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Billbugs In Turfgrass (Sphenophorus Spp.), Desiree Wickwar, Ricardo Ramirez

All Current Publications

Billbugs are weevils, a type of beetle, in the genus Sphenophorus. At least 10 billbug species are known pests of turfgrass and can be found in both warm and cool season turfgrasses throughout the United States. Though billbug adults do feed on the leaves of turfgrasses, it is the larvae that cause visible damage. Larvae feed within the stems and on roots of grasses, leading to the development of yellow or brown patches, with the potential to escalate into large patches of dead turfgrass. Billbug management in turfgrass presents a number of unique challenges, but early monitoring and informed integration …

Educational Policies Committee Agenda, April 7, 2022, Utah State University - Continuing Education

Educational Policies Committee

Agenda

1. Approval of 3 March 2022 Minutes.
2. Subcommittee Reports

   a. Curriculum Subcommittee(Matthew Sanders) Course Approvals – 0

   b. Academic Standards Subcommittee (Renee Galliher) Minutes – No March meeting….nothing to report.

   c. General Education Subcommittee (Lee Rickords) Minutes – March 15, 2022

3. Other Business Continued EPC membership.

Program Proposals

• Request from the Department of Plants, Soils and Climate in the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences to offer a new specialization (Bioinform
• Request from the Department of Theatre Arts in the Caine College of the Arts to change the name of the Theatre Arts Theatre Education Certification Option BFA to …

Emulating Succession Of Boreal Mixedwood Forests In Alberta Using Understory Protection Harvesting, Ivan Bjelnanovic, Philip G. Comeau, Sharon Meredith, Brian Roth

Aspen Bibliography

Understory protection harvesting is a form of partial cutting that can be used in aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.)-dominated stands that have understories of white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss). This practice involves removing 75% to 85% of the merchantable aspen while minimizing damage to the advance spruce regeneration, in addition to leaving 15% to 25% of the aspen standing to reduce potential windthrow of the spruce understory. In this paper, we summarize results from 18 stands measured 10 to 12 years after understory protection harvest. Diameter growth of spruce increased during the first five years after harvest while …

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda, April 7, 2022, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

1. Approval of 3 March 2022 Minutes
2. Program Proposals
3. Semester Course Approval Reviews https://usu.curriculog.com/
4. Other Business New Curriculum Subcommittee Chair appointment. Acceptance of membership for 2022-2023 academic year.

Program Proposals

• Request from the Department of Plants, Soils and Climate in the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences to offer a new specialization (Bioinformatics and Computational Biology) to the MS and PhD degrees of Plant Science.
• Request from the Department of Theatre Arts in the Caine College of the Arts to change the name of the Theatre Arts Theatre Education Certification Option BFA to Theatre Arts Education BFA.
• Request from the Department …

Aging-Associated Changes In Motor Function Are Ovarian Somatic Tissue-Dependent, But Berm Cell And Estradiol Independent In Post-Reproductive Female Mice Exposed To Young Ovarian Tissue, Tracy L. Habermehl, Kaden B. Underwood, Kevin D. Welch, Steven P. Gawrys, Kate C. Parkinson, Augusto Schneider, Michal M. Masternak, Jeffrey Mason

Center for Integrated Biosystems Publications

A critical mediator of evolution is natural selection, which operates by the divergent reproductive success of individuals and results in conformity of an organism with its environment. Reproductive function has evolved to support germline transmission. In mammalian ovaries, this requires healthy, active gonad function, and follicle development. However, healthy follicles do not contribute to germline transmission in a dead animal. Therefore, support of the health and survival of the organism, in addition to fertility, must be considered as an integral part of reproductive function. Reproductive and chronological aging both impose a burden on health and increase disease rates. Tremors are …

The Utah Statesman, March 28, 2022, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Nitrogen Increases Early-Stage And Slows Late-Stage Decomposition Across Diverse Grasslands, Allison L. Gill, Peter B. Adler, Elizabeth T. Borer, Christopher R. Buyarski, Elsa E. Cleland, Carla M. D'Antonio, Kendi F. Davies, Daniel S. Gruner, W. Stanley Harpole, Kirsten S. Hofmockel, Andrew S. Macdougall, Rebecca L. Mcculley, Brett A. Melbourne, Joslin L. Moore, John W. Morgan, Anita C. Risch, Martin Schütz, Eric W. Seabloom, Justin P. Wright, Louie H. Yang, Sarah E. Hobbie

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

1. To evaluate how increased anthropogenic nutrient inputs alter carbon cycling in grasslands, we conducted a litter decomposition study across 20 temperate grasslands on three continents within the Nutrient Network, a globally distributed nutrient enrichment experiment
2. We determined the effects of addition of experimental nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium plus micronutrient (K_μ) on decomposition of a common tree leaf litter in a long-term study (maximum of 7 years; exact deployment period varied across sites). The use of higher order decomposition models allowed us to distinguish between the effects of nutrients on early- versus late-stage decomposition.
3. Across continents, the …

