Animal Sciences Commons^™

Explaining The Association Between Kittlitz's Murrelets (Brachyramphus Brevirostris) And Tidewater Glaciers: Which Habitat Factors Influence Spatial Distribution?, Brendan Higgins

Marine Biology

The Kittlitz’s Murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris) is a rare and cryptic seabird species that inhabits Alaska and Eastern Siberia. Populations of Kittlitz’s Murrelets that occur in areas with tidewater glaciers are tightly associated with tidewater glaciers and are only found in close proximity to them. The Kittlitz’s Murrelet is a species of conservation concern, but specific habitat associations are poorly understood. I conducted a multidisciplinary investigation to better understand associations between Kittlitz’s Murrelets and tidewater fjord physical structure. I used remotely sensed spectral indices to model change in abundance of suitable nesting habitat, and a long-term oceanographic dataset to quantify changes …

Investigating Mariculture-Associated Ecosystem Services Across The Northern Gulf Of Alaska, Josianne Haag

Oceanography

The rapid expansion of mariculture in Alaska can drive physical and chemical alterations to the marine environment by introducing non-native organisms or artificially increasing the biomass of a native species. Currently, the main mariculture products grown in Alaska include the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas), the Pacific blue mussel (Mytilus trosuslus), and three macroalgae species: ribbon kelp (Alaria marginata), sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima), and bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana). This dissertation examines how these species can impact their surrounding environment to better inform management practices for this growing industry. This research characterized the resource use of C. gigas and M. trossulus seasonally …

Serum Concentrations Of Inflammatory Markers And Selected Nutrient Metabolites In Holstein And Jersey Cows Across The Transition Period, Avery Orr

Master's Theses

The transition period, spanning the weeks surrounding parturition, requires dairy cows to undergo synchronized metabolic, endocrine, and immunological adjustments that support the onset of lactation but also heighten disease susceptibility. Although individual inflammatory or metabolic biomarkers have been extensively studied, the integrated immunometabolic dynamics that occur across this period and the difference between breeds is not fully understood. The objective of this study was to characterize longitudinal patterns in key nutrient metabolites and inflammatory markers in Holstein and Jersey cows and assess how these systems interact across the transition period.

A total of 63 Holstein and Jersey cows were sampled …

Taxonomy Of Endophytic Fungi Associated With Vallisneria Neotropicalis, Md. Arafat Rashid

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

This study presents the first comprehensive taxonomic and ecological investigation of endophytic fungi (EF) associated with the submerged aquatic macrophyte Vallisneria neotropicalis in the southern United States. Over a 12 month period, from April 2023 to March 2024, leaf samples were collected from two distinct sites in Mobile Bay, Alabama a disturbed, brackish Causeway location and a cleaner, less impacted site at Meaher State Park. Using culture dependent methods, a total of 257 fungal endophytes were isolated from 1,200 leaf segments. All isolates belonged to the phylum Ascomycota, distributed across 3 classes, 6 orders, 10 families, and 19 taxa. The …

Evaluation Of Ramp Instead Of Forage During Grain Adaptation And Different Sorghum Varieties On Enteric Methane Production From Cattle, Jack T. Fort

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the use of RAMP (Cargill Corn Milling, Blair, Nebraska) compared with traditional forage-based adaptations on methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, performance, and carcass characteristics. Experiment 1, 64 yearling British × Continental steers (initial BW = 423 ± 6 kg) were adapted using 100% RAMP (RAMP) or a traditional forage diet (CON; 43% forage) before transitioning 22 d to a common finishing diet containing 65.6% steam-flaked corn. Emissions were measured in paired replications using a two-chamber indirect calorimetry barn. During adaptation RAMP did not affect CH₄ production (g/d; …

Impact Of Constant Versus Variable Inclusions Of Modified Distillers Grains Plus Solubles On Feedlot Cattle Performance And Carcass Characteristics And Impact Of The Frequency Of Varying Modified Distillers Grains Plus Solubles Inclusions In Feedlot Diets On Performance, Carcass Characteristics, Feeding Behavior, And Ruminal Ph Of Finishing Steers, Paige M. Madison

