Life Sciences Commons^™

An Analysis Of Institutional Approaches For Management Of Common Rangeland Resources In Sub-Saharan Africa, Mohale Gabriel Sekoto

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

The purpose of this report is to address the issues that are relevant to the management of common rangeland resources in Sub-Saharan Africa. I feel that the issues presented here are among some of those which are important and need to be considered in order to understand the kind of performance perceived about the efforts to develop the range and livestock in pastoral societies. In this report, three case studies have been reviewed, regarding institutional approaches tried to manage common rangelands. These case studies are about group ranches in Kajiado District, Kenya and in Upper Volta and the Sehlabathebe Grazing …

Management, Foraging Behavior, Diet Composition And Forage Quality Of Free-Ranging But Herded Camels In Ceeldheer District, Central Somalia, Ahmed A. Elmi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In Somalia, camel (Camelus dromedarius) survivability and milk production has been higher than for other domestic livestock and contributes substantially to the subsistence of Somali pastoralists. The objective of this research was to study management, foraging behavior and nutrition of camels in their natural habitat to determine how production continues under seasonal nutritional stress.

Management systems of Ceeldheer pastoralists are based on available natural pasture and water. The natural rotation grazing system maintained an ecological equilibrium in the District.

Pastoralists manipulate their herds to suit existing environmental conditions, family needs and labor availability for herding. In herd management, …

Root Exploitation Of Fertile Soil Microsites, Robert B. Jackson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Root exploitation of enriched soil microsites was examined for the tussock grasses Agropyron desertorum and Agropyron spicatum and the shrub Artemisia tridentata. Two mechanisms of exploitation of the microsites were examined: root proliferation and changes in nutrient uptake capacity. One day after nutrient solution was applied to small soil patches, the mean relative growth rate of Agropyron desertorum roots in enriched patches was two to four times greater than for roots of the same plants in soil patches treated with distilled water. This rapid and striking root proliferation occurred in response to N-P-K enrichment as well as to P or …

Modeling Forest Dynamics Based On Stand Level Resource Allocation, Geoffrey Candler Poole

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An ecologically based model of forest succession is presented. In the model, trees compete for a share of limited growth resources available from their environment. Competition is reflected by each tree's effect on the resource pool and is not explicitly modeled. Model parameters were fit to field data from subalpine forests of the Rocky Mountains. A technique for estimating model parameters from understory-tolerance rankings and silvical characteristics of each species is also presented. The model's output was consistent with our current understanding of forest dynamics. Emergent properties of the model also mimicked natural processes such as self-thinning, release, and maximum …

Using Computer Imaging To Assess Visual Impacts Of Forest Insect And Disease Pests, Daniel Rabin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Forest insect and disease pests alter the appearance of trees, thereby impacting visual resources. Because of the complexity of most forest landscapes, the degree of visual impact of pest-infested forest stands is difficult to quantify.

This paper describes a method of measuring visual impacts of pest-infested forest stands. Photographs of healthy Ponderosa pine trees were entered into a computer video-image-processing system. Using this system, images of trees were altered to simulate different degrees of infestation by limb rust, a forest pathogen.

The altered and unaltered images were shown to groups of observers who rated the scenes in terms of "scenic …

Fee Hunting Opportunities On Private Land In Utah: An Economic And Policy Analysis, Lucy A. Jordan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Objectives of this research were (1) to describe fee hunting as it is currently practiced in Utah and (2) to assess the adequacy of fee hunting efforts in addressing the problems of wildlife habitat and hunter access on private land. To collect information, Utah landowners who charged for deer (Odocoileus hemionus) or elk (Cervus elaphus) hunting in 1986 were surveyed by telephone and mail.

Compared to the average Utah livestock rancher, those involved in fee hunting have larger livestock operations and have owned their property longer. They are Utah natives. Fee hunting is concentrated in northern …