Plant-Soil Feedbacks Help Explain Plant Community Productivity, Andrew Kulmatiski, Jeanette Norton, Leslie E. Forero, Josephine Grenzer

Browse all Datasets

Plant community productivity tends to increase as species richness increases, but the mechanisms behind this biodiversity-productivity relationship are not fully understood. Plant-soil feedbacks (PSF) are a compelling potential mechanism of the biodiversity-productivity relationship because they can explain patterns of both underyielding and overyielding in diverse plant communities. To test the role of plant-soil feedbacks in the biodiversity-productivity relationship we measured all possible plant-soil feedbacks for sixteen species, and used the measured plant-soil feedbacks to predict plant community biomass production. We compared the predicted plant community biomass production to observed biomass production in a paired biodiversity-productivity experiment.

The Utah Statesman, March 21, 2022, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Climate Effects On Black Spruce And Trembling Aspen Productivity In Natural Origin Mixed Stands, Mahadev Sharma

Aspen Bibliography

Forest managers need site productivity estimates for tree species growing in mixed stands. Models developed in the past are generally for pure stands and don’t factor in the effects of climate change on site productivity. Therefore, site index (SI) models were developed for black spruce (Picea mariana Mill. B.S.P.) and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) trees grown in natural origin mixed stands. For this, 186 trees (93 black spruce and trembling aspen each) were sampled from 31 even-aged natural mixed stands (sites) (3 trees/species/site) across Ontario, Canada. Stand height growth models were developed by incorporating climate variables during …

Wind And Fire: Rapid Shifts In Tree Community Composition Following Multiple Disturbances In The Southern Boreal Forest, Elias Anoszko, Lee E. Frelich, Roy L. Rich, Peter B. Reich

Aspen Bibliography

Under a warming climate, the southern boreal forest of North America is expected to see a doubling in fire frequency and potential for increased wind disturbance over the next century. Although boreal forests are often considered fire-adapted, projected increases in disturbance frequency will likely result in novel combinations of disturbances with severities and impacts on community composition outside historic norms. Using a network of repeatedly measured vegetation monitoring plots, we followed changes in tree community composition in areas of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), in Minnesota, USA, experiencing disturbances ranging from severe windstorms or wildfires to areas affected …

Movement Patterns Of Resident And Translocated Beavers At Multiple Spatiotemporal Scales In Desert Rivers, Emma Doden, Phaedra Budy, Tal Avgar, Julie Young

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Wildlife translocations alter animal movement behavior, so identifying common movement patterns post-translocation will help set expectations about animal behavior in subsequent efforts. American and Eurasian beavers (Castor canadensis; Castor fiber) are frequently translocated for reintroductions, to mitigate human-wildlife conflict, and as an ecosystem restoration tool. However, little is known about movement behavior of translocated beavers post-release, especially in desert rivers with patchy and dynamic resources. We identified space-use patterns of beaver movement behavior after translocation. We translocated and monitored nuisance American beavers in desert river restoration sites on the Price and San Rafael Rivers, Utah, USA, and compared …

Facilitation Differentially Affects Competitive Responses Of Aspen And Subalpine Fir Through Stages Of Stand Development, Rebecca Lee Molinari, Matthew F. Bekker, Benjamin D. St. Clair, Jason Bartholomew, R. Justin Derose, Stanley G. Kitchen, Samuel B. St. Clair

Aspen Bibliography

Spatial interactions between trees influence forest community succession. The objective of this study was to investigate how shifts in forest composition and proximity between tree species affect stand development over time in mixed forest systems. At six locations across the Fishlake National Forest, Utah, USA, in stands where facilitation has been documented previously, tree-ring samples were collected from aspen and subalpine fir trees. Basal area increment was calculated to characterize the effects of the proximity of overstory trees on multidecadal growth responses of aspen and subalpine fir in aspen-dominant and mixed aspen–conifer stands. Subalpine fir seedlings were established next to …

Many Avenues For Spatial Personality Research: A Response To Comments On Stuber Et Al. (2022), Erica F. Stuber, Ben S. Carlson, Brett R. Jesmer

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

We are grateful for the thought-provoking and forward-looking commentaries (Dingemanse et al. 2022; Mabry 2022; Spiegel and Pinter-Wollman 2022; Vander Wal et al. 2022) in response to our meta-analysis of evidence for consistent among-individual differences in animals’ spatial behaviors (Stuber et al. 2022). A clear consensus is that our demonstration of the prevalence of repeatability across spatial behaviors, and taxa, is only the first step towards identifying the mechanisms and consequences of variation in spatial behavior. Here, we take the opportunity to emphasize key future directions pertaining to uncovering mechanisms, disentangling apparent personality from spatial constraints, and examining additional metrics …

