Life Sciences Commons^™

The Effect Of Shelterwood-Cut Oak Forestry Practices On Breeding Bird Success, Patrick Lee Collins

Theses & Honors Papers

Populations of breeding birds were studied on two shelterwood-cut oak stands in Buckingham County, Virginia. These two tracts, Harris East and Harris West, were cut in 1996 and a Breeding Bird Census has been conducted on these tracts since 1997. This study is part of an ongoing effort to collect pre-bum data, and document the diversity of avian species utilizing this habitat. The changes in avian species present on the Harris East and Harris West plots is important to know so that the effects of shelterwood-cut forestry practices can be understood better. The data collected showed that, by changing the …

A Study On The Relationship Between Eggshell Color, Egg Specific Gravity, And The Cuticle Of The Eggs Of Broiler Breeds, Byron Anthony Connor

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

A Study On The Relationship Between Eggshell Color And Eggshell Quality In Commercial Broiler Breeders, Lawrence Hatten Iii

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Capture And On-Site Release Of Nuisance Black Bears And Survival Of Orphaned Black Bears Released In The Great Smoky Mountains, Jay Edwin Clark

Masters Theses

Since the establishment of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) in 1934, interactions between black bears (Ursus americanus) and visitors have been a regular occurrence. Prior to 1990, capture and relocation was the primary management alternative for nuisance bears in GSMNP. Since 1990, wildlife biologists in GSMNP have used capture and on-site release as an aversive conditioning technique for nuisance black bears. This technique involves capturing and immobilizing bears that frequent developed areas, collecting biological data, and releasing the bears back into the same area. The premise of this technique is to reinforce the natural fear of humans and thereby …

A Study On The Multiple Effects Of Egg Shell Color On Egg And Chick Characteristics In Commercial Broiler Breeders, Kirk Martin Vitry

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Nest Success Of Dabbling Ducks In A Human-Modified Prairie: Effects Of Predation And Habitat Variables At Different Spatial Scales, Jaime E. Jimenez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Nest success of dabbling ducks in the Prairie Pothole region of North America has been declining for the past 40 years in parallel with declines in duck populations. Low nest success seems to result from the combination of an extremely fragmented breeding ground in a human-dominated landscape with an abundant and expanding community of generalist nest predators. Studies that examined variables associated with nest vulnerability to predation have produced contradictory results, likely because of simplistic approaches, lack of spatio-temporal replication, use of artificial nests, and the effect of confounding variables. I attempted to clarify the equivocal findings of previous studies …

Modeling Habitat Attributes Of Cavity-Nesting Birds In The Uinta Mountains, Utah: A Hierarchical Approach, Joshua J. Lawler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Birds may have the ability to view their environments at a wide range of spatial scales; accordingly, they may make habitat-selection decisions at multiple spatial scales. I investigated the implications of hierarchy theory and a landscape perspective on nest-site selection in cavity-nesting birds in the Uinta Mountains in northeastern Utah. I used three different approaches to address the concept of a multi-scaled nest-site selection process. First, I conducted an exploratory study in which I investigated nest-site selection at three spatial scales for Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis), Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus), Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor), and …

Influence Of Type Of Supplemental Carbohydrate On Ruminal Responses And Methane Output From Ruminants Consuming Low-Quality Forage, Raul J. Lira

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In a completely randomized design with a factorial arrangement, three energy supplements and two species (cows and ewes) were evaluated in two identical experimental periods: gestation and lactation. The three supplement treatments were a control, barley, and sugar beet pulp (SBP). The basal diet was tall wheatgrass straw (5.52% CP).

Forage and total dry matter intake (FDMI and TDMI, respectively) interacted (P=.04) with species, supplements, and physiological stages.

An interaction of physiological stage and sampling time occurred for pH. Supplement and sampling time interacted for butyric acid proportion and total VFA concentration.

