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Articles 1 - 30 of 66
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Quantifying The Ecological Effects Of Salix Fragilis On Riparian Habitat In Kittitas County, Washington, Landon Shaffer
Quantifying The Ecological Effects Of Salix Fragilis On Riparian Habitat In Kittitas County, Washington, Landon Shaffer
All Master's Theses
Invasive species threaten plant community structure and function globally. Riparian areas, the zone near streams where water influences vegetation, are especially sensitive to invasive species colonization, suffering large-scale shifts in community composition. Salix fragilis (crack willow) is a nonnative riparian species abundant in the lower elevation tributaries of central Washington. Some speculate whether this willow should be listed as invasive in Washington, despite a lack of regional supporting evidence. I studied riparian communities dominated by either S. fragilis or native species in the Kittitas Valley and measured biodiversity, quantified differences in solar attenuation, and compared leaf decomposition rates to learn …
Intestinal Parasite Infection In Tibetan Macaques (Macac Thebetana) In Eastern China, Miarisoa Ramilison
Intestinal Parasite Infection In Tibetan Macaques (Macac Thebetana) In Eastern China, Miarisoa Ramilison
All Master's Theses
Grooming is one of the crucial social behaviors of primate species that functions to remove parasites and maintain social bonds. Although, much data exists to support the idea that grooming is essential in forming and sustaining social bonds among individuals, there is a lack of information about the extent to which it removes ectoparasites or contributes to the spread of internal parasites. To fill this gap in the literature, we investigated the relationship between social contact behavior including grooming and intestinal parasite infection in Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana). This species lives at Mt. Huangshan in China. We used …
Forest Patrol Guards And Caregivers' Perceptions Of Wild Chimpanzee Populations Near Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Sierra Leone, Virginia Sanchez
Forest Patrol Guards And Caregivers' Perceptions Of Wild Chimpanzee Populations Near Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Sierra Leone, Virginia Sanchez
All Master's Theses
Relationships between humans and alloprimates, in particular between humans and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), have occurred for centuries. Chimpanzee discoveries by western philosophers date back to the 16th and 17th centuries, and their earliest accounts in West Africa suggest that chimpanzees interacted and lived in close contact with humans, thus shaping the way both species adapt to their environments. Humans occupy this same space along with chimpanzees, and we need them as much as they need us. The continued decline in wild populations of species such as chimpanzees can have negative impacts for biodiversity. Chimpanzees have a …
Effects Of Solar Arrays On Southwestern Desert Thermal Landscapes: Consequences For Terrestrial Ectotherms, Adrian Slade
Effects Of Solar Arrays On Southwestern Desert Thermal Landscapes: Consequences For Terrestrial Ectotherms, Adrian Slade
All Master's Theses
Solar energy development in the Southwestern United States coincides with habitat for many sensitive and endemic species, including reptiles such as Mojave Fringe-toed Lizards and Mojave Desert Tortoises who are threatened by a warming and drying climate. While utility-scale solar energy reduces carbon emissions and should ultimately benefit climate-sensitive species, it locally destroys fragile desert habitat, displaces wildlife, and has been shown to incur local air and surface temperature changes. Mitigation-based translocation of wildlife species in the face of solar development yields mixed results, and the unprecedented pace of solar expansion in the desert highlights the need for alternative practices …
Characterizing And Predicting Beaver Pond Habitat In Kittitas County, Washington, Kylie Vroman
Characterizing And Predicting Beaver Pond Habitat In Kittitas County, Washington, Kylie Vroman
All Master's Theses
North American Beavers (Castor canadensis) are important ecosystem engineers in the Pacific Northwest (PNW), as they provide ecosystem services and create habitats that benefit aquatic species, watersheds, and riparian vegetation. Even though the species has been coined a “nuisance” in some settings, it is common for environmental agencies to capture beavers and relocate them to areas where it is less likely for them to cause damage. This study geospatially modeled the Kittitas County landscape to identify areas of suitable habitat. Nine existing beaver ponds in Kittitas County were investigated; three of which were prior relocation sites that had failed, three …
