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2013

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A Study Of First Grade Class Size Reduction Classes And Common Core State Standards Implementation In A Rural Mississippi School District, Toya Vatrina Harrell Dec 2013

A Study Of First Grade Class Size Reduction Classes And Common Core State Standards Implementation In A Rural Mississippi School District, Toya Vatrina Harrell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of class size reduction (CSR) on student performance while implementing Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The researcher sought to examine test scores specifically in 1st grade classrooms during the 1st year implementation of CCSS. Additionally, the researcher wanted to assist school leaders in identifying ways to motivate teachers to perform at the highest level and focus on student outcomes. The results indicated that students in the CSR classes had higher scores than the students in the non-CSR classes in some subjects. The findings from this study were consistent with the …

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The Role Of Habit In Information Security Behaviors, Kalana Malimage Dec 2013

The Role Of Habit In Information Security Behaviors, Kalana Malimage

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this present study is to understand the role of habit in information security behaviors. The automatic aspect of habit and its impact on secure behavior and the intention-behavior relationship was explored in this dissertation through the lens of protection motivation theory. Three secure behaviors were selected for the investigation after following a rigorous process to identify habitual secure behaviors. The three behaviors that were investigated are: locking the PC when leaving it unattended, verifying the recipient email addresses before sending email and visiting only verified websites. Separate pilot studies were conducted for each of the behaviors followed …

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Analyzing The Impact Of A Hub And Spoke Supply Chain Design For Long-Haul, High-Volume Transportation Of Densified Biomass, Md. Sadekuzzaman Roni Dec 2013

Analyzing The Impact Of A Hub And Spoke Supply Chain Design For Long-Haul, High-Volume Transportation Of Densified Biomass, Md. Sadekuzzaman Roni

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation proposes a framework in support of biomass supply chain network design. This framework relies in the use of trucks for short distance biomass transportation, and relies in the use of rail for long-haul, and high-volume transportation of densified biomass. A hub and spoke network design model is proposed for the case when biomass is shipped by rail. These models are created and solved for the following problems: 1) designing a biomass supply chain to deliver densified biomass to a coal fired power plant for coiring and 2) designing biomass-to-biorefinery supply chain using rail for long-haul, and high-volume shipment …

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Association Between Stink Bug Damage And The Incidence Of Phomopsis Longicolla In Mississippi Soybean Production, Joshua Lunn Jones Dec 2013

Association Between Stink Bug Damage And The Incidence Of Phomopsis Longicolla In Mississippi Soybean Production, Joshua Lunn Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are key pests of soybean, Glycine max (L.), in Mississippi. Historically, yield loss derived from direct feeding by stink bugs has been considered the greatest threat to producers. However, quality reductions resulting from seed infections caused by microorganisms including Phomopsis longicolla are also a concern. Experiments were conducted in 2010 and 2011 to determine if stink bugs are associated with the incidence of P. longicolla in Mississippi soybean production. Data from experiments suggest that stink bugs are capable of transporting P. longicolla between two points. Data further suggest stink bugs and P. longicolla have the potential …

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Characterization And Monitoring Of On-Farm Water Storage Systems In Porter Bayou Watershed, Mississippi, Richard Ludwig Kirmeyer Dec 2013

Characterization And Monitoring Of On-Farm Water Storage Systems In Porter Bayou Watershed, Mississippi, Richard Ludwig Kirmeyer

Theses and Dissertations

The onarm water storage (OFWS) systems at Metcalf and Pitts farm in Porter Bayou Watershed were monitored for changes in nutrient levels and water withdrawal for irrigation from March 2012 to April 2013. Nitrogen and phosphorus levels were generally higher during the early part of the growing season. The OFWS systems can reduce nitrate and phosphorus in runoff up to 81% and 85%, respectively. However, the systems did not consistently reduce sediment and nutrients especially after significant rainfall and runoff events. The systems provided a total of 130 and 233 acreeet of recycled water for irrigating crops at Metcalf and …

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Determination Of Beta-Carotene Content And Consumer Acceptability Of Sweet Potato Cookies By Adults And Preschool Children, Aja Marie Stokes Dec 2013

Determination Of Beta-Carotene Content And Consumer Acceptability Of Sweet Potato Cookies By Adults And Preschool Children, Aja Marie Stokes

Theses and Dissertations

Vitamin A deficiency is recognized as a major health concern worldwide, especially in developing countries. Sweet potatoes are a cash crop that is abundantly grown and available, providing an excellent source of the carotenoid, beta-carotene. Carotenoids are precursors to vitamin A (retinol). Three sweet potato cookie products were developed: glutenree, wheat-containing, and glutenree with extra sweet potato. Products were evaluated by adults and pre-school aged children based on appearance, aroma, texture, flavor, and overall acceptability. Results showed that overall the children liked both the glutenree and wheat-containing cookies (p<0.05). Adults preferred (p<0.05) the glutenree with extra sweet potato and the wheat-containing products. The glutenree cookie contained 10.1 parts per million of beta-carotene as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography.

