Life Sciences Commons^™

A Study Of Habitat Preference For The Aestivation Of The Alfalfa Weevil Hyper Postica (Curculionidae: Coleoftera), Donald D. Myers

Masters Theses

Habitat prefernce for the aestivation of Hyper postica was researched by the sampling of field borders. Sampling methods by the sampling of field borders. Sampling methods included soil and vegetative litter collection, sweeping of borders with an insect net and emergence trapping of wooded and grass habitat. Fields were swept once a week to determine if H. postica returned to the field before the winter season. The methods resulted in the following findings: Weevils do not aestivate litter. Data from sweeping indicated that weevils prefer areas that include alfalfa and grasses. Results of observations implied that there is a direct …

The Paleoecology Of Carbonaceous (Algal) Material In The Middle Devonian Rockport Quarry Limestone Of The Northeastern Portion Of Michegan's Lower Peninsula, Jeffrey Dean Spruit

Masters Theses

The Rockport Quarry Limestone of the Lower Traverse Group represents a sequence of laterally contemporaneous carbonate platform sediments characterized in outcrop by four facies: (l) stromatoporoid biolithite, (2) organic-mud packstone, (3) biolithite-micrite transition, and (4) micrite. In facies (l), (2) and (3) dark brown 4-micron microspheres are found grouped or singly in wispy seams of brown carbonaceous material. Three species of filamentous blue-green algae were discovered in insoluble residues of facies (l) and (2). Numerous lamellar stromatoporoids and solitary corals occur with the carbonaceous-rich sediment in facies (l). Coalescing lenses of crinoid and bryozoan debris occur with the carbonaceous sediment …

Vegetation Of Sandstone Outcrops Of The Cumberland Plateau, Bretta Elaine Perkins

Masters Theses

Plant communities of sandstone outcrops in six research areas on the Cumberland Plateau are determined as follows. Sample plots were distributed within four subjectively delineated life form zones: (1) Lithophyte Zone (substrate is bare rock), (2) Cryptogam-Herb Zone (usually some soil; no woody plants), (3) Shrub-Herb Zone (some soil; woody plants); and (4) Tree Zone (trees predominate). Three strata were sampled within each zone as appropriate: (1) trees and saplings, (2) other vascular plants, and (3) non-vascular plants. Cover was estimated for each species within each sample plot. Samples within each stratum of each zone were then grouped into communities …

Control Of Eating Behavior: An Evaluation Of The Effects Of Serving Less Preferred Foods Prior To The Meal On Preschoolers' Eating, Paul Joseph Smith Knight

Masters Theses

This study investigated the effects of serving less preferred foods (vegetables) prior to the noon meal on: (1) The amount of vegetables eaten. (2) The variety of different vegetables eaten. (3) The number of servings of vegetables requested by the children. A plate containing 10 grams each of six different vegetables was served under one of two conditions: (1) Alone, 10 minutes prior to the main meal. (2) With the main meal for the first 10 minutes. A third condition allowed for the children to request any one of the six vegetables as an addition to their main meal. The …

The Effect Of Storm Sewer Drainage On An Urban Lake, Jose Ignacio Aizpurua

Masters Theses

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the impact from normal precipitation (ra in , snow) into an urbanized lake during 1978- 1980. Several stations were chosen, and various limnological parameters were investigated. Chemical analyses were used to estimate the annual load of nutrients input into the lake by the storm sewer and surface runoff. Excessive phosphorus and nitrogen loads from these sources were discharged into the lake.

Fecal coliform distribution in the lake before, during, and after several storm events was studied. In general, fecal coliform counts increased after storm events. Peak concentrations decreased markedly with distance of the …

Some Aspects Of Amino Acid Regulation In The Tobacco Hornworm, Manduca Sexta, J. Michael Henry

Masters Theses

The nature and roles of the high free amino acid levels found in the haemolymph of insects is poorly understood. In order to elicit aspects of the regulation and metabolism of haemolymph free amino acids, we have measured the concentrations, half-lives, turnover rates and rate of incorporation into haemolymph proteins for eight amino acids in the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta immediately prior to and throughout the larval-pupal transformation. Throughout this period the concentrations of alanine, arginine, glutamate, histidine, leucine, lysine, proline and valine each exhibited stage specific variations seemingly independent of blood volumes and levels of other amino acids. Half-lives …

An Examination Of The Seed Rain And Seed Bank And Evidence Of Seed Exchange Between A Beech Gap And A Spruce Forest In The Great Smoky Mountains, Noel Bruce Pavlovic

Masters Theses

The vegetation, seed rain, and seed banks were examined in a beech gap and a spruce stand in the high elevations Smoky Mountains to quantify the seed exchanges between these two plant communities. This information is of interest because these beech gaps are believed to be slowly invaded by Picea rubens along the abrupt boundary between the stands.

Five transects of seed traps were set up perpendicular to the boundary, extending into each community. Sticky and gravity traps were placed at preset intervals along the transects to collect seed rain for one year. At each seed rain sample site a …

Reproductive Biology Of Black Bears In The Smoky Mountains Of Tennessee, John Heinrich Eiler

Masters Theses

Information related to the reproductive biology of female black bears (Ursus americanus) was collected in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Denning and weight information were also collected.

