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Transmission Of Triticum Mosaic Virus And Its Impact On The Biology Of The Wheat Curl Mite Aceria Tosichella Keifer (Eriophyidae), And An Evaluation Of Management Tactics For The Wheat Curl Mite And The Wheat–Mite–Virus Complex, Anthony J. Mcmechan

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The wheat-mite-virus complex is an important production constraint to winter wheat production in the Great Plains, and consists of three viruses; wheat streak mosaic (WSMV), wheat mosaic (WMoV) and Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV). Synergistic interactions between these viruses have resulted in increased rates of replication and transmission of viruses, thus increasing the potential impact on wheat yields. The wheat curl mite (WCM), Aceria tosichella Keifer is the only known vector of the viruses within the wheat-mite-virus complex.

Currently, three colonies of WCM have been characterized by differential responses to mite resistant genes (biotypes) in wheat and differential transmission of WMoV. …

Epizootic Of Beak Deformities In Alaska: Investigation Of An Emerging Avian Disease, Caroline Van Hemert

Biological Sciences

The sudden appearance of morphological abnormalities in a wild population is often associated with underlying ecological disturbances, including those related to introduction of new pathogens or pollutants. An epizootic of beak deformities recently documented among Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) and other resident bird species in Alaska has raised concern about underlying causes. This dissertation describes results from several recent studies of what we have termed "avian keratin disorder." The primary objectives of the research were to characterize the physiology and pathology of beak deformities and to address specific ecological questions related to this emerging avian disease. In a study of …

Population Genetics And Mixed Stock Analysis Of Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus Keta) With Molecular Genetics, Michael R. Garvin

Fisheries

Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) are important for subsistence and commercial harvest in Alaska. Variability of returns to western Alaskan drainages that caused economic hardship for stakeholders has led to speculation about reasons, which may include both anthropogenic and environmental causes in the marine environment. Mixed stock analysis (MSA) compares genetic information from an individual caught at sea to a reference baseline of genotypes to assign it to its population of origin. Application of genetic baselines requires several complex steps that can introduce bias. The bias may reduce the accuracy of MSA and result in overly-optimistic evaluations of baselines. Moreover, some …

Exploring The Social Determinants Of Sexually Transmitted Disease And High-Risk Sexual Behaviors, River Pugsley

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract 1: A multi-level assessment of disproportionate population sex ratios and high-risk sexual behaviors among STD clinic patients Low male-to-female sex ratios in a population may influence high-risk sexual behaviors, such as multiple sex partners and inconsistent condom use, which facilitate the transmission of STDs. This study used multi-level modeling to assess whether population sex ratios were associated with these two individual-level behaviors. All analyses were stratified by gender. Interview data were collected from patients (N = 9,203, 48% male) attending participating STD clinics. Interviews included information on socio-demographics and sexual behavior, including number of sex partners in the previous …

Understanding Resistance To Standardization In Education: The Tragedy Of The Commons As A Theoretical Framework, Grinell Smith, Colette Rabin

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to articulate how a theory, developed in 1968 by Garrett Hardin to describe how shared resources, or “commons” can become depleted, also elucidates the mechanism by which standardization of educational outcomes and assessment have come to dominate current education discourse. We then present results of a case study of a school struggling to succeed within a context of a district’s hyper-focus on standardized measures of success, and employ the theory to illustrate its usefulness to explain what we found at the school site. We believe this theoretical framework provides interesting perspectives on current trends …

An Exploration Of Undeclared Students' Expectations Of Experiences For Faculty Interactions And Co-Curricular Involvement, Lorie Anne Kittendorf

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Student persistence and achievement are areas of significant concern for institutions of higher education. With national college graduation rates hovering in the 50% range, it is important for colleges and universities to understand which student characteristics and campus environments lead to greater success, as well as the expectations students have of the college experience.

Research on undeclared students is vast and dates back more than 70 years, and many of the seminal studies and respected research data have led to the perception that they are at higher risk of attrition and have lower levels of academic achievement than their declared …

A Social Controversy: Autism Spectrum Disorder's Correlation To The Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccination, Lindsay A. Frye

Senior Honors Theses

A 1998 research study lead by Dr. Andrew Wakefield linked the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination as a probable cause to autism spectrum disorder. This publication has started a significant debate among healthcare professionals and instigated an anti-vaccination movement within the general population. This vaccination controversy was started by parents who readily accepted Wakefield’s findings as truth and frequently would choose to withdrawal the administration of vaccinations from their children’s care plans. There has also been disapproval by healthcare professionals over Wakefield’s study since numerous research teams have been unable to replicate his findings. This disagreement surrounding the MMR vaccination is likely …

Foliar Ozone Injury On Cutleaf Coneflower At Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, Robert Kohut, Colleen Flanagan, James Cheatham, Ellen Porter