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Developing A Multistage Model For Treponemal Disease Susceptibility, Sarah A (Sarah Ann) Mathena Dec 2013

Developing A Multistage Model For Treponemal Disease Susceptibility, Sarah A (Sarah Ann) Mathena

Theses and Dissertations

Despite numerous studies, little is known about the influential factors impacting treponemal disease susceptibility. Yet, forms of treponemal disease, specifically yaws, are a major source of morbidity in the developing world. Bioarchaeological materials may assist with deficit by testing full ranges of disease expression. This study explores the relationship between treponemal disease ecology, specifically yaws, and susceptibility through six southeastern United States archaeological samples. Results show early life health experiences have a relationship to later life disease expression. However, influences of climate may only be seen at a cross-regional level. Finally, although nutrition, as evidenced by subsistence strategy, may play …

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Development Of Biomass-Based Cellulose Nanowhiskers And Its Application As Catalyst Support In Converting Syngas To Biofuels, Xiaodan Shi Dec 2013

Development Of Biomass-Based Cellulose Nanowhiskers And Its Application As Catalyst Support In Converting Syngas To Biofuels, Xiaodan Shi

Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this research were to develop the best methods for cellulose nanowhiskers (CNWs) preparation from raw biomass materials and the feasibility to perform CNWs as Fe3+ catalyst support in converting syngas to biofuels. Raw kenaf bast and switchgrass were initially pretreated with dilute NaOH followed by dilute H2SO4. High yields of alpha-cellulose were obtained. Hemicellulose, ash, and most lignin were removed during pretreatment. Preparation of CNWs after pretreatment was then conducted via H2SO4 hydrolysis. The most efficient hydrolysis condition was determined as H2SO4 concentration through orthogonal experiments. In contrast with pure cellulose fibers, CNWs supported Fe3+ catalyst applied …

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Dimension Reduction For Hyperspectral Imagery, Nam H (Nam Hoai) Ly Dec 2013

Dimension Reduction For Hyperspectral Imagery, Nam H (Nam Hoai) Ly

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, the general problem of the dimensionality reduction of hyperspectral imagery is considered. Data dimension can be reduced through compression, in which an original image is encoded into bitstream of greatly reduced size; through application of a transformation, in which a high-dimensional space is mapped into a low-dimensional space; and through a simple process of subsampling, wherein the number of pixels is reduced spatially during image acquisition. All three techniques are investigated in the course of the dissertation. For data compression, an approach to calculate an operational bitrate for JPEG2000 in conjunction with principal component analysis is proposed. …

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Early Survival And Growth Performance Of Two Oak Species And Three Planting Stocks On Hurricane Katrina Disturbed Lands, John Alec Conrad Dec 2013

Early Survival And Growth Performance Of Two Oak Species And Three Planting Stocks On Hurricane Katrina Disturbed Lands, John Alec Conrad

Theses and Dissertations

Survival and growth of two oak species, live oak (Quercus virginiana) and Nuttall oak (Quercus texana), and three planting stocks: 1-0 bareroot, conventional containerized, and Root Production Method (RPM™) seedlings were compared. Conventional containerized live oak and bareroot Nuttall oak seedlings exhibited greatest survival. RPM™ seedlings exhibited the lowest survival in both species. Conventional containerized seedlings exhibited greater groundline diameter (GLD) growth and twice as much height growth as bareroot seedlings during the first year. During the second year, conventional containerized seedlings exhibited greater GLD growth than bareroot seedlings in live oak, but in Nuttall oak, bareroot seedlings exhibited greater …

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Madiba, Our Ancestor, Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator Dec 2013

Madiba, Our Ancestor, Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

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Surveys Of Women With Hpv And Their Healthcare Experiences., Danielle Defayette Dec 2013

Surveys Of Women With Hpv And Their Healthcare Experiences., Danielle Defayette

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Genital human papillomavirus infection is the most common sexually transmitted virus in the United States, with almost 20 million Americans currently infected and an additional 6.2 million becoming newly infected each year. Women rely strongly on their health care providers to educate and comfort them regarding this distressing diagnosis. This study will use an online, self-completion questionnaire to obtain women’s opinions regarding their health care providers’ performances concerning the initial consultation after learning of their HPV diagnosis. Findings from this study provided insight as to how women prefer receiving information from their health care providers concerning their diagnosis of HPV. …

