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The Influence Of Certain Growth Hormones On Plant Growth At Cold Temperatures, Michael D. Salvesen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Studies were conducted to determine the effect of externally applied growth hormones on winter rye (Secale cereale var. cougar). The rye was grown under the snow in a specially prepared tunnel on a mountain side near Logan, Utah. These plants showed a remarkable ability to grow at 0°C. Three growth hormones, kinetin, gibberellic acid (GA), and auxin (indole-3-acetic acid) were externally applied to rye seedlings growing in the tunnel. These seedlings were alter weighed, measured and tested for soluble protein content. The three hormone treatments had no significant effects on the fresh weights or shoot lengths of the …

Characteristics And Genesis Of The Payson And Trenton Soils, Hakeem T. Saif

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is necessary to study the genesis of the Payson and Trenton polypedons in northern Utah to understand why the Payson polypedon is an Alfisol, while the Trenton polypedon is a Mollisol. Even though the soil-forming factors appear similar, the soils differ at the order level. Two pedons, one belonging to the Payson polypedons and the other belonging to the Trenton polypedon, have been described and sampled by genetic horizons. Both pedons have essentially the same climate, slope, age, elevation, and are developed on the parent material of Lake Bonneville sediments.

The differences in physical, chemical and mineralogical properties among …

Effect Of Drilling Fluid Components And Mixtures On Plants And Soils, Parvin Pesaran (Djavan)

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The concern about the environment has required that the effects of drilling fluids (muds) on surrounding areas be known. This study was initiated to investigate the effects of various muds on plant growth and on soils.

In preliminary studies in Phase I (31 individual mud components), it was concluded that the obvious dominant effects on plant growth of detrimental drilling fluid components included excess soluble salts, excess exchangeable sodium percentage, possibly a high pH in some mixtures, and undesirable physical conditions. The latter resulted from the sodium and/or starch, gums, and bentonite.

Phase II, the second year's study of the …

Rodent Density And Species Composition In The Snake River Birds Of Prey Natural Area, Idaho, Jon R. Montan Jr.

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Rodent densities were estimated in the major vegetation types of the Snake River Birds of Prey Natural Area in 1975 and 1976 by a combination of live-trapping and kill-trapping. Only deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) were numerous enough to permit reliable density estimates. Relative densities of other rodent species were indicated by kill-trap capture rates. Densities of deer mice correlated well (r = 0.99) with kill-trap capture rates. The use of kill-trapping in place of live-trapping in 1976 permitted extensive sampling throughout the 1930 km² study area. Differences were found among the major vegetation and land-use types in …

Household Projections For Utah: 1970-2000, Stephen Hauwah Kan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study deals with Utah household projections by age and sex for five-year intervals from 1970-2000. Projections are based on the method used by the bureau of the Census with certain modifications. Two sets of the population projects prepared by the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, high and low medium, are chosen as the population base. By assuming the household formation pattern in two alternate ways, constant rates and exponential growth rates, two sets of household projections are prepared for each of the two sets of population projections. This study also makes some examinations on the social and economic implications of …

Aspects Of The Life History Of Three Catostomids Native To The Upper Colorado River Basin, Charles W. Mcada

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The distribution, abundance and life history were studied for three catostomids -- the razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus), the flannel-mouth sucker (Catostomus latipinnis), and the bluehead sucker (Catostomus discobolus) -- all native to the upper Colorado River basin. The razorback sucker has declined in abundance due to man's impact upon the system and it has been recommended that this species be listed as ''threatened" on the U. S. Department of the Interior's list of Threatened or Endangered species [Personal corrmunication, G. C. Kobetich, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Las Vegas, Nevada]. During this investigation, …

A Comparison Of Dewpoint And Psychrometric Mode In Leaf Water Potential Measurements, Gladys Durand-Campero

