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Late Seasonal Captures Of The Plains Pocket Mouse (Perognathus Flavescens) In Iowa, Hans W. Otto, Jeremy A. White

The Prairie Naturalist

The plains pocket mouse, Perognathus flavescens, is a nocturnal granivore that inhabits friable soils in sparsely vegetated areas (Monk and Jones 1996). In the United States, the distribution of the plains pocket mouse extends from Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas through the Great Plains to North Dakota and Minnesota (Hall 1981). This species reaches its easternmost limits in Iowa, where it has been documented from a limited number of grassland sites in eastern, central, and western parts of the state (Bowles 1975, Wilson et al. 1996). Due to loss of grassland habitat, the plains pocket mouse is currently listed …

Effects Of Nitrogen Deposition And Empirical Nitrogen Critical Loads For Ecoregions Of The United States, Linda H. Pardo, Mark E. Fenn, Christine L. Goodale, Linda H. Geiser, Charles T. Driscoll, Edith B. Allen, Jill S. Baron, Roland Bobbink, William D. Bowman, Christopher M. Clark, Bridget Emmett, Frank S. Gilliam, Tara L. Greaver, Sharon J. Hall, Erik A. Lilleskov, Lingli Liu, Jason A. Lynch, Knute J. Nadelhoffer, Steven S. Perakis, Molly J. Robin-Abbott, John L. Stoddard, Kathleen C. Weathers, Robin L. Dennis

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Human activity in the last century has led to a significant increase in nitrogen (N) emissions and atmospheric deposition. This N deposition has reached a level that has caused or is likely to cause alterations to the structure and function of many ecosystems across the United States. One approach for quantifying the deposition of pollution that would be harmful to ecosystems is the determination of critical loads. A critical load is defined as the input of a pollutant below which no detrimental ecological effects occur over the long-term according to present knowledge. The objectives of this project were to synthesize …

Potential Of Three Brassica Cover Crops For Biofumigation In The Field And The Relationship Between Soil Myrosinase And Biofumigation Efficacy, Zachariah Hansen

All Theses

A greenhouse study was set up in January 2011 to investigate the effect of soil myrosinase concentration and Bacillus spp. on the release efficiency of isothiocyanates (ITCs) from freeze-dried `Pacific Gold' mustard leaf tissue after incorporation into soil. Seventeen diverse soil samples collected from various regions of South Carolina were used in the study. A correlation analysis was conducted to determine if soil myrosinase was positively correlated with ITC concentrations after mustard incorporation. ITC concentrations were then analyzed with soilborne Bacillus spp. populations, bean emergence, disease incidence, and shoot weight to identify significant correlations. Finally, the effect of freeze-dried `Pacific …

Southeast South Dakota Experiment Farm Annual Progress Report, 2011, Agricultural Experiment Station

Agricultural Experiment Station and Research Farm Annual Reports

This document highlights crop and livestock research and demonstration reports from projects conducted at Southeast Research Farm in 2011. It is published by the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service at South Dakota State University in cooperation with the Southeast South Dakota Experiment Farm Corporation. Reports in this document include information on: weather and climate data, corn production and performance, soybean research and planting, soil testing, alfalfa yield test, fertilizer testing, herbicide research, crop rotation, sorghum, small grains, livestock research, and pest and weed control.

Scotts Bluff National Monument Plant Community Composition And Structure Monitoring, 2011 Annual Report, Isabel W. Ashton, Michael Prowatzke, Michael R. Bynum, Tim Shepherd, Stephen K. Wilson, Kara Paintner-Green

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

The Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Network (NGPN) was established to develop and provide scientifically credible information on the current status and long-term trends of the composition, structure, and function of ecosystems in thirteen parks located in five northern Great Plains states. NGPN identified upland plant communities, exotic plant early detection, and riparian lowland communities as vital signs that can be used to better understand the condition of terrestrial park ecosystems (Gitzen et al. 2010). Upland and riparian ecosystems are important targets for vegetation monitoring because the status and trends in plant communities provide critical insights into …

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument Plant Community Composition And Structure Monitoring, 2011 Annual Report, Isabel W. Ashton, Michael Prowatzke, Michael R. Bynum, Tim Shepherd, Stephen K. Wilson, Kara Paintner-Green

