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Ecology Of The Evening Bat (Nycticeius Humeralis) At The Northern Edge Of The Range, Olivia Maya Munzer

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Only a single colony of evening bats (Nycticeius humeralis) is known to occur in Michigan, and it is the northernmost colony on the North American continent. In mid-May, only female evening bats migrate to Michigan to raise their pups, and in late August, evening bats migrate to southern portions of their range, where they are ubiquitous. I studied the roosting and dietary ecology of the evening bat in southeastern Michigan. Evening bats roosted in cavities, crevices, and under exfoliating bark of older trees located in a bottomland forest, interlaced with waterways and surrounded by agricultural fields. These habitats …

Changes In Biotic And Abiotic Processes Following Mangrove Clearing, Elise Granek, Benjamin I. Ruttenberg

Biological Sciences

Mangrove forests, important tropical coastal habitats, are in decline worldwide primarily due to removal by humans. Changes to mangrove systems can alter ecosystem properties through direct effects on abiotic factors such as temperature, light and nutrient supply or through changes in biotic factors such as primary productivity or species composition. Despite the importance of mangroves as transitional habitats between land and sea, little research has examined changes that occur when they are cleared. We examined changes in a number of biotic and abiotic factors following the anthropogenic removal of red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) in the Panamanian Caribbean, including …

Garter Snake (Thamnophis) Natural History: Food Habits And Interspecific Aggression, Michael J. Edgehouse

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Communication and recognition are closely intertwined and have been well documented in closely related species over the past several decades. These two types of behaviors often will aid in fostering or disrupting coexistence of similar species. Frequently, it is through different diet patterns that similar species will be able to coexist. This study uses data from 1972 through 2006 to demonstrate the diet of Thamnophis sirtalis, T. atratus, T. elegans, and T. couchii throughout their California range of sympatry with Taricha torosa. Additionally, an in depth examination of the diet of T. sirtalis, T. elegans, …

A Conceptual Framework For Understanding Effects Of Wildlife Water Developments In The Western United States, Randy T. Larsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Free water can be a limiting factor to wildlife in arid regions of the world. In the western United States, management agencies have installed numerous, expensive wildlife water developments (e.g. catchments, guzzlers, wells) to: 1) increase the distribution or density of target species, 2) influence animal movements, and 3) mitigate for the loss of available free water. Despite over 50 years as an active management practice, water developments have become controversial for several species. We lack an integrated understanding of the ways free water influences animal populations. In particular, we have not meshed understanding of evolutionary adaptations that reduce the …

The Genetics Of Colonization In Two Amphibian Species After The 1980 Eruption Of Mount St. Helens, Kristin Ann Bakkegard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The genetics of colonization is understudied in salamanders but has large conservation implications as new habitats are formed or restored to their previous condition. The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens provided a natural experiment to study the genetic effects of a large infrequent environmental disturbance on two species of salamander, Taricha granulosa (Rough-skinned newt) and Ambystoma gracile (Northwestern salamander). Both these species breed in ponds, and are thought to exhibit high breeding site fidelity and low vagility. I designated three treatments based on the effects of the eruption: new ponds (created by the eruption, immigrants only), recovery lakes (in …

Sex-Biased Predation On Taricha By A Novel Predator In Annadel State Park, Amber Noelle Brouillette

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Newts of the genus Taricha have long been studied due to the powerful neurotoxin found in their skin. Tetrodotoxin (TTX) acts by blocking receptors in sodium channels, ultimately resulting in death via asphyxiation. The only documented predators of species in this genus have been snakes of the genus Thamnophis. Recently, predation on Taricha in Ledson Marsh in Annadel State Park, Santa Rosa, CA was discovered. Predation was in the form of laceration or evisceration, and tracking of predation from 1998-2008 showed that it was male-biased. Two species of Taricha were found living sympatrically at this location, the California newt …

Recruitment Of Coastal Fishes And Oceanographic Variability In Central California, J. R. Wilson, B. R. Broitman, J. E. Caselle, D. E. Wendt

Biological Sciences

Recruitment of pelagic larval fishes to the nearshore environment is dependent on a suite of biological and physical processes operating at many spatial and temporal scales. Nearshore circulation processes associated with coastal upwelling are widely upheld as major determinants of year class strength for many rockfishes (Sebastes spp.), but the mechanism by which these processes drive recruitment is largely unknown. We used Standard Monitoring Units for the Recruitment of Fishes (SMURFs) to monitor recruitment of two rockfish complexes (Sebastes spp.) and cabezon (Scorpaenichthys marmoratus) from March to September of 2004 and 2005 at 3 sites along …

Breakdown And Invertebrate Colonization Of Dead Wood In Wetland, Upland, And River Habitats, Amy Braccia, Darold P. Batzer

