Digital Commons Network^™

Food Security In The United States: A Futures Analysis Via Systems Modeling, Jennifer Lynn Trumbo

Masters Theses

Food insecurity is a pressing issue not only in developing countries, but in communities across the United States (US). Food insecurity is the lack of nutritious, sufficient, accessible, and reliable culturally-appropriate food. At least 42.2 million people across the US face food insecurity. Food insecurity has been associated with institutional barriers, gender, indigeneity, citizenship, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status, racialization, and poverty. Further, a lack of sufficient, nutritious food is associated with serious health outcomes. Food insecure populations have higher rates of chronic disease, mental health issues, and obesity. Considering the negative health outcomes associated with food insecurity, and its …

Rose Eriophyid Mites: An Ecological Study Of Phyllocoptes Fructiphilus Keifer (Acari: Eriophyidea), Vector Of Rose Rosette Virus, And Its Relationship With Rosa Species, Katherine Marie Solo

Masters Theses

Rose rosette disease (RRD) is an epidemic that is lethal to roses. The causal agent for this disease is thought to be rose rosette virus (RRV) which is vectored by an eriophyid mite, Phyllocoptes fructiphilus. Our research was aimed at answering fundamental ecological aspects of the relationship this mite shares with its rose hosts. In Chapter I, Rosa species were evaluated for levels of residential populations of P. fructiphilus. Statistical differences for year and rose species (α = 0.05) were observed. However, the resolution of the statistical tests was low due to loss of replications from destructive sampling …

Estimating Components Of Stream Metabolism Using The Free Water Dissolved Oxygen Method, Jay R. Zuidema Jr.

Masters Theses

Stream ecosystem metabolism is commonly measured in stream ecology studies in order to understand the functioning of the stream ecosystem and as an indicator of stream health. One common method for gathering the time series data required to estimate stream metabolism is the free water dissolved oxygen method, which involves measuring dissolved oxygen in freely moving water. This is accomplished by taking measurements at a single location (one-station monitoring method) or at two locations (two-station monitoring method). In conjunction with these data, a process-based model of dissolved oxygen dynamics is used to estimate gross primary production, respiration, and net production. …

A Parametric Analysis Of Choice Under Risk, David W. Sottile

Masters Theses

Accurate assessment of risk propensity is important because risky choices underlie a broad range of behavioral problems. The Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) is an assessment that measures propensity to engage in risky choice. While this is a useful assessment, the BART changes two variables that affect risky choice simultaneously, probability of an undesirable outcome and stake size, which cannot be separated within the context of the BART. The goal of this study was to evaluate the separate and combined effects of key factors that are likely to risky choice (Magnitude of payoff, probability of an undesirable outcome, and stake …

“Movers And Stayers” Movement Ecology Of Yellowtail Snapper Ocyurus Chrysurus And Horse-Eye Jack Caranx Latus Around Buck Island Reef National Monument, U.S. Virgin Islands, Ashleigh Novak

Masters Theses

When movement ecology of target species is coupled with spatial management approaches, such as marine protected areas (MPAs), the results can establish effective conservation outcomes. Nevertheless, a knowledge gap persists regarding how many marine organisms use specific environments over long, continuous periods of time. Acoustic telemetry arrays and fine-scale positioning systems are quickly pervading the marine environment as they can monitor animal movements on a near continuous basis, filling in many previous unknowns on spatial use patterns. Further, coupling fine-scale movement patterns and benthic habitat data provides a spatial framework foundation essential to understanding the intricacies of how habitats can …

The Effects Of Temperature On Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis Resistance And Heart Rate In The Polymorphic Eastern Red-Backed Salamanders, Plethodon Cinereus, Joseph Alan Demarchi

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Aspects Of The Physiological And Behavioral Defense Adaptations Of The Mountain Madtom (Noturus Eleutherus), Meredith Leigh Hayes

Masters Theses

Madtoms (Noturus spp.) are a highly endemic clade of miniature catfishes that faces widespread imperilment. Little is known about the ecology of these secretive fishes, and understanding the behavioral and physiological adaptations madtoms have evolved to resist pathogens and competitors is necessary for conservation.

