Determining age in crustaceans is inherently imprecise because they molt
periodically and do not retain hard structures throughout their lifespan. Morphological
measurements, such as carapace length, are often used to estimate age because
methods for direct ageing do not exist. However, variability in individual growth rate
and molt frequency can...
Today, billions of people are limited to using biomass-fueled traditional fires as a primary energy source for cooking and purification of drinking water. Reliance on open burning of biomass leads to exposure to high levels of household air pollution which has been estimated to claim over 1.5 million lives annually,...
Many species of rodents and insectivores live in subterranean burrows in soils throughout the world. The soil surface perforations of burrow entrances are often connected to complex, subsurface tunnel networks. Burrow entrances and associated subsurface tunnel networks represent a link between surface and subsurface ecological function. Anecdotal observations of surface-water...
Native prairies of the Willamette Valley are considered among the rarest of Oregon's ecosystems (Clark and Wilson, 2001). As a result of agriculture conversion, urban development and cessation of native burning, Willamette Valley prairies have become highly fragmented and invaded by non-native species, leaving little room for native plant diversity....
Models of ecosystem carbon (C) balance generally assume a strong relationship between net primary productivity (NPP), litter inputs, and soil C accumulation, but there is little direct evidence for such a coupled relationship. Using a unique 50-year detrital manipulation experiment in a in a mixed deciduous forest and restored prairie...
Olive production potential in Oregon was researched in a multi-disciplinary approach, including a grower survey, a propagation greenhouse study, and a field study, from 2018 through 2020. The Oregon Olive Grower Survey was designed to collect information relating to orchard establishment and management practices, knowledge and understanding of these practices,...
This study used a multi-method approach to explore factors associated with high and low depression in a sample of rural mothers living in poverty. From a sample of 117 women with very high or very low CES-D depression scores, 40 cases were randomly selected for in-depth qualitative analysis. Qualitative comments...
The Personal Responsibility and Work Reconciliation Act of 1996 brought several changes to the welfare system. Among these changes are lifetime limits for receiving welfare benefits, and work requirements intended to foster economic self-sufficiency in welfare recipients. In the past few years, it has been acknowledged that there are challenges...
Northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax) are a dominant forage fish in the California Current large marine ecosystem (CCLME). However, little is known about northern anchovy abundance, distribution, age structure, or population fluctuations relative to ocean conditions in the eastern boundary upwelling system off the U.S. West Coast. This thesis includes three...
This study examined four occupational health risks that contribute to job strain, the experience of infectious disease, musculoskeletal strain, job dissatisfaction, and depressive symptoms, for toddler teachers as predictors of classroom quality. Both the physical and social settings of early care and education (ECE) are influential in shaping children’s early...