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The Spatial Distribution Of Invasive Plant Presence, Abundance, And Impact, Evelyn M. Beaury
The Spatial Distribution Of Invasive Plant Presence, Abundance, And Impact, Evelyn M. Beaury
Doctoral Dissertations
Across the globe, native ecosystems are increasingly threatened by the spread and negative impacts of non-native, invasive plants. While many hypotheses explore what contributes to the damage caused by invasive species, few studies have tested these hypotheses at the macroscale. My dissertation addresses this knowledge gap by synthesizing thousands of vegetation surveys from ecosystems across the United States. I leverage existing, as well as explore new macroecological methods to deepen our understanding of the spatial ecology of plant invasions. My dissertation also asks how effective management and policy has been at reducing plant invasions. The primary introduction pathway for invasive …
Connecting The Social And Spatial Behaviors Of A Territorial Species (Anolis Carolinensis), Jordan M. Bush
Connecting The Social And Spatial Behaviors Of A Territorial Species (Anolis Carolinensis), Jordan M. Bush
Doctoral Dissertations
Why animals live where they do is a key question in ecology and evolution. An individual’s home range determines the resources they have access to, conspecifics they encounter, and predators and pitfalls they must avoid. Home range behaviors also have an inherently social component; where animals live affects the rivals they compete with and the mates they have access to. This is especially true in territorial species, as defensive displays make up a large portion of their social behaviors. In this dissertation, I sought to understand how territorial behaviors affect the social lives of the green anole lizard (Anolis …
Modeling The Abundance And Distribution Of Terrestrial Plants Through Space And Time, Caroline Curtis
Modeling The Abundance And Distribution Of Terrestrial Plants Through Space And Time, Caroline Curtis
Doctoral Dissertations
Anthropogenically-driven changes threaten ecosystems and species over regional to global scales. I addressed several questions related to how species ranges will respond to these changes over large spatial and temporal extents to better understand what determines where a species occurs. First, I modeled presence and abundance of two widespread invasive plants in the southwest U.S. under current and projected future climatic conditions, from which I inferred impact risk. These results provide more insight than presence modeling alone and highlight the possibility of increased invasion pressure in the future. Second, I tested the assumption that expert-based climatic tolerance data will better …
On Global Change, Direct And Indirect Interactions, And The Structure Of Ecological Communities: Theoretical And Empirical Tests, Mariano Alberto Rodriguez Cabal
On Global Change, Direct And Indirect Interactions, And The Structure Of Ecological Communities: Theoretical And Empirical Tests, Mariano Alberto Rodriguez Cabal
Doctoral Dissertations
Human induced global change (climate change, CO2 enrichment, nitrogen deposition, habitat degradation and biological invasions) is the most serious threat to biodiversity. Understanding how ecosystems will respond to different components of global change, and how these responses will affect key ecological processes, has become essential in contemporary ecology. For example, several studies have shown that exotic invasive species have negative impacts on the composition of communities, habitat structure and ecosystem processes. Particularly, exotic species may have negative effects on species interactions due to local extinctions, competition and/or replacement of interactions. Despite the large body of research demonstrating the negative …
Multi-Level Impacts Of Introduced Wild Boar On Patagonian Ecosystems, Maria Noelia Barrios Garcia Moar
Multi-Level Impacts Of Introduced Wild Boar On Patagonian Ecosystems, Maria Noelia Barrios Garcia Moar
Doctoral Dissertations
Biological invasions are a pervasive global change that threatens biodiversity and the functioning of natural ecosystems, yet most studies focus on population impacts. Furthermore, the effects of invasive species on ecosystems are greatest when they introduce a novel disturbance. In this dissertation I reviewed the impact of wild boar (Sus scrofa) on native communities worldwide, identifying research needs. Wild boar overturns extensive areas of vegetation to feed on belowground plant parts, insects and fungi, thus altering native ecosystems integrity. By means of observational and experimental studies I addressed some of the research gaps on the impact of wild …