Digital Commons Network^™

Educational Policies Committee Program Proposal, College Of Natural Resources, March 29, 2013, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

The Department of Environment and Society proposes to eliminate the Master of Arts degree in Geography as well as the six specializations within the Master of Science degree in Geography:

• Climatology/Climatic Change/Atmospheric Modeling;
• Geographic/Environmental Education;
• Physical Geography/Ecology;
• Remote Sensing/Geographic Information Systems/Automated Cartography;
• River Processes/Fluvial Geomorphology;
• Rural Development/Land Use Planning/Land Use Analysis.

The Role Of The Global Cryosphere On The Fate Of Organic Contaminants., Amanda M. Grannas, Christian Bogdal, Kimberly J. Hageman, Frank Wania

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The cryosphere is an important component of global organic contaminant cycles. Snow is an efficient scavenger of atmospheric organic pollutants while a seasonal snowpack, sea ice, glaciers and ice caps are contaminant reservoirs on time scales ranging from days to millennia. Important physical and chemical processes occurring in the various cryospheric compartments impact contaminant cycling and fate. A variety of interactions and feedbacks also occur within the cryospheric system, most of which are susceptible to perturbations due to climate change. In this article, we review the current state of knowledge regarding the transport and processing of organic contaminants in the …

Extending A Geographic Lens Towards Climate Justice, Part 1: Climate Change Characterization And Impacts, Morey Burnham, Claudia Radel, Zhao Ma, Ann Laudati

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

There has been a recent increase of interest within the academic literature on the justice issues posed by climate change and the human responses to its present and forecasted effects. This literature is partially shaped by debates from environmental justice scholarship, but also has roots in various subfields of geography. In two parts (here and in a subsequent article), we review and synthesize the recent literature by asking what climate justice concerns have been identified within three related realms: 1) the characterization of climate change itself and the assignment of responsibility for that change; 2) the differential or uneven impacts …

The Quest For Legitimacy: American Pentecostal Scholars And The Quandaries Of Academic Pursuit, Jonathan Olson

Intermountain West Journal of Religious Studies

No abstract provided.

Teacher Design Using Online Learning Resources: A Comparative Case Study Of Science And Mathematics Teachers, Mimi Recker

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Using a comparative case study design, this paper explores the impacts of a technology-related professional development (TTPD) design aimed at helping science and mathematics teachers design classroom activities using the wealth of resources available on the Internet. Using the lens of curricular adaption and the notion of teachers’ varying pedagogical design capacity, we analyzed the experiences of four teachers in terms of the kinds of instructional activities teachers designed, how these were supported with online resources, and teachers’ perceptions of impacts on student learning. Findings suggested that participants used a variety of personally relevant design strategies when applying TTPD concepts …

Testing Above- And Below-Canopy Representations Of Turbulent Fluxes In An Energy Balance Snowmelt Model, Vinod Mahat, David G. Tarboton, Noah P. Molotch

T.W. "Doc" Daniel Experimental Forest

Turbulent fluxes of sensible and latent heat are important processes in the surface energy balance that drives snowmelt. Modeling these fluxes in a forested environment is complicated because of the canopy effects on the wind field. This paper presents and tests a turbulent flux model developed to represent these processes in an energy balance snowmelt model. The goal is to model these processes using the readily available inputs of canopy height and leaf area index in a way that minimizes the number of parameters, state variables, and assumptions about hard to quantify processes. Selected periods from 9 years of eddy-covariance …

Testing Above- And Below-Canopy Representations Of Turbulent Fluxes In An Energy Balance Snowmelt Model, Vinod Mahat, David G. Tarboton, Noah P. Molotch

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Turbulent fluxes of sensible and latent heat are important processes in the surface energy balance that drives snowmelt. Modeling these fluxes in a forested environment is complicated because of the canopy effects on the wind field. This paper presents and tests a turbulent flux model developed to represent these processes in an energy balance snowmelt model. The goal is to model these processes using the readily available inputs of canopy height and leaf area index in a way that minimizes the number of parameters, state variables, and assumptions about hard to quantify processes. Selected periods from 9 years of eddy-covariance …

La-Icp-Ms Analysis Of Quartzite From The Upper Gunnison Basin, Colorado, Bonnie L. Pitblado, Molly Boeka Cannon, Hector Neff, Carol M. Dehler, Stephen T. Nelson

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

We report the results of LA-ICP-MS analysis of 402 quartzite samples representing 48 collection loci in the Upper Gunnison Basin (UGB), Colorado and determine the extent to which the sources can be geochemically discriminated from one another using this non-destructive technique. The ability to differentiate among the sources would open the door to provenance studies of the quartzite chipped-stone tools and debitage that constitute 95% or more of most of the 3000-plus prehistoric site assemblages documented in the UGB. Our samples represent prehistorically quarried and non-quarried quartzite sources, including outcrop (primary) and gravel (secondary) deposits. The results reveal spatial and …

Streamlab Collaboratory: Experiments, Data Sets, And Research Synthesis, A. Singh, J. A. Czuba, E. Foufoula-Georiou, J. D.G. Marr, C. Hill, S. Johnson, C. Ellis, J. Mullin, C. H. Orr, Peter Wilcock, M. Hondzo, C. Paola

