Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Life Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 10 of 10

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Ecological And Genetic Connectivity Of Shrews (Sorex Spp.) Across Interstate-90 In The Washington Cascade Range, Jordan Ryckman Jan 2020

Ecological And Genetic Connectivity Of Shrews (Sorex Spp.) Across Interstate-90 In The Washington Cascade Range, Jordan Ryckman

All Master's Theses

Roads negatively affect wildlife by degrading and fragmenting habitat. The I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East project was established to improve traffic safety for both humans and wildlife. Here, the Washington State Department of Transportation is constructing wildlife crossing structures to increase ecosystem connectivity as part of this project. The goal of my study was to investigate shrews – very small mammals with presumably low mobility and dispersal capacity – at sites on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range where wildlife crossing structures will be built in the future. My main objectives were to verify shrew species composition, assess population genetic …


Fire And Road Disturbance Impacts On Forest Plant Species And Seed Rain In Table Mountain Fire Arai, Kittitas County, Washington, Jonathan A. Betz Jan 2019

Fire And Road Disturbance Impacts On Forest Plant Species And Seed Rain In Table Mountain Fire Arai, Kittitas County, Washington, Jonathan A. Betz

All Master's Theses

Forest communities are in a constant state of change. Disturbance events can alter the physical landscape and create conditions favorable to some species while negatively impacting others. Fire has been a natural, reoccurring source of disturbance in Pacific Northwest forests. Over the past centuries the fire paradigm has changed in favor of fire suppression. Forest roads permit access provide greater access but further fracture forest community’s continuity. The 2012 Table Mountain Fire and road influence have altered the plant community’s seed rain and vegetation. This study measured dispersed seeds and understory vegetation cover as functions of roads and fire intensity. …


Transgenerational Plasticity Is Sex-Dependent And Persistent In Yellow Moneyflower (Mimulus Guttatus), Kayla Akkerman Jan 2019

Transgenerational Plasticity Is Sex-Dependent And Persistent In Yellow Moneyflower (Mimulus Guttatus), Kayla Akkerman

All Master's Theses

Transgenerational phenotypic plasticity, whereby environmental cues experienced by parents alter the phenotype of their progeny, has now been documented in diverse organisms. Transmission of environmentally determined responses is known to occur through both maternal and paternal gametes, but the underlying mechanisms have rarely been compared. In addition, the persistence of induction over multiple generations appears to vary widely but has been characterized for relatively few systems. Yellow monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus) is known to exhibit transgenerational induction of increased glandular trichome production in response to simulated insect damage. Here we test for differences between maternal and paternal transmission of …


Small Mammal Microhabitat Use And Species Composition At A Wildlife Crossing Structure Compared With Nearby Forest, Lindsay Millward, Kristina Ernest Jan 2018

Small Mammal Microhabitat Use And Species Composition At A Wildlife Crossing Structure Compared With Nearby Forest, Lindsay Millward, Kristina Ernest

All Master's Theses

Expanding transportation corridors have fragmented ecosystems throughout the world, restricting the movement of organisms or acting as complete connectivity barriers. Wildlife crossing structures (WCS) can increase the permeability of roads, allowing animals to move safely between habitats. Small mammals are especially vulnerable to the effects of reduced connectivity because of their limited mobility; however, few studies have evaluated their use of WCS. This study was conducted at a WCS under I-90 near Snoqualmie Pass, Washington. Our objective was to evaluate the small mammal species composition at the wildlife undercrossing in comparison to adjacent restoration sites and to the nearby forest. …


Enrichment Use & Social Interactions In A Mixed-Species Enclosure Of Sumatran (Pongo Abelij) & Bornean Orangutans (P. Pygmaeus) & Northern White-Cheeked Gibbons (Nomascus Leucogenys), Emily Veitia Jan 2017

Enrichment Use & Social Interactions In A Mixed-Species Enclosure Of Sumatran (Pongo Abelij) & Bornean Orangutans (P. Pygmaeus) & Northern White-Cheeked Gibbons (Nomascus Leucogenys), Emily Veitia

All Master's Theses

Enrichment is an aspect of captive husbandry that has been shown to positively impact animals’ well-being and can be designed to encourage species-typical behaviors, such as foraging and arboreality. Enrichment can include housing together multiple compatible species. Orangutans are sympatric with siamangs and agile and Bornean gibbons, so several zoos house these four Asian ape species in the same enclosure, in part, as social enrichment. In my study, I observed enrichment use and social interactions in a mixed-species enclosure at the Oregon Zoo, which housed two Sumatran (Pongo abelii) and two Bornean (P. pygmaeus) orangutans with …


