Mountain Scholar

Mountain Scholar is an open access repository service that collects, preserves, and provides access to digitized library collections and other scholarly and creative works from Colorado State University and the University Press of Colorado. It also serves as a dark archive for the Open Textbook Library.

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Colorado State University, Fort Collins 27005
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Open Textbook Library Archive 25
A limited number of titles are available here. To see all OTL titles, please visit the Open Textbook Library at https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks. Only Open Textbook Library staff have access to all OTL Archive titles held in Mountain Scholar.
University Press of Colorado 1067
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Recent Submissions

Access status: Open Access ,
Geology of the Alice E. breccia pipe and vicinity, New World mining district, Park County, Montana
(1984) Cope, Edward L., author; Thompson, Tommy B., advisor; Burns, Lary K., committee member; Winder, D. R., committee member
The Alice E. breccia pipe occurs in a one square mile area of the New World mining district, Park County, Montana. Porphyry gold type mineralization-alteration is exposed at many prospects within the study area. Rocks exposed in the vicinity of the breccia pipe consist of Precambrian granite-gneiss, Cambrian sedimentary rocks and Tertiary sub volcanic intrusives. Hydrothermal alteration is widespread throughout the study area. Propylitic, phyllic, and hydrous skarn alteration all occur in the breccia pipe and the rocks in the vicinity of the pipe. The alteration is zoned vertically and laterally about the breccia. Supergene alteration has resulted from the oxidation of pyritic ores enriching gold relative to other metals at the Alice E. mine. Mineralization consisting of vein and replacement types occurs in association with the hydrothermally altered areas. Magnetite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, bornite and sphalerite occur in order of formation. Gold has accompanied the sulfide stage mineralization. Fluid inclusion data indicate that the metals were deposited in veins whose minimum temperatures of formation ranged from 320°C to 447°C within the study area. Boiling occurred in the deepest parts of the exposed system with metals being deposited in and above the zone of boiling. The fluids were highly saline as evidenced by the presence of halite bearing fluid inclusions. The metals were carried in solution as chloride complexes which became unstable at temperatures less than 400°C. Metal paragenesis and zonation within the area can be explained in terms of chloride complexing and cooling of the ore solutions. The pipe contains a collapse breccia that has been modified by the later intrusions of quartz amphibole latite porphyry dikes and a hypothetical stock which intrude the breccia pipe. The mineral deposits of the area are probably related to these intrusions.
Access status: Open Access ,
Fish fauna homogenization of the United States, life-history correlates of native extinctions and non-native invasions in the American Southwest, and the bi-directional impacts of dams in the American Southeast
(2004) Olden, Julian David, author; Poff, N. Leroy, advisor; Angermeier, Paul L., committee member; Douglas, Michael E., committee member; Fausch, Kurt D., committee member
The conservation of biodiversity and preservation of biological integrity are at the forefront of scientific thought and research. An important aspect of the current biodiversity crisis is the manner by which the compositions of biological communities are changing in time and space, and the specific mechanisms responsible for these changes. In the first section of my doctoral dissertation I explore the process of biotic homogenization, by which formerly-distinct native communities become more similar as a result of native species extinctions and the establishment of cosmopolitan, nonnative species. I identify three forms of homogenization (genetic, taxonomic and functional) and explore the immediate and future impacts of each on ecological and evolutionary processes. Next, I present a conceptual model that describes a number of potential scenarios by which species invasions and/or extinctions can lead to various trajectories of biotic homogenization or differentiation (i.e., decreased community similarity). I use a simulation approach to explore the model's predictions and then validate the model using empirical data for freshwater fish faunas in the United States at three spatial scales: the entire continent, zoogeographic provinces in California, and watersheds within these provinces. In the second section of my doctoral dissertation I examine the fish faunas of the Colorado River Basin, where environmental degradation and the proliferation of nonnative fish species threaten the endemic, native faunas, making them especially susceptible to biotic homogenization. Using fish occurrence data for the past 160 years I quantify long-term changes in fish distributions and use a comprehensive suite of morphological, behavioural, physiological and life-history traits to identify specific life-histories strategies that are associated with the greatest loss of native species and spread of non-native species. In the third section of my doctoral dissertation I report on research conducted in the Upper James River Basin that considers one of the primary causes of native extirpations and non-native introductions in aquatic systems; namely the regulation of rivers by dams and diversions. Specifically, I examine how environmental disturbance gradients that occur below a flood-control dam structure (i.e., altered flow regime, water temperatures, substrate composition, and macroinvertebrate biomass) influence the structure of downstream fish assemblages.
Access status: Open Access ,
Web-based distance education and Native professional communities: social and cultural constraints
(2004) Le Febre, Sonya Jean, author; Woodmansee, Roberg G., advisor; Rittenhouse, Larry R., committee member; Pickering, Kathleen, committee member; El Hakim, Omnia, committee member