Madtoms nest under cover and provide extensive paternal care. Attempts to rear eggs in captivity result in high mortality rates from infection, leading to questions about how wild nests resist disease. In many fishes, males produce antimicrobial substances that confer protection to eggs. To determine if guardian males deter disease in nests, Mountain Madtoms ( …

Improving Aedes Mosquito Surveillance And La Crosse Virus Screening In Eastern Tennessee, Cassandra Urquhart

Masters Theses

La Crosse virus (LACV), transmitted by infected Aedes triseriatus, Ae. albopictus, and Ae. japonicus mosquitoes is the leading cause of pediatric arboviral encephalitis. Severe cases of LAC encephalitis occur in individuals 16-years-old or younger and may cause permanent neurological damage or fatality. No vaccines exist making mosquito control and disease prevention crucial to public health. Effective screening and surveillance practices are key components to these goals. While a number of standard mosquito surveillance methods exist, continuous testing and improved understanding of vector biology to determine the best ways to implement these methods is important. Additionally, the current standard …

An Ecological Study Of The Kudzu Bug In East Tennessee: Life History, Seasonality, And Phenology, Kadie Elizabeth Britt

Masters Theses

The kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria (Hemiptera: Plataspidae), an invasive species from Asia, was first discovered in the United States in 2009 in Georgia. It has since spread to other states, including Tennessee, where it has spread rapidly to numerous counties in four years. Its common name, kudzu bug, implies a potential benefit to management of the invasive species kudzu; unfortunately, the kudzu bug has shown little impact on reducing growth of kudzu. The kudzu bug causes agricultural, urban, and health-related concerns in the United States. Soybean losses by kudzu bug have exceeded 20% in some areas of the southeastern United …

Using Phylogenetics To Understand The Evolutionary Relationships Of Hibiscus Section Furcaria, Whitaker Matthew Hoskins

Masters Theses

Neopolyploids constitute at least 35% of known species of angiosperms, and because polyploidization is a pertinent process in plant diversification and domestication, it is a thriving field of study. Hibiscus section Furcaria includes several groups of polyploids in addition to ten known diploid species. In previous studies genome groups for Hibiscus section Furcaria were determined through artificial hybridization experiments and patterns of biogeography were elucidated based on the distribution of diploids and polyploids. For instance, the Australian hexaploids contain 3 genomes (designated G, J, and V) and are thought to have developed from a polyploidization event between an African diploid …

Diet Of And Prey Availability For Reintroduced Juvenile Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser Fulvescens) In Ft. Loudoun Reservoir, Tennessee, Todd Michael Amacker

Masters Theses

After fifteen years of reintroducing juvenile Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in the Upper Tennessee River Basin, fisheries biologists are researching basic ecological traits of subsistent organisms. I set out to seasonally assess whether Lake Sturgeon forage opportunistically or selectively in Ft. Loudoun Reservoir. After anesthetizing individual juvenile Lake Sturgeon caught on trotlines in a 13-km reach of the reservoir, I used colonic flush and gastric lavage techniques to describe diets quantitatively. I also used two methods to assess available prey items in the study area by 1) taking systematic benthic grabs along several transects across the width of …

Quantifying Gully Erosion In West Tennessee Using High Resolution Lidar Data, John James Mcnelis

Masters Theses

This research demonstrates the use of Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) for detailed measurement of volume change and erosional and depositional processes within a small gully and assessing the impact of digital elevation model (DEM) resolution on these measurements. The study site is an active gully in Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park in Tennessee, USA. DEMs were derived from an airborne LIDAR survey and multiple terrestrial LIDAR scans. DEM differences were used to quantify gross volumes of erosion and deposition within the gully over a three year period and a 49 day period. Analysis of the airborne LIDAR point cloud indicated …

Divergent Responses Of Cryptic Invasive Watermilfoil To Treatment With Auxinic Herbicides In A Large Michigan Lake, Syndell R. Parks

Masters Theses

Invasive plants are a major concern for environmental managers. Cryptic invasive taxa present additional challenges because of their potential to respond differently to management efforts. Invasive Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) and hybrid watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum x Myriophyllum sibiricum) cannot be reliably distinguished based on morphological characters and are therefore cryptic taxa. Laboratory studies show that on average, hybrid watermilfoil grows faster, branches more, and is less responsive to standard control measures developed for Eurasian watermilfoil. These laboratory results predict less effective control of hybrid watermilfoil in mixed populations treated uniformly with one of these control measures. However, to date there …

A New Adaptive Landscape: Urbanization As A Strong Evolutionary Force, Lauren Christie Breza

Masters Theses

Urbanization is rapidly increasing as human population growth steadily grows, but there is little consensus of the ecological consequence of this population shift and almost no information of the evolutionary consequences for local biodiversity. Nearly two-thirds of the world’s population will live in city centers by 2050 with profound impacts on landscapes that can act as important agents of selection. This study aims to identify 1) the net effect of urbanization on species richness, 2) how phylogenetic diversity varies between urban and rural sites, and 3) the strength of urbanization as a selection pressure. First, a meta-analysis was conducted in …

