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Trophic Dynamic Interactions In A Temperate Karst River, Elizabeth Malloy Dec 2014

Trophic Dynamic Interactions In A Temperate Karst River, Elizabeth Malloy

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Surface streams in karst landscapes are often characterized by high nutrient levels due to incomplete filtration through series of innumerable, below-ground conduits. Seasonal growth of the filamentous alga, Cladophora, is typically associated with nutrient-rich waters. This research compared macroinvertebrate food web structure between riverine reaches with contrasting underlying karst topography, nutrient levels, and Cladophora cover during summer 2012 and autumn 2013. Recent work in these reaches found a high correlation between Cladophora cover and nutrient content, particularly nitrate. Four questions were addressed during this study: 1. Do longitudinal trends in algal and consumer δ13C values relate to decreased DIC availability …


The Use Of The Ostracode Cyprideis Americana (Sharpe) As A Proxy For Salinity In Bahamian Lake Systems, Rachel E. Bowles Aug 2013

The Use Of The Ostracode Cyprideis Americana (Sharpe) As A Proxy For Salinity In Bahamian Lake Systems, Rachel E. Bowles

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Ostracodes, bi-valved crustaceans, are potentially excellent proxies for salinity.They are abundant, react to changes in salinity, and secrete low-magnesium calcite shells that preserve information about their host water chemistry. Changes in valve trace element concentration, stable isotope composition, and sieve pore shape values have been linked to changes in salinity. This study analyzed the response of the euryhaline ostracode, Cyprideis americana, to salinity in six lakes from two Bahamian islands across two seasons. The purpose of this work was to determine which compositional and morphological variables in C. americana are the most useful for paleosalinity reconstructions.Ostracode and water samples were …


Spill Retention And Routine Runoff Filtration Structures On Interstate 65 In The Vicinity Of Mammoth Cave National Park, Rick Olson Feb 2013

Spill Retention And Routine Runoff Filtration Structures On Interstate 65 In The Vicinity Of Mammoth Cave National Park, Rick Olson

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

In the early 70’s, I conducted an ecological study on the Doghill-Donahue Cave System in Southern Indiana. This cave remained relatively un-impacted until Highway 37 was widened near Bedford, and the cave was engineered to be a storm sewer for highway runoff . The consequences of facilitated water entry and easy access for spelunkers via an ungated culvert entrance were severe. Sediments washed into the cave smelled like putrid rubber when disturbed, habitat for cave life was trampled, and beautiful delicate mineral features were smashed. Anticipating that I-65 would someday be widened, I was concerned about possible consequences to Mammoth …


Potential Effects Of Hydrogen Sulfide And Hydrocarbon Seeps On Mammoth Cave Ecosystems, Rick Olson Feb 2013

Potential Effects Of Hydrogen Sulfide And Hydrocarbon Seeps On Mammoth Cave Ecosystems, Rick Olson

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Recently, Mammoth Cave Guide Bruce Hatcher reported what appeared to be contaminated water seeping into Marianne’s Pass. I visited the site and concluded that it was not likely due to pollution, and that it was a natural phenomenon. To be sure, I sampled the water for fecal coliform and E. coli analyses since sewer lines are in the area. The results were <1 mpn/100ml in both cases. A sulfur spring is mentioned at this site in Rambles in the Mammoth Cave, which was published in 1845, and this predates any well drilling that could lead to hydrocarbon and sulfide pollution. Another line of evidence that the seeps are natural is that they are all deeply weathered into the bedrock, which takes a long time. The seeps support thousands of springtails, which feed on the microbial mats, and crickets are common as well. A possible effect on biodiversity will be discussed.


Antibiotic Resistance And Substrate Utilization By Bacteria Affi Liated With Cave Streams At Diff Erent Levels Of Mammoth Cave, Petra Byl, Shannon R. Trimboli, Rick Toomey, Jacob Byl, David Solomon, Tom Byl Feb 2013

Antibiotic Resistance And Substrate Utilization By Bacteria Affi Liated With Cave Streams At Diff Erent Levels Of Mammoth Cave, Petra Byl, Shannon R. Trimboli, Rick Toomey, Jacob Byl, David Solomon, Tom Byl

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Located in south-central Kentucky, Mammoth Cave is one of the most unique National Parks in the United States. The surface landscape includes complex relationships between the flora and fauna along with human influences. However, the primary ecological focus is concealed below ground. Over four-hundred miles of cave passages, created by fl owing groundwater over millions of years, host a variety of macro and micro organisms. The Green River has cut into the limestone formation over geologic time, creating a complex network of passages that are stacked, one below the other, with the newer levels of cave lying near the bottom. …


Using Lidar To Link Forest Canopy Structure With Bat Activity And Insect Occurrence: Preliminary Findings, Luke E. Dodd, Nicholas S. Skowronski, Matthew B. Dickinson, Michael J. Lacki, Lynne K. Rieske Feb 2013

Using Lidar To Link Forest Canopy Structure With Bat Activity And Insect Occurrence: Preliminary Findings, Luke E. Dodd, Nicholas S. Skowronski, Matthew B. Dickinson, Michael J. Lacki, Lynne K. Rieske

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Bats are an imperiled, yet ecologically-important group of vertebrate predators. Our ongoing research focuses on testing hypotheses about the relationships between the effects of fire on canopy structure and insect prey availability, and how these factors relate to use of foraging space by bats during the pre- and post-hibernation periods at Mammoth Cave National Park (MCNP). LiDAR-derived data (October 2010) were intersected with spatially explicit sampling of bat and insect populations (2010-2011) in order to characterize relationships between canopy structure, insect abundance, and bat activity. A canonical correspondence analysis for bat data suggested that forest canopy structure has a strong …


Profiles In Science For Science Librarians: "What Lives Where, And Why": Alfred Russel Wallace, And The Field Of Biogeography, Charles H. Smith Jan 2011

Profiles In Science For Science Librarians: "What Lives Where, And Why": Alfred Russel Wallace, And The Field Of Biogeography, Charles H. Smith

DLPS Faculty Publications

Biogeography, the study of animal and plant distribution, has a history extending back to at least the eighteenth century. But it was not until the work of Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace in the mid-nineteenth century that it really came into its own as a science. Darwin’s importance notwithstanding, it was really Wallace who put the field on the map, and many of today’s research threads can be traced back to his influence. This article provides a summary review of Wallace’s life and work and biogeography as a field of study, including Wallace’s role in its development.