Thesis (M.A.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Anthropology, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 84-93).

Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Communications, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 173-180).

Using Coachella Valley's Salton Sea ecosystem as a model, several multidisciplinary wetland activities for grades three to six were developed. A resource guide for educators is included.

This thesis examines press coverage in the Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune of five female politicians in Utah history: Martha Hughes Cannon (1896), Reva Beck Bosone (1948), Karen Shepherd (1992), Enid Greene Waldholtz (1994), and Olene S. Walker (2003). A total of 438 articles were reviewed using qualitative textual analysis. Coverage by candidate varied, though it was not in general overtly biased concerning candidate gender. However, the press did call attention to the gender of candidate and gendered commentary was present. The press also called attention to the rarity of women running for high political office and addressed the ability of candidates to balance the roles of wife/mother/homemaker with a political career. This thesis contributes to the overall understanding of newspaper coverage of female politicians and provides a window into the cultural as well as political history of Utah. Suggestions for further research about media coverage of female politicians are made.

Invasive plants can outcompete native plants, replacing diverse plant communities with monocultures, which can negatively impact the whole ecosystem. One invasive plant, Phragmites australis, has invaded wetlands across North America. In Utah’s Great Salt Lake, it has greatly reduced the area of native plants that are important habitat for migratory birds. Here we describe experiments that assess multiple treatments for Phragmites removal and evaluate the return of native plants after Phragmites management. The treatments were applied to Phragmites patches at two scales (small 1/4-acre plots and large 3-acre plots) and across multiple sites to evaluate how patch size and environmental differences can influence the plants that return after Phragmites removal. The treatments (applied over 3 years and monitored two more) compared two different herbicides (glyphosate and imazapyr) and different herbicide and mowing timings. The treatments evaluated in the large patch study were 1.) untreated control 2.) fall glyphosate, winter mow, 3.) summer imazapyr, winter mow, 4.) summer glyphosate, winter mow. The treatments evaluated in the small patch study included treatments 1-4 above plus 5.) summer mow, fall glyphosate, 6.) summer mow, then black plastic solarization. In the small patches, we also monitored the seeds in the soil to assess how Phragmites management treatments can change the densities of Phragmites and native seeds. Fall glyphosate treatments were superior for Phragmites cover reduction. After the initial treatment, summer herbicide and mow treatments reduced Phragmites seed production, while fall glyphosate did not. Phragmites seeds were plentiful in the soil but were reduced following three years of all herbicide treatments. Native plant recovery following Phragmites management was extremely variable across sites. Sites with high soil moisture had better Phragmites removal and more native plants. But when flooding was deep, native plants were rare. Native seed density in the soil did not change due to Phragmites management, but soil seed densities were different across sites, which influenced native plant recruitment. Phragmites was removed more effectively and native plants returned in greater numbers in small patches compared with large. This was because small patches were typically near established native plant communities, which likely provided more native plant seeds and had hydrology that was less disturbed by human activity. In sites where native plants do not return after Phragmites management, practitioners may need to try revegetation with native plant seeds to restore important native plant communities.

