Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Theses/Dissertations

2014

Conservation

Discipline
Institution
Publication

Articles 1 - 29 of 29

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Adoption Of Citizen Science Practices: A Case Study Of The Billfish Foundation’S Tag And Release Online Database, Daniel Dinicola Dec 2014

Adoption Of Citizen Science Practices: A Case Study Of The Billfish Foundation’S Tag And Release Online Database, Daniel Dinicola

Open Access Theses

Almost the entirety of our understanding of billfish science comes from recreational fishing and constituent based tag and release programs. A uniform, global resource where anglers can participate and view their efforts in action will greatly contribute to the understanding, conservation, and management of these mysterious animals. It was this rationale that led The Billfish Foundation (TBF) to create the Online Tag and Release Database (TROD) as a companion to its existing Tag and Release Program. The TROD was designed to galvanize the sportfishing community and streamline how constituent anglers report data. Significant portions of active TBF members have not …

Go to article

A Survey Of Shark Population In Winyah Bay, Sc: A Comparison Of Data From 2002-2006 And From 2012-2014, Jessica Bruce Dec 2014

A Survey Of Shark Population In Winyah Bay, Sc: A Comparison Of Data From 2002-2006 And From 2012-2014, Jessica Bruce

Honors Theses

As a result of a long-term longline study conducted by Coastal Carolina University, data on the population structure of sharks in Winyah Bay, SC have been recorded since 2002. The data are collected from late spring to fall each year. Two separate data sets, from 2002 to 2006 and from 2012 to 2014, were analyzed for catch per unit effort (CPUE), catch composition, sex ratios, and average precaudallengths (PCL) for males and females. The average CPUE for the 2002-2006 data set was 2.68 with a standard deviation of 0.73 while the average for the most recent data set was 3.20 …

Go to article

Ecology And Conservation Of Endangered Species In Sumatra: Smaller Cats And The Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus Sumatrensis) As Case Studies, Wulan Pusparini Aug 2014

Ecology And Conservation Of Endangered Species In Sumatra: Smaller Cats And The Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus Sumatrensis) As Case Studies, Wulan Pusparini

Masters Theses

While we should celebrate the bicentennial of naming the Sumatran rhinoceros (SR), the only extant population on earth might be on the island of Sumatra. Since Strien's 1986 study in Mamas Valley, Leuser, very little more has been learned about how this species distributed and what factors are influencing its extirpation. This study is the first conducted in Sumatra at an Island-wide scale. Using hierarchical models, I estimate the occurrence rates (%) and indices of abundance of SR on three remaining population areas: Leuser Landscape (LL) in 2007 (2.77%, 26 (CI 12-61)), Way Kambas (WK) in 2008 (33.58%, 27 (CI …

Go to article

Conservation Of Bridle Shiner (Notropis Bifrenatus) In Connecticut: Issues In Detecting An Elusive Species, Kasey C. Pregler Aug 2014

Conservation Of Bridle Shiner (Notropis Bifrenatus) In Connecticut: Issues In Detecting An Elusive Species, Kasey C. Pregler

Master's Theses

Bridle Shiner (Notropis bifrenatus) is apparently declining over most of its range and is currently listed as a species of concern in Connecticut. Using an occupancy modeling framework in program PRESENCE, my study compared seining and electrofishing backpack unit detection probabilities of Bridle Shiner. This research indicated the apparent decline of Bridle Shiner in the state was in part due to changes in sampling gear used for statewide surveys. Seining used 50 years ago was demonstrably more effective at capturing Bridle Shiner than the currently favored and more frequently used electrofishing gear. In light of this recent finding, …

Go to article

Historical Demography And Dispersal Patterns In The Eastern Pipistrelle Bat (Perimyotis Subflavus), Alynn M. Martin Aug 2014

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 FST values indicate that there is one panmictic population based on microsatellite data, while …

Go to article

Development Of A Public Education Website: Building Bridges Over Water, Angelina Mckee Jul 2014

Development Of A Public Education Website: Building Bridges Over Water, Angelina Mckee

Agricultural Education and Communication

Website created by Angelina McKee to educate the public about water resource issues. Water is the basic unit of life, water resources are the basis for what societies and ecosystems are founded upon. Water shortages and droughts are more prevalent in our ever-changing world. It is no shock that there are discrepancies between various stockholders on either sides of the dry riverbed. This senior project resulted in the development of a website that addresses global water resources, water use in California, water conservation, and water allocation. The website informs the public on water resources and related issues and will hopefully …

