Digital Commons Network^™

Water Availability For Cannabis In Northern California: Intersections Of Climate, Policy, And Public Discourse, Betsy Morgan, Kaitlyn Spangler, Jacob Stuivenvolt Allen, Christina N. Morrisett, Mark W. Brunson, Shih-Yu Simon Wang, Nancy Huntly

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Availability of water for irrigated crops is driven by climate and policy, as moderated by public priorities and opinions. We explore how climate and water policy interact to influence water availability for cannabis (Cannabis sativa), a newly regulated crop in California, as well as how public discourse frames these interactions. Grower access to surface water covaries with precipitation frequency and oscillates consistently in an energetic 11–17 year wet-dry cycle. Assessing contemporary cannabis water policies against historic streamflow data showed that legal surface water access was most reliable for cannabis growers with small water rights (m³) and …

Can In Vitro Meat Help To Fix What Cattle Ranching Has Broken?, Rachel Robinson-Greene

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

It is now clear that growing edible and delicious meat outside of an animal is not merely the stuff of science fiction. In vitro meat, aka cell-cultured meat, aka green meat, aka clean meat, has arrived. Regardless of how we want to brand it, our meat future could be slaughter-free if consumers express their support for it with their pocketbooks. There are many arguments that support this shift. Concerns about animal welfare are right out in front — our current system of industrial animal agriculture is terribly cruel and inhumane. There are also very compelling arguments related to environmental degradation …

State Of Bird Damage Management, George M. Linz

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This is the letter from George M. Linz, associate editor for the special issue on bird damage management in Human–Wildlife Interactions.

Black Vulture Conflict And Management In The United States: Damage Trends, Management Overview, And Research Needs, Bryan M. Kluever, Morgan B. Pfeiffer, Scott C. Barras, Brett G. Dunlap, Lee A. Humberg

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Contrary to rapid declines of many vulture (Accipitridae, Cathartidea) species worldwide, black vulture (Coragyps atratus) populations are increasing and expanding their range in North America. Vultures exhibit complex behaviors and can adapt to any human-dominated landscape or land use. These traits, combined with population growth and range expansion, have contributed to increased human–vulture conflicts. Our goal was to summarize the current status and trends in human–black vulture conflicts (hereafter human–vulture conflicts), review available management strategies, identify knowledge gaps, and provide recommendations to enhance management and understanding of this species and the associated conflicts. We found human–vulture conflicts are …

Nd2 As An Additional Genetic Marker To Improve Identification Of Diving Ducks Involved In Bird Strikes, Sarah A. M. Luttrell, Sergei Drovetski, Nor Faridah Dahlan, Damani Eubanks, Carla J. Dove

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Knowing the exact species of birds involved in damaging collisions with aircraft (bird strikes) is paramount to managing and preventing these types of human–wildlife conflicts. While a standard genetic marker, or DNA barcode (mitochondrial DNA gene cytochrome-c oxidase 1, or CO1), can reliably identify most avian species, this marker cannot distinguish among some closely related species. Diving ducks within the genus Aythya are an example of congeneric waterfowl involved in bird strikes where several species pairs cannot be reliably identified with the standard DNA barcode. Here, we describe methods for using an additional genetic marker (mitochondrial DNA gene NADH …

Movement Behavior Of Radio-Tagged European Starlings In Urban, Rural, And Exurban Landscapes, Page E. Klug, H. Jeffrey Homan

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Since their intentional introduction into the United States in the 1800s, European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) have become the fourth most common bird species and a nuisance bird pest in both urban and rural areas. Managers require better information about starling movement and habit-use patterns to effectively manage starling populations and the damage they cause. Thus, we revisited 6 radio-telemetry studies conducted during fall or winter between 2005 and 2010 to compare starling movements (n = 63 birds) and habitat use in 3 landscapes. Switching of roosting and foraging sites in habitat-sparse rural landscapes caused daytime (0900–1500 hours) …

One Step Closer To A Better Starling Trap, James R. Thiele

Human–Wildlife Interactions

European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) are an invasive species in the United States that damage agriculture, personal property, and threaten human health and safety. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services provides technical support to mitigate damage by controlling starling populations at concentrated animal feeding operations, landfills, utilities, and urban areas. Wildlife Services uses DRC-1339, a registered toxicant, to reduce starling populations. Trapping can also be an effective tool but requires more time at a higher cost than DRC-1339. Trapping starlings, however, may be needed to provide a viable alternative to mitigate damage in areas where toxicant use may …

