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Tri-Colored Bat Habitat Use And Selection In Northwestern South Carolina, Eduardo Rosales

All Theses

North American bat populations continue to be decimated by many factors, with the largest contributor being white-nose syndrome (WNS). In recent years researchers have noted the importance of fat reserves pre- and post-hibernation (fall and spring) and how they may influence WNS survival and recovery respectively. Tri-colored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) are one of the four species most impacted by WNS but have received the least research. Further, thus far all research on tri-colored bat resource selection has been gathered during summer and winter, highlighting the need for habitat selection studies during the fall and spring pre- and post-hibernation …

Factors Associated With Acoustic Bat Presence During Spring Emergence In The Appalachian Mountains Of Western Virginia, Emily Kirk Pody

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Studies of threats that bats face during hibernation have increased in response to white-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease that has ravaged North American bat populations. However, impacts of WNS on bat ecology during spring emergence, when bats are potentially recovering from infection and allocating resources for reproduction, is relatively understudied. As more bat species become listed at the federal and state level, the need to understand the factors associated with spring emergence is critical for improving conservation guidelines and habitat management practices. Acoustic monitoring is an efficient method for monitoring bat presence for prolonged periods of time, giving biologists …

Environmental Biology Masters Capstone, Antonio Gonzalez-Pita

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Human wildlife interactions (HWI) pose a complex challenge for wildlife managers. Human encroachment into wildlife habitat and the growing number of outdoor recreationists are increasing the frequency of contact and conflict, especially in regions such as the Front Range of Colorado. Geographic information systems (GIS), which use a combination of remote sensing and environmental survey data, allow for predictive spatial analyses of where human wildlife interactions are likely to occur. I used publicly reported observations of moose to create spatial predictive maps in a species distribution model framework. Slope and elevation were shown to be the strongest predictors of HWI, …

Addressing Water Hyacinth (Pontederia Crassipes) Impacts On Aquatic Biota In Lake Okeechobee, Joseph Salerno

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The incursion of water hyacinth, Pontederia crassipes in Lake Okeechobee has resulted in management systems to be implemented to reduce the coverage of the invasive macrophyte. Its residence in the Lake Okeechobee ecosystem and the effects it has on organisms in the lake, whether it be positive or harmful is unknown. This study attempted to assess the potential effects that water hyacinth has on aquatic biota in Lake Okeechobee. Biotic data were collected on open water, water hyacinth covered, and native vegetation covered habitats via hook-and-line fishing, electrofishing, baited minnow traps, and the sampling of plant roots over a thirteen-month …

Demographics, Sexual Dimorphism, And Ecological Aspects Of Ambystoma Annulatum (Ringed Salamander) In Northwest Arkansas, Usa, Brian M. Becker

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The need to study and monitor amphibian populations is increasing along with the threats to their population stability and persistence in nature. Northwest Arkansas is one of the fastest growing areas in the nation and with that growth comes rapid changes in land use, massive alterations to habitats, habitat loss, and the introduction of nonnative plants and animals. Ambystoma annulatum (Ringed Salamander) is an Ambystomatid endemic to the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains of southern Missouri, northern and western Arkansas, and eastern Oklahoma giving it a relatively small distribution compared to most Ambystoma. Therefore, Arkansas constitutes a significant portion of the …

An Ecological Survey Of East Texas Salamanders Across The Camp Tyler Outdoor Field School In Smith County, Texas, Justin C. Hunt

Biology Theses

Amphibians are a unique class of organisms with a very long and storied evolutionary history of survival. Many modern amphibian clades occupy several vital ecological roles within their native freshwater environments. One of these roles, typically includes functioning as an ecological indicator species, whereby the presence of stable and diverse populations of many amphibian species, including salamanders, within a freshwater ecosystem have long been considered ecological indicators of good habitat quality and stable ecosystem health. Similarly, salamanders also function as important members of their local food webs and act as valuable mediators of complex trophic hierarchies to facilitate nutrient cycling …

