Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing Riparian Ecosystem Condition And Monitoring Recovery From Natural And Anthropogenic Disturbance, Rachel Powers

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Riparian ecosystems are the transition zones between river systems and uplands. They provide many valuable ecological functions including creating habitat for wildlife, stabilizing banks from erosion and providing a buffer that prevents excess nutrients from entering streams. Fires and other disturbances alter the function of these ecosystems. Currently, there is a lack of broadly used standardized assessments and monitoring methods in riparian areas within our current water policy framework. This study aims to examine this gap in riparian ecosystem protection by reviewing the assessment methods currently in use, selecting one method for field testing, and analyzing the effort involved in …

Everythingsfine, Reanna Schultz

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Disarming discomfort through irony, material, and absurdity is at the center of my practice. I chose to describe my efforts of coping through installation instead of objects because I desire to create an immersive experience for viewers. Using a broadly recognized metaphor as weather allows me to reveal the silent yet ubiquitous nature that so many who suffer from anxiety and depression try to conceal. Depression often coexists with anxiety and both share the ability to alter one's perception of reality. The light bulb cloud installation includes hundreds of burnt-out incandescent bulbs to evoke the accumulation of listlessness, emptiness, and …

Ponderosa Pine Responses To Biochar, Fertilizer, Or Mastication On The Bitterroot National Forest, Usa, Haley C. Anderson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Management and restoration practices in even-age ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Lawson & C. Lawson) stands in the Intermountain West can be improved by developing a more thorough understanding of the effects of soil amendment treatments on tree growth and soil properties. Biochar is a charcoal- soil amendment that is created by burning woody biomass in an environment with limited oxygen through a process known as pyrolysis. Biochar has been recommended as a soil amendment for a number of reasons; including increased water and nutrient retention, and building soil aggregates. However, the effects of biochar on temperate forest soils and …

Participatory Web Gis Design – A Sustainable Recreation Decision Support System For Missoula County, Nathanael R. Wold

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Sustainable recreation ensures that local communities benefit from the effects of recreation. A recreation decision support system (RDSS) is a common way for people to gather information about an area they are about to visit. This research explores: 1) how well can local representatives’ knowledge concerning appropriate recreation behaviors be incorporated into a WebGIS that will serve as a RDSS, 2) what layers, activities, and information do participants want to include in a RDSS, and 3) how well does the ArcGIS Online perform in incorporating representatives’ knowledge of areas of significance for a RDSS?

Recreationalists in Missoula County, Montana, have …

Utilization Of Landsat Imagery To Assess The Impacts Of Oil And Gas Extraction On The Tazovsky Peninsula, Siberia, Nicholas B. Kline

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Climatic warming of the Arctic is leading to landscape change through cascading biophysical feedbacks; development, such as oil and gas exploration and extraction, can accelerate or worsen these impacts. Due to restricted access to oil and natural gas fields, in situ environmental impact studies are only allowed in some regions. Satellite imagery analysis provides a mean for assessing impacts in areas with limited access. The Yamburg oil and gas field in western Siberia serves as a case study to assess the effects of infrastructure on an Arctic landscape.

This project quantifies the land-cover disturbance that occurred during the development and …

The Balancing Act: Ecological Interventions And Decision Tradeoffs To Preserve Wilderness Character, Lucy A. Lieberman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Global climate change, land use intensification and increasing development are impacting federal wildernesses in new and unprecedented ways. Ecological restoration is one tool that that wilderness managers are using to combat degradation, though the decision to intervene in wilderness is complicated by the Wilderness Act’s legal mandate to preserve wilderness character and demonstrate managerial restraint. The purpose of this study is to document a baseline of ecological interventions that have occurred in the NWPS over the last five years, and to understand how wilderness managers make decisions related to ecological interventions. I sent a quantitative survey to over five hundred …

Do Negative Expectations Affect Self-Reported Cognitive Functioning And Treatment Satisfaction After Chemotherapy Treatment For Cancer?, Brook Elizabeth Clark

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study investigated the effect of negative expectations on self-reports of cognitive functioning, treatment satisfaction, and endorsement of a common, negative chemotherapy-related stereotype in 56 adults who had completed systemic chemotherapy for cancer treatment. Participants were assigned to either a negative expectation group or a control group. The negative expectation group had the relationship between chemotherapy and cognitive deficits overtly brought to their attention, while the control group did not. Both groups completed self-report measures of cognitive functioning and treatment satisfaction, and then rated their degree of identification with a chemotherapy-related stereotype. It was hypothesized that the experimental group would …