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Feelings Of Connectedness To Nature: A Comparison Of Park & Recreation Management Students And Sport Management Students., N. E. Scarborough Dec 2013

Feelings Of Connectedness To Nature: A Comparison Of Park & Recreation Management Students And Sport Management Students., N. E. Scarborough

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the face of the present consumer-based environmental movement, leaders in many industries and disciplines are striving to understand why people are “going green” in order to market to them. Researchers have been studying ways in which people connect to the environmental movement, and researchers in the field of sport and recreation are also conducting such studies. Several surveys have been developed to measure these connections; one such survey instrument is the Connectedness to Nature Scale (CNS). In the present study, the CNS was re-created online, and a link to the survey was sent via email to students studying Park …

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The Role Of Population Growth In An Emerging Multipolar Economic World., Casey C. Horner Dec 2013

The Role Of Population Growth In An Emerging Multipolar Economic World., Casey C. Horner

Undergraduate Honors Theses

An empirical study presenting the social and economic proof of a global shift from a bipolar economic world to a multipolar economic world. The time period for data and projections is 2010 to 2050. The measurements used are population pyramids, total population, GDP per capita, and total GDP.

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Hand Hygiene Perceptions Of Student Nurses., Brittany Berger Dec 2013

Hand Hygiene Perceptions Of Student Nurses., Brittany Berger

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Compliance with hand hygiene is widely recognized as the most important factor in preventing transmission of infection to patients in healthcare settings (Haas and Larson, 2007). Hand hygiene dramatically decreases the potential pathogens on hands and is considered the first measure for decreasing the risk of transmitting organisms to patients, healthcare professionals, and family members. Noncompliance with hand hygiene practices has been shown to increase healthcare-associated infections, costing hospitals $35.7-$45 billion each year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2012). Education about hand hygiene starts in school and should transfer into the real world of nursing. The purpose of …

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Illinois State University, One Hundred And Fifty-Fourth Annual Commencement, December 14, 2013, Illinois State University Dec 2013

Illinois State University, One Hundred And Fifty-Fourth Annual Commencement, December 14, 2013, Illinois State University

Commencement Programs

Illinois State University
One Hundred and Fifty-Fourth Annual Commencement
December 14, 2013

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The Effect Of Low Sodium Diet Education In The Prevention Of Hospital Readmission For Heart Failure Patients, Lindsey Tira Doxtater Dec 2013

The Effect Of Low Sodium Diet Education In The Prevention Of Hospital Readmission For Heart Failure Patients, Lindsey Tira Doxtater

Theses and Dissertations

Rate of readmission among hospitalized heart failure (HF) patients is used as an indicator of quality and efficiency of healthcare. A low sodium diet is a component of the accepted treatment for HF. Instruction by dietitians may help reduce dietary sodium without negatively affecting quality of life. The effect of low sodium diet education on hospital readmission within 30 and 45 days of discharge for HF patients (N=52) was conducted. Chi-square analysis determined education did not significantly affect remittance within 30 (P=.143) or 45 days (P=.474). Patients readmitted within 30 days were older (P=.005). Men were more likely to be …

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The Effect Of National Board Certified Teachers On Mathematics Achievement For Students In A Title I School, Watress Lashun Harris Dec 2013

The Effect Of National Board Certified Teachers On Mathematics Achievement For Students In A Title I School, Watress Lashun Harris

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to determine if there is a difference in mathematics mean scale score growth on the MCT2 mathematics assessment between students taught by national board certified teachers (NBCTs) and those taught by non-NBCTs in a low socioeconomic, high minority, Title I school. For this study, a causal-comparative research design and a statistical analysis procedure of ANCOVA were used to answer two research questions: First, is there a statistically significant difference in mathematics mean scale score growth on the MCT2 mathematics assessment between fourth grade African American and Caucasian students taught by NBCTs and those taught …

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The Importance Of Choice: Natural Birth And Midwifery In Northeast Mississippi, Colleen Elmer Dec 2013

The Importance Of Choice: Natural Birth And Midwifery In Northeast Mississippi, Colleen Elmer

Theses and Dissertations

For many American women, insurance restrictions and lack of access restrict women’s options when choosing birth experiences. This research uses a biocultural approach and cognitive anthropological methods to explore the ways and the degree to which alternative birthing practices, such as home-, clinic-, and hospital-based natural births, and midwifery services, physically and emotionally affect the women and infants who experience them. This research explores the reasons women pursue natural or alternative births. These topics are explored through interviews with women who have had natural births, who have used midwifery services, and who have had highly medicalized, OBGYN-attended births. Findings indicate …

