Life Sciences Commons^™

The Probability Of Moose Damage At The Stand Level In Southern Finland, Anneli Jalkanen

Aspen Bibliography

The probability of moose damage was studied in sapling stands and young thinning stands in southern Finland. Data from the eighth National Forest Inventory in 1986–92 were used for modelling. The frequency of damage was highest at the height of two to five meters and at the age of ten to twenty years (at the time of measurement). Moose preferred aspen stands the most and least preferred Norway spruce stands. Scots pine and silver birch were also susceptible to damage. Logistic regression models were developed for predicting the probability that moose damage is the most important damaging agent in a …

Risk Mapping For Northern Kenya And Southern Ethiopia, D. Layne Coppock

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

We used results from 120 group interviews collected in 1998 to quantify how inhabitants across northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia perceive and rank various risks to their livelihoods. We also mapped risk patterns using Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates. Respondents recognized 15 sources of risk overall, with the most common being reliable access to food and water. Other risks were not mentioned by a majority of respondents and reflected diversity in local situations. Country of residence, wealth class, gender, and predominant means of food production (pastoralism, agro-pastoralism, and farming) influenced risk ranking. For example, wealthy males were most concerned about …

Effect Of Cooling Rate On Crystallization Behavior Of Milk Fat Fraction/Sunflower Oil Blends, Silvana Martini, M. L. Herrera, R. W. Hartel

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

The effect of cooling rate (slow: 0.1°C/min; fast: 5.5°C/min) on the crystallization kinetics of blends of a highmelting milk fat fraction and sunflower oil (SFO) was investigated by pulsed NMR and DSC. For slow cooling rate, the majority of crystallization had already occurred by the time the set crystallization temperature had been reached. For fast cooling rate, crystallization started after the samples reached the selected crystallization temperature, and the solid fat content curves were hyperbolic. DSC scans showed that at slow cooling rates, molecular organization took place as the sample was being cooled to crystallization temperature and there was fractionation …

High Frequency Of Extra-Pair Paternity In Eastern Kingbirds, Michael T. Murphy, Diane L. Rowe, Robert C. Fleischer, Paul G. Wolf

Biology Faculty Publications

Genetic parentage in the socially monogamous and territorial Eastern Kingbird( Tyrannust tyrannus) was examined in a central New York population by multilocus DNA fingerprinting. Extra-pair young were identified in 60% (12 of 20) of nests. Of the 64 nestlings profiled, 42% were sired by extra-pair males, but no cases of conspecific brood parasitism were detected. These results are markedly different from a previous electrophoretic study of the same species in a Michigan population, which reported 39% of nestlings were unrelated to one (typically the mother, quasiparasitismo)r both (conspecificb roodp arasitism) of the putative parents. In the New York population, extra-pairp …

Vaccination Program For Beef Calves (2001 - Clell Bagley), Clell Bagley

All Current Publications

Vaccines are an important tool to use in herd health programs for the protection of animal health. However, vaccines do not prevent all disease by themselves, and should be used in conjunction with good management practices. The timing of vaccination and selection of product are important considerations.

Western Rangeland Noxious Weeds: Collecting, Sharing And Using Information, U.S. Department Of The Interior, Usda, Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

Western rangeland weeds such as yellow starthistle, leafy spurge, Canada thistle and Russian knapweed are causing tremendous losses to agricultural industries including both crop and livestock production. Concurrently, many public lands managed by federal agencies are being steadily invaded. As a result, these lands held in the public trust are experiencing reductions in commodity yields, recreational opportunities, biodiversity and ecosystem function. Consequently, every state in the West has noxious weed management programs that endeavor to enhance the financial and technical resources available for weed management and to assist in coordination across the diverse public and private land ownership mosaic common …

The Invasion Of Western Waters By Non-Native Species: Threats To The West, Western Regional Panel On Aquatic Nuisance Species

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

The waters of western North America are being transformed by invasive aquatic plants, fish, and other animals from around the world. These plants and animals, which have been introduced both intentionally and accidentally by humans, can irrevocably alter our native ecosystems. While they may be harmless in their own waters, once brought into a new ecosystem where their native predators do not exist, they can harm native species by eating their food, preying on them, transmitting diseases to which the natives have no defenses, or (like many invasive aquatic plants) simply outgrowing them. Not all non-native species cause serious problems, …

An Accelerated Feeding Study For Dairy Beef Steers, D. R. Zobell

All Archived Publications

A large number of Holstein bull (steer) calves are produced by the dairy industry. Producers who purchase these calves should understand that depending on the production strategy employed, the economic outcome could be quite broad. Dairy beef calves that are intensively managed, using aggressive feeding strategies to achieve high levels of efficiency, increase the opportunity for profitability.

