Digital Commons Network^™

Management Of Endangered Sonoran Topminnow At Bylas Springs, Arizona: Description, Critique, And Recommendations, Paul C. Marsh, W. L. Minckley

Great Basin Naturalist

Efforts between 1982 and 1990 have failed to recover and secure three natural populations of endangered Sonoran topminnow (Poeciliopsis o. occidentalis) at Bylas Springs, Arizona. Flooding in the Gila River in 1977–78 allowed ingress by predatory mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), and topminnows began to decline. Since that time (1) one stock has been replaced twice and is again nearly gone because of depredations by mosquitofish that resisted two eradication attempts; (2) topminnows at a second spring were extirpated through vegetation encroachment after fencing to protect the habitat from livestock; and (3) a third population was lost to …

Full Issue, Vol. 50 No. 2

Great Basin Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Seed Production And Seedling Establishment Of A Southwest Riparian Tree, Arizona Walnut (Juglans Major), Juliet C. Stromberg, Duncan T. Patten

Great Basin Naturalist

A four-year study of five populations has revealed influences on seed production and seedling establishment of the Southwest riparian tree Juglans major. Germination is abundant after production of large seed crops (masts), but masts are produced infrequently. Within years, germination is stimulated by summer rains, enabling seedlings to establish on riparian terraces as well as streambanks. Traits such as capacity for dormancy during summer drought allow some seedlings to survive on terraces, but abundant rainfall is essential for high rates of seedling success. Ranges of moisture tolerance vary among seeds collected from different populations, suggesting that ecotypes may exist …

First North American Record Of Cichlasoma Managuense (Pisces: Cichlidae), Paul C. Marsh, Thomas A. Burke, Bruce D. Demarais, Michael E. Douglas

Great Basin Naturalist

An established population of a neotropical cichlid fish, Cichlasoma managuense, was found in a spring pool in the Virgin River basin, Utah. Presence of this predatory species poses an additional threat to the native fish fauna of the Virgin River, which already has suffered multiple impacts of water development and introduced fishes.

Observations On Recruitment And Ecology Of Razorback Sucker: Lower Colorado River, Arizona–California–Nevada, Paul C. Marsh, W. L. Minckley

Great Basin Naturalist

The Colorado River system downstream from Lake Mohave yielded 42 adult, 19 juvenile, and 39 larval wild razorback suckers (Zyrauchen texanus) between 1962 and 1988. Forty-six additional young captured between 1984 and 1987 may have been wild or stocked, hatchery-propagated fish. Wild juveniles of this endemic, imperiled species, with one exception, have not been otherwise known from the Colorado River basin downstream from the Grand Canyon since the 1950s. A majority of adults and larvae were from the river or its mainstream impoundments, while all but one wild juvenile and all presumably stocked fish were captured from irrigation …

Foods And Weights Of The Rock Ptarmigan On Amchitka, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, William B. Emison, Clayton M. White

Great Basin Naturalist

We examined the crop contents from 129 Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus) collected between 1967 and1971 on Amchitka, Aleutian Islands, Alaska. On a yearly basis two plant species, Empetrum nigrum and Equisetum arvense, made up 87% of the diet. Only in July and August were they less than 90% of the diet, and in those months they constituted 65% of the diet. During the warmer months (May-October) when a variety of plant species were available, the Amchitka ptarmigan fed upon growth forms of plants high in nutritive value (particularly Equisetum strobili). Its main winter food was the …

Biogeographic Aspects Of Leeches, Mollusks, And Amphibians In The Intermountain Region, Peter Hovingh

Great Basin Naturalist

Some biogeographical and paleobiological aspects of leeches, mollusks, and amphibians in the Intermountain Region are reviewed. Areas of eastern Nevada and western Bonneville Basin as well as the tristate region of Nevada, Utah, and Idaho are poorly inventoried with respect to many aquatic-dependent animals. Observations of Batracobdella picta in the Wasatch Mountains and Erpobdella punctata in Tule Valley in the Bonneville Basin extends the western ranges of these leeches in the Great Basin. Life history and size of leeches varies among the study sites in the northern hemisphere. Aquatic mollusk species have diminished greatly in both prehistoric and historic times, …

Annotated Bibliography Of The Black-Footed Ferret, Denise E. Casey, John Duwaldt, Tim W. Clark

Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs

An annotated bibliography of 351 references on the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) shows 19 articles, mostly species descriptions, published from 1851 through 1899; 69 papers, mostly describing the range of the species, from 1900 through 1964; 156 papers dealing largely with the Mellette County, South Dakota, ferret research published from 1965 through 1980; and 107 publications since 1981 dealing primarily with the Meeteetse, Wyoming, ferrets.

