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Title: The interacting influences of habitat context and predators on monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus L.) oviposition and survival in agricultural landscapes
Creator: Myers, Andrew Thomas
Date: 2019
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus L.) are among the most recognizable and beloved insect species in North America. However, concern about the long-term persistence of monarch populations has grown during recent years due to the declining overwintering aggregations of both the eastern and western population segments. One hypothesized driver of the decline of the eastern population segment is the reduction of milkweed host plants from agricultural landscapes through the use of herbicide...
Show moreMonarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus L.) are among the most recognizable and beloved insect species in North America. However, concern about the long-term persistence of monarch populations has grown during recent years due to the declining overwintering aggregations of both the eastern and western population segments. One hypothesized driver of the decline of the eastern population segment is the reduction of milkweed host plants from agricultural landscapes through the use of herbicide-tolerant row cropping systems. Proponents of this hypothesis reason that with access to fewer host plants, monarchs are not able to lay their full complements of eggs during their lifetimes, resulting in lower population growth rates during the summer breeding season in the core of the breeding range. This hypothesis has motivated research efforts to determine which species of milkweed attracts the greatest oviposition rates and where these plants can be positioned to maximize egg laying by monarchs. Here I propose that monarch conservation efforts would also benefit from increased knowledge regarding the impact of predators on monarch eggs and larvae, as boosting survival during early life stages could substantially increase monarch breeding productivity. I performed several field experiments to investigate how habitat context and interactions with predators influence monarch oviposition and predation pressure. Using sentinel milkweed host plants and monarch eggs placed in various habitat treatments, I found that monarchs exhibit oviposition habitat preferences that vary between corn and grasslands depending on the year. I also showed that monarch egg survival over 72 h varies by year, but can be as low as 10% in grasslands. These experiments demonstrate that numbers of eggs observed by previous weekly surveys of various habitats reflect both the effects of oviposition preferences and predation rates and that grasslands represent relatively risky monarch egg habitats. Next, I sought to determine which predators were responsible for monarch egg mortality in grasslands by video monitoring over 150 monarch eggs. I found that a diversity of predators consumed monarch eggs, with a plurality of eggs consumed by spiders and a majority of eggs consumed during nocturnal hours. Finally, I sought to determine how the presence of ants influences monarch oviposition patterns and how aphid presence and species on host plants shapes monarch interactions between ants and monarch neonates. I measured first instar survival at 96 h on plants infested with Myzocallis asclepiadis, Aphis asclepiadis, or no aphids and with and without ants excluded and found the lowest monarch survival on Myzocallis-infested plants , but this effect disappeared when ants were excluded. I also found that wild monarchs laid significantly more eggs on plants with ants excluded, indicating that monarchs avoid ovipositing on plants with ants. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that reducing predation pressure on monarchs during early life stages has the potential to serve as an effective way to increase monarch productivity on limited land space in agricultural areas and provides important information regarding how habitat context and interactions with predators and other arthropods interact to influence monarch oviposition patterns and egg and early larval survival. I interpret the results of these studies in the context of monarch conservation and make recommendations for further study.
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Title: Advertising approach and avoidance : a dual process model
Creator: Tham, Samuel M.
Date: 2019
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: In this dissertation, I propose a dual process model for explaining advertising approach and avoidance. The dual process model maps the different processes that underlie advertising approach and avoidance. Guided by the model, two studies related to approach and avoidance are conducted. In the first study, we test the role of attitude and norm accessibility with regard to approach and avoidance. In the second study, we explore the role of involvement and repeated expression and their...
Show moreIn this dissertation, I propose a dual process model for explaining advertising approach and avoidance. The dual process model maps the different processes that underlie advertising approach and avoidance. Guided by the model, two studies related to approach and avoidance are conducted. In the first study, we test the role of attitude and norm accessibility with regard to approach and avoidance. In the second study, we explore the role of involvement and repeated expression and their influences. This dissertation synthesizes past research, and explicates how positive and negative responses to advertising can be usefully conceptualized. In Chapter 2, we look at the history of advertising avoidance, how advertising has evolved over time, and the methods and reasons why people choose to avoid and approach advertising. Approach has often been discussed in terms of value derived from advertising such as information and entertainment, while avoidance is often conceptualized in terms of the negative affect it creates, such as annoyance or boredom.In Chapter 3, a reaction time study was conducted to evaluate the accessibility of attitudes and norms in advertising and approach behavior across three media platforms. The study found that both approach and avoidance utilize different processes with approach being a deliberative behavior while avoidance is spontaneous in nature. Additionally, media differences also invoke different set of processing, such as the role of attitudes and norm accessibility.In Chapter 4, a study was conducted to evaluate the role of involvement, increased accessibility through repeated expression, attitudes towards the ad, and attitude towards the product. I find that even though there are different processes, there are many similarities shared as well.I conclude the dissertation in Chapter 5 by presenting a dual process model of approach and avoidance, arguing how these processes are different in nature and serve as opposing motivators as to when people approach and avoid. In addition, we see different mechanisms that predict approach, and avoidance uniquely as well variables that affect both. Also discussed are the theoretical implications, and limitations of this research.
