Evaluation of a program to control hydatid disease in central Utah

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} A program to control hydatid disease in central Utah was evaluated by: (1) surveillance of infection in dogs and sheep, (2) questioning adult residents of two Sanpete County communities (Fountain Green and Spring City) about their knowledge of hydatid disease and their attitudes toward preventive measures, (3) interviewing local officials to evaluate the proposed implementation of proper community-wide measures, (4) analyzing records of prophylactic treatment of dogs with praziquantel, and (5) comparing scores of tests given to third and fourth grade students before and after they colored an educational pamphlet about hydatid disease. Infection rates of Echinococcus granulosus in dogs brought to volunteer diagnostic clinics dropped from 28.3 percent in 1972 to 1.0 percent in 1979, but increased to 9.8 percent in 1981. This last rise was due mainly to the fact that some dogs were examined that belonged to range sheepmen who had either not attended a field clinic recently or had never attended at all. Prevalence of the parasite in slaughtered sheep decreased steadily from 13.2 percent in 1972 to 2.8 percent in 1981. With regard to the questionnaire phase of the project, 87.3 percent and 84.3 percent of the respondents understood the role of dogs in the life cycle of E. granulosus in Fountain Green and Spring City, respectively. Over 50 percent of the respondents of these two communities had worked directly with sheep sometime in their life. In general, residents were more willing to practice preventive measures involving sheep than they were to implement measures involving dogs alone. However, many of the recommended community-wide preventive measures were not implemented. With the coloring book, students answered an average of 62.5 percent of the questions correctly before they colored the pamphlet and 83.3 percent afterward. Overall, our results suggest that residents of Sanpete County are knowledgeable about hydatid disease and its mode of transmission, and that, in general, progress has been made in control of hydatid disease in central Utah.       

Plant community zonation in response to soil gradients in a saline meadow near Utah Lake, Utah County, Utah

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Patterns of zonation along a saline meadow slope were studied. Different species associations were distributed in five zones along the slope which paralleled Utah Lake. The five zones, distinguished on the basis of dominant species and/or life form, were: saltgrass–annual weed, saltgrass-alkaligrass, saltgrass-forb, saltgrass, and spikerush. Soil, vegetation, and plant species data were taken. Patterns of change with respect to these factors were observed along the downslope gradient. Soil pH and soluble salts decreased downslope, while organic matter and moisture increased. Individual ions showed varying patterns. Vegetation and species patterns also varied with slope position. Annuals dominated the ridge tops, while sedge and rush cover were restricted to the slope base. Perennial forb distribution was shown to be correlated with elevated levels of micronutrients in the soil.     

Parasites of Indochinese refugees entering Utah County, Utah: a two-year survey

A survey of parasites from 39 stool specimens taken from 36 Indochinese refugees who are now living in Utah County, Utah, indicated representative intestinal helminths (worms), and protozoans upon clinical examination. .Approximately 75% of the stools contained nematodes, and 55.5% had protozoans. Parasites found were Entamoeba coli, Chilomastix mesnili, Endolimax nana, Giardia lamblia, lodamoeba buetschlii, Clonorchis sinensis, Trichuris trichiura, Ascaris lumbricoides, and Plasinodium vivax. The most common protozoan observed was Entamoeba coli (1979 and 1980) while the most common helminths were Ascaris lumbricoides ) (1979) and Clonorchis sinensis (1980). These data were comparable to studies of refugees at two other laboratories in Utah and one at Washington, D.C.     

Vegetational response to three environmental gradients in the salt playa near Goshen, Utah County, Utah

The plant communities and individual plant species in and around a salt playa near Goshen, Utah County, Utah, were studied in relation to gradients for soluble salts, soil moisture, and pH. Forty-eight stands were sampled. Frequency data were taken for all plant species. Soil samples were collected from each site and analyzed to establish the environmental gradients. Results indicate that the vegetational types respond differentially to the three gradients and can be segregated on the basis of one or more of the gradients. The total soluble salts gradient was found to be the most influential of the three sampled. Correlation analysis indicates that 45 percent of the variation in plant diversity can be accounted for by the three gradients. Distributional patterns of individual plant species are strongly influenced by the three gradients. Niche width measurements exhibited no correlation with the measured gradients.     

