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Fuel Response To Mechanical Mastication Of Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands In Utah, Alan Wyatt Shakespear

Theses and Dissertations

Pinyon-juniper woodland encroachment threatens ecosystem function and diversity on sagebrush steppe. Decreased fire frequency likely favors proliferation of pinyon-juniper woodlands and subsequent decline in desirable understory species. Increased tree cover produces hazardous canopy fuel loads that contribute to severe crown fires and threaten life and property at the wildland-urban-interface. Mechanical mastication converts large canopy fuels into small woody debris, altering wildfire dynamics from a potential crown fire to a more controllable surface fire. We measured fuel loading and cover on untreated, masticated, and masticated + burned treatments on 30-m transects within 30 X 33-m subplots, representing 45 different sites throughout …

Fire And Ungulate Herbivory Differentially Affect The Sexual Reproduction Of Generalist And Specialist Pollinated Plants, Andrew Hollis Lybbert

Theses and Dissertations

Currently the size and frequency of wildfires are increasing at a global scale, including arid ecosystems that exhibit great sensitivity to disturbance. Fire effects on plant pollination and reproductive success in deserts are largely unknown. Plant dependence on animal pollinators for reproduction can increase the risk of reproductive failure if pollination services are hindered or lost. Species that depend on few taxonomically related pollinator species are expected to be most negatively affected by disturbances that disrupt pollination interactions. To assess fire and isolation effects on reproductive success in desert plant communities, and how wildfire influences the pollination success of generalist …

Crash Prediction Modeling For Curved Segments Of Rural Two-Lane Two-Way Highways In Utah, Casey Scott Knecht

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis contains the results of the development of crash prediction models for curved segments of rural two-lane two-way highways in the state of Utah. The modeling effort included the calibration of the predictive model found in the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) as well as the development of Utah-specific models developed using negative binomial regression. The data for these models came from randomly sampled curved segments in Utah, with crash data coming from years 2008-2012. The total number of randomly sampled curved segments was 1,495. The HSM predictive model for rural two-lane two-way highways consists of a safety performance function …

Inheriting The Library: The Archon And The Archive In George Macdonald's Lilith, Lauran Ray Fuller

Theses and Dissertations

George MacDonald's novel Lilith relates the story of a young man inheriting his deceased father's estate and coming in contact with its remarkable library and mysterious librarian. The protagonist's subsequent adventures in a fantastical world prepare the young Mr. Vane to assume authority over his inherited archive and become an archon. Jacques Derrida's exposition of the responsibilities of the archon including archival authority, domiciliation, and consignation illuminate the mentoring role of the elusive librarian Mr. Raven in Vane's adventures. By using Derrida's deconstruction of archives to unpack the intricacies of knowledge transfer in MacDonald's novel, the lasting impact of the …

The Tiptoe, Robbie Taggart

BYU Studies

"My theology stresses the reality of continued, continuing revelation," writes the author of this essay. "God speaks, not spake. . . . But it is sometimes a real wrestle to know when he is speaking and what he wants. It takes attentiveness, and patience. Sometimes weeks pass without a whisper." He illustrates this idea with a story about stalking squirrels with his four-year-old son. After almost seeing one, the author, who has asked God to grant his son this simple wish, prays in silent resignation, "Well, thanks for trying." But then the wish is granted in a spectacular manner.

Ender's Game, Orson S. Card, Scott R. Parkin, Gavin Hood

BYU Studies

Orson Scott Card might well be the most versatile, and one of the most Mormon, fiction authors writing today--a true "storyteller in Zion," as suggested by the title of one collection of his essays. Though primarily known as an author of science fiction and fantasy, Card has also written historical, slice-of-life, literary, and horror fiction for print, stage, and screen, as well as a wealth of essays, reviews, and social commentary. He has been recognized for his excellence by such diverse organizations as the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) and the Association for Mormon Letters (AML).