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

A series of community-led, large-scale laboratory experiments, termed “StreamLab”, were performed by the National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics (NCED) with the purpose of advancing multidisciplinary research, education, and knowledge transfer at the interface of physical/chemical/biological processes in streams, science-based stream restoration practice, and environmental sensing technologies. Two series of experiments, StreamLab06 and StreamLab08, were conducted in the Main Channel of the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory at the University of Minnesota, a flume 84 m long and 2.75 m wide with water fed by the Mississippi River at a rate of up to 8.5 m3/s. The purpose of this paper is …

Revisiting Interlibrary Loan Best Practices: Still Viable?, Carol Kochan, Lars Leon

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

This paper evaluates the impact of the Group Interlibrary Loan Best Practices instituted by the Greater Western Library Alliance (GWLA) Libraries in 2002 and examines if these best practices are still viable today. The authors provide an updated discussion on current best practices in both GWLA and other highly effective library consortia.

Predicting Natural Base-Flow Stream Water Chemistry In The Western United States, J. R. Olson, Charles P. Hawkins, D. M. Carlisle

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

[1] Robust predictions of stream solute concentrations expected under natural (reference) conditions would help establish more realistic water quality standards and improve stream ecological assessments. Models predicting solute concentrations from environmental factors would also help identify the relative importance of different factors that influence water chemistry. Although data are available describing the major factors controlling water chemistry (i.e., geology, climate, atmospheric deposition, soils, vegetation, topography), geologic maps do not adequately convey how rocks vary in their chemical and physical properties. We addressed this issue by associating rock chemical and physical properties with geological map units to produce continuous maps of …

As Seen Through The Lens: Students’ Encounters And Engagement With Science During Outdoor Field Trips, Jonathan Z. Boxerman, Victor R. Lee, J. R. Olson

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Continental-Scale Assessment Of Genetic Diversity And Population Structure In Quaking Aspen (Populus Tremuloides), Colin M. Callahan, Carol A. Rowe, Ronald J. Ryel, John D. Shaw, Michael D. Madritch, Karen E. Mock

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Aim: Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) has the largest natural distribution of any tree native to North America. The primary objectives of this study were to characterize range-wide genetic diversity and genetic structuring in quaking aspen, and to assess the influence of glacial history and rear-edge dynamics.

Location: North America.

Methods: Using a sample set representing the full longitudinal and latitudinal extent of the species’ distribution, we examined geographical patterns of genetic diversity and structuring using 8 nuclear microsatellite loci in 794 individuals from 30 sampling sites.

Results: Two major genetic clusters were identified across the range: a southwestern cluster and …

Potential Role Of Wildlife In Pathogenic Contamination Of Fresh Produce, Jeff A. Langholz, Michele T. Jay-Russell

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The safety of fresh produce is an important concern in the United States, especially in the wake of recent national foodborne illness outbreaks. The agricultural industry has implemented steps to enhance food safety along the entire farm-to-fork supply chain. This includes on-farm measures to exclude wildlife and to remove its habitat in and around fields. Farmers and others from across the United States have expressed concern about the ecological consequences and uncertain food safety benefits of such practices. This article reviews the scientific rationale behind management of wildlife and its habitat as part of good agriculture practices for enhancing food …

Putting Local Knowledge And Context To Work For Gunnison Sage-Grouse Conservation, Corrine Noel Knapp, James Cochran, F. Stuart Chapin Iii, Gary Kofinas, Nathan Sayre

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Successful conservation requires adequate understanding of focal species and ecology, practices that may assist species survival, and a community of people willing and able to conserve the species. For many species at risk, we operate with imperfect knowledge in complex conservation contexts. In this case study involving the Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus), we interviewed 26 community-defined local experts, including both those with and without related academic degrees, to assess the utility of local knowledge for understanding and informing conservation opportunities.This project suggests several benefits of integrating local knowledge that apply specifically to rare and endemic populations, including the …

Vitals Rates And Seasonal Movements Of Two Isolated Greater Sage-Grouse Populations In Utah's West Desert, Jason D. Robinson, Terry A. Messmer

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Declines in greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter, sage-grouse) populations in Utah over the last century parallel range-wide trends. However, little is known about the ecology of sage-grouse populations that inhabit Utah’s naturally fragmented habitats. Utah’s West Desert sage-grouse populations occupy sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats that are geographically separated by the Great Salt Lake, and largely confined to the Sheeprock and Deep Creek watersheds. From 2005 to 2006, we monitored sage-grouse that were radio-collared in each watershed to determine the factors affecting the vital rates in these isolated populations. Livestock grazing by domestic cattle was the dominate land use, …

Life History, C. W. Fox, Frank J. Messina

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Uintah Basin Revisited - 2012-2013 Bioregional Planning Studio Project, Richard E. Toth, Matthew Coombs, C Michael Gottfredson, Tyler Allen

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Since the Uintah Basin Research Conference in 2007, residents of the area have witnessed a consistent level of land-use development throughout the region. Portions of that growth and development have precipitated the need to develop a landscape-level plan in order to maintain the context of their region and community identity in the coming years. The purpose of this study is to research and develop a process that identifies current and future land-use issues throughout the Uintah Basin. The identification of these issues by various stakeholders will help to provide a framework for future policy decisions.

