Digital Commons Network^™

Book Review: The Wildlife Techniques Manual, Eighth Edition, Justin Small

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Wildlife researchers and managers are consistently tackling ecological and conservation issues that are increasing in complexity and scope. Wildlife issues often span beyond singular research frameworks and management jurisdictions, preventing modern wildlife conservation from operating in mutually exclusive arenas (i.e., research or management). As a wildlife researcher whose research is conducted on both public and private rangelands, and across multiple stakeholder groups, techniques to answer difficult questions and offer time-sensitive solutions must pull from both research and management arenas. Historically, book or journal resources that wildlife professionals could readily access for necessary scientific guidance were contained in many documents, making …

Evaluation Of Damage To Forest Tree Plantations By Wild Boar In The Czech Republic, Vlastimil Skoták, Jakub Drimaj, Jiří Kamler

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations in Central Europe have been growing long-term, and damages to crops and forests where boars damage freshly planted tree seedlings are growing too. In addition to having a significant economic impact, these damages worsen the prospect of successful restoration of bare land. This study presents an analysis of damage to tree seedling plantations caused by wild boar in the Czech Republic. We used data from an extensive questionnaire survey among forest owners, our own survey of the extent of damage in model areas, and experiments in locations with a large boar population. Damage …

Utility Of Visual Counts For Determining Efficacy Of Management Tools For California Ground Squirrels, Roger A. Baldwin, Theresa A. Becchetti, Niamh Quinn, Ryan Meinerz

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Visual counts are frequently used to assess efficacy of management tools for ground squirrels (Marmotini), but the effectiveness of this approach has not been assessed for many ground squirrel species including California ground squirrels (Otospermophilus spp.). As such, we used visual counts of California ground squirrels to determine the efficacy of diphacinone-treated oat groat applications in rangelands in central California, USA, and compared those results to efficacy values derived from the use of radio-collared ground squirrels in the same plots. We also used location data of radio-collared ground squirrels to explore the size of buffer zone needed around census …

Characteristics Of Non-Fatal Attacks By Black Bears: Conterminous United States, 2000–2017, Janel M. Scharhag, Cady Sartini, Shawn M. Crimmins, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Jeffrey B. Stetz

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Attacks on humans by bears (Ursus spp.) have increased in recent decades, as both human and bear populations have increased. To help mitigate the risk of future attacks, it is important to understand the circumstances in past attacks. Information and analyses exist regarding fatal attacks by both American black bears (Ursus americanus) and brown bears (U. arctos) as well as non-fatal attacks by brown bears. No similarly thorough analyses on non-fatal attacks by black bears are available. Our study addressed this information gap by analyzing all (n = 210) agency-confirmed, non-fatal attacks by black …

Corn Smut (Ustilago Maydis), Kalen Taylor, Nick Volesky, Claudia Nischwitz, Marion Murray

All Current Publications

Corn smut is caused by the fungus Ustilago maydis. Smut rarely occurs in Utah and is not considered economically important for grain production. For home gardeners and small farms, serious smut infections on sweet corn can cause ears to be inedible. U. maydis spreads from plant to plant by wind-borne or water-splashed spores onto silks or through existing wounds. Therefore, keeping corn plants insect- and disease-free reduces the number of entry points for infections. This fact sheet reviews the disease cycle, identification, and management.

Specificity Of Nifen And Vnfen For The Assembly Of Nitrogenase Active Site Cofactors In Azotobacter Vinelandii, Ana Pérez-González, Emilio Jimenez-Vicente, Jakob Gies-Elterlein, Alvaro Salinero-Lanzarote, Zhi-Yong Yang, Oliver Einsle, Lance C. Seefeldt, Dennis R. Dean

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The nitrogen-fixing microbe Azotobacter vinelandii has the ability to produce three genetically distinct, but mechanistically similar, components that catalyze nitrogen fixation. For two of these components, the Mo-dependent and V-dependent components, their corresponding metal-containing active site cofactors, designated FeMo-cofactor and FeV-cofactor, respectively, are preformed on separate molecular scaffolds designated NifEN and VnfEN, respectively. From prior studies, and the present work, it is now established that neither of these scaffolds can replace the other with respect to their in vivo cofactor assembly functions. Namely, a strain inactivated for NifEN cannot produce active Mo-dependent nitrogenase nor can a strain inactivated for VnfEN …