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Leaf water potential of two maize plants (Zea mays L.) two chlorophytum plants (Chlorophytwn capense, Kuntze), a schefflera (Brassaia actinophylla) and one aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), were measured under laboratory conditions with aluminum block in situ leaf hygrometers and with stainless steel single junction chamber hygrometer using excised entire leaves. Plants were subjected to a drying cycle. The hygrometers were controlled with a dewpoint microvoltmeter and all readouts were recorded on a chart recorder. A typical reading and control schedule included 20 second cooling before a first psychrometric reading allowing the output to …

Genetic Control Of Spermiogenesis In Drosophila Melanogaster: The Effects Of Abnormal Association Of Centrosome And Nucleus In Mutant Ms(1)6s, Douglas Lee Habliston

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mutant ms(l)6S of Drosophila melanogaster is characterized by a spectrum of abnormalities of spermatid differentiation. Included in these are failure of the basal body to make normal attachment to the nucleus, failure of acrosomes to develop, and lack of a normal pupulation of perinuclear microtubules. There is also a failure of normal chromatin condensation and nuclear elongation. The mitochondria do not form a normaI nebenkern, but nevertheless fuse, elongate, and develop paracrystalline bodies. The number of normal axonemes is markedly reduced as a result of the failure of some centrioles to form basal bodies. All of these aberrations can be …

Influence Of Corynebacterium Insidiosum On The Water Relations Of Alfalfa, Rastri Dey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effect of Corynebacterium insidiosum (McCull) H. L. Jensen on the water relations of its host, alfalfa, was studied by field measurements made on a 6-year-old stand of Ranger alfalfa. Periodic measurements of stomatal conductance, xylem pressure potential Ψ, and root, stem, and leaf conductance were made in relation to soil moisture conditions. Water regain and electrolyte leakage studies were also made to test membrane integrity in diseased plant leaves.

At all times the xylem pressure potential Ψ was found to be much more negative in diseased plants than in healthy plants. Stomatal conductance was found to respond to the …

Infrared Imagery Scanning Systems For Censusing Big Game, Peter S. Goldberg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The primary objective of this study was to explore the potential of an airborne infrared scanner for the census of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and elk (Cervus canadensis) in the Intermountain West. Flight altitude was varied in hopes of achieving species separation, and ground studies were conducted, using a hand-held radiometer and captive deer, to find the optimum time of morning to census. The problems and potentialities of infrared imagery scanning systems for censusing big game are discussed and compared to visual aerial census methods.

Growth-Form-Analysis And Paleoecology Of The Corals Of The Lower Mississippian Lodgepole Formation, Bear River Range, North-Central Utah, Judith M. Miller

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Mississippian (Kinderhookian-Osagean) Lodgepole Formation contains a diverse fossil assemblage. Taxa present include brachiopods, crinoids, gastropods, cephalopods, trilobites and corals. Corals and associated fauna were collected from four localities within the Bear River Range. These are, from north to south, Beirdneau Hollow, Spring Hollow, Leatham Hollow and Porcupine Dam. The well-preserved tabulate and rugose (compound and solitary) corals exhibit a high degree of morphologic variability. The colonial corals of the Lodgepole Formation (particularly Lithostrotionella, Syringopora) exhibit a morphologic gradient from platy to hemispherical forms. The six morphologic categories of colonial corals discussed in this study are identified by mean …

Competitive Interaction In Plant Populations Exposed To Enhanced Uv-B Radiation, Fred M. Fox

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Competitive balance and changes in individual plant growth parameters of eight pairs of plant species exposed to enhanced UV-B irradiation were determined under field conditions simulating ozone reductions of about 0.08 atm·cm. The levels of irradiance represented ozone decreases of about 25-30 percent from approximate ambient ozone concentrations for high solar altitudes on clear days during the study. A method for calculating and statistically analyzing relative crowding coefficients was developed and used to evaluate the competitive status of the species pairs sown in a modified replacement series. The effect of UV-B irradiance was generally detrimental to plant growth, and was …

The Effect Of Four Mine Spoil Treatments On The Seedling Water Relations Of Two Plant Species, Lorraine K. Van Kekerix

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Surface mines in mountainous areas cause environmental deterioration at lower elevations in the watershed. The most successful long term solution to the downstream problem is revegetation. However, mine spoils are low in essential plant nutrients, have low water holding capacity, and are often acidic. These factors limit plant colonization. Plants must also be adapted to the environmental conditions of high elevations.