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Title: Storage, decision-making, and risk management in non-sedentary societies
Creator: Frederick, Kathryn M.
Date: 2019
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: "Food storage, or the act of extending the shelf life of foodstuffs, often formed an important part of the adaptations of certain small-scale hunter-gatherer and low-level horticulturalist societies. Research on storage in small-scale societies has, until recently, narrowly focused on determining the form and scale that food storage took, and its relatedness to increasing social complexity. This dissertation, instead, looks at the purposeful decision-making behind the use of food storage as a...
Show more"Food storage, or the act of extending the shelf life of foodstuffs, often formed an important part of the adaptations of certain small-scale hunter-gatherer and low-level horticulturalist societies. Research on storage in small-scale societies has, until recently, narrowly focused on determining the form and scale that food storage took, and its relatedness to increasing social complexity. This dissertation, instead, looks at the purposeful decision-making behind the use of food storage as a risk management strategy in non-sedentary societies. For storage to be a risk-averse management strategy, the technology required for successful storage must be reliable. Knowledge of proper storage pit construction and food preservation techniques is required before the risk and uncertainty of food storage can be mitigated. Due to the increased front-end energy output, the risk associated with the processing and storage of the foodstuffs must be minimal, as compared to the seasonal risk of food scarcity and potential energy/caloric gain. Subterranean storage pits appear in the archaeological landscape of the northern Great Lakes after ca. AD 1000 and tribal communities continued to use them through the historic period. During the late Late Woodland period (ca. AD 1000 -1600), subterranean food storage containers were systematically used by tribal communities with a spatially and seasonally restricted fisher-forager-horticulturalist subsistence system to create a stable food supply. The act of food storage, actualized through the technology of subterranean storage pits, allowed groups to increase their communal capacity for survival, success, and regeneration; these capacities were stressed by the increasingly restrictive setting of the Late Prehistoric sociopolitical landscape. Combining experimental archaeology, ethnographic and ethnohistoric data, along with archaeological data on food storage, this research examines the technology and behavioral patterns for use of subterranean food storage utilized by hunter-gatherers. This research aimed to understand the use of food storage through the perspective of the technology of the physical container and the decision-making behind this risk-management strategy. A series of experiments were performed to understand the technology and technical know-how required to create a risk-averse storage feature. Data was then collected on food storage practices, both past and present, across the globe. Factors, such as movement strategy, climate, environment, economy, and to a lesser extent socio-political triggers, were considered. These factors were then compared and analyzed for patterns in decision-making. With a baseline for understanding the technology of storage and an evident pattern in storage use by hunter-gatherers, my research considered whether similar variables were at play in the Late Woodland period, and what other factors drove the decisions to store. The collected data exhibited two prominent patterns for storage use, reliant and redundant. When these patterns were applied to the case study of northern lower Michigan a model for storage practices and their effect on the larger settlement and subsistence practices was created. The proliferation in the use of food storage during the late Late Woodland indicates a socioeconomic shift that made the previously risk-prone act of storage, risk-averse. I argue that the northern lower Michigan Late Woodland people incorporated redundant food storage practices into their existing risk management strategies as a response to increased population and reduced territory."--Pages ii-iii.
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Title: Evaluation of a rear-end collision avoidance system on winter maintenance trucks
Creator: Verma, Rajat (Graduate of Michigan State University)
Date: 2019
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Roadway winter maintenance trucks, commonly referred to as snowplows, operate in hazardous traffic conditions and pose a rear-end collision risk for motorists following them. In this study, a new prototype rear-end collision avoidance and mitigation system (CAMS) was tested on snowplows. The system, which detects position and speed of vehicles following the snowplow via a radar sensor and warns hazardous approaching situations via a flashing beacon light, was tested for its efficacy,...
Show moreRoadway winter maintenance trucks, commonly referred to as snowplows, operate in hazardous traffic conditions and pose a rear-end collision risk for motorists following them. In this study, a new prototype rear-end collision avoidance and mitigation system (CAMS) was tested on snowplows. The system, which detects position and speed of vehicles following the snowplow via a radar sensor and warns hazardous approaching situations via a flashing beacon light, was tested for its efficacy, operational effectiveness, economic viability, and impact on the followers' driving behavior. To this end, data were collected with two CAMS-equipped snowplows in the winter of 2018 in southeast Michigan and analyzed for the effect of the warning light.Results generally favor the hypothesis that CAMS may improve traffic safety conditions by decreasing the likelihood of following drivers approaching too close to the plow, decreasing their reaction time by 0.83 seconds, increasing their average minimum time to collision by 0.24 seconds, and decreasing their maximum deceleration rate by 0.17 ft/s2.It is, however, also recognized that this technology needs more testing and operational improvements for practical feasibility. Recommendations include improving the sensor cleaning system, reducing vehicle detection error (particularly in the adjacent lane), and including distance-based thresholds in the warning activation mechanism to prevent tailgating.
