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Reproductive Ecology Of Greater Sage-Grouse In Strawberry Valley, Utah, Jared Jeffrey Baxter

Theses and Dissertations

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter, sage-grouse) are a species of conservation concern in the rangelands of western North America due to their dramatic decline over the last half century. Effective conservation and management of sensitive species requires an understanding of how species respond to management actions. We examined two aspects of the reproductive phases of sage-grouse: nest predation, and habitat selection by female sage-grouse with chicks. In Chapter 1, we developed resource selection functions to assess the influence of mechanical treatments of mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata vaseyana) on habitat selection by greater sage-grouse with chicks. …

Development Of Highly Variable Microsatellite Markers For The Tetraploid Silene Stellata (Caryophyllaceae), Juannan Zhou, Michele R. Dudash, Charles B. Fenster, Elizabeth A. Zimmer

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Premise of the study:We designed and tested microsatellite markers for the North American native species Silene stellata (Caryophyllaceae) to investigate its population genetic structure and identify selection on floral design through male reproductive success.

Methods and Results: A total of 153 candidate microsatellite loci were isolated based on next-generation sequencing. We identified 18 polymorphic microsatellite loci in three populations of S. stellata, with di- or trinucleotide repeats. Genotyping results showed the number of alleles per locus ranged from six to 45 and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.511 to 0.951. Five of these loci were successfully amplified in S. …

Effect Of Smooth Bromegrass Management On Grazing Cattle Dung Decomposition, Co2 Flux, And Soil Nutrient Movement, Bradley D. Schick

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Rapid nutrient cycling improves forage quality and livestock production in pastures. Interseeding legumes may be a strategy to enhance N cycling, but effects of dung excreted from cattle grazing pastures with legumes on dung decomposition rates and soil N cycling have not been studied. Our objective was to evaluate how dung excreted from cattle grazing legume-interseeded, N-fertilized, and unfertilized smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) pastures affects dung chemical composition, dry matter decomposition, CO­₂ flux, and N availability in soil. Freshly deposited dung from yearling steers grazing legume-interseeded, N-fertilized, and unfertilized pastures was collected and placed as pats in …

The Effects Of Shade On Growth, Development And Yield Of A Primocane Fruiting Blackberry, ‘Prime-Ark 45’ To Extend The Market Season, Olivia C. Caillouet

Horticulture Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines the effects of shade on ‘Prime-Ark 45’ blackberries (Rubus spp.) in greenhouse (GH) and field (FD) experiments aimed at improving fruit production in the southern United States Ozark Plateau region. Primocane blackberry production in the southern United States is limited in acreage of production as well as low yields by high temperatures during the bloom and early fruiting period, resulting in poor fruit set and poor fruit quality. Shade may have the potential to delay bloom and flowering to a more favorable season or by reducing temperatures that cause a poor fruit set and quality. Both …

Selection Of Efficient Taq Dna Polymerase To Optimize T-Dna Genotyping Method For Rapid Detection Of Mutant Arabidopsis Thaliana Plants, Inna B. Chastukhina, Liliia R. Nigmatullina, Lia R. Valeeva, Eugene V. Shakirov

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Plants harbor homologues of various animal genes involved in phosphorus metabolism, telomere biology and other cellular processes. Compared to experiments with many other multicellular organisms, research in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana takes advantage of short generation time and an ever increasing arsenal of genetic and transgenic tools, including large collections of T-DNA knockout and activation lines. The availability of thousands of publicly available transgenic Arabidopsis lines provides a unique opportunity to address a number of important biological questions. However, identification of individual T-DNA mutant plants from a pool of seeds provided by a biological stock distribution center remains a …

Identification And Characterization Of Genes Involved In Metabolism Of N5 Monoene Precursors To N5 Anacardic Acids In The Trichomes Of Pelargonium X Hortorum., Richa A. Singhal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Unusual monoenoic fatty acids (UMFA’s) and specialized metabolites called anacardic acids (AnAc) are produced in glandular trichomes of Pelargonium ´ hortorum (geranium). The UMFA’s, 16:1^∆11 and 18:1^∆13 are precursors for the synthesis of unsaturated AnAc 22:1n5and 24:1n5 that contribute to pest resistance in geraniums. UMFAs and their derived AnAc metabolites not only provide a useful biological marker that differentiates the biosynthetic pathway for unusual mononenes from the common fatty acids (i.e. stearic, palmitic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic) but also have industrial, medical and agricultural applications. Fatty acid biosynthesis enzymes like acyl carrier proteins (ACPs); thioesterases (TEs) and β-ketoacyl-ACP …