Diet digestibility displayed an interaction between …

A Social Analysis Of Grazing Management On National Forest Lands: A Case Study In Catron County, New Mexico, Alexis S. Watts

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The rural west in this country faces increased national pressure concerning the management of natural resources on public lands. Issues regarding natural resource management are becoming more important as they continue to affect rural communities and capture the attention of a variety of interest groups. Natural resource managers are increasingly required to consider social dimensions of resource use and management. Lack of consideration in these areas can lead to dissatisfied, and even hostile, local residents and interest groups. Often land managers face criticism from many groups at once as a result of management decisions.

This study analyzed a particular resource …

The Ecology And Life History Of The Mexican Tetra, Astyanax Mexicanus, (Teleostei: Characidae) In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Mario Estrada

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The Mexican tetra has been found to migrate from shallow waters in the spring and summer months into deeper waters during the winter months when temperatures are too cold for their survival. This fish is omnivorous with insect material being the major source of food. Its food types include green algae, nematoceran larvae, hemipterans, coleopterans, hymenopterans, dipterans, ostracods, fish eggs and amphipods. Furthermore, size classes showed that the Mexican tetras reached their largest size at the River site and smaller sizes at the Bridge and Gate sites and apparently breed year round. They are capable of producing from 300 to …

Relationship Of Egg Position During Incubation To Embryonic Growth And Mortality, Hatchability, And Chick Weight Of Broiler Breeder Eggs, Daniel Ryan Petrolia

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Response Of Channel Catfish, Ictaluri Punctatus, T-Lymphocytes To Outer Membrane Proteins Of Edwardsiella Ictaluri, Marlin Ann Lawson

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Biology by Marlin Ann Lawson on February 29, 1999.

Wolves And Bears: An Interdisciplinary Activity Guide For Grades 3-5, Susan L. Thomas

All Graduate Projects

A popular set of "Discovery Boxes" are used by educators across North Central Washington. These boxes are administered by the U.S. Forest Service and focus on such themes as wolves, bears, fire, plants and forests. These boxes are available to be checked out to educators for two-week periods, and reach approximately 9,000 students annually. Each box contains "hands-on" props which enhance the learning of each theme. Some of the boxes have activity guides in them to assist the educator in teaching the theme and thus using the box to its full potential. Two of the most popular boxes, the wolf …

Natural History Of The Marbled Salamander, Ambystoma Opacum (Gravenhorst), In West Virginia, With Special Notes On Reproduction And Larval Development, Jason J. Watkins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study observed a population of Ambystoma opacum in Kanawha State Forest, Kanawha County, five miles south of Charleston, West Virginia. Data were collected from September 1995 to November 1997. Reproductive biology and salamander development were examined. Predation of A. opacum and potential predators were also noted. Like other species in the genus Ambystoma, adult A. opacum are mostly fossorial and rarely seen above ground outside of the breeding season. During the breeding season, adults make their way to the breeding pools. Males ventured to the breeding pool first in early September and ranged in size from 49 to 75mm …

The Relationship Between Ohio River Bass Tournament Success Rates, Forage Fish Abundance And Environmental Conditions, Jeffrey V. Ginger

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Due to increasing pressure from Ohio River bass anglers with regard to decreasing catch rates in 1981,1990, and 1997, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) initiated a study of black bass populations. The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO), in conjunction with state and Federal agencies, has collected population data on Ohio River fishes at lock chambers and has measured various water quality parameters since 1957. That data coupled with Ohio River bass tournament data collected by the DNR since 1975 and other fishery data sets provided a historic look into the variability of angler success. These …

Food Habits Of Salmo Trutta And Salvelinus Fontinalis (Pisces: Salmonidae) In Relation To Seasonal Changes And Mitigative Liming Effects In Dogway Fork Of The Cranberry River, West Virginia., Jason A. Morgan

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Dogway Fork, a tributary of the Cranberry River in West Virginia, is acidic due to acid precipitation and poorly buffered soils. This study is part of a long-term investigation involving the effects of continuous limestone neutralization on the fishes and benthos of an acid stream. Prior to treatment in 1988, the stream had a pH of 4.5 and there were no fish present. Since treatment began, the pH of the stream has risen to 6.8. Nine species of fish have been collected and six species have reproduced following the improvement in water quality. Densities of specific acid-sensitive benthic macroinvertebrates have …

