Historically fire has been the primary disturbance factor in the sagebrush-steppe. The settlement of the West by Euro-Americans, grazing by domestic livestock, and the concomitant spread of invasive species have altered the historical fire regime. Understanding the long-term vegetation structure and fuel succession of the various sagebrush-dominated communities of this...
Over the last several decades, there has been a marked increase in the amount of science outreach to the public with little attention paid to how scientists who conduct outreach perceive learning and how that applies to their outreach activities. This increase in outreach efforts is linked to the National...
Published June 1997. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
Although employee theft is claimed by many authors to be a
significant problem in America with corrosive and damaging effects upon
business and society, very little research has been done to establish
the causes of such behavior. The purpose of this thesis was to identify,
discuss, and critically evaluate theories...
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Yield Estimation and the Assessment of In-Season Nitrogen Status of Perennial Ryegrass
Most parasites and their hosts live in a balance within their environment; however a disease outbreak can occur when either the parasite, host, or environment, are perturbed. Myxozoan parasites are associated with a wide variety of cultured and wild fish populations. Most myxozoans are relatively benign to their vertebrate host;...
Reinterpretation of the leafhopper tribe Scaphytopiini reveals it
to be primarily a New World taxon with only limited representation in
the Palearctic, Oriental and possibly Ethiopian regions. Approximately
75 species assigned to three genera are known from the United
States and Canada with at least another 75 species representing an...
"The First North American Root Weevil Workshop was held at the Oregon State University North Willamette Research and Extension Center in Aurora, Oregon, November 1–2, 2001. The participants discussed topics including root weevil biology, detection, and monitoring, as well as the population dynamics and integrated pest management of root weevils...
Healthcare access exhibits differing levels of complexity, often requiring multi-disciplinary approaches to study its barriers and enablers. Though Argentina has achieved nominal universal healthcare coverage through its public healthcare system, full effective coverage has not been achieved. The public system also has a parallel private care system, adding further complexity...
The focus of this study was threefold. This research examined the extent to which parenting alliance between incarcerated parents and the caregivers of their children, influences participation of inmate parents in parenting programs. This research explored the extent to which family contact influences participation of inmate parents in parenting programs....
Main research question: How is seafood consumption influenced by overweight and health beliefs in a region of traditional high-level fish consumption? Materials and methods: A randomly drawn sample of women aged 45-69 years who live in Northern Norway answered a self-administrated questionnaire about eating habits, socioeconomic factors and questions related...
I used current water management practices in central and eastern Oregon and Washington as natural experiments to quantify the effects of irrigation water withdrawals on macroinvertebrate community structure and life history strategies. Reduced discharge had direct (e.g. decreased velocity and wetted habitat) and indirect (e.g. increased conductivity and temperature) effects...
To combat violence against women, the Brazilian government enacted the Maria da Penha Law (MPL) in 2006 and established the domestic violence specialized courts. Based on the assumption that fair procedures enhance the legitimacy of legal authorities and may enhance victims’ satisfaction and cooperation with prosecution, this research aims to...
Oregon has been regarded nationally as an innovative healthcare policy state because of its creation of the Oregon Health Plan (OHP) conceived by State Senator and Governor John Kitzhaber. The OHP was designed and created to help curb soaring healthcare costs and broaden the eligibility of healthcare to the working...
From the earliest English colonization to the present day, there
has been interest in astronomy in this country. The purpose of this
thesis is to show how the science of astronomy developed in America
from the earliest observations by educated colonists using imported
instruments and publishing in European journals, to...
The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program encourages the preservation of exceptional examples of the Nation’s biological and geological features. To qualify for NNL designation, a site must be one of the best examples of a geological or biological feature within a biophysiographic province. The Island is an isolated plateau located...
Full Text:
Evaluation ofThe Island Research Natural Area
Evaluation
The number of people traveling to other countries to volunteer for conservation or humanitarian projects has increased dramatically in the past three decades. Despite substantial interest in volunteer tourism, few researchers have examined: (a) the role of promotional material (e.g., brochures, internet websites) in motivating volunteers; (b) factors that attract...
