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Modeling for Functional Traits in Bluebunch Wheatgrass Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) High-Throughput Phenotyping
Get PDFChanging climates and shifts in community composition in the Intermountain West threaten sagebrush-steppe ecosystems, impacting both plants and animals. Restoring native grasses like bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata; BBWG) can help ecosystems resist invasive species and recover from stress and disturbances. As a native cool-season grass, BBWG is widely used in rangeland restoration for the western U.S. Breeding programs for restoration plant materials, such as seeds for ecological projects, often require years or decades of field testing while facing staffing constraints. High- throughput phenotyping (HTP), which rapidly measures observable plant traits, offers a faster solution using drones to capture time-series data. This approach helps create predictive models for BBWG traits, streamlining plant material evaluation in trials assessing growth and restoration potential.
This research explores two key questions: 1) Can drones with multispectral cameras accurately count BBWG seedlings for material evaluation? 2) Can models built with drone images and on-the-ground data estimate BBWG traits across time and sites in large trials?
We used field measurements and images captured by drones, including reflectance values (indicative of plant health), spectral indices (to highlight certain features in an image), and 3D maps of plant structure, to create two models. One model estimated plant traits such as biomass, leaf area index, canopy cover, and height, while the other estimated seedling presence. We used machine learning with decision trees to build the models, training them on 70% of the data and testing them on the remaining 30% to check its accuracy.
Improving plant material selection is essential as climate stress and invasive species threaten BBWG and other perennial grasses and forbs in the Intermountain West. While our drone-based methods struggled to accurately estimate seedling presence, we successfully estimated key traits related to plant growth and ecological health, including canopy cover, leaf area index, and biomass. These traits reflect ground shading, photosynthetic capacity, and total productivity. These models enable efficient plant evaluation across locations and time, reducing costs and minimizing inconsistencies in data collection, which enhances genetic trait identification and supports the development of stronger, more adaptable species for rangeland restoration
Quantifying the Sensitivity of Land Use Land Cover Metrics Through Simulation Techniques
Get PDFAs human activities and climate change continue to reshape our landscape, understanding how land use changes over time is becoming increasingly important. Accurate ways to track and analyze these changes are essential for governments, businesses, and communities to make informed decisions. Monitoring agricultural land is particularly critical, as shifts in land use can impact food production and environmental pollutants. One of the primary tools used in the United States to monitor agricultural land is the Cropland Data Layer (CDL), an annual map created by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) from satellite images. While the CDL is highly accurate, the data product is still prone to misclassify certain land use types. These challenges can affect the reliability of any metrics calculated using the data. To address this, we have developed a new software package in the R programming language called cdlsim, which simulates land use changes to explore the sensitivity of land use metrics to variability in the input data. We demonstrate the utility of our software through two real-world applications: one in a low-agricultural-density region in Utah and another in a mixed agriculture and grassland landscape in South Dakota. This research not only enhances the credibility of CDL-based studies but also helps improve our understanding of land use trends, supporting better decisions for land management and environmental protection
What’s the Beef With Agriculture? Evaluating The Effectiveness of an Agricultural Literacy Intervention on Students’ Attitudes and Knowledge Toward Sustainability and Animal Agriculture
Get PDFAgricultural literacy is essential for helping individuals understand how food systems impact their daily lives and society. While most research has focused on students’ knowledge, this study addresses the underexplored role of attitudes—critical predictors of behavior—as outcomes of educational interventions. This research analyzed survey data collected before and after an agricultural literacy intervention delivered to high school students in school-based agricultural education (SBAE) programs. The curriculum focused on sustainability in animal agriculture. Findings from paired samples t-tests showed statistically significant improvements in students\u27 attitudes (from moderately neutral to more positive) and knowledge scores. Further analyses revealed that demographic factors such as gender, prior agricultural experience, participation in 4-H or FFA, school location, and race/ethnicity were all associated with student attitudes and knowledge changes. Additionally, the results supported the Knowledge–Attitude–Practice (KAP) theory, as increased knowledge strongly predicted positive attitudinal development. These findings suggest that well-designed agricultural literacy programs can effectively improve both understanding and perceptions of sustainability in agriculture. This has broad implications for educators, researchers, and organizations that foster informed, thoughtful engagement in food systems. Future research should explore long-term impacts on behavior and further develop the proposed theoretical framework for agricultural literacy