Western North American Naturalist

Surveys for foliar ozone injury on cutleaf coneflower, spreading dogbane, and quaking aspen were conducted in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, from 2006 through 2010. Foliar injury in the form of ozone stipple was found on coneflower each year. The incidence of injured plants on sites with injury ranged from 5% to 100%. The severity of injury on affected foliage was generally <4% but occurred on some leaves at a level greater than 12% in 3 years and in 1 year on 1 plant at a level >75%. No foliar ozone injury was found on spreading dogbane or quaking aspen in any year of the survey. This is the first documentation of ozone injury on vegetation in Rocky Mountain National Park. While ozone has long …

Antibody Seroprevalence To Hantaviruses In Rodents From Reserva De La Biosfera Sierra De Huatla, Morelos, Elizabeth Arellano, Iván Castro-Arellano, Gerardo Suzán, Francisco X. González-Cózatl, Ricardo Morales Jiménez

Western North American Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Obituary: Wilmer Webster Tanner, 1909–2011, Stanley L. Welsh

Western North American Naturalist

Wilmer Webster Tanner, 1909–2011

Spring 2012, Faculty Spotlight: Gregg Moore: Longstanding Mangrove Research Leads To Study Abroad And Renewed Environmental Stewardship In Grenada, Center For International Education

UNH International Educator Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Synchrony Of Net Nitrogen Mineralization And Maize Nitrogen Uptake Following Applications Of Composted And Fresh Swine Manure In The Midwest U.S., Terrance D. Loecke, Cynthia A. Cambardella, Matt Liebman

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Understanding how the quality of organic soil amendments affects the synchrony of nitrogen (N) mineralization and plant N uptake is critical for optimal agronomic N management and environmental protection. Composting solid livestock manures prior to soil application has been promoted to increase N synchrony; however, few field tests of this concept have been documented. Two years of replicated field trials were conducted near Boone, Iowa to determine the effect of composted versus fresh solid swine manure (a mixture of crop residue and swine urine and feces produced in hoop structures) on Zea mays (maize) N uptake, in situ soil net …

Crommet Creek Conservation Area Management Plan, Joanne Glode, Dea Brickner-Wood, Ed Robinson, Wendy Weisiger, Peter Wellenberger, Rachel Stevens

PREP Reports & Publications

The Crommet Creek Conservation Area comprises the largest block of natural lands in the immediate Great Bay watershed, and in New Hampshire’s North Atlantic Coast Ecoregion. It includes the entire watershed of two tidal creeks that flow directly into the Great Bay Estuary. The area has been identified by the Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership as a protection priority due to the size of the natural area; the diversity of habitats and wildlife it supports; and it’s integral role in protecting the regional water quality and resources within the Great Bay Estuary. The Conservation Area includes headwater wetlands, and the …

Paleoecological Study Of Unguja: Can Past Environments Be Inferred From Fossilized Corals And Mollusks?, Meredith Burger, Jory Lerback

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

A study was conducted on Unguja, an island off the eastern coast of Tanzania, to provide an overview of the paleoecology found in the cliff shelves across the island. It is known that Zanzibar was a submerged reef from the Neogene, approximately 23 million years ago (Ma). Two tests were carried out in 16 sites around the island. One test looked at coral fossils, while the other studied fossilized shells. Both tests measured biodiversity, with one specifically studying patterns of ocean currents, and the other studying nutrient levels and deposition rates. Biodiversity tests were inconclusive but coral diversity showed a …

The Vacb Model In Hòa An Village And Xeo Trâm Hamlet: Comparison And Analysis Through A Gendered Lens, Alyssa Bosold

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Burning fuel-wood, a method of traditional cooking practiced by half of all homes in Vietnam (Global Alliance for Clean Cook-stoves 2012) and the majority of homes in Hòa An Village and Xeo Trâm Hamlet, has significant negative consequences in terms of environmental and personal health. In Hòa An Village and Xeo Trâm Hamlet, as is true in much of Vietnam, gender roles dictate that women should be primarily responsible for household chores like cooking (World Bank 2001, Nguyen 2012, Nguyen 2012, Vo 2012). This means that women must often deal directly with the environmental dangers and safety hazards of woodstoves. …

Science And Society: The Role Of Long-Term Studies In Environmental Stewardship, Charles T. Driscoll, Kathleen F. Lambert, F. Stuart Chapin, David J. Nowake, Thomas A. Spies, Frederick J. Swanson, David B. Kittredge, Clarisse M. Hart

