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Microbiome Assembly And Function In The Solitary Mason Bee, Osmia Lignaria (Megachilidae), Bailey Crowley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Animal-microbe interactions can influence host biology, ecology, and evolution. The assembly and function of microbes found within animal hosts oftentimes depends on which species are involved. Advances in sequencing technologies have permitted the exploration of host-microbe interactions in a variety of animals, including bees. Early research aimed at understanding the microbiomes of social bees, such as honey bees and bumble bees, found that microbes prevent the spoilage of stored pollen, breakdown indigestible nutrients into smaller molecules available for uptake by the host, and also protect the host from pathogens. When environmental stressors, such as increased temperatures, disrupt the microbiome, the …

An Examination Of The Effects Of Prey Density, Mortality, Nutrients, And Foraging Tradeoffs On A System With Inducible Defenses: An Empirical And Theoretical Approach, Benjamin C. Ralston Daniel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

To grasp the functioning and stability of ecosystems, it is important to understand species interactions. With many ecosystems becoming more imperiled from urbanization and anthropogenic influences it is important to understand ways in which species can adapt to rapid changes in their environment. Phenotypic plasticity is one such tool at nature’s disposal to initiate rapid change, where species with the same genetic makeup can have different expressed traits depending on their environment. Inducible defenses are one such form of phenotypic plasticity in which prey can express different levels and forms of defense depending on the threat of predation present in …

Healing Through Caring And Knowledge-Making In Everyday Food Practices Among Lgbtq+ Black, Indigenous, People Of Colour, Elizabeth Grace Wong

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Three different models are used in this study to understand how everyday food practices carry healing potential through the interwoven process of caring and knowledge-making. Daily food practices reflect a mixture of tradition and modernity— borne out of our roots and our contexts. Anzaldúa’s (1987) Borderland Theory helps us understand how this mixture is made by people who straddle two borders or worlds and contest those confines. Chavez-Dueñas et al.’s (2019) HEART model names strengthening our cultural and familial traditions and roots as part of the broader processes of building cultural consciousness and connection, and engaging in collective healing. Finally, …

Effects Of Winter Ticks (Dermacentor Albipictus) On The Reproduction Of Utah Moose (Alces Alces Shirasi), Samuel D. Robertson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Moose (Alces alces) are the largest and only solitary members of the deer family. The species can be found across many northern regions around the world. Moose are considered to have high intrinsic, recreational and ecological value. In recent years, there have been concerns about declining moose populations in portions of the species circumpolar range. Moose in Utah (Alces alces shirasi) belong to the Shiras subspecies, which is the smallest of the four subspecies found in North America. Utah moose are the southernmost naturally occurring moose population in the world. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources …

Environmental Physiology Of Medical Cannabis, F. Mitchell Westmoreland

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) is increasingly being cultivated for industrial and medical uses. Medical cannabis is grown for cannabinoids and terpenes, compounds that continue to show promising therapeutic potential. Cannabidiol (CBD) and delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) are the two most common cannabinoids, but more than 150 have been identified in cannabis. The 2018 Farm Bill federally legalized cannabis containing less than 0.3% THC and high-THC medical cannabis is legal in 38 states. There is a need to understand environmental effects on yield and quality to ensure safety and quality for medical use.

The cultivation of medical cannabis is centered around …

Linking Community-Level Food Sovereignty To Subjective Wellbeing: Framing Perspectives On Food Systems In The Upper Yakima River Basin, Alexander W. Theophilus

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Food sovereignty is a framework focused on achieving a wide range of changes in food systems that yield more equitable outcomes for consumers, workers, farmers, and future generations. Food sovereignty is also believed to be an important driver of community wellbeing. However, there is limited research linking perceptions of community-level food sovereignty to subjective wellbeing. Additionally, the complex determinants of food sovereignty are not fully understood. Through two papers linking community-level food sovereignty and subjective wellbeing, I discuss the factors that influence food sovereignty and the impact of food systems on wellbeing in Washington’s upper Yakima River Basin.

