Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing Spatial Distribution And Quantification Of Native Trees In Saskatchewan's Prairie Landscape Using Remote Sensing Techniques, Elham Shafeian, Bryan J. Mood, Kenneth W. Belcher, Colin P. Laroque

Aspen Bibliography

The importance of trees in non-forest landscapes has been the focus of only a few studies. However, these trees provide many important ecosystem services. In this study, we mapped and quantified these trees using Sentinel-2 (S2) and very high-resolution (VHR) Google satellite imagery without any field campaigns. We performed a Random Forest (RF) classification to map the spatial distribution of native trees in different scenarios. The optimal model showed an overall accuracy and kappa of 0.99 and 0.98, respectively. We mapped 40,500 km² of tree cover, including native tree cover (approximately 29,565 km²≈10.5%), excluding plantations, regional and …

Rhizobacterial Isolates From The Native Plant Ceanothus Velutinus Promote Growth In Two Genotypes Of Tall Fescue, Ananta Raj Devkota, Sukhmanjot Kaur, Amita Kaundal

Plants, Soils and Climate Student Research

Global warming-induced climate change haunts the world, posing a critical threat to plant health and crop production. Overusing chemical fertilizers and pesticides poses a significant threat to soil health. Ceanothus velutinus (snowbrush) is a drought-tolerant, actinorhizal native plant found in the Intermountain West region of the US that harbors many plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). In this study, we evaluated the effects of PGPR CK-06, CK-22, CK-44, and CK-50 from C. velutinus on the growth and development of two tall fescue genotypes: (i) a lawn-type tall fescue blend and (ii) an endophyte-free forage-type tall fescue known as Armory. Tall fescue plants …

Goose Grubbing And Warming Suppress Summer Net Ecosystem Co2 Uptake Differentially Across High-Arctic Tundra Habitats, Matteo Petit Bon, Karen H. Beard, Kari Anne Bråthen, Hanna Lee, Ingibjörg S. Jónsdóttir

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Environmental changes, such as climate warming and higher herbivory pressure, are altering the carbon balance of Arctic ecosystems; yet, how these drivers modify the carbon balance among different habitats remains uncertain. This hampers our ability to predict changes in the carbon sink strength of tundra ecosystems. We investigated how spring goose grubbing and summer warming—two key environmental-change drivers in the Arctic—alter CO₂ fluxes in three tundra habitats varying in soil moisture and plant-community composition. In a full-factorial experiment in high-Arctic Svalbard, we simulated grubbing and warming over two years and determined summer net ecosystem exchange (NEE) alongside its components: …

Mountain Big Sagebrush Restoration In Former Dryland Pasture, Elizabeth Bailey, Eric Thacker, Thomas Monaco, Kari E. Veblen

All Current Publications

Our study supports using older naturally grown sagebrush plants (wildlings) for restoration efforts. Wildlings had already faced various environmental stresses before transplantation and then had a survival advantage when transplanted. Our study also demonstrates how successfully established transplants planted in “islands” aid in the future recruitment of sagebrush. Overall, because of their higher survival, we found that wildlings led to higher sagebrush densities and were a more cost-effective approach.

Condition And Management Futures In A Quaking Aspen Recreation Area. Final Report To Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District, Paul C. Rogers, Georgie Corkery, Anna B. Miller

Aspen Bibliography

In partnership with Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District (SBSRD), we undertook a study of ecological conditions and user preferences within a quaking aspen recreational destination forest. The location, in two sections know as Run-A-Muk and Right Turn Sage (RAM/RTS), has experienced some forest die-off in the principally aspen dominated forest dissected by ski, bike, and hiking trails. Graduate student Georgie Corkery led the study and successfully completed a Master's degree, in addition to providing needed information to SBSRD regarding the status, uses, and preferred actions at this facility. Key outcomes regarding aspen conditions include assigning causal factors—ungulate browsing and elevated …

Reframing The Landscape: Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty, Amy Reid

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This thesis project recognizes Robert Smithson’s contribution to the fields of art and landscape architecture with a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for Spiral Jetty. The nomination was completed with support from the Utah State Historic Preservation Office, Dia Art Foundation, and Holt/Smithson Foundation.