Algal populations in Bottle Hollow Reservoir, Duchesne County, Utah

Bottle Hollow Reservoir contains a diverse algal flora. A total of 289 taxa was observed, 227 of which were diatoms. Both littoral and planktonic communities had high diatom diversity. During summer months filamentous Chlorophvta were diverse and high in biomass in the littoral zone. Phytoplankton collections in Bottle Hollow Reservoir were dominated by four species: Asterionella formosa, Cyclotella comta, Dinobryon divergens, and Fragilaria crotonensis. Plankton samples contained mostly small diatoms in early spring, with larger algae succeeding these as the summer progressed. No blue - green algae were important in this succession. Two peak production periods were observed, one in the fall and one in the spring. Bottle Hollow Reservoir appears to be a healthy mesotrophic system based on the evidences of moderately high algal diversity, insignificance of blue-green algae, and the presence of a suite of diatom species indicative of mesotrophic conditions.     

Aquatic birds of the White River, Uintah County, Utah

Abundance, seasonal use, and species composition of waterfowl and other aquatic birds are described along a 32.8 km stretch of the White River, Uintah County, Utah, at the site of the proposed White River Dam. Fourteen species of waterfowl and eight other species of aquatic birds were recorded. Waterfowl populations along the river were highest in April, but densities were much lower than on lakes and reservoirs at nearby Ouray National Wildlife Refuge.         

Birds of the desert region of Uintah County, Utah

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} The Common Loon, White Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, recurvirostrids, and most grebes, waterfowl, gulls, and terns have become more abundant in Uintah County, Utah, since 1937 (Twomey 1942) due to the establishment of Pelican Lake and adjacent water bodies and the ponds and marshes at Ouray National Wildlife Refuge and Pariette Wetlands Wildlife Management Area. The incidence of herons, egrets, thrushes, nuthatches, and icterids has generally remained about the same since 1937. Diurnal raptors have largely declined in abundance in the desert region of Uintah County since Twomey’s (1942) study. Plovers, sandpipers, phalaropes, and the White-faced Ibis were generally less common in 1977–1982 than in 1937, perhaps chiefly due to their displacement from wintering grounds by human population expansion and agricultural and industrial development. The incidence of owl species remains constant. Most flycatchers, swallows, warblers, vireos, orioles, and emberizids have diminished in number since 1937, probably because of the shrinkage of their winter habitats in Latin America and the southwestern U.S. The Blue Grosbeak and Black-throated Sparrow were not recorded in Uintah County in 1937 but were found there during this study and may represent a range extension northward since 1937. The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is more common now than in 1937 due to the northward extension of its range. The Starling and Rock Dove and, more recently, the Common Grackle, Great-tailed Grackle, and Cattle Egret have invaded Uintah County due to the expansion of their ranges. It is not clear why the Pine Siskin, House Finch, and most corvids are presently less common than in 1937.        

Diatom flora of Beaver Dam Creek, Washington County, Utah, USA

The diatom flora of Beaver Dam Creek, Washington County, Utah, was studied. The study area is in a warm Mojave Desert environment at an elevation between 810 and 850 m. A total of 99 taxa were identified from composite samples taken in the fall, winter, spring, and summer seasons. These taxa are all broadly distributed and no endemic species were encountered. Three new records for the state of Utah were identified: Gomphoneis eriense Skv. & Mayer, Navicula elginensis var. lata. (M. Perag.) Patr., and Nitzschia calida Grun. The most important taxa throughout the study as determined by multiplying percent presence by average relative density (Important Species Index) were Cymbella affinis Kütz., Epithemia sorex Kütz., Navicula veneta Kütz., Nitzschia palea (Kütz.) W. Sm., and Nitzschia microcephala Grun.     

