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Habitat Use By Black Bears In Relation To Forest Management In Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina, Allan Joseph Brody

Masters Theses

A total of 1310 locations was obtained on 18 radio collared black bears (Ursus americanus) in Pisgah National Forrest, North Carolina, during 1982 and 1983. Male home ranges averaged 3205 ha in summer and 6931 ha in fall. Female home ranges averaged 872 hectares in summer and 1712 hectares in fall. Nine of the collared animals were killed by hunters during the study, 4 of these illegally.

Bear habitat use was analyzed in relation to timber management parameters available in the U. S. Forrest Service "Continuous Inventory of Stand Condition" and other parameters derived from stand and topographic maps. Chi-square …

History And Distribution Of Brook Trout In The Appalachian Region Of Tennessee, Rick Dwain Bivens

Masters Theses

Brook trout (Salevlinus fontinalis) populations have been declining in the southern Appalachians and especially in Tennessee since 1900. To assess the loss of range of this southern trout, various agencies have inventoried most of the major trout streams in Tennessee over the past 10 years. To date, however, these surveys have remained disjunct and in some cases overlapping.

Survey reports and field data of brook trout inventories made from 1974 to 1984 were examined to determine the current distribution in Tennessee. Brook trout currently inhabit 275.6 kilometers in 135 streams found in eight east Tennessee counties. Brook trout …

Regurgitation By The Face Fly, Musca Autumnalis Degeer, Russell E. Coleman

Masters Theses

Face flies normally began regurgitating within 10 minutes after feeding, and continued for periods of up to 240 minutes. Almost 100 percent of flies fed a concentrated (4.8%) solution of trypticase-soy broth were observed regurgitating. The deposition of droplets onto a substrate was almost never observed, indicating that the regurgitation is not analogous to vomiting. The droplet exuded contained from five to ten percent of the food consumed, with the crop the source of the fluid. The crop is also the most likely destination of the regurgitated materiel. The purpose of this phenomenon is still not clear. However, the fluid …

Acute Effects Of Phenytoin And Thioridazine, Alone And Combination, Upon Water Intake And Body Weight Changes In Rats, Miriana Witzig-Krstic

Masters Theses

Concommitant medication of anticonvulsants and psychotropics appears to be predominant among mentally retarded, geriatric, and psychiatric in- and out-patient populations. Despite suggested interaction and toxicity resulting from such combination treatment, substantial data remains unavailable. This study was designed to explore effects of dual treatment of thioridazine

An Ecological Investigation Of Native Grassland In Southern Lower Michigan, Kim Alan Chapman

Masters Theses

Floristic and soil data from 50 relicts and other sources were analyzed using polar ordination of species presence. Historical and early scientific accounts were interpreted from the results.

The relicts ranged from wet to dry, on either sandy or loamy soil. Alkaline lakeplain sites added a third dimension of variability. Most upland remnants were interpreted as fragments of former savanna.

Floristic composition and distribution of the remnants were determined by these factors:

1. Edaphic: away from the Prairie Peninsula, only very dry or very wet sites support prairie vegetation;

2. Phytogeographic: the farther from the Prairie Peninsula, the fewer characteristics …

An Evaluation And Comparison Of Various Diversity Indices As Illustrated By Portage Creek, Karl Josef Siebert

Masters Theses

The diversity index is an established method of measuring water quality. In this study various diversity indices are evaluated for their use in a rapid, accurate, and cost effective biological monitoring program. The study investigated five diversity indices: Approximate, Brillouin's, Shannon's, Simpson's and the Sequential Comparison Index. The diversity indices were tested for accuracy and sensitivity on actual on actual macroinvertebrate samples and simulated data.

The Simposon's Index was found to provide the most accuracy and sensitivity for the indices tested. The importance of considering the evenness element of diversity indices was also supported by the study.

A Study Of The Mannitol Binding Protein Active Transport System And A Catabolite Repression Resistant Mutant In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Joseph Arthur Wolff

Masters Theses

Cold-shock extraction procedures were used for the efficient release of mannitol binding protein. Magnesium chloride and cold-shock released 92% of the total whole cell mannitol binding protein activity without release of detectable cytoplasmic marker protein glucose-6- phosphate dehydrogenase. Arsenate inhibited mannitol uptake to the same extent as azide. The simultaneous loss and gain of mannitol binding protein activity with mannitol uptake activity in mutants and reventants respectively, was consistant with periplasmic mannitol binding protein as a required component of mannitol uptake. A catabolite repression resistant mutant for mannitol uptake was isolated and described. This mutant, designated WEP-1, escaped catabolite repression …

Studies On The Phytoplankton Of Littoral Waters Of The Arabian Gulf As Impacted By Oil Spills, Hamdan S. Al-Ghamdi

Masters Theses

A study of the effect of oil pollution on two intertidal areas of the Saudi Arabian Gulf coast was undertaken. One area was severely impacted by oil; the other was relatively clean. The organisms studied also indicated the effects of pollution were diatoms and blue-green algae.