Curriculum Subcommittee Minutes March 3, 2022, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of 3 February 2022 Minutes
• Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 2:49 pm

Curriculum Subcommittee Meeting Agenda, March 3, 2022, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Agenda

• Approval of 3 February 2022 Minutes
  
• Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews https://usu.curriculog.com/
• College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences AVTE = 27
• Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services COMD = 11 ELED = 1 HDFS = 1 KHS = 1 ITLS = 12 SPED = 2 TEAL = 1
• College of Humanities and Social Sciences SOCA = 1 IELI = 2
• S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources WILD = 2
• Other Business

Educational Policies Committee Agenda, March 3, 2022, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Agenda

• Approval of 3 February 2022 Minutes.
  
• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee (Matthew Sanders) Course Approvals – 61
• Academic Standards Subcommittee (Renee Galliher) Minutes – No meeting
• General Education Subcommittee (Lee Rickords) Minutes – January 18, 2022 and February 15, 2022
• Other Business
• Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning CIP Code Change

Event-Related Correlates Of Evolving Trust Evaluations, Ariel W. Snowden, Allison S. Hancock, Catalin V. Buhusi, Christopher M. Warren

Psychology Student Research

Accurate decisions about whether to trust someone are critical for adaptive social behavior. Previous research into trustworthiness decisions about face stimuli have focused on individuals. Here, decisions about groups of people are made cumulatively on the basis of sequences of faces. Participants chose to either increase or withdraw an initial investment in mock companies based on how trustworthy the company representatives (face stimuli) appeared. Companies were formed using participant trust ratings from the previous week, to create strong trustworthy, weak trustworthy, weak untrustworthy, and strong untrustworthy companies. Participants made faster, more accurate decisions for companies carrying stronger evidence (e.g., faces …

Factors Contributing To Bee Decline, Ann Mull, Jaydee Gunnell, Sheriden M. Hansen, Ricardo Ramirez, Andree' Walker Bravo, Cody Zesiger, Lori R. Spears

All Current Publications

Bees provide an important ecosystem service by contributing to the pollination of crop and wild plant species. Many factors have been attributed to bee declines, including habitat loss, improper apiary management, pesticide usage, climate change, pests and pathogens, competition among native and introduced bee species, poor nutrition, and other factors (Koh et al., 2016; Goulson et al., 2015; Graves et al., 2020; Soroye et al., 2020). Acting together, these factors intensify the pressure for survival beyond the adaptability of many species. This fact sheet reviews the factors contributing to decline in bee populations and what can be done to protect …

Fusarium And Verticillium Wilts Of Vegetables, Nick Volesky, Marion Murray, Claudia Nischwitz

All Current Publications

Fusarium wilt and Verticillium wilt are soilborne plant diseases that attack vascular tissue. They cause similar symptoms in their hosts and are difficult to manage as they can survive in the soil for many years. Once a plant is infected, there is no treatment or cure. Therefore, management should focus on preventive and cultural control practices. This fact sheet identifies the many vegetables susceptible to these pathogens in Utah and reviews symptoms, diagnosis, and ways to prevent these diseases.

The Usambara Knowledge Project: Place As Archive In A Tanzanian Mountain Range, Chris A. Conte

History Faculty Publications

The essay chronicles the early phases of a digital history project on landscape change in the mountains of eastern Tanzania. In collecting sources for a land and culture narrative, the project aims ultimately to create an archive that is locally produced in Tanzania and maintained by Utah State University Library's Special Collections and Archives division. The project draws on more than thirty early twentieth-century landscape photographs from the Usambara Mountains in northeastern Tanzania by Walther Dobbertin, a professional photographer living in German East Africa. In the fall of 2015, team members scouted the sites for repeat photographs. The following summer, …

Utilizing Nasa-Funded Biotechnology To Improve Resource Management On Earth And In Space, Tyler Wallentine

Research on Capitol Hill

USU senior Tyler is a Peak Summer Research Fellow studying biological engineering. Nitrogen, essential in soil fertilizer for crops, is produced traditionally in a way that uses natural gas and produces CO2. Tyler’s project has been to apply methods developed by NASA for astronauts to conserve and reuse resources to create nitrogen using wastewater and bacteria. Using this method would not only take advantage of waste we already have, but doesn’t produce CO2 and contribute to pollution. Tyler hopes to become a chemical engineer in the space industry and credits his undergraduate research experience. “There’s something about having to obtain …

