General Problem Cattlemen of south central Utah in Sevier and Wayne County areas have been plagued for the past twenty-five or thirty years by a malady known to the cattleman as "Brisket Disease." It is a chronic disease affecting both male and female of all ages. It is characterized in advance stages by enlargement of the brisket and throat regions, loss of appetite, a general unthrifty condition and marked ascites. The seriousness of the disease is indicated by a morbidity rate varying from one to five percent of the cattle grazing these areas with almost one hundred percent mortality rate. Many of the people of these southern Utah counties depend largely on livestock for their livelihood. In order for the livestock industry of these counties to operate as an economical and profitable enterprise, a better performance of the animals on summer ranges and a decrease in the death loss must be obtained. Scope The information contained in this thesis is the result of observation and data collected from the cattle grazing on 7-mile, U. M, and Sheep Valley Ranges, during the summers of 1948 through 1953. The work reported consists of forage analyses, blood analyses, liver biopsies, gross and histopathological studies of the tissues of affected animals. Controlled experiments were carried out to note if mineral supplements would prevent the disease. The sick animals were treated on the range at the same elevation to see if they could be cured. Purpose The purpose for undertaking the study was to determine the etiology and nature of the disease as it is manifested by symptoms and pathology; and to develop methods of treatment and control.

The effect of genotype on the occurrence of ovulation and estrus during the interval from lambing to ovulation accompanied by estrus (postpartum interval) was measured in White-Face and Black-Face ewes that lambed during the breeding season in 1986 and 1987. A group of St. Croix ewes was added to the study in 1987. The influence of lactation on the events of the postpartum interval was measured by comparing intact and mastectomized White-Face and Black-Face ewes. The effect of prolactin on postpartum interval was measured in these two genotypes and in a group of bromocriptine-treated Black-Face ewes that lambed in 1986. 1. The interval between parturition and first ovulation was not influenced by genotype or lactation but differed between years (P<.05). 2. The number of ovarian cycles (estimated by progesterone levels) and the interval between parturition and ovulation accompanied by estrus was not different among treatment groups, but the bromocriptine-treated ewes had a shorter postpartum interval (P<.05). 3. The interval from lambing to conception, conception rate and number of estrous cycles to conception (not measured in St. Croix ewes) did not differ among treatments or years. The results of this experiment suggest that the events of the postpartum interval and time from lambing to conception are not influenced by genotype or lactation and that the earlier occurrence of estrus does not reduce the time of conception. The results of hormone profiles suggest that the low LH levels present during early postpartum (around day 10) are sufficient to induce ovulation and estrus. Prolactin secretion on the day of lambing is independent of the presence of the mammary gland and decreases within a week in nonlactating ewes. Concentration of prolactin apparently does not contribute to the length of the postpartum interval.

Purpose Wool is still the most valuable and the most versatile fiber used by man. Many questions regarding its production have gone unanswered for centuries. This problem is undertaken in the hope of contributing information which might be used in further study on the problem of wool density. It is recognized that wool density is one of the four major factors affecting the total clean wool production of a sheep. If length of staple, diameter of fiber, and total surface area remain constant, an increase in density brings about a corresponding increase in total production of clean wool. Wool fibers are produced by glands, called fiber follicles, beneath the surface of the skin. Density is controlled by the number of these follicles functioning within a given area. Before great improvement in density can be made, it is necessary to know the mode of inheritance, it is necessary to know the density of each individual involved. Counting the fibere from any sizeable area is not practicable. Therefore, a technique is necessary for sampling the sheep and estimating the density on the basis of sampling figures. Scope The Wira Fleece Caliper is probably the most popular instrument used in sampling for density. To determine the most effective method of using the Wira Caliper, different-sized samples are taken from a given area. Both sides of each sheep are tested, and sheep from different breeds are sampled. Density on all samples is determined by a standard laboratory procedure. The results are statistically analyzed to determine the variation in density as obtained by the different sample sizes. In addition to the main objective, the variation in density between breeds, between sheep of the same brood, and the variation in density between sides on the same sheep is determined.

