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The Influence Of The Invasive Chinese Tallow (Triadica Sebifera) Leaf Litter On Aquatic Chemistry And Microbial Community Composition, Raymond D. Montez
The Influence Of The Invasive Chinese Tallow (Triadica Sebifera) Leaf Litter On Aquatic Chemistry And Microbial Community Composition, Raymond D. Montez
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Global climate change and anthropogenic activity have facilitated the movement and invasive potential of nonnative plants in native environments. These invasions can have negative effects on ecosystem diversity and function. The nonnative and invasive plant, Chinese Tallow (Triadica sebifera), has already invaded much of the south eastern US where it is outcompeting native tree species and changing ecosystem diversity in a variety of habitats. Leaf litter from the Chinese tallow has been shown cause changes in dissolved oxygen and pH in the aquatic environment. Turbidity is also affected when Chinese tallow litter is present in water. A series of …
Salvinia Molesta: An Assessment Of The Effects And Methods Of Eradication, Arti Lal
Salvinia Molesta: An Assessment Of The Effects And Methods Of Eradication, Arti Lal
Master's Projects and Capstones
Salvinia molesta is an invasive aquatic fern. It is now the second worse aquatic invader in the world. Since the 1930s, it has invaded most tropical and some temperate countries. S. molesta plants grow vegetatively and can increase in size rapidly. S. molesta can form thick mats of up to 1-meter-thick. There are a number of ways these thick mats negatively affect the environment: 1) reduce light to benthic organisms, 2) reduce oxygen in the water column for other organisms, 3) accumulate as organic matter at the bottom of the water column, 4) decrease nutrients for other organisms, and 5) …
A Review Of Present And Alternative Lionfish Controls In The Western Atlantic, Adam Rittermann
A Review Of Present And Alternative Lionfish Controls In The Western Atlantic, Adam Rittermann
HCNSO Student Capstones
Lionfish (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles) are the first recorded invasive piscivore in the Caribbean and have become a threat to native species. As generalist consumers, lionfish have a broad diet and reduce prey and competitor abundance and juvenile recruitment. To confront this problem, this paper serves to review all of the current and alternative future controls available to manage lionfish populations in the Western Atlantic and determine where focus is lacking. Derby and cull efforts are the only management efforts in place and are not effective in their current state as these local events have short-term benefits, …
Calculating Evapotranspiration Of Arundo Donax Along The Rio Grande, Jose R. Escamilla Jr.
Calculating Evapotranspiration Of Arundo Donax Along The Rio Grande, Jose R. Escamilla Jr.
Theses and Dissertations
Invasive species have been recorded to cause large economic and ecological impacts on various ecosystems and their services. Locally, giant reed (Arundo donax L.), a woody grass native to the Mediterranean, adversely impacts riparian ecosystems in southwestern United States by aggressively displacing their native flora and fauna. Giant reed also has become a cause of concern for national water security, especially in water-limited areas of the arid southwestern United States. The main objective of this study is to provide the first, landscape-level estimates of water use by giant reed in the United States. Evapotranspiration was monitored using the eddy …
Behavioral Differences Between Native And Exotic Invertebrate Prey Affect Susceptibility To Predation By A Native Amphibian Predator, Zachary Cava
Biology Theses
Invasive species threaten global biodiversity via mechanisms that include altering the dynamics and structure of native food webs. Whereas much research has focused on how exotic species respond to native predators, less is known about how native predators are affected by invasive prey. Here I investigate the response of a rare and threatened native predator—the Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) to a high-profile invasive crayfish species, Orconectes rusticus. Hellbenders have declined throughout much of their range, and although the potential for exotic predators (i.e. sport fish) to negatively impact C. alleganiensis has been addressed, effects of exotic prey …
Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (Aflp) Analysis Of Taeniatherum Caput-Medusae, An Invader Of Western U.S. Rangelands, Elizabeth Catherine Kent
Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (Aflp) Analysis Of Taeniatherum Caput-Medusae, An Invader Of Western U.S. Rangelands, Elizabeth Catherine Kent
Boise State University Theses and Dissertations
Biological invasions are one of the main drivers of global change, and thus one of the main factors contributing to a loss of biodiversity world-wide. Introduced species can destroy habitat through predation, grazing, and competition for resources; spread disease; alter disturbance regimes; and disrupt ecosystem services. Taeniatherum caput-medusae subsp. asperum (medusahead) is a winter-annual grass native to Eurasia and invasive in the westernUnited States. Medusahead dominates one million hectares of its invasive range and detrimentally affects the areas it inhabits through degradation of foraging value for livestock, increasing fire frequencies, and decreasing biodiversity. Previously, allozyme analyses have suggested this …