Spatio-Temporal Movement Patterns Of Sub-Adult Adfluvial Bull Trout, Aimee Taylor
Spatio-Temporal Movement Patterns Of Sub-Adult Adfluvial Bull Trout, Aimee Taylor
All Master's Theses
Bull Trout in the Yakima River basin of Washington are primarily adfluvial, often using managed lakes as habitat. Kachess Lake, composed of Big and Little Kachess Lakes, is managed by the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) for water storage. BOR plans to build a structure that can withdraw an additional 200,000 acre-feet of water in drought years, which would disconnect the two basins for multiple years. This study examined the spatio-temporal movement of sub-adult Bull Trout in Kachess Lake to understand distribution patterns and the effects of environmental variables. We sought to answer 1) does time (week of the year), diel …
Comparing Semi-Urban And Forest Populations Of The Jalisco Mud Turtle (Kinosternon Chimalhuaca), Jose Garrido
Comparing Semi-Urban And Forest Populations Of The Jalisco Mud Turtle (Kinosternon Chimalhuaca), Jose Garrido
All Master's Theses
Mud turtles (family Kinosternidae) are primarily threatened by climate change, overexploitation, and land development. To survive in increasingly urbanized and arid regions, mud turtles often inhabit man-made water sources such as cattle troughs and irrigation ditches. These bodies of water are critical in urban habitat where they may offer some of the last remaining refugia; however, the effect of these conditions on population structure is poorly understood. The Jalisco mud turtle (Kinosternon chimalhuaca) was described in 1997 from a small range south of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Since its description, critical ecological research has remained largely nonexistent, hindering …
An Ecological Comparison Between Resource Subsidies: Pacific Lamprey (Entosphenus Tridentatus) And Pacific Salmon (Oncorhynchus Spp.), Jocelyn Wensloff
An Ecological Comparison Between Resource Subsidies: Pacific Lamprey (Entosphenus Tridentatus) And Pacific Salmon (Oncorhynchus Spp.), Jocelyn Wensloff
All Master's Theses
Historically, oligotrophic Pacific Northwest (PNW) streams received annual returns of spawning anadromous fish that provided resource subsidies in the form of marine-derived nutrients (MDN), thus driving stream food web productivity. To date, many studies in the PNW have focused on Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) as a resource subsidy, overlooking other anadromous fish species such as Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus). Both Pacific salmon and Pacific lamprey are culturally important to PNW tribes for ceremonial, medicinal, and subsistence purposes, and have been since time immemorial. Unfortunately, both salmon and lamprey populations are in decline. Historically, lamprey have been disregarded …
Ticks On Lizards: Parasite-Host Interactions Of The Southern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria Multicarinata) In Washington State, Emma Houghton
Ticks On Lizards: Parasite-Host Interactions Of The Southern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria Multicarinata) In Washington State, Emma Houghton
All Undergraduate Projects
I investigated interactions between ectoparasites (ticks) and their host, the southern alligator lizard (Elgaria multicarinata). Alligator lizards are capable of complement-mediated killing of the Lyme disease spirochete carried by ticks and may potentially reduce Lyme disease prevalence by cleansing pathogenic organisms from ticks. Despite this, little is known about host-parasite dynamics in alligator lizards. My goals were to 1) assess patterns of tick presence (i.e. parasite load) on alligator lizards and 2) investigate potential negative effects of ticks on alligator lizards. I sampled lizards during the summer of 2019 near Catherine Creek, along the Columbia River Gorge in southern Washington. …
Environmental Dna Is An Effective Method To Monitor Species In Various Freshwater Habitats, Kayleigh Mullen
Environmental Dna Is An Effective Method To Monitor Species In Various Freshwater Habitats, Kayleigh Mullen
All Master's Theses
This research investigated the use of DNA shed from individuals into the environment (eDNA) to monitor three amphibian species and two trout species associated with habitat intersected by Interstate-90 in Snoqualmie Pass, Washington. This included a large catchment area within creeks and nearby wetlands historically affected by I-90, including sites where significant habitat improvements had been made. Species-specific primers were used to detect three focal amphibians of varying local abundance and two focal trout species. This study showed successful detection of species across both lentic and lotic systems throughout the study area through efficient multiplexing (detection of multiple species in …
