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Research roundup at MSU-Bozeman-Age of whirling- Prettier plants-Great places

Age of whirling

Scientists noticed some time ago that older rainbow trout are less likely to get whirling disease than younger ones. The disease causes deformities in fish that make them more vulnerable to predators. So is it the age of the fish or the size that matters? Eileen Ryce studied about 20,000 fish over five years for her recently awarded doctoral degree at MSU. She found that rainbows 9 weeks or older and at least 2 inches long didn’t develop the disease. Ryce said it could be that older fish have better-developed immune and nervous systems or that their greater amount of bone over cartilage, which the disease targets, is protective.The work was funded through the Water Center at MSU.

Prettier plants

Montana doesn’t always have the best light for plants. In fact, its low-light conditions can result in plants that are tall and spindly. To develop plants that are bushier, shorter and more attractive to Montana customers, Kristi De Vries is growing pansies and lettuce under a variety of filters in the Plant Growth Center at MSU. Her experiments are aimed at helping greenhouse growers in Montana. De Vries is a native of Roundup and involved in the Undergraduate Scholars Program at MSU. Her research stems from work that Tracy Dougher did for NASA. Dougher, an assistant professor of plant sciences & plant pathology, was growing plants under controlled conditions.

Great places

Scientists want to know how the great ecosystems of Africa and the United States are responding to changes in both climate and human activity. Lisa Graumlich, executive director of MSU’s Big Sky Institute, plans to gather experts for workshops in Africa and the United States, where they will discuss case studies of changes in the ecosystems of Yellowstone National Park, the Serengeti Plains and the Mount Kilimanjaro. The goal is to improve how we cope with ecosystem change, perhaps by choosing management strategies that anticipate and reduce human and ecological consequences of change. The work is funded by a National Science Foundation grant.

by Evelyn Boswell and Annette Trinity-Stevens

Contact: Annette Trinity-Stevens, (406) 994-5607 or [email protected]

http://www.montana.edu/commserv/csnews/nwview.php?article=750

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