Evaluation of Novel Biomarkers as Predictive Measures of Mastitis – Establishing a Relationship With Health Status, Lamb Performance, And Determination of Prevalence of Mastitis in Ewes Under Intensive Management
Get PDFInflammation of the mammary gland, also known as mastitis, is a prevalent and financially impactful disease in sheep production. The objectives of this survey were to 1) evaluate current testing methods: somatic cell count (SCC), California Mastitis Test (CMT), and bacterial culture, as well as novel biomarkers: lamb performance, milk composition, and udder conformation, for their impact on ewes categorized as clinically healthy or unhealthy under intensive management systems at 15 days in milk (DIM) and 30 DIM, and 2) identify biological markers that are correlated with clinical and subclinical mastitis. Milk, blood, and fecal samples, a visual and physical exam, as well as measures for intestinal parasite load (FAMACHA scores) were collected from lactating ewes at 15 DIM and 30 DIM, and fecal samples, body weights, and FAMACHA scores were collected from their lambs. Milk samples were evaluated for SCC, CMT, milk composition, and bacterial species identification (MALDI). Blood samples, FAMACHA scores, and components of the physical exam were utilized to determine systemic ewe health. Lamb weaning weights and calculated average daily gain (ADG) were collected to be used as a physical measure of decreased milk production, frequently seen in cases of mastitis. We hypothesized that there would be increases in SCC and CMT, and alterations in milk composition for ewes that are categorized with different health statuses, with compounding effects from other mastitis risk factors. Additionally, we hypothesized that correlations will be identified between biomarkers and SCC, CMT, and lamb performance for healthy ewes that differ between litter size and DIM. It was observed that SCC and CMT differed by health status, SCC, CMT, udder conformation, lamb ADG, and lamb weaning weights differed by litter size, and CMT, milk fat (MF), and milk total solids (MTS) differed by DIM. Additionally, correlations were established between several testing methods and SCC, CMT, and lamb ADG. These results indicated that MF, MTS, lactose, protein, and lamb performance could serve as novel biomarkers to identify subclinical mastitis, but more investigation is needed to determine what biological processes causes these differences and correlations
Assessment as Change Management: Facilitating Consensus, Decision-Making, and Culture Change Through a Scaffolded Approach to ILS Review and Selection
Get PDFLike many academic libraries, Utah State University Libraries have had a long and complex relationship with our integrated library systems (ILS). After migrating to SirsiDynix’s Symphony ILS from their older Horizon system in 2009, the Libraries moved to Innovative Interfaces Inc.’s Sierra platform in 2012. These back-to-back migrations not only created frustration and fatigue amongst library staff, the decision-making processes that led to the migrations were also flawed and lacked genuine staff involvement. This resulted in problems during the implementation stage, such as workloads being inadvertently shifted from one unit to another. Understandably, this bred some long-standing resentment towards the idea of migration that persisted for over a decade across large portions of library staff. But in the past five years, as the Sierra platform began to show its age, it became clear that the system would not be able accommodate the Libraries’ growing needs around collection management, as well as the desire to provide a usable and accessible catalog and discovery experience for library patrons. To make the case and break the tension around discussions of migration, the Libraries’ executive committee commissioned a task force to conduct a systematic evaluation of both the needs for a new system and the general staff attitude about migration
Advancing Earth Observation With a Novel Polarimetric Sensor: The GARAI-A Satellite and Satlantis’ Next-Generation Systems
Get PDFPolarimetric sensors introduce great imaging enhancements to current Earth Observation capabilities, by improving target discrimination, material recognition, and atmospheric components filtering. Satlantis has recently launched its cutting-edge polarimetry technology onboard its GARAI-A satellite, which will soon demonstrate its advanced capabilities in orbit. This paper presents the design of the polarimetric channel, its calibration process, the first polarimetric images, and an initial assessment of their potential applications.
