PINES (Bemidji State University)
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Teaching Euclidean Geometry Using Proof and Dynamic Geometry Software
No full textThis paper examines incorporating proofs and dynamic geometry software when teaching Euclidean geometry to produce deeper understanding of geometric relationships for middle and secondary level students. The utilization of technology through classroom investigations and activities has shown to have an impact on the achievement scores on posttests and in the development of mathematical proof
Tribal Identity and The Rise of the American Indian/Alaskan Native Population
No full textToday, most tribal nations in the United States identify by federal recognition, yet on the American Community Survey, American Indian/Alaskan Native respondents can self-identify as a member of a specific tribal nation. Most researchers argues that this tribal identification fortifies the reflection of the American Indian/Alaskan Native identity. There are 574 federally recognized tribes in the United States today. Between 2000-2020, the US Census Bureau and the American Community Survey noted a significant surge in the American Indian/Alaskan Native population. This population growth went from a mere 2 million to almost 10 million in a 20-year time span. In this research, it is assessed who is more likely to identify as a tribal member and how this factor contributes to the population growth
Environmental Influences on the Growth of Inland Cisco Populations in Three Minnesota Sentinel Lakes
No full textCisco Coregonus artedi are a pelagic cold-water fish that are widely distributed throughout many inland lakes across the northern Midwest and play an important role as forage for large piscivores. Inland Cisco populations have been observed to vary in their overall size and recruitment potential based on the system in which they are found. Cisco are sensitive to oxythermal stress and with climate change, land use, and invasive species effects becoming more prevalent in Minnesota, aspects of lake ecosystems are changing, ultimately making Cisco more susceptible to these stressors. To investigate how different factors were affecting the population dynamics of inland Cisco, three lakes with a range of size structure and densities were selected within Minnesota\u27s northern lakes and forests and north central hardwoods ecoregions. Targeted, standardized, annual pelagic fish sampling was conducted from 2013-2019 using a combination of hydroacoustic sonar and vertical gillnets. Fish sampled in vertical gillnets were measured, weighed, and used to aid hydroacoustic estimates for Cisco abundance and biomass. In addition, metrics that describe the pelagic oxythermal habitat, food availability, and fish density were collected to understand how different environmental factors were influencing inland Cisco populations. A total of 16 linear regression and mixed effect models were developed for two selected response variables: upper 95th % total length (mm) and standardized age-0 density (no • ha-m®). Cyclopoid copeopod densities explained the most variability in the observed size differences found in Cisco (t = 4.05, var = 2796) while Cisco biomass best explained the variability amongst the age-O density response variable (p \u3c 0.01. R?= 0.41). Additionally, the number of growing degree days at dissolved oxygen of 3.0 mg/L explained variability in both selected response variables (t = 2.36, var = 3632; p = 0.022, R2= 0.29). The results from this study document the importance of zooplankton prey and oxythermal habitat on Cisco and therefore provide fisheries managers with further knowledge to help closely monitor these populations
The Impact of Women and Intersectionality on Bill Success in State Legislatures
No full textThousands of bills are introduced in state legislatures every year and there are a multitude of reasons as to why some of those bills become law and some do not. Female sponsorship and the intersectionality of female sponsors are the focus of my research. Previous research has found variable impact of these characteristics; however, little work has been done on the combined effects of race, gender, and partisanship on bill passage rate. I tested these ideas on bills that were introduced to state legislatures of forty states in 2015 from the Harvard Dataverse1. By applying differing factors of race, gender, and partisanship to bill success, I am assessing whether racial differences among women in differing partisanship leads to a greater impact on bill passage in state legislatures
The Future of Family-Operated Resort-Destinations
No full textThe tourism industry, one of the largest in the world, is arguably one of the most volatile industries we look at. Through the varying sub-sectors of tourism, we narrow in on the family resort industry, predominately in the upper Midwest. You may hear me refer to them as Family-Operated-Resort-Destinations, but they serve unique clientele in a unique way. This industry faces immense pressure from mild tax code changes, politicians, DNR regulations, fishing quality, climate change, gas prices, foreign affairs and more. During this paper, I will examine the future of Family-Operated-Resort-Destinations
An Assessment of Burbot Life History in Minnesota with a Focus on Movement Dynamics and Spawning Vulnerability
