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Ecological Impacts Of Invasive Crayfish In A Naïve Riparian System, Gregor L. Hamilton
Ecological Impacts Of Invasive Crayfish In A Naïve Riparian System, Gregor L. Hamilton
Biology ETDs
Aquatic and riparian food webs are inextricably linked. In deserts, they provide critical energy subsidies to surrounding terrestrial food webs, but these vital subsidies are not guaranteed; streams in arid lands are especially sensitive to perturbations. In this dissertation, I investigated the role of an oft-cited threat to stream communities in the lower Colorado River basin: non-native crayfish. I contributed to methodologies in passive integrated transponder use and length-weight relationships in crayfish to aid future research. I leveraged stable isotope analysis of δ15N, δ13C, and δ2H to understand crayfish role in the food webs. …
Combining Isotopic And Genetic Analyses To Quantify Microbial Facilitation Of Recalcitrant Resource Use By Terrestrial And Aquatic Consumers, Alexi Christina Besser
Combining Isotopic And Genetic Analyses To Quantify Microbial Facilitation Of Recalcitrant Resource Use By Terrestrial And Aquatic Consumers, Alexi Christina Besser
Biology ETDs
Quantifying the flow of energy and nutrients through food webs is foundational to understanding the structure and function of ecosystems. Here, I utilize the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of individual amino acids to trace the movement of essential amino acids through terrestrial and freshwater food webs in New Mexico, USA. I first explore isotopic patterns among co-occurring terrestrial plants and aquatic algae. I then combine this molecular isotopic approach with 16S and 18S rRNA sequencing to demonstrate the importance of gut microbiota as sources of essential amino acids to wild mammalian hosts. Next, I explore the roles of …
The Ecology Of Acequias In The Mora Valley: Patterns, Processes And Place-Based Knowledge, Shannon M. Rupert
The Ecology Of Acequias In The Mora Valley: Patterns, Processes And Place-Based Knowledge, Shannon M. Rupert
Biology ETDs
In northern New Mexico, early settlements were clustered for protection of the people and access to water for domestic and agricultural uses was critical to their success. Irrigation ditches, known as acequias, brought water to the people, and were central to community life. These earthen ditches of varying lengths were built between one hundred and several hundred years ago, and most are still operational today. They divert water away from natural streams and across the landscape, through a system of man-made channels, until the unused water is diverted back into natural watercourses. These lateral channels appear to function as extensions …