This study explores the role of classroom use of live organisms as a pathway for the spread of invasive species. The overall guiding research question is “Are behavioral changes necessary to reduce the spread from the classroom pathway?” Using focus groups comprised of key educators, this study seeks to identify...
Urban areas currently cover a small fraction of Oregon’s landscape but will expand to accommodate an increasingly large proportion of the state’s growing population and economic activity. Residential developments on rural lands now cover more than twice the area occupied by Oregon’s urban developments and are growing rapidly. Oregon urban...
U.S. incarceration rates have soared over the past three decades and the demographic characteristics of those who end up in prison are a reflection of the nation's structural inequality. Incarcerated fathers are a socially disadvantaged group and spending time in prison compounds already significant risk factors that these men experienced...
In Oregon, "Incompetent to Stand Trial (1ST) Patients" were observed to be increasing in number, remaining in the hospital longer, and costing more to treat. A study was designed to investigate variables that could be used to predict their length of stay at Oregon State Hospital. Data for thirteen independent...
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune condition that affects the central nervous system, and impacts the lives of over 400,000 individuals in the US. These individuals face unpredictable relapses of disabling conditions, are less active and experience poorer quality of life than the general population. Health professionals are challenged to...
In this paper I examine the impact of recent immigration, in addition to other community predictors on community counts of violent and property crimes in Austin, Texas, a multi-ethnic city. I combine data from the 2000 US census of population and housing with census tract level uniform crime report data...
Morphologically divergent ecotypes arise in fish populations on postglacial time scales, and resource polymorphisms
are often invoked to explain their origin. However, genetic recombination can constrain the ability of divergent selection to produce
reproductive isolation in sympatry. Recombination breaks up favorable combinations of traits (”adaptive suites”) if individual
traits are...
Aquatic insects are essential components of healthy stream ecosystems, contributing to nutrient cycling, trophic dynamics and other ecological functions. Aquatic insect species, particularly those in the orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT taxa) are however, extremely sensitive to insecticide contamination. Given that urban and agricultural use of synthetic pyrethroid insecticides...
With continual and worldwide human population growth, our impact on the natural environment expands and intensifies every day. We consume natural resources, burn fossil fuels, and release toxic compounds into the air, water, and earth. We build roads that fragment the landscape, construct new settlements, and develop agricultural lands in...
Four key aspects of the relationship between predatory hoverflies and the aphid pest Brevicoryne brassicae L. on broccoli were investigated in the Willamette Valley, Oregon USA: 1) the relationship between aphid density and hoverfly oviposition, 2) the larval voracity of key hoverfly species, 3) the preferences of hoverflies and broccoli...
To remain competitive, the forest products industry needs to look for new and innovative processes and technologies to not only reduce costs but also to recover more value through the entire seedling-to-customer forest products supply chain. It is well recognized that measuring wood properties of logs in real time during...
Internal dosimetry is challenging and relies on estimates using MIRD or ICRP biokinetic models. To address this, we looked at gene expression analysis in whole blood from radiotherapy patients. Patients with relapsed or refractory neuroblastoma who received ¹³¹I-mIBG at UCSF were used to correlate internal ionizing radiation (IR) dose with...
Wireworm is the common name for the larvae of click beetles (Coleoptera: Family Elateridae). The adults do little or no damage, although there are some anecdotal reports that they can damage certain crops (e.g., grapes and stone fruits) by feeding on flowers. However, larval wireworms are among the most destructive...
The phantom midges (Diptera: Chaoboridae) are a relatively small fly family composed of 50 extant species in six genera. Larvae are of interest to limnologists and ecologists because of their tolerance to toxicants, predatory avoidance strategies, and the role chaoborids play in zooplankton community dynamics. Relative to mosquitoes, systematists have...
Historical ecology is becoming an important focus in conservation biology and offers a promising tool to help guide ecosystem management.
Here, we integrate data from multiple disciplines to illuminate the past, present, and future of biodiversity on California’s Channel Islands, an
archipelago that has undergone a wide range of land-use...
Analyses of long-term records at 35 headwater basins in the United States and Canada indicate that climate change effects on streamflow are not as clear as might be expected, perhaps because of ecosystem processes and human influences. Evapotranspiration was higher than was predicted by temperature in water-surplus ecosystems and lower...