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Title: Demographics, impacts, & motivations of Michigan 4-h horse judges
Creator: Rising, Maria Rose
Date: 2019
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: The horse industry is a thriving, diverse industry with many breeds, disciplines, and levels of competition. Horse judges are a focal point of horse shows, given that their opinions are central to the competitive activity. There is very little known about horse judges, although, a survey done by Skelly et al. (2005) at an equine extension workshop found only 4% of respondents were comfortable with the current state of horse show ethics and 70% of respondents felt it was the judges'...
Show moreThe horse industry is a thriving, diverse industry with many breeds, disciplines, and levels of competition. Horse judges are a focal point of horse shows, given that their opinions are central to the competitive activity. There is very little known about horse judges, although, a survey done by Skelly et al. (2005) at an equine extension workshop found only 4% of respondents were comfortable with the current state of horse show ethics and 70% of respondents felt it was the judges' responsibility to uphold ethics at horses shows, showing dissatisfaction with judges. The Michigan 4-H Horse Judges survey was developed with the aims of identifying demographic information, motivations for becoming a horse judge, and how judges gained their horse judging skills. The results showed that the current average age of surveyed judges was 48.6 years, with a range from 23 to 81. Respondents identified judging an average of 15 shows per year, for a total of 790 shows represented annually (n = 53). Respondents identified primary positive themes of being a 4-H horse judge as the educational atmosphere, meeting people, and personal and professional fulfillment. The top negative themes included negative attitudes, long days, poor weather, and time away from family. Respondents also identified their motivations for becoming judges as giving back, helping others, and working with horses and youth; all of which may enhance the quality of life of judges and exhibitors. This information is important as it informs both the literature for future research on the horse judging experience, as well as the impacts of 4-H horse judging activities.
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Title: Assessing speech-language pathologists' comfort with stuttering
Creator: Smyk, Corinne
Date: 2019
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: "There are approximately 3 million individuals in the United States who stutter; however, according to previous research, speech-language pathologists generally have lower levels of comfort and more negative attitudes regarding working with individuals who stutter. Although it is generally known that this population is not favored by speech-language pathologists, there has been a lack of research aimed at understanding why speech-language pathologists have these lower comfort levels and more...
Show more"There are approximately 3 million individuals in the United States who stutter; however, according to previous research, speech-language pathologists generally have lower levels of comfort and more negative attitudes regarding working with individuals who stutter. Although it is generally known that this population is not favored by speech-language pathologists, there has been a lack of research aimed at understanding why speech-language pathologists have these lower comfort levels and more negative attitudes. In the current study, the researchers interviewed speech-language pathologists across Michigan and gathered their input regarding working with students who stutter. The results indicate that there is a wide range in comfort levels and attitudes working with this population, based on a variety of correlating factors."--Page ii.
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Title: Measuring stakeholder value of the forest ecosystem service of providing drinking water
Creator: Huizenga, Emily
Date: 2019
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Billions of people around the world rely on forest land to filter and provide clean drinking water. The high value that people place in drinking water can be a strong rationale for conserving and sustainably managing forests, however, people are often unaware of this forest ecosystem service of providing clean drinking water (FESDWQ). Understanding the value that stakeholders place in the FESDWQ is critical to informed and strategic conservation actions. A mixed-methods approach rooted in...
Show moreBillions of people around the world rely on forest land to filter and provide clean drinking water. The high value that people place in drinking water can be a strong rationale for conserving and sustainably managing forests, however, people are often unaware of this forest ecosystem service of providing clean drinking water (FESDWQ). Understanding the value that stakeholders place in the FESDWQ is critical to informed and strategic conservation actions. A mixed-methods approach rooted in value-belief-norm theory and using social network analysis was employed measuring the value stakeholders place in the FESDWQ in three watersheds in Michigan. This research assessed 1) how stakeholders value the link between forests and drinking water, 2) the social network of stakeholders impacted by the FESDWQ, 3) the value of the FESDWQ as influenced by stakeholder interactions, and 4) the potential support for watershed management programs that utilize this FESDWQ.Semi-structured interviews of individuals from a diverse array of stakeholder categories were conducted. Results show that stakeholders place the most value in water quality as a forest ecosystem service over other forest benefits, but this value does not transfer to the FESDWQ. Regulating over provisioning ecosystem services of water quality was prioritized in each watershed. No stakeholder groups engage in any projects that explicitly address forests and drinking water. Industry and policy makers have a large influence on the functioning of the FESDWQ, and non-profit groups are the best positioned to influence conservation strategies that include the FESDWQ.
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Title: Theory and applications of intraclass correlation coefficients at cluster randomized design for statistical planning via hierarchical mixed models
Creator: Lee, Chun-Lung
Date: 2019
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Research investigators rely on information of intraclass correlation coefficients for planning and conducting designs and experiments for scientific inquiries in educational and social studies. Randomized controlled trials and cluster randomized studies are deemed as the gold standard for evidence-based interventions, and both approaches have been applied successfully in many situations for more effective decision-making in education and social research. The cluster randomized designs for...