Agriculture, Agribusiness, And Renewable And Natural Resource Program Review, B. Delworth Gardner

Faculty Publications

The State University System of Florida has es tab 1 i shed A "Quest for Excellence11 in its Master Plan. It is a bold plan of action that will "unleash the University System from those time-bound constraints which would allow only gradual change. 11 It is also clear that the State University System of Florida plans to compete successfully with the very best academic universities. In its mission statement the University of Florida, as a land-grant institution, administers the In"s·t itute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), a special unit providing statewide food and .agricultural teaching, res.earch, and extension services. …

Thermal Ecology And Activity Patterns Of The Short-Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma Douglassi) And The Sagebrush Lizard (Sceloporus Graciosus) In Southeastern Idaho, Craig Guyer, Allan D. Linder

Great Basin Naturalist

A mark-recapture study of the short-horned lizard (Phrynosoma douglassi) and the sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus graciosus) was performed from 1976 to 1977 in southeastern Idaho. Both species had mean cloacal temperatures of approximately 33 C. However, P. douglassi had more variable cloacal temperatures, particularly during morning and evening periods. This was caused by differences in sleeping sites chosen by the two species. Adults of both species were active from mid-April through late August, with peak activity in June. Juvenile P. douglassi displayed a seasonal activity pattern similar to that of adults. Juvenile S. graciosus were most active …

Centric Diatoms Of Lake Tahoe, Albert D. Mahood, Robert D. Thomson, Charles R. Goldman

Great Basin Naturalist

An understanding of the mechanisms of phytoplankton species interaction is dependent on a precise knowledge of what species exist within the community. The centric diatoms of Lake Tahoe, California–Nevada, which are often the dominant component of the phytoplankton community, are presented in both light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) photographs. Specific attention has been given to initial cell forms of Cyclotella stelligera Cleve and Grunow and C. comta (Ehrenberg) Kützing through the aid of the SEM.

The Incidence Of Obesity In Lds College Women: The Effect Of Selected Physical Socio-Environmental Variables On Total Percent Body Fat In Two Populations Of Lds Women, Carrie Tanner Summers

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of selected physical socio-environmental variables on total percent body fat. The sample population consisted of single, LDS, white women attending Brigham Young University (BYU) and California State University at Fullerton (CSUF). Significant data as well as trends that appeared were included in this paper.

From the data collected, it was concluded that the sample populations at BYU and CSUF were the same. The incidence of obesity was determined only among individuals attending both universities. The entire sample population mean was 22.19 percent. This percentage did not meet the obesity criteria. …

A Bibliography Of Colorado Vegetation Description, William L. Baker

Great Basin Naturalist

A list of 658 references to Colorado vegetation description is presented, along with county and subject indexes to the list.

Proton Induced X-Ray Emission Analysis - A Complement To Analytical Methods Used In Environmental Studies, N. F. Mangelson, D. J. Eatough, N. L. Eatough, L. D. Hansen, M. W. Hill, M. L. Lee, L. R. Phillips, M. E. Post, B. E. Richter, J. F. Ryder

Faculty Publications

Particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) analysis is a highly versatile method of element analysis. Thus it is well suited for use as a complement to other methods of analysis in experimental programs requiring both chemical and elemental analyses. This paper reports some results of two projects where PIXE was used in conjunction with titration calorimetry, ion chromatography, atomic absorption spectroscopy, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and some other methods. The first is a study of sulfur chemistry in a copper smelter plume. Arsenic was found to be a conservative tracer of the plume and was used for calculation of …

Flood Frequency And The Assemblage Of Dispersal Types In Hanging Gardens Of The Narrows, Zion National Park, Utah, George P. Malanson, Jeanne Kay

Great Basin Naturalist

Hanging gardens of the Narrows, Zion National Park, Utah, are plant communities growing at permanent seeps on the canyon walls. The gardens are isolated from each other and from other plant communities by vertical expanses of sandstone. Gardens consist mostly of herbaceous species less than 1 m tall. Though not individually species-rich, the hanging gardens are diverse as a group, and very dissimilar.

