Life Sciences Commons^™

Bat Population Status And Roost Selection Of Tri-Colored Bats In The Great Smoky Mountains National Park In The Era Of White-Nose Syndrome, Grace Marie Carpenter

Masters Theses

The ongoing spread of white-nose syndrome is causing devastating declines range-wide for certain North American bat species. Baseline population data that would help mangers monitor bat populations in the face of WNS is lacking. Likewise, knowledge of summer roosts, a limiting resource for tri-colored bats (Perimyotis subflavus), a species threatened by WNS, is lacking in the southern portion of their range. In our study, we investigated the effect that WNS has had on a population of tricolored bats in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN-NC. We also characterized summer roosts for the species at the microhabitat and …

Surveillance Of Ticks Parasitizing Tennessee Beef Cattle And Investigations Into The Microbial Communities Of Cattle Associated And Questing Amblyomma Maculatum, David Paul Theuret

Masters Theses

Despite the risks that ticks and tick-borne disease pose to the beef cattle industry, many Tennessee producers are unaware of the dangers they represent. This mindset could facilitate the invasion and establishment of exotic ticks and pathogens that would devastate the cattle industry. Current control practices rely on chemical methods, which are not effective long-term; therefore, investigations into creating an integrated approach to control would create more sustainable methods. This study aims to address this through two objectives: The first is to determine the species composition, seasonal prevalence, geographic distribution and diversity of ticks on Tennessee cattle. The second is …

Coping With Drought In Beef Cattle Production: Innovation Through Optimal Warm-Season Forage Systems, Katelynn Elizabeth Zechiel

Masters Theses

Drought conditions have had detrimental effects on beef cattle production in the southeastern states where forages are the primary source of feed for livestock. Many southeastern states lie within the fescue-belt, where tall fescue is the predominant livestock forage. Tall fescue is a cool-season (CS) grass that thrives in the cooler temperatures of spring and fall, becoming semi-dormant during peak summer temperatures and again in winter. Conversely, warm-season (WS) forage species increase in production during the summer months and exhibit drought tolerant qualities, making them a viable summer forage option to complement tall fescue for beef cattle producers. The primary …

Relationship Of Observed Parlor Practices And Producer Attitudes With Bulk Tank Somatic Cell Counts In The Southeast Usa, Chandler Lauren Moats Blakely

Masters Theses

Inflammation of the mammary gland is indicated by a rise in somatic cell count (SCC) and impacts milk quality. The Southeast (SE) USA has a higher proportion of herds with elevated SCC compared to other USA regions. The SE also has the least information available about parlor procedures. The goals of this thesis are to explore the level of implementation of parlor procedures, determine which practices promote low SCC in Southeast USA dairy herds and investigate the association of attitude towards parlor management methods with BTSCC.

In chapter I, researchers performed on-farm assessments in Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia. The …

Utilizing Pregnancy Associated Glycoproteins To Improve Reproductive Efficiency In Cattle, Sydney Taylor Reese

Masters Theses

Diagnosing and maintaining successful pregnancies are one of the most important components to profitable and efficient management of beef and dairy cattle operations. Pregnancy loss is a major component of reproductive inefficiency and has been investigated less intensively in beef cattle than in dairy cattle. Pregnancy Associate Glycoproteins [PAGs] are placental products which have been identified as an accurate tool for pregnancy diagnosis and as substantial evidence indicates, markers of embryo and placental competence. The aim of these two studies is to further distinguish characteristics of pregnancies based on PAG concentration. Serial embryo transfer was used in beef heifers to …