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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

The Brown Bear Gut Microbiome: A Novel Tool For Conservation & Management, Sarah M. Trujillo Dec 2021

The Brown Bear Gut Microbiome: A Novel Tool For Conservation & Management, Sarah M. Trujillo

All NMU Master's Theses

Gut microbiomes (GMBs), complex communities of microorganisms inhabiting the gastrointestinal tracts of their hosts, perform countless micro-ecosystem services such as facilitating energy uptake and modulating immune responses. While scientists increasingly recognize the role GMBs play in host health, the role of GMBs in wildlife ecology and conservation has yet to be realized fully. Here, I use brown bears (Ursus arctos) as an ecological model to investigate (1) how both extrinsic and intrinsic factors influence GMB community membership and structure; and (2) the correlation between GMB membership and brown bear health metrics. To achieve these aims, I subsampled archived …


A Dynamic Landscape Of Fear: Human Impacts On Carnivore Communities, Tru Hubbard Jun 2021

A Dynamic Landscape Of Fear: Human Impacts On Carnivore Communities, Tru Hubbard

All NMU Master's Theses

Mammalian carnivores are elusive, enigmatic species that often play keystone roles in ecosystems through direct (i.e., predation) and indirect (i.e., perceived predation risk) effects. Worldwide many carnivore species are experiencing rapid human-mediated population declines due to landscape change and habitat disturbance. For researchers, carnivores present unique challenges due to their large home ranges, low population densities, sensitivity to human disturbance, and direct persecution. Further, growing evidence shows that human activity can impact carnivore behavior and community structure by altering predator-prey interactions, shifting diel activity patterns, and altering wildlife movement leading to increased sightings, nuisance reports, and harvests. To investigate how …


Crocuta Crocuta (Carnivora: Hyaenidae), Virginia Hayssen, Paula Noonan Apr 2021

Crocuta Crocuta (Carnivora: Hyaenidae), Virginia Hayssen, Paula Noonan

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Crocuta crocuta (Erxleben, 1777), the spotted hyena, is a large, widespread, terrestrial carnivore with a female-dominant social system. It ranges from about 17°N to 28°S and lives in diverse habitats from savannas to swamps (but not rain forests) and up to 4,000 m in elevation. As assessed in 2014, C. crocuta is listed as "Least Concern"(LC) by The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List of Threatened Species version 2016.1.