In the …

Consumer Perceptions And Preferences For Utah Fresh And Packaged Fruit, Makaylie Langford, Kynda R. Curtis, Marcelo Pignatari

All Current Publications

In this fact sheet, we discuss the results of a 2023 study examining Utah consumer perceptions and preferences for Utah fresh and packaged fruit products. Study data were collected online via a Qualtrics survey, and 384 Utah adults completed the survey. Utah consumer food behaviors and attitudes, including participation in food and agricultural tourism activities, are discussed. We analyze the most consumed fruits and the preferred purchasing options for various fruit types, such as packaged, frozen, canned, and fresh. Additionally, we explore the factors influencing consumers’ decisions when buying fruit and review the product information they rely on. Overall, the …

Fruit Consumption Indicators: Who Consumes More Fruit In Utah?, Makaylie Langford, Kynda R. Curtis

All Current Publications

This fact sheet discusses fruit consumption patterns in Utah, exploring the key demographic and socioeconomic factors linked to increased fruit intake. Fruit growers and marketers can use this information to design effective promotional campaigns targeting consumers more likely to purchase fruit and fruit products.

Evaluating Mountain Lion Diet Before And After A Removal Of Feral Horses In A Semiarid Environment, Peter C. Iacono, Kathryn A. Schoenecker, Kezia R. Manlove, Pat J. Jackson, David C. Stoner

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Non-native species can affect ecosystems by influencing native predator-prey dynamics. Therefore, management interventions designed to remove non-natives may inadvertently lead to increased predation on native species. Feral horses are widely distributed throughout the arid parts of western North America. A growing body of research indicates that horses can be an important prey species to mountain lions in ecosystems where they overlap. In December 2020, the Bureau of Land Management removed 455 horses from the Delamar Mountains, Nevada, USA. We leveraged this management intervention to implement a before–after–control–impact study to test hypotheses about predation on horses and native ungulates. We predicted …

Quaking Aspen In A High-Use Recreation Area: Challenges Of People, Ungulates, And Sodium On Landscape Resilience, Georgie Corkery, Anna B. Miller, Paul C. Rogers

Environment and Society Student Research

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) landscapes are valued for their biodiversity, water retention, fire mitigation, aesthetics, and recreation opportunities. Across North America, some aspen populations are experiencing population declined as they face uninhibited ungulate browsing, drought, fire suppression, insects, disease, and inappropriate management. Increased human development and recreational use within aspen landscapes can serve as additive stressors, though there is a dearth of literature examining these elements. At a popular recreational area in Utah, USA, identifying the cause of apparent decline within a larger aspen community is complicated by development upstream and recreation-related activities. We sought to (1) assess …

High Sugar Diet Alters Immune Function And The Gut Microbiome In Juvenile Green Iguanas (Iguana Iguana), Kwanho C. Ki, Erin L. Lewis, Elizabeth Wu, Francis J. Oliaro, Lise M. Aubry, Charles R. Knapp, Karen M. Kapheim, Dale Denardo, Susannah S. French

Biology Faculty Publications

The present work aimed to study whether a high sugar diet can alter immune responses and the gut microbiome in green iguanas. Thirty-six iguanas were split into four treatment groups using a 2x2 design. Iguanas received either a sugar-supplemented diet or a control diet, and either a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection or a phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) injection. Iguanas were given their respective diet treatment through the entire study (~3 months) and received a primary immune challenge 1 and 2 months into the experiment. Blood samples and cloacal swabs were taken at various points in the experiment and used to measure changes …

Expression And Secretion Of Sparc, Fgf-21 And Dcn In Bovine Muscle Cells: Effects Of Age And Differentiation, Katie A. Shira, Kara J. Thornton, Brenda M. Murdoch, Gabrielle M. Becker, Gwinyai E. Chibisa, Gordon K. Murdoch

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Skeletal muscle growth is an economically important trait in the cattle industry. Secreted muscle-derived proteins, referred to as myokines, have important roles in regulating the growth, metabolism, and health of skeletal muscle in human and biomedical research models. Accumulating evidence supports the importance of myokines in skeletal muscle and whole-body health, though little is known about the potential presence and functional significance of these proteins in cattle. This study evaluates and confirms that secreted proteins acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC), fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21), myostatin (MSTN), and decorin (DCN) are …

Impact Of The 2023 Central Utah Grazing Expo, Trenton Wilde, Eric Thacker, Ryan Larsen, Chad Page, Burdette Barker, Mark Nelson, Matt Palmer, Steven Price, Jacob Hadfield, Kalen Taylor, Ethan Gilliam

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

A collaboration between Extension Agriculture and Natural Resource specialists and county faculty responded to a need to educate public land grazing permit holders, public land management agency personnel, and public members on regulations, management, economics, and social values associated with public land grazing permits.