To Better Engage Students, Instructors Should Create Lab Exercises With Real-World Examples., Autumn Kelsch

Research on Capitol Hill

USU senior Autumn studies biology here in Logan and led and funded this project herself through a student grant. ‘Elementary Microbiology’ is a required course for many medical fields, and traditionally relies on several pre-determined research projects in class. However, educators suggest that students gain more from open-ended projects where the answer is unknown and the students’ findings contribute to our knowledge on the subject. When Autumn was hired as a teaching assistant for this course at USU, she developed and created a project where students look for bacteria in soil samples that may help fight infections. She now hopes …

What Drug Candidates Exist For Treating Covid-19 Variants?, Kolton Hauck

Research on Capitol Hill

USU senior Kolton studies biological engineering and led this project with funding from a student grant. Kolton’s project has been mapping out all possible protein interactions from known SARS-CoV-2 variants and identifying possible drug treatments. Viruses function through these interactions between their proteins and the host cell’s proteins, and this project is especially valuable because the candidates identified are predicted to help treat all known variants, making them more likely to be effective against future mutations.Kolton’s interest in biological research stems from his own experience managing a genetic health disorder. Past medical research greatly benefited him, and he sees his …

Test-Driving The Next Generation Of Crispr Gene Editing, Olivia Gornichec, Kailey Mayer

Research on Capitol Hill

USU team Kailey, recent graduate of animal science, and Olivia, senior in biochemistry, have led and funded this project through a student grant. CRISPR has been making waves in the scientific community for its potential to help us edit genomes. However, that is just one of the known types of CRISPR, and other types aren’t in forms that are accessible to study. Kailey and Olivia have successfully cloned Type IV-B into a plasmid that can now be used to perform further research into what this system does. The two students never expected that, as undergrads, they would make a foundation-level …

Understanding The Decline In Successful Cattle Pregnancies, Andre Tu Nguyen

Research on Capitol Hill

USU junior Andre, a local Loganer, studies computer science and biology.He has been working in an animal science lab. Over time, we have seen a decline in successful dairy cattle pregnancies. This is a huge cause for concern for Utah, with milk sales at an estimated value of $405 million in 2020. Andre’s work has been in studying a certain protein in pregnant cattle; now that he has determined there is a decrease in this protein over the course of the pregnancy, he hopes to see whether that might impact its viability. Andre got involved in research in a high …

Can Cannibinoids Be Used To Prevent Lung Damage From Utah Air Pollution?, Emily Brothersen

Research on Capitol Hill

USU senior Emily, a Mantua native, is an Honors student and Undergraduate Research Fellow. She studies Biological Engineering and has funded and led this project herself with multiple student grants. Emily has been investigating a way to study cell health that can help future researchers test treatments more quickly and affordably. She has used this method to research the potential of cannabinoids to help protect people from lung damage caused by pollution, an issue topical to Utah with our frequent inversions and growing medical cannabis industry. Emily has been involved in research throughout her time at USU and sees it …

Precipitation Is A Strong Predictor Of Airborne Ammonia Levels., Bridger Jorgensen, Casey Olson, Connor Snow

Research on Capitol Hill

USU senior Connor has lived in the Uintah Basin all his life and studies kinesiology. Senior Casey, a Cache Valley native, studies climate science and works at the Utah Climate Center. Junior Bridger, also of Cache Valley, studies nutrition science. They led and funded this project through a student grant. Casey was alarmed by the ammonia data he was collecting at the Climate Center. “I immediately began to wonder how this issue would evolve over the coming decades.” The three teamed up to take a look at how Logan’s record-breaking amount of ammonia in our air is impacting those who …

Phosphomimetic Tyrosine Mutations In Spa47 Inhibit Type Three Secretion Atpase Activity And Shigella Virulence Phenotype, Koleton D. Hardy, Nicholas E. Dickenson

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Shigella is a highly infectious human pathogen responsible for 269 million infections and 200,000 deaths per year. Shigella virulence is absolutely reliant on the injection of effector proteins into the host cell cytoplasm via its type three secretion system (T3SS). The protein Spa47 is a T3SS ATPase whose activity is essential for the proper function of the Shigella T3SS needle-like apparatus through which effectors are secreted. A phosphoproteomics study recently found several Shigella T3SS proteins, including Spa47, to be tyrosine phosphorylated, suggesting a means of regulating Spa47 enzymatic activity, T3SS function, and overall Shigella virulence. The work presented here employs …

Educational Policies Committee Minutes, February 3, 2022, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Minutes

• Approval of 6 January 2022 Minutes Minutes approved as distributed.
• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee (Matthew Sanders Course Approvals – 280
• Academic Standards Subcommittee (Renee Galliher)
• General Education Subcommittee (Lee Rickords)
• Other Business