Civil and Environmental Engineering - All Scholarship

Long-term research should play a crucial role in addressing grand challenges in environmental stewardship. We examine the efforts of five Long Term Ecological Research Network sites to enhance policy, management, and conservation decisions for forest ecosystems. In these case studies, we explore the approaches used to inform policy on atmospheric deposition, public land management, land conservation, and urban forestry, including decisionmaker engagement and integration of local knowledge, application of models to analyze the potential consequences of policy and management decisions, and adaptive management to generate new knowledge and incorporate it into decisionmaking. Efforts to enhance the role of long-term research …

All Roads Lead To Fragmentation: Exploring Habitat Connectivity And Wildlife Underpasses Through The Florida Panther And The Jaguar, Carroll Courtenay

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The global transportation system is the “giant now embracing us,” and its omnipresent nature influences ecosystems worldwide (Forman, 1998: iv). The diversity of environmental effects associated with transportation systems challenges researchers to focus on concrete aspects of intertwined ecological systems. Examining habitat fragmentation associated with transportation networks, however, exposes some of the most direct impacts of these networks on fauna populations. As transportation networks expand, road corridors hinder habitat connectivity, which can greatly impact habitat health and genetic diversity in ecosystems (Corlatti et al., 2009; Tewksbury et al., 2002). Animal-vehicle collisions, decreased reproductive success, movement constraints, decreased colonization, and increased …

Existing Knowledge, Understudied Ecosystems, And Rapid Development: The Environmental Impacts Of Roads On The Wetlands Of The Pantanal, South America, Ethan Strickler

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Wetlands are particularly diverse habitats because they are home to both aquatic and terrestrial flora and fauna. Wetlands are important for conservation because they are often home to many rare and endangered species. For example, in the United States alone, over a third or all rare or endangered species reside in wetlands. Wetlands offer many benefits for both humans and wildlife because they are hydrologic modifiers, wildlife centers, and beneficial for both water quality and nutrient cycling (Forman, et al. 2003). As wildlife centers, wetlands are the most botanically productive habitats on earth and support high abundance and diversity of …

Editor’S Introduction- Ada Long

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

In a letter to the editor of The New Yorker, Ryan Walker—responding to an essay by James Surowiecki in the 21 November 2011 issue on the rising costs of higher education—identifies an important cause of the rise as the “vast layer of university administrators” that increased thirty-nine percent between 1993 and 2007 while student enrollment increased only fifteen percent and academic staffing eighteen percent. Walker writes, “. . . universities are building an expensive management structure around an academic core that’s becoming more and more hollow” (The New Yorker, 19 December 2011). NCHC conference conversations often turn to …

Jnchc Whole Issue Spring/Summer 2012 Volume 13 Number 1

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

IN THIS ISSUE

Forum on The Economy of Honors

Forum Articles

Richard Badenhausen

Annmarie Guzy

Angela M. Salas

Brian Railsback

Larry Andrews

Research Essays

Debra K. Holman and James H. Banning

Christopher R. Corley and John Zubizarreta

Parochlus Kiefferi (Garrett, 1925) In Nebraska (Diptera: Chironomidae), Barbara Hayford

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

A rare species of nonbiting aquatic midge, Parochlus kiefferi (Garrett, 1925), was discovered in Squaw Creek in the Pine Ridge of northwest Nebraska. Parochlus is a genus of midge found throughout the Southern Hemisphere and is only represented by this one species in the Northern Hemisphere. The typical North American species distribution of P. kiefferi includes high alpine and northern latitude streams, so the collection of P. kiefferi from a low elevation and low-latitude stream in Nebraska represents a range extension for the species. A survey for P. kiefferi from 83 samples from 53 stream sites in northern Nebraska yielded …

Mitigating Confusion: Classification Of Road Subtypes And Socioeconomic And Environmental Impacts Of Roads In The Amazon, Ellen J. Goodrich-Stuart

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

This paper recognizes the disconnect of road terminology present in current road ecology literature. The epistemological methods of First-Order Logic and the Q-Method along with political ecology are utilized to form a working typology of roads and their impacts, specifically centered in the Amazon. Following this, this work briefly discusses three unique cases studies that focus on different road aspects to display real-life examples of subtypes in the typology. The overarching goal of this study is to better organize the field of road ecology and help to mitigate negative environment and socioeconomic impacts in the future.

Paper prepared for the …

Ecology Of Tenodera Sinensis And Tenodera Angustipennis (Mantodea: Mantidae) In Eastern Virginia, Cory A. Gall

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

My study, conducted on the Wildlife Refuge located on Virginia's Eastern Shore, focused on the life history, ecology, and intra- and interspecies interaction of Tenodera sinensis and T. angustipennis. Field methods included capture-mark-recapture, species, sex, and developmental life stage identification, and recorded key developmental milestones. Also, to analyze food-limiting growth, a laboratory cohort was fed ad lib, with lab and field cohorts measured bi-weekly and their mean weekly growth was compared.