Show moreResearch investigators rely on information of intraclass correlation coefficients for planning and conducting designs and experiments for scientific inquiries in educational and social studies. Randomized controlled trials and cluster randomized studies are deemed as the gold standard for evidence-based interventions, and both approaches have been applied successfully in many situations for more effective decision-making in education and social research. The cluster randomized designs for community-based research, in particular, have been widely used in the modern era, since they are often operated at the group level, like a whole community or worksite, in order for researchers more easily to deal with random assignment of an entire intact group rather than that of each individual subject. Hence, such cluster-randomized trials or group-randomized experiments have become important and useful to provide evidence-guided practice models for scientific inquiry and research.The aim of this dissertation is to develop the methods for the intraclass correlation coefficients for binary and continuous outcomes in cluster-based intervention designs using hierarchal mixed model based on the scenarios of unconditional and conditional multilevel structures with cluster sampling schemes. Simulation studies are used to assess the statistical properties of intraclass correlation estimation and inference via the real data set of RSA-911 for people with disabilities served in the Michigan Rehabilitation Services Programs.The results show that the average (unadjusted) intraclass correlation is about 0.01 for competitive employment and about 0.02 for weekly earnings (quality employment) in Michigan. These average (unadjusted) intraclass correlations from RSA-911 are relatively low in comparison to education interventions or academic programs for assessments in reading and mathematics across K-12 (Bloom et al., 1999, 2007; Hedges & Hedberg, 2007; Schochet, 2008); however, they seem comparable to some extent from those psychological and mental health data in school-based intervention designs (Murray & Short, 1995).For future study, researchers may look into different types of integrated large-scale complex data sets such as RSA-911 data with a set of covariates from Census data for investigating how intraclass correlation performs in statistical estimation and inference across multiple platforms. In addition, it would be interesting to study how to deal with missing values in the estimation procedure of intraclass correlation, and what remedial procedure can be added to improve estimation process. For the proposed method, it would recommend the total sample size should be greater than 1,500 and within group sample size would be better to be larger than 100 (with the number of groups about 15).In conclusion, this study provides a comprehensive methodology for intraclass correlation estimation and inference using the mixed "analysis of variance" approach along with the derived sampling distribution (i.e., F-distribution) for testing hypothesis as well as building confidence interval on intraclass correlation estimates. Such proposed statistical procedures can be easily used and applied in any large-scale or small-scale data sets, whereas small total sample size and small within group size and missing data are limitations on intraclass correlation estimation in terms of precision and accuracy.
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Title: Family forests in Michigan : Michigan's Qualified Forest Program as a case study
Creator: Schram, Benjamin Michael
Date: 2019
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: "Because family forest owners own the majority of forestland in the country, many states attempt to incentivize them to be active managers of their woodlands. Property tax incentive programs provide family forest owners with certain tax breaks, credits, or exemptions in exchange for developing a written forest management plan. Michigan's Qualified Forest Program (QFP) is examined here because it provides context for analyzing landowner behavior. High non-compliance penalties provide some...
Show more"Because family forest owners own the majority of forestland in the country, many states attempt to incentivize them to be active managers of their woodlands. Property tax incentive programs provide family forest owners with certain tax breaks, credits, or exemptions in exchange for developing a written forest management plan. Michigan's Qualified Forest Program (QFP) is examined here because it provides context for analyzing landowner behavior. High non-compliance penalties provide some assurance that forest management practices will be completed. The ability of parcel characteristics (stand acres, forest type, condition (size and density), and region) to predict forest management practices at the stand level is evaluated. Certain variable categories are significant in predicting forest management practices on QFP enrolled land. Forestry incentive program managers, forestry practitioners, and policymakers could use these results to predict family forest owner management decisions and focus conservation efforts."--Page ii.
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Title: The longitudinal impact of school-based health center use on academic performance : the mediating roles of physical activity and health status
Creator: Gruber, Jennifer
Date: 2019
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Students who are uninsured, racial or ethnic minorities, and/or low-income often face barriers to healthcare, and may be vulnerable to poor health and academic outcomes. School-based health centers (SBHCs) address youth barriers to healthcare and promote health equity by providing primary medical and mental health services, as well as health education programming. SBHCs have important ramifications for students' health, behaviors, and lives. Historically, SBHC research has largely focused on...
Show moreStudents who are uninsured, racial or ethnic minorities, and/or low-income often face barriers to healthcare, and may be vulnerable to poor health and academic outcomes. School-based health centers (SBHCs) address youth barriers to healthcare and promote health equity by providing primary medical and mental health services, as well as health education programming. SBHCs have important ramifications for students' health, behaviors, and lives. Historically, SBHC research has largely focused on service utilization; little work examines the longitudinal impact and potential causal mechanisms of SBHCs on student outcomes. Academic outcomes are of particular interest to SBHC practitioners, schools, and families, given the implications for funding and benefits for students. In the present study, a conceptual framework developed by Geierstanger, Amaral, Mansour, and Walters (2004) guided the prediction that SBHC use would indirectly improve student academic performance through increases in general health status and levels of physical activity. These relationships were examined using longitudinal structural equation modeling with data from the Michigan Evaluation of School-based Health (MESH) Study (McNall, Lichty, Mavis, & Bates, 2010). Results indicated that student SBHC use was not associated with self-reported health status, physical activity, or academic performance. While this study addressed gaps in SBHC literature, such as the lack of longitudinal methods, additional research is needed to better understand these relationships. Implications for future SBHC research, policy, and practice are discussed.
