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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 …
Strong Women Breaking Ground: Roles Of Women In Agriculture In Michigan, April L. Shirey
Strong Women Breaking Ground: Roles Of Women In Agriculture In Michigan, April L. Shirey
Masters Theses
Agriculture in Michigan is changing. While the number of farms and farmers continue to decrease, women are increasingly taking on the role of farmer instead of the “farmer’s wife”. The number of female producers increased from 8,275 to 26,059 where the number of producers in Michigan decreased from 56,014 to 47,641 from 2007 to 2017 (USDA, 2007, 2017). Women are becoming the face of farming in Michigan, yet little research examines the impacts of these shifts. In this research, I conduct semi-structured interviews with female farmers throughout lower Michigan beginning in the summer of 2020 to learn more about these …
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 …
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 …