Digital Commons Network^™

Integrating Fire And Forest Planning: A Review Of National Forest Plan Revisions, Hailey Graf

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Examining Injury Data Reporting Practices Among Wildland Firefighters, Erin M. Boggs

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Wildland Firefighter (WLFF) Crews lack an injury surveillance program to collect information on non-traumatic and traumatic injuries. Tactical athletes including: police, military and structural firefighters all have a variety of collection systems in place for injury data collection. The lack of injury data prevents WLFF crews from identifying high-risk environments, implementing injury prevention programs, and improving the overall quality of care on the job. Over the last several decades the recent rise in wildfire occurrences and wildfire suppression costs creates a need for healthy and strong individuals in the field. The cost of firefighter salaries and medical care can be …

A Risk/Benefit Analysis And Prescription Optimization For Integrating High-Intesity Interval Training Into Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Programs, Matt C. Chapman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Aerobic exercise is an effective solution for improving mortality rates and physical outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). There is a controversy, however, in the research literature over what type of training modality produces the best results. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has emerged as a promising alternative to moderate-intensity continuous training (MCT), which is typically used to treat cardiovascular ailments. Currently, there is no consensus on the ideal HIIT prescription that would produce optimal benefits for patients, however. The goal of this review is to clarify whether HIIT provides either superior or equivalent outcomes in mortality, cardiac autonomic control, …

Transitioning Montana To A Renewable Energy Future: The Social And Economic Impacts, Jacqueline O. Sussman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Montana is home to the second-largest coal-fired power plant in the West, the Colstrip Generating Station. The value and demand for coal both domestically and globally is quickly diminishing, while the renewable energy industries of wind and solar are booming. As utilities in the Northwest transition their investments from coal to renewable energy, Montana faces a critical decision on the future of its energy system that will impact the lives of generations of Montanans to come.

This five-part report aims to aid in the discussion and decision-making process by reviewing the most up-to-date economic data on renewable energy; discussing the …

Interleukin-6 And Exercise; Early Evidence Of A Novel Myokine, Brendan Hogg Mr.

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) was first identified as a pleiotropic cytokine, with a host of body-wide functions. Cytokine functions are characterized by chronically elevated levels within various inflammatory states. In this regard, IL-6 is largely associated with the acute phase response to many stimuli and performs specific actions when produced from certain cell types. Accrued evidence indicates IL-6 release from skeletal muscle often includes myokine functions. Novel myokine functions are adaptive in nature, and as compared to inflammatory/cytokine roles, exhibit a transient time course. Following exercise plasma IL-6 peaks and returns to resting levels within 1-2 hours. In contrast, IL-6 is observed …

The Effect Of Female Priming On Male Betta Splendens, Susan Greene

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Male betta fish are naturally aggressive to attract a mate and defend a territory. This makes them a good model for studying aggression and choice behavior. This study looked at male Betta splendens aggressive nature when impacted by priming with a female and exposure to the SSRI drug fluoxetine. Males in the study received a prime before each choice trial, and the latency for each choice was measured and analyzed. We found no significant differences for preference for a mirror versus a non-mirror trail, or latency for choice for the mirror. However, a significant effect was found for fighting data, …

Recreational Marijuana And Traffic Fatalities: Sensationalism Or New Safety Concern, Dylan Cole

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Volunteering For Vegetables: Community Agriculture And The Prospects For Building A More Democratic Food System, Kali Orton

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Scholars and activists hold varied ideas about what a more just and equitable food system might look like. Food democracy, one of these alternative food system theories, centers around the idea that all people should have equal opportunity to meaningfully contribute to the shaping of their food systems. Community farms, due to their socially-oriented qualities, present one possibility for people to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to function as food citizens and build food democracy.

This research explores and seeks to inform food democracy theory through case studies of two urban community farms – one in Missoula, Montana, and …

Universal Design For Learning In Online Credit Recovery: Do Course Features Impact Achievement?, Robert I. Squires

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This experimental study investigated whether the addition of course features based on the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework impacted achievement in an online English 1A credit recovery course offered by a state virtual school in the Western United States. An alternative format for completing course mastery assignments and eText support tools (ReadSpeaker and TextAid) were added to an existing version of the course. Writing prompts were also included in the alternative mastery assignments. Credit recovery students were randomly enrolled by school personnel into control and treatment sections of the English 1A courses using the enrollment mechanism of the school’s …