Yet …

A Study Of The American Black Bear (Ursus Americanus) In Utah: An Analysis Of The Post-Denning Activities And Bear-Human Conflict, Julie Ann Miller

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined two different aspects of black bear (Ursus americanus) ecology in Utah. First, we determined the post-denning behaviors of female black bears in order to help management agencies protect bears from human disturbances as well as set spring hunts that minimize the taking of females with dependent young. We looked at the timing of den emergence (X = 25 March), the number of days at the den site post emergence (X = 11 days), and departure (X = 8 April) for female black bears in Utah from 2011—2013. We also analyzed the effects of cohort (lone …

Inclusive Recreation: The Malleability Of Attitudes Toward Disability Through Peer Interaction, Megan Fort

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the malleability of attitudes with the goal of improving social inclusion for a stigmatized group, specifically individuals with developmental disabilities. Contact Theory was used as an intentional structure for meaningful intergroup contact to assess, understand, and improve meanings applied to individuals with disabilities at an inclusive summer day camp. Adolescent volunteers were administered quantitative questionnaires utilizing the Contact with Disabled Persons Scale (CDP) and the Multi-Dimensional Attitude Scale (MAS). Collected data were used to determine the efficacy of involvement in an inclusive recreation program on adolescent participants' attitudes toward disability. After a covariate-adjusted regression analysis, contact with …

Generality Of The Terminal Investment Hypothesis: Effects Of Extrinsic Mortality And Resource Availability On Age-Related Reproductive Investment, Allystair Jones

Theses and Dissertations

A central question in life history theory is, what combination of traits and behaviors will lead to the highest reproductive success throughout a lifetime. The trade-off between current and future reproduction is central to the lifetime reproductive success of an organism. If there is a cost to reproduction, then allocation of energy to current reproduction will come at a cost to future reproduction. We expect young individuals to favor future reproduction over current reproduction and that balance shifts to current reproduction as they age (i.e. terminal investment hypothesis). However, how this transition from an emphasis on future reproduction to emphasis …

Understanding The Diversification Of Central American Freshwater Fishes Using Comparative Phylogeography And Species Delimitation, Justin C. Bagley

Theses and Dissertations

Phylogeography and molecular phylogenetics have proven remarkably useful for understanding the patterns and processes influencing historical diversification of biotic lineages at and below the species level, as well as delimiting morphologically cryptic species. In this dissertation, I used an integrative approach coupling comparative phylogeography and coalescent-based species delimitation to improve our understanding of the biogeography and species limits of Central American freshwater fishes. In Chapter 1, I conducted a literature review of the contributions of phylogeography to understanding the origins and maintenance of lower Central American biodiversity, in light of the geological and ecological setting. I highlighted emerging phylogeographic patterns, …

Comparative Analysis Of Ceramics From Three Great Houses And One Small House Site In Southeast Utah, Rachel Marie Harris

Theses and Dissertations

Ceramics from three Utah great houses, Bluff, Cottonwood Falls, and Edge of the Cedars, were analyzed and compared with ceramics from Three Kiva Pueblo, which is not a great house site but was occupied contemporarily. Data on jar and bowl rim diameters were considered to understand great house feasting dynamics. Cooking jars with large rim diameters were more common at Three Kiva than they were at the great houses. This suggests that Three Kiva residents prepared large batches of food more frequently than great house residents. Distributions of Mancos Black-on-white bowl diameters were very similar at great houses and Three …

The Roman Riders: Ethnicity And Iconography On Roman Cavalrymen Tombstones, Jessica Colleen Kramer

Theses and Dissertations

The funerary grave stelae of the Roman cavalrymen are large, impressive monuments set apart from their military counterparts by the ornate relief carvings which they exhibit. The two most common motifs featured on these tombstones are the rider relief motifs and the totenmahl motifs. Aspects of both the reliefs and the inscribed epitaphs are distinctly characteristic of the Roman military. Throughout the history of the Roman Empire, men in the auxiliary cavalry units were recruited from non-Roman allied tribes. These recruits brought with them foreign languages, customs, and beliefs. Through a comparative study of Roman cavalry tombstones found in Great …