Extending A Geographic Lens Towards Climate Justice, Part 2: Climate Action, Morey Burnham, Claudia Radel, Zhao Ma, Ann Laudati

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

There has been a recent increase of interest within the academic literature on the justice issues posed by climate change and the human responses to its present and forecasted effects. In two parts (here and in a previous article), we review and synthesize the recent literature by asking what climate justice concerns have been identified within three related realms: 1) the characterization of climate change itself and the assignment of responsibility for that change; 2) the differential or uneven impacts of climate change; and 3) the actions taken to address the problems associated with climate change, including both mitigation and …

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda, December 10, 2012, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Council on Teacher Education Report
• Scholarship Advisory Board Report
• EPC Items
• Short Discussion and Prioritization of Faculty Forum Issues
• PRPC Code Changes 402.12 (second reading)
• PRPC 405.8.2 dealing 2/ombudsperson
• PRPC 407 Medical Incapacity

Educational Policies Committee Agenda, December 6, 2012, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Course Approvals
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee

Educational Policies Committee Minutes, December 6, 2012, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee

Teaching Accessibility And Design-For-All In The Information And Communication Technology Curriculum: Three Case Studies Of Universities In The United States, England, And Austria, Paul Ryan Bohman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Digital technologies allow people with disabilities to participate independently in society in ways they never could before. The full realization of these new opportunities remains elusive, though, because working professionals in the information and communication technology (ICT) field rarely receive adequate training in how to make digital ICT accessible to people with disabilities. Adding accessibility to the university ICT curriculum can help create a critical mass of ICT professionals with accessibility awareness and expertise to finally realize the full accessibility potential of digital technologies. This dissertation provides a rich informational context from which ICT curriculum leaders can decide how to …

Using Biophysical Geospatial And Remotely Sensed Data To Classify Ecological Sites And States, Carson A. Stam

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Within the Intermountain West, vast expanses of big sagebrush shrubland and steppe are considered emblems of the western range. Currently, there are approximately 60 million hectares of big sagebrush within the 11 western states, four million of which are in the state of Utah. However, the historic distribution of sagebrush has been impacted by conversion to other types of land cover through juniper encroachment, urbanization, invasive weeds, and agricultural expansion. In Utah alone, big sagebrush communities have been reduced to approximately 55% of their historic extent. A primary and current example of the cumulative impact of big sagebrush loss is …

Curriculum Design For An Integrated Language Arts Class At The High School Level Utilizing A Multi-Genre American Studies Approach, Susan K. Biddulph

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Curriculum integration and multi-genre approaches to education are acknowledged to be beneficial to both student learning styles and skill development; however, due to time and budget constraints, many teachers do not implen1ent these approaches. This language arts curriculum utilizes a theme-centered approach that smoothly integrates many subject areas and encourages skill development while adhering to the Utah Common Core Curriculum and incorporating multiple lean1ing styles. The theme of the curriculum is gender role expectations throughout history. While the units primarily rely on primary texts, they also incorporate numerous secondary texts in multiple subject areas and require both formal and informal …

Linking Old-Growth Forest Composition, Structure, Fire History, Climate And Land-Use In The Mountains Of Northern México, Citlali Cortes Montano, Peter Z. Fule, Donald A. Falk, Jose Villanueva-Diaz, Larissa L. Yocom Kent

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Old-growth forests are biologically and ecologically valuable systems that are disappearing worldwide at a rapid rate. México still holds large areas covered by temperate forests in the mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental, but few of these retain old-growth characteristics. We studied four sites with remnant old-growth forests in Mesa de las Guacamayas, a site in the Sierra Madre Occidental in northwestern Chihuahua, to assess their composition, structure, and age characteristics. Overstory tree densities and basal areas at each site were based on measurements of all trees >1.3 m tall. The overstory was dominated by large Pinus durangensis, P. strobiformis, …

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda, November 1, 2012, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

College of Agriculture

• New Course

Department of Agricultural Systems Technology and Education

• New Course
• Add Multiple List
• Add Multiple List, Title Change

Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning

• University Studies Request, Prerequisite Change

Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences

• New Course
• Credit Hour Change
• Course Number Change
• Credit Hour Change, Prerequisite Change, Course Description Change
• Title Change

Department of Plants, Soils and Climate

• New Course
• Title Change, Course Description Change
• Title Change, Credit Hour Change, Course Description Change

School of Applied Sciences, Technology and Education

• Title Change

School of Veterinary Medicine

• New Course
• Credit Hour Change, Prerequisite Change …

Educational Policies Committee Agenda, November 1, 2012, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Course Approvals
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee

The Utah Statesman, October 18, 2012, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Educational Policies Committee Agenda, October 4, 2012, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Course Approvals
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee