The study of fine roots (FR) (roots < 2 mm in diameter) in the boreal forests has become a focus of many forest researchers in the past decade in an effort to better understand belowground processes and improve current carbon (C) models to better predict possible C sinks and sources. The objectives of this study were: 1) to determine the inter-annual variability in FR C production in relation to C cycling and other fluxes for four Saskatchewan boreal sites during a four year period, 2) to determine if minirhizotron (MR) estimates of root biomass were similar to root coring estimates, 3) to determine how root production, mortality, turnover, and longevity vary with root diameter class and soil depth, and 4) to determine if image collection orientation influenced estimates of FR biomass and production. Four Saskatchewan boreal sites including aspen (Populus tremuloides) (OA), black spruce (Picea mariana) (OBS), and two jack pine (Pinus banksiana) (mature OJP, young HJP94) stands were selected and MR were installed in July of 2002. Minirhizotron images were collected monthly from the end of May through September from 2003 to 2006. Total ecosystem C was estimated to be 47.5, 78.1, 163.1, and 450.5 Mg ha-1 for HJP94, OJP, OA, and OBS, respectively. The FR component of the ecosystem carbon storage ranged from 0.7 Mg ha-1 (1%) at HJP94 to 1.2 Mg ha-1 (< 1%) at OBS. Fine roots were found to contribute a very large portion of C production with estimates of 1.0, 0.6, 1.2, and 1.5 Mg ha-1 yr-1 accounting for 47, 27, 25, and 54% of total ecosystem C production at HJP94, OJP, OA, and OBS, respectively. In a one time comparison of MR and soil cores, FR biomass estimates were found to be similar at OJP, OA, and OBS, with MR estimates being significantly greater at HJP94. Approximately 85, 90, 96, and 96% of FR measured in this study were found to be less than 0.5 mm in diameter with median diameters of 0.250 ± 0.237, 0.225 ± 0.208, 0.175 ± 0.149 and 0.150 ± 0.149 (median ± SD) mm at HJP94, OJP, OA, and OBS, respectively. Fine root longevity was found to increase with increasing diameter and soil depth while turnover decreased. In many cases, it was found that even within a diameter interval of < 0.1 mm, differences in biomass, production, turnover, and longevity were detectable. This brings into question the use of the traditional 2 mm diameter class in FR studies. Fine root data, such as presented in this thesis, help to fill in some of the gaps in the knowledge base, enabling researchers to better understand the underground processes of the boreal forest and develop more complex and accurate C models.

This study examines curriculum vitae (CV) data from 447 scientists and engineers at academic research centers in the United States, ranging from post-doctoral researchers to full professors and research directors in order to figure out the pattern of scientific discipline trajectory and the relation of the scientists discipline mobility to productivity. This study shows that natural sciences have highest percentage of scientists who have the same bachelors degree field as their highest degree field and higher degree of mobility across the disciplines is negatively associated with their productivity. On the contrary, for life sciences, higher degree of mobility across the disciplines is positively associated with scientific productivity.

Bermuda has one of the highest concentrations of cave systems of any country in the world, but as the resident human population and tourism expand, this unique habitat is becoming increasingly threatened by development and water pollution. A water quality assessment was performed in six of Bermuda’s anchialine cave pools during summer 2007. Vertical water profiles were collected at each site to determine temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and pH levels throughout the water column. Each cave pool had its own unique hydrological patterns. Additionally, water samples were collected at the surface and at the maximum depth to determine the concentration of nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, phosphate, and urea in the water. Further samples were collected to establish the fecal bacteria content in the surface waters. High nitrate levels were measured in two of the cave pools, while unsafe bacterial levels were measured in three pools. In situ nutrient addition experiments were used to examine effects of nutrient enrichment on algae naturally occurring in the six cave pool. Initial assessments of the pools determined distribution of foliose species. Six algal species (Ulva sp., Caulerpa mexicana, C. racemosa, C. sertularioides, Halymenia floresii, and Cryptonemia sp.) inhabited multiple sites, but not all species occurred at all sites. Changes in the biomass of individual plants were recorded for 6 to 12 days in response to N (nitrate), P (phosphate), and NP additions. The effect of nutrient addition on increase in biomass was significant over a 6 day period for Ulva sp. and H. floresii. Intermediate to no growth was seen in C. mexicana and Cryptonemia sp. C. mexicana exhibited both increases and in biomass depending on the site. Cryptonemia sp. had low but positive growth. A significant decrease in biomass occurred with C. racemosa and C. sertularioides. Primary productivity was measured using the traditional light dark bottle method. Differences in net productivity and respiration may explain why some plants responded positively and other negatively to nutrient additions. Ulva sp. and H. floresii showed potential as bioindicators for groundwater quality.

Birth weight (BW) (n =1277) and weaning weight (WW) (n = 1090) of calves, pregnancy rate (PR) (n = 1386), calf crop born (CCB) (n = 1386), calf crop weaned (CCW) (n = 1294), cow’s weight at palpation (CW) (n = 1474) and cow body condition score (BCS) (n = 1473) were evaluated from 1994 to 2006 in 143 F1 cows sired by Brahman (B), Boran (Bo) and Tuli (T) bulls and born to Angus and Hereford cows. Mouth scores (MS) (n = 139) were assigned to the remaining cows in 2004 and 2005. Fixed effects included sire breed of cow, dam breed of cow, and calf’s birth year/age of cow; random effects included cow and sire of cow. BW and WW were evaluated using the same model and adding gender for both and age for WW. All two-way interactions were tested for significance. Calf’s birth year/age of dam was significant for all traits (P < 0.05) except WW. BW for calves out of F1 B, Bo and T bulls were 35.08, 34.76 and 34.87 kg, respectively, and were not different. WW differed (P < 0.05) for calves out of F1 B, Bo and T cows (235.87, 221.10 and 208.35 kg, respectively). PR (0.922, 0.955 and 0.936, respectively), CCB (0.881, 0.931, 0.890, respectively), CCW (0.848, 0.898 and 0.869, respectively), did not differ among F1 B, Bo and T cows. CW when cows were 8- or 9-year old were 600.78, 514.63 and 513.14 kg, respectively, for F1 B, Bo and T cows, with those sired by B being heaviest (P < 0.05). BCS for B-, Bo- and T-sired cows were 5.23, 5.48 and 5.18, respectively, with F1 Bo cows having highest scores. Higher MS (P < 0.05) were assigned to Bo and B-sired cows (0.95 and 0.94, respectively) compared to T-sired cows (0.78), when both broken and solid incisors were scored 1, and smooth scored 0. When both smooth and broken were scored 0, and solid were scored 1, higher scores were assigned to B- (0.53) compared to T-sired cows (0.24), the Bo-sired cows being intermediate. Higher reproductive rates were found for Boran-sired cows, but Brahman-sired cows weaned heavier calves.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Florida, 2009. / Title from title page of source document. Document formatted into pages; contains 507 pages. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2003. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 50-53). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universitetet i Lund, 1985. / Summary in English. Includes bibliographical references (p. 216-221).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2003. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 50-53). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 504-522). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.