Life Sciences Commons^™

Selection And Development Of Replacement Beef Heifers, Norris J. Stenquist, James A. Bennett

Archived Agriculture Publications

Selection, development, management, and nutrition of heifer calves to be used as herd replacements are key factors in maintaining beef herd productivity. A cow/calf producer, to be successful, must have some goals or criterion for heifer selection and development. For practically all Utah cattle production areas, economics dictate that heifers must calve as two-year-olds. Heifers must be properly developed and managed to permit this. The following factors are important: Heifers should 1) become pregnant in the first 25 days of the breeding season, 2) give birth to a live calf with little or no calving difficulty, 3) raise a calf …

Marten Use Of Subnivean Access Points In Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Stuart Scott Sherburne

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Subnivean prey appeared to be the primary reason for subnivean access point use by martens. A logistic regression was used to create a predictive model for differential access point use. Prey biomass in grams and percent ground cover of coarse woody debris (CWD) were used as variables in the model. Goodness of fit of the multivariate model was 0.216; biomass was significant al p = 0.0003, CWD was significant at p = 0.0718. Mean values for prey biomass at used and unused access points were 174.2 g and 81 g, respectively, while mean values of CWD were 24.7% and 18.5%, …

The Influence Of Redd Distribution And Microhabitat Availability On The Distribution And Abundance Of Young-Of-The-Year Trout In The Green River, Utah, Michael J. Buntjer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Redd distribution, redd density, and physical habitat were used to explain the distribution and abundance of young-of-the-year (YOY) brown trout (Salmo trutta) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the Green River, Utah. The importance of variables at both a microhabitat and macrohabitat scale were assessed using stepwise regression analysis. Availability of cover (rock and vegetation) and proximity to spawning sites were the most important variables used to explain the distribution and abundance of YOY brown trout and rainbow trout. In addition, YOY brown trout and rainbow trout occupied specific microhabitats and showed patterns of use for …

The Behavioral Responses Of Utah Prairie Dogs (Cynomys Parvidens) To Translocation, Steven H. Ackers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In cases where refuge acquisition or captive breeding programs are not practical or justifiable, wild caught animals are frequently translocated into areas of suitable habitat. Such management programs seldom are designed to account for the behavioral responses of translocated animals to an unfamiliar habitat, breakup of social units, and/or interactions with existing social units in the new habitat. Ongoing efforts to translocate threatened Utah prairie dogs (Cynomys parvidens) from areas where conflicts with other land uses are occurring to public land sites have met with limited success. This could be due, in part, to behavioral responses associated with …

Relationships Among Birds, Willows, And Native Ungulates In And Around Northern Yellowstone National Park, Sally Graves Jackson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Although the impacts of livestock and human activities on riparian zones and associated wildlife have been well documented, little is known about the impacts that browsing by large native ungulates such as elk and moose may have. In the northern Yellowstone area, some willow stands experience intense browsing by elk and moose whereas others experience medium or very low amounts of browsing. The objectives of this study were (1) to compare the species and densities of birds among willow stands that have experienced different intensities of browsing by native ungulates, (2) to measure the relationship between five species of birds …

Equine Operant Conditioning: Autoshaping, Observational Learning, And Discriminative Stimulus Intensity, Paul H. Stewart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis is compromised of three studies in which basic principles of operant conditioning were applied to horses. Autoshaping was examined as a method for horse training. Observational learning was investigated to confirm that naive horses can, in fact,

acquire novel behavior by observing experienced horses, and the rate of acquisition with observation is more rapid than spontaneous responding without observation. A third study examined the effect of discriminative stimulus intensity on the acquisition rate of novel behavior.

All subjects learned to use an operant conditioning device. Subjects in the first study autoshaped. Observational learning was also demonstrated to be …

Effect Of Various Growth-Promoting Factors On Preimplantation Bovine Embryo Development In Vitro, Mark Randall Flood

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this research was to define the effects of various growth-promoting factors on in vitro embryonic development of in vitro matured and in vitro fertilized bovine embryos. The control medium was a chemically defined medium which improves the possibility of closely determining the in vivo conditions the embryo is actually exposed to. The growth-promoting factors tested in this experiment included transferrin, IGF-I (insulin-like growth factor-one), IGF-II (insulin-like growth factor-two), TGF-𝛼 (transforming growth factor-alpha), TGF-𝛽1 (transforming growth factor-beta1), PDGF (platelet derived growth factor), EGF (epidermal growth factor), NGF (nerve growth factor), and bFGF (basic fibroblast growth factor). Transferrin was …

Effect Of Feeding A Viable Yeast Culture With Or Without Aspergillus Oryzae On Milk Production, Apparent Nutrient Digestibility, Ruminal Fermentation, And Nutrient Degradability In Holstein Cows, Daeyoon Kim

