Biological Engineering electronic theses and dissertations - CAFNR (MU)
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The items in this collection are the theses and dissertations written by students of the Department of Biological Engineering. Some items may be viewed only by members of the University of Missouri System and/or University of Missouri-Columbia. Click on one of the browse buttons above for a complete listing of the works.
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Item Characteristics of litter decomposition in the Grassland Biome of the United States(University of Missouri--Columbia, 1976) Schnauss, Janet; Kucera, Clair L.The Grassland Biome in the United States includes tailgrass, annual, shortgrass, mixed prairie, and mountain grasslands. This extensive region ranges from Indiana and portions of Ohio westward to the Rocky Mountains and beyond. Widespread areas such as these are (subject to climatic variations.) Similarly, this wide range of environmental conditions plays a major role in ecosystem dynamics. Rates of decomposition and nutrient recycling are especially influenced by temperature and moisture conditions. Warm, moist climates enhance decomposition rates, whereas, cooler and/or drier climates would have a retarding effect.Item Isolation and characterization of photosystem I and II membrane particles from the blue-green alga, Synechococcus cedrorum(University of Missouri--Columbia, 1978) Newman, Peter Jay; Sherman, Louis A."Photosynthesis is the process of converting sunlight into chemical energy which can be utilized for the biosynthesis of useful organic molecules. This metabolic process has been termed the most important series of reactions to take place on earth, for it alone makes available the ultimate source of energy, sunlight, to nearly all heterotrophic organisms. Photosynthesis that leads to the evolution of oxygen is an event that occurs in all green plants, in the eucaryotic algae, and in the procaryotic blue-green algae. Although the process itself is several billion years old, its discovery and early study date back only as far as the late 18th century. Obviously, a process as fundamental as photosynthesis deserves considerable interest and examination. However, only in the last 25 years has any real progress been made in understanding the complex nature of the mechanism by which light is converted into useful chemical energy."--Introduction.Item Seasonal fluctuations in the benthic and planktonic communities of the Salt River, Missouri(University of Missouri--Columbia, 1977) Meierhoff, Murray Leo; Hazelwood, Donald H."Introduction: The Salt River has been intensively studied in the past ten years due to its pending impoundment. The purpose of this study is to determine the seasonal trends in the abundance and distribution of zooplankton and macrobenthos in the Salt River. When combined with previous works, this study will provide a baseline for comparison for future studies of the Salt River after its impoundment."--Page 1.Item The effect of photoperiod on internodal anatomy of Glycine max L.(University of Missouri--Columbia, 1977) Hollis, Elizabeth Margaret; Cumbie, Billy G."Stem development is characterized by an apical meristem that produces leaf and bud primordia before cellular differentiation and thus gives rise directly not only to the tissues differentiating immediately below it but also to all subsequent tissues, organs and meristems of the shoot. This apical meristem is composed of a mass of cells undergoing cell division only, underlaid by a mass of cells that are not only dividing, but beginning elongation and differentiation (27). In general, stem development consists of the development of the separate nodes and internodes. As elongation and differentiation progress, the pairs of leaf and bud primordia are gradually separated by developing internodes. This is the case in all but acaulescent plants and some mutated dwarfs. The meristem gives rise directly to the protoderm, the procambium and the ground meristem. Of these three tissues, the procambium is often the first to differentiate into distinct cell types (30). At about the time the procambium begins differentiation, the internode is undergoing elongation due to both cell division and cell elongation, primarily in the ground meristem."--Introduction.Item A comparison of grassland and forest vegetation and their associated avifauna in central Missouri(University of Missouri--Columbia, 1978) Ellis, Jonathan Abbot; Dunn, David B."Migratory birds often require a different set of habitat characteristics for the breeding season (spring and summer) than for the migration or wintering. Basic studies on these three requirements have been going on for many years, although far more money has been spent on the studies of gamebirds (quail, pheasants, doves, waterfowl) than on nongame birds. But with increased public attention being focused on nongame birds, a new outcry for management of these species is being heard. Within central Missouri, there is a great influx of birds during the spring and summer months which come here to breed. If we are to preserve and manage the habitat which they require to breed, then it is imperative that we have an understanding of their habitat requirements. A review of the basic theories and requirements follows. Many of the earlier published studies of birds were merely reported observations by individuals in the field. Carriger and Wells (1919), while on an egg collecting trip in California, described a pileated woodpeckers nesting site and made a rough estimate of its home range over a several year period. Many such descriptions can be found in the early journals of ornithology, and in egg collector's diaries."--Introduction.