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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Which Vole Is Which: Dna-Based Species Identification For Wisconsin’S Three Microtus Species, Madeline Noel Opie
Which Vole Is Which: Dna-Based Species Identification For Wisconsin’S Three Microtus Species, Madeline Noel Opie
Theses and Dissertations
Accurate species identification is necessary to implement conservation strategies in the wild. When traditional morphology-based species identification is challenging due to phenotypic plasticity, overlapping characteristics, or the species are otherwise cryptic, DNA-based species identification may be more suitable. Of the three species of Microtus in Wisconsin, two are listed as threatened at the state level. Both M. ochrogaster and M. pinetorum have stable population levels at the national level but are along the northern edge of their ranges in Wisconsin. Small and vulnerable populations of M. ochrogaster and M. pinetorum are limited to isolated patches in the southwestern portion of …
Soil Carbon Sequestration Efforts In Arid And Semi-Arid Climates Under Conservation Agriculture And Reforestation, Samantha Lynn Colunga
Soil Carbon Sequestration Efforts In Arid And Semi-Arid Climates Under Conservation Agriculture And Reforestation, Samantha Lynn Colunga
Theses and Dissertations
Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a vital role in the global carbon cycle and aids in climate change mitigation. However, deforestation and intensive agricultural practices threaten topsoil and carbon (C) pools through soil disturbances releasing vast amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) by enhancing the decomposition of organic materials. Degraded soils typically lack stable aggregates, nutrient and water retention, and overall low fertility. In arid and semi-arid regions, soils are in an even more dire situation, as low precipitation and high temperatures slow down the accumulation of SOC. This thesis has two objectives: 1) to evaluate whether conservation tillage practices increase …
Examination And Application Of Body Condition Methods In Cetaceans, Kira Anne Telford
Examination And Application Of Body Condition Methods In Cetaceans, Kira Anne Telford
Theses and Dissertations
Body condition assessments are a valuable tool for evaluating the relative health of a population through various metrics, indexes, or proxies. Long-term data collection can be used to examine the relationship between fluctuations in body condition and natural or anthropogenic drivers. Application of this information is vital for monitoring the success of the conservation management decisions for a species or population. Cetaceans have a variety of methods available to assess body condition, including invasive methods like biopsies and necropsies or observational methods such as photogrammetry. Exploration of the application of these methods in the literature revealed an emphasis on necropsies …
Determining The Impact Of Post-Harvest Water Management On Chironomid Abundance, Agrochemical Biomass And Potential Trophic Biomagnification, Mason Thomas
Theses and Dissertations
Agriculture has diminished shorebirds’ natural habitat in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Remaining natural stopover sites are supplemented with agricultural fields during the fall and winter. This study evaluates the impact of 4 different post-harvest water management strategies on shorebird food abundance and potential agrochemical biomagnification. Chironomid samples estimated abundance, biomass, and chironomid agrochemical concentration in each field. A risk assessment of agrochemical biomagnification to shorebirds was made across all treatments. Of treatments represented on all study sites, winter treatment had greatest chironomid abundance and biomass. Models indicated that days since flood initiation, start date, and temperature are significant predictors of …
Quantifying The Economic Impact Of Conservation Policy Changes Utilizing Precision Agriculture Tools, Kyle Stanley Watkins
Quantifying The Economic Impact Of Conservation Policy Changes Utilizing Precision Agriculture Tools, Kyle Stanley Watkins
Theses and Dissertations
The United States Farm Bill is a multi-billion-dollar federal legislation reenacted every five years to provide funding towards crop protection, nutrition, environmental protection, and other important focuses. The largest conservation program within the Farm Bill is the Conservation Reserve Program, which encompasses many conservation practices such as CP-33: habitat buffers for upland birds. Conservation implementation through the Farm Bill relies on voluntary producer enrollment in exchange for a rental fee to not farm enrolled land for a set time. I used yield data collected across six years from 36 agricultural fields in Humphreys and Holmes counties, Mississippi, USA, and a …