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Twenty-four early to midlactation Holstein cows were allocated to one of three treatments. Treatments consisted of: 1) basal ration plus 60 g wheat bran per day per head (control); 2) basal ration plus 57 g yeast culture per day per head; 3) basal ration plus 57 g yeast culture plus 3 g Aspergillus oryzae per day per head. Feed intake and milk yield were recoreded daily and milk composition and body weights were recorded weekly. Feed and fecal samples were recorded weekly. Feed and fecal samples were collected to determine apparent nutrient digestibility. No statistical difference was observed in milk …

The Heart Rate Responses Of Dairy Cows To Two Types Of Disturbances--Transportation And Aircraft Noises, Hoon M. Ahn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Three experiments were conducted using implanted heart rate (HR) transmitters. In the first experiment three lactating Holstein cows' HR signals were monitored telemetrically for three successive days under the normal herd management. Overall mean and standard error for these cows was 76.1 ± 0.46 bpm. In the second experiment the same three cows' HR signals were monitored with a portable computer and receiver. The cows were transported 400 kilometers one way over various road surface conditions. The HR signals were monitored consecutively at the beginning of the trip and at hourly intervals during travel. The cows stayed overnight and were …

Effects Of Rumen Protein Degradability On Rumen Characteristics, Milk Production And Reproductive Performance In Holstein Dairy Cows, Mario Raul Figueroa

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Three non-lactating Holstein cows fitted with rumen cannula were used to determine crude protein and dry matter rate of disappearance of two protein supplements: 1) soybean meal and 2) bypass protein blend by using the in situ bag technique. Rate disappearance (%/hr) was higher for soybean meal. Two collection periods were completed using 6 cows with a minimum of 21 d adaptation to the treatment top dressed on to the total mixed ration. Ruminal concentration of ammonia N, blood ammonia, and urea did not differ between treatments. Total concentration of volatile fatty acids was higher for bypass protein blend-fed cattle …

The Effects Of Feeding A High Level Of Rumen Protected Fat With Rumen Undegradable Protein With Or Without Niacin On Rumen Fermentation Characteristics, Apparent Nutrient Digestibility, And Milk Production In The Early To Mid Lactation Holstein Cow, Carlos Eduardo Batallas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Forty high producing early to mid lactation Holstein cows were blocked according to stage of lactation and previous two-week milk yield (experiment 1). Eight ruminally and duodenally cannulated nonlactating Holstein cows were used for experiment 2. The objective was to determine the effects of the ration's high fat content (11.53%) when rumen degradable or rumen undegradable protein is fed with or without added niacin. Cows received one of five treatments: 1) basal ration (TMR); 2) basal ration with added rumen undegradable fat (RUF) (1.6 kg); soybean meal (SBM) (1.73 kg), and niacin (12 g); 3) same as treatment 2, without …

Desert Bighorn Sheep And Riverboat Interactions In Cataract Canyon, Utah, Mark C. Stanger

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I studied desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) behavior and habitat use in response to boating activities during 1985. The percent of total observed time in attention behavior before the boating season, during the boating season, and while riverboats were< 0.8 km from bighorn sheep groups was 1, 1.4, and 12.2, respectively. Estimated energy expenditure did not significantly differ for high riverboat pressures (2 > 0.2) or seasonal comparisons (2 > 0.1). Habitat use significantly differed for proximity to the river, which was probably related to the summer use of the river for drinking. Moderate, minor, and no responses to passing riverboats were observed 3, 39, and 58%, respectively. Responses to riverboats did not significantly differ according to time of day (2 > 0.15) or …

Comparative Economics Of Cattle And Wildlife Ranching In The Zimbabwe Midlands, Urs P. Kreuter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The economics of ranches in the Zimbabwe Midlands, generating income from cattle, or wildlife, or both, were compared during 1989/90 to test the claim that wildlife ranching can generate greater profits than cattle ranching on semi-arid African savannas. Both financial (market) prices and economic prices (opportunity cost) were used.

Financial data were obtained from 15 cattle, 7 wildlife and 13 mixed ranches in four areas with wildlife and from 15 cattle ranches in two areas with sparse wildlife. Estimates of economic prices were obtained from official data.

In the first paper, gross revenues, costs, net revenues, and capital investments of …

Use Of The Polymerase Chain Reaction In The Detection Of Bovine Leukosis, Emma Jane Kelly

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A diagnostic test for bovine leukosis was developed using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify a 375 base pair region in the gag gene of the proviral genome.

