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Articles 1 - 11 of 11
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Comparing Macroinvertebrate Total Abundance And Total Biomass On Five Substrate Types From Upstream To Downstream On The North Branch Of The Au Sable River, Paul David Dingman
Comparing Macroinvertebrate Total Abundance And Total Biomass On Five Substrate Types From Upstream To Downstream On The North Branch Of The Au Sable River, Paul David Dingman
Masters Theses
The North Branch of the Au Sable River is located in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan and is known for prolific hatches of Ephemeroptera (mayflies), Trichoptera (caddisflies), and Plecoptera (stoneflies). Macroinvertebrates play an important role in processing and recycling organic material in rivers and are a valuable food source for trout. In 2018, anglers were reporting catching fewer numbers of brook and brown trout (Salmo trutta and Salvelinus fontinalis). The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) determined significantly lower abundance than the historical average. We hypothesized that trout abundances were lower due to a lack of prey …
Effects Of Shoreline And Watershed Development On Eastern Lake Michigan Drowned River Mouth Ecology, Megan M. Mader, Carl R. Ruetz Iii
Effects Of Shoreline And Watershed Development On Eastern Lake Michigan Drowned River Mouth Ecology, Megan M. Mader, Carl R. Ruetz Iii
Masters Theses
Lake Michigan’s drowned river mouths (DRM) are hydrologically unique systems with riverine and large-lake influences that create biologically diverse ecosystems. Serving as focal points for human development due to the ecosystem services they provide, DRMs have experienced a history of industrialization, urbanization, and are now moving towards an era of rehabilitation. Today, DRM shorelines have been hardened, their riparian zones have been severely altered, and their watersheds exist on a latitudinal gradient of less to greater anthropogenic stress (agriculture and development). The main goal of this study was to understand the current ecological state of DRMs related to anthropogenic development …
Effects Of Fire Season And Temperature On A Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea Stoebe) Infested Grassland, Zachery T. Pitman
Effects Of Fire Season And Temperature On A Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea Stoebe) Infested Grassland, Zachery T. Pitman
Masters Theses
Invasive species, including the non-native forb Centaurea stoebe (spotted knapweed), constitute an imminent threat to degraded and restored native prairies. Considering the major threat that C. stoebe poses to imperiled prairie ecosystems, I examined the effectiveness of fire as a control agent of C. stoebe and (±)-catechin. I conducted a 2-year experiment in part of a restored tallgrass prairie community at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute in Barry County, Michigan between May and August of 2016 and 2017. My experiment consisted of individually burning 60 1-m² plots with a propane torch to achieve high (316° C) and low (103° C) temperatures …
Home-Range Dynamics And Resource Selection Of American Marten (Martes Americana) In Michigan’S Northern Lower Peninsula, Angela Kujawa
Home-Range Dynamics And Resource Selection Of American Marten (Martes Americana) In Michigan’S Northern Lower Peninsula, Angela Kujawa
Masters Theses
American marten (Martes americana) are typically associated with mature coniferous forests. Marten were extirpated from Michigan’s Lower Peninsula due to human impacts, such as fire, logging, and over-harvest. Little is known about the resource selection and distribution of marten in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula since their reintroduction in 1985-86. Resource selection functions are valuable tools to estimate the relative probability an animal will utilize an area and predict where they may occur. When creating a resource selection function, potential sources of variation in data collection methods and wildlife populations should be considered to ensure accurate results. We sought …
Implementing Sustainable Literacy In Grand Rapids, Mi, Joe Neikirk, Hannah Swanson, Sam Blumer
Implementing Sustainable Literacy In Grand Rapids, Mi, Joe Neikirk, Hannah Swanson, Sam Blumer
LIB 322: Wicked Problems of Sustainability
Recognizing the dimensions and complexity of wicked problems, Phoenix Farms has decided to address the issue of sustainable illiteracy in Western Michigan. With a goal to work with local stakeholders, we have partnered with Sonder Farms in order to develop advertisements and classes aimed to raise awareness about, and interest in, sustainability. This partnership with Sonder Farms, a self-sustaining farm located in the Grand Rapids and Allendale communities, has given us the opportunity to put our skills, knowledge, and values to use in our local community. Sonder Farms practices conventional farming as well as aquaponics. Their hope is to target …
Resting Site Characteristics Of American Marten In The Northern Lower Peninsula Of Michigan, Robert L. Sanders
Resting Site Characteristics Of American Marten In The Northern Lower Peninsula Of Michigan, Robert L. Sanders
Masters Theses