The Emerging Conflict Of Common Ravens Roosting On Electric Power Transmission Line Towers In Montana, Usa, Marco Restani, James S. Lueck

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Bird interactions with electric power lines can cause faults (e.g., disruption of electrical service). Faults on 500kV transmission lines in Montana, USA, which are integral to the Northwest USA power grid, became concerning during winter 2016–2017. In 2017 we found insulators contaminated with bird droppings and discovered a large nocturnal roost of common ravens (Corvus corax). To assess the potential magnitude of the impact of raven roosts on electric power transmission, we summarized fault data obtained from the Energy Management System and raven abundance data obtained from the Christmas Bird Count in central Montana from 2005 to 2020. …

Tolerance Of Bearded Vultures To Human Activities: Response To Comor Et Al. (2019), Olivier Duriez, Antoni Margalida, Luc Albert, Beatriz Arroyo, Virginie Couanon, Hélène Loustau, Martine Razin, Jean-Baptiste Mihoub

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is listed as vulnerable in Europe on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List because of population declines over multiple generations. Vulture population declines have been attributed to shooting, use of toxicants, and changes in land use, which have resulted in habitat degradation and increased anthropogenic disturbances. Concomitantly, conservation authorities have restricted practices deemed harmful to the species and have established protection buffers around occupied vulture breeding sites to mitigate the impacts of anthropogenic disturbances on breeding success. Comor et al. (2019) compared bearded vulture breeding success over 6 years within …

Book Review: The Figure Of The Animal In Modern And Contemporary Poetry, Yunxia Yan

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The Figure of the Animal in Modern and Contemporary Poetry by Michael Malay seeks to explore the deep connections between “poetic” thinking and the sensitive recognition of animal others. The author investigates and illustrates the nature of poetry’s relationship with animals.

The State Of Outdoor Recreation In Utah 2020, Jordan Smith, Anna B. Miller

All Current Publications

The purpose of this report is to provide a high-level review of the trends that define outdoor recreation within Utah. We do this by distilling data from a variety of sources, focusing on ‘key metrics’ that can be tracked over time, serving as a finger on the pulse on the health of outdoor recreation within Utah. Data on outdoor recreation participation and its benefits and impacts varies considerably across the state depending upon the managing agency collecting the data. This report focuses on statewide data available for outdoor recreation opportunities provided on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, …

Special Topic: Raven Management, Peter S. Coates

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This is the call for papers for the special issue on raven management.

Repellent Surface Applications For Pest Birds, Shelagh T. Deliberto, James C. Carlson, Hailey E. Mclean, Caroline S. Olson, Scott J. Werner

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Common pest birds in the United States include the non-native European starling (Sturnus vulgaris), house sparrow (Passer domesticus), and the pigeon (Columba livia domestica), as well as native birds including Canada geese (Branta canadensis) and gull species (Laridae). Large concentrations of pest birds can create human health hazards and monetary losses due to consumption of crops, depredation, and fecal contamination and accumulation. Fecal contamination hazards include the potential spread of zoonotic diseases including antimicrobial-resistant zoonoses and human injury due to the accumulation of fecal material on walking surfaces. Additionally, fecal accumulation causes …

An Exploration Of Teacher Preparation Practices With Foundational Knowledge Of Literacy, Marla K. Robertson, Laurie A. Sharp, Roberta D. Raymond, Rebekah E. Piper

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

The Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals 2017 published by the International Literacy Association provide the basis for high-quality literacy teacher preparation. This study used qualitative survey responses to explore the literacy practices that teacher educators use to promote understandings among preservice teachers for each grade-level band (i.e., Pre-K/Primary, Elementary/Intermediate, Middle/High School). The researchers used conceptualizations of teacher knowledge as a theoretical lens to better understand reported preparation practices. Data analysis revealed three themes: Teacher Educator Pedagogy, Course Content, Student and Program Expectations. Researchers posit that teacher educators do not evenly focus on all components of literacy and contend …

Understanding Free-Roaming Horse Conflicts With Wildlife In The Great Basin, S. Nicole Frey, Eric Thacker, Katlyn Uhart

All Current Publications

Horses and burros were introduced to North America in the 1600s with European missionaries and explorers. Over time, abandoned and released horses and burros formed herds and by the time European-American settlers began to explore North America in the 1700s, these free-roaming horses and burros had adapted to their habitat and been incorporated into Native American culture. By the mid-1900s, most Americans considered these horses as wild and symbols of freedom and beauty.

