Life Sciences Commons^™

Prey Selectivity Of Planktivorous Fish: Analysis Of Stomach Contents In Four Pomacentrids At Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, James O'Hare

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Coral reef planktivores are important to coral reefs by concentrating and delivering nutrients and allochthonous carbon from the plankton to reef building corals. In an otherwise very oligotrophic system this function may be of major importance. Planktivorous Damselfish (Pomicentridae) were analysed for prey selectivity through enumeration of stomach contents. Simultaneous plankton tows were conducted to establish the plankton community composition of the waters they were taken from. There was a statistically significant variation between the stomach composition and that of the water column. While there was not a significant difference among Simpson’s diversity indices of the stomach contents, there was …

A Reassessment Of Avian Assemblages Along The Lakes Corridor In The Atherton Tablelands, North Queensland, Shaina N. Stewart

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Forest fragmentation is the process by which large areas of continuous forest are replaced by foreign ecosystems that restrict native growth to isolated patches. Biota remaining within these fragmented environments often suffer consequences that stem from reduced forest area. Wildlife corridors—linear patches of habitat that connect remnant fragments—have frequently been proposed to alleviate fragmentation effects by facilitating biotic movement between forest patches. Initiated in 1998, the Lakes Corridor on the Atherton Tablelands in North Queensland, Australia, connects the two formerly isolated sections of Crater Lakes National Park with the goal of promoting wildlife dispersal between them. This study monitored avian …

Aquatic And Terrestrial Habitat Use Of The Australian Freshwater Turtle, Chelodina Expansa, Ellyn Ercolano

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Organisms select habitats that provide the best possible resources necessary to their survival. Organisms may occupy and utilize a home range which requires specific selection of components in their available habitat. Monitoring the threats to a species within their habitats is a crucial tool in conservation and management practices. The Murray-Darling Basin of south-eastern Australia has suffered alterations to its hydrology, flow regime, catchment size and usage, flooding cycles, as well as from vast removal of vegetation in the floodplains since European settlement in Australia in the mid-nineteenth century. Knowledge of the habitat use of a focal species can guide …

Heifer Tanzania’S Alternate Training Methods: A Study Comparing The Dairy Cow Husbandry Practices Of Farmers Trained In Their Villages By Project Supervisors To Those Of Farmers Trained By The Liti Tengeru Animal Husbandry Training Center, Ciara Lowery

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study was conducted in nine villages near Mount Meru, Tanzania between 14 April 2008 and 1 May 2008. The study question and methods were developed in conjunction with Heifer Tanzania. Heifer is a non-profit organization that provides dairy-cattle and other livestock to farmers in need. Heifer’s agents also provide training in sustainable farming techniques, such as zero-grazing livestock husbandry, and building contours. Some farmers receive this training in their village from a project supervisor, and other farmers are sent to a government facility, Liti Tengeru Animal Husbandry Training Center. The aim of this study was to determine what differences …

Evaluating The Medicinal Properties Of Mandravasarotra (Cinnamosa Sida) Through Chemical And Pharmacological Screening, Henry J. Bowden Jr.

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

I worked for four weeks at the University of Antananarivo (Ankatso), spending two weeks each in the chemistry and pharmacology laboratories. There I ran a total of eight experiments or “screens” with an alcoholic extract of the medicinal plant Mandravasarotra. This plant is found mainly in northwestern Madagascar, and is often used to stimulate contractions for women having difficulty giving birth. The plant tested positive for three secondary metabolites: tannins, steroids and flavanoids. In the pharmacological tests, the plant exhibited anti-inflammatory properties, and high toxicity in doses exceeding 10ml/kg. Together, conjectures may be made between what is known of the …

Analyzing Site Loyalty In Nyctimene Robinsoni At The End Of The Dry Season, Kolleen Nellett

