Digital Commons Network^™

Theory And Application Of Landfarming To Remediate Pahs And Mineral Oil Contaminated Sediments: Beneficial Reuse, J. Harmsen, W. Rulkens, Ronald C. Sims, P. Ritjema, A. Zweers

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

When applying landfarming for the remediation of contaminated soil and sediment, a fraction of the soil-bound contaminant is rapidly degraded; however, a residual concentration may remain, which slowly degrades. Degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and mineral oil can be described using a multi-compartment model and first-order kinetics, in which three degradable fractions are distinguished; (1) rapid, (2) slowly, and (3) very slowly degradable. Using this model populated with data from long-term experiments (initiated in 1990), it is shown that time frames from years to decades can be necessary to clean the soil or sediment to obtain a target below …

Influence Of Habitat Patch Characteristics On The Success Of Upland Duck Nests, Jaime E. Jiménez, Michael R. Conover, Raymond D. Dueser, Terry A. Messmer

Human–Wildlife Interactions

When there is a rich guild of nest predators that use different modalities and techniques to locate hidden nests, we hypothesized that no habitat patch characteristic will consistently predict nest success, because if such a characteristic existed then predators would develop a search image based on it and use that characteristic to increase their hunting efficiency for nests. We tested this prediction in the Prairie Pothole region of North Dakota by characterizing the features of 16 habitat patches that contained >1,800 dabbling duck nests. Nest success was monitored during both the early and late nesting season over 2 years. Nest …

Relationships Between Body Size And Abundance In Ecology, Ethan P. White, S.K. Morgan Ernest, A. J. Kerkoff, B. J. Enquist

Biology Faculty Publications

Body size is perhaps the most fundamental property of an organism and is related to many biological traits, including abundance. The relationship between abundance and body size has received much attention, both to quantify the form of the relationship and to understand the processes that generate it. However, progress is impeded by the underappreciated fact that there are four distinct, but inter-related, relationships between size and abundance that are often confused in the literature. Here, we review and distinguish between these four patterns, and discuss the linkages between them. We argue that a synthetic understanding of size and abundance relationships …

Ecological Correlates Of Geographic Range Occupancy In North American Birds, A. H. Hurlbert, Ethan P. White

Biology Faculty Publications

The degree to which a species is predictably encountered within its range varies 36 tremendously across species. Understanding why some species occur less frequently within their 37 range than others has important consequences for conservation and for range map based analyses 38 of ecological patterns. We examined whether patterns in geographical range occupancy can be 39 explained by species level traits.

Challenges In The Application Of Geometric Constraint Models, C. R. Mcclain, Ethan P. White, A. H. Hurlbert

Biology Faculty Publications

Discerning the processes influencing geographic patterns of species richness remains one of the central goals of modern ecology. Traditional approaches to exploring these patterns have focused on environmental and ecological correlates of observed species richness. Recently, some have suggested these approaches suffered from the lack of an appropriate null model that accounts for species’ ranges being constrained to occur within a bounded domain. Proponents of these null geometric constraint models (GCMs), and the mid-domain effect these models produce, argue their utility in identifying meaningful gradients in species richness. This idea has generated substantial debate. Here we discuss what we believe …

Comparing Citizens' And Managers' Concerns About Sagebrush Management And Restoration In The Great Basin, Mark W. Brunson, Jennifer Peterson

Reports

The Great Basin sagebrush steppe ecosystem is among the most imperiled in the U.S. Cheatgrass invasion, conifer encroachment, and catastrophic wildfires are considered to be primary catalysts of decline. Efforts are underway to restore and increase the resiliency of this damaged ecosystem through broad-scale applications of fuel reduction and restoration treatments involving mechanical removal, prescribed fire, and herbicide application. While research points to the potential benefits of these treatments, controversy and challenge often surface when treatments are proposed on public lands. Therefore it is critical for land managers to understand the views held by key stakeholder groups concerning management and …

Enhancing In Vitro Degradation Of Alfalfa Hay And Corn Silage Using Feed Enzymes, Jong-Su Eun, K. A. Beauchemin

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

A series of in vitro fermentation experiments was performed to assess the effects of 4 feed enzyme products (FE) that varied in enzymatic activities on the degradation of alfalfa hay and corn silage. The FE contained a range of endoglucanase, exoglucanase, xylanase, and protease activities, and a range of dose rates (DR) was used. The objective of the study was to identify effective formulations and optimum DR, and to establish if combining FE would further improve fiber degradation. For alfalfa hay, quadratic increases in gas production and degradation of dry matter (DM) and fiber were observed for all FE, with …

Gunnison Sage-Grouse Winter And Summer Ecology In San Juan County, Utah, Sharon Ward

All Current Publications

Thesis Report: Gunnison sage-grouse winter and summer ecology in San Juan County.