Oregon’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) (formerly called Food Stamps) rose by 33% between October 2008 and October 2009 as the economy went into recession and the unemployment rate increased. The percentage of Oregon’s overall population receiving SNAP benefits increased from 11.8% in July 2005 to 16.3% in July 2009. With...
This study analyzes food access patterns on the Southern Oregon Coast using GIS technology. The utility and capacity issues of GIS technology are explored as well as the ability for community-based organizations to apply GIS analysis at a local level. A comprehensive literature review is presented which addresses the definition...
The absence of federal climate legislation in the United States has led to a growth of sub-federal and non-governmental programs to combat greenhouse gas emissions. One such program, the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) seeks to mitigate greenhouse emissions from higher education through the voluntary commitment of...
Both the structure and composition of naturally generated early-seral forests in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) can be profoundly different than that of more developed forest seres, especially in the period after a major disturbance but before conifers re-develop a closed canopy. While it is reasonable to suggest that the unique...
The hazards-of-place model of vulnerability to environmental hazards posits that vulnerability has biophysical and social components. While biophysical characteristics are important in predicting locations of elevated wildfire risk, the social characteristics of human communities may help us predict locations of elevated wildfire impacts. We examine the relationship between biophysical and...
Local Perceptions of Social-Ecological Change on the McKenzie: Implications for Resilience
This study sought to catalog local knowledge of long-term residents of the McKenzie River Valley as it pertains to landscape and community change and provide a general assessment of factors affecting the local social-ecological system’s resilience. Residents interviewed indicated...
A comprehensive tribal-level classification for the world's subfamilies of Hesperiidae, the skipper butterflies, is proposed for the first time. Phylogenetic relationships between tribes and subfamilies are inferred using DNA sequence data from three gene regions: 943 bp of cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) (in the mitochondrial genome), 739 bp of...
Several states, including Oregon, Massachusetts and California, have been the focus of major health reform efforts in recent years. Oregon utilized a citizen-led commission to generate policy recommendations that led to the enactment of health reform legislation in 2009. This commission helped to create momentum and provide political cover for...
A causative factor in declining greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)
populations is reduced annual recruitment due to poor habitat quality. Sage-grouse
population decline is concurrent with a decline in the extent and quality of the
sagebrush (Artemisia sp.) biome. However, current research has shown a positive
relationship between sage-grouse brood and...
Plantago ovata Forssk. (Plantaginaceae) is a winter annual species which, in North America, inhabits desert and Mediterranean habitats of the southwest United States, northwest Mexico and the Channel Islands of California and Mexico. In the eastern hemisphere P. ovata inhabits desert regions ranging from the Canary Islands, across northern Africa...
A new species of Bembidion (Trichoplataphus Netolitzky) from the Ozark Plateau of Missouri and Arkansas is described (Bembidion ozarkense Maddison and Hildebrandt). It is distinguishable from the closely related species, Bembidion rolandi Fall, by characteristics of the male genitalia, and sequences of the genes cytochrome oxidase I and 28S ribosomal...
The central nervous system of Phidippus, while comparable to that
of other spiders in most respects, is distinguished by the extraordinary
development of visual processing centers, associated with the
complex visually-directed behavior of these animals.
The primary neuropile of the anterior medial eyes consists of two
distinct columnar synapsing regions....
A cultural landscape analysis of two historic cemeteries in St. Paul, Oregon demonstrates that the residents of this early community were unknowingly using grave markers to express their worldview and the identities that they felt were most important. Because of the historical and cultural development of this community as the...
Members of the family Simuliidae were studied in a single,
confined drainage system. In addition to determining the occurrence
and distribution of the species present, biological and ecological
observations were made. Specific measurements and observations
were accomplished to determine as much as possible about the habitat
specificity and life cycle...
Student conduct has become increasingly significant in higher education as demands to address campus safety, student behaviors, and classroom management are increasingly prominent. Existing research focuses on the efficacy of student conduct policies and practices, but has not established how individuals understand student conduct as a myth, or a concept...
Seventy-two species of Blennocampinae in 21 genera and six tribes
are known from the Nearctic region. The adults and known larvae of
all species and genera are keyed, described and illistrated. A
definition of the subfamily, a review of previous work, a table of
host-plant associations, and a discussion of...