Collaborative Research: Ecological Legacy Effects Of Megacarcasses In African Savanna Ecosystems, Johan Du Toit

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Enfermedad De Los Mil Cancros Del Nogal, Claudia Nischwitz, Marion Murray, Celina Wille

All Current Publications

Mil cancros es una enfermedad recientemente reconocida de los nogales, causada por un hongo (Geosmithia morbida) que se transmite por el escarabajo de la ramita del nogal (Pityophthorus juglandis). El escarabajo es endémico de la región autóctona del nogal de Arizona (Arizona, Nuevo México y Chihuahua, México), y fue identificado por primera vez en Utah en 1988.

Irrigation System Maintenance, Candace Schaible, Kelly Kopp, Jennie Hoover

All Current Publications

Irrigation system maintenance is necessary to ensure the most efficient use of the water that is being applied. Efficient irrigation is important because over two-thirds of the total water used in the average Utah home is applied to the landscape. With the natural drought cycles that occur in Utah and the growing population, efficient water use is critical. These maintenance recommendations will help you evaluate your irrigation system before using it each spring and also throughout the growing season.

What Is Biochar And How Is It Used?, Marion Murray

All Current Publications

Biochar is a charcoal-like product that contains no petroleum. It is made by heating biomass such as herbaceous or woody crop residues, non-salvageable timber, and slash, or animal manure, in a contained system. There are many potential uses for biochar including water treatment, land reclamation, and carbon sequestration. Biochar may also be used as a soil amendment for two purposes – to improve plant health and to store carbon.

Prácticas De Jardinería Y Paisajismo Para Anidación De Abejas Nativas, James H. Cane, Celina Wille

All Current Publications

Utah es hogar de alrededor de 1,000 especies de abejas nativas identificadas, con varios cientos de especies viviendo en alguno de los valles y ábitats montañosos adyacentes. La urbanización causa daños a las abejas nativas, pero muchas especies pueden persistir con un poco de ayuda de jardineros y paisajistas. Al igual que las aves, las abejas tienen dos necesidades principales en la vida: alimento (para una abeja, polen y néctar) para alimentarse a sí mismas y a sus crías, y un lugar adecuado para anidar.

Gusanos Canker, Marion Murray, Celina Wille

All Current Publications

Los gusanos canker, también conocidos como gusanos pulgadas, pertenecen al orden Lepidóptera y a la familia Geometridae. Las polillas adultas geométridas tienen cuerpos delgados y alas anteriores relativamente grandes y anchas. Tanto los gusanos canker de otoño, Alsophila pometaria, como los de primavera, Paleacrita vernata, se encuentran en Utah, siendo el gusano canker de otoño el más común.

Barrenador Grande Del Durazno, Marion Murray, Diane G. Alston, Celina Wille

All Current Publications

El barrenador grande del durazno (orden Lepidóptera, familia Sesiidae) es originario de América del Norte, donde las cerezas y ciruelas silvestres son sus huéspedes nativos. Es una plaga esporádica en los frutales de hueso o carozo de Utah, pero si no se controla, puede ser lo suficientemente grave como para causar la pérdida del árbol.

Plagas De Orugas De Vegetales Del Género Brassica, Marion Murray, Diane G. Alston, Celina Wille

All Current Publications

Los cultivos de Brassica albergan muchas plagas de insectos diferentes, inclusive varias especies de orugas. Los tres más comunes en Utah son la palomilla dorso de diamante (Plutella xylostella), la oruga de la col (Trichoplusia ni), y el gusano importado de las coles (Pieris rapae).

