Digital Commons Network^™

The Influence Of Beaver Impoundments On Vegetative Composition, And Modeling Habitat Suitability As A Tool For Wildlife Management And Conservation, Jerry Leanne Bonner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Beavers (Castor canadensis) can have dramatic effects on vegetative communities through impounding streams and wetlands. These alterations may influence rare plant species where beaver create ponds. We found that the youngest and oldest beaver ponds in Canaan Valley, West Virginia, USA had similar species richness. Rare plant species occurred most in oldest ponds, although no significant differences were detected. Species composition around ponds was found to be different between areas influenced by ponds versus those not affected, creating more obligate wetland communities when influenced by beaver. This information should be incorporated into management decisions when rare plant species conservation is …

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 …

Implications For The Small Mammal And Earthworm Communities In A Degraded Ecosystem, Jennifer Aaron Edalgo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

At Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Pennsylvania, we trapped small mammals in areas dominated by Morrow's honeysuckle, an invasive shrub, and we determined that prebaiting 1 and 2 days before the actual trapping period did not improve trapping success. We do not recommend using the added resources (i.e., time, money, personnel, and equipment) to incorporate prebaiting into trapping regimes because trapping success was not improved. We fluorescent powdertracked mice in old field and forested areas with Morrow's honeysuckle encroachment to determine the microhabitat they selected. Mice selected paths with high shrub and tree cover and low herbaceous cover. They selected native …

Culvert Inventory And Effects On Fish Assemblages In A Central Appalachian Watershed, Ira O. Poplar-Jeffers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

We surveyed 120 state-owned culverts within the upper Cheat River basin, West Virginia, and used a fish passage evaluation filter to quantify passage barriers. We quantified the length of stream and weighted potential brook trout recruitment area isolated by each culvert. We also sampled fish communities upstream and downstream of 24 culverts to quantify the impacts of culvert-related isolation on fish assemblages. We found 69% of culverts to be completely impassable. We determined that 17% of the stream length and 23% of weighted potential recruitment area in the study area were isolated by impassable culverts. We found that impassable culverts …

Assessment Of Application, Effectiveness, And Compliance Of Forestry Best Management Practices In West Virginia, William A. Goff

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The application, effectiveness, and compliance of forestry best management practices (BMPs) were assessed based on 116 randomly selected sites harvested between November 2003 and March 2004 in West Virginia. Landowners were contacted to gain permission for site visits according to the random list. The landowners were also asked a series of questions to identify their knowledge and satisfaction about the harvest and BMPs. A series of eight checklists were used to assess 26 BMPs on haul roads, skid trails, landings, and in streamside management zones (SMZs). Thirty three out of 116 sites with SMZs were further evaluated for BMP applications …

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, …

Size, Age Composition, And Upstream Migration Of American Eels At The Millville Dam Eel Ladder, Shenandoah River, West Virginia, Heather Hildebrand

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Abundances of American eel (Anguilla rostrata) are declining along the east coast of the United States and Canada, possibly due to habitat loss and barriers to migration. In Atlantic coast watersheds, dams detain upstream migration of juveniles, and little is known about age class composition, age-length relationships, or environmental cues to upstream migration of yellow-phase eels. An eel ladder was installed on the Millville hydroelectric dam, lower Shenandoah River, WV, to facilitate and monitor the upstream movement of yellow phase eels. Daily length measurements (TL cm) and weights (g) were taken on eels using the ladder during three sampling periods; …

Floristic Dynamics Of Appalachian Pine-Oak Forests Over A Prescribed Fire Chronosequence, Michael A. Marsh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Vegetation dynamics after prescribed fire were modeled on three mountains in the George Washington National Forest representing a chronosequence of conditions since burning: pre-burn, and 1, 2 and 12 years post-treatment. Vegetation structure was more affected by environmental and spatial (burn intensity) gradients than by time since burning. Significant fire effects occurred on southwest aspects and upper slopes, especially among the sapling and shrub strata. Pine and oak regeneration abundance was not affected by fire but shade tolerant tree seedlings decreased, and shade intolerant seedlings increased in importance as a result. Percent cover and richness of herbaceous species increased, partly …