The Influence Of Tree Height On Lidar’S Ability To Accurately Characterize Forest Structure And Spatial Pattern Across Reference Landscapes, Haley L. Wiggins

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Successful restoration of degraded forest landscapes requires reference models that adequately capture structural heterogeneity at multiple spatial scales. Field-based methods for assessing variation in forest structure are costly and inherently suffer from limited replication and spatial coverage. LiDAR is a more cost-effective approach for generating landscape-scale data, but it has a limited ability to detect understory trees. Increased understanding of appropriate height cut-offs for trees to be reliably included in LiDAR-based analysis could improve applications of LiDAR to assessments of landscape-scale forest structure. Toward that end, I investigated the effect of varying tree-height criterion (minimum height cutoffs of 6, 9, …

Structural Integrity And Physical Properties Of Ponderosa Pine Over Time After Death Between Vectors Of Mortality, Edward J. O'Donnell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In an era of accelerated climate change, with persistent and increasing disturbance on our landscapes it is important to increase our knowledge of how these natural disturbances effect our lands. This study investigated the changes that take place in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) stems after death when killed by mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) and by fire. Trees killed by mountain pine beetle as well as trees killed by fire were sampled and separated into two age classes, those dead 0-4 years and those dead 4+ years. Data was gathered on the modulus of rupture, modulus …

Ecological Momentary Assessment Of Daily Microaggressions And Stigma-Based Substance Use Among Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Individuals, Nicholas Alexander Livingston

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Background: People who identify as LGBTQ experience elevated rates of minority stress, which has been linked to higher rates of substance use. Unfortunately, most extant research on this disparity is predicated on cross-sectional or longitudinal research methods that are insensitive to the effects of daily microaggression experiences, or their possible relation to daily substance use risk. The aim of this study was to address this knowledge gap using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Method: LGBTQ individuals (N = 50) were recruited from the University of Montana, attended a 90-minute orientation to complete baseline measures, and received instruction regarding the proper use …

The Inflammatory Effects Of Natural And Engineered Airborne Particulate Matter In The Lung, And Related Cellular Mechanisms Of Immunity, Sophia Tracy Carvalho

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Asthma, defined as a complex, chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, affects approximately 300 million individuals worldwide and is the single most common chronic disease among children. Airway inflammation is the defining characteristic of asthmatic pathophysiology; and as asthma increases in severity, the airways become more susceptible to environmental insults, including air pollutants. Wildfires and prescribed burns are significant sources of airborne particles, as well as gaseous pollution, which can temporarily increase the overall levels of air pollution over hundreds or thousands of square miles. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) are increasingly used in a broad range of applications, including medical …

Before Abandonment: Social Change In Pre-Colonial Housepit 54, Bridge River Site (Eerl4), British Columbia, Kathryn L. Bobolinski

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Housepit 54 at the Bridge River pithouse village in south-central British Columbia provides a glimpse into the complex cultural practices that occurred in this area in the past. This village, which includes approximately 80 semi-subterranean structures, was occupied during four periods, approximately 1800- 1600 cal. B.P., 1600-1300 cal. B.P., 1300-1000 cal. B.P. and 500-100 cal. B.P, firmly placing the site within both a historic and a pre-Colonial context. The two pre-Colonial floors, IIb (1288-1058 cal B.P.) and IIa (1184-1050 cal B.P.), that represent the occupation of Housepit 54 directly prior to the pre-Colonial villages abandonment are the focus of this …

Response Of Amphibian And Invertebrate Communities To Wetland Mitigation In The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Leah K. Swartz

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Wetlands play a critical role in supporting freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem services, but human activities have resulted in large-scale loss and degradation of these habitats across the globe. To offset the decline of wetland area, mitigation wetlands are now frequently constructed, but their ability to replace the functions of natural habitats, including providing habitat for native fauna, remains uncertain. A recent highway reconstruction project in northwestern Wyoming caused impacts to and the destruction of multiple natural wetlands. To mitigate this loss, new wetlands were constructed along the highway corridor. To evaluate the performance of these created wetlands relative to reference …

The Effect Of Nursing Education On Emotional Intelligence Scores, Sally Mchugh Rappold

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The purpose of this research study was to examine the difference between three levels of nursing students (sophomore, junior, senior) and their assessed emotional intelligence (EI) scores. A quantitative, quasi-experimental study was conducted with a population of nursing students from five separate campuses at Montana State University, and a control group of education students at the University of Montana. The following research question was explored in this study: What difference, if any, does nursing education have on the emotional intelligence scores of sophomore, junior, and senior Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students? Students voluntarily completed the online EQ-i 2.0 …

