Senior Thesis ST 2011-01

Since the arrival of non-Native peoples to Alaska, the state has heavily relied on importing most food. Food security concerns have been raised related to supply disruptions, cost, and health. This thesis was designed as a pilot study and intended to provide information on local vegetable and fruit production in the Tanana Valley. The results from the study could inform subsequent studies that determine state vegetable and fruit production. Commercial vegetable and fruit producers in the Tanana Valley were surveyed. The response rate was 38.5%. The survey provided insight into characteristics of producers, production, and marketing practices. Increasing crop production in the Tanana Valley is possible, but measuring current production may require a more complex measuring system that is more consistent with producer practices. Alaska faces many challenges if it is to transition from an un-integrated food system to a more comprehensive food system that generates value to local communities

A quantitative method for maceration of hydra tissue

A method is described for the maceration (dissociation) of hydra tissue into single cells. The cells have characteristic morphology such that all basic types — epithelial, gland, mucous, interstitial, nematoblast, and nerve — can be distinguished. Criteria are given for identifying each cell type by phase contrast microscopy. It is shown that maceration quantitatively recovers cells from hydra tissue

Psocids from Malta (Insecta: Psocodea: ‘Psocoptera’), with new synonymy for Peripsocus stagnivagus based on the discovery of its first Palaearctic male

About 2,000 specimens of Psocoptera were collected in Malta recently. Examination of this material revealed 21 new re-cords for the Maltese archipelago, augmenting the known psocid fauna of these islands from 6 to 27 species. One of the most abundant species is Peripsocus stagnivagus Chapman, 1930 (= P. bivari Baz, 1988 = P. leleupi Badonnel, 1976, new synonymies), formerly considered to be a predominantly Nearctic species. The discovery in Malta, of one male of this usually parthenogenetic species enabled comparison of this first Palaearctic male with the well-documented, rare Nearctic male. The lack of any morphological difference between these males, or between females from the Nearctic, the western Palaearctic and several Atlantic islands, supports the proposed synonymies.peer-reviewe