Interaction Of Laminin Beta2 With Eps8 And Desmin In Muscle Cells, Luke Xueliang Cui

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Laminin β2 is localized to the synaptic basal lamina (BL) in muscle and glomerular BL in kidney. To find interacting proteins, a mouse kidney cDNA library was screened with domain I of rat laminin β2 using the yeast two-hybrid system. Fifteen positive clones were found. The DNA sequence of three each of these clones corresponded to the phosphoprotein Eps8 (epidermal growth factor receptor pathway substrate clone 8, which is tyrosine phosphorylated after EGF stimulation) and the intermediate filament (IF) protein keratin. To determine if this interaction occurred in muscle cells, C2 cells transfected with the rat …

Natural History Of The Northern Spring Salamander Gyrinophilus Porphyriticus Porphyriticus At The Westvaco Wildlife And Ecosystem Research Forest In Randolph County, West Virginia, Brian A. Lindley

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this thesis research was to study the natural history of the northern spring salamander Gyrinophilus p. porphyriticus in West Virginia. The objectives of this study were to determine the environmental characteristics of the habitat of Gyrinophilus p. porphyriticus, to determine its reproductive biology, and then examine non-reproductive aspects of the natural history of the species. Study sites were located at the Westvaco Wildlife and Ecosystem Research Forest (WWERF) in Randolph County, West Virginia. Four sites on three streams were divided into two 25m transects. All sites were examined once each month from August 1997 through November 1998 …

Reproductive Success Of Black Skimmers On An Artificial Island: Effects Of Hatching Date And Feeding Rate, Christopher Alan Gordon

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Sensory Development In Settlement-Stage Larvae Of Caribbean Labrids And Scarids: A Comparative Study With Implications For Ecomorphology And Life History Strategies, Monica R. Lara

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The sensory capabilities of settlement-stage fishes are unknown but this information is necessary to studies of larval settlement and recruitment. The morphology of the cephalic lateral line, eye and external olfactory organ of thirteen species of settlement-stage Caribbean labroids was described. Scanning electron images of the cephalic lateral line neuromasts, lateral line canals and olfactory epithelia and histological studies of the retinae and morphological measurements of visual acuity were used to assess the level of sensory development attained at settlement. The sensory capabilities of settlement-stage fishes are discussed in relation to the possible cues settlement-stage fishes may be using to …

Distribution, Swimming Physiology, And Swimming Mechanics Of Brief Squid Lolliguncula Brevis, Ian K. Bartol

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Squids are thought to have physiological and locomotive deficiencies that put them at a competitive disadvantage to fishes and exclude them from inshore, highly variable environments that are rich in nektonic fauna. However, brief squid Lolliguncula brevis may be a notable exception. Trawl surveys revealed that L. brevis, particularly juveniles <6 cm dorsal mantle length (DML), are abundant in the Chesapeake Bay, especially when salinity and water temperature are high, and tolerate a wide range of physical conditions relative to other cephalopods. L. brevis is also different from other cephalopods examined previously because its pattern of oxygen consumption as a function of velocity was found to be parabolic and thus similar to aerial flight, and its swimming costs were competitive with ecologically equivalent fishes. Power-speed curves derived from video footage of swimming squid and hydrodynamic force calculations also were parabolic in shape, with high costs both at low and high speeds because of power requirements for lift generation and overcoming drag, respectively. L. brevis employed various behaviors to increase swimming efficiency and compensate for negative buoyancy, such as swimming in various orientations (e.g., arms-first and tail-first), altering angles of attack of the mantle, arms, and funnel, and using fin activity. Fin motion, which could not be characterized exclusively as drag- or lift-based propulsion, was used over 50--95% of the sustained speed range and provided as much as 78% of the vertical and 55% of the horizontal thrust. Small squid (<3.0 cm DML) used different swimming strategies than larger squid possibly to maximize the benefits of toroidal induction, and aerobic efficiency curves indicated that squid 3--5 cm. DML are most efficient. Brief squid also may take advantage of unsteady phenomena, such as attached vortices, for added lift and thrust. Furthermore, an electromyographic study revealed that L. brevis uses different circular muscle layers for various speeds and like fish has muscular "gears", suggesting that there is specialization and efficient use of locomotive muscle in some cephalopods. Therefore, the presumption that squids are inescapably constrained by a second-rate propulsive system and physiological deficiencies is not applicable to L. brevis.