Go to article

A Mitogenomics View Of The Population Structure And Evolutionary History Of The Basking Shark Cetorhinus Maximum, Kimberly A. Finnegan Jul 2014

A Mitogenomics View Of The Population Structure And Evolutionary History Of The Basking Shark Cetorhinus Maximum, Kimberly A. Finnegan

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus, has historically been a target of international fisheries, leading to well-documented declines in parts of its global distribution. Currently, the basking shark is listed as globally ‘Vulnerable’ and regionally ‘Endangered’ (North Pacific and Northeast Atlantic) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, rendering the species an international conservation priority. Here, we assessed the global matrilineal genetic population structure and evolutionary history of the basking shark by completing the first whole mitochondrial genome sequence level survey of animals sampled from three globally widespread geographic regions: the western North Atlantic (n = 11), the …

Go to article

Global Population Structure Of The Dusky Shark And Geographic Sourcing Of Shark Fins From Commercial Markets, Teagen K. Gray Jul 2014

Global Population Structure Of The Dusky Shark And Geographic Sourcing Of Shark Fins From Commercial Markets, Teagen K. Gray

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The dusky shark, Carcharinus obscurus, is a globally distributed, coastal-pelagic species subject to an apparent high level of exploitation. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists this species as “Vulnerable” globally, and “Endangered” within western North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico waters due to an over 80% decline in this region, with no evidence of population recovery. The extensive exploitation of dusky sharks may partly be attributed to the high market value of its fins, but the contribution of individual dusky shark stocks to the fin markets is unknown. This knowledge would be helpful to detect …

Go to article

Wmost Case Study For Uconn’S Storrs Campus To Optimize Water Purchases From Connecticut Water Company, Joseph D. Albani May 2014

Wmost Case Study For Uconn’S Storrs Campus To Optimize Water Purchases From Connecticut Water Company, Joseph D. Albani

Master's Theses

The University of Connecticut currently provides potable water to its Storrs campus and Mansfield from groundwater pumps in the Willimantic and Fenton River Wellfields capable of producing 1.48 MGD and 0.8442 MGD, respectively. In 2005, sections of the Fenton River ran dry as a result of low flows and overuse. Since that time, the University has undertaken successful efforts to understand and manage its water resources. The wellfields’ supply is currently inadequate for the 15% margin of safety for peak monthly demands. Additionally, UConn is planning expansions bringing 6,500 more students to campus, with the facilities to accommodate them. UConn …

Go to article

Regional Assessment Of The Relationships Of Conservation Practices To Northern Bobwhite And Other Priority Grassland Bird Breeding Populations, Christopher Manuel Lituma May 2014

Regional Assessment Of The Relationships Of Conservation Practices To Northern Bobwhite And Other Priority Grassland Bird Breeding Populations, Christopher Manuel Lituma

Doctoral Dissertations

I documented populations of Northern Bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) and other priority grassland and early successional birds in the Central Hardwoods Bird Conservation Region (CHBCR), and determined whether conservation practices have been effective in positively impacting species occupancy and abundance. I designed and implemented a roadside survey by randomly locating five 15-km routes with 5-min unlimited distance point counts (30 counts/route), along secondary roads within Northern Bobwhite focal counties (n = 37) in the CHBCR. I also developed a survey to assess roadside biases for estimates of relative abundance (a), occupancy (ψ), detection probability (p), and associated …

Go to article

Conspecific Attraction In A Low-Density Population Of A Threatened Songbird, Daniel James Albrecht-Mallinger May 2014

Conspecific Attraction In A Low-Density Population Of A Threatened Songbird, Daniel James Albrecht-Mallinger

Theses and Dissertations

Many organisms use both vegetation structure and social cues in selecting habitats. Many species of songbirds use the presence of breeding conspecifics as a social cue and sign of habitat quality, and can be induced to settle in unoccupied habitats by artificially broadcasting breeding song, a process referred to as “conspecific attraction”. In our study, we tested response to conspecific attraction a low-density population of the threatened Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) in Highland County, VA. Response to broadcast song was observed, with a modest increase in mean male abundance at survey points within 250 meters of treatments, and mean abundance …