At the McLaren Mine, }1ontana, at 2800 m, it was observed that seedlings on revegetation plots were desiccated, indicating possible water deficits. Field and growth chamber studies were carried out to determine the effects of some spoil ameliorating treatments …

Biological Manipulation Of Blackbrush (Coleogyne Ramosissima Torr.) By Browsing With Goats, Frederick D. Provenza

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to provide data on responses of Angora goats and blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima) to a biological manipulation program. Blackbrush utilization levels averaged 30, 16, and 6 percent (545, 367, and 147 kg per hectare) for the heavily, moderately, and lightly browsed pastures, respectively; removal rates of 77, 38, and 19 percent (1164, 582, and 291 kg per hectare) were projected.

Statistically significant differences in body weight loss (P=0.052) were noted for goats browsing in different replications. Goats lost an average of 14 and 19 percent of body weight in replications one and two, …

Sheep Behavior And Vulnerability To Coyote Predation, Ernest Albert Gluesing

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the activity patterns and social relation ships between individuals in a large herd of domestic sheep (Ovis aries) in an effort to determine if behavioral characteristics predisposed certain individuals to coyote (Canis latrans) predation.

The research was conducted on the Cook Ranch near Florence, Montana, from March through September of 1975. Data were collected from a herd of 627 ewes and 1082 lambs, each individually identifiable. A random sample of 44 ewes and their 75 lambs were intensively studied over a 16-wk period to establish activity budgets and the relationships between sheep activity …

Evaluation Of Some Soil Loss Equations For Predicting Sheet Erosion, Douglas Joseph Trieste

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objectives of this study were (a) to apply sediment and associated plot data from various infiltrometer studies to the parameters in the Universal Soil Loss Equation, a modified version of the original Musgrave Equation, and a modified version of the original Universal Soil Loss Equation, and compare the computed results with the measured soil loss, (b) to suggest reasons for any differences between computed and measured soil loss, and (c) to suggest improvements for each equation so that it will give results near the measured soil loss. The data used consisted of 2805 infiltrometer plots collected by previous researchers …

Shoshoni Conceptualizations Of Plant Relationships, Bryan Ray Spykerman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Interviews were conducted with 10 Shoshoni-speaking people to investigate conceptualizations of plant relationships. A card-sort technique and informal questioning were employed in an attempt to elicit plant classifications and taxonomic relationships. Results indicate classifications are based on multiple criteria including morphology, cultural utilization, geographic setting and growth habit. A paradigm which postulates conceptualizations based on prototypic images fits the data better than the supposition that memory is composed of extensive taxonomic structures.

Economics Of Carry-Over Forage Production, Increased Grazing Season Length, And Increased Livestock Production From Rangeland Fertilization, Dean L. Roberts Jr.

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This paper entails the economic and biological responses of both rangeland grasses and livestock grazing rangeland grasses to nitrogen fertilization. Five sites received graduated rates of fertilizer in previous studies. Analysis showed all sites failed to exhibit a significant carry-over response to fertilization. Determination of optimum rate or optimum reapplication schedule was not possible due to residual nitrogen present in the soil. Spring application of fertilizer produced the greatest returns from one site while the other site studied failed to produce a profitable response from either spring or fall application.