Blood samples were collected from 3 adult Holstein cows shown to be infected with bovine leukosis virus (BLV) by the agar-gel immunodiffusion (AGID) technique. The 3 samples were mixed and the composite blood was used to inoculate 10 cows. Five of the cows were inoculated with 0.1 ml of blood, and the other cows were inoculated with 1 ml of blood. Five of the cows were negative for BLV by AGID …

The Use Of Animal Behavior As A Tool For Biological Control, Melissa Biscornet

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Animal behavior, the way that an animal acts, is a combination of instinctive traits and learned responses to particular situations (Robinson and Bolen 1984). Behavior in young animals involves several different learning mechanisms, including the following: generalization, social facilitation, neophobia, cue-consequence specificity, and harvesting skills. Preferences instilled in young animals through learning can influence diet selection, grazing patterns, and habitat selection later in life (Squibb et al. 1990)

Cheese Industry Conference 1992, Various Authors

Cheese Industry Conference

No abstract provided.

A Trophic Gradient Analysis Of Lake Powell During Spring Runnoff 1992, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh, Clyde Lay, Darren Carlise, Corey Huxol, Craig Schaugaard, Beau Clements, David Beauchamp

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Between 26 April and 2 May 1992, students in a utah state university aquatic ecology class visited Lake Powell to do a study of trophic gradients of the reservoir. The main axis of the reservoir was surveyed, as well as less detailed analyses of Moki and Escalante Canyons. The work was conducted in collaboration with personnel from the u.s. Bureau of Reclamation headed by Bill Vernieu, and from the u.s. Geological Survey (Dick Marzolf). Some of their data appear in the physical-chemical section of this report.

Each student was responsible for compiling a report on one of the following specific …

Snake River Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus Nerka) Habitat/Limnologic Research, Scott Spaulding, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh, Shoshone-Bannock Tribe

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

This report outlines long-term planning and monitoring activities that occurred in 1991 and 1992 in the Stanley Basin Lakes of the upper Salmon River, Idaho for the purpose of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) recovery. Limnological monitoring and experimental sampling protocol, designed to establish a limnological baseline and to evaluate sockeye salmon production capability of the lakes, are present:ed. Also presented are recommended passage improvements for current fish passage barriers/impediments on migratory routes to the lakes. We initiated O. Nerka population evaluations for Redfish and Alturas lakes; this included population estimates of emerging kokanee fry entering each lake in the spring …

1991-1992 Annual Report, Various Authors

Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Visual Feeding By Juvenile Bear Lake Sculpin, D. Neverman, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Young-of-the-year Bear Lake sculpin Cottus extensus feed throughout the day on benthic invertebrates and cease feeding at night when they migrate to the metalimnion. We investigated their reliance on vision by conducting feeding trials at different light levels in the laboratory. Feeding rate reached a maximum at intermediate light levels (near 10^16 photons sm^–2 ss^–1; approximately 1 lux) but decreased as light intensity increased beyond this range. At this maximum rate, the fish fed nine times faster than they were able to feed in the dark, showing that young Bear Lake sculpin rely heavily upon vision to feed. The light …

Lake Trout Spawning In Lake Tahoe: Egg Incubation In Deepwater Macrophyte Beds, D. A. Beauchamp, B. C. Allen, R. C. Richards, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh, C. R. Goldman

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Although most populations of lake trout Salvelinus namaycush spawn over rocky shoals, use of these substrates by lake trout has not yet been found in Lake Tahoe. Large cobble substrate exists at depths less than 20 m, and steep, fractured, rocky substrate can be found in isolated areas from the surface down to at least 100 m, but no evidence of spawning activity in these areas has been found. Instead, at least a portion of the population spawns on deepwater mounds (40–60 m deep) over beds of the macrophyte Chara delicatula. This is the first known report of lake trout …

Investigations Of Forage Fish And Lake Trout Salvelinus Namaycush Interactions In Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Wyoming-Utah, Daniel L. Yule

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I investigated the interaction of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and their dominant forage fish populations, Utah chub (Gila atraria) and kokanee salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), in Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Wyoming-Utah. Through bioenergetics modeling, I quantified the consumption dynamics of the lake trout population. From hydroacoustics analyses, I quantified the density and biomass of the two dominant forage fish populations.

In Chapter II, I report the results of the energetics analysis. The objective of this chapter was to understand the role of lake trout predation in recent changes in fish assemblage structure of the reservoir. Through …

Birds Of A Great Basin Sagebrush Habitat In East-Central Nevada, United States Department Of Agriculture, Forest Service

Wildlife Conservation and Management

Breeding bird populations ranged from 3.35 to 3.48 individuals/ha over a 3-year study conducted from 1981 to 1983. Brewer's sparrows, sage sparrows, sage thrashers, and black-throated sparrows were numerically dominant. Horned larks and western meadowlarks were less common. Results are compared with bird populations in Great Basin sagebrush habitats elsewhere in the United States.