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Development And Application Of A Genetic Algorithm-Informational Modeling Approach To Exploatory Statistical Modeling Of Lizard-Habitat Relationships, James J. Minesky
Development And Application Of A Genetic Algorithm-Informational Modeling Approach To Exploatory Statistical Modeling Of Lizard-Habitat Relationships, James J. Minesky
Doctoral Dissertations
Anolis carolinensis, an arboreal lizard common to the southeasternUnited States, has been studied often in lab settings, but infrequently in its natural habitats with respect to the ecology of this species. The current study conducted exploratory statistical modeling of associations between 18 habitat features and the occurrence of A. carolinensis in study plots at the northern distributional limits of this species in eastern Tennessee.Statistical hypothesis-testing procedures and stepwise computer algorithms are commonly used by ecologists to analyze observational (nonexperimental)multivariate data, such as the data analyzed in this study.However, such procedures and algorithms are frequently, but inappropriately, used to find …
The Effect Of Conversion From Annual Row Crops To Short-Rotation Woody Crops On Soil Microbial Community Structure, Michael Joseph Kirchner
The Effect Of Conversion From Annual Row Crops To Short-Rotation Woody Crops On Soil Microbial Community Structure, Michael Joseph Kirchner
Doctoral Dissertations
Short-rotation woody crops (SRWC) are being considered as an alternative to burning coal for power production. Research is being conducted in West Tennessee to examine the environmental impact of converting from a traditional com silage system to growing sycamore (Platanus occidentalis L.) as a SRWC. The objective of this study was to determine what effect this conversion would have on soil microbial community structure, total microbial biomass and activities of soil microorganisms. Since soil microorganisms control the biogeochemical cycling of C, N, O, H and S in the environment, it is essential to understand how changes in crop management …
Behavioral And Physiological Responses Of The Lobster, Homarus Americanus, To Temperature: A New Synthesis, Steven Harold Jury
Behavioral And Physiological Responses Of The Lobster, Homarus Americanus, To Temperature: A New Synthesis, Steven Harold Jury
Doctoral Dissertations
Temperature has a pervasive influence on lobster behavior, physiology and ecology and affects their subsequent distribution in thermally variable habitats such as estuaries and coastal areas. A multidisciplinary approach, including field and laboratory studies, was used to show: (1) that lobsters sense temperature with warm and cool thresholds as small as 0.1--0.2°C; (2) the relationship between temperature and activity is not linear, but instead switches between a high activity level in warmer months (10--20°C) and a lower level in colder months (<10°C) with transition periods in the spring and fall; (3) Parallel studies in the lab and field show that daily levels of activity are not greatly influenced by small temperature variations (i.e. tidally induced changes of 14°C), but activity levels are significantly higher in the field (249 +/- 55.1 m/d) than in the laboratory (88 +/- 12.0 m/d); (4) lobsters prefer a narrow range of temperatures over others available in a thermal gradient and avoid temperatures >23.5 +/- 0.4°C, suggesting that they behaviorally thermoregulate. While this preferred temperature shifts seasonally, the final preferred temperature …