Insectos Cara De Gato, Diane G. Alston, Marion Murray, Celina Wille

All Current Publications

Hay una serie de insectos con el hábito alimenticio de perforar y succionar que pueden causar deformidad y lesiones del tipo cara de gato en los frutales de pepita y hueso, como la chinche ligus, la chinche hedionda y la chinche del boxelder. La lesión cara de gato es causada cuando la chinche se alimenta agujerando los botones florales y la fruta. El resultado son depresiones, deformidades y cicatrices desagradables en la fruta. El nombre “cara de gato” proviene de la forma distorsionada de la fruta que se asemeja a las mejillas fruncidas de un gato. Además de los insectos …

Features Of Direct Instruction: Content Analysis, Timothy A. Slocum, Kristen R. Rolf

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

The goal of Direct Instruction (DI) is to teach content as effectively and efficiently as possible. To do this, instructional designers must identify generative relations or strategies that allow the learner to respond correctly to untaught situations. The purpose of content analysis is to identify generative relations in the domain to be taught and arrange the content in such a way that it supports maximally generative instruction. This article explains the role of content analysis in developing DI programs and provides examples and nonexamples of content analysis in five content domains: spelling, basic arithmetic facts, earth science, basic language, and …

Risk Factors Of Fall-Related Emergency Department Visits By Fall Location Of Older Adults In The Us, Uma Kelekar, Debasree Das Gupta, Jewel Goodman Shepherd, Anupam S. Sule

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Introduction: Prior evidence indicates that predictors of older adult falls vary by indoor-outdoor location of the falls. While a subset of United States’ studies reports this finding using primary data from a single geographic area, other secondary analyses of falls across the country do not distinguish between the two fall locations. Consequently, evidence at the national level on risk factors specific to indoor vs outdoor falls is lacking.

Methods: Using the 2017 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) data, we conducted a multivariable analysis of fall-related emergency department (ED) visits disaggregated by indoor vs outdoor fall locations of adults 65 years …

How Long Can The Coronavirus (Covid-19) Survive?, Celina Wille, Teresa Hunsaker

All Current Publications

This infographic is part of a series of eight graphically depicted COVID-19 prevention messages developed in English and Spanish, covering virus survival times, personal prevention practices, use of homemade cleaning products, and techniques to maintain a virus-free personal and home environment. This fact sheet provides information about the survival times of the virus.

What Household Cleaning Products Effectively Prevent The Coronavirus (Covid-19)?, Celina Wille, Teresa Hunsaker

All Current Publications

This infographic is part of a series of eight graphically depicted COVID-19 prevention messages in English and Spanish, covering virus survival times, personal prevention practices, use of homemade cleaning products, and techniques to maintain a virus-free personal and home environment. This fact sheet provides information about household cleaning products that prevent disease.

Follow These Procedures For Cleaning Fruits And Vegetables - Tender Fruits And Vegetables, Celina Wille, Teresa Hunsaker

All Current Publications

This infographic is part of a series of eight graphically depicted COVID-19 Prevention messages developed in English and Spanish, covering virus survival times, personal prevention practices, use of homemade cleaning products, and techniques to maintain a virus-free personal and home environment. This fact sheet provides information about cleaning tender fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, ripe stone fruits, mushrooms, and berries.

Follow These Procedures For Cleaning Fruits And Vegetables - Lettuce And Other Leafy Greens And Root Vegetables, Celina Wille, Teresa Hunsaker

All Current Publications

This infographic is part of a series of eight graphically depicted COVID-19 prevention messages developed in English and Spanish, covering virus survival times, personal prevention practices, use of homemade cleaning products, and techniques to maintain a virus-free personal and home environment. This fact sheet provides information about cleaning lettuce and other leafy greens and root vegetables.

How To Clean Electronic Items To Prevent Coronavirus (Covid-19), Celina Wille, Teresa Hunsaker

All Current Publications

This infographic is part of a series of eight graphically depicted COVID-19 prevention messages developed in English and Spanish, covering virus survival times, personal prevention practices, use of homemade cleaning products, and techniques to maintain a virus-free personal and home environment.This infographic provides facts about cleaning electronics.

Follow These Procedures For Cleaning Fruits And Vegetables, Celina Wille, Teresa Hunsaker

All Current Publications

This infographic is part of a series of eight graphically depicted COVID-19 prevention messages available in English and Spanish, covering virus survival times, personal prevention practices, use of homemade cleaning products, and techniques to maintain a virus-free personal and home environment. This infographic provides facts about cleaning fruits and vegetables.