Reviewing The Use Of Injury Screening Assessments And Identifying Risk Of Injury, Riley A. Kenney

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Lower extremity injures account for over half of reported sports related injuries with the ankle and knee being the most commonly injured joints. The majority of non-contact injuries related to these two joints can potentially be prevented through individualized prevention programs. Biomechanical injury screening has the potential to identify the risk factors associated with injury and allows the implementation of targeted rehabilitation strategies to combat the identified deficits. There is substantial need for screening assessments that are practical and accurate for the clinical athletic trainer. This literature reviewed examined the dorsiflexion lunge test, Functional Movement Screen (FMS), Y-Balance Test, Star …

Median, Amy Petit

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Median reflects my observation of changing forms of communication in the digital age and how that affects personal interaction, expression, and the value that we assign to objects. The sculptural objects in this exhibit stem from my formative experiences of frequent relocation, as well as a professional background in the fast-paced technological world. These factors, combined with contemplative and repetitive sculptural practices, help illustrate the anxiety and discomfort that can accompany rapid advances in communication practices. My research situates my work within contemporary art by drawing on the relevance of indexical signs, reliquaries, current discussions of communication in the digital …

Drivers Of Demographic And Socioeconomic Shifts At The Bridge River Site (Eerl4), British Columbia, Sarah Nowell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

ABSTRACT

Nowell, Sarah, M.A. Spring 2017 Anthropology

Drivers of Demographic and Socioeconomic Shifts Regarding the Bridge River II – Bridge River III Transition at the Bridge River Village (EeRl4), British Columbia

Chairperson: Dr. Anna Marie Prentiss

The Bridge River site is located near the confluence of the Bridge and Fraser Rivers in the Mid-Fraser canyon near Lillooet, British Columbia. This region has long been popular for archaeologists seeking to understand the emergence of wealth-based inequality in complex hunter-gatherers. Housepit 54 is one of over 80 pithouses or s7ístken that was continuously occupied throughout most of the village history. It …

Examining The Relationship Between Different Pitching Mechanics And Throwing Injuries, Zachary M. Mccarthy

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Throwing injuries in baseball are increasing amongst major league baseball pitchers. Injuries to the shoulder complex and elbow ligamentous structures are increasing. Variables including pitch count, pitch type, throwing style, and duration of the game have all been “linked” to potential injury. Noticing the realtionship between these variables and injuries can lead to an upward trend in the decrease of throwing injuries.

Descriptive Analysis Of Lower Limb Injuries On Differently Aged Artificial Turf, Kourtney H. Saxton

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Sex Education In Montana Schools: An Assessment Of The Needs Of Sexual And Gender Minority Youth, Elizabeth A. Redinger, Annie Sondag

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Youth are particularly vulnerable to infection from HIV and STIs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, youth between the ages of 13 and 24 accounted for about 26% of all new HIV transmission cases in the United States in 2010, In young MSM specifically, there was a 22% increase in new infections from 2008 to 2010 (CDC, 2015). Education is one of the factors that plays a role in sexual health practices starting in high schools, yet in Montana there is no clear set of guidelines as to what is covered during sex education classes in the …

Caregiver Perspectives: A Phenomenological Study Of Group Education During An Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Program, Maggie Colstad

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The purpose of this study was to explore the benefits of a caregiver education, training, and wellness program to improve caregiver outcomes in the context of aphasia rehabilitation. Eight caregivers participated in one-hour group treatment sessions across four weeks as part of an intensive comprehensive aphasia program. Information about stroke and aphasia was provided in a didactic format, and facilitative communication strategies were discussed and practiced using Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning cycle model. This qualitative study adhered to Moustakas’ phenomenological approach. Participant post-treatment interviews were transcribed and coded for themes relating to their experiences throughout the treatment program. Caregivers described …

Concussion Knowledge And Reporting Behavior Among Junior Ice Hockey Players, Stephanie Swindell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Introduction: Although it is estimated that 1.6-3.8 million sport-related traumatic brain injuries occur each year, it is also believed that at least 50% of concussions sustained go unreported. Much attention has been given to football in the media and current research; however, ice hockey proves to be a high risk, high incident of concussion sport due to body and/or head collisions at high speeds. Recognizing and reporting concussions continues to be a primary concern for health care providers to ensure a safe return to sport for these athletes and to preserve the long term health of athletes. Purpose: The purpose …

Concussion Knowledge Of Missoula Youth Hockey Participants And Their Parents, Samantha Riordan

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Abstract:

Background: The Dylan Steigers Protection of Youth Athletes Act (DSPYAA) was passed by Montana legislature in 2013 which calls for mandatory concussion education of coaches, parents, and athletes. This law only applies to school sponsored sports, excluding those involved in youth sports organizations (YSO), such as youth hockey.