In 1971, Congress passed the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act (Public Law 73-482) to provide federal protection for free-roaming horses and burros (also known as …

Interrater Reliability Of Novice Examiners Using A-Mode Ultrasound And Skinfolds To Measure Subcutaneous Body Fat, Dale R. Wagner, Masaru Teramoto

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Examiners with minimal training and skill are often called upon to make body composition assessments using field methods. This study compared the interrater reliability of novice examiners for the skinfold (SKF) and A-mode ultrasound (US) methods of body composition assessment. Undergraduate Kinesiology majors (48 males, 32 females) with minimal training took both SKF and US measurements at three sites (males: chest, abdomen, thigh; females: triceps, suprailiac, thigh). Interrater reliability was significantly better for US compared to SKF at the thigh (ICC_US = 0.975, ICC_SKF = 0.912) and abdomen (ICC_US = 0.984, ICC_SKF = 0.693) for men …

Mediating Factors Of Family Risk And Parent-Child Interaction Quality, Gable Munn

Fall Student Research Symposium 2020

Medium or high family risk is defined as having 2 or more risk factors as present in intake surveys in the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project (EHSREP). Previous research has shown that high and medium risk families are more prone to negative parent-child interactions (Steele et al., 2016), but mediating variables are not clear. We hypothesize that parental stress and familial conflict are significant mediating variables between family risk and parent-child interaction quality. We also suspect that stress will have a more significant effect (Mak et al., 2020). The present study used extant data from the EHSREP (N=3001) …

Analyzing The Adoption Of Corporate Social Responsibility Strategies, Lia Sorensen

Fall Student Research Symposium 2020

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a business strategy via which a company aligns social and environmental concerns with both its business operations and its interactions with stakeholders. This paper examines how CSR creates value for companies that adopt CSR actions. It focuses on the CSR actions of six companies, five public and one private: Starbucks, Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Nike, Unilever (Ben & Jerry's), and Penzeys Spices. In the 2000s, many companies began to see value in CSR and to implement CSR infrastructure and actions. With CSR increasing in popularity, more robust analyses of these initiatives started to …

Expanding Healthcare To Underserved Communities, Hunter Murdock, Colten Dougher

Fall Student Research Symposium 2020

According to the Bureau of Health's Workforce Health Resources and Services Administration, there are almost 253 million people who do not have adequate access to healthcare in the United States. While innovations in technology, drug manufacturing, and procedures will continue to make healthcare more affordable and more accessible, policies restricting doctors' and nurses' abilities to practice healthcare are creating barriers that prevent them from utilizing existing technology to reduce healthcare shortages in underserved areas. The underserved populations in America include rural communities, Native Americans, and linguistic minority groups. Many of today's healthcare policy suggestions aim at increasing health insurance coverage …

How Do The Mental Health Services Offered By Usu Pre-Covid19 Compare To The Present?, Casey Mack

Fall Student Research Symposium 2020

How do the mental health services offered by USU pre-COVID19 compare to the present? COVID19 has essentially taken the world and changed it. People are required to stay inside more, there is a decrease in social interaction and there is a political aspect most weren't expecting. This question is important because in such tumultuous time, mental health and mental health services are of utmost importance. Isolation and a change in most every aspect of life can take a toll on someone's mental health. The approach to this project is done with mixed methods. Students majoring in English at Utah State …

Isolation Of Halotolerant Bacteria From The Rhizosphere Of Ceanothus Velutinus May Lead To Contributions In Plant Health In Saline Conditions, Jacob Davis

Fall Student Research Symposium 2020

The recent rise in the average global temperature has been a driving force over the past few years for rising soil salinity. This presents an especially hostile environment to many plant species that may not have previously been exposed to these conditions. The rhizosphere, which is a layer of soil attached to the roots of a plant, contains microorganisms that contribute to the plants' abiotic and biotic stress resistance. These microorganisms are known as Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR). These can play a key role in contributing to plant stress resistance. Some native plants have shown a strong ability to …