A Molecular Phylogeny Of Lampyridae With Insight Into Visual And Bioluminescent Evolution, Gavin Jon Martin

Theses and Dissertations

Fireflies are some of the most captivating organisms on the planet. Because of this, they have a rich history of study, especially concerning their bioluminescent and visual behavior. Among insects, opsin copy number variation has been shown to be quite diverse. However, within the beetles, very little work on opsins has been conducted. Here we look at the visual system of fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae), which offer an elegant system in which to study visual evolution as it relates to their behavior and broader ecology. They are the best-known case of a terrestrial organism that communicates through the use bioluminescence. The …

Blogs, Books, & Breadcrumbs: A Case Study Of Transmedial Fairy Tales, Kristy Gilbert Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding transmedial storytelling is particularly important to fairy-tale studies. Monomedial views have long been unable to account for all of fairy tale tradition. Although the form originated in oral culture, it has long been a liminal, hybrid form that retains aspects of orality even while its principal mode of transference for some time has been something other than face-to-face communication. Transformations and adaptations across different media and contexts has resulted in a system of fairy-tale tradition that is massively intertextual and transmedial. No one medium can claim primary control over the fairy-tale tradition. Throughout time, oral tellings have inspired literary …

Variation In Resource Utilization And Cost Of Reproduction For Two Burying Beetle Species, Peter J. Meyers

Theses and Dissertations

The cost of reproduction hypothesis suggests that allocation into current reproduction constrains future reproduction. How organisms accrue reproductive costs may differ between species and with varying levels of resource quality. Burying beetles are model organisms for testing for the cost of reproduction because of their unique natural history; beetles utilize small vertebrate carcasses for reproduction and they and their offspring feed exclusively on these discrete resources. Burying beetles also can utilize a large range of carcass sizes for reproduction. We tested for the cost of reproduction in two species of burying beetles, Nicrophorus marginatus and Nicrophorus guttula found in Central …

Alcohol Modulation Of Dopamine Release, Nathan Dan Schilaty

Theses and Dissertations

The mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system projects from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to structures associated with the limbic system, primarily the nucleus accumbens (NAc). This system has been implicated in the rewarding effects of drugs of abuse. Many drugs of abuse act in the VTA, the NAc, or both. Dopamine neurons in the VTA that project to the NAc, and the GABA neurons that inhibit DA neurons locally in the VTA or project to the NAc, play an important role in mediating addiction to various drugs of abuse, in particular alcohol. There is a growing body of evidence of co-dependence …

The Impacts Of Feral Horses On The Use Of Water By Pronghorn On The Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada, Amy Marie Gooch

Theses and Dissertations

Feral horses occupy 31.6 million acres throughout western North America. Feral horses share similar habitats with a wide range of animal species, including pronghorn. Since horses are larger and often more aggressive than other animals of this region, they are generally socially dominant over all other native ungulate species. Pronghorn share water sources with horses in areas where both occur. In situations where horses exclude pronghorn from water, pronghorn fitness may be impaired, especially during the hottest months of the year when water is limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate interference competition between pronghorn and feral horses …

Attachment, Vagal Tone, And Co-Regulation During Infancy, Jessica Chloe Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the development of attachment as it relates to co-regulation and vagal tone over the second half of the first year of life. Links to infants' attachment and developmental status were also examined. Symmetrical and unilateral co-regulated patterns of interactions at 6 months demonstrated significant linkages with attachment. Developmental status did not show direct linkages with attachment. Direct links between vagal tone and attachment were also not identified. Correlations between co-regulation and vagal tone at the 6 month time point were identified. Findings suggest an important role of co-regulation as it relates to attachment development. Future studies may …

Small Mammals Matter? Linking Plant Invasion, Biotic Resistance, And Climate Change In Post-Fire Plant Communities, Rory Charles O'Connor