Hypothesis: Participating youth athletes and parents will not be able to identify signs and symptoms of a concussion and will not be able to identify future consequences of a poorly managed concussion.

Study Design: Cross sectional survey. Level of Evidence: Level 4

Methods: A descriptive questionnaire, Concussion Knowledge in Youth Sports …

Viewing Sacred Lands Through The Federal Lens, Nicholas Shankle

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Shankle, Nicholas Lloyd, M.A., Spring 2016 Anthropology Viewing Sacred Lands Through the Federal Lens Chairperson: Gregory Campbell Traditional cultural properties have become one of the few avenues Indian Nations have to protect off-reservation lands. This thesis examines how the Federal Government, Indian Nations, and academia interact with one another given the creation and management of cultural heritage sites. Decolonizing methodologies are paramount to understanding the depth to which this relationship has gone within the federal preservation framework. Three case studies were used to explore how the Federal Government, Indian Nations, and academia interact with one another. The first looks at …

Investigating The Utility Of Video Modeling Interventions For Generalization Of Social Skills, Laura Ambrose

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Social skill deficits are a core, defining feature of Autism Spectrum Disorder. As such, many of the available interventions for children and youth with autism are designed to target social skill development. Although many of these interventions purport to be an effective means of teaching social skills to children and youth with autism, many are lacking in empirical evidence and do not satisfy criteria for evidence-based practice. Encouragingly, video modeling interventions have been deemed an evidence-based practice for children and youth with autism. Research demonstrates that video modeling interventions can prove an effective means for the generalization of skills, a …

From Dislocation To Disengagement: The Experiences Of Low-Income And First Generation College Students, Azure S. Mcginty

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In this thesis, I examine the experiences of low-income and first generation college students who are enrolled members of the TRiO Student Support Program at the University of Montana. This program is designed to cater to the specific academic struggles of low-income and first generation college students. There is a wealth of scholarly literature concerning this population of students and their risk of dropping out of college. Researchers have found these students are susceptible to habitus dislocation, which causes many of these students to feel torn between acclimating to college and forfeiting their membership in the working-class. One of the …

Analysis Of Sideline Concussion Screening Tools In An Athletic Setting, Steven Young

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This paper serves as a primer to healthcare professionals of the now and future of sideline screening for concussion. In the past decade, significant research into sports-related concussions has expanded understanding of what is as a very complex injury. As the definition of concussion has evolved, the impact they have is put into perspective. As more research into the short- and long-term effects of concussions brings to light the effects of continuing to participate after suffering a concussion, the importance of keeping concussed athletes off the field is now understood as a potential life or death situation. With the dangers …

A Comprehensive Case Report Of The University Of Montana Case 37, Cody M. Lawson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In this professional paper I examine the human skeletal remains of one individual. The remains were analyzed to gain insight into the age, sex, ancestry, stature, weight, pathology, and trauma of the individual. Forensic anthropological methods were applied to UMFC 37. The remains of UMFC 37 represent a male, between the age of 40 and 60. He is likely a Caucasian. UMFC 37 is between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs between 148 and 167 pounds.

The Last Best Hope: Are Voluntary Conservation Agreements Effective Tools For Protecting Imperiled Species?, Sophie B. Tsairis

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances, or CCAAs, are little known, voluntary conservation agreements that protect imperiled wildlife on private lands. These agreements have emerged over the past decade and have had mixed results in providing adequate protections for candidate species.

Landowners, private industries, state and federal agencies, and environmental nonprofits, are using CCAAs as tools to eliminate the need for an endangered species listing. An Endangered Species Act listing can lead to land-use uncertainty for private landowners and this threat is the main incentive to enroll in a CCAA. When landowners enroll in CCAAs they are agreeing to provide specific …

Day Hikers And Bear Safety: An Elaboration Perspective On Communication In Yellowstone National Park, Zachary David Miller

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

As the National Park Service (NPS) celebrates its 100th year, Yellowstone National Park – the world’s first national park - is dealing with a variety of difficult and complex challenges. Human-wildlife conflict has become a flashpoint for these challenges, as increased visitation results in fewer managers dealing with more people in the park. A recent spate of deaths of day hikers in the park due to grizzly bears set further focus on this point. Yellowstone officials realized that effective communication strategies are more important than ever before.

This research was part of a broader project designed to examine the effectiveness …