Toadal Isolation: Genetic Connectivity Of The Western Toad (Anaxyrus Boreas) Along I-90 In The Snoqualmie Pass Area Of Washington State, Anneliese Myers
Toadal Isolation: Genetic Connectivity Of The Western Toad (Anaxyrus Boreas) Along I-90 In The Snoqualmie Pass Area Of Washington State, Anneliese Myers
All Master's Theses
Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used to assess the genetic connectivity of western toad (Anaxyrus boreas) breeding populations along Interstate-90 near Snoqualmie Pass, WA. Sites north and south of the freeway were sampled during the breeding season of 2019. SNP loci were subsequently generated using the proprietary DArTseqTM (Canberra, ACT, Australia) method. A total of 15,468 SNPs were used to calculate pairwise FST values and three distinct breeding populations were identified, two north and one south of I-90. All pairwise FST values between these sites were low (0.02) but significantly different from 0. The lowest pairwise …
Ticks On Lizards: Parasite-Host Interactions Of The Southern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria Multicarinata) In Washington State, Emma Houghton
Ticks On Lizards: Parasite-Host Interactions Of The Southern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria Multicarinata) In Washington State, Emma Houghton
Undergraduate Honors Theses
I investigated interactions between ectoparasites (ticks) and their host, the southern alligator lizard (Elgaria multicarinata). Alligator lizards are capable of complement-mediated killing of the Lyme disease spirochete carried by ticks and may potentially reduce Lyme disease prevalence by cleansing pathogenic organisms from ticks. Despite this, little is known about host-parasite dynamics in alligator lizards. My goals were to 1) assess patterns of tick presence (i.e. parasite load) on alligator lizards and 2) investigate potential negative effects of ticks on alligator lizards. I sampled lizards during the summer of 2019 near Catherine Creek, along the Columbia River Gorge in southern Washington. …
Investigating The Avian Species Composition, Diversity, And Abundance Of Engelhorn Pond, Kiana Rose
Investigating The Avian Species Composition, Diversity, And Abundance Of Engelhorn Pond, Kiana Rose
Undergraduate Honors Theses
Central Washington University’s Engelhorn Pond contains important habitats for many organisms, particularly migratory birds, and is a valuable resource for students. However, little information is available about the wildlife inhabiting the pond. The pond’s discrete location means that many people are unaware of its existence. In addition, the pond is threatened by a number of anthropogenic sources, including chemical runoff, garbage, and feral cats. By using point counts, a common ornithological survey technique, I recorded the bird species present at the pond during all seasons of the year. I collected data using point counts during 13 visits from June of …
Ecological And Genetic Connectivity Of Shrews (Sorex Spp.) Across Interstate-90 In The Washington Cascade Range, Jordan Ryckman
Ecological And Genetic Connectivity Of Shrews (Sorex Spp.) Across Interstate-90 In The Washington Cascade Range, Jordan Ryckman
All Master's Theses
Roads negatively affect wildlife by degrading and fragmenting habitat. The I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East project was established to improve traffic safety for both humans and wildlife. Here, the Washington State Department of Transportation is constructing wildlife crossing structures to increase ecosystem connectivity as part of this project. The goal of my study was to investigate shrews – very small mammals with presumably low mobility and dispersal capacity – at sites on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range where wildlife crossing structures will be built in the future. My main objectives were to verify shrew species composition, assess population genetic …
Diversity Analysis Of Soil Fungus Communities In Disturbed, Nursery, And Mature Forest Conditions, Dana Whitmore
Diversity Analysis Of Soil Fungus Communities In Disturbed, Nursery, And Mature Forest Conditions, Dana Whitmore
All Master's Theses
Populations of soil fungi were examined in Derby Canyon Natives, Coeur d’Alene Forest Service nursery, Swamp Lake, and the Keechelus Lake wildlife overcrossing soils. All sampling sites were connected by their relation to the revegetation and native soil plug inoculation of the wildlife overpass. This study was an effort to describe soil fungi communities present on the overpass before plant introduction, those that plants would be bringing in their pots, and the fungi that could be introduced via soil plug transplantation. DNA was extracted from soil samples, then sequenced using next-generation sequencing methods, allowing for the analysis of species richness …
Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Land Use And Water Quality In Kittitas County, Wa, Lindsay Schulz
Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Land Use And Water Quality In Kittitas County, Wa, Lindsay Schulz
All Master's Theses
Water in Kittitas County is extremely valuable since it supports farming, recreation, and cultural activities, as well as environmental processes and a diversity of biological life while providing many ecosystem services. However, land conversions required by agricultural and urban land uses can negatively impact water quality and the biological function of the stream. I studied how forested, agricultural, and urban land use affect six streams. Fourteen sites were sampled, once each in July, August, and September 2019. Land use was calculated as a percentage of forested, agricultural, and urban land use within a 100-m buffer of the stream, upstream of …
Examining Environmental Use By Captive Lemur Catta And Varecia Rubra, Rhiannon Belcher
Examining Environmental Use By Captive Lemur Catta And Varecia Rubra, Rhiannon Belcher
All Master's Theses
There are over 100 named species of lemurs, of which 94% are considered threatened with extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They live in increasingly fragmented forests. To understand how best to protect them in their natural habitats, we can observe how they manipulate the environment and how they use objects, both natural and humanmade, around them. Understanding their behavior is a critical component of conservation, and observing behavior in a captive setting allows us to study lemur-environment relationships without disrupting what little habitat is left in Madagascar. In this study I investigated whether the …
Early Life History And Stock Discrimination Of Kokanee Salmon (Oncorhynchus Nerka) In An Alpine Lake Environment, Alexandra Mccarrel
Early Life History And Stock Discrimination Of Kokanee Salmon (Oncorhynchus Nerka) In An Alpine Lake Environment, Alexandra Mccarrel
All Master's Theses
This study examines an ecologically and recreationally important population of kokanee salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) residing in Keechelus Lake and its tributary Gold Creek in the central Cascades of Washington State. This population of kokanee salmon is a vital food base for a population of ESA-listed resident bull trout. However, little is known about the early life history of this population and how it interacts with unique features in its rearing environment. With my research I described the early life history of kokanee salmon that spawn in the lake’s main tributary, Gold Creek, and proposed a framework to determine …
Sampling The Local Fare: Fishes At The Sam Israel House Pit (45gr76), Soap Lake, Washington, Adam Fruge
Sampling The Local Fare: Fishes At The Sam Israel House Pit (45gr76), Soap Lake, Washington, Adam Fruge
All Master's Theses
The Sam Israel site is a precontact archaeological complex with numerous fish bones at the north end of Soap Lake, Washington. Excavated in 1976, the fish remains recovered from there were never fully analyzed prior to this research. Since this inland Columbia Plateau site had thousands of fish bones, it contained untapped potential for our understanding of ancient local fish procurement. As such, I conducted a detailed analysis of 2,862 fish bone specimens from the Sam Israel House Pit locus to: study a larger sample of fish bones in greater detail than was done before; compare the distribution of fishes …
Acoustic Analysis Of Nomascus Gibbon Songs As A Potential Measure Of Current Health Status, Caroline Rowley
Acoustic Analysis Of Nomascus Gibbon Songs As A Potential Measure Of Current Health Status, Caroline Rowley
All Master's Theses
Post-release monitoring is vital to the rehabilitation process. Gibbons offer a unique challenge, as they are notoriously difficult to follow through the forest, but their duets offer a non-invasive window into their lives. The aim of this project is to create a method that will evaluate the health of rehabilitated and released gibbons through acoustic analyses. Gibbon duets are in part genetically determined, but learning may play a role in song development. Additionally, songs may indicate resource holding potential, and are vital to acquiring mates and producing offspring. Captive-raised gibbons are often denied the experience of co-singing with their parents, …
Transgenerational Plasticity Is Sex-Dependent And Persistent In Yellow Moneyflower (Mimulus Guttatus), Kayla Akkerman
