Life Sciences Commons^™

Comparison Of Chimpanzee (Pan Troglodytes) Behavior On Tour And Non-Tour Days At Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, Allison A. Farley

All Master's Theses

In this study, I investigated the potential effect of a visitor program on captive chimpanzees’ (Pan troglodytes) behaviors at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest (CSNW) in Cle Elum, Washington. I used focal animal sampling to score behaviors from an ethogram of affiliative, aggressive and abnormal chimpanzee behaviors, as well as foraging and vigilance. During each sample, I recorded the focal’s location within the enclosure and whether he or she was situated in locations that would be in view of visitors (present or not). I analyzed 720 minutes of data from each of the seven CSNW chimpanzees. I tested the hypothesis …

Seasonal Microhabitat Use Of Young-Of-The-Year Bull Trout, Salvelinus Confluentus, In A Drought Year, Ashton Brook Bunce

All Master's Theses

This study examined the microhabitat use of young-of-the-year (YOY) bull trout, Salvelinus confluentus, throughout the summer and fall of 2015 in Gold Creek, a third order Cascade Mountain stream near Snoqualmie Pass, WA. It is crucial to understand YOY habitat requirements, as this life stage is highly vulnerable to fluctuations in streamflow and various ecological risks associated with their dispersal. Previous research has demonstrated that YOY salmonids often occupy stream margins where they are sheltered from these kinds of threats. However, in the face of climate change, Pacific Northwest streams are more susceptible to decreased summer streamflows and elevated, irregular …

Reaction To Stimulus Figures In Chimpanzee Drawings, Alexandra Bobrinskoy Casti

All Master's Theses

Seven captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) produced drawings at the University of Oklahoma between November 1971 and November 1972. Chimpanzees drew on sheets of paper that were either blank or had a stimulus. The stimulus was located in the center or offset from the center. These drawings were scanned and digitized. Analysis tested whether chimpanzee mark placement was contingent on the location of stimulus figures. Centroid locations significantly changed between stimulus type for all drawing categories and among participants for free choice and central figure drawings. Participants drew in the empty space opposite offset figure drawings. Findings support previous …

Assessment Of The Efficacy Of The Hose-Bridge As A Road-Crossing Structure For Dekay's Brownsnake (Storeria Dekayi), Sarah Elizabeth Manka

Masters Theses

Various structures have been integrated into roadways to ensure the road does not impede wildlife movements between adjacent habitats. Where traffic volume is low, the costs of installing and maintaining such structures is typically prohibitive. I tested the efficacy of a hose-bridge deployed temporarily on a State Park road in Illinois that allowed the passage of cars over it and small wildlife species to cross through it. I predicted that, during the 4.5 -week period of peak migratory movement, road-based mortality of Dekay's Brownsnakes (Storeria dekayi) would be less at the site having the hose-bridge, when compared to a similar …

Effects Of Habitat Alteration On Ecomorphology Of Fish Communities In A Restored Stream, Carl Anthony Favata

Masters Theses

Decades of anthropogenic pressure have devastated lotic ecosystems across the riverscapes of North America, resulting in degradation of critical habitat and contributing to sharp declines in biotic integrity. In response, local stream restoration projects have increased in frequency. However, little effort has been allocated to monitoring and project success has been limited. In addition, restoration projects typically focus on ecological effects above the population-level, while relationships with physiological processes are seldom assessed. Lessons from the long-term restoration and ecological monitoring of Kickapoo Creek highlight some of the complex dynamics driving reach-scale restoration projects. Following instream restoration, I predicted that alterations …

Sampling Efficiency, Population Characteristics, And Potential Impacts Of Harvest Regulations On Three Riverine Species Of Catfish, Zachary Adam Mitchell

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Genetic Structure And Diversity Of Channel Catfish (Ictalurus Punctatus) In Three Large Midwestern Rivers, Vaclav Alexei Sotola

Masters Theses

Little information is available regarding the genetic structure and diversity of sportfishes in large rivers, which can be vital to continuing the sustainable exploitation of these fisheries. Additionally, impoundments often have vast impacts on riverine systems. These impacts include altering the flow regime, changing the nutrient load, and preventing migratory fish from reaching their spawning grounds. If fishes are prevented from reaching their spawning grounds, their genetic diversity and structuring could begin to change relative to historic measures, potentially decreasing their fitness and ability to survive. I screened microsatellite loci to assess the genetic population structure and diversity of channel …

Quantifying Bat Detection Survey Methods And Activity Patterns, Tara C. Hohoff

Masters Theses

Bats have an astonishing diversity and provide vital ecosystem services in an array of different niches. In North America, most species of bats are insectivores and tend to be frequently overlooked for their important ecosystem role providing insect control. As bat populations have declined in recent years, farmers, land managers, conservationists, and bat enthusiasts have wondered what we can do to protect our local bat populations. As a first step, we need to develop methods that more effectively survey for rare species of bats. By performing inefficient surveys, we are doing a disservice to our funding agencies providing misinformation that …

Stopover Ecology Of Neotropical Migratory Songbirds In The Northern Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, Lauren E. Solomon

Masters Theses

Chapter I. Full-service hotels, convenience stores or fire escapes? Evaluating function of stopover sites for Neotropical migrants in the northern Yucatan Peninsula

Nearctic-Neotropical migratory songbirds incur the highest mortality rates during their annual migrations. Migratory songbirds use a network of stopover sites to rest, refuel, or seek refuge during times of poor weather conditions; and the time and energy expended at these sites exceeds that of migratory flight. In order to conserve stopover sites with the highest value to Neotropical migrants, a conceptual framework was developed to classify stop over sites into three functional categories based on their function for …