Phylogenetic Analysis And Revision Of The Nearctic Androprosopa Mik (Diptera: Thaumaleidae) With An Emphasis On The Western Species, Robert John Pivar

Masters Theses

The family Thaumaleidae, also known as seepage midges, is an uncommonly encountered, understudied family of aquatic Diptera compared to its sister group, the Simuliidae. The goal of this project was to assess species diversity of the Nearctic Thaumaleidae and determine relationships among them. The western Nearctic fauna of Androprosopa Mik is revised to include twenty-eight species, six of which are described as new to science. Descriptions of the adult males of A. apache, A. arnaudi, A. magnipelvim, A. rainierensis, A. sierra and A. uvas are provided. Redescriptions of all remaining species are also provided, as well …

A Comprehensive Evaluation Of Benthic Invertebrate Communities In The Emory River, Watts Bar Reservoir, Tn, Suzanne Jane Young

Masters Theses

The release of fly ash at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Kingston Fossil Plant (KIF) on 22 December 2008 discharged approximately 4.1 million cubic meters of coal ash into the adjacent aquatic and terrestrial systems. Previous benthic invertebrate investigations conducted by TVA and collaborative researchers concluded that benthic invertebrates in the Emory River were at moderate risk from ash-related constituents, primarily arsenic, in ash-contaminated sediment that remained in the Emory River following extensive dredging efforts. These conclusions were based on the observation of statistically significant reductions in growth and biomass in laboratory toxicity tests with Emory River sediment. Benthic invertebrate …

Exploring How Clean Water Act Enforcement Influences Stream Macroinvertebrate Communities, Shelby Renee Burks Ward

Masters Theses

Enforcement is a key feature of the Clean Water Act. The Clean Water Act’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program regulates effluent into streams that may impact aquatic life. Yet, authorities do not always enforce permits when violations occur. My research examines macroinvetebrate survey data near NPDES permitted facilities in Kentucky and Tennessee to determine the influence of enforcement actions on aquatic biodiversity. Pre-existing data from the Environmental Protection Agency and state agencies was used to make quantitative and spatial comparisons.

My first study used multiple regression to explore whether enforcement and freshwater community indicators changed together. North …

Predicted 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Score And Risk Of Multiple Sclerosis In U.S. Women, Alexandra Purdue-Smithe

Masters Theses

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive, autoimmune neurodegenerative disorder affecting nearly 350,000 people in the United States and resulting in significant disability. As an immunomodulator, vitamin D may play a role in the development of MS. Previous studies have observed an inverse association of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and MS risk in younger populations; however, whether this relationship persists in older adults remains unclear. We prospectively investigated the association between predicted 25(OH)D level and incident MS in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) (n=121,701) and NHS II (n=116,430). 25(OH)D levels were predicted using validated regression models that include important determinants of …

Documenting Annual Differences In Vegetation Cover, Height And Diversity Near Barrow, Alaska, Timothy Frederick Botting

Masters Theses

Vegetation in the Arctic has been shown to respond to climate change. Documented changes have the potential to result in numerous ecosystem consequences. Therefore, understanding vegetation change is of great importance. This study documents changes in tundra vegetation with a focus on understanding the influence of annual differences in weather. Vegetation was sampled using a point frame method on 98 1-m² plots in 2010 and 2013 near Barrow, Alaska. A subset of 30 of these plots was also sampled in 2012 and 2014. Plant encounters were identified to species and grouped into one of the following functional groups: bryophytes, …

Historical Demography And Dispersal Patterns In The Eastern Pipistrelle Bat (Perimyotis Subflavus), Alynn M. Martin

Masters Theses

The recent emergence of threats to North American bat conservation has prompted increased population genetics research on high risk species. The eastern pipistrelle bat is affected by both white-nose syndrome and wind turbine mortality. However, little work has been done regarding the population structure and effective population size of this species. Using the HVI region of the mitochondria and eight microsatellite loci, I analyzed male and female structure across the sample range of P. subflavus and estimated the effective population size of their populations. Pairwise F_ST values indicate that there is one panmictic population based on microsatellite data, while …

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 …

Ecology Of A Declining Great Plains Fish, Fundulus Sciadicus, In The Missouri Ozarks, Gregory Travis Thompson