This study considers two explanations of the heterogeneous distribution of species in hanging gardens. The assemblages of dispersal types in gardens of different spatial attributes and disturbance frequencies are examined. The G_H statistic, a log likelihood …

Habitat And Plant Distributions In Hanging Gardens Of The Narrows, Zion National Park, Utah, George P. Malanson

Great Basin Naturalist

Hanging gardens are insular plant communities of the Colorado Plateau. This study examines hanging gardens in the Narrows, Zion National Park, Utah. The floristic similarity of gardens and the presence of species in classes of variables which characterize the habitat are disclosed. Although the gardens are isolated and dissimilar, the individual species are not restricted in the range of habitat found. Floristic dissimilarity cannot be attributed to differences in habitat. These results are compared to studies of hanging gardens in eastern Utah.

Parasites From Two Species Of Suckers (Catostomidae) From Southern Utah, J. Craig Brienholt, Richard A. Heckmann

Great Basin Naturalist

Twenty Catostomus latipinnis and 50 Catostomus discobolis from La Verkin Creek and the Fremont River in southern Utah were collected and surveyed for parasites. Data from the survey indicated that 83 percent of the fish were infected with at least one parasite, with the fish from La Verkin Creek harboring more parasites. Twelve genera and 12 species of parasites were identified from these fish. A monogenetic trematode, Gyrodactylus elegans, which was found in 90 percent of the fish, was the most common parasite. Comments are included on habitat and host variations for the parasitofauna from suckers taken from the two …

Deseret's Sons Of Toil: A History Of The Worker Movements In Territorial Utah, 1852-1896 J. Kenneth Davies, Dean L. May

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Primary Productivity In Meromictic Big Soda Lake, Nevada, R. P. Axler, R. M. Gersberg, L. J. Paulson

Great Basin Naturalist

In situ radiocarbon uptake measurements conducted at Big Soda Lake, Nevada, indicate that (i) bacterial photosynthesis comprises an important fraction (30 percent) of the lake's total primary production and (ii) bacterial chemosynthesis contributes significantly to organic particle production. The results of nutrient enrichment bioassay experiments support Hutchinson's prediction that availability of inorganic nitrogen, rather than phosphorus, limits primary production in the mixolimnion. Nutrient additions of NO₃–N with Fe⁺³ most stimulated ¹⁴C uptake.

Phytogeographical Variation Within Juniper-Pinyon Woodlands Of The Great Basin, Neil E. West, Robin J. Tausch, Kenneth H. Rea, Paul T. Tueller

Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs

About 22 percent of the pigmy conifer woodlands of the United States occur within the Great Basin. Only a very few reports of these woodlands exist in the literature. Available reports are either of general descriptive nature or specific analysis of vegetation-environmental relationships on one mountain range. In order to better understand basin-wide synecological patterns, a cooperative study was carried out by personnel at Utah State University and the University of Nevada-Reno between 1972 and 1975. Vegetation, landform, geology, and soils data obtained from 463 systematically placed stands on a randomly chosen set of 66 mountain ranges have been used …

Occurrence Of Ticks On Mule Deer In Central Utah, Jordan C. Pederson

Great Basin Naturalist

Two species of ticks were collected from mule deer and identified as Dermacentor albipictus (Packard) and Ixodes sp. The rate of occurrence of these ticks was found to be 99.6 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively. The infestation rate increased from 18.2 percent in January, to 87.5 percent in February, to 100.0 percent in March.

The Plant Communities Of Arches National Park, John Stevens Allan

Theses and Dissertations

Arches National Park, located in southeastern Utah, lies in a transition zone between the southwestern hot desert and the western cold desert, but it is floristically most similar to the hot desert. The major plant communities are as follows: Juniper-pinyon, blackbrush, grasslands and sand dune association. Other community types occur but occupy very limited areas. All of the communities studied have a high degree of uniqueness and merit recognition as separate entities. Blackbrush showed the greatest overall similarity to other communities and was most similar to the sand dune communities. The hanging gardens were the most distinctive and covered the …