Elevational changes in woody vegetation along three streams in Washington County, Utah

Patterns of change in the woody vegetation (trees and shrubs) of the riparian communities of three streams draining the slopes of the Pine Valley Mountains in Washington County, Utah, were examined. Thirty-nine study sites were established adjacent to the streams along an elevational gradient where vegetation, plant population, and species data were taken. Vegetation and species patterns varied with respect to elevation and geographical location. Vegetation of the high- and low-elevation areas was distinctly different, while that of the mid-elevations was transitional to both. Geographical patterns showed a north-south transition in vegetation between the Mojave and Great Basin deserts. Size-class distribution curves for 11 tree species showed varying degrees of survival with respect to age and location. Root sprouting was highly important in the reproductive effort of six of the trees. Species distribution patterns followed transriparian and intrariparian gradients within the riparian community.     

Diatom floristics and succession in a peat bog near Lily Lake, Summit County, Utah

Diatoms from core samples obtained from the edge of Lily Lake, Summit County, Utah, were studied. Populations from each 15 cm of the core and niche metrics of the important species were analyzed. This study demonstrates four periods of history in the lake as mirrored by the diatom populations. The first period was mesotrophic and alkaline. This graded into an acidic, dystrophic period which in turn yielded again to a mesotrophic alkaline period. The most recent period can be characterized by a return to dystrophy.     

Ant assemblages in intact big sagebrush and converted cheatgrass-dominated habitats in Tooele County, Utah

Biological invasions are one of the greatest threats to native species in natural ecological systems. One of the most successful invasive species is Bromus tectorum L. (cheatgrass), which is having marked impacts on native plant communities and ecosystem processes. However, we know little about the effects of this invasion on native animal species in the Intermountain West. Because ants have been used to detect ecological change associated with anthropogenic land use, they seem well suited for a preliminary evaluation of the consequences of cheatgrass-driven habitat conversion. In our study, we used pitfall traps to assess ant community assemblages in intact sagebrush and nearby cheatgrass-dominated vegetation. Ant abundance was about 10-fold greater in cheatgrass-dominated plots than in sagebrush plots. We also noted differences in diversity and evenness between habitat types at both the species and the functional-group levels of organization. At the species level, Shannon’s diversity index was greater in sagebrush plots than in cheatgrass-dominated plots. However, at the functional-group level, Simpson’s and Shannon’s diversity indices and the Brillouin evenness index were greater in cheatgrass-dominated plots than in sagebrush plots. Further, common species / functional groups tended to be more abundant while less common species / functional groups tended to be less abundant in cheatgrass-dominated plots compared to intact sagebrush plots. Patterns appear to be at least partially related to resource availabilities. This initial survey of ant communities from intact-native and altered vegetation types may be indicative of similar trends of biodiversity shifts throughout the Intermountain West where cheatgrass has successfully replaced native species. We also discuss the implications of ant communities on land management activities, specifically in the context of aridland restoration.     

Size and seasonal activity patterns of abundant sympatric spider species in Cache County, Utah

Of the eight most frequently collected spiders at a northern Utah study site, each of two species employed one of the following hunting strategies: pursuing, web building, jumping, and ambushing. Within each pair, size differences between species were substantial for all but the ambushers. The ambushers had different seasonal activity patterns, as did the web builders.     

New species of Mentzelia (Loasaceae) from Grand County, Utah

A new species, Mentzelia (Section Bartonia ) shultziorum , of the Loasaceae (Mentzelioideae) is described. A close relationship with M. multicaulis (Osterh.) Darl. and M. argillosa Darl. is suggested based on the morphology of the flowers, leaves, and seeds.     