A Process Evaluation Of Utah’S Food Security Council, Palak Gupta, Heidi Leblanc

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Utah’s Food Security Council (FSC) brings together diverse stakeholders to address food security across the state. As FSC concluded its inaugural year of work, a process evaluation assessed its progress. Findings will inform FSC’s future strategic improvements, partnerships, and community outreach activities.

What Sanpete County Leaders And Residents Can Do To Strengthen The Impact Of Girls And Women In Their Area, Deborah Lin, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

This idea sheet is based on a 2024 gathering of 33 leaders and residents in Sanpete County. Girls and women face challenges unique to the area in which they live, and the goal of this gathering was to identify those barriers and determine strategies and initiatives that local leaders and residents can implement to address them. This document includes recommendations in the following areas: education, home and family, government and business, mental health and physical safety, and culture.

Toxicosis From Range Lupine Ingestion In A Research Herd Of Rafter 7 Merino Sheep, Benjamin J. Weigler, Walter F. Mandeville Iii, Scott Huber, Gary Mccuin, Fabrizio Caragena, Daniel D. Cook, Stephen T. Lee, Chris A. Pritsos

Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)

An outbreak of lupine alkaloid neurotoxicosis and death occurred in sheep grazed on rangeland areas of the Nevada Great Basin during the summer of 2023. Overall, 97 sheep died despite veterinary supportive care. Lupinus argenteus var. utahensis was implicated as the causative plant with high levels of lupanine (11.5 µg/mg) and spartiene (13.7 µg/mg) in collected and archived samples. Previous reports of sheep deaths due to lupine ingestion have not been recorded in this region. An increased abundance of the number plants producing seed pods having a high alkaloid content may have been associated with abnormally elevated levels of precipitation …

Seasonal Activity Patterns And Home Range Sizes Of Wolves In The Human-Dominated Landscape Of Northeast Türkiye, J. David Blount, Austin M. Green, Mark Chynoweth, Kyle D. Kittelberger, Dário Hipólito, Katarzyna Bojarska, Emrah Çoban, Josip Kusak, Çağan H. Şekercioğlu

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Gray wolves Canis lupus comprise one of the most widely distributed carnivore species on the planet, but they face myriad environmental and anthropogenic pressures. Previous research suggests that wolves adjust their time- and space-use seasonally to mitigate risks from humans, conspecifics, and other predators while maximizing their hunting and reproductive success. With many populations of wolves resettling in areas with dense human populations, understanding how wolves may adjust their temporal and spatial patterns in these more human-dominated landscapes is of high conservation importance. Typically, human presence causes wolves to increase their nocturnality and home range size. Here, we look at …

50 Common Questions About Field Crops, Matt Yost, Burdette Barker, Cody Zesiger, Jody Gale, Justin Wyatt Clawson, Mark Nelson, Matthew Palmer, Michael Pace, Cheyenne Reid, Steven Price, Earl Creech, Corey Ransom, Grant Cardon, Clara Anderson, Madelyn Kunzler

All Current Publications

Utah State University Extension strives to provide research-based information and knowledge to help agricultural producers. Producers often have questions about several aspects of field crop production. This article is not comprehensive of all questions about field crops but represents some of the common questions that USU faculty have received from the public, producers, and crop advisors.