Leaving More Than Footprints: Impacts Of Tourism And Perceptions Of Change In Chilean Patagonia, Heidi Blair

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Visitation to protected areas is on the rise globally, and the Aysén region of Chilean Patagonia is part of that trend. Within Aysén, Cerro Castillo National Reserve is one of the protected areas that has seen the largest increase in visitation in recent years. Protected area tourism catalyzes changes in surrounding communities, and it is important to understand resident perceptions of these changes in order to inform management planning and to implement effective, equitable conservation policy. In this study, I use qualitative research methods to investigate local residents’ perceptions of social, economic, and ecological changes spurred by or related to …

Predictive Spatial Modeling Of Wildfire Occurrence And Poaching Events Related To Siberian Tiger Conservation In Southwest Primorye, Russian Far East, Conor N. Phelan

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) populations worldwide have been drastically reduced in number over the past several decades. The Primorye region of the Russian Far East remains one of the final strongholds for the estimated 400 Siberian tigers remaining in the wild. As a flagship species, Siberian tigers play a crucial socio-economic role in helping agencies and non-profits to motivate, fund, and implement broader conservation efforts. Even while defended by organizations such as the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Siberian tigers in Primorye face an onslaught of threats to their continued existence. Profound land use changes due to the …

The Ethosophy Of The Grizzly Man: Timothy Treadwell's Three Ethologies, Blake L. Ginsburg

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This paper explores the ethical appropriateness and significance of Timothy Treadwell’s life among the bears and foxes of Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve. In an attempt to reveal the formative and transformative aspects of Treadwell’s project, I rely upon an ethological framework developed by Matthew Calarco that moves beyond the narrow conception of ethology as a scientific practice aimed at systematic and rigorous documentation of the quantifiable aspects of animal behavior. While many people might be hesitant to conceive of Treadwell’s project as an ethological one, I hope to illuminate the ways in which his life among bears and …

Quantifying Effects Of Using Thermally Thin Fuel Approximations On Modelling Fire Propagation In Woody Fuels, David Blasen, Jesse Johnson, William Jolly, Russell Parsons

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In this paper, we quantify the effects of the thermally thin fuel approximations commonly made in numerical models that eliminate temperature gradients within a heated object. This assumption is known to affect the modeled ignition and burn behavior, but there is little research on its impact, particularly in larger fuels or in numerical models including moisture and chemical decomposition of fuels.

We begin by comparing modeled to observed ignition times and burn rates. To constrain variability in the material properties of wood and focus on variability caused by fuels assumed to be thermally thin, we conduct experiments using thermogravimetric analysis …

Life On The Edge: Risk Of Predation Drives Selection Of Habitat And Survival Of Neonates In Endangered Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep, Shannon Forshee

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Long-term viability of endangered populations requires development of effective management strategies that target the population vital rate with the highest potential to influence population trajectories. When adult survival is high and stable, juvenile recruitment is the vital rate with the greatest potential to improve population trajectories. For my thesis I examined how lactating Sierra Nevada Bighorn sheep (Ovis Canadensis sierra) balance forage and predation risk during the neonatal period. I first identified resource selection strategies employed by lactating females to promote survival of neonates and then determined the primary factors affecting survival of neonates. I found lactating females selected for …

Wilderness Solitude In The 21st Century, Thomas C. Lang

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Recent advances in mobile communication technology have led to a decrease in opportunities for individuals to experience alone-time within daily life. As a result, the solitude offered by wilderness landscapes has become all the more valuable. Past research on wilderness solitude has been divided into two distinct frameworks: the Social-Spatial Perspective and the Humanistic Perspective. This distinction has severely limited the development of a comprehensive research model that incorporates all the possible conditions relating to wilderness solitude. This study synthesized past research and theory to create a quantitative model of wilderness solitude which includes elements from both research perspectives, while …

The Role Of Bipolar Disorder, Stigma, And Hurtful Messages In Romantic Relationships, Callie Parrish

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study explores hurtful messages received by individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder I/II from their romantic partners. Close romantic relationships present opportunities for the utterance of hurtful messages, and the stigmatization that accompanies a mental health diagnosis could affect the attributions made surrounding hurtful messages. By applying attribution theory, the current study increases understanding of how individuals with bipolar disorder experience and attribute hurtful messages. Participants (N = 99) were adults diagnosed with bipolar disorder who had received a hurtful message from their romantic partner. Data was collected via online surveys comprised of Likert scales and short answer questions. …