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Title: A synthesis of bear population dynamics in Michigan
Creator: Mayhew, Sarah Laggner
Date: 2019
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: "The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages the black bear (Ursus americanus) population of Michigan primarily through manipulating the harvest by adjusting the quota of hunting licenses. Estimates of the bear population play a key role in determining the appropriate license quota to achieve the DNR's bear population objectives. Past population estimates were unreliable or infrequent, so we developed a statistical catch-at-age analysis (SCAA) of the Upper Peninsula (UP) and...
Show more"The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages the black bear (Ursus americanus) population of Michigan primarily through manipulating the harvest by adjusting the quota of hunting licenses. Estimates of the bear population play a key role in determining the appropriate license quota to achieve the DNR's bear population objectives. Past population estimates were unreliable or infrequent, so we developed a statistical catch-at-age analysis (SCAA) of the Upper Peninsula (UP) and northern Lower Peninsula (NLP) bear populations of Michigan from 1992-2015 to inform the bear management program and to allow the DNR to more closely monitor changes in the bear population over time. To support the models, we estimated the aging and sexing error rates of harvested Michigan black bears. We estimated aging error by comparing the true age of known-age bears to the age determined through cementum annuli aging techniques. Aging error rates were low (2%) at the lowest age categories and increased as bear age increased. We also estimated the sexing error rates by comparing the genetic sex of harvested bears to the sex hunters reported at the time of harvest. Sexing error was higher for females than males and differed by region. The error rates we estimated, however, were unlikely to have major effects on analyses based on sex and age data unless those data were heavily skewed toward one sex and the sexes exhibited large differences in age distribution. We also described the reproductive patterns of Michigan black bears and looked for reproductive trends over age, time and geographic region. Results showed differences between the UP and NLP. Adult females in the UP began breeding at an older age than those in the NLP and had smaller litters. By 4 years old, however, the proportion of females that bred each year was approximately 50% in each region, with only occasional major fluctuations, likely due to catastrophic mast failures. Overall, the Michigan black bear populations are as or more productive than other black bear populations in eastern North America. We developed the SCAA models for both the UP and NLP regions of Michigan to monitor the black bear population and to support the DNR's need to assess effects of past management and support decisions on future management actions. Within each region, the final selected models showed a stable to slightly increasing bear population in the UP and an increasing population in the NLP from 1992 to 2015. Model evaluation raised no major concerns of model behavior. Sensitivity analysis showed the models to be insensitive to simplifying assumptions and available data, except for the availability of mark-recapture population estimates. We recommend the DNR continue to estimate the bear populations through independent mark-recapture surveys or other means every 5 years. The SCAA models provide evidence of a stable bear population in the UP and an increasing population in the NLP. The bear populations' high annual mortality rates are offset by high fecundity."--Pages ii-iii.
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Title: Regional and national trends in Lepidoptera collecting in the United States since 1800
Creator: Fischer, Erica E.
Date: 2019
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Though natural history collections began as private demonstrations of wealth and knowledge, they are now places of public learning and depositories of biodiversity. Insects have been collected for their beauty and small size since the beginnings of natural history collections, making them ideal for studies of long-term collecting patterns.This thesis project characterizes collecting efforts focused on butterflies and moths within the United States, both at the institutional and national level...
Show moreThough natural history collections began as private demonstrations of wealth and knowledge, they are now places of public learning and depositories of biodiversity. Insects have been collected for their beauty and small size since the beginnings of natural history collections, making them ideal for studies of long-term collecting patterns.This thesis project characterizes collecting efforts focused on butterflies and moths within the United States, both at the institutional and national level. The A. J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection (ARC) at Michigan State University contains 96,618 databased Lepidoptera specimens, predominantly collected in the state of Michigan. The ARC has a long history of involvement by avocational collectors, both in terms of specimen donation and curation. Their contributions grew significantly in the 1950s. However, the number of specimens added annually by both professionals and non-professionals has decreased greatly since 1970. More than 1 million Lepidoptera specimens held in various US collections were also used to examine trends in Lepidoptera collecting nationally. Collecting has been inconsistent over time and markedly on the decline since the 1990s. States are not evenly represented in this dataset, mirroring the inconsistency seen in county representation among Michigan specimens in the ARC. This uneven distribution is at least partially associated with a lack of funding for databasing and other areas of curatorial effort for insect collections, in addition to a decrease in natural history education in K-12 and undergraduate curriculums.