Growth, Mortality, And Movement Of Endemic Bartram's Bass And Invasive Alabama Bass In Upper Savannah River Basin Tributaries, Tyler Zumwalt

All Theses

Bartram’s Bass are an endemic to the Upper Savannah River basin in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Bartram’s Bass are facing many risks, primary among them being hybridization with nonnative Alabama Bass. More recently, nonnative Alabama Bass and their hybrid congeners have been observed moving from reservoirs into tributaries where the remaining Bartram’s Bass populations exist. Thus, for Chapter 1 we sought to better understand the threat of nonnative gene spreading in tributary systems. To do this, we 1) quantified the movement of pure Alabama Bass, Bartram’s Bass, and their hybrids, 2) assessed correlations between movement and abiotic variables, …

Porifera: Biology And Medicinal Properties, Emma L. Rayfield

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The focus of this thesis is the possibility of oceanic medicine through understanding the general biology of poriferans, their symbionts, medicinal properties, and how we could harvest sponges conservatively. It was necessary to understand the basic biology of poriferans regarding their structures, differences in their classes, and how they obtain nutrition, develop, and reproduce. The ecology of the poriferans was also researched including their larval and sessile stages and how their environment determines where they settle. Additionally, ecology was examined including how poriferans interact with symbionts and other organisms. This then was utilized to seek whether poriferans had useful medical …

A Return To The Staging Grounds: Reassessment Of Aleutian Cackling Goose Spring Distribution In North Humboldt Bay, Shaun W. Thornton

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

After a 15-year interval in research, spatial and temporal patterns of the Aleutian cackling goose during spring staging was assessed again in 2022. During my study, 3,389 goose flocks were recorded in Arcata Bottoms staging site, 1 January to 21 April 2022, amounting to an estimated total of 2,248,512 goosedays, which was 336.8% higher than 2007 estimates of 667,485 goosedays. Geese continued to use pastures with a wide range of landscape characteristics primarily represented by livestock grazing practices. Goose use was greater than availability on beef-cattle fields early in the season and dairy-cow fields later in the season. Human disturbances …

Hide And Seek: An Exploration Of Antipredator And Predator Avoidance Mechanisms In Orthopodomyia Signifera In Response To Predation From Toxorhynchites Rutilus, Nathaniel Dahlberg

Master's Theses

There have been many observations of larval Orthopodomyia signifera coexisting with the predator Toxorhynchites rutilus. There are three hypotheses that could explain how Or. signifera resists predation from Tx. rutilus. The first hypothesis states that larvae adapt behavioral changes that limit predation. The second hypothesis states thoracic setae serve as a physical defense that prevents Tx. rutilus from grasping Or. signifera. The third hypothesis states Or. signifera possess a chemical defense indicated by aposematic coloration. To test the first hypothesis larval Or. signifera were exposed to conspecific and heterospecific predation cues and their behavior was observed. Both cues …

Assessing Forest Features And Nocturnal Flying Insect Diversity As Predictors Of Eastern Whip-Poor-Will Occupancy In Foraging Habitat, Clark D. Alexander

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Eastern whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus), an insectivorous caprimulgid, have seen an approximate 2.76% annual population decrease since the 1960s, with their breeding and foraging ecology largely unknown due to their nocturnal and cryptic behavior. I conducted research to assess abiotic and biotic variables correlated with detection, and occupancy probability, and prey species diversity on ~104,000 hectares of forest in West Virginia, owned by the private timber company Weyerhaeuser. Previous literature indicates that Eastern whip-poor-will, and their prey, require ephemeral habitat such as recently cleared and early successional forests, like those historically created by forest fires, wind shears, hurricanes, and …

Differences In Drifting Invertebrate Communities Across Arctic Ecozones And The Influence On Potential Growth Of Grayling (Thymallus Arcticus), Charles Chanyi