Greater Sage-Grouse Ecology In Western Box Elder County, Utah 2006 Annual Report, Jan Knerr, Eric Thacker, Terry A. Messmer

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

2006 Annual Report Parker Mountain Adaptive Resource Management Group, David Dahlgren, Michael Guttery, Michael Monsen, Terry Messmer

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

2006 Annual Report Sage-Grouse Restoration Project, Terry A. Messmer, Leslie W. Elmore

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

Final Technical Report: Integrated Restoration Strategies Towards Weed Control On Western Rangelands, Robert Nowak

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

Invasive species are having severe ecological (Mack et al. 2000) and economic (Pimentel et al. 2005) impacts on ecosystems around the world. Invasive species can alter many ecosystem processes (Crooks 2002, Walker & Smith 1997) including: water and nutrient availability, such as form and amount of N if the soil (Evans et al. 2001, Sperry et al. 2006); primary productivity, through shifts in growth rates or efficiency of resource use; disturbance regimes, including the type, frequency, and severity of disturbances such as fire (D’Antonio 2002); and community dynamics, such as species replacements (Alvarez & Cushman 2002). The economic losses and …

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda, December 11, 2006, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Council on Teacher Education Report
• Campus Retention Report
• Research Council Report
• Scholarship Advisory Board Report
• EPC Business

Insights, Winter, 2006, Utah State University

Discovery Magazine

Bi-annual alumni newsletter for the College of Science of Utah State University in Logan.

Evaluating A Line Source Irrigation System For Determining Water Requirements Of Herbaceous Perennials, Roger Kjelgren, Teresa Cerny-Koenig

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

We investigated wind effects on the water distribution pattern of a line source irrigation system experimental design that creates a decreasing linear moisture gradient and the growth of twelve perennial wildflower species. Species were randomly assigned to rows perpendicular to a main line of spray irrigation heads, parallel to the decreasing irrigation rates, and irrigated at 110% of evapotranspiration at the heads. At low wind speed (0.44 m/s, 1.4 ft/s), application rates decreased linearly from 50 mm/hr (2 in/hr) for positions closest to the irrigation line to zero at 4 m (12 ft) from the irrigation line. Application rates at …

A Comparison Of The Amely Gene Sequence In Argali (Ovis Ammon) And Domestic (Ovis Aries) Sheep, Kimberly Elwood

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Amelogenin (AMEL) is a gene responsible for tooth bud development. It is located on the X-chromosome, thus called AMELX, in mammals. AMEL has been shown to be present in fish, amphibians, and reptiles, though the exact location on the chromosome has not been determined. Amelogenin-like gene (AMELY), an AMEL homolog encoded on the Y-chromosome in some mammals, including sheep, cattle, deer, bears, humans, and some primates, is shorter than the sequence on the X-chromosome. It is unknown whether AMELY is transcriptionally active, but it has been found to be useful for human sexing purposes in forensics, archaeology and prenatal diagnosis, …

General Education Subcommittee Minutes, November 7, 2006, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Course Approvals

Implementation of the Changed AP Credit Policy

Discontinuing the Articulation with the California Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)

Information Literacy Subcommittee

Credit Requirements for DHA Courses

Other Business

• Committee terms
• Chair of the Social Sciences Subcommittee
• Chair of the General Education Subcommittee of EPC
• Weber State’s substitution of Philosophy for Quantitative Literacy

Curriculum Subcommittee Minutes, November 2, 2006, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences

• Delete Course

School of Accountancy

• New Course

Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education

• Credit Hour Change

Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation

• Course Number Change

Department of Psychology

• New Course

College of Engineering

• Prefix Change, Prerequisite Change

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

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

Department of English

• Title Change, Course Description Change

Department of History

• University Studies Request

Department of Languages, Philosophy and Speech Communication

• Add Multiple List

Department of Music

• New Course

Department of Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology

• Title Change, Course …

Curriculum Subcommittee Minutes, October 5, 2006, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences

• New Course
• Title Change, Course Description Change

Department of Management and Human Resources

• New Course

Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation

• New Course
• Credit Hour Change

Department of Psychology

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

Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation

• New Course

Department of Biological and Irrigation Engineering

• New Course

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

• Title Change

College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

• Delete Course

Aerospace Studies

• Title Change, Credit Hour Change, Course Description Change, Pass/Fail Only

Department of History

• Title Change

Department …

Educational Policies Committee Minutes, October 5, 2006, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

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

General Education Subcommittee Minutes, October 3, 2006, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Course Approvals

Articulation Issues Math Disabilities and General Education Policy Educated Persons Conference Other Business

• Study on information literacy
• Gen Ed requirements equivalencies
• Credit Requirements for DHA Courses

Tropic And East Fork Irrigation Company, Tropic Ditch Replacement Project, Environmental Assessment, Bureau Of Reclamation, Provo Area Office

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

The purpose of this project is to reduce the amount of salt entering the Paria River and ultimately the Colorado River. One way to reduce the amount of salt reaching the Colorado River is to eliminate seepage from the historic Tropic Ditch. The Bureau of Reclamation, Provo Area Office has proposed funding for the project under the Colorado River Salinity Control Program. In addition to reducing the amount of salt loading, the project would also conserve water lost to evaporation and seepage.