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Title: Michigan stream salmonid growth and survival in a changing climate : predictions and implications for resilience-based management
Creator: Carlson, Andrew Kenneth
Date: 2019
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: "From biodiversity and aesthetic beauty to recreation and water for human use (e.g., municipal, industrial, agricultural), streams and rivers are socioeconomically and ecologically vital ecosystems. Coldwater streams and their biota are particularly unique, but they are increasingly threatened by climate change and associated temperature warming, changing hydrology (e.g., groundwater input, temperature; precipitation magnitude, intensity, frequency), and modifications to thermal and physical...
Show more"From biodiversity and aesthetic beauty to recreation and water for human use (e.g., municipal, industrial, agricultural), streams and rivers are socioeconomically and ecologically vital ecosystems. Coldwater streams and their biota are particularly unique, but they are increasingly threatened by climate change and associated temperature warming, changing hydrology (e.g., groundwater input, temperature; precipitation magnitude, intensity, frequency), and modifications to thermal and physical habitats that support aquatic organism growth, reproduction, and survival. As such, monitoring and modeling of stream thermal-hydrological regimes are important for sustainable management of coldwater fishes -- including Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), Brown Trout (Salmo trutta), and Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss ) -- in a changing climate. Ultimately, stream salmonid management decisions should foster social-ecological resilience -- the ability to retain robust stream ecosystems and human systems amid stressors such as climate change -- and promote resilience-based management. Using Michigan trout streams as a case study, the objectives of this dissertation were to: (1) Develop stream-specific temperature models to forecast stream thermal regimes and project thermal habitat suitability for Brook Trout, Brown Trout, and Rainbow Trout growth and survival throughout Michigan amid climate change; (2) Compare stream-specific and generalized (i.e., region-specific) temperature models relative to their accuracy (i.e., exactness of temperature prediction) and efficiency (i.e., applicability at management-relevant spatial extents) to develop a model implementation and evaluation approach that can be used for salmonid management programs in Michigan and beyond; (3) Integrate stream temperature modeling results with other thermal habitat information (e.g., groundwater input, watershed and riparian land use/land cover) and trout relative abundance to create a decision-support tool to assist fisheries professionals in operationalizing resilience-based salmonid management within and beyond Michigan in a changing climate; (4) Develop an approach for incorporating precipitation and groundwater into stream temperature modeling and thermal habitat management amid climate change. Climate change will affect Michigan stream trout in ways that vary among streams and populations. In most groundwater-dominated streams, thermal habitats can be accurately modeled and effectively managed using a generalized (i.e., region-specific) approach. However, stream-specific temperature modeling is considerably more accurate than a generalized approach in surface runoff-dominated systems, where the increased resource expenditure (e.g., money, time, personnel) associated with stream-specific modeling may be justified in systems containing high-priority fisheries resources (e.g. trophy individuals, endangered species). Decision-support tools are valuable for synthesizing biological, hydrological, and thermal data in ways that foster informed management decision-making on local and regional scales. Similarly, developing precipitation- and groundwater-corrected stream temperature models is important for accurate, efficient thermal habitat projections that promote resilience-based salmonid management in a changing climate."--Pages ii-iii.
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Title: Interseeding cover crops in corn : evaluating establishment, competitiveness, herbicide options, and ecosystem services
Creator: Brooker, Aaron Patrick
Date: 2019
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Farmers could enhance crop diversity in their farming systems by interseeding cover crops in corn in late May and June in corn rotations in the Upper Midwest. Recommendations must be developed for cover crop species, seeding rates, and interseeding timings that optimize cover crop growth and enhance corn production. Weeds must be controlled, and cover crops must establish in this system. Cover crops influence soil health in long term studies; however, the influence of interseeded cover crops...
