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Effects Of Shoreline And Watershed Development On Eastern Lake Michigan Drowned River Mouth Ecology, Megan M. Mader, Carl R. Ruetz Iii

Masters Theses

Lake Michigan’s drowned river mouths (DRM) are hydrologically unique systems with riverine and large-lake influences that create biologically diverse ecosystems. Serving as focal points for human development due to the ecosystem services they provide, DRMs have experienced a history of industrialization, urbanization, and are now moving towards an era of rehabilitation. Today, DRM shorelines have been hardened, their riparian zones have been severely altered, and their watersheds exist on a latitudinal gradient of less to greater anthropogenic stress (agriculture and development). The main goal of this study was to understand the current ecological state of DRMs related to anthropogenic development …

Habitat Selection And Partitioning Among Darters In Two Tributaries Of The Clinch River, And Stream Restoration Effects On Substrate Profile, Daniel James Walker

Masters Theses

The group of fish referred to as darters is extremely biodiverse. Often, several closely related species will inhabit the same areas of streams, and prior research has investigated how these species may be partitioning the resources in low-order streams in which they are sympatric. The habitat partitioning of darters in two streams in the Clinch River system, Coal and Cove Creeks, was investigated. The study sites were picked due to their involvement in both physical and biological stream restoration efforts within the last several years, including the collection, translocation, and reintroduction of rainbow darters (Etheostoma caeruleum) from reference sites in …

Effects Of Dams On Fish And Macroinvertebrate Communities In The Vermilion River, Il, Ryan Patrick Hastings

Masters Theses

Dams are a main source of anthropogenic disturbances on river systems and can affect rivers in a variety of ways. Dams have the ability to change rivers from lotic to lentic habitats, affect sediment transportation, connectivity, water quality, linkages with wetlands and the quality of in-stream and riparian habitats. The Danville Dam was constructed in 1914 on the Vermilion River in Danville, Illinois and is becoming a safety hazard for human recreation on the Vermilion River, resulting in three deaths in the last 10 years. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources in conjunction with the city of Danville has proposed …

The Effects Of Nutrient Limitation And Cyanophage On Heterotrophic Microbial Diversity, Claire Elyse Campbell

Masters Theses

Marine viruses are critically important in the regulation of biogeochemical cycles and host microbial communities. In this study, we tested whether the indirect effects of virus predation on a phototroph (i.e., Synechococcus) affected the composition of co-occurring heterotrophic bacteria under nitrogen and phosphorus limitation in long-term chemostat experiments. Using 454 Titanium barcoded pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, microbial diversity and technical (i.e., sequencing) reproducibility were assessed for nine individual chemostats across five different time points. A total of 325,142 reads were obtained; 194,778 high-quality, non-cyanobacterial sequences were assigned to 110 OTUs. Our results show high reproducibility …

The Role Of Bowfin, Amia Calva, In Multiple Species Management Plans, Benjamin Jacob Hausmann

Masters Theses

The major challenge to fisheries managers of the 21st century will be to maintain the diversity, not only of fishing opportunity, but also of traditionally non-game and economically unimportant species. With the relatively recent understanding of the importance of ecosystem level management, attention is being focused on native species that were often ignored or eradicated under past management practices. One such fish that has been largely ignored is the bowfin, Amia calva. Ecological data pertaining to bowfin natural history are limited and to date no attempt has been made to integrate bowfin into fisheries management decisions within the species native …

A Stream Survey Of Riley Creek, Coles County, Illinois, Using Macroinvertebrates As Indicators Of Organic Pollution, Joseph R. Rowe

Masters Theses

A stream survey of Riley Creek in Coles County Illinois, was undertaken to determine ecological trends and the qualitative status of the aquatic community throughout the course of the stream.

The survey encompassed the entire length of Riley Creek from the area of its status as an intermittant waterway to its confluence with Cassel Creek. Sampling periods included the months of April, May, June, July, October and November.

Macroinvertebrate collections were made at six locations along the stream approximately equidistant from each other. The organisms were assigned tolerance levels as designated by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

Physical and chemical …

An Ecological Study Of The Algal Potamoplankton Communities Upstream And Downstream From A Sanitary Landfill On Riley Creek, Coles County, Illinois, Larry W. Coutant

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Taxonomic And Ecological Study Of A Hillside Marsh, Coles County, Illinois, Hampton M. Parker

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Introducing Aquatic Ecology To Ninth Graders, Inez P. Sutton

Masters Theses

Chapter I

Introduction

In discussing the basis for teaching high school biology, Van Deventer¹ states, "...the present typical course in high school biology serves adequately neither the terminal student nor the college entrance student." He holds that today's courses present watered-down versions of college courses to the student before the intelligence of the student has matured enough to grasp such subject matter. As a result there is very little carry-over value from such courses, and the students may even develop a dislike for biology. This study constitutes an effort to understand these problems and to devise ways of solving …