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

The Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Network (NGPN) was established to develop and provide scientifically credible information on the current status and long-term trends of the composition, structure, and function of ecosystems in thirteen parks located in five northern Great Plains states. NGPN identified upland plant communities, exotic plant early detection, and riparian lowland communities as vital signs that can be used to better understand the condition of terrestrial park ecosystems (Gitzen et al. 2010). Upland and riparian ecosystems are important targets for vegetation monitoring because the status and trends in plant communities provide critical insights into …

Fungal Virulence And Development Is Regulated By Alternative Pre-Mrna 3′End Processing In Magnaporthe Oryzae, Marina Franceschetti, Emilio Bueno, Richard A. Wilson, Sara L. Tucker, Concepción Gómez-Mena, Grant Calder, Ane Sesma

Fungal Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions

RNA-binding proteins play a central role in post-transcriptional mechanisms that control gene expression. Identification of novel RNA-binding proteins in fungi is essential to unravel post-transcriptional networks and cellular processes that confer identity to the fungal kingdom. Here, we carried out the functional characterisation of the filamentous fungus-specific RNAbinding protein RBP35 required for full virulence and development in the rice blast fungus. RBP35 contains an N-terminal RNA recognition motif (RRM) and six Arg-Gly-Gly tripeptide repeats. Immunoblots identified two RBP35 protein isoforms that show a steady-state nuclear localisation and bind RNA in vitro. RBP35 coimmunoprecipitates in vivo with Cleavage Factor I (CFI) …

Ecological Disinfestation: Physical And Biological Characterization Of Filtration Substrates For Removing Zoospores Of Phytophthora Nicotianae From Water, Elizabeth Nyberg

All Theses

Although recycling irrigation water is beneficial to the nursery industry as it serves to decrease potable water usage and reduces the release of excess agrichemicals into the environment, it also poses the risk of becoming the source for and means of dispersing water-borne plant pathogens. Plant pathogens of major concern in irrigation water are species of Phytophthora. These pathogens are a significant threat because they can attack a vast number of plants, many of which are ornamental crops grown in nurseries, by releasing motile zoospores directly into irrigation water. Several treatment methods are available to remove plant pathogens from irrigation …

Impact Of Crop And Residue Management On The Physical And Chemical Stabilization Of Soil Organic Matter At Farm Level, Ana B. Wingeyer

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

This dissertation explores changes over time in soil organic matter (SOM) stabilization of two irrigated production fields: a continuous maize sequence that was converted from no-till to conservation deep tillage (Site 1), and a no-till maize-soybean rotation (Site 2). An integrated approach using humic acid extractions and density-based physical fractionation of SOM within aggregate size classes was developed to evaluate the changes in SOM stabilization (physical protection, organo-mineral associations and humification). At Site 1, loss of SOM in the surface layer was compensated for by increased SOM in deeper soil layers with no net change in C stocks. Whole field …

Rice (Oryza Sativa) Response To Low Glyphosate Rates As Influenced By Cultivar, Growth Stage, And Imazethapyr Applications, Jason R. Meier

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Off-target movement of glyphosate onto rice is a perennial concern when rice is grown in close proximity to glyphosate-tolernat crops. If differential tolerance to sub-lethal rates of glyphosate exists among rice (Oryza sativa) cultivars, these cultivars could be utilized in breeding programs or glyphosate-drift sensitive areas. Field and greenhouse experiments were conducted in 2006 and 2007 to examine differences among rice cultivars in response to sub-lethal rates of glyphosate, and to examine imidazolinone-tolerant rice response to imazethapyr and sub-lethal rates of glyphosate applied sequentially to determine the potential for either herbicide to predispose rice to greater injury. In the field …

Earthworms Of Arkansas And Contributions Of Earthworm Evolutionary Origin And Ecological Group To Nitrogen Cycling In A Model Soil And Tall Fescue System, Peter John Tomlinson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Evolutionary origin and ecological niche may impact how earthworm species affect N cycling. Tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb) S. J. Darbysh) infection with the toxic endophyte Neotyphodium coenophialum Glenn, Bacon & Hanlin (E+) may influence earthworm communities in soil compared to non-toxic endophyte (NE+) infected tall fescue. Conversely, different earthworms may contribute different amounts of N to E+ vs. NE+ tall fescue. A field survey was conducted from January 2007 to January 2008 to determine the impact of E+ and NE+ tall fescue, planting date, and seasonal variables, e.g. soil temperature and moisture, on earthworm species, abundances, and population …