Members of the diatom genus Amphora were more numerous in the clean water area than in the polluted section, confirming their preference for relatively clean habitats. Members of the diatom genus Asterionella, a more resistant group, were much more abundant in the polluted area.

Blue-green algae which also tolerate pollution were also more abundant …

Revegetation Of Upper Elevation Debris Slide Scars On Mount Le Conte In The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Susan Meta Feldkamp

Masters Theses

Vegetation and environmental data from nine debris slides on Mt. Le Conte were analyzed in this study. Ages of the debris slides ranged from 1.5 to about 50 years at the time of sampling in the summer of 1980. Vegetation was sampled using 50 cm x 50 cm plots along horizontal transects across each slide. Data collected in each plot included the percent cover of each vascular plant species as well as depth to impenetrable obstruction, bare rock cover, bryophyte cover and lichen cover.

Debris slides were divided into vertical zones as horizontal zones based upon slide shape, slope angle …

Fuel Levels In Forests Of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Niki Stephanie Nichols

Masters Theses

Forest fuel levels in western portions of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park were measured to determine community and site relationships. Data was collected from 93 permanent plots established in earlier studies of Uplands Field Research Laboratory, National Park Service. Dead and downed fuel volume was sampled using the planar intersect method. Other fuel variables included dead stem basal area and organic layer components. Community and site variables included elevation, topography, slope, aspect, site protection, distance from plot to nearest water, distance from plot to nearest ridgetop, disturbance history, live basal area, and community types.

Nine forest types were identified …

Estimation Of Iron Bioavailability From The Diets Of An Adolescent Population, Gina C. Viglietti

Masters Theses

Estimation of dietary iron bioavailability and determination of dietary iron intake were evaluated from 24-hour food records of 224 adolescents in eastern Tennessee. Total daily iron intakes, 16.1 mg for males and 11.1 mg for females, were below the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA). Application of the Monsen and Balintfy model to estimate iron bioavailability showed that absorbable iron from males' diets, 1.38 mg, and from females' diets, 0.91 mg, was below recommended levels. Percentages of bioavailable iron were below the assumed 10% absorption level,a criterion used in establishing the RDA for iron. Thus, total dietary iron was inadequate for males …

Aspects Of The Life History Of The Smoky Madtom, Noturus Baileyi Taylor, In Citico Creek, Gerald R. Dinkins

Masters Theses

A two-year study of certain aspects of the life history of the smoky madtom, Noturus baileyi Taylor, in Citico Creek was conducted from 1981 to 1983. This species was rheophilic in the summer and fall and a pool dweller during the winter and spring. Smoky madtoms occupied the undersides of palm-sized slabrocks to the exclusion of other species in both habitats. N. baileyi lives at least 2+ years and possibly 3+ years, with females attaining greater lengths than males. Individuals of both sexes generally matured at two years; however some one-year-old individuals showed adult characteristics. Nests were located under large, …

Inland Seawalls In Southwestern- Michigan: A Limnological Approach, Jeroen Wagendorp

Masters Theses

This research retrospectively evaluates the development of inland lake seawalls in southwestern Michigan. The objective was to look at physically induced phenomena and human induced phenomena, to determine which was most responsible for the need, and large numbers of inland lake seawalls in this region. In addition, the role of the Department of Natural Resources in inland lake seawall development was evaluated.

The findings, obtained through questionnaires, were compared to data from seawalls installed along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, and showed that man's activity in the littoral zone was the fundamental rationale behind the installation on inland lake …

Purification And Properties Of A Mannitol-Binding Protein From Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Gregory V. Plano

Masters Theses

Mannitol-binding protein from Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAO has been purified 36-fold from magnesium chloride cold-shock supernatants. Sephadex G-100 gel filtration and carboxymethyl Sephadex ion exchange chromotography were utilized in the purification scheme. The position of the mannitol-binding protein band was identified on sodium dodeyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. The mannitol-binding protein has an apparent molecular weight of 45,000 as judged by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

The Fungal Ecology Of The Activated Sludge Process, Douglas William Jaques

Masters Theses

Examination of wastewater secondary influent and activated sludge reveal that bacteria and fungi may exist in a negative correlation. Activated sludge may support a resident population of microfungi. All fungi isolated from secondary influent and activated sludge belong to the form-class Deuteromycetes. The density of geofungi in activated sludge may exceed that of bacterial chemolithotrophs and rival that of bacterial heterotrophs.