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Inconsistent availability or supply of distillers grains (DGS) can cause more variation in DGS inclusions throughout the feeding period. Two feedlot experiments evaluated the effects of varying inclusions of modified distillers grains plus solubles (MDGS) in feedlot diets. Beef steers (n = 400; initial BW = 287) were used in a 2 × 2 + 1 factorial experiment with treatments including: control with no MDGS compared to 2 inclusions (10% and 25%) of MDGS diet inclusions fed consistently or variably. No interactions were observed between MDGS consistency and inclusion for any performance or carcass characteristics (P > 0.10), so …

Integrating Innovative Sensing And Ground Measurements For Forage Mass Estimation In Rye Pasture, Pedro Henrique Jota Fernandes

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The United States beef industry relies on forages to provide up to 80% of total lifetime dry matter intake, making accurate forage mass estimation essential for determining stocking rates, improving grazing efficiency, and supporting economic sustainability. Traditional methods to quantify forage mass, however, are time-consuming and labor-intensive. This thesis presents research efforts to achieve accurate forage mass estimation in cereal rye pasture by integrating novel sensing technologies.

Chapter 1 reviews the importance and evolution of forage mass estimation methods, from destructive clipping to indirect approaches based on canopy measurements. It then introduces remote sensing, from proximal tools to drone- and …

Investigation Of Changes In Exotic Bird Serum Vitamin D Levels Between Indoor And Outdoor Housing, Alexander J. Marley

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is directly related to sunlight and is involved in multiple physiological processes including calcium metabolism, feather quality, and chick development. Most vertebrate species are capable of both absorption of exogenous vitamin D and internal synthesis of vitamin D, with vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), being more accessible and bioactive in bird species. In exotic bird species, dietary requirements for vitamin D3 are largely unknown, and the ability to maintain adequate serum concentrations of vitamin D3 metabolites without direct sunlight exposure also requires evaluation. Concerns arise in situations where individuals may be housed indoors for extended …

Establishment Of Native Warm-Season Forages Using Organic Practices, Kolten Ray Wright

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Grassland agriculture is seen as a particularly sustainable form of agriculture. Many opportunities are known to use organic production methods or incorporate native warm-season grasses (NWSG) to accomplish both production goals and environmental or social outcomes. Environmental concerns have led some practitioners to question the use of organic methods to establish NWSG. As limited work has been accomplished in the northern bermudagrass belt, this project sought to compare organic establishment strategies for common NWSG species. A field trial conducted at the USDA ARS Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center in Booneville, AR found that NWSG establishment success in the …

Broiler Responsiveness To Dietary Amino Acid Density In A Commercial Setting, Virginia Slick

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The majority of research assessing the amino acid responsiveness in broilers has been conducted in experimental designs utilizing pens that contain 12 to 25 birds with high replication. While this trial design is beneficial as a way to perform high replications with multiple treatments in a way that is both economically and spatially feasible, it may not accurately translate to a rearing environment more similar to that of commercial open floor housing. This research was conducted to determine if the effects of lysine driven amino acid density diets that have been found in the traditional floor pen setting correlate to …

Population Genomics Of Pacific Herring Spawning Aggregations In The Eastern Bering Sea, Sydney A. Almgren

Fisheries

Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) is a critical forage fish to the marine environment, economy, and culture of Alaska. However, despite the importance of Pacific herring in Alaska and throughout the North Pacific, knowledge gaps exist for foundational genomic characteristics of the species, including genetic population structure and the basis of genetic sex determination. In this thesis, I addressed these knowledge gaps using low coverage, whole genome sequencing. I assessed population structure and genetic diversity across seven sampling sites and found three genetic populations: Unalaska, the farthest south sampling location, Kotzebue, the farthest north, and a third group unassociated with geographic …

Fragmentation In The U. S. Fed Cattle Market: Implications For Price Transparency And Discovery, Taralee M. Hudson

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The U.S. fed cattle market is one plagued by recurring stakeholder concern. Market participants frequently raise questions about the transparency of fundamental information under existing reporting frameworks, and the extent to which Private Negotiation, the dominant trading institution, effectively facilitates price discovery. Although extensive research has sought to address these issues, much of it has failed to account for the market’s increasingly fragmented structure. This thesis is comprised of three chapters that collectively examine price transparency and discovery through the lens of market fragmentation. Each chapter presents research related to the fed cattle market and is intended to stand …

Detecting Prescribed Fire, Haying And Grazing Events Via Remote Sensing To Create Grassland Disturbance Landcovers For The Ring-Necked Pheasant (Phasianus Colchicus), Megan Amy Baldissara