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The Unwanted Horse Population: A Survey, Shannon Alina Lindsey Dec 2013

The Unwanted Horse Population: A Survey, Shannon Alina Lindsey

Theses and Dissertations

Unwanted horses are a growing problem in the United States, and through the use of surveys, researchers can understand public opinion and experiences related to this problem. This study administered surveys specific to horse and non-horse owners through face-toace delivery and to rescue/retirement and auction facilities through the mail. Data was analyzed using a CRD, GLM and Fisher’s Protected LSD with á of 0.05. Comparisons were completed between horse and non-horse owners, horse owners and non-horse owners with equine experience, non-horse owners with and without equine experience, Quarter horse and other breeds owners, and auction and rescue/retirement facilities. Similarities were …

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Professional Learning Communities And Poverty, Paul Ervin Lawrence Dec 2013

Professional Learning Communities And Poverty, Paul Ervin Lawrence

Theses and Dissertations

When a school experiences a sudden change in demographics the impact can be difficult to comprehend. Effective professional development is essential in order for teachers to comprehend the changes and facilitate school improvement. This research explores the perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors of middle class teachers in a town which experienced a dramatic shift in the demographics of students; many middle class students left the school and many students who qualified for free and reduced lunch moved in. The teachers who experienced this demographic shift struggled to understand the changes developing in their school. In order to develop knowledge of the …

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Scattering-Based Solar Concentrator, Jing Wen Dec 2013

Scattering-Based Solar Concentrator, Jing Wen

Theses and Dissertations

This work shows a laboratory based demonstration that elastic scattering from a layer of wavelength-sized particles can be used to concentrate sunlight for use in photovoltaic power production. The concentrator design consists of a layer of particles dispersed across a mirrored glass plate. Photovoltaic cells line the edges of the plate, which receive light that is coupled into the plate via scattering by the particles and confined thereafter by total internal reflection. All materials used to construct the concentrator are low-cost off-the-shelf items typically available at hardware stores. The net power produced is compared to a single, bare cell that …

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Perceptions Of Students At A Rural Mississippi Community College Regarding Employability, Cortney R. Harris Dec 2013

Perceptions Of Students At A Rural Mississippi Community College Regarding Employability, Cortney R. Harris

Theses and Dissertations

Research studies show that there is a skills gap in American society today. This research study examined employability perceptions of community college students at a rural community college in Mississippi. Students were asked to complete an online survey that questioned the degree of importance placed on several employability skills, as well as their self-perceived competence levels at performing those skills. Likert-scale response set type questions were used to provide responses on importance and competence levels. After sending the survey invitation, 100 usable surveys were returned and analyzed for this research study. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney procedures, …

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Characterization Of A Test Stand For Evaluating Performance And Qualifying Metal Media Filters Under Asme Ag-1, John Andrew Wilson Dec 2013

Characterization Of A Test Stand For Evaluating Performance And Qualifying Metal Media Filters Under Asme Ag-1, John Andrew Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

The Institute of Clean Energy Technology (ICET) at Mississippi State University was awarded a contract by the DOE to design, fabricate, assemble, and characterize a research grade test stand to assist in the development of ASME AG-1 Section FI Metal Media Filters. The major barriers to completing the code section is development of a test stand for collecting data necessary to specify performance requirements for use and for filter qualification. Currently there is not a test stand capable of performing this testing. Performance criteria for the FI test stand were developed by the Section FI project team and ICET. These …

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Enhancing Our Understanding Of Age-0 Crappies In Northwest Mississippi Flood Control Reservoirs: A Study On Distribution And Size, Levi Joseph Kaczka Dec 2013

Enhancing Our Understanding Of Age-0 Crappies In Northwest Mississippi Flood Control Reservoirs: A Study On Distribution And Size, Levi Joseph Kaczka

Theses and Dissertations

Crappie fisheries in northwest Mississippi flood control reservoirs are valued from social and economic standpoints. To mitigate variable recruitment rates of these recreationally valuable species, I sought to gain a better understanding of the population dynamics of these fish during their first year of life. My analyses indicate that embayment habitats in the study reservoirs display a longitudinal distribution gradient of both habitat composition and age-0 crappie abundance during late summer. Additionally, age-0 crappies inhabiting uplake floodplain areas grow to a larger size than downlake embayment-inhabiting conspecifics. The results from this study provide direction on potential management strategies to promote …