Go to article

Analysis Of Snake Creek Burial Cave Mustela Fossils Using Linear & Landmark-Based Morphometrics: Implications For Weasel Classification & Black-Footed Ferret Conservation, Nathaniel S. Fox Iii May 2014

Analysis Of Snake Creek Burial Cave Mustela Fossils Using Linear & Landmark-Based Morphometrics: Implications For Weasel Classification & Black-Footed Ferret Conservation, Nathaniel S. Fox Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two discreet methods of geometric morphometrics were applied to evaluate the taxonomic utility of each in classifying the craniomandibular region of several Mustela species. Use of both linear measurements and 2-dimensional landmarks proved successful in discriminating between extant M. nigripes (black-footed ferret) and Neovison vison (American mink), in addition to the extant North American weasel species (M. erminea, M. frenata, M. nivalis). Methods were then used to classify Late Pleistocene Mustela spp. fossils collected from Snake Creek Burial Cave (SCBC) of eastern Nevada. Data acquired for unknown predicted group memberships varied markedly among methods and specimens. …

Go to article

Inferring Herpetofaunal Distributions And Habitat Preferences For Conservation Planning, Lisa M. Prowant May 2014

Inferring Herpetofaunal Distributions And Habitat Preferences For Conservation Planning, Lisa M. Prowant

Master's Theses

Global climate change is a serious threat to global biodiversity (IPCC, 2001). Due to their limited dispersal ability, reptiles and amphibians might be more vulnerable to rapid climate change than are other taxonomic groups (Gibbons et al., 2000). Herpetofauna in south-central Kansas was sampled from May through August in 2012 and 2013. Seven study sites spanning Meade, Clark, Comanche, and Barber counties were sampled. Drift fence and cover-board traps were arranged in transects at each site to capture reptiles and amphibians. Species were also sampled through surveys on all-terrain vehicles and on foot. Two thousand nine hundred and forty five …

Go to article

Isolated And Ephemeral Wetlands Of Southern Appalachia: Biotic Communities And Environmental Drivers Across Multiple Temporal And Spatial Scales, Joanna Hawley May 2014

Isolated And Ephemeral Wetlands Of Southern Appalachia: Biotic Communities And Environmental Drivers Across Multiple Temporal And Spatial Scales, Joanna Hawley

All Dissertations

Throughout the world, wetlands are known to support a wide variety of taxa as well as high levels of biodiversity and species richness. Although the ecological significance of wetlands is well documented in the scientific literature, efforts to map and assess wetlands on regional or national scales (e.g., National Wetlands Inventory (NWI)) often overlook wetlands which are either very small (< 1 ha) or have ephemeral hydroperiods. While the vast majority of wetland research in the southeastern United States has focused on wetlands distributed across the coastal plain ecoregion, very little information exists on small and/or ephemeral wetlands in areas of southern Appalachia, although there are several notable exceptions. Despite the paucity of small wetland data in this region, the southeastern US is known as a hotspot for both aquatic biodiversity and species endemism. My goal with this project was to examine the biotic communities inhabiting small, ephemeral and geographically-isolated wetlands to identify the major environmental drivers that contribute to observed community patterns and species' distributions. I studied a set of small, mostly-ephemeral, mostly-isolated wetlands (N = 41) in the upper Piedmont and lower Blue Ridge ecoregions of South Carolina from January-June of 2010 and 2011 and focused my efforts on describing the structure, biotic communities and surrounding habitat characteristics of my study wetlands. I observed high levels of species richness and biodiversity in this previously-undocumented wetland system, despite the small size and ephemeral nature of study wetlands. My results indicated that the amphibian and benthic invertebrate communities of small, ephemeral wetlands responded to different environmental drivers (e.g., wetland depth, area, hydroperiod, canopy cover, surrounding land use types) occurring across multiple spatial and temporal scales. Additionally, the amphibian community was significantly influenced by a number of environmental variables occurring at both the within-pond scale and larger spatial scales (250 m, 500 m and 1 km surrounding land cover variables). By contrast, the benthic invertebrate community was significantly influenced primarily by variables occurring at the within-pond scale. This wetland system also served as both breeding and overwintering habitat for a variety of species such as wood frogs (Lithobates sylvatica), spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum), bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeiana), cricket frogs (Acris crepitans). This study highlights the ecological importance of small, ephemeral aquatic habitats in a region where little research exists regarding such systems; these often-unnoticed ecosystems are likely the result of a combination of historical anthropogenic and natural environmental process. These legacy wetlands (i.e., wetlands that are the unintended result of some human-induced environmental change in either the recent or long-term past) are found ubiquitously across the landscape and are often missed by coarse-filter mapping approaches (e.g., National Wetlands Inventory). I observed many study wetlands to be extremely small in size (< 0.05 ha) and that many wetlands were habitats of circumstance and opportunity rather than of permanence and predictability. The ephemerality of the majority of study wetlands demonstrates the biological significance of small, temporary habitats for many species requiring these habitats for breeding activity. Despite the small size and ephemeral nature of my study wetlands, I found that these wetlands represented a large proportion of amphibian biodiversity in the regional species pool and thus, are an important conservation feature at the local, landscape and regional scales. My study demonstrates that small, semi-isolated, mostly-ephemeral wetlands in southern Appalachia support high levels of biodiversity and are an important asset deserving of further study and conservation recognition.