Springtails, Jay B. Karren, Alan H. Roe

All Current Publications

Springtails are small, abundant, wingless insects of the order Collembola that live in a variety of moist habitats. Because of their small size and micro- habitat, they are seldom observed. Most of them live in the soil or in other concealed situations.

Effect Of Cooling Rate On Nucleation Behavior Of Milk Fat-Sunflower Oil Blends, Silvana Martini, M. L. Herrera, R. W. Hartel

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

The effect of cooling rate on the crystallization behavior of mixes of high-melting milk fat fraction (HMF) and sunflower oil (SFO) was studied by following nucleation with laser-polarized turbidimetry. The initial crystals were photographed, and their thermal and polymorphic behaviors, as well as chemical composition, were investigated by calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, and capillary gas chromatography. Activation energies of nucleation were calculated using the Fisher−Turnbull equation. Despite small differences in Mettler dropping points for different ratios of SFO to HMF, induction times were significantly different between samples and were shorter at a slow cooling rate for the same supercooling. Rapidly cooled …

Video Ordering Information For Realizing The Impact Of Injection Site Lesions, Clell Bagley

All Current Publications

Injection of almost any drug or solution into the muscles of a food animal will result in scar tissue formation and some residual lesion in those muscle tissues. These lesions are very displeasing to consumers if found in meat products. Their presence also contributes to loss of tenderness for much of the remainder of the cut of meat. If found during processing, the lesions can be trimmed out but this still results in trim loss and increased labor costs for the processor.

Heartrot Fungi's Role In Creating Picid Nesting Sites In Living Aspen, J.H. Hart, D.L. Hart

Aspen Bibliography

To determine the number of cavity-containing aspens in old-growth (>80 years), we counted the number of stems containing cavities in 132 0.02-ha plots in Wyoming. There were 8.7 cavities/ha of aspen type. At least 84% of the cavity stems were alive when the initial cavity was constructed; 60% were alive when examined. Fruiting bodies and Phellinus tremulae (a heartrot fungus) were present on 71% of all cavity-bearing stems but on only 9.6% of all stems >15 cm d.b.h. Cavities were present in 7.7% and 0.2% of living stems with and without fruiting bodies, respectively. Average d.b.h. of cavity stems …

Videotape - 'The Milkingschool', Clell Bagley

All Current Publications

We recently produced a videotape here at USU, titled ìThe Milking School.î It contains both English and Spanish language versions (30 and 33 minutes). The videotape is focused on teaching novice personnel how to milk cows. There is a brief overview of milking equipment and a small segment on handling cows. Most of the information is on the step by step procedure of cow preparation and management of the milking equipment on the cow. The goal was to avoid ìtalking heads and show the cows, equipment, workers and very specific steps - and to make it available in Spanish as …

Infectious Reproductive Diseases Of Small Ruminants, Clell Bagley

All Current Publications

Several diseases which infect small ruminants result in abortion or reduced fertility and some may also infect humans (zoonotic diseases).

Tree Abuse, Dennis Hinkamp

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

Predicting Successful Weight Loss Maintenance With The Health Locus Of Control And Other Behavioral Modification Factors, Kimberley Ann Mcmahon

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine if health locus of control (LOC) is a reliable indicator of weight Joss maintenance. It was hypothesized that a high internal locus of control (ILOC) is a reliable indicator for weight loss maintenance in individuals, while external locus of control (ELOC) contributes to weight re-gain after weight loss.

The study involved 203 adults who completed a seven section questionnaire. Subjects were separated into groups based on their sub-category of locus of control, as well as their degree within the sub-category (high, moderate, or low in either internal (ILOC), external (ELOC), or fate, …

Factors Influencing Milk Consumption In An Elementary School Lunch Program, Andrea G. Payne

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This study investigated milk consumption in an elementary school and whether it could be affected by milk temperature and/or nutrition education. This study was of interest because of the increasing amount of nutritionally related diseases, and the effect that calcium intake could have in diminishing some of those diseases. It was also of interest because the younger generation is drinking less milk and more soda, therefore setting themselves up for nutritionally related diseases later in life.