The purpose of this Environmental Assessment (EA) is to analyze the potential environmental consequences of the proposed construction …

Parker Mountain Greater Sage-Grouse Local Conservation Plan, Utah State University Extension

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Irrigation And Mowing On Species Diversity Of Grass And Wildflower Mixtures For The Intermountain West, Daniel W. Dewey, Paul G. Johnson, Roger Kjelgren

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Grass and wildflower mixtures can be aesthetically appealing, water-conserving, low-maintenance alternatives to conventional turfgrass. One problem with these mixtures is loss of species diversity over time. We examined the effects of irrigation and mowing on the species diversity of 3 grass and wild-flower mixtures. The nonirrigated and non-mowed treatment combination maintained diversity most effectively whereas the irrigated and mowed treatment combination was least effective. Generally, when the irrigation treatment was significant (P < 0.05), irrigated plots contained more wildflowers. When the mowing treatment was significant (P < 0.05), mowed plots contained more common yarrow (Achillea millefolium L. [Asteraceae]) and strawberry clover (Trifolium fragiferum L. [Fabaceae]) and fewer Pacific aster (Symphyotrichum chilense (Nees) Nesom [Asteraceae]). Height measurements on non-mowed plots showed that irrigated plots had taller canopies than nonirrigated plots. Common yarrow was the most competitive wildflower, followed by strawberry clover and Pacific aster. Mixture 3 containing crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn. [Poaceae]) and thickspike wheatgrass (Elymus lanceolatus (Scribn. & J.G. Sm.) Gould ssp. lanceolatus [Poaceae]) maintained species diversity for the longest duration under nonirrigated and non-mowed conditions.

Quantum Dot Technology For Low-Cost Space Power Generation For Smallsats, Theodore Stern

Small Satellite Conference

The provision of sufficient power for smallsats is hindered by the lack of collection area and the relatively high cost of efficient photovoltaic conversion. This paper describes the use of quantum dot nanotechnology being developed to improve both performance and cost of space power generation. The development is oriented towards the use of commercially available components and manufacturing technology to satisfy future smallsat space power needs. In the past 20 years, space power generation has evolved from low cost silicon cells to much higher cost gallium arsenide and multi-bandgap cells in order to better overcome the mismatch between the intrinsic …

Controlling Swarms Of Bandit Inspector Spacecraft, Jeremy Neubauer

Small Satellite Conference

The vast foreseeable benefits of on-orbit servicing to current and future space systems have sparked the development of both large-scale servicing spacecraft and small-scale technology demonstration platforms. The latter provide the ability to prove certain crucial technologies more efficiently than their larger counterparts, due to increased responsiveness and reduced cost. Washington University’s Bandit is one such vehicle currently in progress, designed to research the sensory, autonomy, and control problems of the multivehicle, close-proximity flight necessary to nearly all of the on-orbit servicing industry’s ambitions. This study assesses the ability of behavior-based methods to solve the multi-Bandit control problem, complicated by …

The Genesat-1 Microsatellite Missiona Challenge In Small Satellite Design, Christopher Kitts, John Hines, Elwood Agasid, Antonio Ricco, Bruce Yost, Karolyn Ronzano, Jordi Puig-Suari

Small Satellite Conference

The mission of the GeneSat-1 technology demonstration spacecraft is to validate the use of researchquality instrumentation for in situ biological research and processing. GeneSat-1 is a “triple-CubeSat” vehicle currently being developed for launch as a secondary payload on a Minotaur launch vehicle in late 2006. Spacecraft and mission development is being led by the NASA Ames Research Center Astrobionics group. However, university participation is a crucial element of the program with significant contributions being made from a number of academic groups throughout the Silicon Valley region. This paper will review progress in the development of the GeneSat-1 mission. In addition, …

2005 Annual Report, Various Authors

Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Insights, Summer, 2006, Utah State University

Discovery Magazine

Bi-annual alumni newsletter for the College of Science of Utah State University in Logan.

2005 United States Animal Health Report, United States Department Of Agriculture, Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

No abstract provided.