Spiral Jetty is considered a highly influential work of the Land art genre. At Rozel Point Smithson constructed a 1,500-foot-long and 15-foot-wide earthwork of site-sourced basalt rock and soil. It extends from the shore approximately 600 feet before collapsing twice in a counterclockwise spiral. Smithson carefully selected the site where the earthwork would …

Creating Place-Based Introductory Geoscience Field Trip Curricula For Indigenous Students, Kitri Spencer

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This project seeks to produce and evaluate a place-based geoscience field trip curriculum along the San Juan River designed for Indigenous students. The Geoscience on the San Juan River field trip uses a “place-based” approach to weave scientific concepts with the cultural knowledge and lived experiences of the students. Learning activities were designed to accommodate a wide range of learning preferences and accessibility needs with the hope of increasing Indigenous enrollment in the geosciences. The lesson plan was tested on June 4^th, 2022 during a guided rafting excursion on the San Juan River for students participating in the …

Quantitative Analysis Of Protective Effect Of Resveratrol Against Nanoplastic-Induced Oxidative Stress, Bryan Gustafson

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Nanoplastics and microplastics are a growing ecological and health concern due to their widespread prevalence. The effects of these microscopic particles in biological systems primarily relate to their potential to produce reactive oxygen species and interactive effects with other cytotoxic agents. Of particular interest in this work is the effect on mammalian intestinal cells, due to the regular unintentional ingestion of micro- and nanoplastics in the normal western diet. In this study, Caco-2 cells were cultured and exposed to polystyrene particles in vitro as a simple model of the human digestive endothelium.

Resveratrol, a naturally occurring polyphenolic compound, has been …

Viking And Native North American Interactions: The Spread Of Disease In The Norse Discovery Of North America, Sarah N. Haughawout

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This paper evaluates the potential for spread of disease in the Norse and Native North American interactions around 1000 CE. At this time, the Vikings were expanding their territory in search of land and natural resources following the Viking Raids in mainland Europe. They traveled to Iceland, then Greenland, and finally the eastern coast of northern Canada. Norse explorers faced numerous obstacles on their journeys, but they still prospered in North America for a time. The Vikings hunted the land and sea mammals, used the land, and found ways to thrive while having hostile relations and contact with the Native …

Engineering Faculty Perceptions On Student-Use Of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gai) In Course Completion, Michaela Harper

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Computer science and engineering faculty often argue whether students should be allowed to use GAI tools, such as ChatGPT, or banned from using them for fear of decreasing learning and workforce quality. This research gathers and reports engineering and computer science faculty members’ perceptions, opinions, and recommendations for GAI use in higher education. Faculty members agree that these technologies are here to stay and must be understood to address GAI in college and university courses. However, their willingness to implement GAI into their courses varied based on prior experience in industry and with the technology itself. Those with very limited …

The Effect Of Indaziflam On Seed Production In Perennial Cool-Season Grasses, Benson F. Israelsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Annual invasive grass weeds are a major problem in grass seed production as they contaminate seed lots and decrease the quality. Few effective herbicides are available to control invasive grass weeds in seed production systems. Indaziflam is a pre-emergence herbicide capable of providing annual weed control for 3-5 years after application. Indaziflam is not labeled for use in seed production as little is known of the effect it will have. The purpose of this study was to measure total seed yield, seed germination, seed mass, and seedling vigor when applying 0, 40, 77, and 93 g ai ha^-1 of …

Evaluating The Stress System Of The Grieving Brain: Corticotropin-Releasing Factors And Partner Loss In Female Coyotes, Rachel Tong Xin Ning