A Comparison Of Two Methods Of Presenting Nutrition Education To Senior Citizens Participating In A Congregate Meal Program, Janice M. Williams

Masters Theses

Senior citizens participating in a congregate meal program received nutrition education lessons in two different ways. One group received nutrition lectures, a second group recieved nutrition lectures accompanied by printed material. A third group served as a control. Each group contained an urban and rural site. The nutrition lectures and printed material centered on the Basic Four food groups. The lessons were presented to the subjects once a week in four successive weeks. The length of the nutrition lecture for each food group was twenty minutes. The senior citizen took pre and posttests to measure an increase or decrease in …

Vegetation Changes In Four Study Areas At Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Kathryn Ann Kerr

Masters Theses

The sampling transects at Indiana Dunes were established to show the pre-burn condition of the vetetation and to monitor the long term effects of burning. However, one year of monitoring showed changes in vetetation that further substantiate the need for the burning program.

Miller Woods (Transect A) has burned frequently in recent years. The one year without fire showed little change in the herbaceous layer. The few notable herbaceous changes might indicate a transition to a more mesic community, but should be viewed skeptically because of the wet season in 1982.

Nearly half of the small shrub species at Miller …

Characterization Of The Lipopolysaccharides (Lps) From Four Transposon Generated Symbiotic Mutants Of Rhizobium Trifolii, Robert G. Shatters Jr.

Masters Theses

The LPSs from four symbiotic mutants of R. trifolii were isolated and characterized. The mutants were obtained from Dr. Barry Rolfe of The Australian National University. Three mutants have Tn5 insertions in the "nod" regions of the symbiotic plasmid. The fourth has a 30 kb deletion. This deletion includes the majority of the "nod" regions. All mutants fail to nodulate clover and fail to induce markedly curled root hairs, i.e. they are hac-nod-. The LPSs were purified as described by Carlson et al. 1978.⁷ The polysaccharide portion of the LPSs was purified by treating the LPSs in 1% HAc …

Comparison Of Surface Polysaccharides Of R. Leguminosarum Anu57 (Exo-1), R. Leg. Anu57(Pbr1an) (Nod+, Nif-), And R. Leg. Anu57(Pjb5j1) (Nod+, Nif-), Frank G. Hustmyer

Masters Theses

Extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are suspected to be involved in the legume/Rhizobium symbiotic process. Polysaccharide compositions from the EPS, LPS, capsular polysaccharide (CPS), and small polysaccharide (SmPS) were compared between Rhizobium leguminosarum ANU57 (parent, Exo^-1) and two mutants R. leg. ANU57(pBR1AN) (nod⁺, nif^-) and R. leg. ANU57(pJB5J1) (nod⁺, nif^-) both containing a Sym (symbiotic) plasmid insertion. R. leg. ANU57(pBR1AN) and R. leg. ANU57(pJB5J1) are nod⁺ on clover and peas, respectively. The nod⁺ mutants produce larger amounts of EPS and decreased amounts of LPS compared to …

Operant Conditioning In The Psittacine, Amazona Amazonica, Gloria J. Nadolski

Masters Theses

Two Orange-winged Amazon Parrots, (Amazona amazonica) were subjected to operant conditioning involving three tests: two-choice spatial discrimination and reversal, three-choice color discrimination and reversal, and the oddity principle. Results of the habit reversal tests were compared to those of Gossett (1968) to determine the phylogenetic ranking of the learning capabilities of psittacines. In the first two habit reversal tests, the subjects completed twenty reversals using sunflower seeds as positive reinforcements. In the oddity principle test, the parrots completed the equivalent of 20 reversals, again using sunflower seeds. Criterion was met when they completed 8 consecutive correct choices with …

Woody Vegetation Of Baber Woods: Composition And Changes Since 1964, James Alvin Newman Jr.

Masters Theses

A comparative study of the woody vegetation changes at Baber Woods, Edgar County, Illinois, since 1964 was completed in 1983. This 51 acre woodlot is a remnant of a much larger forest which once occuppied the Shelbyville Moraine.

An inventory of the woody vegetation shows that the present stand consists of 109 stems per acre with a basal area of 113 sq. ft. per acre. In this survey, 33 woody species were found. Sugar maple had the highest Importance Value (IV) of all woody species present, having the highest density in both the 4-6 and 7-12 inch diameter classes, as …

Juglans Cinerea: The American White Walnut, Dennis Robert Hattermann

Masters Theses

The American white walnut Juglans cinerea L. is a native North American tree in the Juglandaceae, or walnut family. It prefers rich, moist, rather neutral to slightly basic lowland soils. This is an in depth study of its taxonomy, morphology, anatomy, age, size, growth habit, distribution, ecology, propagation, economic importance, medicinal uses, toxicity, folklore, diseases and pests, and chemical constituents.