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Invertebrate drift is a key process that potentially affects multiple levels of food web organization within stream environments. However, our understanding of the mechanistic drivers of drift in high latitude streams and subsequent bottom-up control that drift may have on fish predators in these environments remains understudied. This project aimed to gain the baseline knowledge of how drift functions across two major high latitude ecozones, the boreal forest and tundra, and how those possible differences in drifting community characteristics may impact drift-feeding Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus). These objectives were accomplished by characterizing stream environments across both ecozones, sampling …

Ecology And Evolution Of Social Information Use, Clare T. M. Doherty

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Sociality is a strategy many animals employ to cope with their environments, enabling them to survive and reproduce more successfully than would otherwise be possible. When navigating their environments and making decisions, social individuals often use information provided by conspecifics (in the form of social cues and signals), thereby increasing the scope and reliability of the information they can gather. However, social information use may be influenced by many factors, including key differences in context across the physical and social environment. My thesis asks and answers a series of questions regarding the trade-offs in social information use across different contexts, …

Characterizing Habitat Suitability For Gulf Sturgeon (Acipenser Oxyrinchus Desotoi) In Southern Louisiana, Jenna N. Brogdon

LSU Master's Theses

A generalized additive modeling (GAM) framework was used to characterize fish-habitat relationships and develop habitat suitability maps to predict spatiotemporal and ontogenetic shifts in Gulf sturgeon distribution within an impacted estuary in the northern Gulf of Mexico, Lake Pontchartrain. Gulf sturgeon (n = 103) were fitted with acoustic transmitters in the Pearl River during the early summer and fall from 2013 to 2018, and an array of acoustic receivers (n = 81) was used to monitor Gulf sturgeon habitat use and movement in the estuary from 2016 to 2019. Daily presence data from the telemetry array were paired with environmental …

Climate-Related Declines In Reproductive Output In A High-Elevation Population Of Ground Squirrels, Kayleigh Little

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Beginning in the 1900s, changes in climate have resulted in an increase in global temperatures. This warming has driven behavioral and demographic changes within a multitude of species worldwide. Historically, small mammal populations have responded to changes in temperature by adjusting their geographic ranges. As temperatures rise, high-elevation populations may no longer be able to adjust as they have before. In this study, we evaluated possible effects of climate change on a high-elevation population of Belding’s ground squirrels (Urocitellus beldingi) at Tioga Pass in Northern California. We used local climate data and long-term population data from 1994 to …

Detection, Occupancy, Abundance, And Mercury Accumulation Of The Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys Temminckii) In Texas, David Rosenbaum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Land use practices and physical alterations of ecosystems result in habitat loss and fragmentation, while chemical alterations, such as pollutant input, reduce habitat quality and health of exposed organisms. Here, I investigated the effects of watershed- and local-scale environmental variables on the occupancy, abundance, and mercury accumulation of a threatened aquatic species (Macrochelys temminckii, i.e., alligator snapping turtle) within the southwestern periphery of its distribution. Hierarchical modeling suggested the distribution of the species is more affected by watershed-scale land-cover than local habitat, and provided a baseline estimate of average species abundance across its range in eastern Texas. Abundance …

Crassostrea Gigas Invasion In Southern California: Macrofaunal Diversity And Local Community Impacts Of Ecosystem Engineers On Estuarine Habitats, Noah Jansen-Yee

Theses

Many marine ecosystems are facing the growing threat of biological invasions. These invasions can have a variety of different impacts on ecosystems and their inhabitants. The Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, is currently in the relatively early stages of invasion in San Diego estuaries. Crassostrea gigas is a large, filter-feeding bivalve that forms dense oyster beds on hard substrate. These oysters are known to outcompete native counterparts and drastically alter habitats where they are present. Crassostrea gigas is an ecosystem engineer that, through shell creation and formation of a dense oyster matrix, impacts ecosystems in a variety of direct and indirect …

A Characterization Of The Sandy Beach Surf Zone Fish Community And Their Ecology In Northern California And The Effects Of Marine Protected Areas, Katie B. Terhaar

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Historically written off as dull and homogenous, the dynamics of the sandy beach surf zone remains under studied world-wide. Northern California has been no exception to this global standard, as the sandy beach surf zone ecosystem in this region has yet to be characterized, and the effect of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) on the fish and macroinvertebrate community fully ascertained.

