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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Determination Of Evolutionary History Of Big Bluestem Populations Through Chloroplast Dna Analysis, Tej Man Tamang
Determination Of Evolutionary History Of Big Bluestem Populations Through Chloroplast Dna Analysis, Tej Man Tamang
Master's Theses
Andropogon gerardii Vitman (big bluestem) is one of the most dominant and widely distributed grasses of the North American prairie. It is widely used in restoration projects for the recovery of grassland ecosystems. A. gerardii demonstrates genetic and adaptive variation among populations across the prairie. With the objective to understand the evolutionary relationship between the A. gerardii populations, two noncoding chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) spacers (rpl32-trnL(UAG) and trnQ(UUG)-rps16) were studied. Similarly, genetic differentiation among the populations was also calculated based on the spacers. The trnQ(UUG)-rps16 spacer had more polymorphic sites than the rpl32-trnL(UAG) spacer. A phylogenetic tree based on combined cpDNA …
Gender Differences In Space-Use Patterns And Microhabitat Characteristics Of Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys Volans) In Northeastern Iowa, Elizabeth G. Bainbridge
Gender Differences In Space-Use Patterns And Microhabitat Characteristics Of Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys Volans) In Northeastern Iowa, Elizabeth G. Bainbridge
Master's Theses
Southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) is common throughout the eastern deciduous forests of the United States, southern Canada, Mexico, and Central America. However, within the state of Iowa G. volans currently is listed as a “species of special concern.” This status is due to general loss of local habitat and lack of information about the species within the state. The state of Iowa has lost a majority of its native land cover over the past century due to intensive agricultural practices. Most native forests have been reduced drastically. The majority of habitat that would be suitable for southern flying squirrel …
Evaluating The Effect Of Water Supplementation On Ring-Necked Pheasant And Mesocarnivore Occupancy In Western Kansas, Brandon L. Calderon
Evaluating The Effect Of Water Supplementation On Ring-Necked Pheasant And Mesocarnivore Occupancy In Western Kansas, Brandon L. Calderon
Master's Theses
A “guzzler” is any structure that stores and supplements water for wildlife populations. They are often used to target economically influential game species where water is thought to be potentially limiting. Upland game, like the ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) in the semi-arid landscape of western Kansas, represent such populations as guzzlers have become common practice in wildlife management applications across the region, especially on lands enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). However, little is known about the spatial response, if any, of wildlife populations to guzzlers or the potential increased risk they pose for predation. From June to August …
Organismal Composition And Photosynthetic Traits Of Biological Soil Crusts In Prairie Ecosystems Ofthe Great Plains, Brendon C. Mccampbell
Organismal Composition And Photosynthetic Traits Of Biological Soil Crusts In Prairie Ecosystems Ofthe Great Plains, Brendon C. Mccampbell
Master's Theses
Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are soil-surface microecosystems composed of a close association of algae, cyanobacteria, fungi, lichens, and non-vascular plants with soil particles. BSCs have several ecological functions including carbon fixation, nitrogen fixation, nutrient relations, soil stabilization, water relations, and floral community development, which make them extremely important in many of the ecosystems where they occur. While BSCs have been studied throughout the American West, little work has been done in the Great Plains region where they are less prominent among the dominant vascular plant communities. This study examined organismal composition and photosynthetic traits of BSCs in four ecosystems within …
A Comparison Of Small Mammal Communities Among Three Habitats In Western North Dakota, Samantha R. Pounds
A Comparison Of Small Mammal Communities Among Three Habitats In Western North Dakota, Samantha R. Pounds
Master's Theses
There is recent oil and natural gas development within western North Dakota, which makes it imperative to update outdated and incomplete small mammal records. Small mammals are vital components to many ecosystems, including grasslands. Small mammals contribute to grazing, seed dispersal, and provide food for other animals. I surveyed small mammals in three habitats, grassland, badland, and wet meadow, in the summers of 2014 and 2015 in western North Dakota. In 2014, I surveyed in 8 badland and 10 grassland habitats and in 2015 I surveyed in 1 badland, 13 grassland, and 4 wet meadow habitats, with 1 transect per …