J. cinerea L. is monoecious and confined in its distribution to the eastern and central parts of North America. It can be easily identified by its large, pinnately compound leaves and ashy-gray bark with broad, flat plates and deep furrows. …

A Study Of Cladonia Cryptochlorophaea And Morphologically Similar Species In Illinois, Indiana, And Wisconsin, Scott S. Wilcer

Masters Theses

Collections of Cladonias with cup-shaped podetia were made in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin in order to determine the distribution of an atranorin-containing variant of Cladonia cryptochlorophaea, which was discovered in 1982 in Coles County, Illinois by Cheryl Cunningham. A second objective was a distributional study of the Cladonias having cup-shaped podetia in the same three state area.

A total of 591 specimens were collected from the three states. The collection areas for Illinois were: Jackson Hollow in Pope County, Giant City State Park and Touch of Nature Interpretive Center in Jackson and Williamson Counties, Starved Rock State Park in …

Use Of Skelettochronology In Age Determination Of American Toads (Bufo Americanus) From East Central Illinois, Philip M. Acker

Masters Theses

A skelettochronological technique was applied to the phalanges of the American toad, Bufo americanus, from east central, IL. In hematoxylin-stained cross-sections of the phalanges, suspected year rings are formed which can be used to age individuals. This method allows for aging without destructive sampling of toad populations.

A majority of the male toads from two choruses were estimated to be 2 or 3 years old, while most of the females from the same two sites were in the 3 or 4 year age class. Females were larger than males in the 3 and 4 year age classes, and overall, …

Operant Conditioning In The Water Snake (Nerodia Sipedon), Angela R. Deitz

Masters Theses

Six subjects of Nerodia sipedon were tested for runway acquisition. Five of six subjects met criterion for runway learning, demonstrating a significant decrease over the 25 day testing period in mean latency and running times. Four subjects completed 170 trials in a T-maze to test two-choice discrimination and reversal learning. All subjects met criterion for the initial discrimination and one reversal while two subjects completed four reversals and one subject met criterion for six reversals. Results are similar or superior to those previously reported for reptiles and other non-human vertebrates.

Avoidance Learning And Memory In Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Salmoides) Fed Bufo Tadpoles, Randy John Gawlik

Masters Theses

Tadpoles of the American toad (Bufo americanus) have been shown to be distasteful to largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) predators who learn, on the short term, to avoid them. How long bass retain this learned avoidance of Bufo larvae is unknown so an experimental design was constructed in an attempt to answer this question.

Largemouth bass were divided into four treatment groups. Two groups were initially fed exclusively larvae of Bufo americanus (one group was fed large tadpoles, the other group fed small larvae). Similarily, the other two groups were initially fed spring peeper (Hyla crucifer …

Observations On Relationships Between Limb Measurements And Mode Of Locomotion In Malaysian Turtles, Duayne Nyckel

Masters Theses

Twelve Genera (spanning three Families) of Malaysian Turtles were studied to determine whether bone lengths could be correlated to mode of locomotion. Ulna, humerus, tibia, femur, coracoid (among others) were measured and results were presented graphically. Five of the genera were observed singly in a large aquarium. Data were recorded on the amount of time each spent in different locomotor modes. Both limb length data and aquarium observations suggest that turtles can be grouped into three main locomotor habits (i.e. terrestrial walking, bottomwalking, and swimming). The terrestrial group includes the genera, Geochelone, Kinixys, and Gopherus. Bottomwalkers include …

A Comparison Of The Temporal Spawning Distributions And Growth Rates Of Young-Of-The-Year Redear Sunfish (Lepomis Microlophus) And Bluegill (Lepomis Macrochirus) In Three Illinois Impoundments, Craig Douglas Schmittler

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare the temporal spawning distribution and growth rates of bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) and redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus) in Illinois impoundments. Otolith sagittae were used to age the fish and to determine the intervals of successful spawning for both species.

Readear sunfish initiated spawning slightly before or a the same time as bluegill; however, bluegill spawned for twice as long as redear sunfish in all study impoundments. The earliest spawned fish of both species showed the fastest growth and the earliest spawned redear sunfish grew faster than did the earliest …

Seasonal Lekking Behavior Of The Greater Prairie-Chicken In Illinois, Scott A. Simpson

Masters Theses

Spring behavior of prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus cupido) has been studied extensively, however there is little information on fall-winter lekking activity. Greater prairie-chickens were observed weekly on a lek from 25 September 1982 to 23 June 1983 during morning and evening hours in Jasper County, Illinois. The peak number of prairie-chicken males on the lek occurred in February although hen attendance did not occur until 10 March 1983. All spring lekking activities were higher compared to that of the fall-winter period. Fall-winter lek activity was aggression which centered on probably brief, less intense male aggression which probably establishes or maintains …