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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Chihuahuan Desert Rock Pool Community Assemblages: Patterns Of Taxonomic Diversity, Joseph Lee Mcdaniel
Chihuahuan Desert Rock Pool Community Assemblages: Patterns Of Taxonomic Diversity, Joseph Lee Mcdaniel
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
As climate change continues to become more prevalent, increasing temperatures and altering precipitation patterns will disrupt the environmental balance of ecosystems and spark the imminent threat of a 6th mass extinction event. Many researchers believe this has already begun, as losses for numerous taxonomic clades have been well documented; however, the loss of invertebrates is still unknown and may be much more severe than those of other animal clades. A significant factor contributing to the shortfall of invertebrate biodiversity loss is rooted in the lack of understanding of the diversity and distribution of these animals. There is still much to …
Effect Of Fire Suppression On Aquatic Invertebrates In Ephemeral Wetlands Embedded In Longleaf Pine Forests, Hailey E. Baker
Effect Of Fire Suppression On Aquatic Invertebrates In Ephemeral Wetlands Embedded In Longleaf Pine Forests, Hailey E. Baker
Honors College Theses
It has been established for many years that longleaf pine forests require the ecological disturbance of fire in order to maintain a balanced ecosystem. However, a crucial part of these forests has become nearly excluded from prescribed burning. Ephemeral wetlands embedded within longleaf pine forests are a unique and dynamic seasonal habitat that provide homes, refuge, and breeding grounds for a large array of taxa. Past research suggests that fire suppression around ephemeral wetlands is causing harm to many species of amphibians and other herpetofauna, especially threatened species like the flatwoods salamander. However, other species have not been as well …
Inferring Dispersal Of Aquatic Invertebrates From Genetic Variation: A Comparative Study Of An Amphipod (Talitridae Hyalella Azteca) And Mayfly (Baetidae Callibaetis Americanus) In Great Basin Springs, Heather Lynn Stutz
Theses and Dissertations
Whether active or passive, dispersal accompanied by gene flow shapes the population genetics and evolutionary divergence of species. Indirect methods which use genetic markers have the ability to assess effective dispersal—that which resulted in gene flow. My objective was to see if an aquatic insect and an obligate aquatic invertebrate show similar phylogeographic patterns and genetic uniqueness. Hyalella azteca and Callibaetis americanus were collected from 4-5 springs in each of six basins in the Great Basin of western North America. No dispersal or genetic studies of C. americanus have been conducted to date. However, several studies focusing on mtDNA diversity …
Movement Patterns And Feeding Behavior Of The Limpet Tectura Testudinalis (Müller) Along The Mid-Maine Coast, Joshua Lord
Movement Patterns And Feeding Behavior Of The Limpet Tectura Testudinalis (Müller) Along The Mid-Maine Coast, Joshua Lord
Honors Theses
Tectura testudinalis is a limpet that lives in the mid-intertidal zone along the coast of Maine and grazes on a variety of encrusting algae. A previous study asserted that T. testudinalis preferred to feed and rest on the encrusting alga Clathromorphum circumscriptum and that this species of limpet displayed homing behavior. However, I show that T. testudinalis does not home or return to any specific substrate while resting. Conclusive evidence was found for nocturnal movement. I show that C. circumscriptum was the preferred food source for this limpet, closely followed by Hildenbrandia rubra, another encrusting alga. Field and lab experiments …
The Role Of Colonization Predation And Season In Determining Macroinvertebrate Community Structure In A Temperate Lake, Cheryl Lynn Frew
The Role Of Colonization Predation And Season In Determining Macroinvertebrate Community Structure In A Temperate Lake, Cheryl Lynn Frew
Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations
Field experiments were conducted to examine the effects of distance from shore, vertebrate predation, and season on macroinvertebrate colonization dynamics in a temperate lake in Suffolk, VA. In a year-long colonization study, artificial plants, half of which were caged to exclude vertebrate predators, were deployed in patches at three distances from shore (2m, 15m, 50m). Artificial plant subsamples were removed at weekly intervals over 28 days during four seasons to monitor colonization by macroinvertebrates. Colonization of artificial plants occurred more quickly in the summer and spring than in fall and winter. The interactive effect of distance from shore and cage …