This study was an investigation of lotic macroinvertebrate distribution in northeastern Oregon at two different spatial and biological scales. Examination of assemblages at a limited spatial scale revealed relationships with natural and disturbance gradients and led to questions about distribution of a population at broader spatial scales. In a 16...
This study, conducted with the cooperation of the Oregon Comprehensive
Health Planning Agency, Salem, had a threefold purpose:
(1) to identify the role of the physician's assistant (PA) in Oregon,
(2) to provide substantive data for recommendations regarding changes
in PA licensure, and (3) to provide information which may be...
Recent conflicts in America concerning the environment (the harvesting of old growth timber in the Pacific Northwest, or the proposed opening of public lands in southern Utah to mining interests, for instance) have precipitated a personal examination of "historical others" (Jensen 64), individuals that possess very different sensibilities from a...
Native bees are important ecologically and economically because their role as pollinators fulfills a vital ecosystem service. Pollinators are declining due to various factors, including habitat degradation and destruction. Grasslands, an important habitat for native bees, are particularly vulnerable. One highly imperiled and understudied grassland type in the United States...
Habitat loss causes a reduction in available resources for wildlife, alters the configuration of remaining habitat, and may isolate wildlife populations. White-breasted nuthatches (Sitta carolinensis) are experiencing long-term population declines in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, where they are historically associated with oak woodlands. As secondary cavity-nesters, white-breasted nuthatches may...
Adults and nymphs of a new genus and species of the family Macrochelidae are described from detritus cavities of the leafcutting ant, Atta texana. This new species is notable in having peritremes with no posterior loop, a series of small subterminal teeth on the fixed cheliceral digit rather than the...
The purpose of this study was to analyze the state of development of
adult education in Nigeria.
The major objectives were to review the state of development of
Nigerian adult education programs, assess the overall effectiveness of
these programs, and utilize the findings to suggest action for future
program improvement....
This is a psycho-socio-linguistic study of language
as the primary tool of institutions such as education,
government, and religion. These institutions have goals
associated with identifying with, communicating with, and
influencing individuals in the general public who are not
Part of the group. A review of psycho-socio-linguistic
theory suggests that...
Headwater streams and their riparian zones are a common, yet poorly understood,
component of Pacific Northwest landscapes. I sought to describe the ecological significance of
headwater stream riparian zones as habitat for forest-floor invertebrate communities, and to
assess how alternative management strategies for riparian zones may impact these communities.
I...
Members of the family Sciomyzidae, known as snail-killing or marsh flies, are unique amongst insects in that the vast majority of reared species feed exclusively on mollusks and as a result their biological control potential has been well documented in the scientific literature. However, in North America there is a...
In recent years, red raspberry production in Washington and British Columbia has been severely limited by a newly emerged virus complex that causes symptoms of crumbly fruit. The complex is comprised of three viruses: Raspberry bushy dwarf virus (RBDV), Raspberry leaf mottle virus (RLMV) and Raspberry latent virus (RpLV). Both...
Although it is generally assumed that the intensifying abiotic environment is the primary effect of drought on aquatic organisms, drought-induced top predator extinctions may be an important underlying mechanism. I used manipulative experiments to disentangle the impacts of drying and top predator extinctions on arid-land aquatic invertebrate communities. I then...
Today’s technology-based society makes information more accessible than ever, in turn creating a growing demand for a workforce that has the skills necessary to utilize data. Contributing to this influx of data is Oregon State University (OSU), who was selected to guide the design and construction process of three Regional...
Male Apis mellifera L. (drones) accompanying reproductive swarms were analyzed for honey stomach contents to determine if they engorge honey prior to or during swarming. No evidence for engorgement was found. A diurnal feeding rhythm in drones was observed in non swarming colonies.
Siletz Bay is a drowned river valley filled with Holocene alluvial
and estuarine sediments and is separated from the ocean by a sand
spit 3.8 km in length. Since the area was settled by white man in the
1890's, the bay has apparently experienced rapid siltation, due to
increased farming...
Marine environments, key life-support systems for the earth, are under severe threat. Issues
associated with managing these common property resources are complex and interrelated.
