known. Of the several factors suggested to contribute to embryonic maldevelopment in diabetic pregnancy, the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and subsequent disturbances to cellar defenses appears to be a plausible hypothesis. Antioxidants have been reported to rescue the embryos from being malformed in animal experiments. This study was aimed to determine if the ideal antioxidant lipoic acid would ameliorate the embryos from maternal diabetes-induced anomalies.

Methods:

Female …

Effect Of Environmental Heat Stress On Embryonic Bone Development, Noura Musaed Al-Menhali

Theses

Birth defects are anatomical abnormalities present at birth. The causes of birth defects are genetic, environmental and multifactorial inheritance factors. The main objective of the thesis is to determine the effects of maternal heat stress during rat pregnancy on fetal axial skeletal development and to explore some of the possible maternal and placental responses to heat stress.

Experiment one: A group of 40 Wistar pregnant rats were randomly assigned to two treatment groups, a control group (non-stressed, n = 10) heat at 21°C and a heat-stressed group kept at 41 °C (n = 30) for one hour on day 9 …

The Improvement Of Some Natural Organic Fertilizers Using Beneficial Microorganisms, Mariam Naseeb Al Hameeri

Theses

The random uses of inorganic fertilizers in the UAE farms generate a serious threat about polluting the soil, and the environment. This motivates some researchers to find suitable alternatives, which can give a better crop yield, and at the same time become friendly to the environment.

The present study was performed to find environmentally friendly biological fertilizers to substitute or reduce the application of inorganic fertilizers. Actinomycetes, which are known to produce plant growth regulators (PGRs) were isolated from UAE soils. A total of fifty-seven actinomycetes were isolated from a cucumber rhizosphere soil at a farm in AI-Ain city. Out …

Modeling And Assessment Of Environmental Capacity, Dubai Coastal Region, United Arab Emirates, Mohammad Abdul Rahman Hassan Deshgooni

Theses

The area investigated covers Dubai Creek in the Arabian Gulf Ten stations

Were elected for the tidy, covering the maximum fragments of the Creek. The

Assessment of environmental capacity indicated the presence of at least two

Distinct e regions along the Creek. The area located between Stations 1-3 is the

Downstream region; while the area laying between Stations 4-10 is the upstream

Region Water samples were analyzed for physico-chemical parameters (Water

Temperature, pH, salinity, Dissolved Oxygen, and Turbidity); and nutrients (Total

Nitrogen, Nitrate -nitrogen and Phosphate-phosphorus). Whereas the surface

Sediments were analyzed for: Moisture Content, Organic Carbon, and Texture

analyses; …

Effect Of Feeding Date Pits On Repartitioning Of Nutrients And Fertility In Rats., Ayesha Salem Al - Dhaheri

Theses

Five isonitrogenous (23% CP) and isocaloric (2.8 Mcal/kg) diets were prepared and used in this study; two control diets (diet 1, no date pits; diet 2, no date pits + 300 mg/kg vitamin E) and three diets containing date pits (diet 3, 12.5% date pits (DP); diet 4, 12.5% DP + 300 mg/kg vitamin E; and diet 5, 25% DP). Ninety mature Wistar rats (45 females and 45 males) were used in this experiment. All animals were provided with feed and water on an ad libitum basis for 29 consecutive days. Water and feed intake were measured daily Body weights …

Enhancement Of Bioavailability And Determination Of Some Fluoroquinolones Antibiotics; Application To U A E Market, Moza Rashed Sultan Al-Zaabi

Theses

Chapter 1 of this thesis includes the importance of fluoroquinolones as one of the most impressive antibacterial drugs. Also, a complete picture about the selective molecules named cyclodextrins (CDs) is drawn. Such molecules are able to form inclusion complexes with a wide variety of lipophilic drugs. That is why CDs act as drug carriers through an aqueous media to the lipophilic cell membrane and delivers them to cells. Which results in enhancing the bioavailability of drugs with low aqueous solubility. Moreover, an explanation of the DNA/drug interactions is proposed. These are extremely useful in understanding the DNA sequence recognition by …

Coyote Foraging Ecology, Vigilance, And Behavioral Cascades In Response To Gray Wolf Reintroduction In Yellowstone National Park, T. Adam Switalski