Fish Response To Discharge Events From A Power Plant Cooling Reservoir In A River Affected By Acid Mine Drainage And Thermal Influences, Cara Chowning Hoar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

In the summer, a discharge from a power plant cooling reservoir (Mount Storm Lake) located on the Stony River can result in large increases in discharge and temperature. Further, the Stony River is affected by mining-impacted tributaries, which degrade water quality. To study the impact of reservoir discharges upon fish populations we evaluated community composition and smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) movement along a temperature gradient and relative to the mining-impacted tributaries. The fish community did not differ with discharge events, but community structure varied with mining-impacted inputs. Smallmouth bass avoided areas associated with mining-influenced inputs. Thermal increases associated with reservoir …

Effects Of Elevated Temperature On Panax Quinquefolius Ecophysiology And Pharmacological Activity On Human Breast Mcf-7 Carcinoma Cells, Gera M. Jochum

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of increased temperatures associated with climate change on an understory medicinal herb, Panax quinquefolius. Three-year old P. quinquefolius were grown in a greenhouse at low (25°C day/20°C night) or elevated (30°C/25°C) temperatures for one growing season. Elevated temperatures decreased photosynthesis and accelerated leaf senescence. At the end of the growing season, biomass was detrimentally affected by increased temperatures; yet the concentration of root ginsenosides, secondary metabolites thought to be the primary pharmacological components, was higher in plants grown in the elevated temperature treatment than in plants grown in the low …

Propagation And Field Assessment Of West Virginia Native Species For Roadside Revegetation, Sarah B. Wennerberg

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Road construction removes vegetation from roadside slopes, making them susceptible to erosion and non-native plant introductions. Erosion Sediment Control (ESC) practices can reduce the annual loss of soil by as much as 100 cubic yards per acre and be cost beneficial. ESC includes using plant species that can germinate and survive on reconstructed areas. In West Virginia, the Division of Highways (WVDoH), uses plant species that are not native, and sometimes invasive, to revegetate newly constructed roadsides. This activity contributes to the growing problem of increased non-native and invasive species in our landscape.;This research investigated the potential use of five …

Response Of Clonal Genotypes Of Juncus Effusus L. To Different Environmental Regimes, Daniel Benjamin Stover

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

A genetic tradeoff is hypothesized between resource use efficiency (RUE) and resource acquisition rate (RAR) in that it is impossible for selection to maximize both traits. In low-resource environments, RUE is expected to be favored while in high-resource environments RAR will be maximized. Growth rates and allocations of reciprocally transplanted clonal genotypes of J. effusus from differing nitrogen and elevation sites were examined. High-nitrogen populations outperformed their low-nitrogen counterparts, which were more nitrogen efficient. Plants originating from high-elevation sites grew larger irrespective of transplant environment. Elevation appears to be the dominant factor on biomass, nutrient allocation and growth at high …

Interannual Variation Of Stratification In Lower Chesapeake Bay, Christopher S. Katzenmiller

OES Theses and Dissertations

Stratification in the water column can prove to be an important indicator to the state of the water column and ecosystem. The focus of this research is to evaluate trends in stratification in the Lower Chesapeake Bay. Detailed analysis was performed on a 14 year data set to study interannual variation in the region of study. Potential energy anomaly was used to quantify stratification. Potential energy anomaly is the amount of energy required to mix a water column. It is determined from the vertical density structure of density. Potential energy anomaly is the departure of potential energy from climate conditions. …

Comparative Seed Dispersal, Seedling Establishment And Growth Of Exotic, Invasive Ailanthus Altissima (Mill.) Swingle And Native Liriodendron Tulipifera (L.), Nathan L. Kota