Biological Sciences Faculty and Staff Research

Breakdown of woody debris in river and upland habitats as well as the interactions between wood and invertebrates have been well described. Studies of wood in wetlands are rare, and far less is known about breakdown and invertebrate use of wood in these transitional habitats. This study experimentally assessed breakdown and invertebrate colonization of wood in a floodplain wetland and directly related patterns in the wetland to adjacent river and upland habitats. Over a 2.7 year period, we monitored breakdown and invertebrate presence in 10 cm diameter × 150 cm long sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) logs in a floodplain wetland …

Limited Native Plant Regeneration In Novel, Exotic-Dominated Forests On Hawai’I, Joseph Mascaro, Kristen K. Becklund, R. Flint Hughes, Stefan A. Schnitzer

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Ecological invasions are a major driver of global environmental change. When invasions are frequent and prolonged, exotic species can become dominant and ultimately create novel ecosystem types. These ecosystems are now widespread globally. Recent evidence from Puerto Rico suggests that exotic-dominated forests can provide suitable regeneration sites for native species and promote native species abundance, but this pattern has been little explored elsewhere. We surveyed 46 sites in Hawai’i to determine whether native species occurred in the understories of exotic-dominated forests. Native trees smaller than 10 cm in diameter were absent in 28 of the 46 sites and rare in …

Community Ecology And Phylogeography Of Bird Assemblages In Arid Zones Of Northern Venezuela: Implications For The Conservation Of Restricted-Range Birds, Adriana Rodriguez-Ferraro

Dissertations

Aridlands of northern Venezuela are important from an ornithological perspective because of the occurrence of habitat specialist birds that depend exclusively on desert scrubs and are endemic to this region. Currently, long-term survival of habitat specialists is threatened by ongoing changes in vegetation but the effects of such changes on bird assemblages are unknown. The goal of this study was to characterize bird assemblages found in six arid zones in northern Venezuela at both ecological and genetic levels, and to generate information relevant for conservation planning. The study involved assessments of patterns of avian species richness, abundance, community composition and …

Zoonotic Disease Emergence : A Study Of Host-Pathogen-Ecosystem Dynamics, Laurie Jeanne Dizney

Dissertations and Theses

A growing body of work demonstrates that loss of biodiversity negatively impacts ecosystem functions. One function, or service, that biodiverse ecosystems provide is suppression of zoonotic diseases, which are defined as diseases carried by wildlife hosts that can spill over into human populations. Ebola, SARS, West Nile virus, Hantavirus, Avian Influenza and Lyme disease are just a few of the recently emerging zoonotic diseases. Disease suppression has been shown for Lyme disease by the dilution effect, whereby increasing species diversity decreases disease prevalence in the host populations. But does a dilution effect apply to other disease systems? To test this …

Rules Of Engagement: Interspecies Interactions That Regulate Microbial Communities, Ainslie Little, Courtney Robinson, S Peterson, Kenneth Raffa, Jo Handelsman

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

Microbial communities comprise an interwoven matrix of biological diversity modified by physical and chemical variation over space and time. Although these communities are the major drivers of biosphere processes, relatively little is known about their structure and function, and predictive modeling is limited by a dearth of comprehensive ecological principles that describe microbial community processes. Here we discuss working definitions of central ecological terms that have been used in various fashions in microbial ecology, provide a framework by focusing on different types of interactions within communities, review the status of the interface between evolutionary and ecological study, and highlight important …

Rules Of Engagement: Interspecies Interactions That Regulate Microbial Communities, Ainslie Little, Courtney Jaime Robinson, S Brook Peterson, Kenneth F. Raffa, Jo Handelsman

Courtney Robinson

Life On The Edge: Morphological And Behavioral Adaptations For Survival On Wave-Swept Shores, Luke P. Miller

Luke P. Miller

Wave-swept rocky shores serve as a home to a great diversity of organisms and are some of the most biologically productive habitats on earth. This burgeoning community exists in spite of the fact that the zone between the high and low tide marks can be one of the most physically harsh environments on earth. Large forces imposed by breaking waves and wide swings in temperature require the organisms living on rocky shores to adapt to a constantly changing environment or risk extirpation by physical forces. I have explored a number of hypothesized adaptations for survival on rocky shores and discuss …

Life On The Edge: Morphological And Behavioral Adaptations For Survival On Wave-Swept Shores, Luke P. Miller

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Wave-swept rocky shores serve as a home to a great diversity of organisms and are some of the most biologically productive habitats on earth. This burgeoning community exists in spite of the fact that the zone between the high and low tide marks can be one of the most physically harsh environments on earth. Large forces imposed by breaking waves and wide swings in temperature require the organisms living on rocky shores to adapt to a constantly changing environment or risk extirpation by physical forces. I have explored a number of hypothesized adaptations for survival on rocky shores and discuss …