The use of distance education is one means of increasing educational opportunities in rural Native communities. Studies indicate that educational outcomes can be similar for face-to-face courses and distance courses, although distance students are less likely to persist. Native American students tend to be unsuccessful in meeting their educational goals on mainstream campuses, primarily due to the cultural conflict they encounter. If distance and face-to-face courses from mainstream universities yield similar outcomes, Native American students can expect to perform poorly at each. This study used an anonymous survey to assess the level of cultural and social conflict experienced by working professionals in a Native setting taking an on-line graduate level course from a mainstream university. The reasons cited by potential students for taking or not taking the course were also examined to assess the obstacles to and motivations for participating in distance courses. Students reported experiencing no instances of cultural conflict. Most students (88%) cited lack of time and a busy schedule as the biggest obstacles they encountered. This was true of both students that finished the course and those that did not. Persistence was not high: 36 people expressed an interest in the course and ten registered. Of those ten, one dropped, three were non-starts (did not participate and did not drop), four received incompletes, and three finished. Of those that expressed an interest in the course but did not register, 75% reported lack of time and a busy schedule as reasons for not taking the course. These findings are in keeping with other studies of distance students. Of the total survey population (students and non-students), 92% said they would consider taking a distance course in the future and 71% said their employer would support their efforts to take a distance course. The ability to fit a course into a busy schedule was the most commonly cited reason for taking a distance course in the future (46%), followed closely by remote accessibility (42%). Affordability was the most commonly cited priority (67%), followed by the level of credit (54%; most are interested in graduate credit) and content (50%).
Access status: Open Access ,
Predictors of work injuries: a quantitative exploration of level of English proficiency as a predictor of work injuries in the construction industry
(2004) McConnell, C. William, author; Gilley, Jerry, advisor; Gloeckner, Gene A., advisor; Schwebach, Robert, committee member; Gilley, Ann, committee member
As evidenced by the literature review, there are both labor shortages and language barriers present in some areas of the construction industry. These issues translate into the higher than average accident and death rates seen among workers of Hispanic origin. Because of the increase in the Hispanic portion of the workforce, as indicated by reviewing census data, many Spanish-speaking individuals are taking jobs where they may not understand job hazards. In order to address these concerns, an instrument was developed to identify level of English proficiency. This was then linked to the injuries sustained on the job in the last 30 days as indicated by the body diagram. Participants were ranked on their level of English proficiency, and then divided into two groups. The middle group of predominately bilingual individuals was removed in order to maximize the differences between the two groups. There were a total of 191 participants in this study. The two groups were then compared based on the different independent variables identified in the research questions, as well as other possible relationships of interest as identified in the auxiliary findings section. The overall findings of this research indicate that there is not a significant difference in work injuries when based on level of English proficiency. In fact, in relation to this study, the more English proficient individuals were, the more likely they were to experience more injuries. This finding contradicts some areas in the literature that identify Spanish speaking individuals as having a higher accident rate than their more English speaking counterparts. Although no significant difference was identified between the two groups, based on level of English proficiency, there were many significant findings in both the primary research questions, as well as the auxiliary findings. Additionally, qualitative data obtained by the instrument provided insight into concerns that workers had relating to air quality that were not identified by looking just at the quantitative data. The body diagram also provided valuable information regarding frequency and location of injuries which will be beneficial in taking proactive actions toward reducing work injuries.
Access status: Open Access ,
Post-fire grass seeding for rehabilitation and erosion control: implications for native plant recovery and exotic species establishment
(2004) Hunter, Molly E., author; Omi, Phil, advisor; Stohlgren, Thomas J., committee member; Romme, W. H., committee member; Lauenroth, W.K., committee member
Ponderosa pine forests of the southwestern United States are poorly adapted to the high severity wildfires. Such fires result in high mortality of understory species and increase the potential for harmful runoff and soil erosion. To mitigate the risks imposed by high severity wildfire, such areas are often aerially seeded with exotic grasses or cultivars of native grasses in hopes of rapidly establishing vegetation. Despite the wide use of these treatments their ecological effects are not well understood. The purpose of my dissertation is to determine the effects of post-fire grass seeding with exotic grasses and native cultivars (seeded grasses) on native plant recovery and exotic species establishment at the Cerro Grande wildfire in Northern New Mexico. I hypothesize that seeded grasses will dominate over native grasses due to their ability to utilize available resources and their high propagule supply. I also hypothesize that seeded grasses will facilitate establishment of exotic species through contamination of the seed mix with exotic species. Seeded grasses were found to have much higher seed density than native grasses in the seed bank in areas where they were seeded. This corresponded to higher density of seeded grasses in the above ground vegetation in the same areas. Thus high cover of seeded grasses is likely to be partly due to high propagule pressure. Dominance of seeded grasses over native grasses may also be a function of their higher growth rates in response to availability of nitrogen, as seen in a greenhouse study. This may explain why cover of seeded grasses increased up to four years after the fire in areas where nitrogen availability was high. Seeded grasses did not persist throughout the burned landscape four years after the fire. However, in areas where seeded grasses persisted, lower native grass cover and lower native species richness was found. Even when seeded grasses do not persist on the landscape, they may still pose threats to native plants. Positive correlations were found between seeded grasses and exotic species, perhaps because the seed mixes used in the erosion control treatments were contaminated with seeds of other exotic species. All these results were consistent with my original hypotheses.