Effects Of Invasive Shrub Honeysuckle (Lonicera Maackii) And Forest Composition On Bird Communities In Woodland Stands., Katie Rae Lynch
Effects Of Invasive Shrub Honeysuckle (Lonicera Maackii) And Forest Composition On Bird Communities In Woodland Stands., Katie Rae Lynch
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Invasive species pose a threat to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems by decreasing biodiversity (Didham et al. 2005). Amur bush honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) has typically reduced native plant diversity and altered animal communities by influencing animal abundance and activity (Collier and Vankat 2002). This study was intended to determine whether honeysuckle density or other characteristics of forested stands influence avian diversity, whether impacts are seasonally dependent, and whether correlations exist between attributes of forested stands and honeysuckle density. In order to test the hypotheses, thirteen forest stands within the Louisville Metropolitan Area were selected. They had similar tree composition …
Woody Plant Communities Of Three Urban Wetlands And The Success Of An Invasive Shrub (Lonicera Maackii) Over Natural And Experimental Flooding Gradients., Meghan Rhea Langley
Woody Plant Communities Of Three Urban Wetlands And The Success Of An Invasive Shrub (Lonicera Maackii) Over Natural And Experimental Flooding Gradients., Meghan Rhea Langley
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Globally, wetlands are known for providing important ecosystem services that enhance the quality of human life and regulating global biogeochemical cycles. Despite the wide recognition of their value, temperate forested wetlands are the least protected type of ecosystem world-wide, and are threatened by human activities such as logging and development. The ecology of forested wetlands remaining in urbanized areas is impacted by a multitude of anthropogenic threats, including fragmentation (which decreases the amount of interior habitat and increases edge habitat), hydrologic modification (ditching and draining of wetlands) and the incursion of invasive species (which are frequently introduced by human activities). …
Relationships Between Texas Tortoise Carapace Length, Home Range Size, And Habitat Selection At Sites With Invasive Grass, Kiley V. Briggs
Relationships Between Texas Tortoise Carapace Length, Home Range Size, And Habitat Selection At Sites With Invasive Grass, Kiley V. Briggs
Theses and Dissertations
Invasive grasses in south Texas have the potential to negatively impact the threatened Texas tortoise (Gopherus berlandieri) by reducing the availability of preferred foods (forbs) and may cause tortoises to travel farther, lead to reduced carapace length, and reduce the availability of refugia from heat stress. I used compositional analysis, regression, and ANOVA to explore relationships between invasive grasses and habitat use, home range size, and carapace length, as well as compared daily maximum temperatures between tussocks of an invasive and native grass. Forbs were ranked higher in use over invasive grasses in compositional analysis, but not strongly so (p …
Emergence Phenology And Nematode Associates Of The Woodwasp, Sirex Nigricornis F. (Hymenoptera: Siricidae), In Arkansas And Mississippi Forests, Jessica Ann Hartshorn
Emergence Phenology And Nematode Associates Of The Woodwasp, Sirex Nigricornis F. (Hymenoptera: Siricidae), In Arkansas And Mississippi Forests, Jessica Ann Hartshorn
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Sirex nigricornis F. (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) is a native woodwasp in eastern North America that inhabits dead and dying pine trees during its univoltine development. Sirex noctilio is native to Eurasia and North Africa and was discovered in the northeastern United States in 2004 after a century of accidental introductions across the Southern Hemisphere. Since then, it has spread to seven states and southern Ontario. There is concern about its potential to negatively affect the multi-billion dollar pine timber industry of the southeastern United States. Effective monitoring tools are necessary to track the spread and establishment of S. noctilio. Deladenus siricidicola …
An Endemic Commensal Leucothoid Discovered In The Tunicate Cnemidocarpa Bicornuta, From New Zealand (Crustacea, Amphipoda), Kaitlyn M. Brucker
An Endemic Commensal Leucothoid Discovered In The Tunicate Cnemidocarpa Bicornuta, From New Zealand (Crustacea, Amphipoda), Kaitlyn M. Brucker