Roosting Ecology Of Rafinesque's Big-Eared Bat, Corynorhinus Rafinesquii, In Southeastern Mississippi, Austin Webb Trousdale Iii

Dissertations

Rafinesque's big-eared bat, Corynorhinus rafinesquii, is considered rare and/or declining throughout its range. Concrete bridges are potentially important roosts for C. rafinesquii, especially in the Gulf Coastal Plain where the species' natural roosts (caves and large hollow trees) are inherently scarce. Successful efforts to monitor and conserve this species must account for its movements among multiple roosts and determine the duration of its roost use (including bridges) at different temporal scales. Therefore, I investigated roosting ecology of C. rafinesquii from 2000-2005 within a mixed hardwood-pine (Pinus spp.) system in southeastern Mississippi. I conducted surveys of concrete bridges to determine phenological …

Oligonucleotide Primers For The Detection Of Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates Reveal Novel Luciferase Sequences And Information On The Molecular Evolution Of This Gene, Andrea Baker, Ian Robbins, Mark A. Moline, Maria Debora Iglesias-Rodriguez

Biological Sciences

Bioluminescence is reported in members of 18 dinoflagellate genera. Species of dinoflagellates are known to have different bioluminescent signatures, making it difficult to assess the presence of particular species in the water column using optical tools, particularly when bioluminescent populations are in nonbloom conditions. A "universal" oligonucleotide primer set, along with species and genus-specific primers specific to the luciferase gene were developed for the detection of bioluminescent dinoflagellates. These primers amplified luciferase sequences from bioluminescent dinoflagellate cultures and from environmental samples containing bioluminescent dinoflagellate populations. Novel luciferase sequences were obtained for strains of Alexandrium cf. catenella (Whedon et Kof.) Balech …

Sex‐Specific Variability In The Immune System Across Life‐History Stages., Oliver P. Love, Katrina G. Salvante, James Dale, Tony D. Williams

Biological Sciences Publications

Organisms theoretically manage their immune systems optimally across their life spans to maximize fitness. However, we lack information on (1) how the immune system is managed across life‐history stages, (2) whether the sexes manage immunity differentially, and (3) whether immunity is repeatable within an individual. We present a within‐individual, repeated‐measures experiment examining life‐history stage variation in the inflammatory immune response in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). In juveniles, age‐dependent variation in immune response differed in a sex‐ and context‐specific manner, resulting in no repeatability across stages. In adults, females displayed little stage‐dependent variation in immune response when laying while receiving …

Spatial And Temporal Approaches In Analyzine Recreational Groundfish Data From Southern Central California And Their Application Toward Marine Protected Areas, Steven J. Rienecke, John S. Stephens Jr., Royden Nakamura, Erin Nakada, Dean E. Wendt

Biological Sciences

Many nearshore rockfish species have small homerange sizes and therefore may be affected by heavier localized fishing in nearport areas. For this study we examined longterm trends in rockfish and lingcod landings from the commercial passenger fishing vessel (CPFV) fishery along the south central coast (SCC) of California using data from two sources: California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) surveys from 1988–98 and California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) surveys in 2003–04. The objective was to make comparisons between areas close to port (that receive greater fishing effort) and those far from port (areas receiving less fishing effort). We …

An Automated Temperature-Based Option For Estimating Surface Activity And Refuge Use Patterns In Free-Ranging Animals, J R. Davis, E N. Taylor, D F. Denardo

Biological Sciences

Accurately assessing free-ranging animals’ patterns of surface activity and refuge use is critical, yet fundamentally challenging for biologists and wildlife managers. We evaluate the accuracy of an automated technique—temperature-based activity estimation (TBAE)—in estimating surface activity and refuge use patterns of two sympatric reptiles, the western diamond-backed rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) and the Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum) in the Sonoran Desert. TBAE derived from a comparison of body temperature to shaded air temperature was effective in estimating the overall percent surface activity for both rattlesnakes (observed surface activity 51.8%, TBAE estimated surface activity 48.2%) and Gila monsters (observed …

Evidence For Low Levels Of Genetic Variation Among Zostera Marina Populations From The Atlantic West Coast, Eric Rosenzweig

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Zoster a marina (eelgrass), can be found in the North Atlantic on the coast of Europe and the North Arctic, as well as the Pacific. On the Atlantic west coast this species grows as far south as North Carolina and into northern Canada. The cold waters of these regions support the habitat needed for the species. Eelgrass is vital to coastal communities. It serves as a food source for many organisms, hatching ground for fish species, absorbent of water pollutants, and soil stabilizer. Over the last 30 years, the once robust populations of Atlantic west coast eelgrass have withered into …

Effects Of Population Size And Density On Pollinator Visitation, Pollinator Behavior, And Pollen Tube Abundance In Lupinus Perennis, Christopher E. Bernhardt, Randall J. Mitchell, Helen J. Michaels

