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Full-Text Articles in Agriculture

Effects Of Environmental Enrichment On Behavior In A Domestic Goat Herd, Stephanie Peramas May 2018

Effects Of Environmental Enrichment On Behavior In A Domestic Goat Herd, Stephanie Peramas

Senior Honors Projects

Animal welfare is one of the most important parts of animal management. Apart from other measures of good animal welfare, like being in good health, animal behavior can be indicative of the animal’s internal state and is often one of the first signs of improper welfare. Stereotypies, or stereotypic behavior, are commonly viewed as a symptom of improper animal welfare. Unenriched, or barren, environments associated with farmed livestock have long been associated with inducing stereotypic behavior. The addition of precise enrichment to the animals’ environment is a common remedy for stereotypic behavior. With respect to stereotypic goat behavior, few empirical …


Regionalizing Institutional Food At Uri, Lauren A. Breene May 2016

Regionalizing Institutional Food At Uri, Lauren A. Breene

Senior Honors Projects

In recent years a demand for locally sourced food has arisen among students, faculty, and staff at the University of Rhode Island. Having now recognized this demand the hour is upon us to organize and create a movement that is as enlightened as it is revolutionary. Published material regarding regionalizing institutional food, however, is fragmented and difficult to apply to URI. The aim of this project is to collect and analyze the existing research in order to produce a cohesive text written in the context of URI. The paper details the motivation behind this movement in the form of a …


Traditional Natural Resource Use And Development In Northeast Thailand, Christie Moulton May 2008

Traditional Natural Resource Use And Development In Northeast Thailand, Christie Moulton

Senior Honors Projects

This paper explores the effects of development projects on traditional natural resource use in three communities in Northeast Thailand, a region known as Isan. I interviewed villagers in each community and asked them to describe their environmental perceptions, management practices and livelihood strategies. Participants described several subsistence livelihoods that have traditionally been present in Isan. These include rice farming, fishing, community forestry, and wetland use. Residents from the three communities all described various cultural activities, knowledge systems, and religious ceremonies that are closely tied to their local resources. Raising silk worms, making clay pots, and performing rituals for a spirit …


Promoting Locally Grown Foods In Schools Through Developed Classroom Curriculum And Foodservice Educational Tools, Meredith F. Carter May 2008

Promoting Locally Grown Foods In Schools Through Developed Classroom Curriculum And Foodservice Educational Tools, Meredith F. Carter

Senior Honors Projects

The Massachusetts’ Farm-to-School Project has worked for years to bring local farmers and school districts together. Focused on improving the markets and economic stability of farmers, while also improving the quality of foods available to students, the project implemented the first annual “Massachusetts Harvest for Students Week” during the week of September 24, 2007. As part of Harvest Week, selected schools in Massachusetts purchased and served foods grown and made by local farmers. Marketing materials were used in the participating school cafeterias, and classroom education regarding local agriculture, nutrition, and sustainability was provided. Harvest Week had the potential to improve …


Development Of Anchor Loci To Map A Bt Resistance Factor In The Domesticated Silkworm, Bombyx Mori, Marc Chatenay-Lapointe May 2006

Development Of Anchor Loci To Map A Bt Resistance Factor In The Domesticated Silkworm, Bombyx Mori, Marc Chatenay-Lapointe

Senior Honors Projects

The BT toxin is an insecticide produced by the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, and millions of acres of genetically modified crops expressing this agent have been planted. However, with such widespread use, there is a great potential for pests resistant to this toxin to develop. An understanding of how BT resistance operates and is inherited is central to ensuring continued use of the transgenic crops. Bombyx mori, the domesticated silkworm, is the model organism for the Lepidoptera, an order of insects containing many important agricultural pests. Screening shows that BT resistance is present in some silkworm strains, and linkage group 15 …