Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 10 of 10
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
Population Level Dynamics Of Grasshopper Sparrow Populations Breeding On Reclaimed Mountaintop Mines In West Virginia, Frank K. Ammer
Population Level Dynamics Of Grasshopper Sparrow Populations Breeding On Reclaimed Mountaintop Mines In West Virginia, Frank K. Ammer
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
During 2001 and 2002, I surveyed three mountaintop mining/valley fill (MTMVF) complexes in southern West Virginia to determine vegetation characteristics important to nest site selection and to estimate nest success for Grasshopper Sparrow populations inhabiting these complexes. I also performed genetic analyses to assess overall population structure, mating system, parentage, kinship, and gender of individuals comprising these populations. A total of 415 grasshopper sparrows were captured and systematic searches of study plots produced 75 active nests. Nest survival for 2001--2002 breeding season (33%) is comparable to survival rates previously reported in the literature. Nest survival rates decreased with increased reclamation …
Cerulean Warbler Relative Abundance And Frequency Of Occurrence Relative To Large-Scale Edge, Scott B. Bosworth
Cerulean Warbler Relative Abundance And Frequency Of Occurrence Relative To Large-Scale Edge, Scott B. Bosworth
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Cerulean Warblers (Dendroica cerulea) were studied in southwestern West Virginia where the coal mining technique of mountaintop mining/valley fill (MTMVF) continues to perforate large contiguous tracts of deciduous forest. My study objectives were to (1) quantify abundance and probability of occurrence of Cerulean Warblers relative to distance from large-scale edge (defined as reclaimed MTMVF sites) and (2) relate habitat structure and landscape characteristics to the species' probability of occurrence. Cerulean Warbler abundance increased significantly (P < 0.10) with distance from reclaimed mine edge. However, percent occurrence relative to distance from mine edge was not significant, suggesting a degree of tolerance to the large-scale edge created by MTMVF. Abundance was significantly greater on ridges than bottomlands. Percent occurrence did not differ among the three slope positions but followed a trend similar to abundance. Consequently, disturbances such as MTMVF in which ridges are removed may have a greater impact on populations compared to other sources of fragmentation where ridges are not disturbed. Other habitat structure analyses suggest good indicators of Cerulean Warbler presence are the more productive sites on northwest to east facing slopes and low sapling density. Similarly, Cerulean Warbler abundance was positively associated with more productive sites and snag density. Important landscape characteristics positively associated with abundance were large blocks of mature deciduous forest and low edge density. Mountaintop mining/valley fill alters the spatial configuration of forested habitats in southwestern West Virginia, thus creating less suitable habitat and edge effects that negatively affect Cerulean Warbler abundance, occurrence, and distribution in the reclaimed mine landscape.
Ecology And Management Of Raccoons Within An Intensively Managed Forest In The Central Appalachians, Sheldon F. Owen
Ecology And Management Of Raccoons Within An Intensively Managed Forest In The Central Appalachians, Sheldon F. Owen
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
The raccoon (Procyon lotor), a generalist meso-predator, is commonly found throughout the eastern United States. Many researchers have examined the ecology and spatial requirements of raccoons in agricultural and wetland areas of the mid-western and southeastern United States. However, no studies have quantitatively examined raccoon habits in the forested central Appalachians and their response to forest management. During the fall of 2000 through the spring of 2003, I monitored the spatial movements and den site selection of raccoons within an intensively managed forest.;I investigated the occurrence of raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis) in raccoons (Procyon lotor) within my study area. I …
Brook Trout (Salvelinus Fontinalis) Movement And Habitat Use In A Headwater Stream Of The Central Appalachian Mountains Of West Virginia, Marisa Nel Logan
Brook Trout (Salvelinus Fontinalis) Movement And Habitat Use In A Headwater Stream Of The Central Appalachian Mountains Of West Virginia, Marisa Nel Logan
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) are the only salmonid native to the Appalachians. They are a resilient species, populating small, low productive streams. Although such streams have historically been abundant in the Appalachians, brook trout populations have been threatened due to habitat degradation such as logging and acidification of waters. The objective of this study was to evaluate brook trout habitat use, home range, and movement patterns in an Appalachian headwater stream during spring and more specifically high flow events. I implanted brook trout with radio tags and tracked their movement for approximately 30 days during late spring 2002 and early …
Censusing And Modeling The Dynamics Of A Population Of Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga Canadensis L.) Using Remote Sensing, W. Robert Lamar
Censusing And Modeling The Dynamics Of A Population Of Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga Canadensis L.) Using Remote Sensing, W. Robert Lamar
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