No full textBurbot have a circumpolar range spanning from rivers of Alaska to lentic systems in Minnesota. Although Burbot population dynamics have been studied, their movement dynamics have been rarely investigated. Our objectives were to assess seasonal home range changes of Burbot in a closed-lentic system and quantify the scale of spawning aggregations. Sixty-six Burbot were implanted with acoustic transmitters in Bad Medicine Lake, Minnesota, with 32 surviving the length of the study period between 10 April 2019 to 11 June 2020. The peak spawning date for Burbot in Bad Medicine Lake was estimated to be mid-March, when home range estimates were two times larger than at any other point in the study. Female estimated home range size was significantly larger than males across the study. Fish movement was synchronized with ice formation in December and continued through March when they explored new areas. Home range estimates were smallest in mid- April, likely due to post-spawn behaviors. Spawning locations were estimated using the ArcGIS Optimized Hot Spot Analysis tool. Results show there are multiple locations in Bad Medicine Lake that Burbot used during the spawn. However, Burbot heavily used the eastern shore, which includes steep, rocky drop-offs compared to the west side. Our results provide evidence to suggest Burbot do cluster during spawning, potentially increasing their vulnerability to anglers. High exploitation rates are likely to occur in situations where spawning Burbot, which are actively feeding, are met by intense angling pressure. Our results will assist fisheries managers in determining appropriate measures to protect the fish during a potential vulnerable stage. Results highlight how movement patterns differ in the species throughout its circumpolar distribution. Future research should continuously monitor Burbot populations and assess how populations can be affected by changes in their environment, specifically climate change
The Effects of Diet on Yellow Perch Morphology Throughout Lake Bemidji
No full textMorphology is very important as it looks at the arrangement of an organism’s parts to determine their functionality, development, and how they could have changed through evolution. It is also important for the identification of species as it can show how closely species are related. This study examines if the morphology of yellow perch changes throughout Lake Bemidji. Along with examining a subset of five stomachs for each group (A-F) of yellow perch collected to determine if diet was a driving force behind morphological changes. The data collected in this study suggested that morphology does change throughout Lake Bemidji and that diet influences the morphology of yellow perch. The measurements driving these changes were the caudal peduncle depth, caudal fin depth, body depth, body width, mouth depth, and mouth width The stomachs showed small amounts of invertebrates belonging to the following groups: Amphipoda, Tricoptera, and Ephemeroptera. A comparison of the 2021 and 2022 data was made to determine if morphology can change from one year to the next. The evidence from this comparison suggests that morphology does change from one year to the next
Commencement Program, May 2022
No full texthttps://pines.bemidjistate.edu/commencement/1004/thumbnail.jp
Spatial and Temporal Variability of Mercury in Upper and Lower Red Lake Walleye
No full textMercury is a global pollutant that is released into our environment by natural and anthropogenic processes resulting in extensive studies conducted on mercury cycling in aquatic ecosystems which has led to the issuance of human-health-based fish-consumption advisories. We examined total mercury concentrations in Walleye Sander vitreus from Upper and Lower Red Lakes, located in north central Minnesota, between 2019 and 2020. Upper and Lower Red Lake form a contiguous water body consisting of two large (483.1 and 665.6 km2, respectively) basins that are naturally connected by a 1.4 km-wide strait. Both basins are important fisheries for recreation, subsistence, and commercial fishing for the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians. The eastern half of Upper Red Lake is also an important sport fishery for non-Tribal anglers in Minnesota. Sampled Walleye (n = 265) ranged from 158 to 610 mm in total length from an age range of 0 to 16 years. Mercury concentrations within the Red Lakes’ Walleye ranged from 0.030 mg/kg to 0.564 mg/kg (x̄ = 0.179 ± 0.105 mg/kg; x̄ = mean ± sd, all fish-mercury concentrations expressed on wet-weight basis). The best supported model for predicting mercury concentrations in Red Lake Walleye included the independent variables: length, age, sex, and lake basin. This model indicated that basin was an important predictor variable for estimating Hg in Walleye from Upper and Lower Red Lake. This model also suggests that individuals who rely on fish for subsistence should target Walleye that are ≤ 400 mm from Lower Red Lake. With no physical barriers between the Lakes to prohibit migration, observed differences in mercury concentrations could be linked to the differences in wetland area, fish growth rates, and physicochemical parameters between the two basins. Spatial variability of mercury showed that Upper and Lower Red Lake exhibit fish-mercury concentrations comparable to other large lakes within the region after adjusting for length as the covariate. Given that basin was an important predictor variable for estimating fish-Hg concentrations, future pollutant monitoring efforts should treat Upper and Lower Red Lake as separate lakes and not assume that data from one basin can apply to the other. This will be important over a longer time scale as ecosystems respond to changes in mercury emissions and other environmental changes
Zebra Mussel Length-Weight Relationships Across Various Substrate Types in Lake Bemidji
No full textAs of November 2021, zebra mussels were confirmed in 270 Minnesotan lakes with another 232 lakes listed as infested due to their connection or proximity to where zebra mussels have been found. With lack of effective treatments to impede their spread, zebra mussels continue to colonize new areas causing ecological as well as economic harm. The goal of this study was to establish a length-weight relationship for the zebra mussel population in Lake Bemidji using shell length (SL) and wet weight (WW), as well as to assess substrate type and log transformed shell length as predictors of log transformed zebra mussel wet weight. The selected substrate types were driftwood, cobble-sized stones (64-256 mm in diameter), and native unionids to include a variety of bottom-types commonly found throughout the lake. The established length-weight relationship was as follows: log WW (g) = -9.2964 + 3.0998 log SL (mm). Regression analysis demonstrated that zebra mussel shell length alone was the best predictor of mussel wet weight. Substrate type showed relatively less support compared to other models with less predictive value overall compared to shell length