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The loyalty of Nyctimene robinsoni to its daytime roosting sites at the end of the dry season was assessed using radio tracking in Cape Tribulation, far north Queensland, Australia. N. robinsoni is a solitary roosting bat which specializes in figs. Bats were netted in front of a female fruiting Ficus congesta and glue-on transmitters were attached. Bats were then tracked to their daytime roosting sites and GPS coordinates were recorded. Night time positions were also monitored to gather information about how far from its roosting site each bat was foraging. A total of five bats were tagged although only two …

Community Forestry In Oaxaca: An Assessment Of The Level Of Autonomy In Forest Decision-Making And Its Environmental And Economic Importance, Peter Gill

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

A Survey Of The Cockle A. Antiquata, Chumbe Island, Kelsey Jacobsen, Lisl Esherick

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

A survey of the cockle Anadara antiquata’s population was performed on the intertidal zone of Chumbe, a small island located off of Zanzibar, Tanzania. Cockle abundance and size were measured along transects laid parallel to shore at four sites, two sites on the west side and two on the east. The marine and intertidal environments on the western side of the island are protected under Chumbe Island Coral Park (CHICOP), a privately managed Marine Protected Area (MPA). However, small-scale artisanal fisheries including cockle collection by women still occur on the unprotected east side. This study will attempt to evaluate the …

The Effects Of The Makgadikgadi Wildlife Fence On Cattle Populations And Local Cattle Industry, Jenny Hazelhurst, Elliot Vander Kolk

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study was conducted to determine the effects of the erection of the Makgadikgadi wildlife fence along the western border of the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park on cattle populations and livestock owners to the west of the fence. Cattle foraging behavior and movement patterns were recorded using GPS and focal observation methods to determine resource use and pressures affecting the populations. Interviews were also conducted in the area of Meno-a-Kwena camp to examine the effects of the fence on the economics of the local cattle industry. Signs of resource stress were found in the continued selection of poor quality forage, …

Fire Making Fuel: How A Surface Fire In A Primary Forest Affected The Availability Of Potential Fuel One Year Later, Alex Leckie

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Fires affect millions of hectares of tropical forests around the world. These fires result in great environmental damage and economical losses. Many farmers are dependent on fire for managing their lands and many times their fires accidentally spread into forests via fuels on the forest floor. This study attempted to analyze and quantify the difference of potential fuel in a primary forest which burned one year before and an unburned part of the same forest at a primary forest fragment surrounded by farms and with a history of anthropogenic accidental fires burning it. This was done by making three sample …

Wild Bird Banding And Testing For Avian Influenza In The Plain Of Reeds, Vietnam, Kyle Campbell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus H5N1 presents an incredible threat to human and animal health throughout the planet. Little is known about the prevalence of this virus in wild bird populations; however it is evident that the virus has spread throughout most of Asia, Eastern Europe and North Africa through well established migratory flyways. Although H5N1 was first detected in central China, Vietnam has been hit the hardest by this virus, with nearly one hundred human cases to date (World Health Organization, 2006) and one hundred twenty million dollars lost in their poultry industry (Gov. of USA, 2005). Even …

The Effects Of The 2006 Spraying Of Deltamethrin For Tsetse Control On Aquatic Macro-Invertebrates In The Kwando/Linyanti River System, Botswana, Emily Lyczkowski

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The presence of the tsetse fly has historically been an obstacle to the utilization of the resources of the Okavango Delta and the rest of Northern Botswana. In the late 1990’s, an outbreak of trypanosomiasis in cattle, the disease carried by tsetse, prompted the government of Botswana to implement an aerial spraying operation to eradicate the flies. The broad spectrum pesticide deltamethrin was applied over three months in a Northern block of the delta in 2001 and a southern block in 2002. Post-spray monitoring, carried out by the Henry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Center (HOORC), showed that although the pesticide did …

Cows And Colobus (Procolobus Kirkii): Resource-Sharing Habits At Jozani National Park, Emily Walz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Due to population compression, the Zanzibar red colobus monkeys of Jozani have been forced to explore new food options on the ground. I studied the food preferences of this endangered species in the agricultural land adjacent to Jozani National Park and compared it with the species consumed by local cattle that graze in the same space. This information, along with a preliminary behavioral assessment of the red colobus monkeys when near cattle, provides a first look at the food species eaten by both cows and colobus, in addition to documenting some of the direct and indirect interactions that occur between …