Plant Dioecy, Ecology, Evolution And Sex Reversal, D. Carl Freeman

Theses and Dissertations

The distribution of dioecious species among forty-four plant communities of western United States was examined. The dioecious habit is most prevalent in harsh environments. In many communities, over 20 percent of the species and 40 percent of the individuals are dioecious. Dioecy is most common among woody species which are pollinated by wind. It is concluded that inbreeding depression alone is insufficient to account for all known facts concerning dioecy. Disruptive selection acting upon differential success of gametes produced on sites of differing quality appears to have played a major role in producing separate sexed individuals. Dioecious species reported to …

The Genus Haemolaelaps (Acarina: Laelapidae) In The Northwest Ethiopian Biogeographical Region, Calvin J. Sakamoto

Theses and Dissertations

This paper presents the results of a taxonomic stury of mites of the genus Haemolaelaps collected from small mammals of 8 political subdivisions of the northwest portion of the Ethiopian Biogeographical Region. Specimens taken from 2,863 small mammals from a wide variety of habitats and localities were examined. The Haemolaelaps fauna includes 23 species, 10 of which are described as new: H. bellasoma, H. caurinus, H. chaetospinicus, H. crocidura, H. desmodilliscus, He. ebsi, H. malachela, H. parahirsti, H. sikapusi and H. taterakempi. Numerical taxonomic and multicariate analyses were used to assess variation and clustering. A key for identification of females …

Cattail Decline At Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Christine Minton Anderson

Great Basin Naturalist

For the last seven years, 1969 to 1976, a steady decline of cattails (Typha latifolia L.) has been observed at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Davis County, Utah. Several parameters of Farmington Bay's environment that could cause or enhance a decline of the marshland vegetation were studied. These parameters included temperature, pH, phenols, oil and grease, heavy metals, fungus pathogens, and salt water intrusion from the Great Salt Lake. Elevated soluble salt concentrations were found to be responsible for the decline. Cattails are weakened or killed when they are exposed to soluble salt concentrations greater than 5.0 gm/liter, and …

Food Production, People, And The Future, Sylvan H. Wittwer

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

A Systematic Revision Of The Genus Laelaps S. Str. (Acari: Mesostigmata) Of The Ethiopian Region, C. Selby Herrin, Vernon J. Tipton

Great Basin Naturalist

This paper presents the results of a systematic study of mites of the genus Laelaps s. str. collected from small mammals of the Ethiopian region. Specimens taken from approximately 100,000 small mammals were examined from a wide variety of habitats and localities. The Ethiopian fauna of Laelaps mites includes 31 species. 4 of which are described as new: L. parasimillimus, L. myomys, L. malacomys, and L. acomys. A numerical taxonomic analysis was made, the results of which were used in the preparation of a proposed classification of the African species of Laelaps. A key for identification of females is given, …

Modeling Studies Of Small Mammal Trapping Phenology, And Plant Succession In The Kaiparowits Region, Kane County, Utah, James A. Raines

Theses and Dissertations

This study makes use of simple statistical models which may be manipulated for projection of changes in the Kaiparowits Region of Southern Utah. A method of determining habitat preferences of small rodents from capture-recapture trapping data is proposed. It is suggested that some aspects of animal behavior regarding trapping may also be explained. Timing of flowering of Oryzopsis hymenoides and Hilaria jamesii as related to enviromental conditions was investigated, and models of the requisite conditions proposed. It is suggested that similar models may be used to describe the timing of other phenological events. Succession on disturbed sites is considered to …

Systematics Of Neotropical Hirstionyssus Mites With Special Emphasis With Special Emphasis On Venezuela (Acarina: Mesostigmata), C. Selby Herrin, Conrad E. Yunker

Brigham Young University Science Bulletin, Biological Series

This paper presents the results of a systematic study of mites of the genus Hirstionyssus Fonseca collected from mammals, primarily in Venezuela, but including one collection each from Colombia, Nicaragua, and British Honduras. Previously described species from Panamá and Brazil are reviewed and new distributional records are listed. The known Neotropical fauna of Hirstionyssus mites includes 15 species, 7 of which are described here as new: H. proctolatus n. sp.; H. brachysternum n. sp.; H. dorsolatus n. sp.; H. rhipidomys n. sp.; H, venezuelensis n. sp.; H. brevicalcar n. sp.; and H. parvisoma n. sp. The previously unknown male and …

Venezuelan Macronyssidae (Acarina: Mesostigmata), Robert C. Saunders

Brigham Young University Science Bulletin, Biological Series

No abstract provided.