Show moreFarmers could enhance crop diversity in their farming systems by interseeding cover crops in corn in late May and June in corn rotations in the Upper Midwest. Recommendations must be developed for cover crop species, seeding rates, and interseeding timings that optimize cover crop growth and enhance corn production. Weeds must be controlled, and cover crops must establish in this system. Cover crops influence soil health in long term studies; however, the influence of interseeded cover crops on soil enzymes, soil structure, and nutrient cycling has not been reported. In Michigan, two experiments were conducted from 2015-2017 and one experiment from 2017-2019. In the first experiment, annual ryegrass, crimson clover, oilseed radish and a mixture of the three species were broadcast interseeded at each of the V1 through V7 corn stages at a single seeding rate. Cover crop and weed density and biomass were measured during the growing season, at the time of corn harvest, and the following spring. Soil samples were taken in the spring in the year following interseeding and analyzed for inorganic N, extracellular enzyme activity, and aggregate stability. Corn was planted as an indicator crop and sampled for C and N content. In the second experiment, preemergence (PRE) and postemergence (POST) herbicides were applied, and cover crops interseeded at the V3 and V6 corn stages. Cover crops were evaluated in October for injury and stand loss. A greenhouse trial was also included to evaluate cover crop response to herbicides. In the third experiment, the same three cover crop species and a mixture of annual ryegrass and crimson clover were interseeded at three seeding rates in V3 and V6 corn. Establishment, biomass, and corn grain yield were collected using the same methods as previously described. Eight on-farm locations were interseeded with the same cover crop species at the 1X rate at the V3 and V6 corn stages. All plots were flown with a fixed-wing aircraft to measure canopy temperature. Small-plots were flown with UAV to acquire multispectral imagery to determine NDVI and NDRE. In years with normal or below normal precipitation, annual ryegrass and oilseed radish produced the highest biomass. Establishment improved when seeding on tilled soil compared with no-till soil. All cover crop species established, regardless of tillage, with above normal rainfall. Both annual ryegrass and crimson clover established when interseeded as a mixture at the seeding rates used. Increasing seeding rates usually increased biomass production. Cover crops could be interseeded at any time from V1-V7 corn if weeds were controlled. No cover crop species was competitive with summer annual weeds; annual ryegrass was the only species that overwintered and suppressed winter annual weeds. There were PRE and POST options for weed control with all cover crop species, but farmers must be mindful of herbicide and cover crop combinations. Delaying interseeding until V6 may reduce injury from some PRE herbicides. In the year of interseeding, cover crops did not reduce corn grain yield; therefore, remote imagery was not able to detect changes in corn health. Remote imagery detected cover crop establishment in the V3 interseedings prior to corn canopy closure; remote imagery did not detect less thermal stress where cover crops were interseeded. Annual ryegrass plots had reduced spring inorganic N content, and this sometimes translated to reduced N in the indicator corn crop. Success of broadcast interseeded cover crops is highly depended on adequate precipitation; this practice would be especially successful where summer rainfall is consistent or in irrigated systems. Benefits of cover crops are likely to be realized over multiple years of interseeding; farmers must balance goals of cover cropping with costs of seeding when selecting species, seeding rates, and weed control options.
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Title: Education, employability, and the American workforce : manufacturing perceptions of credentials, motivations for supporting degree completion and barriers to adult enrollment
Creator: Gardner, Alexander C.
Date: 2019
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: "This study examines manufacturing employer perceptions of postsecondary credentials, the ways in which they find them valuable, and explores the barriers employers identify which prevent employees from enrolling in employer sponsored continuing education programs. In total, 14 staff members were interviewed representing five manufacturing employers and one manufacturing association. The results of this study yield seven themes related to the questions under study: (1) Credentials are...
Show more"This study examines manufacturing employer perceptions of postsecondary credentials, the ways in which they find them valuable, and explores the barriers employers identify which prevent employees from enrolling in employer sponsored continuing education programs. In total, 14 staff members were interviewed representing five manufacturing employers and one manufacturing association. The results of this study yield seven themes related to the questions under study: (1) Credentials are valuable for advanced technical and professional positions, (2) Postsecondary degrees are often required for leadership and supervisory positions, (3) Postsecondary credentials are not essential for the majority of entry and mid-level manufacturing positions now or in the near future, (4) Most employers are willing to support employee training if is directly related to work, (5) The majority of manufacturing employers do offer some form of tuition reimbursement, (6) The lack of employee participation in tuition reimbursement programs is multi-faceted, and (7) Education is not a priority among adults without a postsecondary degree. Associated implications related to Lumina Foundation's Goal 2025 and the completion agenda are discussed along with potential opportunities to improve experienced adult postsecondary credential attainment."--Page ii.
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Title: Integrated pest management strategies for control of potato early die in Michigan potato systems
Creator: Cole, Emilie
Date: 2019
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Root lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus penetrans) in conjunction with the fungal pathogen Verticillium dahliae create the disease complex, potato early die, which can drastically reduce potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) yields. In Michigan, this disease complex is often managed using broad-spectrum soil fumigants such as methyl bromide, metam sodium and 1,3- dichloropropene, which can be harmful to applicators as well as soil and environmental health. Since the phase-out of methyl bromide in 2005,...
Show moreRoot lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus penetrans) in conjunction with the fungal pathogen Verticillium dahliae create the disease complex, potato early die, which can drastically reduce potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) yields. In Michigan, this disease complex is often managed using broad-spectrum soil fumigants such as methyl bromide, metam sodium and 1,3- dichloropropene, which can be harmful to applicators as well as soil and environmental health. Since the phase-out of methyl bromide in 2005, alternative control tactics to soil fumigants have become increasingly important to potato growers. In this thesis I investigated the use of (1) manures and manure-based composts and (2) non-fumigant nematicides and fungal-based biocontrols and their efficacy in reducing potato early die incidence. In laboratory trials, poultry manure and a blend of poultry and dairy manure compost (Layer Ash Blend) provided significant control of root lesion nematodes with 0% survivorship at rates of 5% (vol/vol) or higher. In field trials, I did not observe significant (P < 0.05) reductions in nematode populations regardless of treatment but did see a reduction in germinating V. dahliae microsclerotia in plots treated with poultry manure. Of the nematicides tested, Salibro treatments significantly reduced root lesion nematode and V. dahliae populations. From this research, it is clear that non-fumigant alternatives are possible for Michigan potato growers.
