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Effects Of Culverts On Brook Trout Genetic Diversity, Darren M. Wood
Effects Of Culverts On Brook Trout Genetic Diversity, Darren M. Wood
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) are a species of concern within their native range due to a historical loss of habitat, overfishing, and stocking of non-native salmonids. Road culverts have been recognized as an additional impediment to population persistence as movement between diverse habitat types has been identified as an alternative life-history strategy to maximize spawning and growth. Brook trout were genetically analyzed using a suite of 13 microsatellite loci above 7 culverts with varying levels of passability classified through a physical protocol. While most sites were not found to have losses in genetic diversity, populations above culverts with a high …
Nesting Biology Of Osmia Cornifrons: Implications For Population Management, Matthew Mckinney
Nesting Biology Of Osmia Cornifrons: Implications For Population Management, Matthew Mckinney
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
The Japanese hornfaced bee, Osmia cornifrons (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) is a palearctic mason bee managed for the pollination of early season fruit crops such as apple and blueberry. Since its adoption as a managed pollinator in Japan during the 1940s, a large body of literature has amassed with the goal of enhancing O. cornifrons management practices. This research makes important contributions to that literature in two ways. First, the research describes the in-nest relationship of O. cornifrons and the cleptoparasitic mite pest Chaetodactylus krombeini. Distribution of male and female O. cornifrons and of C. krombeini was determined using linear and non-linear …
Evaluating The Effects Of Morrow's Honeysuckle Control On Vertebrate And Vegetation Assemblages, And Small Mammal Foraging Ecology At Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Charnee Lee Rose
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Exotic, Japanese bush honeysuckles (Lonicera spp.; Caprifoliaceae) are tied to a variety of impacts on wildlife and ecosystems. Morrow's honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii) has become a persistent invader in eastern North America. We organized a restoration initiative at Fort Necessity National Battlefield (FONE), Pennsylvania, USA from 2004--2010. Concurrently, we studied the consumption of Morrow's honeysuckle fruits by small mammals from October--November 2009 and July--August 2010, and determined habitat variables that affected visitation rate to foraging stations. Areas of FONE were invaded by Morrow's honeysuckle after the land had been cleared for agriculture, and routine mowing ceased in the mid-1980s. Our restoration …
Demographic Response Of American Ginseng (Panax Quinquefolius L.) To Climate Change, Sara Souther
Demographic Response Of American Ginseng (Panax Quinquefolius L.) To Climate Change, Sara Souther
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Ecological response to recent climate change has been documented for a multitude of species worldwide. Climate models predict further increases in temperature, as much as 8 times the degree of warming that has already occurred. Given observations of species response to contemporary climate change and the unprecedented degree of warming expected over the next century, climate change will no doubt determine future ecosystem composition and affect global species diversity. In order to prevent loss of biodiversity, it is necessary to understand and accurately project species' response to climate, and to identify species that are vulnerable to climate change driven extinctions. …
Roosting Ecology Of Bats In A Disturbed Landscape, Joshua B. Johnson
Roosting Ecology Of Bats In A Disturbed Landscape, Joshua B. Johnson
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
In 2007 and 2008, I examined roost selection of forest-interior dwelling northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) maternity colonies in stands treated with prescribed fire (hereafter, fire) and in unburned (hereafter, control) stands on the Fernow Experimental Forest, West Virginia. Using radio telemetry, I tracked 36 female northern myotis to 69 roost trees; 25 in the fire treatment and 44 in the control treatment. Using logistic regression and an information-theoretic model selection approach, I determined that within the fire treatment, northern myotis maternity colonies were more likely to use cavity trees that were smaller in diameter, higher in crown class, and located …
Predicting Species Composition In An Eastern Hardwood Forest With The Use Of Digitally Derived Terrain Variables, Richard D. Flanigan
Predicting Species Composition In An Eastern Hardwood Forest With The Use Of Digitally Derived Terrain Variables, Richard D. Flanigan
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
This thesis addresses the need for improved classification of remotely sensed imagery in the complex hardwood forests of West Virginia. A geographic information system (GIS) was used in conjunction with forest plot data to develop a model to predict species composition in the eastern hardwood forest of West Virginia. The study area was located on the West Virginia University Research Forest (WVURF) in northern West Virginia. Terrain variables including aspect, curvature and slope change drastically at a local scale within the forest to greatly influence species composition. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data was collected for the entire WVURF, which …
