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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Ecological Effects Of Genotypic Diversity On Community And Ecosystem Function, Megan K. Kanaga
Ecological Effects Of Genotypic Diversity On Community And Ecosystem Function, Megan K. Kanaga
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023
Genotypic diversity within populations can have important evolutionary consequences, but the ecological effects of intraspecific genetic variation on community and ecosystem function have only been studied in a few systems. I present the results of a three-year study designed to address the ecological impacts of genotypic diversity in quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), using aspen genotypes planted across genotypic diversity levels (monoculture and mixture) and watering treatment levels (well-watered and water-limited). First, I demonstrated that significant variation exists among genotypes for a wide range of growth, morphological and physiological traits, and quantified high heritability and coefficient of genetic variation …
Patch-Scale Effects Of An Invasive Ecosystem Engineer On The Structure And Function Of A Eutrophic Stream, Samuel J. Hochhalter
Patch-Scale Effects Of An Invasive Ecosystem Engineer On The Structure And Function Of A Eutrophic Stream, Samuel J. Hochhalter
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023
Recent theoretical and technological advances in ecosystem science have dramatically expanded the ways in which scientists can pursue and explore ecological questions. For my thesis research, I integrated the recent theoretical concept of organisms as ecosystem engineers with the relatively recent development of stable isotope tracer tests to ask the question: how does the invasive common carp affect stream ecosystem structure and function? To investigate the structuring role of carp, I measured autotroph seasonal distribution and abundance and macroinvertebrate seasonal abundance and diversity within two stream reaches in Spring Creek, Utah, USA; one with low carp biomass (LCB) and one …