Theses and Dissertations

The introduction and establishment of exotic species can profoundly alter ecosystems. Two exotic species drastically changing the landscape of deserts in western North America are Bromus tectorum L. and Bromus rubens L. Through the buildup of biomass and slow decomposition rates in deserts these two exotic annual grasses can alter fire regimes that change the plant and animal community dynamics in the ecosystems. To better understand the ecological mechanisms that could restrict or alter the patterns of invasive plant establishment we established a replicated full factorial experiment in the Great Basin and Mojave Desert. The combinations of factors being manipulated …

Violence And Disruptive Behavior On The Difficult Trail To Utah, 1847–1868, David L. Clark

BYU Studies

One aspect of the Mormon pioneer experience has not been studied: violence. Did the pioneers have problems with fighting and other aggressive behavior? How did company leaders prevent problems and handle disputes when they inevitably arose? This article reports pioneer records mentioning arguments, punishments, and other violent actions. The stories range from a threatened whipping for children who dallied behind their group to the heartbreaking tale of handcart pioneers being whipped to keep them moving along a frozen trail. While sickness, hunger, accidents, and weather took their toll on the Mormon pioneers, violence was not a major issue. Although records …

Fabrication, Characterization, Optimization And Application Development Of Novel Thin-Layer Chromatography Plates, Supriya Singh Kanyal

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation describes advances in the microfabrication of thin layer chromatography (TLC) plates. These plates are prepared by the patterning of carbon nanotube (CNT) forests on substrates, followed by their infiltration with an inorganic material. This document is divided into ten sections or chapters. Chapter 1 reviews the basics of conventional TLC technology. This technology has not changed substantially in decades. This chapter also mentions some of the downsides of the conventional approach, which include unwanted interactions of the binder in the plates with the analytes, relatively slow development times, and only moderately high efficiencies. Chapter 2 focuses primarily on …

Role Of Epistasis In Alzheimer's Disease Genetics, Mark T. Ebbert

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer's disease is a complex neurodegenerative disease whose basic etiology and genetic structure remains elusive, despite decades of intensive investigation. To date, the significant genetic markers identified have no obvious functional effects, and are unlikely to play a role in Alzheimer's disease etiology, themselves. These markers are likely linked to other genetic variations, rare or common. Regardless of what causal mutations are found, research has demonstrated that no single gene determines Alzheimer's disease development and progression. It is clear that Alzheimer's disease development and progression are based on a set of interactions between genes and environmental variables. This dissertation focuses …

Targeted Sequencing Of Plant Genomes , Mark D. Huynh

Theses and Dissertations

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has revolutionized the field of genetics by providing a means for fast and relatively affordable sequencing. With the advancement of NGS, whole- genome sequencing (WGS) has become more commonplace. However, sequencing an entire genome is still not cost effective or even beneficial in all cases. In studies that do not require a whole-genome survey, WGS yields lower sequencing depth and sequencing of uninformative loci. Targeted sequencing utilizes the speed and low cost of NGS while providing deeper coverage for desired loci. This thesis applies targeted sequencing to the genomes of two different, non-model plants, Artemisia tridentate (sagebrush) …

Extent Of Cysteine Modification Of Snap-25 In Vitro, Alex Mcgregor Dabell

Theses and Dissertations

Exocytosis, the fusion of a vesicle to a cellular membrane, involves a protein named SNAP-25. This protein, containing two alpha helices connected with a linker region, is localized to the cell membrane via palmitic acids attached to the cysteine residues of its linker region in a process called palmitoylation. Are cysteine residues of the SNAP-25 linker region palmitoylated in an ordered manner and to a particular extent? The answer to this question may give insight into the regulated nature of exocytosis. While it is generally accepted that SNAP-25 must be palmitoylated in order to perform its exocytotic functions, the details …

The Living Earth: A Nineteenth-Century Latter-Day Saint Perspective, J. Michael Hunter