Testing The Forage Preference Of The American Pika (Ochotona Princeps) For Use In Connectivity Corridors In The Washington Cascades, Carly Wickhem, Kristina Ernest

All Master's Theses

One of the aims of the Snoqualmie Pass East Project (SPEP) in the Cascades of central Washington is to construct nearly 30 wildlife crossing structures along a 15-mile stretch of Interstate-90. American pikas (Ochotona princeps) are being monitored for the SPEP because they have specific habitat requirements and are poor dispersers. Making the crossing structures “pika-friendly” will encourage these low-mobility animals to use the structures. Recent research suggests that the presence of quality vegetation may help pika populations avoid declines and extirpations, so planting suitable forage within and adjacent to the crossings will be essential. During the summer …

Aeromonas Hydrophila In Amphibians: Harmless Bystander Or Opportunistic Pathogen, Zachary P. Rivas

Honors Undergraduate Theses

For several decades amphibian populations have been declining. Historically, the bacterium A. hydrophila (Ah) was hypothesized to be the causal factor in amphibian disease and population declines. However, with the discovery of a chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) in 1998, which was identified on the skin of amphibians during documented mortality events, Ah research became of minor interest as focus shifted to Bd. Recent studies into the immunocompromising abilities of Bd, however, have opened new questions about its relationship with Ah and their combined effects on a host.

In this study, I explore the …

The Nutritional Value Of Fecal Sacs: Testing The Parental Nutrition Hypothesis, Amanda W. Burns

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nest sanitation is an important aspect of parental investment in birds with altricial nestlings. Passerine nestlings produce fecal matter that is encased in a mucous membrane for easy disposal. These fecal sacs are either removed from the nest and transported a distance away or they are ingested by the adult. A decline in fecal sac ingestion rates as nestlings age has been observed in several species. The parental nutrition hypothesis posits that this pattern can be attributed to increasing digestive efficiency as nestlings age. The parental nutrition hypothesis makes three predictions: fecal sac consumption rates should decrease as nestlings age, …

Relación Entre Grasa Dorsal Tomada Con Ultrasonido, Condición Corporal Y El Desempeño Maternal En Vientres Cebú Comercial En Un Hato Ubicado En Puerto López - Meta, Alejandra Poveda Velasco, Jairo Jimenez Lopez

Zootecnia

Se realizó un estudio en un hato de cría comercial en Puerto López, Meta para evaluar la variación de la grasa subcutánea en vientres cebú comerciales (n = 9) alimentados en pastoreo de praderas de Brachiaria sp. Se tomaron medidas de espesor de grasa dorsal EGD y del anca EGA a vacas de carne lactantes al inicio y final de lactancia. Además, se determinó el puntaje de condición corporal (escala 1-5) y la ganancia de peso pre-destete de los hijos de las vacas. Las vacas al parto presentó puntajes de PCC de 3,71 y valores promedio de EGD y EGA …

Caracterización De Medidas De Composición Corporal En Bovinos Charolais Menores De Dos Años En 3 Fincas Del Valle Del Cauca, Nicolás Andrés Murcia Ariza

Zootecnia

La finalidad de este estudio fue caracterizar las medidas de composición corporal en bovinos Charolais menores de dos años en tres fincas del Valle del Cauca. La muestra tuvo en cuenta 112 animales con una edad entre 2 y 24 meses. Los animales fueron pesados y se tomaron las medidas de área de ojo de lomo (AOL), espesor de glúteo medio (EGM), espesor de grasa dorsal (EGD) y espesor del anca (EGA) con ecografía, para luego agrupar las medidas por rangos de 3 meses de edad. Se realizaron los promedios y se observó la diferencia entre fincas para cada una …

Efecto De La Suplementación Con Silo De Rye Grass Lolium Perenne En Vacas De Trópico Alto Zipaquirá, Cundinamarca, Carlos Gómez, Daniel López

Zootecnia

Con el fin de evaluar el efecto de la suplementación con silo de Rye Grass sobre la producción y composición de la leche en vacas de trópico alto, se planteó un estudio con 15 vacas Holstein, en segundo tercio de lactancia, divididas en 2 grupos experimentales, 1 se denomina T-ABC con 7 vacas y 2 T-SRG con 8 vacas. El suplemento se le ofreció en una razón de 4: 1 (4L / 1S) en el momento del ordeño, la cual se realizó en horas de la mañana y la tarde. Se tomaron muestras de leche de los dos ordeños se …

Implementación De Un Modelo De Partos Estacionales En Un Sistema De Cría Doble Propósito Bovino En El Piedemonte Llanero, Juan Harvey Castro Murillo

Zootecnia

No abstract provided.

The Behavioral, Biochemical And Genetic Effects Of Sleep Deprivation In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Jade Catherine Boykin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Vertebrate sleep is a universal phenomenon and encompasses an array of conserved behavioral and physiological characteristics. Studies of sleep in humans have shown that sleep deprivation leads to adverse effects to human health and additional stress. Teleosts have emerged as a useful model species to study the vertebrate stress response, given its stress axis has high levels of homology with the mammals, including humans. For this study, the behavior of zebrafish (Danio rerio) subjected to acute (24 hours) and chronic (20 days) extended light exposure was monitored and whole-body cortisol was analyzed as an indication of activation of …

Effects Of Threonine Supplementation On Whole-Body Protein Synthesis And Plasma Metabolites In Growing And Mature Horses, Sara Mastellar, A. Moffet, P.A. Harris, K.L. Urschel

Sara Mastellar

Human–Wildlife Conflict And Coexistence, Philip J. Nyhus

Philip J. Nyhus

Responses Of Four Arthropod Prey Species To Mechanosensory, Chemosensory And Visual Cues From An Arachnid Predator: A Comparative Approach, Scott Kight

Scott Kight