Abiotic Stress Responses In Photosynthetic Organisms, Joseph Msanne

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Cellular and molecular aspects of abiotic stress responses in Arabidopsis thaliana subjected to cold, drought, and high salinity and in two photosynthetic green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Coccomyxa sp. C-169, subjected to nitrogen deprivation were investigated. Cold, drought, and high salinity can negatively affect plant growth and crop production. The first research aimed at determining the physiological functions of the stress-responsive Arabidopsis thaliana RD29A and RD29B genes. Cold, drought, and salt induced both genes; the promoter of RD29Awas found to be more responsive to drought and cold stresses, whereas the promoter of RD29B was highly responsive to salt stress. …

Management Zone Delineation Techniques On Irrigated Corn In Nebraska, Aaron M. Bereuter

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

Increased interest in site-specific management of irrigated corn in Nebraska has identified the need for a decision-making framework for zone delineation. Zones based on static soil and landscape properties provide a valuable foundation for variable rate management strategies. The purpose of this project was to identify the optimal soil and landscape attributes for generating management zones (MZ) of relative productivity potential. Three producer-managed cornfields across Nebraska with varying soil types, topographic characteristics, and climate regimes were identified as research sites during the 2010 growing season. Nine soil and landscape attributes were identified as potential properties for estimation of productivity potential. …

Characterization And Molecular Analysis Of University Of Arkansas Peach, Prunus Persica (L.) Batsch, Flesh Types And Development Of A Post-Harvest Evaluation Protocol For Arkansas Peach And Nectarine Genotypes, Paul James Sandefur

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study determined the effect of pre-cold storage treatment on P. persica genotypes, developed a protocol for the evaluation of breeding selection and cultivar storage performance, and provided information on post-harvest performance of these individuals. Additionally, characterization of the peach and nectarine flesh types, validation of endopolygalacturonase (endoPG) DNA markers, and investigation of endoPG marker allele combinations associated with the slow-melting-flesh (SMF) trait were done.

Fruit from 30 individuals were harvested at minimum- and well-mature states. After conditioning for 24 h at 20 ◦C, all 2010 fruit were exposed to 2 min of 1 ◦C 100 ppm chlorinated hydro-cooling, a …

Bryoecology In The American Southwest: Patterns Of Biodiversity And Responses To Global Change, John Carroll Brinda

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation combines investigation of the large-scale responses of bryophyte species diversity and distribution with small-scale physiological adaptations to global change. These two areas of inquiry are linked because one way to predict plant species responses to global change is to examine their distribution across current ecological gradients produced by factors such as latitude and elevation. By examining these biogeographic patterns one can identify those species that have a narrow tolerance and therefore are most sensitive to change. Selected bryophytes might then be used as indicator species in long-term monitoring programs. Where historical data exist, these can be used to …

Essential Oils Of Cupressus Funebris, Juniperus Communis, And J. Chinensis (Cupressaceae) As Repellents Against Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) And Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) And As Toxicants Against Mosquitoes, John F. Carroll, Nurhayat Tabanca, Matthew H. Kramer, Natasha M. Elejalde, David E. Wedge, Ulrich R. Bernier, Monique Coy, James Becnel, Betul Demirci, Kemal Husnu Can Başer, Jian Zhang, Sui Zhang

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Juniperus communis leaf oil, J. chinensis wood oil, and Cupressus funebris wood oil (Cupressaceae) from China were analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We identified 104 compounds, representing 66.8-95.5% of the oils. The major components were: α-pinene (27.0%), α-terpinene (14.0%), and linalool (10.9%) for J. communis; cuparene (11.3%) and δ-cadinene (7.8%) for J. chinensis; and α-cedrene (16.9%), cedrol (7.6%), and β-cedrene (5.7%) for C. funebris. The essential oils of C. funebris, J. chinensis, and J. communis were evaluated for repellency against adult yellow fever mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti (L.), host-seeking nymphs of the lone …

Msh1 Influence On Plant Mitochondrial Genome Recombination And Phenotype In Tobacco, Peibei Sun

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Plant mitochondrial genomes are composed of unusually complex structures, due to active recombination at numerous repeated sequences in the genome. The maintenance of mitochondrial genome stability is under the control of identifiable nuclear genes. In plants, three nuclear genes (MSH1, RECA3 and OSB1) have been shown to participate in recombination surveillance and the suppression of illegitimate recombination in mitochondria. Disruption of these loci in Arabidopsis results in reproducible mitochondrial genome rearrangements. We demonstrated that repeat-mediated de novo recombination was also enhanced in both Arabidopsis and tobacco during passage through in vitro culture. Furthermore, in vitro conditions led …