The study was conducted at an elementary school containing grades K-5. The study was conducted Monday through Friday for a seven week time period. …

Ecology Of Treeline Whitebark Pine (Pinus Albicaulis) Populations In Central Idaho: Successional Status, Recruitment, And Mortality, And A Spring Temperature Reconstruction From Whitebark Pine Tree Rings, Dana Lee Perkins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research investigated the successional status of treeline whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) populations on 14 stands in central Idaho and used empirical statistical models to determine the principal factors affecting recruitment and mortality. The longest lived whitebark pines from four additional high-elevation sites were used to develop a tree-ring chronology to reconstruct over 1,000 years of average April-May temperature.

The assessment of stand structures using size-frequency distributions generally provides evidence that treeline whitebark pine populations are currently self-sustaining in areas of low to nonexistent incidence of white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola). However the presence of …

Factors That Influence High School Student Participation In United States Department Of Agriculture School Lunch Nutrition Programs, Rebecca S. Mckinnon

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The survey investigated factors that influenced high school student participation in the National School Lunch Program. The National School Lunch program provides nutritionally balanced meals based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the Recommended Dietary Allowances, and the Food Guide Pyramid. This nutrition program contributes significantly to the nutrient needs of adolescents, however, participation rates are low and students do not receive the health benefits associated with this nutrition program when they do not participate.

The survey was conducted in two high schools, both with grades sophomore through senior. The two high schools had distinct differences in location, cafeteria design …

The Arginine Deiminase Pathway In Lactococci: Physiological Role And Molecular Characterization, Lan-Szu Chou

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Lactococcus is an economically important group in lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that are often used in the dairy industry as starters for cheese production. Good starter strains should possess the ability to grow, ferment milk sugar, and produce desirable flavor compounds during cheese making. Therefore, it is essential to understand the physiology of these starters during cheese processing in order to obtain high-quality cheese products.

Cheese manufacturing compromises several stress factors that affect the growth of starter lactococci. Among these stressed environmental parameters, sugar starvation is the most important one to overcome to obtain energy for cellular processes. It is …

Genetic Relationships Between Two Rare Plant Species, Aliciella Caespitosa And A. Tenuis, And Their Putative Progenitor, A. Subnuda, Carrie L. Mccracken

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Isolated populations have potential to become new species that should have less genetic variation than their ancestors. Small populations are more likely to lose genetic variation, which is, thus, expected to be greater in ancestors. Aliciella caespitosa and A. tenuis, two endemic species, may be derived from small populations of A. subnuda, a widespread species. Chloroplast DNA sequences were used to test this hypothesis. Allozyme data were used to compare genetic variation and numbers of alleles. Chloroplast data do not support the proposed relationships between A. subnuda and the other two species. Allozyme data were not more variable …

Intensification In A Risky Environment: The Case Of Improving Private Grazing Land For Beef Production In Utah, Louise D. Sainsbury

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Utah ranchers commonly face risks to their livelihoods. The objective of this work was to determine if ranchers could make profitable improvements to private land forage given the combined threat of low beef prices, drought, and possible loss of public grazing.

We used linear programming (LINDO) to identify the most profitable solutions for private land investment with an 11-year simulation. Operations were divided into small, medium, and large size classes. Various forage improvements and public permits were options. Two phases of a beef price cycle (peak and trough) and 2 precipitation patterns (wet and drought) were combined as joint favorable …

Biochemistry And Application Of Exopolysaccharide Production In Mozzarella Cheese Starter Cultures, Brent Petersen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study sought to investigate the role of the C₅₅ undecaprenol lipid carrier in the production of exopolysaccharide (EPS), the effect of exopolysaccharide producing (EPS⁺) starter cultures on the viscosity of Mozzarella cheese whey, and the possible protective characteristics of capsular EPS against freezing and freeze drying. Efforts to investigate the role of the lipid carrier in EPS production employed pAMbacA, a plasmid that encodes an enterococcallipid kinase that confers bacitracin resistance by increasing intracellular levels of undecaprenol phosphate lipid carrier. Unfortunately, this avenue of study was thwarted by the inability to demonstrate bacA …

Morphometric Evaluation Of The Whitefish Complex In Bear Lake, Utah/Idaho, Alan Ward

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Whitefish populations around the world have long been difficult to categorize taxonomically. The whitefish of Bear Lake, Utah/Idaho are no exception. There are three recognized species of Prosopium that are endemic to the lake. Two of these species, Prosopium spilonotus and Prosopium abyssicota, have previously been indistinguishable outside of spawning times. Previous studies have proposed additional taxa within P. spi/onotus to further complicate the identification among these taxa.

