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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
The Effect Of Seasonality On Yellow Perch Ecology And Ecotoxicology Within Lake Manganese, Bailey Duxbury
The Effect Of Seasonality On Yellow Perch Ecology And Ecotoxicology Within Lake Manganese, Bailey Duxbury
Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports
Seasonality is a consistent component of aquatic ecosystems yet most fish biological and ecotoxicological studies commonly employ field sampling protocols focused during the warm open water season with minimal emphasis placed on winter sampling, especially for north-temperate latitude ecosystems. Such strategies limit our understanding of poikilotherm biology and ecology during the overwintering seasons. Here, I investigated seasonal changes in yellow perch (Perca flavescens) biology, ecology and ecotoxicology over a one-year period in Lake Manganese. Significant seasonality was observed for metrics including fish energy densities (kJ/g), gonadosomatic indices, whole-body lipid contents, and carbon stable isotope values (δ13C). …
Spatiotemporal Variability In Winter Severity: Consequences For White-Tailed Deer Populations And Habitat Sustainability, Grace Parikh
Spatiotemporal Variability In Winter Severity: Consequences For White-Tailed Deer Populations And Habitat Sustainability, Grace Parikh
Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports
Winter in the northern Great Lakes presents a suite of challenging conditions for animals, in terms of limited food availability and increased energetic cost of locomotion and thermoregulation. Variable winter severity is liable to cause interannual fluctuations in habitat viability and use by animals, in addition to modulating physiological responses in animals to conserve energy. For example, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) congregate at high densities under eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) or northern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis) stands, which provide forage, thermal cover, reduced snow depth, and enhanced vigilance. However, a suite of climatic, edaphic, and …