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Title: Curriculum and career development events : preparation strategies for knowledge and skill transfer in the Michigan environmental skills CDE
Creator: Pauley, Catlin M.
Date: 2019
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: School-based agricultural education (SBAE) offers copious opportunities through the classroom and career development events (CDEs), among other contexts, to prepare students with knowledge and skills related to agriculture, food, and natural resources (AFNR) careers and life. However, lack of empirical data evaluating student outcomes associated with varied curriculum and CDE connections forces AFNR educators to make preparation decisions without knowledge of the potential impact on student...
Show moreSchool-based agricultural education (SBAE) offers copious opportunities through the classroom and career development events (CDEs), among other contexts, to prepare students with knowledge and skills related to agriculture, food, and natural resources (AFNR) careers and life. However, lack of empirical data evaluating student outcomes associated with varied curriculum and CDE connections forces AFNR educators to make preparation decisions without knowledge of the potential impact on student learning and performance. The current study sought to address the identified problem in a specific Michigan SBAE context by determining the relationship between Michigan AFNR educators' environment and natural resources curriculum and the Michigan FFA Environmental Skills CDE and associated student outcomes. Quantitative survey methodology was utilized to collect and analyze data from the target population, all Michigan AFNR educators during the 2017-2018 school year. Findings identify a small, positive correlation between the Environmental Skills CDE and curriculum spectrum (CDECS) alignment and student outcomes of rank in the CDE and performance on high-order educational objective components. Additionally, AFNR educator characteristics which influence the Environmental Skills CDECS alignment were identified. Findings support Bronfenbrenner's (1979b; 2005) ecological systems theory, the framework for the current study. Recommendations are provided for Michigan AFNR educators, teacher educators, CDE coordinators, and researchers to improve student learning through CDE and curriculum connections.
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Title: Change of heart : the influence of the external environment on academic library collections
Creator: Dean, Jennifer Lynn
Date: 2019
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: "The academic library, affectionately referred to as the heart of the campus due to its physical and metaphorical centrality to academic life, has undergone significant change since the 1990s. The advent of the internet and rapid advances in technology have wrought wide-ranging change in academic libraries. Although the library literature confirms the changing environment surrounding academic libraries and librarians, many library papers are individual accounts of processes and best practices...
Show more"The academic library, affectionately referred to as the heart of the campus due to its physical and metaphorical centrality to academic life, has undergone significant change since the 1990s. The advent of the internet and rapid advances in technology have wrought wide-ranging change in academic libraries. Although the library literature confirms the changing environment surrounding academic libraries and librarians, many library papers are individual accounts of processes and best practices with little connection to the literature on organizational change. This dissertation study focuses on changes in academic library collections and collection development and acquisitions (CDA) practices. The collection is perceived by administrators, faculty, students, and librarians themselves as centrally important to the library and the institution. Although the library collection is essential to teaching, learning, and research, it has received little attention in the higher education literature. I interviewed 14 librarians at two regional, public, research institutions in Michigan. Using Resource Dependence Theory (RDT) to frame this study and analyze the results, I examined the role of the external environment and its influence on the strategies academic librarians used to perform CDA work. Participants identified funding, curriculum, faculty, students, administrators, and vendors and publishers as environmental influences, indicating that the library functioned as a separate organization within its institution. Librarians employed a variety of strategies to manage environmental constraints, maintain balance, and preserve library and academic culture, including information gathering, communication, budgetary management, and relying on collection use data."--Page ii.
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Title: Course Conditions. (2018-19 Winter)
Date: 2018-12/2019-03
Collection: Course Conditions

Title: Interview with Robert Noto and Kristine Zayko about their roles in the administration of the Michigan State University Faculty Grievance Policy
Creator: Zayko, Kristine
Date: 2018-12-20
Collection: G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
Description: Former Michigan State University Vice Presidents for Legal Affairs and General Counsels, Robert Noto and Kristine Zayko, talk about their roles in the administration of the Faculty Grievance Policy (FGP). Noto says that as General Counsel he worked with the MSU Provost to write the university's responses to faculty grievances and explains the process of crafting such a response and the concern that the MSU Provost's always had for treating faculty fairly. Zayko says that she primarily...
Show moreFormer Michigan State University Vice Presidents for Legal Affairs and General Counsels, Robert Noto and Kristine Zayko, talk about their roles in the administration of the Faculty Grievance Policy (FGP). Noto says that as General Counsel he worked with the MSU Provost to write the university's responses to faculty grievances and explains the process of crafting such a response and the concern that the MSU Provost's always had for treating faculty fairly. Zayko says that she primarily provided advice to MSU department chairs and deans and coached them through the grievance process and rarely appeared at a grievance hearing herself. They both talk about changes made to the FGP through the years and how those changes were carried out. Zayko and Noto are interviewed by Robert Banks, former MSU associate provost and associate vice president for Academic Human Resources and John Revitte, MSU professor emeritus of Labor Studies.
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