Biology Faculty Research

Both the number and the density of flowering plants in a population can be important determinants of pollinator abundance and behavior. We report the joint effects of population size and density on pollinator visitation and pollination success for Lupinus perennis (Fabaceae). Focusing on five pairs of populations, we matched one small population (125-800 flowering plants) with one distinctly larger population (1000-3000 flowering plants). In these pairs, population size did not affect pollinator communities or pollination success. All measures of pollination success increased significantly with density. Only bee behavior (number of flowers probed per inflorescence) exhibited a significant interaction of size …

Assessment Of Four Years Of Marsh Restoration At The Jones Farm Experimental Restoration Facility In Northeast Ohio: Water Quality, Plant Community Development, And Adaptive Management, Jake J. Grossman

Honors Papers

In order to characterize water quality, plant community diversity, and invasive species management at a restored wetland, I have analyzed data collected from June 2004 to August 2007 at the George Jones Memorial Farm in New Russia Township, Ohio. The Jones wetlands site is comprised of six emergent, herbaceous marshes that were restored on an old-field site in 2003. The six cells were constructed using a uniform physical restoration treatment, managed uniformly for invasive species, and replanted using three planting treatments. Each planting treatment was applied to two wetlands; treatments included two designer plantings of native taxa and one self-designing …

Perspectives In Ornithology: Application Of Tracking And Data-Logging Technology In Research And Conservation Of Seabirds, A E. Burger, Scott A. Shaffer

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.

Population Ecology Of The Golden Mouse, Robert K. Rose

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

An understanding of the population dynamics of a species requires knowledge of the major life-history parameters of a population, including age at maturity, distribution of age classes, and lifetime reproductive contribution of the sexes, sex ratio, length of the breeding season, mean litter size, rates of growth and survival, and life span. Because few long-term studies have been conducted with Ochrotomys nuttalli as the focal species of investigation, only fragmentary information is available for many population parameters. As importantly, densities of golden mice often are low, making them difficult to evaluate statistically. Little has been published on age at maturity …

New And Current Microbiological Tools For Ecosystem Ecologists: Towards A Goal Of Linking Structure And Function, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, Kevin P. Ferris, Katharine M. Batten, Krassimira Hristova

Biology

Interest in the relationships between soil microbial communities and ecosystem functions is growing with increasing recognition of the key roles microorganisms play in a variety of ecosystems. With a wealth of microbial methods now available, selecting the most appropriate method can be daunting, especially to those new to the field of microbial ecology. In this review, we highlight those methods currently used and most applicable to ecological studies, including assays to study various aspects of the carbon and nitrogen cycles (e.g., pool dilution, acetylene reduction, enzyme analyses, among others), methods to assess microbial community composition (e.g., phospholipid fatty acid analysis …

Using Stable Isotopes To Assess Population Structure And Feeding Ecology Of North Pacific Humpback Whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae), Briana Witteveen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The North Pacific humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a wide-ranging baleen whale species with a complex life history and population structure. As seasonal migrants, humpback whales are known to inhabit cooler, high-latitude waters when foraging and low-latitudes for mating and calving. Beyond this general migratory pattern, a number of demographic characteristics including, abundance, distribution, seasonal occurrence, and prey preferences remain unknown or poorly described. A complete understanding of humpback whale ecology is therefore lacking. Many methods used to explore these aspects of cetacean ecology are either prohibitively expensive or limited in the scope of what can be learned from their …

Ecological Genomics: Understanding Gene And Genome Function In The Natural Environment, M. C. Ungerer, L. C. Johnson, M. A. Herman

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The field of ecological genomics seeks to understand the genetic mechanisms underlying responses of organisms to their natural environments. This is being achieved through the application of functional genomic approaches to identify and characterize genes with ecological and evolutionary relevance. By its very nature, ecological genomics is an interdisciplinary field. In this review, we consider the significance of this new area of study from both an ecological and genomic perspective using examples from the recent literature. We submit that by considering more fully an ecological context, researchers may gain additional insights into the underlying genetic basis of ecologically relevant phenotypic …

On Estimating The Exponent Of Power-Law Frequency Distributions, Ethan P. White, B. J. Enquist, J. L. Green

Biology Faculty Publications

Power-law frequency distributions characterize a wide array of natural phenomena. In ecology, biology, and many physical and social sciences, the exponents of these power-laws are estimated to draw inference about the processes underlying the phenomenon, to test theoretical models, and to scale up from local observations to global patterns. Therefore, it is essential that these exponents be estimated accurately. Unfortunately, the binning-based methods traditionally utilized in ecology and other disciplines perform quite poorly. Here we discuss more sophisticated methods for fitting these exponents based on cumulative distribution functions and maximum likelihood estimation. We illustrate their superior performance at estimating known …

"A New Species Of Freshwater Crab From Western Kenya" , Neil Cumberlidge, Michael Dobson

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.