GARAI-A, launched in January 2025, carries an innovative polarimetric channel designed by Satlantis on an iSIM-90 sensor to capture multi-angle polarization data at a very high spatial resolution. Unlike other EO payloads, this novel sensor combines compact, high-resolution polarization optical design with Satlantis’ proprietary miniaturized imager architecture. The result is a cost-effective yet powerful solution for microsatellite platforms, offering enhanced contrast detection challenging observation conditions. The mission followed a rigorous calibration and validation campaign, ensuring alignment with predictive analyses.
The initial on-orbit results aim to demonstrate GARAI-A’s capability to monitor atmospheric aerosols with improved accuracy. The range of potential applications is extensive, including oil spill detection, mineral and rock identification, water quality monitoring, and target detection. A key application of polarimetry is aerosol characterization and filtering, which will be extensively studied in the GARAI-A mission. Additionally, methane detection and quantification performed using the secondary payload onboard GARAI-A, the iSIM-90’s SWIR channel, could benefit from considering the impact of aerosols on these measurements, improving the detection limit of the instrument and the overall performance of the whole system.
As part of Satlantis’ broader strategy to enhance remote sensing capabilities, this satellite serves as a stepping stone toward the development of its new generation satellites constellation that will include enhanced polarimetric sensors. The insights gained from GARAI-A will feed the design process of next generation of compact, high-performance microsatellites tailored for a wide range of Earth Observation needs. This paper will discuss the mission design process, payload architecture, calibration and alignment efforts, and early science results, showcasing the transformative potential of this technology onboard small satellite platforms.
With GARAI-A, Satlantis sets a new standard for high-resolution polarimetric imaging in space, unlocking novel opportunities for both the scientific research, delivering data to academic and federal institutions such as NASA or NOAA, as well as the commercial EO world, with an special emphasis on the decarbonization economy. The success of this mission underscores the growing role of small satellites in delivering sophisticated remote sensing tools that were once exclusive to larger space systems.
In addition to its primary scientific and commercial contributions, GARAI-A’s mission fosters the development of the next-generation of miniaturized polarimetric imagers optimized for environmental applications. The integration of AI-enhanced data processing algorithms delivers rapid data curation and dissemination. The paper will also dive into the integration of this technology in Satlantis’ future sensor architectures
AFRL Validated Principles and Building Blocks of Ground-Based Ops Automation
Get PDFOver the past decade, AFRL\u27s Small Satellite Portfolio (SSP) and Ops Cadre (RVES) branches have been operating small satellites with different bus providers to support diverse mission needs. Because the bus, payload and experimentation differ for every mission, and the ground segment has had the challenge of supporting the varying needs on a mission-by-mission basis. AFRL has been working to improve efficiency with which the ground segment supports those varying needs. One major emphasis has been on learning how to automate operations of such different missions. In an effort to standardize mission automation within the operations center, AFRL has developed a set of automation building blocks that are impartial to spacecraft design. This paper will describe the environment and purpose of ground-based Ops Automation, by first providing definitions of the entire Mission Operation system, which includes not only the spacecraft but also Space environment, Ground Stations, Ground Tools, Operators, and Stakeholders. The paper will address the technical challenges for designing automation for inherently constrained systems, like small satellites, that aid in effective automation system engineering. The impacts due to constraints such as communication limitations, SWAP, incomplete data sets, data latency and data bandwidth are discussed. Concluding this needs discussion, a comparison is made between ground-based or on-board automation. Next, the paper will describe guiding principles used to design trusted and useful automation. The principles identified include phased implementation, maintaining operator visibility, operator override capability, operator readiness and training. The phased application of automation is necessary to address programmatic constraints such as stakeholder needs, organizational rigor, risk acceptance thresholds, and data costs. These principles, as summarized, mark the significance of applying a structured roadmap to integrate trusted, automation components into operations centers. The paper will then reveal eight building blocks identified as the generalized processes that enable the generation of mission value through the application of automation
Women, Finance, and Education: Utahns’ Awareness, Understanding, And Attitudes
No full textDuring the fall of 2023, Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) researchers conducted a statewide study to establish a baseline for public perceptions related to the awareness, understanding, and attitudes about challenges that Utah women and girls face. In early 2024, we published 20 short research summaries that shared the results of this comprehensive study. Then, in the fall of 2024, we administered the survey, with slight refinements, around the state of Utah. We now share the results of the 2024 data by releasing six white papers; this is the fourth in the series.