Go to article

Late Pleistocene And Holocene Bison Of Grand Canyon And Colorado Plateau: Implications From The Use Of Paleobiology For Natural Resource Management Policy, Jeffrey M. Martin May 2014

Late Pleistocene And Holocene Bison Of Grand Canyon And Colorado Plateau: Implications From The Use Of Paleobiology For Natural Resource Management Policy, Jeffrey M. Martin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bison spp. (bison) fossils are scarce on the Colorado Plateau, especially within the greater Grand Canyon region. Because of the poor fossil record for bison on the plateau and in Grand Canyon National Park, various resource managers have surreptitiously designated bison a nonnative and human-introduced species. The lack of evidence for bison seems to be the result of collection bias rather than a true lack of bison remains. Today, Grand Canyon National Park has a neighboring herd of 350 bison that have meandered unwantedly onto National Park lands from neighboring Forest Service and State of Arizona lands. This study spatiotemporally …

Go to article

Understanding Collaboration Among Political Subdivisions Of State Government: Examining The Perceptions And Use Of Collaboration By Virginia's Soil & Water Conservation Districts, Kendall Tyree Apr 2014

Understanding Collaboration Among Political Subdivisions Of State Government: Examining The Perceptions And Use Of Collaboration By Virginia's Soil & Water Conservation Districts, Kendall Tyree

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the definitions, benefits, challenges, methods and perceived levels of current collaboration of Virginia’s 47 Soil and Water Conservation Districts, each a political subdivision of state government. The study was guided by the following questions (1) What is collaboration and how is it used by political subdivisions of state government? (2) What collaborative strategies are used specifically by soil and water conservation districts? (3) At what level are districts currently collaborating? (4) At what level do districts prefer to collaborate? A mixed methods research survey was used. The quantitative section measured current perceptions …

Go to article

Molecular Ecology Of Globally Distributed Sharks, Christine B. Testerman Apr 2014

Molecular Ecology Of Globally Distributed Sharks, Christine B. Testerman

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Many sharks have life history characteristics (e.g., slow growth, late age at maturity, low fecundity, and long gestation periods) that make their populations vulnerable to collapse due to overfishing. The porbeagle (Lamna nasus), bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas), great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran), and smooth hammerhead (S. zygaena), are all commercially exploited. The population genetic structure of these species was assessed based on globally distributed sample sets using mitochondrial control region (mtCR) sequences and/or nuclear markers. Complex patterns of evolutionary and demographic history were inferred using coalescent and statistical moment-based methods. All four species showed …

Go to article

William Morris And The Kelmscott Chaucer: Design, Production, And Conservation Analysis, Gretchen Allen Jan 2014

William Morris And The Kelmscott Chaucer: Design, Production, And Conservation Analysis, Gretchen Allen

Scripps Senior Theses

William Morris’s Kelmscott Press was founded specifically for the purpose of producing handmade printed works in a rapidly industrializing age. The techniques he and his confederates employed to make the Kelmscott books resulted in beautiful publications with remarkable material fortitude, as exemplified in the Press’s masterwork, “The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer Now Newly Imprinted”. This thesis examines the condition of the copy of the Kelmscott Chaucer in the Scripps rare book collection from a book conservator’s perspective to analyze the connection between William Morris’s personal philosophies, his resulting artistic decisions, and the longevity of the book as an art object.

