Plant Sciences electronic theses and dissertations (MU): Recent submissions
Now showing items 21-40 of 482
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Neuropeptide bursicon homodimer's roles in reproduction and innate immunity of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023)[EMBARGOED UNTIL 8/1/2024] Bursicon is a cystine knot family neuropeptide, composed of bursicon (burs) and partner of burs (pburs) subunits, and can form heterodimers and homodimers to execute different biological functions. ... -
Uncovering limitations and opportunities in nitrogen fixation in soybean using genetic mapping and transgenic approaches
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023)[EMBARGOED UNTIL 8/1/2024] Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is one of the most valuable crops world-wide and is the most cultivated legume. Symbiotic N fixation (SNF) evolved as it confers a competitive advantage to soybean ... -
Conserving monarch butterflies through habitat management and policy
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023)[EMBARGOED UNTIL 8/1/2024] Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) are in decline, with a 91 percent population reduction since 1996. Habitat loss is a major contributor to this decline. The milkweed plant (Asclepias spp.) ... -
Engaging diverse high school students in Missouri through a deliberative climate change forum
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023)Climate change is the most pressing environmental issue in the 21st century. Its effects increase in severity due to human actions that negatively impact natural resources. This produces risks to human health, food security, ... -
Key factors related to agroforestry adoption in Vermont
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023)The study "Agroforestry Extent in the United States: A Review of National Datasets and Inventory Efforts (Smith. et al., 2022) examined the successes and challenges of Agroforestry implementation. Of note was the use of ... -
Restoration treatments and regeneration dynamics in East Texas mixed wood forests
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023)Extensive harvesting, fire exclusion, and plantation forestry altered composition and structure, and thus function and habitat values of east Texas Pineywoods uplands. Upland restoration efforts are made difficult by the ... -
Agroforestry and cover crops for improving surface water and groundwater quality
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023)Unsustainable agricultural practices and the rapid expansion of agricultural lands to satisfy the food demand of the growing world population have caused significant sediment, and nutrient losses from agricultural fields, ... -
Relationship of habitat variables and observation data on muskrat occupancy in an urban green space waterway : a case study from Forest Park, St. Louis, USA
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023)Urban green spaces (UGS) are high value areas that strive to serve both ecological and social goals. Quality stewardship of these areas require that all components affecting the ultimate site goals be addressed in not only ... -
Drainage water management practices affect water quality, soil properties, and crop production
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023)Several agricultural management practices such as terrace construction, cover crops (CC), drainage water recycling (DWR), free drainage (FD), and 4R nitrogen (N) management can influence water quality, soil properties, and ... -
Ecology and management of oak regeneration in bottomland hardwood forests in Missouri
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023)Managing oak regeneration is a challenge in bottomland hardwood forests due to variations in acorn production, acorn predation, competition with other species, and flooding. This study was designed to investigate bottomland ... -
Interactions between dioecious plants and insect herbivore chewing vibrations and life history and laboratory rearing of the red admiral, Vanessa atalanta
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023)[EMBARGOED UNTIL 5/1/2024] Chapter 1: Life History and Laboratory Rearing of the Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta The red admiral butterfly, Vanessa atalanta (Linneaus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) is a globally distributed ... -
Maize nodal roots maintain elongation in dry soil by avoiding growth zone dehydration
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023)[EMBARGOED UNTIL 5/1/2024] Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most produced cereal crops worldwide and is increasingly susceptible to yield limitations resulting from drought stress. The growth of roots is essential to plant ... -
Perceptions of a NRCS program to remediate decommissioned poultry houses in Northwestern Arkansas
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023)Out-of-use poultry houses have accumulated in Northwestern Arkansas, home to the headquarters of many large poultry operations such as Tyson, Inc. These out-of-use structures have been recognized as environmental hazards ... -
Substrate and macroinvertebrates in the East Fork Black River, Missouri
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023)Freshwater streams and their associated riparian and floodplain environments are crucial components to global biodiversity. Aquatic macroinvertebrates within streams are often adapted to and dependent on multiple physicochemical ... -
Insecticide use to increase aviation safety
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023)During 1995-2018, bird-aircraft collisions (bird strikes) cost the United States Air Force (USAF) more than $817.5 million, excluding the cost of personnel injuries, and were the cause of 27 human fatalities. Implementation ... -
Impacts of legacy mining on stream structural and functional processes in an urban stream
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023)This doctoral dissertation aims to improve the understanding of mine drainage in urban watersheds, specifically how neutral mine drainage (NMD) influences urban streams. Past research on both urban streams and mine impacted ... -
Insight into the roles of prescribed fire and hardwood competition in the survival and growth of shortleaf pine throughout its early life
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023)Shortleaf pine is an economically and ecologically important species that was once prevalent across the southeastern United States, and there is growing interest in its restoration throughout its former range. One challenge ... -
Effects of stress, genetics, and environment on microbiome composition in western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera Leconte)
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023)Increased study of microbiomes illuminated the diversity of roles microorganism play across ecosystems. For agricultural systems, microbiomes represent a new frontier to potentially improve plant, animal, and human health, ... -
Indirect effects of invasive insect management on forest insect abundance
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2022)Invasive species, climate change, habitat destruction, and pesticides are severely threatening insect biodiversity on a global scale. In particular, invasive species are arriving in novel habitats at accelerating rates and ... -
Understanding bacterial zoonotic disease infection and its severity on wildlife populations
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2022)Emerging infectious diseases have significantly increased in recent years; approximately 60 percent of these emerging diseases are of zoonotic origin, and of those, around 70 percent were identified to start with wild ...