Considered data-poor by local wildlife officials, commercially, recreationally and culturally important Amphistichus rhodoterus (redtail surfperch) and common Hyperprosopon ellipticum (silver surfperch) utilize the sandy beach surf zone in Northern California. Little is known about the effect of various environmental factors, …

Understanding Caribou Population Cycles, Jack R. St. John

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

The complex population dynamics of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) were studied to determine the patterns of their population cycles and the processes driving them. It is well established, via previous archaeological research and Indigenous knowledge, that large migrating caribou herds found in and around the tundra at northern latitudes experience population boom and busts roughly every several decades. However, the processes driving the dynamics of these cycles are relatively unknown, which makes managing caribou herds for recreational and subsistence harvests difficult. It has been hypothesized that a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic factors shape these cycles, with density-dependence, predation, …

Using Spatial Methods To Analyse Anthropogenic Predation Risk And Movement Ecology Of White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus), Rhiannon D. Kirton

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Hunting has been used as a central tool by wildlife managers to maintain populations of game species, however, we still lack a good understanding of exactly how hunting influences deer biology. Technological advances in GPS data over the last two decades now enable us to perform more detailed analysis on the effects of human hunters on wildlife populations. This research explores the spatial ecology of hunters and White-tailed deer in the Cross Timbers ecoregion of Oklahoma. Using new statistical methodologies to analyse simultaneous GPS tracking data on deer and hunters to study their spatial interactions. The results show how new …

The Effects Of Urbanization On The Avian Gut Microbiome, Mae Berlow

Doctoral Dissertations

The gut microbiome influences and is influenced by the host, and can affect the host organism by contributing to health, development and immunity. Similarly, the host can influence this community; it’s makeup can vary with host species, locality, diet, social stressors, and environmental stressors. Some of these environmental stressors have arisen due to human-induced rapid environmental change, like urbanization. The physiology and behaviors of organisms that are able to persist in urban environments are often different from their non-urban congeners. Nutrition, development, and immunity—all of which are affected by the gut microbiome—are important factors that can determine survival in urban …

Residency, Diel Movement, And Tidal Patterns Of Large Juvenile Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus Leucas) In Winyah Bay, Sc, Jeremy Lee Arnt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Determining The Trophic Role Of Red Snapper (Lutjanus Campechanus) In Mississippi State Waters Using Stomach Content And Stable Isotope Analysis, Branden Kohler

Master's Theses

The goal of this study was to determine the diet composition, trophic position and ecological role of red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) in Mississippi state waters utilizing stable isotopes (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) and stomach content analysis. Stable isotope analysis of fish and their prey can provide information on species-specific basal resource utilization, diet composition and trophic position which can improve food web models and inform fisheries management decisions. Particulate organic matter (POM), the presumed base of the food web, red snapper muscle tissue, and red snapper stomach contents were collected from 25 sites in 2016 and …

Dietary Development And Nutritional Ontogeny In Gorilla Beringei : A Multi-Layered, -Omics Approach, Emma C. Cancelliere

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In species who consume folivorous diets, immature individuals must contend with the challenges of extracting nutrients from fibrous foods before dietary adaptations and strategies are fully developed. Additionally, immatures have distinct nutritional needs to support their stage-specific metabolic and biophysiological requirements. To meet these stage-specific needs, while constrained by underdeveloped feeding strategies and digestive capacities, immatures may adopt distinct diets better suited to their specific developmental context. However, where dietary modification is constrained by low dietary diversity or landscape homogeneity, it is unclear how immature individuals compensate through alternative strategies. In turn, little is known about the nutritional and life …

Movements Of White-Headed And White-Backed Vultures, Teague K. Scott

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Vultures are the only obligate vertebrate scavengers, and as such provide crucial services as keystone species and support the health and function of ecosystems in which they live. African vultures are a diverse group, with nine species found throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, many with overlapping distributions. Unfortunately, African vultures are faced with numerous threats throughout their range that have led to significant population declines, some greater than 90%, in only three generations. Four of these species are currently listed as critically endangered, and three as endangered.