Follow These Procedures For Cleaning Fruits And Vegetables - Sturdy Fruits And Vegetables, Celina Wille, Teresa Hunsaker

All Current Publications

This infographic is part of a series of eight graphically depicted COVID-19 prevention messages developed in English and Spanish, covering virus survival times, personal prevention practices, use of homemade cleaning products, and techniques to maintain a virus-free personal and home environment. This fact sheet provides information about cleaning sturdy fruits and vegetables such as green beans, asparagus, cucumbers, and melons.

What Can You Do To Prevent Spreading The Coronavirus (Covid-19)?, Celina Wille, Teresa Hunsaker

All Current Publications

This infographic is part of a series of eight graphically depicted COVID-19 prevention messages in English and Spanish, covering virus survival times, personal prevention practices, use of homemade cleaning products, and techniques to maintain a virus-free personal and home environment. This fact sheet provides information on practices to prevent disease.

Chinches, Kelly Kopp, Ryan Davis, Ricardo Ramirez, Celina Wille

All Current Publications

Las chinches son “chinches verdaderas”. En Utah, la chinche común [Blissus leucopterus leucopterus (Say)] y la chinche occidental (Blissus occiduus) pueden alimentarse del césped, especialmente en condiciones de calor intenso y sequía. La falta de riego, junto a la radiación directa y la acumulación de material vegetal muerto puede elevar el número de chinches desde mediados del verano hasta principios del otoño.

Landscape-Scale Drivers Of Resistance And Resilience To Bark Beetles: A Conceptual Susceptibility Model, Marcella A. Windmuller-Campione, R. Justin Derose, James N. Long

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Bark beetle (Dendroctonus spp.) outbreaks in the middle latitudes of western North America cause large amounts of tree mortality, outstripping wildfire by an order of magnitude. While temperatures play an important, and direct role in the population dynamics of ectothermic bark beetles, an equally important influence is the nature of the host substrate—the structure and composition of forested communities. For many of the dominant tree species in the western United States, “hazard” indices have been developed for specific bark beetles, which generally include three key variables—host tree size, absolute or relative density of the stand, and percentage of host composition. …

An Open Source Cyberinfrastructure For Collecting, Processing, Storing And Accessing High Temporal Resolution Residential Water Use Data, Camilo J. Bastidas Pacheco, Joseph C. Brewer, Jeffery S. Horsburgh, Juan Caraballo

Publications

Collecting and managing high temporal resolution residential water use data is challenging due to cost and technical requirements associated with the volume and velocity of data collected. We developed an open-source, modular, generalized architecture called Cyberinfrastructure for Intelligent Water Supply (CIWS) to automate the process from data collection to analysis and presentation of high temporal residential water use data. A prototype implementation was built using existing open-source technologies, including smart meters, databases, and services. Two case studies were selected to test functionalities of CIWS, including push and pull data models within single family and multi-unit residential contexts, respectively. CIWS was …

The Practical And The Aspirational: Managing The Student Employee Experience In Library Publishing Efforts, Rebecca Nelson, Becky L. Thoms

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

Student employees are a critical component in the workforce of academic libraries. While more established library services have the benefit of attracting student employees specifically interested in their work, scholarly communication programs, and library publishing efforts in particular, have more difficulty describing and garnering interest in their work. This article describes the journey of the Digital Initiatives Unit at Utah State University Libraries as we navigated the particular trials that come with library publishing—specifically delving into the work of our institutional repository (IR) and the role of student employees in those efforts. The labor of our program is variable and …

Changing Land Use And Population Density Are Degrading Water Quality In The Lower Mekong Basin, Flavia Tromboni, Thomas E. Dilts, Sarah E. Null, Sapana Lohani, Peng Bun Ngor, Savoeurn Soum, Zeb Hogan, Sudeep Chandra

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Establishing reference conditions in rivers is important to understand environmental change and protect ecosystem integrity. Ranked third globally for fish biodiversity, the Mekong River has the world’s largest inland fishery providing livelihoods, food security, and protein to the local population. It is therefore of paramount importance to maintain the water quality and biotic integrity of this ecosystem. We analyzed land use impacts on water quality constituents (TSS, TN, TP, DO, NO3−, NH4+, PO43−) in the Lower Mekong Basin. We then used a best‐model regression approach with anthropogenic land‐use as independent variables and water quality parameters as the dependent variables, to …