Mikel R. Stevens The objectives of this project: Our objective was “to develop an understanding of the genetic structure of the varieties within P. scariosus. With a specific intent to test the hypothesis that P. scariosus var. albifluvis is distinct within P. scariosus” while mentoring no less than four undergraduate students. We have meet and […]
Unleashing the power of undergraduates to unravel the impacts of water relations and CO2 levels on the photosynthetic plasticity of Agave sensu lato species: a group of desert succulents important to natural and human systems
PI: J. Ryan Stewart Evaluation of how well the academic objectives of the proposal were met Evaluation of the mentoring environment List of students who participated and what academic deliverables they have produced or it is anticipated they will produce Description of the results/findings of the project Description of how the budget was spent Evaluation […]
Desert wildfire impacts on ant and small mammal communities and its consequences for plant invasions
PI: Sam St. Clair We successfully completed the studies as outlined in the proposal and the data collected. The results have been written up a in a successfully defended MS thesis with three chapters (Tiffany Sharp) and another MS student is currently writing their thesis (Josh Day). Six undergraduate students completed mentored research credit and […]
Development of the First High-Density Physical Maps of Amaranthus – genome sequencing and insights into speciation
Peter J. Maughan, Plant and Wildlife Sciences Description of the results/finding of the project: Amaranthus hypochondriacus is an emerging pseudo-cereal native to the New World which has garnered increased attention in recent years due to its nutritional quality, in particular its seed protein, and more specifically its high levels of the essential amino acid lysine. […]
Mentored student research in the Study of Ancient Maize Agriculture in Mesoamerica
Richard E. Terry, Plant and Wildlife Sciences Mentored undergraduate students: Jacob Horlacher David Kotasek Benjamin Hawkins Tayte Campbell Austin Ulmer Adam Parker Bryce Brown Michael Barker Nic Goches Brynna Nelson Andrew Jenson Jared Barksdale Braden Harter Kevin Ricks Kalob Williams Josiah Johns Ian Blackwelder Todd McComber Michael Moore David Shurtz Austin Pearce Justin Babbel Paul […]
Cultivating an undergraduate mentoring research environment by characterizing the population genetics, reproduction biology, and native distribution of a putative keystone species, Agave utahensis (Utah agave), in the Mojave Desert and Colorado Plateau
J. Ryan Stewart, Plant and Wildlife Sciences Evaluation of how well the academic objectives of the proposal were met Evaluation of the mentoring environment List of students who participated and what academic deliverables they have produced or it is anticipated they will produce Description of the results/findings of the project Description of how the budget […]
Genetic Variation and Adaptation in the Invasive Weed Bromus tectorum and its Associated Pathogens Pyrenophora semeniperda and Ustilago bullata
Craig E. Coleman, Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences The objectives of this proposal were as follows: 1. Develop single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass) for use in determining population structure and mapping adaptive traits. 2. Complete a full genome sequence of the Pyrenophora semeniperda fungal pathogen to identify genes encoding important […]
Mechanisms and Consequences of Conifer Expansion in Aspen Forests
Sam St. Clair, Plant and Wildlife Sciences We fully met the objectives of the study and have published numerous papers from the proposed work. The mentoring environment was highly successful based on the high number of student co-authors and the more than 15 undergraduate students mentored during that two year period. Mentored undergraduate research participants: […]
Genetic Variation and Adaptation in the Invasive Weed Bromus tectorum and its Associated Pathogens Pyrenophora semeniperda and Ustilago bullata
Craig E Coleman, Plant and Wildlife Sciences In this interim report I detail the results according to each of the six objectives proposed. A final report will be submitted when the experiments detailed in objective six are completed. Objective 1. Assemble and annotate B. tectorum cDNA sequence data obtained from 454 pyrosequencing and compare to […]
Mentored Research in Geochemistry of Ancient Maya and Fremont Archaeological Sites
Dr. Richard Terry, Department of Plant & Wildlife Sciences Many of the activities of the ancient Maya did not leave artifactual or architectural remains for us to study, since many activities involved organic materials that were biodegraded over time. Furthermore, the warm and humid climate accelerated the decomposition of most organic materials (Dahlin et al., […]