Overall, this comprehensive study was designed to support the efforts of A Bolder Way Forward (BWF), which is a statewide initiative focused on ensuring that more Utah girls, women, and their families thrive. Each area of focus (spoke) has bold goals with data-driven metrics to measure progress. This research focuses on collecting and analyzing data to help track this progress for those goals based on potential shifts in public awareness, understanding, and/or attitudes related to each spoke. The shifts are critical for Utahns to make progress in the topic areas.
The following lists the five overarching categories within BWF and the 18 spokes included in this research: Education: Finance, Higher Education Attainment, and K–12 Initiatives Community Engagement: Political Representation, Boards and Commissions, and Civic Engagement/Advocacy Safety and Security: Child Sexual Abuse, Domestic Violence, Poverty and Homelessness, Sexual Assault, and Sexual Harassment and Gender-Based Discrimination Health and Wellbeing: Health Across the Lifespan, and Home and Family Workplace: Childcare/Pre-K Programs, Entrepreneurship, Gender Pay Gap, Leadership Development, Organizational Strategies and Workplace Culture, STEM Fields, and Workforce Development
This report covers three spokes in the Education category: Finance, Higher Education Attainment, and K– 12 Initiatives. After highlighting foundational research methods for the study as a whole, this report shares the findings of these three areas of focus and includes both the applicable quantitative and qualitative results
Utah Organizations Supporting Women & Girls: Exploring the Landscape
No full textIn 2024, U.S. News & World Report rated each state using 71 metrics in eight categories. Utah came out on top, declared as the “Best State Overall” for the second year in a row, ranking number two in education, and number three in both economy and infrastructure categories. 1 In addition, WalletHub dubbed Utah 2023’s Most Charitable State, citing high levels of charitable giving and volunteerism,2 and ConsumerAffairs declared Utah the “Best State to Move to in 2024.”3 In addition, Utah also ranks high in work hours, volunteerism, affordability, happiness, outdoor recreation, social mobility, and more.4 See an extensive list of 2024 rankings in Utah Business. National rankings and awards celebrate the place we call home and each resident’s contribution to Utah. The ratings highlight notable characteristics of Utah citizens and the state’s leadership. The top rankings emphasize qualities we can—and should—be pleased with.
However, extensive research continues to show that women and girls are not thriving in many critical ways, and that has detrimental effects for Utah families and communities.5 While WalletHub lauds aspects of Utah life in general, for the last decade it has ranked Utah dead last among Best & Worst States for Women’s Equality.6 Other rankings document women’s mental health challenges, low preventative health care, high prevalence of rape victimization, and other concerning trends.7 WalletHub also presents concerning data on workplace environment, education and health, and political empowerment. We know that organizations and entities will prosper and thrive when both men and women hold leadership roles and are provided equitable opportunities and access to resources in all life domains.8 Utahns must engage more deeply in societal change efforts to ensure that girls, women, and families thrive