When compared to a lab cohort, Tsinensis field mantises were shown not to be growth limited by the abundance of prey. In 2011, the dates of several developmental stages …

Low Level Exposure To Air Pollution And Risk Of Adverse Birth Outcomes In Hillsborough County, Florida, Maria B. Mainolfi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this retrospective cohort from 2002 through 2007, 104,003 singleton live births in Hillsborough County, Florida were analyzed to elucidate the relationship between feto-infant morbidity outcomes and prenatal exposure to six criteria air pollutants. This study is based on three linked databases: The Florida Hospital Discharge database; The vital statistics records of singleton live births; Air Pollution meteorological data from the Environmental Protection Agency. There are six common air pollutants, particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), particulate matter 10 (PM10), ground-level ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen (NOx), and lead (Pb). These pollutants are harmful to human health and the environment. The …

Changes In Range-Wide Distribution Of Plains Topminnow Fundulus Sciadicus, Chelsey A. Pasbrig, Keith D. Koupal, Steve Schainost, W. Wyatt Hoback

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Staff Research Publications

Globally, riverine fishes are affected by degradation of habitat, stream alterations, lost stream connectivity and introduction of non-native species. The plains topminnow Fundulus sciadicus, a small stream-dwelling fish, currently does not have a federal conservation status in the USA; however, anecdotal reports have suggested its decline for the last 20 yr. Our goals were to evaluate the validity of its reported decline and to determine the current range-wide status of this species. We identified 927 historical sites (1889−1999) of occurrence and compiled recent records or re-visited 667 sites (2000−2010). We found plains topminnow at 189 (28.0%) of these sites. Although …

Heterogeneous Detection Probabilities For Imperiled Missouri River Fishes: Implications For Large-River Monitoring Programs, Joshua T. Schloesser, Craig P. Paukert, Wyatt J. Doyle, Tracy D. Hill, Kirk D. Steffensen, Vince H. Travnichek

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Occupancy modeling was used to determine (1) if detection probabilities (p) for 7 regionally imperiled Missouri River fishes (Scaphirhynchus albus, Scaphirhynchus platorynchus, Cycleptus elongatus, Sander canadensis, Macrhybopsis aestivalis, Macrhybopsis gelida, and Macrhybopsis meeki) differed among gear types (i.e. stationary gill nets, drifted trammel nets, and otter trawls), and (2) how detection probabilities were affected by habitat (i.e. pool, bar, and open water), longitudinal position (five 189 to 367 rkm long segments), sampling year (2003 to 2006), and season (July 1 to October 30 and October 31 to June 30). Adult, large-bodied fishes were …

Ecological Studies Of Wolves On Isle Royale, 2011-2012, John A. Vucetich, Rolf O. Peterson

Ecological Studies of Wolves on Isle Royale

Annual Report 2011-2012

Effects Of The Manipulation Of Aboveground Plant Diversity In Restoration Management On The Diversity Of Belowground Arthropod Assemblage, Claire E. Gilmore

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

A missing element in restoring belowground soil systems to a relatively healthy state may lie in promoting microarthropod diversity. By contributing to healthy nutrient cycling and assisting in the breakdown of leaf litter a diverse microarthropod population helps improve the overall soil quality. My study evaluated how current restoration practices aimed at maintaining aboveground diversity affects belowground microarthropod populations. I examined how the aboveground manipulation of plant diversity in restoration management practices affects the hyperdiverse assemblage of belowground arthropod communities. Additionally, I examined the relationship between soil nutrient content and microarthropod diversity. This study was conducted within the boundaries of …

Vitamin D Sub-Set Analysis From The Flash Study, Megan Bishop, Laura Hall, Ann Mcdermott, Aydin Nazmi

Master's Theses

Vitamin D is important to the health of college students. The objective of our study was to measure sun exposure, skin pigmentation, vitamin D intake, and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) in a subset of participants from The Following the Longitudinal Aspects of Student Health (FLASH) Study to determine the best predictors of 25(OH)D status. Participants were college-aged freshman who had their blood drawn in spring (Visit 1) and fall 2010 (Visit 2) at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), San Luis Obispo, CA. (35.3°N). Vitamin D intake was measured using a 28-day food frequency recall questionnaire (specific to vitamin D …

Women, Occupation, Collective Loss And Support: The Experience Of “From A Bereaved Woman To Another”, Sohail Hassanein

Journal of International Women's Studies

This study derives its force from experiences of Palestinian women, occupation and loss project that aims at describing and understanding the role of holistic intervention based on the mutual support approach “from a bereaved woman to another.” The qualitative method has been utilized, with a view to reaching an integrated description, analysis and explanation of the experience that has been documented in details, through using special documentation forms. The results reveal that changes have taken place to bereaved women and supportive bereaved ones, as a result of participation in support and through training meetings. The findings demonstrate that women have …