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Establishing The Reliability And Validity Of The Stalking Myth Scale - Revised, Amanda Lee Howell Dec 2013

Establishing The Reliability And Validity Of The Stalking Myth Scale - Revised, Amanda Lee Howell

Theses and Dissertations

Misconceptions about intimate aggression have been found to have serious consequences (Kamphius et al., 2005; Robinson, 2005). These beliefs serve to minimize the crime and blame the victim which can cause individuals to not take the crime seriously (Kamphius, et al., 2005; Sinclair, in press). Initial work combined and updated Sinclair's (2010) Stalking Myths Scale and McKeon's unpublished Stalking Attitudes Questionnaire, but further psychometric analysis is needed (Lyndon, Sinclair, & Martin, 2011). I surveyed 1,200 undergraduates using the Stalking Myth Scale –Revised (SMS – R), a modified version of the Obsessive Relational Intrusion Inventory – Short Form (ORI - SF; …

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Evaluating User Satisfaction And Perceived Quality Of Electronic Health Records In Mississippi, Dakota Chamblee Dec 2013

Evaluating User Satisfaction And Perceived Quality Of Electronic Health Records In Mississippi, Dakota Chamblee

Theses and Dissertations

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) is a health information technology that has already begun to change the way healthcare providers care for patients. EHRs can potentially enhance the quality and efficiency of patient care (Simon et al., 2010); however, some research shows that EHRs do not always do so. The lack of improved efficiency and quality of care can lead to frustrated and dissatisfied users. The effects of different aspects of EHR implementation could affect user satisfaction and perceived quality of EHRs. This study investigates the how time since implementation, training, and leadership affect user satisfaction and perceived quality of the …

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Black-White, Black-Nonblack, And White-Nonwhite Residential Segregation In U.S. Metropolitan And Nonmetropolitan Areas, 1990-2010, Jed Raney Pressgrove Dec 2013

Black-White, Black-Nonblack, And White-Nonwhite Residential Segregation In U.S. Metropolitan And Nonmetropolitan Areas, 1990-2010, Jed Raney Pressgrove

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study is to examine racial residential segregation in U.S. metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The study uses 1990-2010 decennial census data to answer a broad theoretical question: is the historical black-white color line being replaced by a black-nonblack or white-nonwhite color line? The results show that blackwhite segregation is higher than black-nonblack and white-nonwhite segregation in metropolitan areas, nonmetropolitan areas, and the United States as a whole. A multivariate analysis reveals that population size tends to be associated with higher segregation in metropolitan areas and lower segregation in nonmetropolitan areas. As a control variable, diversity seems to …

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Urban Flow-Through Facilities' Media Compositions For Stormwater Quality And Quantity Improvements, Emily Gwynne Overbey Dec 2013

Urban Flow-Through Facilities' Media Compositions For Stormwater Quality And Quantity Improvements, Emily Gwynne Overbey

Theses and Dissertations

Urban stormwater management is evolving toward sustainable approaches which rely on dispersed small-scale bioretention BMPs. One such BMP is the flow-through planter, commonly applied in areas where infiltration into in situ soil is restricted or not possible. A project was developed to evaluate 18, vertically scaled flow-through mesocosms. Three replicates of six treatments, including four soil mixtures containing varied percentages of sand, compost and topsoil, were tested for orthophosphate and nitrate removal, volume reduction capabilities, and peak flow attenuation through the application of a synthetic solution over a simulated 2-inch, Type II storm event. Runoff volume was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced compared to controls. Nutrient levels observed along the hydrograph at different time-steps and flow rates revealed patterns not apparent in cumulative results. The observation of preferential flow patterns along with variability in nutrient removal across treatments highlights the need for design modifications of flow-through facilities.

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Waterbird And Seed Abundances In Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative And Non-Managed Wetlands In Mississippi And Louisiana, Matthew Moraco Weegman Dec 2013

Waterbird And Seed Abundances In Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative And Non-Managed Wetlands In Mississippi And Louisiana, Matthew Moraco Weegman

Theses and Dissertations

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) implemented the Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative (MBHI) in summer 2010 to provide wetlands for waterbirds inland from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. To evaluate MBHI and associated wetland management practices, I estimated seed and waterbird densities in MBHI and non-managed wetlands in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) of Mississippi and Louisiana. Although not statistically different, wetlands enrolled in MBHI contained 1.26 and 1.53 times more seed biomass and seeds consumed by waterfowl than non-managed wetlands, respectively. I also detected 3 times more dabbling ducks and all ducks combined on MBHI wetlands. When I …

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