Activity Patterns, Home Range, And Microhabitat Selection Of A Terrestrial Turtle (Rhinoclemmys Rubida Perixantha) In A Tropical Dry Forest, Taggert G. Butterfield Jan 2016

Activity Patterns, Home Range, And Microhabitat Selection Of A Terrestrial Turtle (Rhinoclemmys Rubida Perixantha) In A Tropical Dry Forest, Taggert G. Butterfield

All Master's Theses

Turtles are in trouble worldwide, with nearly half recognized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as needing special protection. The Eurasian pond and Neotropical wood turtles of the family Geoemydidae are the most diverse turtles and comprise ¼ of all turtle species yet basic information on their natural history is lacking. Moreover, seasonal tropical dry forest (SDTF), where many geoemydids exist, is considered the most endangered ecosystem in the world. We investigated the activity patterns, home range size, and microhabitat selection of the Mexican Spotted Wood Turtle (Rhinoclemmys rubida perixantha) in its SDTF habitat by …


Behavioral Response To Uvb Differs In Subalpine Populations Of Daphnia Melanica, Amanda Tompkins Jan 2015

Behavioral Response To Uvb Differs In Subalpine Populations Of Daphnia Melanica, Amanda Tompkins

All Master's Theses

Daphnia are a genus of freshwater zooplankton that inhabit ponds and lakes. They are commonly used as a model organism because they can reproduce clonally and are considered a foundation species in pond ecosystems. Daphnia melanica that inhabit the subalpine ponds of the Olympic National Park are exposed to high levels of ultraviolet radiation (UVR). UVR causes DNA damage that can be detrimental to the organism if not fixed. One way to avoid these harmful rays is to migrate to protected areas. In my study, I looked at two behaviors in D. melanica: diel vertical migration (DVM), which involves …


Physiological Variation Of Garry Oak (Quercus Garryana) Seedlings To Drought Stress, Matthew A. Merz Jan 2015

Physiological Variation Of Garry Oak (Quercus Garryana) Seedlings To Drought Stress, Matthew A. Merz

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine physiological differences in drought response among Garry oak (Quercus garryana Douglas ex Hook. [Fagaceae]) seedlings that grow in distinct populations in Washington state, in order to aid in restoration efforts by informing growers of the potential differences between the acorn collection sites. Acorns from six Washington populations east of the Cascades, as well as one population from Whidbey Island, were collected and grown in containers under controlled conditions. The plants were assessed with and without moderate and severe drought stress induced by withholding water. The most extreme differences in photosynthetic characteristics …


Provisioning And Its Effects On The Social Interactions Of Tibetan Macaques (Macaca Thibetana) At Mt. Huangshan, China, Brianna I. Schnepel Jan 2015

Provisioning And Its Effects On The Social Interactions Of Tibetan Macaques (Macaca Thibetana) At Mt. Huangshan, China, Brianna I. Schnepel

All Master's Theses

The dispersal patterns of food resources has a significant effect on the composition of primate groups and social interactions within those groups. Humans often alter the dispersal of food. Non-humans often use affiliative behaviors to elicit tolerance or support from other group members. I investigated whether provisioned food resources alter the social interactions and group dynamics of Macaca thibetana. All-occurrence sampling and scan sampling were used for data recorded by camera traps. Trail-cameras were placed at six locations that contain natural and human food resources and recorded 60-second videos. Social behavior and proximity of the monkeys were recorded. I …


Evaporative Water Loss In Two Northwest Snakes: Pituophis Catenifer And Crotalus Viridis, Donald R. Woolery Jun 1971

Evaporative Water Loss In Two Northwest Snakes: Pituophis Catenifer And Crotalus Viridis, Donald R. Woolery

All Master's Theses

A study by Gans, Krakauer and Paganelli (1968) dealt with twenty-six species of snakes representing five families. They found that the "rate of water loss was proportional to surface area" and that water loss correlates with the aridity of the selected habitat. No comparative information resulting from the direct separation of the pulmonary and cutaneous avenues of water loss is currently available. Also, no direct comparisons of this separation in sympatric species are available. These comparisons are the basis for this study.