Mining And Residential Development Interact To Produce Highly Impaired Stream Conditions In An Intensively Mined Appalachian Watershed, Eric Richard Merriam
Mining And Residential Development Interact To Produce Highly Impaired Stream Conditions In An Intensively Mined Appalachian Watershed, Eric Richard Merriam
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Large scale surface mining in southern West Virginia causes significant alteration of headwater stream networks. It is unclear, however, the extent to which mining interacts with other stressors to determine physical, chemical, and biological conditions in aquatic systems downstream. Through a watershed scale assessment of Pigeon Creek, the specific objectives of this study were to: (1) quantify the direct and interactive effects of mining and residential development on in-stream conditions; and (2) identify landscape thresholds above which biological impairment occurs. Our results indicate high levels of impairment to habitat, water quality, and benthic invertebrate communities within this watershed. Statistical analyses …
Habitat Selection And Predation Risk In Larval Lampreys, Dustin M. Smith
Habitat Selection And Predation Risk In Larval Lampreys, Dustin M. Smith
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
This thesis examines habitat preference and the influence of habitat on predation of larvae (ammocoetes) of the least brook lamprey (Lampetra aepyptera). The thesis comprises three chapters: (1) an introduction and literature review on the general life history of lampreys and on studies related to ammocoetes and their habitat, (2) an experimental study of habitat preference in ammocoetes of the least brook lamprey, and (3) an experimental study of the relationship between habitat availability and predation risk in ammocoetes. For the first study, we quantified substrate selection in small (< 50 mm) and large (100-150 mm) ammocoetes of the least brook lamprey. In aquaria, ammocoetes were given a choice to burrow into six equally-available substrate types: small gravel (2.36-4.75 mm), coarse sand (0.5-1.4 mm), fine sand (0.125-0.5 mm), organic debris (approximately 70% decomposing leaves and stems, 15% silt, and 15% sand), an even mixture of silt, clay, and fine sand, and silt/clay (< 0.063 mm). Fine sand was selected with a significantly higher probability than any other substrate. In the second study, we experimentally examined the influence of habitat availability on predation risk of ammocoetes. Ammocoetes were placed in aquaria containing a predator species (yellow bullhead, Ameiurus natalis) and one of 3 substrates: fine sand (0.125-0.5 mm), coarse sand (0.5-1.4 mm), or silt/clay (<0.063 mm). Use of the three substrate types was based on a previous experiment where fine sand was determined to be the preferred benthic habitat of least brook lamprey. Based on 10 trials with each habitat type, survival of ammocoetes was highest in aquaria with fine sand (mean = 80%), and lower in those with coarse sand (mean = 58%) and silt/clay (mean = 4%). The results of both studies conducted indicate that populations of least brook lamprey ammocoetes may be limited by the availability of fine sand habitat. The first study indicated that least brook lamprey ammocoetes are habitat specialists, preferring substrates composed primarily of fine sand. The second study showed that the availability of fine sand habitat may influence the predation risk of ammocoetes, as ammocoete survival from predation was highest in fine sand, and lower in other substrates.
Foraging Ecology Of Male Cerulean Warblers And Other Neotropical Migrants, Gregory A. George
Foraging Ecology Of Male Cerulean Warblers And Other Neotropical Migrants, Gregory A. George
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Understanding foraging ecology provides insight into species resource requirements and overall conservation needs. We examined foraging behavior and tree species selection of male Cerulean Warblers (Dendroica cerulea ) (n = 673) in response to varying degrees of habitat disturbance from silvicultural treatments at four study sites in West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio, during the 2006 and 2007 breeding seasons. Cerulean Warblers foraged primarily in the forest canopy, along branch tips by gleaning insects off leaf surfaces, often adjacent to canopy gaps, both pre- and post-harvest. Tree species availability, based on importance values (IV) calculated from density, frequency and basal areas, …
Predictive Modeling Of Freshwater Mussels (Unionidae) In The Appalachians, Alison R. Mynsberge
Predictive Modeling Of Freshwater Mussels (Unionidae) In The Appalachians, Alison R. Mynsberge
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Freshwater mussels are in decline, particularly in the Appalachian region of North America. This region contains the world's greatest diversity of freshwater mussels, but many species are now threatened or endangered. Little is known of the basic ecology and distributions of species of freshwater mussels relative to other freshwater organisms. The goal of this study was to use predictive modeling to predict distributions of freshwater mussels in the Appalachians and identify correlated factors using a watershed framework. Models were developed in the upper Mid-Atlantic and Ohio drainage regions using subwatersheds and separately in the Tennessee region using catchments. Models developed …
An Interpolation Method For Stream Habitat Assessments With Reference To The Crystal Darter, Kenneth Richard Sheehan