On The Evolution Of "Extreme" Morphology: Patterns Of Cost And Benefit In Sexually Selected Weapons, Devin Mackenzie O'Brien

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Sexually selected weapons represent some of the most spectacular morphologies in the animal world. They grow out of proportion with body size or other, more typically proportioned structures, and are some of the largest traits in both absolute and relative size. It is therefore unsurprising that animal weapons are some of the most intensely studied structures in biology. Yet, despite this interest, surprisingly little is known about the expression and evolution of these traits. In particular, four questions remain unanswered: How does selection act on weapons in the wild? Do the costs of large weapons ever outweigh the benefits? How …

Biotic Pulses, Bryotic Pulses And The Effects Of Mosses On Communities And Ecosystems, Mandy Lynn Slate

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Non-vascular mosses are known to be ecologically influential and structure communities through their physiological and physical attributes. My dissertation had two objectives. The first goal was to understand how fundamental differences in the physiology of mosses might drive much of their ecological impact. Mosses frequently and rapidly fluctuate between dehydration and rehydration. During these transitions, the cellular integrity of moss is compromised and intra-cellular contents (carbohydrates, amino acids, and ionic compounds) are released. Thus during wet-dry transition periods, mosses have the potential to release pulses of nutrients which may have important effects on other species. However, few studies have explored …

Greening Of The Arctic: Plot-Scale Analysis Of Interactions Between Climate, Vegetation, And Permafrost At Toolik Lake, Alaska (1995 - 2017), Brianna Rick

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Air temperatures across the Arctic have increased in recent decades, and through complex feedbacks, vegetation and permafrost (frozen ground) are actively responding as climate warming continues. This study investigates the trends and interactions of observed air, soil-surface temperature (SST), and active-layer thickness (ALT) at Toolik Lake on the Alaskan North Slope between 1995 and 2017, as well as vegetation change over time.

Time series between 1995 and 2017 at CALM site U12B, a 1 ha plot near Toolik Lake, reveal an increase (0.50 °C/decade) in mean summer (Jun-Aug) air temperatures and a decrease (­0.23 °C/decade) in mean summer SST. In …

Well-Being, Meaningful Activity, And Social Closeness For Persons With Disabilities: Findings From The American Time Use Survey (Atus), Ari B. Silverman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Persons with disabilities (PWD) constitute close to one fifth of the U.S. population and tend to experience both mental and physical health disparities when compared to the general populace. Improving well-being is paramount to enhancing the health status of these individuals. Two areas that have demonstrated promise in facilitating increases in global well-being in the general population are 1) engagement in meaningful activity and 2) experiences of social closeness. Although previous research has examined the global assessment of meaningful activity and social closeness on well-being over longer time frames, few studies have investigated the direct and short-term influence of these …

In Case Of Emergency: Local Medical Services And Emergency Air Transportation In Southeast Alaska, Kourtney B. Johnson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Alaska, often referred to as “The Last Frontier”, is a vast, geographically diverse and sparsely settled landscape. Although many popular reality shows tend to exaggerate and dramatize life in Alaska, they do point to an important fact: when an emergency occurs, or someone experiences serious health complications, immediate access to sufficient medical services may not be available. Much of the state’s population faces barriers to accessing needed medical care due to large distances between communities and limited road networks due to coastal locations or challenging terrain.

Using Penchansky and Thomas’s five components of Access Theory (1981), this thesis explores factors …

Examining Upper Extremity Injuries In Male Baseball Players Between The Ages Of 14 To 22 Years Old, James T. Yancy

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Yancy, James T. (J.T.), MAT., May 2018 AthleticTraining

Examining Upper Extremity Injuries In Male Baseball Players Between The Ages Of 14 To 22 Years Old

Chairperson: Melanie McGrath

The number of upper extremity injuries is increasing in advanced baseball (14 to 22 years old) at an alarming rate. The length of seasons, multiple leagues and the velocity of throwing in overhead sports are the most common causes of elbow and shoulder injuries. In addition, biomechanical variables also influence the risk of injury. Any alteration in range of motion (ROM) directly impacts the biomechanics of overhead activities, such as pitching or …

The Introduction Of Yoga Recovery On Physiological And Psychological Stress And Performance In Ncaa Athletes, Paige D. Schober