A series of experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of adding an exogenous proteolytic enzyme (EPE) on the growth performance of beef steers fed growing and finishing diets containing 30% dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS; Exp. 1), and results corroborated by in vitro ruminal fermentation in continuous cultures (Exp. 2). In Exp. 1, 48 group-penned Angus crossbred steers were randomly assigned to 2 treatments (n = 6) in a completely randomized design: DDGS TMR (DT) without and with EPE (27 mg of azocasein hydrolyzed/min/kg DM TMR). The addition of EPE during the growing phase increased DMI (P = 0.02), but had no effects on final BW, BW change, ADG, and G:F. Adding EPE during the growing phase decreased NDF digestibility, whereas the digestibility of DM, CP, and ADF were not affected. There was a tendency for both ADG (P = 0.09) and final BW (P = 0.11) to increase during the finishing phase without affecting BW change and G:F. As opposed to the growing phase, EPE increased digestibility (P < 0.04) of DM, CP, NDF, and ADF. In Exp. 2, 4 dietary treatments were assessed in continuous cultures; non-DDGS TMR (NDT) or DT finishing beef steer diet was combined without or with EPE in a 2 × 2 factorial design. The DT was the same diet used as the finishing diet in Exp. 1, and dose rate of EPE was the same as Exp. 1. Feeding the DT increased total VFA concentration (P = 0.01) which corresponded with a decreased (P < 0.01) pH compared with the NDT diet (5.8 vs. 6.0) regardless of EPE supplementation. Supplementing EPE tended to increase (P = 0.07) the total VFA concentration in both diets, but only increased digestibility of DM, OM, and NDF when added to the DT diet (P < 0.05), leading to tendencies on TMR × enzyme interaction (P < 0.10). Addition of the EPE product assessed in this study resulted in positive responses in Exp. 1 and 2 when added to finishing beef steer diets, and thus it is clear that use of protease enzyme products may be more effective in high concentrate diets such as finishing beef steer diets containing DDGS.

Female Spanish x Dairy cross goats were divided into three reproductive phases--breeding season or cyclic (20), seasonal anestrus (20), and early postpartum (20). Each group of animals was further divided into three treatments--control (10), Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) treated (5), and pituitary Luteinizing Hormone (LH) (5). During each of the above mentioned reproductive phases, the following were measured: progesterone and LH profiles, serum LH levels following GnRH injection, pituitary LH concentration and ovarian responses following GnRH treatment. Progesterone levels indicative of luteal development were present only in the breeding season. Progesterone levels during the seasonal anestrous and postpartum periods were 0.65 ± 0.03 and 0.3 ± 0.02 ng/ml, respectively, and significantly different (P<0.01) The LH surge mechanism was operational only in breeding season does,showing LH peaks of 187.86 ± 3.95 ng/ml an average of 13.2 ± 1.47 hours after the onset of estrus. LH levels returned to 2 ng/ml by 48 hours post estrus. There was an inverse relationship between plasma progesterone and LH with mean LH levels of 1.1 ± 0.13 ng/ml during the luteal phase of the cycle. Serum LH levels during the seasonal anestrous and postpartum period were 0.71 ± 0.02 and 0.32 ± 0.02 ng/ml, respectively. These differences in tonic LH secretion were significant. Tonic LH levels (0.5 ± 0.2 ng/ml) were recorded in all does, regardless of the reproductive phase, prior to the initial injection of GnRH. Serum LH increased to 182.96 ± 54.56, 209.38 ± 41.38, and 97.84 ± 55.84 ng/ml, these peak levels were recorded at 114 ± 4, 135 ± 7, and 135 ± 11 minutes post injection in cyclic, seasonal anestrous, and postpartum does, respectively. Response to the second injection was more rapid and heightened, peaks were achieved from 27 ± 3 to 66 ± 14 minutes post injection, LH peak levels were higher than those recorded following the first injection. Postpartum animals showed reduced responses in all cases. Pituitary LH concentrations were 1711 ± 378, 2069 ± 265, and 3542 ± 398 μg LH/g tissue in the postpartum, seasonal anestrous, and cyclic animals respectively. Because of high nonspecific binding, these concentrations are considered as estimates, nevertheless, trends observed are considered to be real.

Highway mortality of deer (Odocoileus sp.) is a nationwide concern. In 1991, 538,000 deer-vehicle collisions occurred nationwide. Property damage to vehicles, human injuries and fatalities, and potential impacts to local deer populations occur from deer-vehicle collisions. Techniques have been evaluated to reduce highway mortality of deer; however, an effective, cost-efficient solution does not exist for widespread use. If mitigative technologies are to be successful, we need to understand deer behavior and movement patterns associated with highway relationships. Most research about highway deer kills has focused on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in mixed hardwood habitat types. The following study pertains to mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in a mountain brush and sagebrush-grass zone. The study area was located at the site of the newly constructed Jordanelle Reservoir near Park City, Utah. Area roads were relocated due to inundation of existing highways. Preconstruction road-kill was docwnented to be 0.29 kills/km. Annual road-kill levels of 278 (5.9 kills/km) and 119 (2.5 kills/km) deer occurred along the new roads from October 1991 to October 1993. Even though there was a 64.2% reduction in observed deer density, second year mortality was still 9 times the pre-project kill. A study design of road-kill data collection and repetitive spotlight censuses was used to compare levels and composition of deer road-kills to that of the living population. Deer-vehicle collision levels tracked large population fluctuations. Deer behavior predisposed deer to mortality. Numbers of road-killed deer peaked in the fall of both years, coincident with breeding and hunting periods. Road-kill peaks also occurred in July and April of each year, respectively. Traffic characteristics, road alignment, and vegetative and topographic features were described relative to mule deer kill locations (recorded to the .10 mile). Traffic volume and percent vegetative cover were higher along US40 than either state route; road-kills were correspondingly higher along US40. Roads adjacent to agricultural areas along all routes sustained the fewest highway mortalities of deer. Deer approached roads along drainages; large drainages intersected highways in 79% of designated kill areas. Right-of-way vegetation and slope influenced kill locations.