Masters Theses

"Anthropogenic habitat disturbances are of growing concern due to their impacts on native biota, especially in freshwater ecosystems. Damming, channelization, urbanization, wetland draining, and non-native fish introductions all play large roles in habitat homogeneity, fragmentation, and species competition. This has negative effects on native fish and invertebrate species. In the Midwestern United States, the plains topminnow (Fundulus sciadicus) has been declining across its range, to the point of becoming a species of special concern in Missouri. This is possibly due to a combination of the above anthropogenic habitat disturbances. To better understand the ecology of the plains topminnow …

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 …

Assessing The Impacts Of Dams On Nutrient And Sediment Loading In The Kalamazoo River Using The Soil And Water Assessment Tool (Swat), Daniel Henry Serfas

Masters Theses

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was applied to the Kalamazoo River Watershed in order to evaluate the impacts that several dams within a superfund site "Area of Concern" have on the sediment, nutrients, and streamflow of the system. It was hypothesized that the SWAT model could be used to recreate the watershed in hopes of estimating the amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment that would result from the removal of the dams. The model would then be used to evaluate dam removal scenarios to come up with a best management practice (BMP).

The model was calibrated, however, during …

Faunal Distribution And Relative Abundance In A Silurian (Wenlock) Pinnacle Reef Complex - Ray Reef, Macomb County, Michigan, Jennifer L. Trout

Masters Theses

Niagaran (Silurian) reefs are important sources of hydrocarbons in the Michigan Basin. In addition, some of these reservoirs have been used for gas storage and may be potential CO2 sequestration sites.

Despite extensive research on Niagaran reefs, most studies concerning faunal abundance and distribution have been qualitative studies conducted by paleontologists with an emphasis on taxonomy, paleoecology, and evolution.

This study is the first quantitative study of relative abundance and general distribution of fauna throughout a single Wenlock reef located in the southern trend of the Michigan Basin. This study will build on previous work done by WMU students and …

Northern Bobwhite (Colinus Virginianus) Population Ecology On Reclaimed Mined Lands, Evan Philip Tanner

Masters Theses

The northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) has experienced range-wide population declines for the past half century. The primary cause has been large-scale habitat loss and fragmentation. Through auspices of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA), large tracts of early successional vegetation have been created throughout much of the bobwhite’s range that may be managed to increase usable space. Peabody WMA is a reclaimed coal mine in Western Kentucky where bobwhite have been present in the past. To better understand the dynamics of this population and how habitat on Peabody WMA influences these dynamics, my two …

Essays On Spatial Analysis Of Policy Impacts, Daegoon Lee

Masters Theses

This thesis is composed of two essays under the theme of spatial analysis of policy impacts. The objective of the first essay was to analyse how population dynamics affect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The effects of population redistribution resulting from the South Korean government’s decentralization efforts on GHG emissions were assessed. Simulation results suggest that the direction of change in total GHG emissions depends on the share of the population redistributed from higher to lower population density regions. If the entire redistributed population of 877,000 persons expected from the government’s decentralization project were from the Seoul Area, annual CO_{2 …}

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 …

Reconstruction Of Fire History In The National Key Deer Refuge, Monroe County, Florida, U.S.A.: The Palmetto Pond Macroscopic Charcoal Record, Desiree Lynn Kocis

Masters Theses

The pine rocklands in the Lower Florida Keys are considered endangered because of rises in sea level, urbanization, and human impacts on the natural fire regime. Macroscopic charcoal in a sediment core recovered from Palmetto Pond (24°41’45.15”N, 81°19’43.84”W) in 2010 was examined in contiguous 1-cm intervals to reconstruct Late Holocene fire history. Palmetto Pond is a shallow freshwater solution hole located within the pine rocklands of No Name Key in Monroe County, Florida. Radiocarbon dating of plant material at 247 cm depth in the Palmetto Pond profile indicates the sediment record extends back to ca. 4500 cal yr BP. Charcoal …

Nuclear Fingerprinting Identification Of Black Fly Species In The Simulium Jenningsi Species Group (Diptera: Simuliidae), Gail Lynn Senatore

Masters Theses

SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/johnmoulton/Desktop/SenatoreGailMay2012.docA molecular approach was taken to differentiate morphologically homogeneous species within the Simulium jenningsi species group (SJG). This group of Nearctic black flies consisting of 22 recognized species has its highest diversity in the southeastern United States. No other group of black flies in this region is more ubiquitous or pestiferous. Female black flies in this group are nearly isomorphic, which complicates identification, elucidation of host specificity and pest status, and directed control of through application of Bti in the appropriate natal streams. Among SJG species, only S. luggeri Nicholson & Mickel, S. jenningsi Malloch, and S. penobscotense Snoddy & …