Review Of Estimation Of Parameters For Animal Populations: A Primer For The Rest Of Us By Larkin A. Powell And George A. Gale, Max Post Van Der Burg

The Prairie Naturalist

“Me? A modeler? Never!” This is the opening challenge of the book, Estimation of Parameters for Animal Populations: A Primer for the Rest of Us, by Larkin Powell and George Gale. I say “challenge” because I think this book attempts to challenge the misconception that quantitative methods are out of reach for most biologists and wildlife scientists. When many of us attend college or graduate school to study wildlife science there’s a sense that, at some point, there will be math. But it appears that the attitude of many students toward this reality is to simply suffer through the …

Effects Of Harvest Conditions And Thickness Fractionation On Physicochemical Properties, Cooking And Sensory Characteristics Of Long Grain Rice, Sara Esther Jarma Arroyo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has demonstrated the extensive impacts of various environmental and processing conditions on rice milling and processing characteristics. Nevertheless, little is known about the influences of these conditions on cooking and sensory qualities of rice. The present study aimed to determine the impact of cultivating location, harvest moisture content (HMC), and thickness fractionation on the physicochemical properties, and cooking and sensory characteristics of long-grain rice. Four long-grain rice cultivars (purelines: Cheniere and V3501, and hybrids: XP760 and XL753) were cultivated at Harrisburg, AR and Alvin, TX, and harvested at three HMC. Rough rice lots were conditioned and a portion …

Cover Crop Establishment And Potential Benefits To Arkansas Farmers, Ashley Elizabeth Humphreys

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Soybean farmers in Arkansas need best management practices (BMPs) that maximize the benefits of using cover crops including planting date and fertilization recommendations. An evaluation of cover crop species, planting dates, seeding rates, fertilizer rates, and N accumulation aids in providing these BMPs. The first objective of this research is to assess the effect of planting date on biomass production, as well as looking at the interaction of seeding rate or fertilizer rate for legumes or non-legumes, respectively, using Austrian winter pea (Pisum sativum), cereal rye (Secale cereale), black oats (Avena strigosa), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and tillage radish (Raphanus sativus). …

Calculating Evapotranspiration Of Arundo Donax Along The Rio Grande, Jose R. Escamilla Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Invasive species have been recorded to cause large economic and ecological impacts on various ecosystems and their services. Locally, giant reed (Arundo donax L.), a woody grass native to the Mediterranean, adversely impacts riparian ecosystems in southwestern United States by aggressively displacing their native flora and fauna. Giant reed also has become a cause of concern for national water security, especially in water-limited areas of the arid southwestern United States. The main objective of this study is to provide the first, landscape-level estimates of water use by giant reed in the United States. Evapotranspiration was monitored using the eddy …

The Subject Librarian Newsletter, Biology, Fall 2016, Sandy Avila

Libraries' Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Integration Of Plant Defense Traits With Biological Control Of Arthropod Pests: Challenges And Opportunities, Julie A. Peterson, Paul J. Ode, Camila Oliveira-Hofman, James D. Harwood

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Crop plants exhibit a wide diversity of defensive traits and strategies to protect themselves from damage by herbivorous pests and disease. These defensive traits may be naturally occurring or artificially selected through crop breeding, including introduction via genetic engineering. While these traits can have obvious and direct impacts on herbivorous pests, many have profound effects on higher trophic levels, including the natural enemies of herbivores. Multi-trophic effects of host plant resistance have the potential to influence, both positively and negatively, biological control. Plant defense traits can influence both the numerical and functional responses of natural enemies; these interactions can be …

Development Of A Risk Assessment Framework To Predict Invasive Species Establishment For Multiple Taxonomic Groups And Vectors Of Introduction, Alisha D. Davidson, Abigail J. Fusaro, Rochelle A. Sturtevant, Edward S. Rutherford, Donna R. Kashian

Biological Sciences Faculty Research Publications

A thorough assessment of aquatic nonindigenous species’ risk facilitates successful monitoring and prevention activities. However, species- and vector-specific information is often limited and difficult to synthesize across a single risk framework. To address this need, we developed an assessment framework capable of estimating the potential for introduction, establishment, and impact by aquatic nonindigenous species from diverse spatial origins and taxonomic classification, in novel environments. Our model builds on previous approaches, while taking on a new perspective for evaluation across species, vectors and stages to overcome the limitations imposed by single species and single vector assessments. We applied this globally-relevant framework …