Calf weight gains were shown to be curvilinear and resulted …

An Economic Analysis Of Predation Control And Predatory Sheep Losses In Southwestern Utah, R. Garth Taylor

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

To provide accurate data concerning sheep losses resulting from predation, a verification study of sheep predation was initiated in March 1972 in the Cedar City area of Utah. In cooperation with the Cedar City Wool Growers Association and Southern Utah State College Experimental Farm, ten sheep ranches were chosen as sample operations, forming the data base for the initial phase of the study (1972-1974).

Cooperating ranchers were asked to promptly report all sheep carcasses or injured sheep, so that an examination could immediately be made to ascertain the cause of death or injury. Daily horseback searches were also conducted on …

Subtle Teratogenic Effects Of Locoweed In Rats, Benjamin K. Nelson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Locoweed, a well-known teratogenic plant affecting livestock, is prevalent in mountain regions of the Western United States. Two common species (Astragalus lentiginosus and A. wootoni), administered to pregnant rats, induced behavioral deviations in their offspring. Treated mothers consumed less feed and gained less wieght during gestation than controls when gavaged locoweed at the rate of 1 gram whole plant per day on days 7 through 17 of gestation. A. lentiginosus reduced pup weight at birth (13% less than controls) and this weight reduction (as much as 29% less than controls) continued at least four weeks. A. lentiginosus also …

Leaf Epidermal Transmittance Of Ultraviolet Radiation And Its Implication For Plant Sensitivity To Ultraviolet-Radiation Injury, Ronald Robberecht

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Leaf epidermal transmittance of ultraviolet radiation (280-400 nm) was examined in several plant species to determine the capability of the epidermis to attenuate solar ultraviolet radiation. Epidermal samples were mechanically isolated and examined with a spectroradiometer/integrating sphere for transmittance. A survey of 25 species exposed to natural insolation was conducted. Although the species differed in life form, habitat type, and epidermal characteristics, epidermal transmittance was generally less than 10%. Ultraviolet radiation was attenuated 95 to 99% in more than half of the species. In 16 species, flavonoid and related pigments in the epidermis accounted for 20 to 57% of the …

The Effects Of Age And Socio-Economic Status On The Diagnosis And Educational Treatment Of Mildly Handicapping Conditions Of School Children, John W. Kelsey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Biasing effects in labeling and recommendations for educational services when factors of socio-economic status and age are manipulated were studied using 50 certified school psychologists in Utah. Subjects received case report information about IQ, behavior and achievement which described a school child in need of services within one of four conditions, Age 7 Socioeconomic status (SES) High, Age 7 SES Low, Age 13 SES High, and Age 13 SES Low. Other potentially biasing variables such as ethnic background, and sex were held constant. No evidence of bias could be found when dependent measures of labeling, recommendations for educational services, and …

The Effectiveness Of Training For Empathy In Pre-Service Teacher Education, John Bruce Jessen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The specific objective of this research was to determine the effectiveness of training on understanding empathy in the teacher training process.

Subjects were Utah State University students enrolled in Elementary Education during winter quarter 1976. The experimental group was composed of 34 subjects and the control group of 27 subjects.

Both groups were administered a pretest. The experimental group then received the treatment which consisted of a training program designed to help them to be able to (1) define, (2) recognize instances of, and (3) to emit empathic behavior. At the conclusion of the training program both the experimental and …

Probability Learning In Prey Selection With A Great Horned Owl And A Red-Tailed Hawk, Deborah L. Mueller

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the hunting strategies of birds of prey in a probability learning situation. One great horned owl and one red-tailed hawk served as subjects. Three boxes and associated perches, each representing different potential prey areas, were placed in a room adjacent to the birds' regular housing and served as test apparatus. One box were required to land on a perch in order to gain access to the associated box and to the potential prey. A discrete-trial, self-correction procedure was used. In Experiment I, Box 1 was loaded with a live laboratory mouse on …