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Vigilance behavior can aid in the detection of predators and may also play a role in observation of conspecifics, in food acquisition, and in the prevention of kleptoparasitism. However, in most occasions, vigilance is most important as an antipredator function. Generally, factors that increase the risk of predation also increase the amount of vigilance. We examined whether the reintroduction of the large predator, the wolf, in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) would influence coyote vigilance and foraging ecology. From December 1997 to July 2000, we collected 1743 h of coyote activity budgets. Coyote home ranges occurred within wolf territories (termed high-use …

Adoption Of Range Management Innovations By Utah Livestock Producers, Elizabeth Anne Didier

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Recent years have seen changes in ecological conditions, ownership patterns, and political-legal forces that affect the sustainability of Western range livestock production. Enterprise diversification and implementation of improvements are advocated as ways for ranchers to cope with marginal returns from ranching while better managing resources. However, relatively few ranchers make such substantive changes in their operations, and previous research suggests that rates of adoption may be especially low in Utah.

Using a qualitative approach, this study explored innovation adoption among Utah ranchers. During preliminary interviews with 13 key informants, commitment to traditional ranching lifestyles, the state's settlement pattern, and availability …

Factors Affecting The Harvest Vulnerability Of Trumpeter Swans, Heidi L. Tangermann

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Two species of swan are regularly found in Utah, tundra swans (Cygnus columbianus) and trumpeter swans (Cygnus buccinator). Tundra swans migrate through Utah. During the fall migration period they are hunted in the state under guidelines established by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Trumpeter swans are occasional visitors to Utah during the same migration period. Because trumpeter swans are difficult to distinguish from tundra swans in flight, they 11 are at risk of being harvested during the swan hunt. In my thesis, I examine the factors that may influence trumpeter swan vulnerability to …

Using Gis And Land Use Data To Select Candidate Reference Sites For Stream Bioassessment, John Robert Olson

Theses and Dissertations

GIS was used to select candidate reference sites in Georgia to characterize the reference condition by sub-ecoregion for a rapid bioassessment of streams statewide. Instead of relying on best professional judgment or previous knowledge of a limited number of sites, we performed an objective evaluation of cumulative impact on all catchments using land use data sets. These included road and impoundment data from DLGs and Multi-Resolution Land use Consortium data. Land use impairment was measured as percentages of forest, urban, pasture, row crops, and barren area for both the entire catchment and for 10, 40, and 130-m riparian buffers, road …

Uncertainty Of Exploitation Estimates Made From Tag Returns, L.E. Miranda, R.E. Brock, Brian S. Dorr

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Over 6,000 crappies Pomoxis spp. were tagged in five water bodies to estimate exploitation rates by anglers. Exploitation rates were computed as the percentage of tags returned after adjustment for three sources of uncertainty: post-release mortality due to the tagging process, tag loss, and the reporting rate of tagged fish. Confidence intervals around exploitation rates were estimated by re-sampling from the probability distributions of tagging mortality, tag loss, and reporting rate. Estimates of exploitation rates ranged from 17% to 54% among the five study systems. Uncertainty around estimates of tagging mortality, tag loss, and reporting resulted in 90% confidence intervals …

Coalbed Methane In The San Juan Basin Of Colorado And New Mexico, Catherine Cullicott, Carolyn Dunmire, Jerry Brown, Chris Calwell

Coalbed Methane Development in the Intermountain West (April 4-5)

35 pages (includes color illustrations and maps).

Contains 6 pages of endnotes.

Coalbed Methane Development In Wyoming’S Powder River Basin, Diana Hulme

Coalbed Methane Development in the Intermountain West (April 4-5)

21 pages (includes color illustrations and maps).

Contains endnotes.

Federal, State, And Local Regulatory Framework For Permitting Of Cbm Development, Kate Zimmerman

Coalbed Methane Development in the Intermountain West (April 4-5)

17 pages.

Contains 5 pages of endnotes.

Use Of Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy For Stress-Strain Measurements, Ajit K. Roy

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

The purpose of this collaborative research project involving the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and Idaho State University (ISU) is to evaluate the feasibility of determining residual stresses of welded (after pre-straining) engineering materials using a new nondestructive technique based on positron annihilation spectroscopy. The proposed technique is to use γ-rays 2 from a small MeV electron Linac to generate positrons inside the sample via pair production. This method can be used for materials characterization and investigation of defects in thick samples that could not be accomplished by conventional positron techniques or other nondestructive methods. The data generated will …