Snowy plovers (Charadrius nivosus) are small, ground-nesting shorebirds that are a species of conservation concern throughout North America. Despite increased efforts to understand factors contributing to the decline of snowy plover, little is known about habitat selection and breeding ecology of snowy plover for the large population found in the Great Basin. We tested hypotheses concerning the occupancy and nesting success of snowy plover. First, we identified factors influencing snowy plover nest survival at Great Salt Lake, Utah. We hypothesized that snowy plover would demonstrate differences in nest survival rates across years due to differences in habitat characteristics, predator abundance, human influence, resource availability, and fluctuating water levels. We conducted nest surveys at five sites along the Great Salt Lake to locate new nests or monitor known nests until nest fate was determined. We found 608 nests between 2003, 2005-2010, and 2012. The most common cause of nest failure was predation, followed by weather, abandonment, and trampling. Nest survival estimates ranged from 4.6 -- 46.4% with considerable yearly variation. There was no correlation between researcher activity (visits to nests and trapping of adults) and nest survival. Nests in close proximity to roads had lower survival than nests far from roads. Nests located on barren mudflats also had lower survival than nests in vegetated areas or near debris. We found that nests had a higher probability of survival as they increased in incubation stage. Because nesting areas around the Great Salt Lake host some of the largest concentrations of breeding snowy plover in North America, we suggest that managers consider measures to maintain suitable nesting habitat for snowy plover. Second, we determined factors affecting snowy plover occupancy and detection probabilities in western Utah between 2011 and 2012. We hypothesized that snowy plover would be associated with spring water flows and sparsely vegetated salt flats. We made repeated visits to randomly selected survey plots recording the number of snowy plover adults and habitat characteristics within each plot. We modeled the relationship between snowy plover detection probability and habitat and environmental characteristics. The detection probability was 77% (95% CI = 64 -- 86%) and did not vary by year. There was a positive relationship between ambient temperature and detection probability. Next, we modeled the relationship between snowy plover occupancy and individual habitat characteristics including distance to water, distance to roads, land cover types, and vegetative characteristics. Snowy plover occupancy did not vary by year and was estimated at 12% (95% CI = 7 -- 21%). Occupancy was best predicted by close proximity to water, playa land cover, and minimal shrub cover. We used habitat characteristics that best predicted snowy plover occupancy to generate a predictive habitat model that can help prioritize future snowy plover surveys and guide conservation efforts.

A biographical sketch of artist John B. Fairbanks, this thesis primarily probes Fairbanks' evolution as an artist. From amateur, to art missionary, to professional artist, Fairbanks influenced his cultural surroundings in Utah and in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His commitment to his career and his impact on others significantly affected Utah and Mormon art. Thus it is important to understand and recognize the full portrait of John B. Fairbanks.John B. Fairbanks, born on 27 December 1855, developed an interest in art while still young. Until reaching the age of thirty-four, he often worked as an amateur artist, eager to one day receive professional training. Although a difficult career path to follow, he maintained his focus on art and hoped for future opportunities in this field.In 1890, Fairbanks learned that he, along with artists John Hafen and Lorus Pratt, and later Edwin Evans and Herman Haag, would be subsidized by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to study art at the Académie Julian in Paris, France, in order to prepare them to paint murals in the Salt Lake Temple. As an art missionary, Fairbanks developed a more complete understanding of art and embraced the process of becoming an artist.Upon returning to Utah from Paris, Fairbanks helped paint murals in the Salt Lake Temple. Following this unique privilege, he worked as a professional artist. During this phase of his life, he had the opportunity to teach various students, most importantly, his sons J. Leo and Avard. In addition, Fairbanks created several substantial works and helped influence the cultural environment of the Church and the state of Utah.

This thesis found that the three communities of Midvale, Murray, and Sandy were the center of the smelting industry in the Salt Lake Valley. These communities became the center of smelting because of their central location, the readily available water supply, and the availability of an inexpensive, efficient transportation system to ship the bullion. The smelters were surrounded by two major mountain ranges which provided a ready supply of good lead, silver, and copper ore.The development of the smelting industry followed three separate phases or periods. The first phase was one of experimentation or period of discovery, in which the smelters operated without the technological skill necessary to be financially successful. The second phase was highlighted by the emergence of skilled German mining engineers who enabled the smelters to be financially successful. Phase three was ushered in during the late nineteenth century by the industrialists who consolidated the smaller smelters and built larger, more efficient plants.

Death customs perform a socially restorative function among cultures and are a meaningful expression of the value system of any particular culture. Death studies allow the examination of the values considered most significant by the studied culture. This thesis will examine and interpret the material culture recovered at two small cemeteries: Block 49, Utah, and Seccombe Lake, California. One result will show the material manifestation of Mormon religious beliefs in their mortuary practices. The final goal is to suggest that a more thorough examination of a religious sect's beliefs can create a general model of mortuary practices for that religious sect. From general models, we can begin to look at specific sites and understand the social, economic, and/or environmental forces that contribute to mortuary variability among members of the same religious organization.

This study paints a picture of prevalent attitudes toward the Mormon elderly in the nineteenth century. It identifies some characteristics of the aged population, and discusses feelings expressed by individual older persons about different aspects of their lives. It is a first step in gaining a greater understanding of how they fit into the larger pictures of old age and the Mormon Church in nineteenth century America.