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation developed disturbance detection models to fulfill the need for remote sensing landcover products describing grassland structure. The use of landcover products derived from remote sensing is increasing over time in pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) research. Such landcover, however, does not provide relevant pheasant structural habitat information (Chapter 1). Pheasants require tall, high-density grassland for nesting, tall grassland with medium density for brood rearing, and tall grassland for wintering. Time since disturbance can serve as a proxy for structure, as it shapes vegetation by removing biomass and resetting succession. Disturbance is easier to detect than structure with current …

An Integrated Modeling Framework To Evaluate Circularity Of The Corn–Water–Ethanol–Beef Nexus, Heydi Han

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation examines the transition from conventional linear agricultural and food bioenergy systems toward more circular, resilient, and resource-efficient configurations. Prior research indicates that spatial and temporal variability in soil, weather, animal biological responses, and management decisions strongly influences productivity, nutrient-use efficiency, and profitability. Studies have also shown that a diversified circular system can buffer these sources of variability, improving stability and adaptive capacity. Building on these insights, the central focus of this work is to develop an integrated modeling framework to evaluate circularity within the Corn-Water-Ethanol-Beef (CWEB) nexus and explore how climate variability and management choices shape system-wide performance. …

Ogallala Fall Field Days, Janis Paseka

Nebraska Bird Review

The 2025 NOU Fall Field Days were held in Ogallala on September 26–28, with about 80 in attendance. The programs were held at the Quality Inn, and the meeting was planned by Boni Edwards, Dave Cunningham, and Paul Pearson. Field trips were led by Tobin and Keegan Brown, Jacob Cooper and UNK ornithology students, Joel Jorgensen and Stephen Brenner, T. J. Walker, and Thane Dinsdale. Destinations included various sites around Lake McConaughy, Lake Ogallala, Cedar Point Biological Station, Sutherland Reservoir SRA, Ash Hollow State Historical Park, Crescent Lake NWR, Arthur Co and various Sandhills lakes. The total species count was …

Right Place, Right Time: Intermittent Habitats And Mosaic Structure Drive Juvenile Coho Salmon Growth In A Subarctic Alaska Watershed, Andrew Rothenberger

Fisheries

Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) rely on diverse freshwater habitats to complete their lifecycle. Within Alaska’s short summer season, juveniles use a complex mosaic of habitats that vary in quality across space and time, but the patterns of habitat use in large complex watersheds are poorly known and difficult to document. To evaluate how habitat conditions of hydrology types influence juvenile performance, I conducted an in-situ enclosure experiment in the Fox River watershed of Kachemak Bay, Southcentral Alaska, measuring age-0 coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) growth across four hydrologic types: a glacial and snow-fed natal creek, a groundwater-fed natal creek, a non-natal …

Dietary Perennial Ryegrass Improves Meat Quality: Insights Into The Gut-Muscle Axis In Geese, Zeshan Zulfiqar, Muhammad Arslan Asif, Khawla Alharbi, Han Yao, Xiaoyan Zhu, Zhichang Wang, Hao Sun, Yalei Cui, Boshuai Liu, Shucheng Huang, Yinghua Shi

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The gut-muscle axis represents a key regulatory pathway linking intestinal microbiota to muscle development and meat quality, yet its mechanistic basis in geese remains unclear. This study investigated how dietary perennial ryegrass modulates meat quality through microbiota reshaping and AMPK/Akt-mTOR signaling. Geese were fed a commercial diet (CD) or a ryegrass feeding (GD) for 30 days. GD markedly improved breast muscle morphology, increasing fiber density and reducing cross-sectional area, while enhancing meat color, texture, protein conformation, and reducing cooking loss and shear force. Amino acid and fatty acid enrichment, together with elevated antioxidant activity in serum, ileum and muscle, further …

Exploring Phenological Mismatch And The Role Of Aquatic Insects For Olive-Sided Flycatchers (Contopus Cooperi) Breeding In Boreal Alaska, Ian Kwit

Biological Sciences

Migratory insectivorous birds are an increasingly threatened group worldwide. These birds rely on an ephemeral resource of insects during a short window in which they arrive at breeding territories to rear young. Climate change has the potential to create a phenological mismatch between the timing of bird breeding and the availability of key insect prey. This study investigates the potential for such a phenological mismatch in a population of olive-sided flycatchers (Contopus cooperi). We used data on breeding phenologies and the composition of insect communities around nests in three regions of Alaska, Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge, to …