Proposal For Improvement Of Marine Fisheries Management In Cambodia, Savath Som

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

32p-Postlabeling Analysis Of Aromatic Dna Adducts In Hemopoietic Tissues And Blood Of The Mummichog Fundulus Heteroclitus, Wendy L. Rose

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Aspects Of The Biology Of Sea Turtles In The Mid-Atlantic Bight, William C. Coles

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

I present here an investigation of several aspects of the biology of sea turtles in the mid-Atlantic Bight. During 19 years of data collection, included in this study, strandings have increased for all species of sea turtles in Virginia. Most sea turtle strandings occurred during the spring when juvenile turtles migrate into the Bay (Kemp's ridleys had a second significant stranding peak, during fall migration) along the Southern Bay and Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Sea turtles utilize the Chesapeake Bay as a feeding area when the water temperature approaches 20??C, and they leave after the water temperature drops below 20??C. Although …

Indo-Pacific Population Structure Of The Black Marlin, Makaira Indica, Inferred From Molecular Markers, Brett Falterman

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Size Selectivity And Relative Efficiency Of Sea Scallop Trawls And Dredges, David B. Rudders

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Population Dynamics Of The Southern Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon Obesulus) On Ellen Brook Reserve, Craig Pentland

Theses : Honours

The small, enclosed section of Ellen Brook Reserve provided the unique opportunity to observe a population of southern-brown bandicoots (lsoodon obesulus) in the absence of exotic predators. The reserves small-enclosed size enabled it possible to trap the whole area (excluding the ephemeral swamps) and so emigration and immigration could be excluded. This enabled good population size estimates, and inferences on the loss of individuals due to mortality could be more strongly argued for. An understanding of the population structure, dynamics, size and density, and body condition of I. obesulus in Ellen Brook Reserve, will provide important information, for …

Institutional Arrangements For Cooperative Fisheries Management: A Case Study Of The Newfoundland And Labrador Northern Shrimp Fishery, Bram F. Noble

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The intent of this study is to examine the present institutional arrangements of the Newfoundland and Labrador Northern shrimp fishery, to identify the roles of cooperative fisheries economic development corporations and make recommendations for institutional improvements. There are a number of institutional and organizational arrangements more favorable for fisheries management and development than present ones (Bishop, 1981; Bromley, 1982; McCay and Acheson, 1987; Pinkerton, 1989). Jentoft and McCay (1995) identified the need for this type of research in fisheries management in order to understand the complexity of relationships in fisheries management and to develop more effective means of fisheries management …

Diet Composition And Feeding Habits Of Large Striped Bass, Morone Saxatilis, In Chesapeake Bay, John F. Walter

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Detection Of Antibodies Against Brucella Abortus In Bovine, Celso Arturo Moreno Paredes

Theses and Dissertations

The present investigation was made in the Laboratories of microbiology of the Ability of Cattle Sciences of the Polytechnic Superior School of Chimborazo, with samples obtained in the Municipal Camal Riobamba and the Community of Tunshi San Nicolás. The incidence of Brucellosis was analyzed in six more important cattle areas of the county using the antigens Brucella abortus and Rosa of Flare. The experimental units were obtained under a systematic sampling. The experiment had a duration of 4 months. The experimental results underwent the following analyses: variance, percentages, stockings, standard deviation, limit for the estimate error. According to carried out …