Transgenerational Plasticity Is Sex-Dependent And Persistent In Yellow Moneyflower (Mimulus Guttatus), Kayla Akkerman
All Master's Theses
Transgenerational phenotypic plasticity, whereby environmental cues experienced by parents alter the phenotype of their progeny, has now been documented in diverse organisms. Transmission of environmentally determined responses is known to occur through both maternal and paternal gametes, but the underlying mechanisms have rarely been compared. In addition, the persistence of induction over multiple generations appears to vary widely but has been characterized for relatively few systems. Yellow monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus) is known to exhibit transgenerational induction of increased glandular trichome production in response to simulated insect damage. Here we test for differences between maternal and paternal transmission of …
Modelling Stream Metabolism And Fish Biomass In Headwater Streams Of The Eastern Cascades Mountains, Zach Lessig
Modelling Stream Metabolism And Fish Biomass In Headwater Streams Of The Eastern Cascades Mountains, Zach Lessig
All Master's Theses
Headwater streams are important for the biological integrity of river systems because they represent most of the length of the hydrological network and control the downstream flow of energy and nutrients to larger river systems. Headwater streams are culturally and economically important because they, directly or indirectly, support recreationally important anadromous and resident fisheries. Managing fish in these systems often requires time-consuming population counts, but fish biomass might be related to overall stream productivity, which can be measured relatively easily using models to estimate stream metabolism. The goal of my study was to relate whole-stream metabolism to fish biomass in …
Effect Of Group Size On The Activity Budget Of Two Captive Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes), Kaeley Sullins
Effect Of Group Size On The Activity Budget Of Two Captive Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes), Kaeley Sullins
All Master's Theses
Captive facilities housing chimpanzees are required to provide adequate care and provisions such as dietary, social, and environmental enrichment to promote the psychological well-being of the apes in their care. Chimpanzees are social creatures and changes in groups as well as relocation to a facility with new social partners, can impact each individual chimpanzee’s welfare. By tracking each chimpanzee’s activity budgets, managers can assess welfare and make improvements or adjustments if necessary. I looked at the activity budgets of two captive chimpanzees after the death of a group member and the two chimpanzees’ subsequent relocation to a novel, more socially …
Fire And Road Disturbance Impacts On Forest Plant Species And Seed Rain In Table Mountain Fire Arai, Kittitas County, Washington, Jonathan A. Betz
Fire And Road Disturbance Impacts On Forest Plant Species And Seed Rain In Table Mountain Fire Arai, Kittitas County, Washington, Jonathan A. Betz
All Master's Theses
Forest communities are in a constant state of change. Disturbance events can alter the physical landscape and create conditions favorable to some species while negatively impacting others. Fire has been a natural, reoccurring source of disturbance in Pacific Northwest forests. Over the past centuries the fire paradigm has changed in favor of fire suppression. Forest roads permit access provide greater access but further fracture forest community’s continuity. The 2012 Table Mountain Fire and road influence have altered the plant community’s seed rain and vegetation. This study measured dispersed seeds and understory vegetation cover as functions of roads and fire intensity. …
Ethnoprimatology Of Urban Cebus Yuracus: An Evaluation Of Human-Non-Human Interactions And Local Perceptions In Misahualli, Ecuador, Sofia Castro-Loza
Ethnoprimatology Of Urban Cebus Yuracus: An Evaluation Of Human-Non-Human Interactions And Local Perceptions In Misahualli, Ecuador, Sofia Castro-Loza
All Master's Theses
Little is known about the group of white-fronted capuchins (Cebus yuracus) coexisting alongside humans in the town of Misahuallí, Tena, Ecuador. This ethnoprimatological study focuses on the human-nonhuman interactions and the perceptions of the local people about the capuchin group. Behavioral interactions were examined using all-occurrence sampling, and the local perceptions of the Misahuallí people were assessed using semi-structured interviews. In total, 2,103 human-capuchin behavioral interactions were recorded. The majority of interactions were positive (55.6%), and 69.6% revolved around food. Overall, the capuchins initiated more negative interactions and in contrast, humans initiated more positive interactions. When interviewed about …