Nesting Ecology Of The Redhead Duck On Knudson Marsh, Utah, Thomas Claud Michot

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Redhead duck (Aythya americana) nesting and habitat change was studied in Knudson Marsh, Utah, in 1974 and 1975, and compared with earlier studies from 1950 and 1955 on the same marsh. Water conditions in 1975 were found to be similar to those in 1950, both years of favorable habitat, yet there was a decline in numbers of redheads from 500 pairs in 1950 to 50 pairs in 1975. The number of nests found also declined from 151 in 1950 to 49 in 1975. Water conditions were poor in 1955 and slightly more favorable in 1974, but there was …

Evaluation Of The Nutritional Needs Of The Elderly Residents In Southwestern Utah, Sharon Fisher

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Biochemical composition of blood and urine and estimated nutrient intake were used to evaluate the nutritional status of 187 fasting, ambulatory elderly residents of five southwestern Utah communities in the spring of 1975. Nutritional assessments included 17 biochemical and 23 dietary parameters. Measurements were also taken of height, weight, and blood pressure.

Mean energy intakes were lower than the RDA for both men and women (1965 ± 527 Kcal and 1513 ± 371 Kcal, respectively), although a majority of the participants were above ideal weight. Cholesterol values above 250 mg/lOO ml of blood were found in 38 percent of the …

Nitrogen Fertilization Studies In Dryland Winter Wheat And Potential Nitrogen Losses From The Soil At The Blue Creek Experimental Station In Northern Utah, Subhawat Intalap

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study compared the effects of nitrogen sources on the available inorganic soil nitrogen, nitrogen movement, nitrogen losses, and wheat yields when nitrogen fertilizers were applied to soil planted to dryland winter wheat at the Blue Creek Experimental Station in northern Utah.

In the fall 1973 soil samplings, the fertilizers producing the largest mineral nitrogen contents in the 0-30 cm soil depths were ammonium nitrate >ammonium sulfate > S-coated urea, when they were broadcast at the practical rate of 56 kg N/ha. There was no increase in the mineral nitrogen at the dee per depths in the fall or at any …

Forage Selection And Nutrition Of Sheep And Goats Grazing In The Tunisian Pre-Sahara, Rudolfo Ricardo Griego

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Nomadic pastoralism has been the traditional method of utilizing grazing resources in arid and semi-arid regions of Africa. However, increased sedentarization accompanied by growing human and animal populations during the past two decades is thought to be accelerating the desertification process, or desert expansion. The specific interactions of the grazing animal with this process has been speculated upon but not studied in detail. A comparative study was initiated during the spring grazing season of 1974 to determine sheep and goat nutritional and production responses, as well as patterns of vegetative selection and utilization under the pastoral system currently employed in …

Comprehensive Health Planning In Utah: An Organizational Analysis Of Environmental Health Planning, Marsha J. Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study is to delineate the role of a Utah State comprehensive health planning agency in environmental health planning. The scope and nature of environmental health planning was researched thus defining the data base. Secondary information sources and informal interviews were used as sources for data about the existing situations in Utah which affect the organization of environmental health planning. The analysis of existing situational was presented in five sections: Goals for Environmental Health Planning; Intergovernmental Planning Coordination in Utah; Multicounty Health Districts in Utah; Utah State Agencies Having Responsibilities Related to Environmental Health; and Implications of …

Microbial Bioassay Techniques For Assessing Acid Mine Spoil Amendments For Revegetation, Michael A. Anderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The revegetation of sterile acid mine spoils is a costly and lengthy process due to the many factors (pH, toxic materials, low nutrients, poor soil structure, temperature, moisture, length of growing season, etc.) which impede the establishment of stable plant communities. A microbial bioassay technique applied to soil systems has been developed to allow a rapid (four weeks) and integrated (with respect to nutrients and toxicants) determination of the best amendments for stabilizing mine spoils by revegetation. Using mine spoil from the Blackbird Mine, Cobalt (near Salmon), Idaho, various comb illations of nitrogen, phosphorus, chelators, trace elements, potassium, manure and …