Temporal Separation Of Red And Blue Photons Does Not Increase Photon Capture Or Yield Of Lettuce, Jun Liu, Bruce Bugbee

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Temporal separation of red (R) and blue (B) (alternating R/B) photons has been reported to increase leaf area, photon capture, and yield of lettuce compared with delivering both colors together (concurrent R+B). We grew three diverse lettuce cultivars (Grand Rapids, Rex, and Red Sails) under concurrent R+B photons (9/1 ratio) and alternating R/B photons (9/1 ratio) under an equal daily light integral (DLI) of either 8.6 or 23 mol·m^-2·d^-1. Contrary to five previous studies, we found no increase in either leaf area or fresh mass and dry mass in any of the alternating R/B photon treatments …

Influence Of Steroidal Implants And Zinc Sulfate Supplementation On Growth Performance, Trace Mineral Status, Circulating Metabolites, And Transcriptional Changes In Skeletal Muscle Of Feedlot Steers, Dathan T. Smerchek, Emma L. Rients, Amy M. Mclaughlin, Kara J. Thornton, Stephanie L. Hansen

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Angus-cross steers (n = 144; 362 kg ± 20.4) were used to determine the effect of Zn and steroidal implants on performance, trace mineral status, circulating metabolites, and transcriptional changes occurring in skeletal muscle. Steers (n = 6 per pen) were stratified by body weight (BW) in a 3 x 2 factorial. GrowSafe bunks recorded individual feed intake (steer as experimental unit; n = 24 per treatment). Dietary treatments (ZINC; eight pens per treatment) included supplemental Zn as ZnSO₄ at 1) 0 (analyzed 54 mg Zn/kg DM; Zn0); 2) 30 mg/kg DM ( …

So, You're Going On A Trail Ride, Gabriela Murza, Katelyn Barsnick, Karl Hoopes

All Current Publications

Horse trail rides provide an opportunity for individuals to partner with horses to experience the natural world in a new way. However, we should consider the physical demands it places on both riders and horses. Adequate preparation, including selecting appropriate clothing, employing safe riding practices, and engaging in pre-ride stretches to enhance rider fitness, allows participants to fully appreciate the experience.

Production, Utilization And Quality Of Irrigated Grasses And Legumes In The Mountain West Usa Under Mob Stocking Or Clipping, Jennifer W. Macadam, Brody Maughan, Xin Dai

Browse all Datasets

Feed is the most costly input for US ruminant livestock production systems, and increasing the utilization efficiency of irrigated forage systems can improve system profitability. This study assessed the production, utilization and quality of 22 intensively managed perennial grasses and legumes. Forages were cultivated as monocultures under irrigation and subjected to similarly intense clipping or mob stocking for two years at six-week intervals between May and September. Grasses and legumes were randomly assigned to 22 adjacent 1.5-m-wide by 9-m-long subplots within each whole plot, and pairs of whole plots were randomly assigned to grazing or clipping management. Seven grasses did …

Insect Abundance And Richness Response To Ecological Reclamation On Well Pads 5–12 Years Into Succession In A Semi-Arid Natural Gas Field, Michael F. Curran, Jasmine Allison, Timothy J. Robinson, Blair L. Robertson, Alexander H. Knudson, Bee M. M. Bott, Steven Bower, Bobby M. Saleh

Extension Research

Natural gas extraction is a critical driver of the economy in western North America. Ecological reclamation is important to ensure surface disturbance impacts associated with natural gas development are not permanent and to assist native biota. Previous studies in semi-arid natural gas fields within Sublette County, Wyoming, USA have shown insects respond favorably to 1–3-year-old well pads undergoing reclamation compared to older successional reference vegetation communities dominated by Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata spp. Wyomingensis). Here, we examined well pads which were initially seed 5, 8, 10, 11, and 12 years prior to our study. We used a free, image-based …

Using An Interrupted Case Study To Engage Undergraduates’ Critical Thinking Style And Enhance Content Knowledge, Kelsey Hall, Katherine Starzec

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

The interrupted case study is a structured way to engage students in active learning. Interruptions, or pauses for reflection and discussion scheduled within the case-study presentation, provide students with a chance to collaborate and engage in critical thinking. Critical thinking style, which is a measure of how one tends to think critically, provides insight into how one tackles problem solving. This article describes a pilot project that combined critical-thinking style and an interrupted case study, delivered over a two-class-period time frame, to four college courses. The project’s goals were to assess …