Food Item Coloration Of The Common Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri Sciureus): An Analysis Of Color Vision Polymorphism At The Tiputini Biodiversity Station, Stefan Cooper Rosin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Though the genetic and physiological aspects of primate color vision are understood, knowledge of the history and advantage of such an adaptation is currently limited to speculation. It appears that trichromatic color vision arose as a foraging specialization, though there is reason to believe dichromacy, or red-green color blindness, provides unique advantages as well. This study examines the coloration of food items of the common squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus) at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station, Yasuni National Park “buffer zone,” Ecuador. Saimiri is known to be polymorphic with respect to color vision, exhibiting both di- and trichromacy. With the goal of …

Effectiveness Of Cane Toad Eradication Methods: Arakwal National Park, Matthew Miller

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The cane toad (Bufo marinus) is a pest throughout Australia. Not only is it poisonous to native predators, it also consumes or out competes native fauna. It has only recently entered into Northern New South Wales where the site for this study is located, at Arakwal National Park. This study aims to discover the most effective method of cane toad eradication in the National Park.

Over the course of 18 days, three traps were set and rotated between 9 different sites. Traps were set at sunset and cleared at sunrise. The three traps used were; (1) Pitfall style trap by …

Sea Urchin Predation In Misali Island Marine Park, Nicole Esclamado

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The populations of sea urchins and their main predators, triggerfish (Balistidae), wrasses (Labridae) and emperors (Lethrinidae), were studied in the extractive and non-extractive zones of the Misali Island Marine Conservation Area in order to (1) evaluate the applicability of a sea urchin-sea urchin predator model developed in Kenya’s fringing reefs, (2) gain baseline data on Misali’s coral reef, and (3) evaluate the recovery status of the protected zone. This study revealed the predictive power of the sea urchin-sea urchin predator model for the reef ecosystem of Misali Island. As expected, a decline in sea urchin predators as a gross trophic …

Soil Fertility And Changes In Fertilizer Use For Intensive Rice Cultivation In The Red River Delta And Mekong Delta Of Vietnam, Jennifer Soong

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Rice farmers in Vietnam’s Red River Delta and Mekong Delta are now fully addicted to using fertilizers to sustain intensive rice production. The introduction of high yielding rice varieties in the late 1960’s brought with it the ability to grow crops continuously throughout year, and the need to supplement natural soil conditions with both organic and inorganic fertilizers. Rice yields have increased rapidly in the past 40 years. If intensive agriculture is to continue producing the high yields that Vietnam has come to expect, however, proper management of fertilizer use must begin now. In this study, three intensive rice fields …

The Effect Of Human Predation, Rats And Goats On Small Colonies Of Wedge-Tailed Shearwaters (Puffinus Pacificus) In Southwest Madagascar, Alexis P. Will

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Three islands: Betsiboko, Jamanjaky Be and Jamanjaky Roa, off the coast of Morombe in Southwest Madagascar were visited in November 2005 to verify the existence and evaluate the health of wedge-tailed shearwater (Puffinus pacificus) colonies that were described by Otto Appert in the 1960’s (Hawkins (a) 2005; Hawkins (b) 2005). These three islands experience varying degrees of human use, ranging from low: light human predation on shearwater chicks, to high: the presence of domestic animals, collecting fuelwood on the island and more intensive harvesting of chicks. Interviews were conducted with the local Vezo (fishing) people to quantify the human predation …

The Survival Of The Central American Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri Oerstedi): The Habitat And Behavior Of A Troop On The Burica Peninsula In A Conservation Context, Liana Burghardt

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The conservation status of Central American Squirrel monkeys (Saimiri oerstedi) on the far southern coast of Peninsula Burica in Panama was assessed over the course of a 13 day study period. Four troops of squirrel monkeys (67 individuals) were located on the southern coast of Peninsula Burica. Using information from local sources it can be estimated that up to 7 troops (157 individuals) live in the 7-8 km2 study site. These troops are sharing an estimated 80 ha of habitat which compared to past studies is a fairly low amount of habitat.