Ecological studies of a regulated stream: Huntington River, Emery County, Utah

A 36.9x10 6 m 3 reservoir constructed on Huntington River, Emery County, Utah, resulted in changes in physical habitat, water quality, temperature, and flow regime. The greatest changes in physical habitat resulted from: (1) sediment additions from dam and road construction plus erosion of reservoir basin during filling; and (2) changing stream flow from a spring high runoff regime to a moderated flow regime. Elimination of spring nutrient concentration peaks and overall reduction of total dissolved nutrient availability in the river plus moderate reductions in pH were the most apparent water quality changes below the reservoir. Water temperature changes were an increased diurnal and seasonal constancy, summer depression, and winter elevation, generally limited to a 10–12 km reach below the dam. Physical and chemical changes altered macroinvertebrate community structure, with changes greatest near the dam and progressively less as distance downstream increased. Below the dam: (1) more environmentally tolerant taxa increased their dominance; (2) relative numbers of smaller sized individuals increased in relation to larger individuals; and (3) filter feeding, collector/gatherers, and scrapers gained an advantage over shredders. Insect taxa such as Rhithrogena robusta, Pteronarcella badia, and Ephemerella doddsi were eliminated from stream reaches near the dam, and other taxa such as Arctopsyche grandis, Chironomidae, and Simuliidae increased in numbers. Late spring to early summer egg hatch proved to be a disadvantage to Brachycentrus occidentalis, and B. americanus, with a fall hatch, was less impacted by altered river flow patterns. Macroinvertebrate taxa with small instar larvae present from late summer to early fall were negatively impacted by the unnaturally high July and August flows. The reservoir became a physical barrier to downstream larval drift and upcanyon and downcanyon immigration of adults, resulting in reduced numbers of several species above and below the reservoir.         

New records of diatoms from Blue Lake Warm Spring, Tooele County, Utah

Blue Lake Warm Spring in Tooele County, Utah, contains a rich diatom flora with a significant number of taxa that are unusual in this region. We have identified a total of 136 taxa in our samples from this locality, several of which are new records for Utah and North America.         

Cryptogamic soil crusts: seasonal variation in algal populations in the Tintic Mountains, Juab County, Utah

The soil algae in the Tintic Mountains, Juab County, Utah, was studied over a one-year period in 1982 and 1983. Fluorescence microscopy was used to measure algal density in samples directly from the field. A total of 30 algal taxa was observed, blue-green algae being most abundant both in terms of density and number of species. Algal density showed peaks in late fall and late spring. Minima were present in September 1982 and July 1983. Several weak correlations between algal density and climatic data existed. In general algae correlated positively with precipitation and negatively with temperature. A combination of low precipitation and hot temperatures was likely responsible for the low density observed in July. The Chrysophyta followed slightly different trends than the other algal groups, having minima in early October 1982 and late August 1983. Field observations indicated that the degree of algal crusting varied noticeably over a period of one year, with highest abundance of hummocking in spring. Heavy summer thunderstorms destroyed algal crusting during July and August of 1983, though absolute density of algae increased during this time in response to the extra moisture.     

Parasites of mottled sculpin, Cottus bairdi Girard, from five locations in Utah and Wasatch counties, Utah

Between 1983 and 1985, 97 mottled sculpin, Cottus bairdi Girard, were examined from five collection sites in central Utah for parasites. Eight different species of parasites were observed, representing seven genera of Protozoa ( Plistophora, Myxidium, Myxobolus, Ichthyophthirius, Trichodina, Apiosoma, Eimeria ) and one genus of Nematoda ( Rhabdochona ). The highest number of parasites was found in sculpin from the Provo River near residential areas, while the lowest number was recorded from Hobble Creek, a nearby pristine area. A complete list of parasites for C. bairdi with literature citations is presented. Each observed parasite is discussed emphasizing pathogenesis to the host.     

Competitive displacement as a factor influencing phytoplankton distribution in Utah Lake, Utah

Phytoplankton studies during the summer of 1974 in Utah Lake, Utah, demonstrated the development of disjunct distributions of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae and Ceratium hirundinella. Differential response to environmental factors and competitive displacement are proposed as probable explanations for this phenomenon.     

New records and comprehensive list of the algal taxa of Utah Lake, Utah, USA

Utah Lake is a slightly saline ecosystem containing more than 700 algal taxa. During the past decade a total of 106 algal taxa has been found that has not previously been reported in this water. These new records are reported herein, together with a comprehensive listing of all algal taxa reported from Utah Lake to date.         

The eye fluke disease (Diplostomatosis) in fishes from Utah

During 1976 and 1977, 798 fish representing 11 species from eight collection sites in Utah were examined for metacercariae of Diplostomum spathaceum, which causes the fish eye fluke disease, diplostomatosis.   Eight species were infected. The infection rate ranged from 7 percent of 46 Salmo gairdneri from Soldiers Creek Reservoir to 100 percent in 7 species of fish from four collection sites. Summary charts for four years of data are given for collection sites, piscine hosts in Utah, and fish hosts for Strawberry Reservoir, Utah.