Scholarworks

ScholarWorks is an open access repository for the capture of the intellectual work of Montana State University (MSU) in support of its teaching, research and service missions. MSU ScholarWorks is a central point of discovery for accessing, collecting, sharing, preserving, and distributing knowledge to the Montana State University community and the world.

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Scholarship & Research

Recent Submissions

Dust on Snow Radiative Forcing and Contribution to Melt in the Colorado River Basin
(American Geophysical Union, 2025-03) Naple, Patrick; Skiles, S. Mckenzie; Lang, Otto I.; Rittger, Karl; Lenard, S. J. P.; Burgess, Annie; Painter, T. H.
In the mountainous headwaters of the Colorado River episodic dust deposition from adjacent arid and disturbed landscapes darkens snow and accelerates snowmelt, impacting basin hydrology. Patterns and impacts across the heterogenous landscape cannot be inferred from current in situ observations. To fill this gap daily remotely sensed retrievals of radiative forcing and contribution to melt were analyzed over the MODIS period of record (2001–2023) to quantify spatiotemporal impacts of snow darkening. Each season radiative forcing magnitudes were lowest in early spring and intensified as snowmelt progressed, with interannual variability in timing and magnitude of peak impact. Over the full record, radiative forcing was elevated in the first decade relative to the last decade. Snowmelt was accelerated in all years and impacts were most intense in the central to southern headwaters. The spatiotemporal patterns motivate further study to understand controls on variability and related perturbations to snow water resources.
Winter tick sharing between ungulates in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and implications for apparent competition
(Wiley, 2025-01) Koser, Troy M.; Martin, Alynn; Courtemanch, Alyson B.; Thompson, Laura M.; Wise, Benjamin L.; Fralick, Gary L.; Dewey, Sarah R.; Girard, Amy; Scurlock, Brandon M.; Rogerson, Jared D.; Oyen, Kennan; Cross, Paul C.
Host species heterogeneity can drive parasite dynamics through variation in host competency as well as host abundance. We explored how elk (Cervus canadensis) with apparent subclinical infestations of winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus) may be a cryptic reservoir and drive winter tick dynamics, impacting moose (Alces alces) populations. We found that winter tick infestation loads did not vary remarkably between both host species and winter ticks sourced from elk and moose produced similar numbers of larvae which activated within 5 days of each other. We also found similar larval densities in habitats predominately used by elk, moose, and both host species. Our analysis of 2793 informative single-nucleotide polymorphisms showed genetic differentiation among tick populations that were only ~75 km apart, but fewer differences among ticks from elk or moose in the same locality, suggesting sharing of winter ticks across host species. Despite the clinical signs of high winter tick infestations being most apparent on moose, elk may be critical drivers of winter tick population dynamics and indirectly compete with moose in areas where they outnumber moose populations, a common characteristic of ungulate communities in western North America. Management interventions aimed at addressing winter tick issues on moose may wish to consider the movement patterns and abundance of cryptic reservoirs like elk.
The local governance of COVID‐19: Lessons learned and ways forward in rural Bangladesh
(Wiley, 2024-04) Alam, Edris; Han, Xin; Md. Towfiqul Islam, Abu Reza; Álvarez, Elizabeth; Islam, Md. Kamrul; Dominey‐Howes, Dale
This article investigates how a district administration in Bangladesh managed COVID-19 pandemic risk governance. Interviews were conducted with civil administrators, local government representatives, and representatives from community-based organizations and nongovernmental organizations. The findings indicate that, despite limited health facilities, widespread ignorance of the virus, joblessness among wage earners, economic pressure, and a massive outbreak of COVID-19, the district administration has demonstrated its diligence, professionalism, local knowledge, and promptness in providing optimal public services through coordination and information sharing among all stakeholders. The synergies and coordination between local administration, security forces, and local government representatives were great challenges in implementing nonpharmaceutical polices and support programs.
Services in Need are Services Indeed: The Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Chinese Welfare Policy Preferences
(Informa UK Limited, 2025-02) Han, Xin; Qi, Hang
Using an original survey conducted in China, this study examines Chinese citizens’ attitudes toward various welfare programs in the COVID-19 era and how lockdowns affect citizens’ preferences for government spending plans. We find that those affected by the lockdown are more likely to support welfare programs. Furthermore, those who have been most severely impacted by the lockdown are more supportive of government spending plans to fund welfare programs that help citizens ease concerns about food insecurity, job loss, and health risks than they are of funding welfare programs that are less likely to do so.
Critical thermal limits of the seasonal migrant, Euxoa auxiliaris (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
(Oxford University Press, 2025-02) Kennedy, Taylor E.; Sing, Sharlene E.; Peterson, Robert K. D.
The larval stage of the army cutworm, Euxoa auxiliaris (Grote), is an agricultural pest in the Great Plains region of North America. Adult migration to alpine aggregation sites to escape extreme summer temperatures and depleted food resources provides a critical food resource for the grizzly bear, Ursus arctos horribilis (Linnaeus, Carnivora: Ursidae), in the Rocky Mountains. However, little is understood about the ecological consequences of the thermal tolerance of adult E. auxiliaris. Therefore, we investigated thermal tolerance of lab-reared and wild-caught individuals by assessing their critical thermal limits (CTLmax and CTLmin). Using a ramping tolerance assay, we began at 25 °C and adjusted the temperature at a rate of 0.3 °C/min until individuals lost control of their righting response. Adult moths had a CTLmax (lab-reared: 44.13 °C, wild-caught moths: 43.28 °C) typical for a temperate lepidopteran species. However, their CTLmin (lab-reared: -2.24 °C, wild-caught: -1.9 °C) reflects an extraordinary ability to remain active and feed when ambient temperatures are low. These findings provide insights into the thermal ecology of E. auxiliaris which are essential for predicting the range distribution of the species, and, consequently, the continued availability of this key food source for Rocky Mountain grizzly bears. As climate change continues to affect ambient temperatures, these results underscore the importance of studying thermal tolerance to anticipate ecological shifts and ensure the conservation of both E. auxiliaris and the grizzly bears that depend on them.