Evaluating Dietary Protein Sources And Protein Balance In Herbivorous Mammals Using Stable Isotope Analysis Of Amino Acids, Garrett A. Savory

Biological Sciences

Knowing how large herbivorous mammals acquire nutrients is critical to understanding how they can survive and reproduce in seasonally nutrient-limited landscapes. Gut bacteria and other microorganisms in herbivores digest plant fiber, providing energy, and potentially protein. In my first data chapter, I evaluated the importance of dietary and gut microbial protein to herbivores with different digestive physiologies using carbon isotopes of essential amino acids as markers of protein source. Foregut fermenters, moose (Alces dices) and muskox (Ovibos moschatus), and a hindgut fermenter with coprophagy, snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus), derived half of their protein from gut bacteria, whereas horses (Equusferus caballus), …

Climate And Non-Genetic Effects On Goat Milk Quality And Casein Prediction Using Machine Learning, Ibrahima Mahamane Abdourhamane, Dilek Arsoy

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Milk quality is becoming more and more crucial for farmers with the increasing use of component-based pricing systems in the sector. This study aimed to investigate the effects of climate-related and non-genetic factors on goat milk quality on the island of Northern Cyprus and to predict casein content using machine learning techniques. An analysis was performed on 21,695 goat milk samples collected between 2012 and 2018. Somatic cell count (SCC), standard plate count (SPC), and key milk components such as protein, casein, lactose, and fat were evaluated for different seasons, regions, farm sizes, and raw milk types. Five machine learning …

Preserve The Harvest: Canning Goat Meat At Home, Callie Adams, Andrea Schmutz

All Current Publications

Due to its lean composition and nutritional profile similar to those of other tested meats, goat is well-suited for pressure canning. Follow USDA and Utah State University (USU) Extension altitude guidelines. This fact sheet provides guidelines for selecting high-quality meat, using proper equipment, and adhering to tested methods. Home canners can safely preserve goat meat and enjoy its benefits year-round.

Rapid Epigenetic Response To Salinity Stress In An Invasive Mussel, Mytilus Galloprovincialis, Andrzej Furman, Açelya Eren, İbrahi̇m Raşi̇t Bi̇lgi̇n, Hati̇ce Aygün Karaçay

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The Mediterranean blue mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) is a well-known invasive species recognized for its remarkable ability to tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. Here, we investigated DNA methylation changes in M. galloprovincialis exposed to a rapid water salinity decrease. Methylation profiles in M. galloprovincialis were recorded before salinity stress was applied (at 35‰), and then at 3, 9 and 24 h following the stress (at 25‰). We monitored these changes using the methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP) method. Methylation levels continued to vary over the 24 h period following stress exposure, indicating that the underlying physiological processes may have changed …

Phylogenetics Of Cyrtodactylus In West Nusa Tenggara: A New Distribution Record Of Cyrtodactylus Jatnai From Lombok Island And A Cryptic Species From Sumbawa Island, Sandra Rafika Devi, Rury Eprilurahman, Tuty Arisuryanti, Yuliadi Zamroni, Imran Sadewo, Windi Edriyanti, Maulana Faiz Ilham Kholiq, Evelyn Elvira

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Cyrtodactylus is one of the most diverse vertebrates of the Gekkonidae family, first described by Gray in 1827 and widely distributed in Asia, Northern Australia, and the Pacific Islands including Wallacea. The biodiversity in West Nusa Tenggara—a region in Wallacea—has been underestimated despite high fauna endemicity. Conservation strategies are needed to maintain the stability of Cyrtodactylus populations in their habitat. Therefore, this study aims to enhance the understanding of cryptic species and potential new distribution records of the genus Cyrtodactylus in West Nusa Tenggara. Molecular character identification was carried out by isolating the ND2 gene in liver tissue using polymerase …

Bathyal Gastropod (Mollusca) Species From The Turkish Levantine And Aegean Seas, Bi̇lal Öztürk