Morphological characteristics were quantified on wild whitefish from Bear Lake, as well as from progeny reared in the laboratory from the wild adult fish. The purported taxa were separated in the field …

Effectiveness Of Earthen Escape Ramps In Reducing Big Game Mortality In Utah, Mary L. Hammer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

One-way escape gates and earthen escape ramps are structures used to enable deer to exit the highway right-of-way along fenced roads. I compared the use of one-way escape gates and earthen escape ramps by mule deer on two highways in Utah to determine if deer exhibited a preference for either structure. Results showed that earthen escape ramps were used by mule deer 8-11 times more frequently than one-way gates. Highway mortality data suggest that the installation of the escape ramps likely reduced mortality of mule deer in both study locations, because we could not attribute reductions in mortality to decreased …

Energy, Fractal Movement Patterns, And Scale-Dependent Habitat Relationships Of Urban And Rural Mule Deer, Mark F. Mcclure

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I studied the behaviors, movement dynamics, habitat relationships, and population characteristics of Rocky Mountain mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) using urban and rural winter ranges in Cache Valley, Utah, from January 1994 to February 1998. There were 2 goals to my research endeavors. The first was to assess how and why the behaviors and demographic characteristics of urban deer differed from those of rural deer. The second was to assess the scale-dependent responses to habitat and the scale-dependent patterns of habitat use by deer living in each area. To accomplish the first goal, I compared the prevalence of migration, the spatial …

The Relationship Of Milk Urea Nitrogen And Dhia Production Variables In Western Commercial Dairy Herds, Rachael G. Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Monthly individual cow DHIA test records (approximately 90,000) from 96 Holstein and Jersey herds from Utah, Idaho, and Montana were analyzed used the Mixed procedure in SAS to determine the relationships of milk production parameters to milk urea N (MUN). Records spanned two consecutive years ending December 2000. Means for Holsteins were 34.1 kg/d milk yield, 15.2 mg/dl MUN, 3.18% milk protein, 3.5% milk fat, and 280,000 somatic cell count. Mean MUN for Holsteins was lowest in fall (Oct.-Dec) and highest in winter and spring. Cows with highest milk protein percent (≥ 3.2%) had lowest MUN over all levels of …

Reproductive Allocation And Survival In Grasshoppers: Effects Of Resource Availability, Grasshopper Density, And Parasitism, David Heath Branson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A major challenge in ecology is to understand intraspecific variation in life histories. Variation in resource availability can lead to differences in reproductive allocation and life histories. Grasshoppers are a good organism for the study of variation in life histories, since they exhibit life history plasticity in response to biotic and environmental factors. An optimality model for grasshoppers was developed that predicts optimal total allocation to reproduction and optimal effort-per-offspring as functions of resource availability and mortality. Relative allocation to reproduction is predicted to increase with resource availability, while relative allocation to survival declines. A resource-based trade-off between egg size …

Rangeland Resources Monitoring: Concepts And Practical Applications, Benny R. Bobwski

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

How does one person manage and monitor a half million acres of rangelands towards a sustainable future? Through a journey that begins with the understanding of sustainability, I explore the monitoring concept, two of its applications, and summarize with an emphasis on the art and science of management. Sustainability is a concept that confuses many managers because it is so complex. However, if one considers adaptability as the complement to sustainability, and realizes that an adaptable organism is a sustainable organism, then a manager can relate because the emphasis shifts from that of stability for the future to that of …

Development Of A Bird-Avoidance Model For Naval Air Facility El Centro, California, Edward J. Zakrajsek

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Bird strikes (collisions between birds and aircraft) pose a significant threat to aviation safety. For example, Naval Air Facility El Centro, California, lost an F-18 jet to a bird strike in October 1995. To help combat the bird-strike threat at Naval Air Facility El Centro, I developed a bird-avoidance model as a risk-management tool for the installation. It can be used to schedule flights at NAF El Centro and its two associated practice-bombing ranges during times of low-bird activity. I calculated bird-strike risks and published them in web-page format on both the installation's server and the USGS/Utah State University, College …