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle (tree of heaven) is an exotic species from China that was intentionally introduced as an urban ornamental species but has since become naturalized throughout much of the U.S. This pioneer species appears poised to invade rural areas as current rates of human-induced forest disturbance lower dispersal barriers and increase available habitat, especially in eastern forests, where it will compete with pioneer native trees such as Liriodendron tulipifera (L.) (yellow poplar). To compare the invasion potential of exotic A. altissima and native L. tulipifera, my research focused on two objectives. First, I investigated characteristics that influence dispersal …

Distribution And Habitat Use Of The Crystal Darter ( Crystallaria Asprella) And Spotted Darter (Etheostoma Maculatum ) In The Elk River, West Virginia, Elizabeth A. Osier

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Crystal darters (Crystallaria asprella) and spotted darters (Etheostoma maculatum) have disjunct distributions within the Mississippi River drainage. In West Virginia, both species are restricted to a single drainage (the Elk River). Little information exists on the distribution and habitat use of crystal and spotted darters in the Elk River. I surveyed the Elk River between Sutton and Charleston, West Virginia, and documented distributions of crystal and spotted darters, as well as habitat use and habitat availability data. Two crystal darters were collected during 20 sampling occasions from 2002 to 2004. Spotted darters were documented at 9 sites; habitat use data …

Spatial Distribution Of The Common Loon (Gavia Immer) In New Hampshire, Mark W. Brennan

Doctoral Dissertations

The Common Loon (Gavia immer) is located in many portions of North America. By the early 1970's the Common Loon population in New Hampshire had experienced a dramatic decline in historic numbers. In 1975, the Audubon Society of New Hampshire recognized this problem and established the Loon Preservation Committee (LPC). The intent was to collect information regarding the presence or absence of loons and loon productivity, and, educate the public regarding loon ecology and preservation. This dissertation represents the work completed to fulfill the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Natural Resources Management at the University of New …

The Taxonomic And Systematic Relationships Of Several Salt Marsh Fucus Taxa (Heterokontophyta, Phaeophyceae) Within The Gulf Of Maine And Ireland Examined Using Microsatellite Markers, Aaron L. Wallace

Doctoral Dissertations

The present thesis utilizes microsatellite markers to examine genetic affinities between several salt marsh Fucus ecads in order to ascertain their relationships with attached parental species. Chapter I provides an introduction to the genus Fucus and discusses morphological plasticity, systematic difficulties, and studies of hybridization between different Fucus species.

Chapter II describes my development of microsatellite markers for Fucus. Four polymorphic microsatellite loci were used to determine the origin of a dwarf muscoides-like Fucus from the Brave Boat Harbor (ME) salt marsh. Similar forms were originally described in Europe, and appear to be derived from F. vesiculosus L. However, my …

The Ecological Christ: Discerning An Ecological Consciousness In The Sermon On The Mount, Nancy J. Miaoulis

Doctoral Dissertations

Ecology is the science that studies the function of communities of life within ecosystems. These systems are bound by an affirmation of relationship. Such relationships are very complex and every part of them is dependent on every other part if they are to maintain the integrity of nature that allows us all to survive.

The adoption of the four principles of ecology: everything is connected to everything else; everything has to go somewhere; nature knows best; and there is no such thing as a free lunch---have been suggested to ensure the survival of all species. However, knowledge of scientific findings …

Sediments As A Dispersal Vector Of Aquatic Invertebrates: An Estimation Of Propagule Pressure Associated With 'No Ballast On Board' Vessels, Sarah A. Bailey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ballast water has been the primary vector of nonindigenous species (NIS) to the Laurentian Great Lakes over the past 45 years. Although ballast water exchange regulations were implemented in 1993 to reduce propagule loads, new NIS continue to be discovered. A possible explanation for this trend is the importance of alternative vectors, such as resting stages of invertebrates in residual ballast sediments of transoceanic ships claiming 'no ballast on board'. To determine the risk of invasion potentially associated with this vector, I collected sediment samples from 39 ships entering the Great Lakes and measured the density, diversity and viability of …