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Forming social bonds is fundamental in helping us foster connections with others. The loss of a loved one often results in grief, stress, and loneliness, and the stress response system of the body has been implicated in the physiological symptoms associated with grieving. Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) is the hormone that initiates the stress response in the body and acts at two different receptor subtypes CRF receptor (CRFR)1 and CRFF2. Many studies on CRF and social loss have been conducted in monogamous prairie voles, but studies in longer-lived monogamous mammals could improve understanding of the effects of losing pair bonds. …

Responses Of Medical Cannabis To Daily Light Integrals Higher Than Summer Sunlight: Yield, Morphology, And Quality, James D. Nielson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Cannabis sativa L. is a crop with growing medical and commercial significance. However, cannabis is not as well studied or understood as many of the most common crops. A novel area of research surrounds how much light the plant can tolerate or use to keep increasing flower yield. In agriculture, light intensity is often measured by how many light particles interact with a given area in a second, referred to as photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD). For example, at Utah State University in Logan, Utah, during the peak of summer, the sun's light intensity can reach about 2000 μmol·m^{-2 …}

Moose Movement In An Urbanizing Landscape, Lucian R. Mcdonald

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Humans disturb the environment in specific places and at specific times. As wildlife learn to navigate these disturbances, they react as they would to the risk of predation. Wildlife biologists can identify where and when these disturbances will lead wildlife to congregate by comparing geospatial data, such as metrics that represent vegetation, topography, or other environmental conditions, to known locations of the animal(s) in question. In Chapter I, I discuss the impact of human disturbances, like urbanization and roads, on wildlife behavior. In Chapter II, I compare the risk of moose-vehicle collisions (MVCs) to moose selection of urbanized landscapes to …

Agriculture In The Urbanizing Chesapeake Bay Watershed: Views On Water Quality, Agricultural-Related Conflicts, And The Adoption Of Nutrient Management Plans, Edem Avemegah

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This dissertation analyzes Chesapeake Bay Watershed (CBW) agriculture by exploring residents' views on water quality issues, agriculture-related conflict, and farmers' adoption of nutrient management plans. The following questions were asked: What is the level of concern among non-agricultural and agricultural residents about water quality issues in local streams and waterways and the CBW, and to whom do the two groups attribute water quality problems? What are nonfarming residents' and farmers' levels of support for various interventions outlined in previous research on water quality issues in local streams and waterways and the CBW? What is the level of nonfarming residents' and …

Investigating The Biochemical Aspects Of Meat Tenderness, Chandler D. Stafford

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Of all the attributes that define beef's eating quality, tenderness stands out as one of the most important. Previous studies have shown that consumers are willing to pay a premium for beef that is guaranteed to be more tender and are more likely to purchase that product repeatedly. Yet, due to the influence of numerous internal and external factors, controlling and predicting tenderness remains to be difficult. However, among these factors, meat aging is the primary contributor to end-product tenderness, as it is recognized for breaking down muscle tissue via enzymes present within the muscle. The activity of these enzymes …

Ecological Interactions Of Cougars, Deer, And Wild Pigs In The Central Coast Range, California, Mitchell A. Parsons

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Wild pigs are an introduced species in the Americas that negatively affect ecosystems in many ways. Previous research has documented their negative effects on water quality and vegetation and their potential to spread disease among wildlife, domestic animals, and humans. However, how wild pigs affect predator-prey interactions between native wildlife has received little attention. This research explores multiple interactions between wild pigs, a native predator (cougars), and a native prey (black-tailed deer). First, I studies cougar diet to understand how frequently pigs are used as prey. During this project, I also placed wildlife cameras at cougar killed prey to monitor …

Exploring Resilience: Insights From The Western U.S. Drink Tourism Industry During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Camillo Salvi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

COVID-19 harmed the resilience of the United States tourism industry, undermining its economic stability. Specifically, the drink tourism sector was negatively affected by the pandemic due to its heavy reliance on consumer demand. Enhancing the ability to withstand, recover, and adapt to changing conditions is fundamental to promoting financial development and economic growth. This study aims to explore the determinants of resilience within this industry, focusing on wineries, breweries, and distilleries in the western United States during 2020 and 2021. Through a survey-based analysis, we identified what factors impacted their resilience and how these influenced the drink tourism domain, thereby …