An Interpolation Method For Stream Habitat Assessments With Reference To The Crystal Darter, Kenneth Richard Sheehan
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Crystallaria asprella spp. (Elk River crystal darter) is documented only in Elk River, West Virginia. Little life history detail is known about this lotic, benthic-dependent species. Previous studies have led to a very basic understanding of the use of depth, flow and substrate of the crystal darter (Crystallaria asprella), and less is known about the Elk River crystal darter. Due to substrate-specificity in crystal darters (which reportedly bury in sand), a study concerning benthic stream habitat modeling was undertaken. Substrate and depth modeling using >5% of an area sampled at a resolution of 0.093 m2 square spatial data in a …
Nesting Success And Nest Site Characteristics Of Four Thrush Species On A Managed Forest, Rachel Dellinger
Nesting Success And Nest Site Characteristics Of Four Thrush Species On A Managed Forest, Rachel Dellinger
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Four thrush species breed sympatrically in the Allegheny Mountain region of West Virginia, U.S.A.: American Robin (Turdus migratorius), Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus), Veery (Catharus fuscescens), and Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina). How nesting habitat is partitioned among the species is unclear, as is the effect of logging activities on the guild. My objectives were to identify nesting habitat characteristics that are partitioned among the species and to determine their effects on nest survival.;I conducted point count surveys and monitored nests of four thrush species on a managed forest. I measured habitat variables at three scales: (1) nest substrate, (2) nest site, …
An Ecological Study Of Panax Quinquefolius In Central Appalachia: Seedling Growth, Harvest Impacts And Geographic Variation In Demography, Martha E. Van Der Voort
An Ecological Study Of Panax Quinquefolius In Central Appalachia: Seedling Growth, Harvest Impacts And Geographic Variation In Demography, Martha E. Van Der Voort
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) is a long-lived, slow-maturing understory perennial herb found in eastern North American forests. The economic value of P. quinquefolius on the world market has remained strong for nearly 300 years. It has high economic and social value in the central Appalachians as well. Persistent harvest of ginseng combined with habitat loss has reduced populations in the wild, threatening the future of the species and its continued harvest. American ginseng was placed on the CITES Appendix II list in 1973 due to population declines. These concerns led to a series of studies investigating the population dynamics …
Demography And Genetic Structure Of An Allegheny Woodrat Population In Northcentral West Virginia, Mary Elizabeth Manjerovic
Demography And Genetic Structure Of An Allegheny Woodrat Population In Northcentral West Virginia, Mary Elizabeth Manjerovic
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
The Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister) occurs throughout the Appalachian Mountains forming isolated colonies in rock outcrops, cliffs, and caves. In the past 20--30 years, populations along the northern and western peripheries of the range have experienced drastic declines. There have been suggested reasons for this decline but a lack of long-term data has prevented application of specific management actions. In recent years, there has been more insight into population structure, gene flow, and relatedness among colonies. The objectives of my study were to examine these factors at a localized level to further assist with future management decisions.;Using data collected over …
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 …
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 …
Scale, Ecological Fallacy, And The River Continuum Concept, Hope M. Childers
Scale, Ecological Fallacy, And The River Continuum Concept, Hope M. Childers
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Concern over scale is not new, and it is not restricted to geographers. Spatial and temporal scaling is a conceptual and methodological problem for all sciences using geographic information. This paper teases out issues of scale and ecological fallacy from the literature and discusses how these issues influence the applicability of an influential theoretical framework in stream ecology, the River Continuum Concept (RCC). Investigators are faced with decisions regarding scale during sampling location selection, field data capture, and subsequent data interpretation. A thorough understanding of the heterogeneity of stream habitats and the life histories of the organisms being studied could …
Use And Misuse Of Mixed Model Analysis Of Variance In Ecological Studies, Cynthia C. Bennington, William V. Thayne
Use And Misuse Of Mixed Model Analysis Of Variance In Ecological Studies, Cynthia C. Bennington, William V. Thayne
Faculty & Staff Scholarship
Analysis of variance is one of the most commonly used statistical techniques among ecologists and evolutionary biologists. Because many ecological experiments involve random as well as fixed effects, the most appropriate analysis of variance model to use is often the mixed model. Consideration of effects in an analysis of variance as fixed or random is critical if correct tests are to be made and if correct inferences are to be drawn from these tests. A literature review was conducted to determine whether authors are generally aware of the differences between fixed and random effects and whether they are performing analyses …