This thesis consists of five chapters: a general introduction, two manuscripts, a collection of published lesson plans, and a general conclusion. The works collected herein are united by the common theme of practical applications in plant breeding. The first manuscript reports a study performed on five malting barley lines grown...
At the start of the public’s use of the internet in 1983, whatever news made it online was expected to be open and free of charge. However, the idea that news should always be accessible online changed as newspapers moved most of their content online and needed online subscriptions to...
Fungi are the primary biological agents of wood deterioration and cause major economic losses of wood products globally. Wood in outdoor applications tends to remain wet for extended time periods, making it susceptible to fungal attack. Understanding the factors involved in fungal colonization of wood is important for developing improved...
The Earth’s surface is experiencing unprecedented change. Humanity’s growing population, expanding land-use footprint, and increasing global emissions of atmospheric greenhouse gases affect a vast number of species on Earth and the functioning of virtually all ecosystems. Given the vital interactions and feedbacks between the Earth’s land surface and climate, measurements...
Wildland fires are an increasingly extensive, expensive, and frequent occurrence in dry forests of the western United States. Fuel reduction treatments are designed to reduce extreme fire behavior, promote resilient forest structure, and facilitate fire control efforts. Although there is widespread recognition that repeated treatments are needed to maintain desired...
Wheeled mobility devices (WhMD) pose unique safety risks to users while riding public transportation. Unsecured or improperly secured WhMDs create safety concerns for other transit riders and operators. Tests using accelerometers and visual observations were conducted to understand how WhMD orientation and securement in articulated buses, streetcars, and light rail...
Paleoclimate archives have revealed abrupt climate events that are superimposed on more gradual climate changes throughout the last glacial and deglacial periods. The underlying causes of such rapid climate changes are still poorly understood, but the strong expression of these events in northern hemisphere records likely points to climatic mechanisms...
Increased temperatures due to anthropogenic-induced climate change may raise the threat of extinction for taxa with sessile life histories (e.g., plants) in the near future. Linking climate change models to demographic models may provide useful insights into the potential effects of environmental changes on rare plants, and therefore aid in...
The increasingly corporatized and privatized public university has resulted in significant role changes for students and faculty. Among these changes includes the development of online education and its proliferation among various disciplines to not only increase educational access, but to sustain budgetary program needs. Such processes are occurring in women's...
Since at least the 1970s, rural areas in the western United States, as elsewhere across the country and world, have been subject to social, economic, and political forces that have resulted in novel demographic and land tenure trends when compared to previous decades. Collectively, these processes of restructuring have created...