Go to article

Clay Licks As A Keystone Resource And Their Potential In Conservation In The Las Piedras Watershed, Gowri Varanashi Jan 2014

Clay Licks As A Keystone Resource And Their Potential In Conservation In The Las Piedras Watershed, Gowri Varanashi

Senior Projects Spring 2014

Clay licks, or salt licks or mineral licks are sites of exposed clay in the rainforest where mammals ingest soil (geophagy) in order to obtain salt and other essential minerals such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium and so on, which are lacking in the vegetation. The minerals supplement the diets of the animals and help fight parasites and gastrointestinal problems. These sites promote biodiversity and the health of animal populations. My paper is a camera trap study, done from May 7th to June 17th of 2013, at a research station in an eco-tourism concession on the Las Piedras River, Peru, …

Go to article

Species Composition And Spatial Ecology Of Amazonian Understory Mixed-Species Flocks In A Fragmented Landscape, Karl Mokross Jan 2014

Species Composition And Spatial Ecology Of Amazonian Understory Mixed-Species Flocks In A Fragmented Landscape, Karl Mokross

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

With the ongoing advance of the agricultural frontier in the Amazon basin, it is inevitable that heterogeneous landscapes will play a key role in conservation. These landscapes are mostly composed of patchworks of small forest fragments, secondary forests and roads. Conservation, however must take species interactions into consideration as they play a pivotal part the maintenance of several biological processes in the tropics. One of the most conspicuous interspecific interactions are seen in mixed-species flocks of birds, which in the Amazon, represent one of the best organized systems of bird aggregations. In this research, I assess how flock spatial behavior …

Go to article

Collaboration On Country: Participatory Evaluation Of The Girringun Indigenous Protected Areas, Eli Taylor Jan 2014

Collaboration On Country: Participatory Evaluation Of The Girringun Indigenous Protected Areas, Eli Taylor

Social Sciences - Honours Theses

The Girringun Aboriginal Corporation is defined by innovative, experimental Indigenous collaborative governance. This is demonstrated through existing research and the recent declaration of the Girringun Indigenous Protected Areas. This research project, developed collaboratively with Girringun is also embedded in and engages with this context in multiple ways. Employing a participatory action oriented approach, this project implements a collaborative evaluation process with a sample of Indigenous Protected Area partner organisations. This thesis employs a reflexive account of full immersion fieldwork to explore agency and transformation and its effect on the researcher and the research participants. The research project and the organisations …

Go to article

Conservation Solutions To Shark Finning : Insights From Past Efforts, Jamie Zaccaria Jan 2014

Conservation Solutions To Shark Finning : Insights From Past Efforts, Jamie Zaccaria

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Globally, shark species are in decline, largely due to shark finning. This practice has an adverse effect on shark populations and could result in fishery and ecosystem collapses. Past conservation efforts, including the dolphin-safe tuna campaign, large mammal poaching, sea turtle conservation and the anti-whaling campaign, have used various approaches to mitigate impacts on wildlife, including political, consumer and public awareness, and science or evidence-based approaches. By examining and drawing from these processes we can determine the most effective strategy to reduce the effects of finning on shark populations around the world. A feasible conservation strategy for shark conservation in …

Go to article

Genetic Diversity And Population Structure Of Brook Trout (Salvelinus Fontinalis) In A Remote Adirondack Watershed, Spencer A. Bruce Jan 2014

Genetic Diversity And Population Structure Of Brook Trout (Salvelinus Fontinalis) In A Remote Adirondack Watershed, Spencer A. Bruce

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

In conservation genetics, the importance of understanding how historical and contemporary processes have contributed to geographic patterns of genetic structure is key to preserving diversity. In New York State there are currently eleven remaining known populations of native brook trout (Salvelnius fontinalis) that inhabit the watersheds for which they are named. These populations are known as "heritage strains", and are currently managed under regulations set by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Go to article

Modeling Of Common Terns, Sterna Hirundo, On Lake Champlain And Predictions For The Future, Rochelle A. Streker Jan 2014

Modeling Of Common Terns, Sterna Hirundo, On Lake Champlain And Predictions For The Future, Rochelle A. Streker

UVM Patrick Leahy Honors College Senior Theses

The Common Tern, Sterna hirundo, is a small, migratory water bird whose extensive range includes nesting islands on Lake Champlain. The history of Common Terns in Vermont includes population declines from hunting and predation, leading to their addition to the state’s Endangered Species List in 1989. Since then, they have been managed intensively such that their population in Vermont has made a comeback, rising close to the threshold for downlisting to threatened: 200 breeding pairs with a reproductive rate of 0.6 fledglings per pair. This thesis analyzed past data to project the tern population size into the future to …