Analysis Of Turnip Crinkle Virus Effects On The Innate And Adaptive Immunity In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Teresa J. Donze

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The ability to understand the interactions between plants and the variety of pathogens they encounter on a daily basis is an important area of research. In the following work presented in this dissertation, I sought to better understand the mechanisms that Turnip crinkle virus (TCV) employs to elude the defense responses of the host plant Arabidopsis thaliana. It was previously determined that TCV coat protein (CP) interacts with a transcription factor, TIP, within the about 10 amino acid region near the N-terminus of the CP called the R-domain. When this interaction was disrupted by making single amino acid substitutions …

Review Of Sandhill And Whooping Cranes: Ancient Voices Over America's Wetlands By Paul Johnsgard, Jane E. Austin

The Prairie Naturalist

Paul Johnsgard has long been captivated by wild cranes and their unique vocalizations, courtship dances, and wide-ranging migrations. As a scientist and an admirer, Johnsgard has watched their migrations and behaviors for decades as hundreds of thousands of cranes staged each spring by the central Platte River, not far from his home in Lincoln, Nebraska. As an artist, he has skillfully captured their courtship dances and other behaviors in his exceptional line drawings. And, as an author, he has written extensively on their ecology in three earlier books: Cranes of the World (1983), Those of the Gray Wind: The Sandhill …

Depth And Littoral Habitat Association Of Age-0 Yellow Perch In Two South Dakota Glacial Lakes, Daniel J. Dembkowski, Melissa R. Wuellner, David W. Willis

The Prairie Naturalist

Yellow perch (Perca flavescens) are a recreationally important species and represent a key ecological component of glacial lake littoral fish assemblages (Stone 1996, Blackwell et al. 1999). Research has shown a generalized pattern of juvenile (age-0) yellow perch spatial distribution wherein larvae hatch in near-shore areas, migrate to limnetic areas where they remain for approximately 40 d, and then return to demersal behaviors and within near-shore littoral habitats (Noble 1975, Whiteside et al. 1985). However, anomalous distribution and habitat use by age-0 yellow perch has been observed in South Dakota glacial lakes (Fisher and Willis 1997) and the …

Book Review: Effects Of Climate Change On Birds, Edited By Anders Pape Meller, Wolfgang Fiedler, And Peter Berthold, Brian J. Olsen

The Prairie Naturalist

Book review of Effects of Climate Change on Birds, edited by Anders Pape Meller, Wolfgang Fiedler, and Peter Berthold.

Climate scientists from across the globe predict vast changes during the next century in the planet's temperatures, precipitation, storm intensities, fire regimes, hydrologic cycles, and atmospheric, water, and soil chemistries. The changes will be global, but their effects will be felt locally everywhere. To find a scientifically and socially engaging bellwether of these events, we need to look only through the lens of avian biology. Birds are found from pole to pole; their movements connect continents. They are loud, colorful …

Modeling Parental Provisioning By Red-Winged Blackbirds In North Dakota, George M. Linz, Richard S. Sawin, Mark W. Lutman, William J. Bleier

The Prairie Naturalist

Male red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) exhibit a difference in nest provisioning rates along an east-west gradient in North America. North Dakota is located in the center of North America and harbors a large population of breeding red-winged blackbirds (RWBL). This location provided an opportunity to compare provisioning rates in the central U.S. with those reported for the eastern and western populations. We placed video cameras at RWBL nests to record male and female feeding trips. Thirty-four nests were located on territories with original males and 30 were on territories where a replacement (floater) male had taken over a …

Manuscript Content: Where Does It Belong?, Christopher N. Jacques

The Prairie Naturalist

One of the most common issues we address during content editing of papers for The Prairie Naturalist (journal) is the appropriate placement of content in the text body. Based on my experience with the editorial process, content placement also is one of the issues that authors are most resistant to suggestions or do not fully understand why we are so persistent about it (Thompson 2010). One of the primary objectives of scientific writing is to concisely and accurately disseminate information. Scientific papers are structured to help both the author and reader accomplish this objective. The material that belongs in each …