Media And The Covid-19 Infodemic, Alek Nelson

Fall Student Research Symposium 2020

With the recent COVID-19 outbreak, many challenges have arisen across the world. From overloaded hospitals to economic fallout to mental health issues, this pandemic is a new challenge for many people. Among the difficulties faced is the increase in misinformation, information "that is false due to lack of scientifically reliable evidence," regarding treatment, prevention, and the virus itself (Bahrami et al., 2019). An online survey was conducted during June 2020 to determine how media sources affects belief in COVID-19 misinformation. The results of the survey show that people are either using bad news sources, mainstream news is reiterating disinformation, and/or …

The Use Of Dogs In Therapeutic Practices, Brynli Bleak

Fall Student Research Symposium 2020

Dogs are becoming more and more involved in the health, mental health and educational sectors. In recent years they have been trained to assist individuals and groups in various therapies. Although the use of therapy and service dogs has become more popular in recent years, there is a long history of involving dogs in treatments. This research was targeted at discovering more about the history of therapy and service dogs, the differences between them, and the benefits that they produce for individuals.

Effective Use Of Service Dogs For Veterans With Ptsd, Sarah Brinck

Fall Student Research Symposium 2020

A comparative study of various experiments designed to determine a correlation between service dogs and effective use of managing symptoms of PTSD. The topic of interest was to see if there is ample information to either prove or disprove a correlation between the use of service dogs as a successful treatment for PTSD. Initial conclusions from various studies are seeing positive results, however, more studies with larger numbers of participants need to take place in order to secure a more definitive conclusion.

Pure Breeding At Its Finest, Justin Hunter

Fall Student Research Symposium 2020

This is a poster of my research on the affects pure breeding has on dogs and their health. There is a focus as well on the focus on neoteny and its affects on dogs.

How English Teachers Use Instagram And Other Social Media Platforms As Professional Development And Emotional Encouragement, Katharine Jenkins

Fall Student Research Symposium 2020

How are high school English teachers using Instagram and other social media platforms as professional development and encouragement? This question is essential because the amount of information about education and teaching is constantly expanding, and through the use of social media platforms, teachers are now more readily able to communicate with each other. The widespread nature of social media has also created a new type of professional development through the past decade. Social media platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Teachers Pay Teachers, Twitter, and personal blogs offer professional development through the sharing of classroom materials, advice, and the collaboration …

Using Lichens As Bioindicators Of Air Pollutant Concentrations At Cache Valley Elementary Schools, Angelia Klein

Fall Student Research Symposium 2020

Air pollution causes an average of two or more years to be lost from the lives of Utahns. Pollution from idling is estimated to contribute to one third of all of Utah's emissions, but no studies in Cache County have examined how metal content in the atmosphere changes with distance from idling zones. Lichens can be used to monitor type and level of airborne contaminants in air pollution. The objective of this study is to determine if lichens' metal content varies with proximity to the idling zones in front of schools in Cache County. We predict that the lichens closer …

Cytokine Indicators Of Inflammation In Mice Fed A Western Type Diet, Emily Mortensen

Fall Student Research Symposium 2020

Colorectal cancer is currently the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and is projected to cause 53,200 deaths during 2020. The risk of colon cancer increases by 8-20% in individuals who suffer from colitis, which is inflammation of the colon lining. Colitis is common in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The development of colorectal cancer is complex and can be associated with dysbiosis of the gut microbiota, which has been shown to be affected by diet. Disruption of the gut microbiome can lead to the overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria …

What Are The Consequences Of (De)Criminalization?, Isaac Rhea

Fall Student Research Symposium 2020

The US has the highest incarceration rate of any developed country (1.46M in 2018) and this large population of inmates creates a significant cost for taxpayers and governments. Further, the traditional prison system may not be the most effective way to reduce crime and rehabilitate offenders. Extensive researchhas been conducted to study decriminalization as a solution to these problems, and promising results have been found indicating a path forward to reduce inmate populations and government expenditures, improve offender outcomes, and maintain public safety.

Cynophobia In Film, Taylor Smith

Fall Student Research Symposium 2020

My research covered fear of dogs and how it's represented in film. What I found was that hostile, cinematic depictions of human-dog interactions were oftentimes a result of the dog's status as a carrier of disease (rabies), something that lead to cultural stigmas against dogs as well as symbolization of the spread of other diseases like AIDS and the flu. Films simply used this as a way to pander to the hysteria of a certain country or time period plagued by a disease outbreak.