Go to article

Biology, Ecology, And Conservation Of Hatchling And Post-Hatchling Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys Terrapin Pileata), Tandy Dolin Petrov Jan 2014

Biology, Ecology, And Conservation Of Hatchling And Post-Hatchling Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys Terrapin Pileata), Tandy Dolin Petrov

All ETDs from UAB

The diamondback terrapin has been considered a keystone species along its range in the coastal, brackish estuaries bordering the Atlantic Coast and Gulf of Mexico. Historically, diamondback terrapin populations have been numerous; however, in Alabama; the population has dramatically declined over the past century due to a variety of threats. The threats in Alabama include predation by raccoons, incidental drowning in crab traps, as well as road mitigated mortality. Because of these threats, collaboration efforts between UAB, USA, DISL, and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, a head-start program has been initiated to mitigate the predation of hatchlings. …

Go to article

Sea Blue Sea: The Creation And Performance Of Educational Children's Music, Kevin Cashman Jan 2014

Sea Blue Sea: The Creation And Performance Of Educational Children's Music, Kevin Cashman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The making of Sea Blue Sea began in August, 2013 with the creation of the album’s first song ‘Blue Whale’ and was completed in March, 2014. The project’s scope was broad, including a ten-track album about endangered marine wildlife. I researched endangered marine wildlife, including eleven endangered marine species were chosen as subjects for songs, I began the writing process. I wrote six songs with minimal outside assistance and collaborated with The Whizpops for the remainder of the ten tracks included on the album. We fundraised through a Kickstarter campaign. In order to do so, we created a short film …

Go to article

Systematics And Biogeography Of The Australian Burrowing Freshwater Crayfish Genus Engaewa Riekk (Decapoda: Parastacidae), Quinton Burnham Jan 2014

Systematics And Biogeography Of The Australian Burrowing Freshwater Crayfish Genus Engaewa Riekk (Decapoda: Parastacidae), Quinton Burnham

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The overall aim of this study was to explore the systematics and biogeographic patterns of the freshwater crayfish genus Engaewa Riek, a strongly burrowing freshwater crayfish restricted to the coastal corner of south-western Australia (SWA). The genus Engaewa is a Gondwanan relict with great potential as a marker of historical processes, due to its high habitat specificity and low dispersal ability. This study comprises an extensive taxonomic and phylogenetic revision of the genus Engaewa (using both molecular and morphological data), a detailed study of its distribution and uses the knowledge gained to explore biogeographic patterns in the biodiversity hotspot of …

Go to article

Remittance And Migration: Impact On Technology Adoption, Natural Resource Conservation, And Household Welfare, Deborah Ann Williams Jan 2014

Remittance And Migration: Impact On Technology Adoption, Natural Resource Conservation, And Household Welfare, Deborah Ann Williams

LSU Master's Theses

Nepal is the perfect country to study all the facets of migration, sustainable agriculture and their subsequent impact on food systems. Droves of migrants are leaving rural Nepal for higher incomes to cover household daily expenses. The Government of Nepal (GON) encourages migration as a means to reduce poverty, and remittance already amounts to 25.83% of GDP, and it is expected to grow (Nepal Bastra Bank 2014, Thieme and Wyss 2005, Yang 2011). However, it is still unclear whether the mass exodus from rural areas and the growing dependence on remittance, the portion of the migrant workers' earnings sent back …

Go to article

Avian Biogeography And Conservation In Eastern Indonesia, John C. Mittermeier Jan 2014

Avian Biogeography And Conservation In Eastern Indonesia, John C. Mittermeier

LSU Master's Theses

Evaluating the conservation status of threatened species requires a sequential process of 1) taxonomic classification, 2) distributional mapping, and 3) evaluation of species according to criteria established by the IUCN Red List. Knowledge gaps in the first two phases of this process have been termed the Linnaean and Wallacean Shortfalls, respectively. The Indonesian archipelago is one of the most biologically diverse areas of the planet, as well as one of the most threatened and poorly studied, and the Linnaean and Wallacean Shortfalls pose substantial challenges for conservation in the region. Here I address each of the three stages of categorizing …

Go to article