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Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Eastern Kentucky University

Kentucky

Articles 1 - 9 of 9

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Assessment Of Indiana Bat Reproductive Condition, Recapture Trends, And Temperatures Of Artificial Roosts In Kentucky, Michaela L. Rogers Jan 2020

Assessment Of Indiana Bat Reproductive Condition, Recapture Trends, And Temperatures Of Artificial Roosts In Kentucky, Michaela L. Rogers

Online Theses and Dissertations

Recovery of bat species impacted by white-nose syndrome (WNS) will necessarily require population growth. I assessed reproductive capability of the endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) in Kentucky, where WNS was first detected in hibernacula in April 2011. Due to loss of fat reserves associated with WNS infection, coupled with the energetic expenditures associated with pregnancy, I hypothesized mass of reproductively-active females captured during the maternity season would decrease across my data collection period (2017-2019). Further, I predicted that reproductive rates in the study population would be lower than historic rates for Kentucky. Mist net surveys around artificial maternity roosts at …


The Vascular Flora Of The Red River Gorge In Powell, Menifee, And Wolfe Counties Kentucky, Thomas Steele Mcfadden Jan 2018

The Vascular Flora Of The Red River Gorge In Powell, Menifee, And Wolfe Counties Kentucky, Thomas Steele Mcfadden

Online Theses and Dissertations

The Red River Gorge (RRG) is a 26,283 ha natural area within Menifee, Powell, and Wolfe counties of Kentucky. This area is in the Cumberland Plateau Physiographic Section which is a southern subsection of the Appalachian Plateau Physiographic Province. It is a mecca of outdoor recreation, hosting thousands of visitors each year, while also being home to a unique flora worthy of continued protection. A vascular flora was conducted between the fall of 2016 and the summer of 2018. Additional vouchers donated by Dr. Ross C. Clark and the Stanton Ranger District office, as well as vouchers deposited at regional …


Using Gis To Evaluate The Kentucky Wetland Rapid Assessment Method, Douglas Robert Mott Jan 2014

Using Gis To Evaluate The Kentucky Wetland Rapid Assessment Method, Douglas Robert Mott

Online Theses and Dissertations

Wetlands are a vital part of our environment and serve important functions, including water quality improvement, nutrient management, pollution control, storm buffering, flood control, sediment stabilization, groundwater replenishment, fish and wildlife habitat, aesthetics, and recreation opportunities (Costanza et al., 2008; Mitsch & Gosselink, 2000; USEPA, 2006; Woodward & Yong-Suhk, 2001). A number of laws have been enacted to help to protect existing wetlands, promote rehabilitation of degraded wetlands, and encourage the creation of new wetlands. Also, since 1988 all United States presidents have stated a "No Net Loss" policy for wetlands in the United States. There is a need to …


The Vascular Flora Of Garrard County, Kentucky, William Overbeck Jan 2014

The Vascular Flora Of Garrard County, Kentucky, William Overbeck

Online Theses and Dissertations

Garrard County, Kentucky, was the subject of a floristic study conducted from 2010 to 2013. The study documented 961 species in 494 genera and 137 families. Garrard County encompasses 60,570 hectares in central Kentucky and includes parts of both the Bluegrass Section and the Knobs-Norman Upland of the Interior Low Plateaus. Permitted collecting at The Felix Reynolds Prairie, The Nature Conservancy's Sally Brown and Crutcher Preserve, Tom Dorman State Nature Preserve, and Maywoods Environmental and Educational Laboratory was coordinated with state and private conservation agencies. Two plant communities known to occur in the county, Limestone/Dolomite Prairie and Bluegrass Mesophytic Cane …


Annual Variation In Timing, Orientation And Effects Of Weather On Jefferson Salamander (Ambystoma Jeffersonianum) And Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma Maculatum) Movements In Central Kentucky, Christopher James St. Andre Jan 2012

Annual Variation In Timing, Orientation And Effects Of Weather On Jefferson Salamander (Ambystoma Jeffersonianum) And Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma Maculatum) Movements In Central Kentucky, Christopher James St. Andre