Immune Variation Across Different Contexts In Non-Model Systems, Kwanho Claudia Ki

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The immune system is important to an animal’s survival against disease-causing agents and physical injuries. Accordingly, many resources are required to maintain and activate the immune system (such as energy). However, as these resources also need to be shared with other important systems of the body, the portion of resources that can be allotted to the immune system is variable. Thus, many different factors may alter how well the immune system operates. My dissertation sought to understand what sorts of factors can lead to changes in the immune system. Reptiles are known to have a very robust immune system. Therefore, …

From Pasture To Plate: Striking An Omega Balance Between Grass-Fed And Grain-Fed Beef Ribeyes - Fatty Acid Composition, Minerals, Soil, And Forage Analysis, Travis Earl Statham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Most beef cattle in the US are feedlot-finished where intensive feeding of grains is used to increase weight and yield; however, a minority are raised in grass-fed operations that use exclusive pasture, rangeland, and hay for feeding, possibly leading to benefits for the land, soil, ecosystems, forages, and the meat itself. These operations use a variety of methods, and the goal of this was to recognize differences in the soil and forage metrics to help understand the resulting meat fatty acid composition and mineral content. We collected these samples from 78 sets of farmers while testing 25 sets of grain-fed …

Genomic Selection For Dwarf Bunt Resistance In Winter Wheat, William Krause

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Dwarf bunt (DB), caused by the pathogen Tilletia controversa J.G. Kühn [as 'contraversa'], is a fungal disease that poses yield and grain quality risks to winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) production in the Intermountain West and abroad. The infection replaces the grain with a collection of spores that are spread by wind during the following harvest. In addition to wheat, DB also infects other cereal grains and wild grasses. Genomic selection (GS) is a plant breeding method that can determine percent infection of related varieties by using phenotypic data and genetic data within a prediction model. A panel …

Designing Technology-Enriched Learning Environments: The Effects Of An Agent-Based Computer Model On Biology Students' Understanding Of The Covid-19 Pandemic And The Nature Of Models In Science, April Sullivan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Science education researchers have called for increased attention to the science practice of modeling to engage students in authentic scientific inquiry. A major challenge to integrating the modeling practice into science instruction is that students tend to conceptualize models as static end-products of research rather than generative tools for theory-building. Engaging students in using computer models, specifically agent-based computer models (ABMs), to explain and predict scientific phenomena could improve students' understanding of models in science. In this design-based research project I investigate the effects of an ABM-supported learning environment on high-school biology students' understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic and the …

Adolescent Mental Health And Social Media: The Roles Of Psychosocial Development And Online Interaction, Mark L. Ferguson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Social media has become an integral part of adolescent life, and its effects on adolescents’ mental health has been studied for over twenty years. However, the research approaches used to discover connections between adolescent social media use and their mental health have been diverse, and findings have varied over time. This study sought to explore the potential relationships between adolescent social media use and mental health by including several different variables that aren’t typically accounted for in the same study, such as attachment to parents and peers, internal psychological development, emotional intensity towards social media use, and how adolescents feel …

Mathematical And Statistical Methods To Harness Limited Data In Models For Ecological Space Use Under Global Change, Sarah C. Bogen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The dynamics of how plants and animals use space in their habitats has important implications for the fields of ecology and conservation. However, understanding and responding to these spatial and temporal dynamics is often limited by data availability, financial resources and biases. As average global temperatures increase, suitable habitats shift poleward and require local populations to move with suitable habitat, adapt to the changing environment, or risk extinction. Capacity to persist without movement may be estimated by considering changes to a combination of habitat characteristics. Capacity to track suitable habitat may be modeled through synthesizing information on species demographic mechanisms …

Soil Organic Matter Processes From The Treetops To The Clay Particle: The Role Of Climate, Minerals, And Organic Matter Chemistry In Soil Carbon Accumulation And Stability, Jessica G. Murray

