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Articles 1 - 7 of 7
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Anthropogenic Influences On The Decline, Restoration, And Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics Of Lake Superior’S Coaster Brook Trout, Austin Johnson
Anthropogenic Influences On The Decline, Restoration, And Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics Of Lake Superior’S Coaster Brook Trout, Austin Johnson
Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports
The coaster brook trout is a life history variant of the brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) that is characterized by either lake residency or migration between stream and lake habitats. Coaster brook trout were once widespread throughout Lake Superior and its tributaries, but populations declined sharply in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Historically, brook trout were a popular target of recreational and subsistence fishing in the Lake Superior basin, and it has been hypothesized that angling pressure combined with multiple forms of industrial development are what drove the coaster brook trout’s decline. In the mid …
Effects Of Dissimilar Silvicultural Techniques On Small Mammal Communities In Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Breanna R. Gusick
Effects Of Dissimilar Silvicultural Techniques On Small Mammal Communities In Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Breanna R. Gusick
Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports
Small mammal populations, and predators reliant upon them as food resources, are often challenged by conflicting objectives of timber production and maintenance of quality habitat. With over 70% of the landscape forested, and nearly one-third of the land privately owned, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (UP) is a matrix of independent management strategies. To assess the effects of various silvicultural regeneration methods on small mammal populations in the Upper Peninsula, we trapped small mammals in experimental silviculture plots, whereby treatments varied by regeneration method (amount of residual canopy cover) and site preparation (i.e., control, tip-up, and scarification), and deer exclosures. We used …
The Decline Of Lake Superior's Woodland Caribou: A Historical Gis Analysis, Jordan W. Kelley
The Decline Of Lake Superior's Woodland Caribou: A Historical Gis Analysis, Jordan W. Kelley
Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports
Lake Superior’s woodland caribou have been declining since the early 1800s. This thesis asks: why? We hypothesize that as settlers expanded into the region, industrial development in woodland caribou habitat reduced woodland caribou persistence. Using an Historical Geospatial Information System (HGIS) analysis, we find that historical mining and railroad infrastructure are associated with woodland caribou extirpation, while wetlands and protected areas are associated with caribou persistence. We also conducted a stakeholder synthesis of the region to help understand diverse perspectives within and between advocacy coalitions that take different positions on the most effective caribou restoration policies. Beliefs on recovery options …
Conservation Value Of Working Landscapes In Mesoamerica For Nearctic-Neotropical Migratory Birds, Samuel L. Oliveira
Conservation Value Of Working Landscapes In Mesoamerica For Nearctic-Neotropical Migratory Birds, Samuel L. Oliveira
Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports
Populations of many of Nearctic-neotropical migratory birds have declined in the past several decades, recent estimates suggested a dramatic loss of 2.5 billion birds over the past 50 years in North America. Habitat loss and degradation represent a major threat in the tropics. Managed agroecosystems have the potential to mitigate some impacts of land conversion, however, little is known regarding the habitat quality provided by working landscapes in the overwintering range. In this research, we surveyed the migratory bird community in the rapidly expanding oil palm plantations in southern Mexico; and also the declining population of the Wood Thrush ( …
Spatial Heterogeneity Of Nitrogen Cycling Within And Across Freshwater Ecosystems, Erin K. Eberhard
Spatial Heterogeneity Of Nitrogen Cycling Within And Across Freshwater Ecosystems, Erin K. Eberhard
Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports
Dinitrogen (N2) fixation and denitrification are two nitrogen (N) cycling processes that despite differences in environmental requirements and constraints, co-occur in aquatic ecosystems. The overall goal of this dissertation was to evaluate how spatial heterogeneity of environmental variables 1) drive hot spots of N2 fixation, denitrification rates and gene abundances in streams, 2) facilitate co-occurrence of these processes across wetland – stream – lake interfaces, and 3) affect differences in microbial community composition in streams across U.S. ecoregions. We found hot spots of both processes within 7 stream reaches in Michigan and Idaho, but rates of N …
Display Site Selection By Male Ruffed Grouse In The Upper Great Lakes Region, Seth Finkel
Display Site Selection By Male Ruffed Grouse In The Upper Great Lakes Region, Seth Finkel
Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports
The Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) is widely known for its characteristic territorial drumming display. In this study, I used ruffed grouse drumming survey data from Minnesota and Michigan, in a series of mixed logistic models, to identify drivers of drumming log selection by reproductive male ruffed grouse. I collected drumming stage data utilizing a paired-random sampling structure. I used information theoretic model selection to examine three sets of a priori mixed logistic models: one for the entirety of my Minnesota dataset, one consisting of stages identified in aspen stands in Minnesota, and one for my Michigan dataset. In …
Avian Haemosporidian Blood Parasite Diversity, Prevalence, And Distribution In Michigan’S Western Upper Peninsula, Maria M. Ferrer
Avian Haemosporidian Blood Parasite Diversity, Prevalence, And Distribution In Michigan’S Western Upper Peninsula, Maria M. Ferrer
Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports
Avian haemosporidian parasites, known as avian malaria (phylum Apicomplexa) can diminish an individual bird’s fitness by causing parasitemia, anemia, and reduced survival. Climate change is predicted to increase the spread of malarial parasites into more northerly latitudes where little is known about community compositions of these parasites. I assessed the prevalence and diversity of haemosporidian parasites in the first-ever community-level sampling of malaria in songbirds across the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In total, 179 blood samples were collected from birds representing 17 species, at five locations in the Upper Peninsula, including a mature forest, an early successional forest, and …