Selection Of Reference Genes For Rt-Qpcr Analysis In Coccinella Septempunctata To Assess Un-Intended Effects Of Rnai Transgenic Plants, Chunxiao Yang, Evan L. Preisser, Hongjun Zhang, Yong Liu, Liangying Dai, Huipeng Pan, Xuguo Zhou

Entomology Faculty Publications

The development of genetically engineered plants that employ RNA interference (RNAi) to suppress invertebrate pests opens up new avenues for insect control. While this biotechnology shows tremendous promise, the potential for both non-target and off-target impacts, which likely manifest via altered mRNA expression in the exposed organisms, remains a major concern. One powerful tool for the analysis of these un-intended effects is reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, a technique for quantifying gene expression using a suite of reference genes for normalization. The seven-spotted ladybeetle Coccinella septempunctata, a commonly used predator in both classical and augmentative biological controls, is a …

Volume 2, Chapter 12-10: Terrestrial Insects: Holometabola - Hymenoptera, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Volume 2, Chapter 12-7: Terrestrial Insects: Hemimetabola – Hemiptera (Non-Heteroptera) And Thysanoptera, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Volume 2, Chapter 12-4: Terrestrial Insects: Orthopteroidea, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Volume 2, Chapter 12-6: Terrestrial Insects: Hemimetabola – Hemiptera (Heteroptera), Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Forage News [2016-11], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• The New Face of Forage News
• Changes to FSA Acreage Reporting Dates for 2017
• Heart of America Grazing Conference to be held in Quincy, IL January 18-19
• Forage News Quote of the Month: "Wasted Hay Means Wasted Money"
• Overseeding Small Grains into Pastures or Hayfields
• AFGC Annual Meeting - January 22-24, 2017
• Somerset KY Hosts Successful Kentucky Grazing Conference
• Featured Publication: Taking Soil Test Samples - AGR-16
• Dairy Market Continues to Struggle

Perspectives On The Development Of A Local Food System: The Case Of Dayton, Ohio, Diana Cuy Castellanos, John C. Jones, Joanne Christaldi, Katherine A. Liutkus

Health and Sport Science Faculty Publications

Multiple sectors play vital roles in a community’s development and maintenance of a sustainable local food system. This study explored the perceptions of twenty-two representatives from the civil society, public, and private sectors in Dayton, Ohio, about the development of the region’s local food system. The researchers employed grounded theory methodology for data collection and analysis. Core themes from the participants of each sector group emerged from the data and areas of convergence and divergence among groups were reported.

Nebline, November/December 2016

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Look Who’s Hatching — Preschoolers Explore Egg-Laying Animals

Food & Health

Farm & Acreage

Pests & Wildlife

Horticulture

Early Childhood

4-H & Youth

Extension Calendar

and other extension news and events

Volume 2, Chapter 12-18: Terrestrial Insects: Holometabola - Diptera Nematocera: Tipuloidea, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Building Viral Replication Organelles: Close Encounters Of The Membrane Types, Peter D. Nagy, Jeroen R. P. M. Strating, Frank J. M. Van Kuppeveld

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

Positive-strand (+)RNA viruses are important and emerging pathogens of humans, animals, and plants. Upon infection, they induce the formation of specialized membranous replication organelles with unique lipid composition to facilitate robust virus replication. In this article, the authors discuss the proviral role of virus-induced membrane contact sites (vMCSs). The emerging picture is that vMCSs channel lipids to viral membranes and tune the lipid composition for optimal generation and functioning of replication organelles.

Volume 2, Chapter 12-19: Terrestrial Insects: Holometabola - Diptera Nematocera 2, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Volume 2, Chapter 12-17: Terrestrial Insects: Holometabola - Diptera Biology And Habitats, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Volume 2, Chapter 12-16: Terrestrial Insects: Holometabola - Mecoptera, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Volume 2, Chapter 12-3: Terrestrial Insects: Odonata, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Volume 2, Chapter 12-1: Terrestrial Insects: Habitat And Adaptations, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Volume 2, Chapter 12-5: Terrestrial Insects: Hemimetabola - Notoptera And Psocoptera, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Volume 2, Chapter 12-2: Terrestrial Insects: Hemimetabola - Collembola, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.