Dam building activity by North American Beaver (Castor canadensis) alters the timing and delivery of stream water and facilitates groundwater infiltration, overall increasing natural water storage behind and adjacent to dams. At the stream reach scale, increased water storage often alters hydrologic regimes by attenuating annual, and storm-event hydrographs, and increasing base flows. In the montane west, the most important water storage reservoirs are not human-made dams, but mountain snowpack, which slowly releases water through a mix of runoff and infiltration. Given estimates of decreasing snowpack with warming temperatures, beaver dams could provide a conceptually similar function to snowpack by delaying the delivery of precipitation by increasing surface and groundwater storage, thus lengthening residence time as water travels downstream. However, lack of predictive methods for modeling storage increases associated with relatively small magnitude beaver ponds at large spatial scales has precluded further investigation of this hypothesis. I address this knowledge gap by supplementing existing empirical data regarding the height of beaver dams and implement these empirical height distributions to develop the Beaver Dam Surface Water Estimation Algorithm (Chapter 2), a predictive model estimating beaver pond water storage that can be applied spatially at large scales. I then apply this model to estimate potential surface water storage and parameterize a groundwater model to estimate resulting groundwater storage increases for the entire Bear River basin under four different beaver dam capacity scenarios (Chapter 3). Estimated water storage changes from beaver dams are presented in the context of expected reductions in average annual maximum snow water equivalent, and existing and proposed reservoir storage within the basin. While the water storage provided by beaver dams is only a small fraction of expected snow water equivalent loss, it is not insubstantial and may prove beneficial for ecosystems where human-made reservoirs are not available to regulate hydrologic regimes. These results also stress the importance of further research examining how the cumulative effects of dams may affect the timing of runoff under changing precipitation regimes.

This thesis presents two separate experiments concerning aerobic and anaerobic amphibian energetics. The first study (Part I) investigates differential alterations in the kinetics of the anaerobic enzyme lactate dehydrogenase, in nine species of anurans with varying natural histories. The second study (Part II) studies changes in different anaerobic and aerobic physiological parameters in a single species (Rana catesbeiana) after six weeks of chronic exercised, unexercised-captive and for field frogs. The common theme of these two experiments involves the potential for physiological changes due to environmental stress. Part I examines different species to infer a possible evolutionary relationship to environmental stresses at the molecular level of lactate dehydrogenase. Part II comprises the effects on captivity on aerobic and anaerobic capacities of R. catesbeiana,

Mechanisms of how red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis) travel up to 18 km from summer feeding sites to hibernation dens are not understood. In this study, monthly and seasonal trailing behavior were investigated to determine whether red-sided garter snakes prefer to follow trails of snakes from the same den (den-mates) versus trails made by other conspecifics (non-den-mates). Snakes from five different hibernacula in Manitoba, Canada, were involved in the study. Eighteen were adults and 15 were subadults. Subadult red-sided garter snakes do not return to hibernacula until their second year of life, so their trailing behavior was of interest in learning how they might first find hibernation sites.

Long-Evans rats were raised from birth to eight weeks of age at 5°C, 20°C and 30°C. Blood was taken from animals two to eight weeks of age and assayed for growth hormone and thyroid stimulating hormone. The 30°C reared rats were found to have the longest ear, tail and hind limbs, followed by the 20°C reared rats. The 5°C rats were found to have the shortest ear, tail and hind limb. The 30°C and 5°C reared rats were found to have similar masses at the termination of the experiment. The 20°C reared rats had the smallest mass. Differences in size between the three groups when compared on a weekly basis were not found to be related to weekly obtained serum levels of growth hormone and thyroid stimulating hormone. Food consumption was greatest for the 5°C reared rats followed by the 20°C reared rats. The 5°C reared rats were found to have the lowest routine metabolic rate in the 5°C chamber. The 20°C reared rats were found to have the lowest routine metabolic rate in both the 20°c and 30°C chamber. When 30°C and 20°C reared rats were put in the 5°C chamber with the 5°C reared rats, they initially lost mass, however after three weeks in the 5°C chamber they began to gain mass. The 30°C reared rats gained mass at a greater rate than did the 20°C reared rats. The 5°C reared rats continued to gain mass throughout this period. While in the 5°C chamber the total food consumption of the 20°c reared rats was the greatest, whereas the 5°C and 30°C reared rats consumed similar amounts of food.