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This study assigns 35 gastropod specimens and 23 shells collected from two sites on the Turkish Levantine and Aegean coasts at depths of 432 and 702 m, respectively, to 13 species. Among the species identified, Alvania subsoluta (Aradas, 1847), Protatlanta souleyeti (Smith, 1888), Pagodula echinata (Kiener, 1839), Pleurotomella gibbera Bouchet & Warén, 1980, Ringicula gianninii Nordsieck, 1974 and Diaphana marshalli (Sykes, 1904) are new records for the Turkish molluscan fauna; Anatoma aspera (Philippi, 1844) and Acteon monterosatoi Dautzenberg, 1889 are new records for the Levantine coast of Türkiye; and Crenilabium exile (Jeffreys, 1870) is a new record for the Turkish …

The Effects Of Montelukast Sodium On Some Biological And Biochemical Aspects, Dna Damage In Drosophila Melanogaster Adults, Ci̇hat Çeli̇k

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Montelukast sodium (MS) is a leukotriene receptor antagonist and used clinically as an antiasthma agent. MS has been hypothesized to have adverse effects in insects. To test this hypothesis, MS was added to the artificial diet of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster Meigen (Diptera: Drosophilidae) at different concentrations (1200, 1600, 2000, and 2400 mg/L) under laboratory conditions. The effects of MS on the survival rate and development time of D. melanogaster, as well as its effects on malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYP450) enzyme activity in adults were investigated. The genotoxic effect of MS in whole adults was …

Ecotoxicological Assessment Of A Sunscreen-Derived Pollutant, Benzophenone-2, On Freshwater Fish (Labeo Rohita), Mina Jamil, Sajid Abdullah, Maham Riaz, Sana Aziz

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Ultraviolet filters (UVFs) are constituents of skincare products that protect skin against UV ray damage, such as suntan, sunburn, and skin tumors. Due to their ability to biotransform, UVFs are considered emerging pollutants. Benzophenone-2 (BP-2), with a yellowish crystalline appearance, is one of the widely used UVFs in skincare products. It enters the aquatic environment by washing off the skin during swimming and recreational activities and becomes hazardous to aquatic life due to its lipophilicity and bioaccumulative potential. This study was designed to evaluate the acute and chronic toxicity of BP-2 for the freshwater fish Labeo rohita. For acute toxicity, …

Morphological Variability And Systematics Of Ponto-Caspian Cladocerans Of The Genus Cercopagis Sars, 1897 (Branchiopoda: Onychopoda: Cercopagidae), Larisa F. Litvinchuk, Spartak N. Litvinchuk

Turkish Journal of Zoology

In recent decades, significant changes have occurred in the composition of zooplankton, especially in the Ponto-Caspian Basin. An important component of zooplankton in this region is cladocerans of the genus Cercopagis. However, the introduction of invasive species means that many species of this genus have probably become extinct. Because their disappearance molecular study of these organisms is no longer possible. Therefore, a comparative analysis of morphological variability has become more important. We studied the morphological variability of all 12 currently known species of the genus. Samples from the Caspian, Azov, Black, and Baltic Seas were analyzed. The number of species …

The Effect Of Noise Pollution On The Diversity And Abundance Of Bird Species At Different Locations At Warner Parks, Nashville, Tn, Jeremy T. Little, Wyatt L. Fooks, Darlene Panvini, Jackson Whiteside

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Noise pollution is a significant abiotic factor that can alter bird biodiversity and abundance of birds in urbanized areas. A new road is proposed through a relatively untouched area of Warner Parks in Nashville, TN, which may affect the bird community. Acoustic Song Meters were used to monitor bird sounds and soundscapes in the proposed road site and two areas of the park with different levels of noise pollution (roadside=high noise; isolated=low noise) for three weeks. Recordings were analyzed to determine bird species and abundance at each site to predict how increasing noise pollution may affect bird diversity in the …

Red Snapper (Lutjanus Campechanus) Neurocranium, Gabriella K. Flora, David W. Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

A Silver Spoon Effect Reduces Lifetime Fitness In A Declining Loon Population, Walter H. Piper, Claudia Kodsuntie, Hayden Walkush

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

A complete understanding of factors that influence animal fitness requires that we measure not only those occurring day to day in the life of an animal but also those that operate on longer time scales. Here, we investigated silver spoon effects (fitness impacts resulting from conditions faced early in life) and carryover effects (fitness impacts caused by environmental factors in a previous season) in a northern Wisconsin population of the common loon (Gavia immer). The mass of a loon chick divided by its age, an indication of food it received from its parents in its first 4 to …