Despite the significant perils faced by African vultures, there are still significant knowledge gaps and, …

Impact Analysis On The Invasive Oriental Weather Loach (Misgurnus Anguillicaudatus) In The Grant Creek And Prairie Creek Watersheds At Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Adam Vanhaitsma

Pence-Boyce STEM Student Scholarship

In 2014, the invasive Oriental weather loach was found in the Prairie Creek wetland at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. While little is known about the Oriental weather loach and its impact on freshwater ecosystems it has become a widespread invasive species. Being the first to investigate the impact of the Oriental weather loach on the Grant Creek and Prairie Creek watersheds at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, we set traps for specimens from early June till late July in both watersheds. Each loach that was caught was euthanized and dissected in order to understand what the Oriental weather loaches are eating …

Chronoecology Of A Cave-Dwelling Orb-Weaver Spider, Meta Ovalis (Araneae: Tetragnathidae), Rebecca Steele

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Circadian clocks enable coordination of essential biological and metabolic processes in relation to the 24-hour light cycle. However, there are many habitats that are not subject to this light cycle, such as the deep sea, arctic regions, and cave systems. This study analyzes the circadian pattern of isolated populations of a subterranean spider, Meta ovalis from two Tennessee caves and five Indiana caves. Locomotor activity was recorded with TriKinetics LAM50 Locomotor Activity Monitor under a 12-hour light (L), 12-hour dark (D) (LD 12:12) cycle preceding total darkness (DD). Significant differences were found within and among populations found in Tennessee cave …

Stressed Out: Life-History Strategy And The Costs Of Multiple Stressors In Gryllus Crickets, Sugjit S. Padda

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The frequency, duration, and co-occurrence of several environmental stressors are increasing globally. Multiple stressors may have compounding or interactive effects on animals, resulting in either additive or non-additive costs, but animals may mitigate these costs through various strategies of resource conservation or shifts in resource allocation. Thus, through two related factorial experiments, I measured a range of traits—from those related to life history and behavior to underlying physiology— to investigate the nature of costs (additive, non-additive, or neither additive nor non-additive), cost-mitigating strategies (resource conservation or allocation), and life-history strategy related to multiple stressors. First, I leveraged life-history strategy differences …

Ecology And Conservation Of Shrubland Bird Communities In The Eastern Ghats Of Indi, Anant Deshwal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic disturbance, in its multiple facets represents a major threat to biodiversity and habitat quality. Consequently, extensive research is guided towards understanding anthropogenic disturbance and their effects on wildlife for development of wildlife management plans. However, for development of effective wildlife management plans it is imperative that we understand the habitat use and preference by local fauna along with effects of anthropogenic presence. In this dissertation, I studied the habitat usage and preferences of Shrubland birds in the Eastern Ghats of India during the pre-monsoon and post monsoon seasons. Eastern Ghats show a marked difference from pre-monsoon season to post-monsoon …

Mammal Species Inventory Using Various Trapping Methods In Zone 4 Of Billy Barquedier National Park, Belize During Rainy Season, Mersady Redding

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Belize is a small country, but it is extremely ecologically diverse. Based on the few studies conducted in Belize, the abundance of mammals is low but diversity is high. Particular findings note the number and identity of species differed between four sites in the Maya Mountains of Belize, indicating that a data set from a single site is not representative of the Neotropical region. Insufficient data is available to estimate current species richness of many areas in Belize, including Billy Barquedier National Park (BBNP). The objective of this study was to explore trapping and documentation methods of terrestrial mammals in …