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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Zygomorphic Flowers May Reduce Extinction Rates By Allowing Angiosperms To Occur In Low Abundances, Maria Belen Alvestegui Jul 2021

Zygomorphic Flowers May Reduce Extinction Rates By Allowing Angiosperms To Occur In Low Abundances, Maria Belen Alvestegui

Theses

The high species richness that angiosperm show has been extensively correlated with key floral innovations. Key floral traits contribute to species boundaries and the origin of new species. However, how these relate to extinction remains largely untested. Among the multiple theories that attribute diversification to floral innovations, the reduced extinction model predicts that floral specialization allows the persistence of small populations and avoids their loss. Bilateral symmetry (zygomorphy) is a trait that has evolved recurrently in angiosperms. It is a form of floral specialization that restricts pollination to fewer visitors and precisely places pollen to ensure more effective transmission of …


Response Of Forest Birds To Spotted Wing Drosophila (Drosophila Suzukii Matsumura), A Novel Invasive Fruit Pest, At Allegheny National Forest, Daniel P. Roche Jan 2021

Response Of Forest Birds To Spotted Wing Drosophila (Drosophila Suzukii Matsumura), A Novel Invasive Fruit Pest, At Allegheny National Forest, Daniel P. Roche

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Non-native invasive insect pests can have dramatic impacts on native ecosystems, feeding on plant foliage, wood, or sap. Little is known, however, about how fruit-targeting NNIIPs may affect native ecosystems. Spotted wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii Matsumura, SWD) is a recently introduced invasive vinegar fly that parasitizes the fruits of many plant species in the United States. While its activity in agricultural systems is well-documented, little is known about its activity in forest ecosystems, despite growing evidence of its presence and parasitism of fruits there. Parasitism could reduce fruit attractiveness for vertebrate fruit consumers, including migratory birds. As such, this …


Noninvasive Genetic Sampling With A Bayesian Spatial Capture-Recapture Analysis To Estimate Abundance Of Roosevelt Elk (Cervus Canadensis Roosevelti), Makenzie Henk Jan 2021

Noninvasive Genetic Sampling With A Bayesian Spatial Capture-Recapture Analysis To Estimate Abundance Of Roosevelt Elk (Cervus Canadensis Roosevelti), Makenzie Henk

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Determining abundance of Roosevelt elk (Cervus canadensis roosevelti) in central Humboldt County, California has presented a unique challenge to wildlife managers due to the dense forest habitat and the animals’ elusive behavior. As the elk population has increased, so has human-wildlife conflict, and wildlife agencies need efficient and repeatable methods for determining abundance to inform management decisions. Traditional monitoring methods such as helicopter surveys are ineffective due to low sighting probability and strong behavioral responses to the aircraft. They also often lead to biased sex ratios when the distribution of males and females varies across the landscape. Non-invasive …


Comparison Of Standard And Environmental Dna Methods For Estimating Chinook Salmon Smolt Abundance In The Klamath River, California, Doyle Joseph Coyne Jan 2021

Comparison Of Standard And Environmental Dna Methods For Estimating Chinook Salmon Smolt Abundance In The Klamath River, California, Doyle Joseph Coyne

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Evaluating abundance of juvenile salmonids is critical to conservation and management. Current abundance estimation involves use of rotary screw traps and mark-recapture studies. Use of environmental DNA (eDNA) in water samples offers a noninvasive and less expensive approach that may potentially improve or eventually replace traditional monitoring. Here I evaluate the utility of eDNA to predict weekly abundance estimates of outmigrating Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) smolts in the Klamath River, California. A total of 15 water samples were collected per week over the 17-week smolt outmigration in both 2019 and 2020. Chinook salmon eDNA concentration in each water …