One troop of squirrel monkeys which is fed …

La Flore Qui A Faim : Une Enquête Chimique, Biologique Et Culturelle De La Dimorphisme Rouge/Verte Et Les Applications Médicinales De Nepenthes Madagascariensis, Keirnan Willett

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Le Nepenthes madagascariensis est une plante carnivore endémique du côté sud-est de Madagascar qui attirent la proie arthropode (insectes, araignées etc.) en employant les bouts de feuilles convertis en forme des pichets ou urnes. Après d’être attiré par le suc au bord de l’urne, les insectes devint désorientés, perdent la traction et se coulent dans le liquide riche en enzymes digestifs au dessous (14). Les substances nutritives des cadavres sont absorbées par la plante en compensant pour la lacune d’azote dans le sol. Les couvercles des urnes expriment une couleur rouge ou verte. Notre étude examine les différences chimiques et …

Natural Loggers: Leaf Cutter Ants As Pests In Northwestern Ecuador, Aaron Honig

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The biological world is under attack. All across the world in every continent and sub-continent biological diversity is rapidly decreasing (Wilson, 1999). As the human population continues to exponentially increase, especially in Third World countries where biological diversity reaches its peak, countless diverse biological habitats are threatened by accelerating human consumption and the growing needs of growing human populations. In Ecuador, only 1% of the original tropical forest remains, as a result of the accelerating need of viable agricultural tracts for Ecuador’s relatively poor farmers, as well as the unsustainable harvest of valuable hardwood tree species endemic to Ecuador’s primary …

Playback Experiments Using Regional Duets And Solos: Territoriality In The Grey-Breasted Wood Wren In Eastern Andean Ecuador, Arathi Govind

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In this study, playback experiments were conducted on the Grey-breasted Wood Wren, H. leucophrys, at Yanayacu Biological Research Station and Center for Creative Studies in Ecuador. This study was conducted in order to see how reactive the birds were towards duets from the area, solos from the area, and duets from other regions of the country. Pairs were expected to react more strongly towards duets than solos and familiar duets stronger than unfamiliar ones. Two different playback experiments were conducted. In the first experiment, six different pairs were chosen along with four different song types, a Yanayacu duet, a male …

A Comparison Of Anuran Species Richness Between Primary And Secondary Forest In São Francisco Do Pará, Michael Reichert

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Deforestation in the Amazon has become a serious conservation issue. The process of destruction of primary forest results in the creation of secondary forest that differs from primary forest in a number of important ways. Anurans (frogs and toads) are one group that may be affected by the loss of primary forest and creation of secondary forest areas, and are an important focus for conservation efforts. Previous studies on anuran reactions to loss of primary forest have been few and inconclusive. This study examined anuran species richness in an area of primary and secondary forest in order to determine whether …

Assessment Of The Artisanal Shark Fishery And Local Shark Fin Trade On Unguja Island, Zanzibar, Deborah Schaeffer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study investigates the current state of the directed artisanal shark fishery off Unguja Island, Zanzibar, with a focus on the East Asian shark fin trade and its impact on the utilization of this valuable marine resource. The study concentrates on the two fish markets in Stone Town: Malindi and Darajani. Large fish are brought to these markets both from nearby waters and from other coastal towns on the island. Data was gathered through observation of the type and number of sharks landed, fishing practices employed, and sale of shark products, particularly fins. Local fin traders and exporters were interviewed …

Efectos De Las Plantaciones De Árboles Exóticos Y El Movimiento Mapuche, Shannon Ryan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This is a paper about my interpretations of the forest industry in the IX region of Chile and the effects it has as I saw and heard about them from the people I talked to. It is not an objective paper and my own perspective is evident throughout. What I think brings credibility to the paper is the fact that it reveals a reality that I experienced directly, in the communities and offices of the people who lives are effected by the plantations. I realize that a great deal of the paper sounds very sensationalized, but it is because I …