Online Theses and Dissertations

Annual variation in temporal and spatial patterns of amphibian migration and dispersal are poorly understood. To address this issue, a circular drift fence was installed around an ephemeral pond at the Central Kentucky Wildlife Management Area, Madison County, Kentucky. The pond was checked daily for salamander movements from 17 January 2010 to 26 September 2010 and from 26 January 2011 to 3 August 2011, which corresponded to the activity season. Weather variables examined in relation to amphibian movements included barometric pressure, cumulative precipitation, temperature and relative humidity. Several species used the ephemeral pond during the study but few successfully reproduced. …


Forest Dynamics Of Two Multi-Aged Hemlock-Mixed Mesophytic Forests In The Northern Cumberland Plateau, Kentucky, Kacie Lee Tackett Jan 2012

Forest Dynamics Of Two Multi-Aged Hemlock-Mixed Mesophytic Forests In The Northern Cumberland Plateau, Kentucky, Kacie Lee Tackett

Online Theses and Dissertations

Tsuga canadensis (eastern hemlock) is a foundation species that performs a unique ecological role within the Appalachian mixed mesophytic forest of the eastern United States. However, the non-native hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA; Adelges tsugae Annand), a novel invasive colonizer, is significantly altering the natural processes within T. canadensis ecosystems. Few studies have documented T. canadensis forests before, during, and after HWA infestation. This study documented the pre-HWA conditions of two old hemlock-mixed mesophytic forests in eastern Kentucky by examining the composition, T. canadensis crown health, stand structure, age structure, and disturbance history. Rock Creek Research Natural Area (RCRNA) is a …


Space Use And Habitat Selection By Bobcats In Southeastern Kentucky, Andrea Joy Shipley Jan 2012

Space Use And Habitat Selection By Bobcats In Southeastern Kentucky, Andrea Joy Shipley

Online Theses and Dissertations

Population estimation and trend analyses are critically important for sustainable harvest and management of many species. The bobcat (Lynx rufus) plays important ecological and economic roles in Kentucky as a furbearer and mesopredator. I conducted a study of the bobcat in southeastern Kentucky as a twenty year follow-up to research conducted in the same study area. I radio-collared five (4F, 1M) bobcats and assessed space and habitat use patterns. Mean annual minimum convex polygon (MCP) home range size for all bobcats was 14.7 km2 (n = 5, SE = 3.9 km2), and 22.2 km2 (n = 5, SE = 7.5 …


Land Snail Species Diversity And Composition Between Different Forest Disturbance Regimes In Central And Eastern Kentucky Forests, Daniel Douglas Jan 2011

Land Snail Species Diversity And Composition Between Different Forest Disturbance Regimes In Central And Eastern Kentucky Forests, Daniel Douglas

Online Theses and Dissertations

Land snails are cornerstone organisms that contribute to properly functioning ecosystems. However, habitat loss and destruction have led to these organisms being one of the most imperiled groups on the planet. Due to their relatively sedentary nature, land snails can be susceptible to anthropogenic disturbance and habitat fragmentation. Because of this, old-growth forests have the potential for being premiere habitat for these organisms, and snails have the potential to be good indicators of old-growth habitats. This study compared land snail species diversity and community composition in old-growth and second-growth forests in the Inner Bluegrass, Cumberland Plateau, and Pine Mountain ecoregions …


A Post-Restoration Assessment Of The Fishes And Macroinvertebrates Of Mill Branch, Knox County, Kentucky, With Emphasis On The Blackside Dace (Chrosomus Cumberlandensis), Dwayne Kevin Merrill Jan 2011

A Post-Restoration Assessment Of The Fishes And Macroinvertebrates Of Mill Branch, Knox County, Kentucky, With Emphasis On The Blackside Dace (Chrosomus Cumberlandensis), Dwayne Kevin Merrill

Online Theses and Dissertations

The first stream habitat restoration project for the federally threatened blackside dace, Chrosomus cumberlandensis (Starnes and Starnes), was initiated in fall 2005 on Mill Branch, a small headwater stream located in the Upper Cumberland River basin, Knox County, Kentucky. The lower 700 meters of Mill Branch were restored through construction of a new, stable channel with specially designed habitat features for blackside dace. In August 2009, the newly restored channel was connected to the mainstem and the old channel was eliminated. A post-restoration survey was conducted on the fishes (with emphasis on the blackside dace) and benthic macroinvertebrate communities, between …