A population of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis L.) was censused from the ground using traditional field methods and from the air using large scale, high-resolution, aerial imagery in the early spring of 1997, 1998 and 1999. A manual crown survey map of the population, prepared from aerial imagery, was compared to a traditional field census. Over 60% of the individuals measured on the ground were not detected in the aerial census. Tree size, crown density and crown position all played roles in determining a crown's visibility from the air. Nearly all large, upper canopy hemlocks were visible in the aerial …
Seasonal Movements Of Yellow-Phase American Eels ( Anguilla Rostrata) In The Shenandoah River, West Virginia, Stephen D. Hammond
Seasonal Movements Of Yellow-Phase American Eels ( Anguilla Rostrata) In The Shenandoah River, West Virginia, Stephen D. Hammond
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
American eels undergo extensive upstream migration in Atlantic coastal river systems. Few studies, however, have focused on movements of large yellow-phase American eels near dams in upper watersheds of Atlantic coastal rivers. We examined relationships between stream flow, water temperature, and lunar phase, and movements of radio-tagged yellow-phase American eels (518--810 mm TL) near Millville hydroelectric dam in the lower Shenandoah River, West. Movements of yellow-phase American eels differed among seasons. Water temperature and stream flow were associated with upstream migration during spring. Downstream movements during fall corresponded with decreasing water temperatures and darker nights near the new moon. Localized …
Raptor Assemblage, Abundance, Nesting Ecology, And Habitat Characteristics Under Intensive Forest Management In The Central Appalachian Mountains, Rebecca D. M. Smith
Raptor Assemblage, Abundance, Nesting Ecology, And Habitat Characteristics Under Intensive Forest Management In The Central Appalachian Mountains, Rebecca D. M. Smith
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Raptor abundance and diversity were examined in three treatments (20-, 40-, and 80-yr harvest rotations) on an industrial forest in the central Appalachian Mountains. I conducted diurnal broadcast surveys, compared nocturnal survey protocols, examined habitat characteristics at two spatial scales (564 m and 1000 m buffers), and described nesting ecology (including prey composition) of 3 species of diurnal raptors. I detected 17 species and found no significant differences in abundance among treatment for all raptors. Forest-dwelling species were detected more often than edge-dwelling species and Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) was the most abundant species. Using a Barred Owl vocalization survey …
Seasonal Movement And Macro-Habitat Use Of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Salmoides) In An Ohio River Navigation Pool, Jason Gregory Freund
Seasonal Movement And Macro-Habitat Use Of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Salmoides) In An Ohio River Navigation Pool, Jason Gregory Freund
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Largemouth bass provide an important recreational fishery in the Ohio River. Our objectives were to determine critical over-wintering and spawning habitats of largemouth bass in the Belleville Pool of the Ohio River. We surgically implanted radio-transmitters in 39 adult largemouth bass and tracked them over a 23-month period. Our results demonstrate the importance of off-channel habitats in the life history of largemouth bass in large river systems. Sedimentation, resulting in a loss of embayment quality and surface area, is an important problem and thus merits increased attention. Restoration and protection efforts to improve largemouth bass fisheries in large river systems …
Wildlife Use And Habitat Quality Of Back Channel Areas Associated With Islands On The Ohio River, West Virginia, Andrew Karl Zadnik
Wildlife Use And Habitat Quality Of Back Channel Areas Associated With Islands On The Ohio River, West Virginia, Andrew Karl Zadnik
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
The islands and associated back channels on the Ohio River have long been thought to provide important habitat characteristics for riparian wildlife. However, few studies have quantitatively evaluated this importance. As pressure continues to develop back channel areas for commercial and residential use, quantitative information is vital for natural resource managers to justify conserving these areas for wildlife. The goals of my study were to quantify wildlife use of back and main channels relative to waterbirds, anurans, turtles, and riparian furbearing mammals, and to evaluate the habitat quality of back and main channels through the use of habitat suitability index …
Population Dynamics Of Selected Lepidoptera Associated With Gypsy Moth [Lymantria Dispar (L.)] In Central Appalachia, Sandra Raimondo
Population Dynamics Of Selected Lepidoptera Associated With Gypsy Moth [Lymantria Dispar (L.)] In Central Appalachia, Sandra Raimondo
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Despite the wealth of research conducted on gypsy moth [(Lymantria dispar L.)(Lymantriidae: Lepidoptera)] populations dynamics, quantitative analysis of the native lepidopteran community in which gypsy moth has become naturalized is extremely limited. This study examined the population dynamics of native Lepidoptera in two gypsy moth management areas in West Virginia and Virginia. Data were collected between 1995 and 2001 on 18 plots distributed on two national forests (Monongahela National Forest, WV and George Washington National Forest, VA). Four lepidopteran sampling techniques (gypsy moth egg mass surveys, canvas bands and foliage clippings for larval sampling, and light trap samples for adults) …