American marten are usually associated with forests that are characteristically late successional, closed canopy, and diverse in structure; attributes that meet habitat requirements and provide resting site structures. Resting site structures are required habitat components that are used daily and provide protection from predation and inclement weather. I identified resting site characteristics of American marten in the Manistee National Forest in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula from May 2011 to December 2013. Twenty five marten (15 male and 10 female) were monitored using radio telemetry to identify what types of resting sites structures were used. I identified 522 unique resting site structures; …
Climate Change And Metapopulation Implications For Species Re/Introductions: A Spatial Analysis Of Suitable Habitat For The American Marten (Martes Americana) In Northern Michigan, Joshua Michael Green
Climate Change And Metapopulation Implications For Species Re/Introductions: A Spatial Analysis Of Suitable Habitat For The American Marten (Martes Americana) In Northern Michigan, Joshua Michael Green
Masters Theses
The American marten (Martes americana), which was extirpated from Michigan by 1939 due to logging and trapping, has cultural significance as a clan animal to Great Lakes Native American Tribes and ecological significance as a forest health indicator. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SBD) is considering reintroduction, but several factors must first be considered in assessing the habitat suitability. The goals of this study were to 1) enhance an existing habitat suitability model by including additional relevant variables, 2) conduct a spatial analysis of the habitat within the study area using a metapopulation perspective and 3) incorporate climate …
Winter Habitat Selection And Genetic Relatedness Of Southern Flying Squirrels In Southwest Michigan, Sheila M. Miara
Winter Habitat Selection And Genetic Relatedness Of Southern Flying Squirrels In Southwest Michigan, Sheila M. Miara
Masters Theses
Few studies have examined winter habitat selection for southern flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans) in northern latitudes where winter conditions are harsher than southern latitudes and resource availability is particularly limiting. Winter den tree characteristics and use by 19 southern flying squirrels (10 females and 9 males) were investigated from November through February in 2010-2011 and 2011-2012. The mean home range size using 100% minimum convex polygon for 18 individuals was 3.40 ha (±0.46 0.46 SE) and there was no significant difference between genders (P= 0.56) or ages (P=0.50). The mean 95% fixed kernel home range size was 0.15 …
Sublethal Exposure To Two Alkylphenolic Compounds And Their Influence On Development, Growth And Reproductive Behavior Of Crayfish, Steven J. Gauthier, Daniel A. Bergman
Sublethal Exposure To Two Alkylphenolic Compounds And Their Influence On Development, Growth And Reproductive Behavior Of Crayfish, Steven J. Gauthier, Daniel A. Bergman
Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts
Invertebrates make up much of the world's biological diversity. Their survival is fundamental to the maintenance of all life, and their ubiquitous distribution is useful when using them as biological indicators of pollution. Many invertebrate species are under threat of extinction due to exposure to various chemical pollutants. Crayfish are an important invertebrate that is affected by chemical pollutants, such as pesticide/herbicide runoff and industrial waste effluents. Crayfish are considered keystone species because they are an important resource for other species and consequently influence diversity and abundance. For these reasons, crayfish are important in terms of better understanding the effects …
Examination Of Crayfish Biodiversity And Distribution Within The Grand River, Michigan, Norrissa M. Thomas, Daniel A. Bergman
Examination Of Crayfish Biodiversity And Distribution Within The Grand River, Michigan, Norrissa M. Thomas, Daniel A. Bergman
Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts
Invertebrates make up a large part of the world's biological diversity and perform essential ecological functions. Many invertebrates are under threat of extinction due to extreme transformations of habitats. Crayfish are one such threatened invertebrate. Crayfish are keystone species in many freshwater systems. Keystone species are those species most important in shaping the ecology of a system. Crayfish are an important resource for many animals and affect species diversity and abundance. Specifically, crayfish can adversely affect ecosystems by removing plants, making the water turbid. They also prey on fish eggs reducing their numbers. There are 415 species of crayfish in …
Sampling A Littoral Fish Assemblage: Comparison Of Small-Mesh Fyke Netting And Boat Electrofishing, Carl R. Ruetz Iii, Donald G. Uzarski, Damon M. Krueger, Edward S. Rutherford
Sampling A Littoral Fish Assemblage: Comparison Of Small-Mesh Fyke Netting And Boat Electrofishing, Carl R. Ruetz Iii, Donald G. Uzarski, Damon M. Krueger, Edward S. Rutherford
Peer-reviewed scientific publications
We compared small-mesh (4-mm) fyke netting and boat electrofishing for sampling a littoral fish assemblage in Muskegon Lake, Michigan. We hypothesized that fyke netting selects for small-bodied fishes and electrofishing selects for large-bodied fishes. Three sites were sampled during May (2004 and 2005), July (2005 only), and September (2004 and 2005). We found that the species composition of captured fish differed considerably between fyke netting and electrofishing based on nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). Species strongly associated with fyke netting (based on NMDS and relative abundance) included the brook silverside Labidesthes sicculus, banded killifish Fundulus diaphanus, round goby Neogobius melanostomus, mimic …