Temporal And Spatial Influences On Fawn Summer Survival In Pronghorn Populations: Management Implications From Noninvasive Monitoring, Cole A. Bleke, Eric M. Gese, Juan J. Villalba, Shane B. Roberts, Susannah S. French

Wildland Resources Student Research

Monitoring vital rates allows managers to estimate trends in growth rates of ungulate populations. However, connecting the influence of nutrition on ungulate demography is challenging. Noninvasive sampling offers a low-cost, low-effort alternative for measuring nutritional indices, allowing for an increased understanding of the mechanistic relationships between environmental factors, nutrition, and specific population vital rates. We examined the temporal influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) fawn recruitment. We collected fresh fecal samples from adult female pronghorn in five subpopulations spanning three sampling periods associated with critical maternal life-history stages (late gestation, early lactation, breeding season) …

Nitrification Rate Depends On Nitrogen Fertilizer Source In Root-Zones For Bioregenerative Life-Support, Noah J. Langenfeld, Bruce Bugbee

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Nitrification helps recycle nitrogen (N) in closed root-zones with multiple N inputs. We studied nitrification rates in peat moss soilless media adjusted to pH 6.5 to 7 and watered with nutrient solutions containing 9 mM N from ammonium nitrate, ammonium, nitrate, urea, or microbial biomass (lysed cells of the N-fixing bacteria Azotobacter vinelandii). We leached the media with nutrient solution every week for 150 days and measured the pH, electrical conductivity, and nitrate concentration. We measured ammonium in the peat moss at the end of the study using a potassium chloride extraction and quantified total N by combustion. Nitrification …

Assessing The Effects Of Cold Storage Regimes Of North American Bombus Gynes, Thuy Tien T. Lindsay, Marcia M. Hagen, Joyce N. Knoblett, Joseph P. Rinehart, Karen M. Kapheim, James P. Strange

Biology Faculty Publications

Bumble bees are the primary commercial pollinators for greenhouse-grown crops and managing them requires insight into the Bombus life cycle. However, some aspects of the life cycle are not fully understood. Once mated, adult Bombus gynes can be stored for a short term at a constant low temperature (CLT). However, survival rates for some species are low during CLT, particularly when storage periods exceed a month. To address this, we tested the hypothesis that Bombus gynes stored in a fluctuating thermal regime (FTR) have increased survival compared to gynes stored in CLT. Specifically, the FTR had a baseline temperature of …

Utah State University Commencement, 2024 - Main Campus, Utah State University

Commencement Programs

2024 Commencement Ceremony for the Main Campus of Utah State University.

Magnetic Three-Dimensional Graphene: A Superior Absorbent For Selective And Sensitive Determination Of Nitrite In Water Samples By Ion-Pair Based-Surfactant-Assisted Solid-Phase Extraction Combined With Spectrophotometry, Mina Vasheghani Farahani, Sajad Karami, Hassan Sereshti, Shokouh Mahpishanian, Somayeh Koupaei Malek, Shahabaldin Rezania

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science Student Research

A straightforward, fast and efficient analytical method was developed which utilizes a magnetic composite called three-dimensional graphene (3D-G@Fe₃O₄) as an adsorbent to recover nitrite ions (NO₂^–) from environmental water samples. The investigation into the synthesized adsorbent contained an examination of its morphology, chemical composition, structural attributes, and magnetic properties. This comprehensive analysis was conducted using various instrumental techniques, including Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The adsorbent surface was activated by adding cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) to the …

Hunting For Agriculture: Unraveling Ecological Motivations In The Transition To Farming By The Fremont Cultural Complex, Ryan Mcgrath

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study explored the profound human history shift from foraging to agriculture, focusing on Utah's Fremont cultural complex. Utilizing the Prey-Rank Model, we investigated whether dwindling encounter rates with high-rank prey prompted the Fremont's adoption of agriculture. We quantified past resource trends by analyzing the Utah archaeofaunal database to discern if ecological conditions influenced this transition. If confirmed, it suggests adaptive responses to a decline in high-ranked game led to a more resource-intensive survival strategy. This research provides crucial insights into the motivations behind the Fremont's agricultural adoption, enhancing our understanding of human-environment interactions and adaptations throughout history.