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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Habitat Heterogeneity Concentrates Predators In The Seascape: Linking Intermediate-Scale Estuarine Habitat To Striped Bass Distribution, Cristina Kennedy
Habitat Heterogeneity Concentrates Predators In The Seascape: Linking Intermediate-Scale Estuarine Habitat To Striped Bass Distribution, Cristina Kennedy
Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014
Predators are key components of aquatic ecosystems and innovative approaches to understanding their spatial distribution are imperative for research, effective management, and conservation. Discontinuities, created by abrupt changes between two unlike entities, are irregularly-distributed, intermediate-scale features that can have a disproportionate effect on organismal distribution within the seascape. Here I use the discontinuity concept to relate the distribution of a predator, striped bass (Morone saxatilis), to physical features within Plum Island Estuary (PIE), MA. I mapped the distribution of 50 acoustically-tagged striped bass during four monthly surveys at 40 sites to evaluate if heterogeneity in physical features concentrated …
Habitat Use And Seasonal Movement Patterns Of Four-Toed Salamanders (Hemidactylium Scutatum) In Massachusetts, Kimberly O. Vitale
Habitat Use And Seasonal Movement Patterns Of Four-Toed Salamanders (Hemidactylium Scutatum) In Massachusetts, Kimberly O. Vitale
Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014
Understanding the movement phenology of the four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum) is essential to guide management practices. I examined the relationship between environmental variables and the directionality, timing, and magnitude of four-toed salamander movements at two locations in eastern Massachusetts. Four-toed salamanders move from upland habitats to wetland areas in early spring and move away from wetlands in late spring. Adult movements increased with more precipitation and less moon light. Juvenile movements were similarly affected, and in addition they were more likely to move when temperatures were warm and days long. My results can be used to implement management …
Aquatic Barrier Prioritization In New England Under Climate Change Scenarios Using Fish Habitat Quantity, Thermal Habitat Quality, Aquatic Organism Passage, And Infrastructure Sustainability, Alexandra C. Jospe
Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014
Improperly designed road-stream crossings can fragment stream networks by restricting or preventing aquatic organism passage. These crossings may also be more vulnerable to high flow events, putting critical human infrastructure at risk. Climate change, which will require access to suitable habitat for species persistence, and is also predicted to increase the frequency and magnitude of extreme floods, underscores the importance of maintaining stream connectivity and resilient infrastructure. Given the large number of road-stream crossings and the expense of replacement, it is increasingly important to prioritize removals and account for the multiple benefits of these management actions. I developed an aquatic …