Foliar Symptoms Of Acute Ozone Injury And Exposure Response Characteristics Of Select Native Perennials, Susan Denise Frey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Twenty seven perennial species native to the Eastern Temperate Forests Level I Ecoregion were exposed to an acute ozone (O3) treatment consisting of a target peak O3 concentration of 2.0 ppm for 30 minutes in a closed chamber environment, during the summer of 2010. Plants were evaluated for visible foliar injury symptoms and symptoms were described and photographically documented. Ten of the 27 species developed visible foliar injury in which interspecific and intraspecific response to O3 was observed. A severity index was used to compare response to acute ozone exposure for the ten species displaying visible foliar injury. Species showing …

The Effects Of Phosphorus Enrichment On Leaf Litter Stoichiometry In A Forested Stream, Bryant Baker

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The effects of nutrient (N and P) enrichment on leaf litter decomposition in streams have been investigated extensively, but few have explored how P addition alone affects leaf litter stoichiometry (namely the C:P ratio). This study examined how the P content, C:P ratio and decomposition of two types of leaf litter (the recalcitrant Quercus stellata and the more labile Acer saccharum) responded to P enrichment from nutrient diffusing substrata (NDS) which was either unenriched agar or agar enriched with a moderate or high level of P. Leaf litter was sealed in 0.05 mm mesh bags, which excluded invertebrates, housed with …

Determination Of Poultry Litter's Nitrogen-Fertilizer Value For Winter Wheat Production, Brett Lee Gordon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nitrogen (N) availability in poultry litter (PL) applied in the fall as a nutrient source for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) has not been adequately characterized. Our objective was to determine a potentially available N (PAN) coefficient based on the inorganic-N fertilizer equivalence (FEQ) of fall-applied PL to winter wheat via field and laboratory research. Wheat grown at six site-years received 0, 84 and 168 kg N ha-1 as PL applied preplant and/or at-planting. The FEQ of PL-N was based on growth and yield responses of wheat fertilized with 22 to 191 kg N ha-1 applied in late winter as …

Orchard Floor Management, Marc A. Rowley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Managing fruit orchards involves both the management of the orchard trees, and the orchard floor. Orchard floor management is vital to tree health, yield and fruit quality. Current standard management practices include maintaining a vegetation free tree row and a grass-covered alleyway. This system effectively controls weeds and creates a favorable environment for the fruit trees. However, limitations to standard orchard floor practices are that the grass alleyway provides no nutrient benefit, and current practices do not readily lend themselves to organic management. Alternative in-row and alleyway systems are requisite to creating improved orchard floor management systems.

Three different approaches …

Causes And Consequences Of Plant Spatial Patterns On Natural And Experimental Great Basin (Usa) Plant Communities, Andrew P. Rayburn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The processes by which plant spatial patterns are formed, and the effects of those patterns on plant community dynamics, remain important areas of research in plant ecology. Plant spatial pattern formation has been linked to many ecological processes that act to structure plant communities at different spatiotemporal scales. Past studies of pattern formation are common, but recent methodological advances in data collection and analysis have permitted researchers to conduct more advanced observational studies of pattern formation in space and time. While studies of the effects of plant spatial patterns were formally rare, they have increased in the last decade as …

No Accession-Specific Effect Of Rhizosphere Soil Communities On The Growth And Competition Of Arabidopsis Thaliana Accessions, Anna G. Aguilera, Adán Colón-Carmona, Rick Kesseli, Jeffrey S. Dukes

Biology Faculty Publication Series

Soil communities associated with specific plant species affect individual plants' growth and competitive ability. Limited evidence suggests that unique soil communities can also differentially influence growth and competition at the ecotype level. Previous work with Arabidopsis thaliana has shown that accessions produce distinct and reproducible rhizosphere bacterial communities, with significant differences in both species composition and relative abundance. We tested the hypothesis that soil communities uniquely affect the growth and reproduction of the plant accessions with which they are associated. Specifically, we examined the growth of four accessions when exposed to their own soil communities and the communities generated by …

Traversing Swanton Road, 6th Ed., James A. West

Academic, Government & Associated Organizational Research Resources

Situated at the northwest end of Santa Cruz County and occupying circa 30 square miles of sharply contrasted terrain, the Scott Creek Watershed concentrates within its geomorphological boundaries, at least 10-12% of California's flora, both native and introduced. Paradoxically, the use/abuse that the watershed has sustained over the past 140+ years, has not necessarily diminished the biodiversity and perhaps parallels the naturally disruptive but biologically energizing processes (fire, flooding, landslides and erosion), which have also been historically documented for the area for +60 years. This is an early edition of an extensive document by James A. West. Please visit the …