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Effects Of Phosphorus On Benthic Diatom Assemblage Network Structure, Eric M. Massa
Effects Of Phosphorus On Benthic Diatom Assemblage Network Structure, Eric M. Massa
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Ecological network analysis helps identify how relationships among species differ over time and across sets of species. Microbial assemblages are ideal for evaluating changes in species interactions due to environmental changes because they are speciose and respond at multiple scales. To determine how phosphorus limitation influences diatom network structure, I analyzed relationships among 257 species of diatoms from benthic microbial (periphyton) mats from 10 years of annual samples from 136 sites. Expected evidence of changes in network structure in response to periphyton TP were not found, likely due to species replacement with increased TP. Analysis of species connection distributions and …
Changes In Soil Microbial Functioning In Coastal Wetlands Exposed To Environmental Stressors And Subsidies, Shelby M. Servais
Changes In Soil Microbial Functioning In Coastal Wetlands Exposed To Environmental Stressors And Subsidies, Shelby M. Servais
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Environmental perturbations are ubiquitous features of ecosystems and shape ecological structure and function. Climate change will alter the intensity and frequency of disturbances and expose ecosystems to novel combinations of useful inputs (subsidies) and harmful inputs (stressors). Coastal wetlands are particularly vulnerable to changing environmental conditions and are increasingly exposed to effects of interacting subsidies and stressors. In particular, the Florida Coastal Everglades, which has experienced accelerated change due to a history of water management practices, is vulnerable to new disturbances associated with climate change. The low-lying Florida Everglades faces multiple disturbances from storm surge, nutrient enrichment, and sea-level rise …
The Individual And Interactive Effects Of Nitrogen And Phosphorus Enrichment On Coral Reefs, Andrew A. Shantz
The Individual And Interactive Effects Of Nitrogen And Phosphorus Enrichment On Coral Reefs, Andrew A. Shantz
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Human domination of global nutrient cycles is profoundly altering our planet. Yet on coral reefs, the effects of changing nutrient regimes have likely been over-simplified. This dissertation investigates the complexity of animal-nutrient interactions at the organismal level and explores how the outcomes of these interactions cascade through levels of biological organization. To do so, I examined the effects of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) on corals and macroalgae, and how these effects in turn influenced reef communities and entire ecosystems. I show that P consistently increases coral growth rates while N has variable, often negative, effects on coral growth. The …