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

NCAA student athletes face unique physiological and psychological stressors daily, which may contribute to overtraining, burnout, and other physical and mental health issues. However, NCAA institutions often leave recovery up to the individual athlete due to time restriction and Countable Athletic Related Activities (CARA) hour limitations on team mandated activities. Attention to methods to promote recovery from these training loads is increasing in NCAA institutions. A mind-body activity such as yoga is proposed to have physiological and psychological benefits for student athletes. The goal of this review is to identify which aspects of yoga promote the most effective recovery in …

The Relationship Between Memorable Messages And Identity Construction, Raphaela P. Barros Campbell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

A qualitative analysis is reported here, in which 22 international students were interviewed about their overall experiences studying abroad, as well as memorable messages received and the context in which those were communicated. Scholars like Larson and Gill (2017) and Alvesson (2010) have focused on the role communication plays in constructing identity. With that in mind, Knapp et al.’s (1981) concept of memorable messages informs how specific messages influence individuals’ sense of who they are. This study expands knowledge on the relationship between memorable messages and international students’ identity construction, focusing on the impact of messages exchanged before and during …

40 Years On The International Flathead: An Assessment Of Transboundary River Governance, Jedd Sankar-Gorton

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Global population growth, climate change, and industrialization, are putting extreme pressures on worldwide freshwater supplies (Cosens 2010). Of the global freshwater supplies, transboundary water sources play a crucial role in sustaining populations. Over 40% of humans on Earth rely on a transboundary river or lake for access to water, and 90% of the world’s population lives in countries that share bodies of water with at least one other country (UN 2008). Taken together, the motivations for improving governance of transboundary water systems have never been stronger. To meet the challenges associated with transboundary water governance, researchers working at multiple scales …

Implications Of Modulating Glaciers And Snow Cover In Mongolia, Caleb Gikai Pan

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Mongolia’s cryosphere (glaciers and snow cover) drives ecosystem services and in turn, supports emerging economies in the water-restricted country. However, as Mongolia experiences long-term drought conditions and an increase in annual air temperatures at twice the global rate, the potential adverse effects of the changing cryosphere during a period of climate uncertainty will have cascading implications to water availability and economic development. Using several data sources and methods, I partitioned my dissertation into two components to determine the hydrologic and economic implications of modulations in Mongolia’s cryosphere. The first component is an examination of glacier recession in Mongolia’s Altai Mountains, …

Examining The Relationship Between Traditional Ecological Knowledge And Cultural Resource Management, Erin Chiniewicz

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Large-Scale Photovoltaic Solar Implementation: Montanan Stakeholder Opportunities And Challenges, Erika Mickelson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Large-scale photovoltaic (PV) solar projects were operationalized in the 1990s resulting in a plethora of studies focusing on environmental, economic, technological, and policy studies. Minimal research investigates the similarities and differences between conveners using PV solar technology. This case study evaluates stakeholder perceptions regarding project management, project design, and external factors influencing the success of large-scale PV solar projects convened by a qualifying facility, regional utility company, and electric co-operative in Montana. Respondents revealed concepts were similar across conveners; yet, emphasized unique implications for each convener. The results indicated the importance for all conveners to incorporate marketing strategies, local interests …

Biotic And Abiotic Influences On The Evolution Of Elevational Range Limts And Life-History Strategies Of Tropical Birds, Andrew James Boyce

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Environmental gradients provide natural forums for understanding how and why species differ. The study of interspecific variation across gradients has provided foundations for our understanding of community ecology, species distributions, life-history evolution and physiological ecology (Janzen 1967; Macarthur 1972; Martin 2015). In this dissertation, I explore questions in these disciplines, using a comparative approach on elevational and latitudinal gradients. My primary focus is understanding the biotic and abiotic processes that limit species distributions and how those same forces scale up to influence the composition of communities on an elevational gradient. I also test a physiological hypothesis for the gradient of …

Evaluation Of A Web-Based Performance Program For Wildland Firefighters, José M. Peña Cueto

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Introduction: In an effort to increase work capacity and reduce occupational injury rates and mortality rates among wildland firefighters, a web-based performance program named The Black was developed. The training program was designed to provide evidence-based training specific to wildland firefighters’ needs.

Purpose: A formative and process evaluation of the program was conducted to study the user rates, and user’s attitudes and preferences regarding the program during the pilot of its first phase.

Methodology: A sequential mixed-methods design was utilized for this evaluation. Qualitative interviews were conducted with firefighters who attended an introductory seminar. Interview data was utilized by program …