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Precise descriptions and comprehensive taxonomies of species and their ecology are essential in monitoring changes in marine biodiversity at multiple spatial scales. A currently undescribed species of commensal amphipod in the genus Leucothoe is reported from New Zealand, collected from the endemic tunicate Cnemidocarpa bicornuta. This species differs from others in the genus in having a one-articulate first maxilla palp and an apically produced tuberculate lobe on the inner margin of the outer plate of the maxilliped. Previous taxonomic surveys in New Zealand waters did not document this species, indicating that it may be a recent arrival. This research …
Early Round Goby (Neogobius Melanostomus) Invasion Into Lake Michigan Tributaries And Competitive Interactions With Two Native Benthic Fishes., Margaret Ann Malone
Early Round Goby (Neogobius Melanostomus) Invasion Into Lake Michigan Tributaries And Competitive Interactions With Two Native Benthic Fishes., Margaret Ann Malone
Master's Theses
The round goby is a prolific invasive species and is currently spreading into Great Lake tributary streams. There is a high potential for negative impacts on native benthic fishes in these stream habitats and the aim of this study is to assess the impacts of the round goby on two native darter species in particular (johnny darter and blackside darter). I review the history of round goby invasion in the Great Lakes and summarize hypotheses of the invasive characters of the round goby. Using game theory, I provide a G-function approach to understanding the outcomes of the round goby invasion …
Assessing The Success Of Outreach At Preventing The Movement Of Aquatic Invasive Species In Illinois, Ellen Anne Cole
Assessing The Success Of Outreach At Preventing The Movement Of Aquatic Invasive Species In Illinois, Ellen Anne Cole
Master's Theses
Overland transport of recreational boats is the major vector of dispersal for aquatic invasive species among North American waterbodies. These species have large economic and ecosystem impacts, and understanding their movement is essential to understanding the biodiversity and functioning of aquatic ecosystems across the continent. I surveyed Illinois boaters to determine patterns of recreational boat movement and the consistency with which boaters perform actions to prevent the spread of invasive species. Although most boaters perform these actions, a large minority do not and the network for invasive species spread on recreational boats still connects most waterbodies. Next, I interviewed managers …
Using Linear Mixed Models To Analyze Native And Non-Native Species Abundances In Coastal Sage Scrub, Kaylee Anderson
Using Linear Mixed Models To Analyze Native And Non-Native Species Abundances In Coastal Sage Scrub, Kaylee Anderson
Scripps Senior Theses
Coastal Sage Scrub (CSS) is a low scrubland plant community native to the coasts of California, housing many threatened and endangered species. Due to the invasion of non-native plants, many areas of CSS have type converted to annual grasslands and the fire frequency has accelerated; fire in turn, may facilitate further invasion, leading to a loss of biodiversity. While many studies document post-fire succession in these communities, pre-fire data are rarely available for comparison, especially data on seedling emergence. I analyzed post-fire recovery of a type-converted grassland community, comparing seedling emergence data for the first and third year after fire …
Vegetation Dynamics And Nitrogen Cycling Responses To Simulated Emerald Ash Borer Infestation In Fraxinus Nigra-Dominated Wetlands Of Upper Michigan, Usa, Joshua Davis
Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports
Throughout many North American forests, the invasive emerald ash borer (EAB, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)) is a significant threat to biodiversity and ecosystem processes. The fate of Fraxinus nigra Marshall (black ash) is of particular concern, as it is frequently a dominant canopy species across much of its range. A multiyear manipulative study was conducted to investigate the potential impacts of EAB on vegetation dynamics and nitrogen (N) cycling in nine F. nigra-dominated wetlands of Upper Michigan, USA. The effects of early- and late-stage infestations were simulated by girdling (‘Girdle’) or felling (‘Ash-Cut’) all ash stems greater than …
Invasive Plant Ecology In Vermont: Insights From Spatial Analysis And Interactions Of Garlic Mustard (Alliaria Petiolata) With Native Plants And Invertebrates, Chenin Kathleen Limback
Invasive Plant Ecology In Vermont: Insights From Spatial Analysis And Interactions Of Garlic Mustard (Alliaria Petiolata) With Native Plants And Invertebrates, Chenin Kathleen Limback
Graduate College Dissertations and Theses
Causes and patterns of invasive plant species establishment and success depend broadly upon their ecology, including habitat suitability and interactions with other plants and animals. Here I examine the traits and distribution of invasive plants in Vermont, using spatial analysis, laboratory and field studies. I used GIS to investigate environmental factors correlated with presence of 19 invasive plant species in Vermont campgrounds. My results support the assumption that human dispersal of invasive plant seed and stock may be more important than natural dispersal of these plant species to new sites. I also investigate in-depth the relationships of invasive herbaceous garlic …