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Soils store more carbon than plants and the atmosphere, yet release ten times more carbon dioxide (CO₂) to the atmosphere than human activities each year. Small shifts in the balance of soil carbon storage and soil carbon emissions could make climate change less severe, by acting as a sink for the carbon plants pull from the atmosphere, or make climate change worse, by releasing even more planet-warming greenhouse gases. The processes governing whether soils store or release carbon depend on tiny soil microorganisms which convert plant carbon to soil organic matter, releasing CO₂ in the process. In …

Interpreting Neural Networks For Particle Tracing In Fluid Simulation Ensembles: An Interactive Visualization Framework, Maanav Choubey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Understanding the internal mechanisms of neural networks, particularly Multi-Layer Perceptrons (MLP), is essential for their effective application in a variety of scientific domains. In particular, in the scientific visualization domain their adoption has recently shown to be a promising tool to predict particle trajectories in fluid dynamics simulation and aid the interactive visualization of flows. This research addresses the critical challenge of interpretability of such models.

While interpretability has been extensively explored in fields like computer vision and natural language processing, its application to time series data, particularly for particle tracing (or prediction of trajectories), has not garnered sufficient attention. …

Engineered Microalgae Cultivations Systems: Conversion Of Wastewater Nutrients Into Biofuels And Bioplastics, Jacob Watkins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Dissolved Nitrogen and Phosphorus in wastewater can contribute to harmful algae blooms if released into the environment. One technology that can be used to recover dissolved nutrients from wastewater is the Rotating Algae Biofilm Reactor (RABR), which supports microalgae growth in an easily-harvested biofilm and produces nitrogenand phosphorus-rich biomass that can be used to produce slow-release fertilizers, biofuels, and compostable bioplastics. This thesis (1) examines the effects of several environmental factors on the biomass production rate and nutrient removal efficiency of RABRs treating municipal wastewater, (2) quantifies the composition and biofuel yields of microalgae biomass cultivated using a RABR at …

Analysis Of An Outdoor Pilot-Scale Rotating Algae Biofilm Reactor For Power Optimization, Ash-Enhanced Productivity, And Nutrient Uptake, Peter F. Jeppesen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Outdoor testing of a rotating algae biofilm reactor (RABR) was performed to see how well it could remove nutrients from water and produce algae. By adjusting the operation settings, we found the lowest power needed to remove nitrogen and phosphorus. The lowest power values needed were 1.36 kWh per kilogram of nitrogen and 20.1 kWh per kilogram of phosphorus. The algae production rate reached a maximum of 7.09 grams per square meter per day. Detailed analysis showed that the reactor worked like a continuous flow system, and the performance was influenced by factors including light and temperature. The results also …

Maternal Adverse Childhood Experiences And Non-Live Births, Mudasir Mustafa

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Around 62 percent of adults in the United States have endured at least one type of Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE), and 25 percent of women reported experiencing three or more ACEs in their lifetime. This study explored whether maternal exposure to ACEs was associated with pregnancy loss or abortion, utilizing the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (known as Add Health) to explore this association. I found that cumulative ACEs, assessed through either the conventional ACE scale (reflecting 10 types of ACEs) or the extended ACE scale (reflecting 14 types of ACEs), are associated with a higher likelihood …

Metabolic Capabilities Of Latilactobacillus Curvatus And The Potential Use As An Adjunct Culture For Food Safety And Quality Control In Yogurt, R. Chase Wahlstrom

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In the quest for healthier and more natural food products, using beneficial lactic acid bacteria to preserve food, known as biopreservation, is becoming increasingly important. This research focused on a strain of beneficial bacteria called Latilactobacillus curvatus and its ability to inhibit fungal growth both in lab settings and in a yogurt system. This has the potential to enhance the safety and quality of dairy products.

We studied a specific strain of this bacteria, named WSU-1, found in dairy. Through detailed analysis, we discovered that this strain could produce substances that may help protect food from harmful microbes. In laboratory …