Faculty Publications

By studying the worldview of Mormons living in the nineteenth century, we can better understand their interpretation of nature and their relationship to it. For Mormons of that era, the earth was alive and deeply affected by the attitudes and actions of the humans living upon it. Nineteenth-century Latter-day Saints spoke frequently of the earth, its nature, and its relationship to humanity. They referred to the earth in anthropomorphic terms. It was a living orb endowed with intelligence and feelings. The earth’s life paralleled that of the humans who lived on it. So entwined were the lives of the earth …

Demographic Monitoring And Population Viability Analysis Of Two Rare Beardtongues From The Uinta Basin, Rebecca M. Mccaffery, Rita Reisor, Kathryn Irvine, Jessi Brunson

Western North American Naturalist

Energy development, in combination with other environmental stressors, poses a persistent threat to rare species endemic to the energy-producing regions of the Western United States. Demographic analyses of monitored populations can provide key information on the natural dynamics of threatened plant and animal populations, and how they might be affected by ongoing and future development. In the Uinta Basin in Utah and Colorado, Graham’s beardtongue (Penstemon grahamii) and White River beardtongue (Penstemon scariosus var. albifluvis) are two rare endemic wildflowers that persist on oil shale habitats heavily impacted by current energy exploration and development, and slated …

Reproduction And Pollination Of The Endangered Dwarf Bear-Poppy Arctomecon Humilis (Papaveraceae) Across A Quarter Century: Unraveling Of A Pollination Web?, Vincent J. Tepedino, John Mull, Terry L. Griswold, Gerald Bryant

Western North American Naturalist

Arctomecon humilis, a rare gypsophile of the extreme northeastern Mojave Desert, is restricted to a few isolated populations (occurrences) in Washington Co, Utah (USA). At several points in the past quarter century, we have studied the breeding system and reproductive success of this endangered species, recorded its pollinators and tested the feasibility of human-assisted gene flow by conducting reciprocal crosses between two isolated occurrences approximately 4 km apart. We found A. humilis to possess a mixed breeding system in the occurrence studied (Beehive Dome in 1988); some plants exhibited self-compatibility but fruit/flowers and seeds/fruit were significantly lower in pollinator-effected …

Population Genetic Structure Of The Baird's Pocket Gopher, Geomys Breviceps, In Eastern Texas, Sarah R. Welborn, Jessica E. Light

Western North American Naturalist

The Baird’s pocket gopher (Geomys breviceps) is a solitary, fossorial rodent found throughout areas of Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. These rodents are highly modified morphologically for an underground lifestyle, often resulting in limited vagility and isolated populations. Despite these unique characteristics, little is known about the population genetics of pocket gophers. We used mitochondrial and microsatellite data and performed a series of population genetic analyses to better understand the population structure and gene flow among a series of G. brevicepslocalities. Population genetic analyses supported high levels of gene flow among nearby localities (within 2 km of …

Home-Range Size And Subadult Dispersal Of Black Bears In The Cascade Range Of Western Oregon, Dave Immell, Dewaine H. Jackson, Margaret C. Boulay

Western North American Naturalist

Knowledge of home range size and subadult dispersal activity of North American black bears is essential for understanding the complexity of how bears interact within populations and the environment. During 1993-98, we monitored 96 radiocollared black bears (Ursus americanus) in the Cascade Range of western Oregon to estimate home range and dispersal movements. Composite fixed-kernel home ranges were calculated for 37 bears. Mean home range size differed between sexes (189.7 km² for males and 33.6 km² for females); however, there was no difference between subadult and adult male or subadult and adult female mean home range …

Rediscovered Populations Of The Idaho Point-Headed Grasshopper, Acrolophitus Pulchellus (Bruner), 1890 (Orthoptera: Acrididae), Beth A. Waterbury

Western North American Naturalist

The Idaho point-headed grasshopper, Acrolophitus pulchellus, is a rare endemic of the Sinks Drainages of east-central Idaho. Past collections were infrequent and found few specimens. Searches in 1993 failed to find specimens, leading to speculaton that A. pulchellus was extinct. I report rediscovered populations of A. pulchellus based on 55 capture records (10 collected); describe distribution, habitat, morphological, and life history information; and present the first photos of live adult specimens.