Suction Dredge Mining Impacts On Pacific Lamprey Populations And Habitat In Washington State: A Case Study Of The Entiat River, Jaime Liljegren
Suction Dredge Mining Impacts On Pacific Lamprey Populations And Habitat In Washington State: A Case Study Of The Entiat River, Jaime Liljegren
All Master's Theses
Suction dredge mining is a largely unregulated recreational activity in Washington State with potentially significant impacts to aquatic habitat. Although dredging has the potential to cause widespread ecological effects, only impacts to select species have been thoroughly assessed. Due to their reliance on freshwater habitat throughout multiple life stages, Pacific lamprey are significantly vulnerable to impacts from dredging practices. This thesis focuses on assessing the effects of dredging to lamprey habitat within state-owned aquatic lands of Washington. Pacific lamprey are anadromous, utilizing freshwater habitat throughout key life stages including spawning in substrate ranging from coarse gravel to fine sand, and …
A Novel Snp Genotyping Technique To Determine Orangutan Relatedness And Genetic Diversity At Camp Leakey In Tanjung Puting, Central Kalimantan, Ruth Ella Linsky
A Novel Snp Genotyping Technique To Determine Orangutan Relatedness And Genetic Diversity At Camp Leakey In Tanjung Puting, Central Kalimantan, Ruth Ella Linsky
All Master's Theses
Genetic studies of dispersal patterns in wild populations of orangutans (Pongo spp.) have sought to confirm behavioral observations that female orangutans tend to stay near their natal range while males disperse. In order to genotype a previously unsampled wild population of endangered orangutans at Tanjung Puting National Park I developed novel application of a methyl based magnetic capture for enrichment of fecal DNA and commercial human targeted single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) microarray technology. I confirmed results of this new genotyping technique through standard microsatellite short tandem repeat (STR) micro-capillary genotyping. I estimate genetic diversity and relatedness (r) …
Occupancy Of Stream-Associated Amphibians Within The Interstate 90 Snoqualmie Pass Corridor, Anne Gustafson
Occupancy Of Stream-Associated Amphibians Within The Interstate 90 Snoqualmie Pass Corridor, Anne Gustafson
All Master's Theses
Detection of stream-associated amphibians in visual encounter surveys is challenging due to their cryptic nature; however, occupancy models were developed to deal with these detectability problems and provide estimates of occupancy that can also be related to site characteristics. Highway crossing risks and habitat isolation were mitigated for in recent construction of wildlife underpasses, where creeks cross Interstate 90 east of Snoqualmie Pass in Washington State. The effects of these restored underpasses on stream-associated amphibians were evaluated across 8 creeks, some with and some without restored underpasses, by comparing modeled occupancy of 3 amphibian species in stream habitat upstream, under, …
Life In The Dirt: Factors Influencing The Behavior And Distribution Of Spea Intermontana In Eastern Washington State, Corey Brumbaugh
Life In The Dirt: Factors Influencing The Behavior And Distribution Of Spea Intermontana In Eastern Washington State, Corey Brumbaugh
All Master's Theses
I divided my thesis into two major studies focusing on the Great Basin Spadefoot Toad, Spea intermontana, at the Beverley Dunes (Beverley, WA). The first study explored the effects of temperature and water level on the rate of metamorphosis. We gathered data on rates of development, survival, body mass, snout-vent length, and hind leg length of metamorphs under 4 treatments: 20C x High Water, 30C x High Water, 20C x Water Loss, and 30C x Water Loss. These data show that temperature has a stronger effect on the overall rate of metamorphosis of Great Basin Spadefoot Toads. The second …
Use Of A Two-Action Paradigm Apparatus With Captive Lemurs: Insights Into Social Learning, Carly Batist
Use Of A Two-Action Paradigm Apparatus With Captive Lemurs: Insights Into Social Learning, Carly Batist
All Master's Theses
Lemurs have been understudied in cognitive research despite possessing a unique phylogenetic position as the lineage linking primates to other mammals. I used a two-action paradigm apparatus to test social learning abilities in seven lemur species at the Duke Lemur Center. There were three groups: push (had model previously taught to push), pull (had model previously taught to pull), and control (no model). I conducted experimental trials to determine if lemurs in push/pull groups learned faster and more efficiently from the model than lemurs in control groups who lacked a model to observe. I found evidence of social facilitation in …