Networks of marine reserves can be valuable for mitigating threats to marine systems, yet the
successful design and implementation of such networks has been limited. Efficient...
The genus Coenonycha contains 30 described species of small to
medium sized scarabs. They are found in the arid and semi-arid
regions of western United States and northern Baja California. The
adults feed at night on several genera of xerophylous plants.
An examination of the male genitalia of the 19...
The ability to independently age in place requires an appropriate match between a person and the environment, or P-E fit. The person-environment interaction helps describe the adaptation processes employed in older age to achieve P-E fit, but is little understood. Therefore, the objective of this two-part study was to gain...
Many pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers
(PBDEs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are persistent, bio-accumulative, and
toxic. These semi-volatile organic compounds (SOCs) can undergo atmospheric
transport and deposition in cold, remote ecosystems. A better understanding of their
accumulation in the fish of these ecosystems is important to better predict...
Growing societal demand for forest products is pressuring managers to increase productivity from a finite land area, and it is expected that increased supply will come mostly from expansion of intensively managed stands. The USDA Forest Service and numerous collaborators created the Long-Term Soil Productivity (LTSP) network of research sites...
For more than a decade now, the use of herbicides (especially phenoxy herbicides) in forestry has been the subject of intense controversy. The debate has touched upon many aspects of herbicides, ranging from ecology to economics. But at the center of discussion has been the issue of possible adverse effects...
A multidisciplinary western Beaufort Sea Ecological Cruise
(WEBSEC) was conducted from August 15 to September 20, 1971.
During the cruise, one hundred ninety-nine 0.1 m² Smith-McIntyre
grabs samples were taken at forty stations located on the continental
shelf and slope of the western Beaufort Sea. The Gammaridean
Amphipoda and Cumacea...
Research indicates that child sex abuse contributes to emotional and behavioral
dysfunction in adult survivors. However, no one factor within the abuse experience has
been found to independently affect adult functioning, and it is unclear if several factors
acting together influence degree of dysfunction. This study compared the Global
Assessment...
Cutaneous melanoma remains the deadliest form of skin cancer arising from malignant transformation of pigment-producing melanocytes, with a diagnosis of metastasis indicating a median survival rate of less than a year. Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation, especially childhood sun exposure, is an important etiological risk factor of melanoma. This DNA damage...
The previously suggested protection from microbial attack of ripening nectar by the addition of glucose oxidase by the common honey bee, Apis mellifera L., has been found to occur in 9 other eusocial Hymenoptera from 3 superfamilies. The antibacterial effect results from the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide produced by the...
The cabbage flea beetle, Phyllotreta cruciferae (Coleoptera:
Chrysomelidae) was introduced into the United States from Europe
during the 1920's and 1930's. It was described as a new species,
P. columbiana, native to North America by F. H. Chittenden in 1927.
This synonymic situation was discovered in 1953 after P. cruciferae...
Smart growth strategies of infill and compact growth in existing suburban cities will most likely not be
sufficient to absorb a new US household growth in the future. To meet housing demands and preferences,
master-planned communities will continue to be built in outlying exurban areas. However, little is known
about...
West Nile Virus (WNV), a vector-borne disease continues to be a serious threat to public health in the United States, particularly in the Southwest region. While all the states in the U.S. experienced a decreasing trend of WNV disease in 2010, the state of Arizona experienced a sharp increase from...
Since the late 1990s accelerated growth in health care spending coupled with a cost shift of health insurance from employers to employees has created an increased financial burden for many families. Past research suggests that financial burden due to out-of-pocket (OOP) health care costs limits access to health care and...
Staphylococcus aureus is a human pathogen capable of producing enterotoxins causing staphylococcal food poisoning, one of the most economically important foodborne diseases in the U.S. This pathogen may be introduced to pre-cooked tuna meat used for the production of canned tuna because significant manual handling occurs after cooking of the...
The male genitalia of 69 species, representing eight genera of
sphecid wasps, were examined in order to ascertain their taxonomic
value. In all, the male genitalia of approximately 1000 specimens
were critically studied.
Emphasis was placed on the genitalia and associated sclerites
of the known males in the genus Eucerceris....