The majority of females utilized tree dens. The denning period averaged 114 days, with most females entering dens during the first 3 weeks of December and emerging from dens between the first and last week of April. Females with newborn cubs denned longer and emerged from dens later than females without offspring. The date of den emergence for females for females was used to effectively predict reproductive condition (with newborn cubs or without …

The Influence Of Age, Dietary Protein, And Calorie Restriction On Serum Cholesterol And Triglycerides In The Male Rat, Gary Wayne Young

Masters Theses

The effects of age, dietary protein, and caloric restriction on serum cholesterol and triglycerides were studied in l and 2 year old male Wistar rats fed ad libitum or restricted. Ad libitum animals were fed diets low (12%), medium (20%), or high (28%) in casein throughout the life cycle. Restricted animals were fed diets either low (18%), medium (30%), or high (42%) in casein. The latter groups were fed the same absolute amounts of protein but two-thirds of the calories as determined from the feed intakes of the ad libitum-fed rats. Two additional ad libitum-fed groups were fed diets increased …

Comparisons Among Dietary Parameters For Wayne County, Tennessee, Homemakers, Preschool Children, And Families Enrolled In The Expanded Food And Nutrition Education Program, Patsy A. Ezell

Masters Theses

This study was conducted in conjunction with the Wayne County Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service. The primary objectives of the study were to compare EFNEP dietary scores (based on the number of servings from the four food groups) of homemakers with scores for foods served to all family members, to compare the dietary scoring method currently in use by EFNEP with scores derived from nutrient analysis, and to identify factors which may influence low income homemakers to eat differently than other family members.

The study involved 45 families, homemakers, and preschool children enrolled in …

Vegetation Patterns A Half Century Following The Chestnut Blight In The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Ernesto Arends

Masters Theses

Vegetation patterns approximately 50 years after the chestnut blight were examined in forest stands of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Specific objectives of this study were: (1) to determine the present composition of replacement stands following the elimination of chestnut, (2) to examine selected site factors and to relate them to tree species composition, (3) to project future trends in the composition of the replacement stands, and (4) to compare these results with earlier results and predictions of Wood and Shanks (1959) concerning chestnut replacement in the same area.

Data were analyzed from 38 sample plots ranging from 2000 …

Scheduling Labor And Equipment In A Cook Chill Food Production System, Martha Jane Antrobus

Masters Theses

Hospital foodservice productivity is an area where improvement is important, particularly in light of the current emphasis on cost containment in the health care field. In a foodservice system productivity is measured by input/output ratio. Resources are the system's inputs. There is little information on the effect on productivity of variation in quantity of resources and sequencing of operations, the basic aspects of scheduling.

The COST ARREST model was recommended as a tool for management decision-making and productivity monitoring in a foodservice system. The program was used to study the effect of varying labor time and activity sequencing on entree …

Serum And Whole Blood Parameters Of Black Bears In The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Diane Keiser Beeman

Masters Theses

During the summers of 1974, 1975, and 1976, blood samples were taken from 124 black bears (Ursus americanus) captured in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Hematological data were collected on 96 individual bears and serum parameters on 124 bears.

Counts of red cells, white cells, and platelets were performed on whole blood as well as determinations of hemoglobin concentration and hematocrits. Corrected white cell counts, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were calculated. Serum samples were analyzed for glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, sodium, potassium, chloride, carbon dioxide, uric acid, …

Benthic Insect Community Structure In Cumberland Mountain Streams Twenty-Five Years After Coal Strip Mining, Elizabeth B. Williams

Masters Theses

In order to evaluate long-term impacts of coal strip mining on small stream benthic fauna in the Cumberland Mountains of east Tennessee, four streams, two in watersheds mined twenty-five years ago and two undisturbed, were sampled monthly for six months, January through June, 1979. Benthos was sampled by collecting eight Surber samples, each two ft.² in area, from similar riffles in each stream. At the collection sites pH, dissolved o₂, and velocity were measured. Water samples were analyzed in the laboratory for alkalinity and hardness (measured as mg/1 CaCO₃) and dissolved Fe and SO_{4 …}

Moss Sensitivity To Sulfur Dioxide, John W. Wilcut

Masters Theses

Extensive research regarding the effects of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) on vascular and nonvascular plants has been reported. Sulfur dioxide has been shown to interrupt normal metabolism, to interrupt normal reproduction, and to alter the plant's morphology.

One hypothesis regarding the lack of bryophytes in urban areas is that the life cycle is being interrupted. It has been shown that moss protonemata are sensitive to SO₂ concentrations in urban areas. Several authors noted that sexual reproduction is blocked among many species which do occur in urban environments. Observations on protonemal sensitivity are probably more important than the observations …

A Trophic Analysis Of Three Species Of Elmidae From Polecat And Riley Creeks, Coles County, Ill., Robert D. Davis Jr.

Masters Theses

The food habits of Stenelmis sexlineata, Stenelmis vittipennis, Stenelmis crenata, and larval Stenelmis were studied in Polecat and Riley Creeks, Coles County, Illinois. Rock Scrapings were taken and compared with the gut analyses of the larval and adult beetles. These beetles were found to be scraper/collectors and detritivore/herbivores, generally scraping surfaces of rocks. Detritus, green algae, and diatoms were found to be the major categories present in both the rock scrapings and the gut analyses. The cellular contents of diatoms (chloroplasts and other cytoplasmic inclusions) were digested by the beetles. No conclusions regarding feeding preferences are made, …

April Foods And Parasites Of Wild Turkeys In Northcentral Illinois, Kathleen M. Andrews

Masters Theses

Attempts prior to the late 1950's to reintroduce the eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) to much of its original range were through releases of game-farm reared, hybrid turkeys. While most releases throughout the eastern United States were complete failures, a remnant population of hybrid turkeys has survived in Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois. In 1981, the Illinois Department of Conservation opened a spring, gobbler-only hunting season in these counties. The purpose of this study was to compare April foods and parasites of the hybrid turkeys with results from studies on truly wild turkeys in southern Illinois. Crops, …

Annual Marks In The Sagittae Otoliths Of The Bluegill And Their Use In Age Determination In A Thermally Perturbed Environment, William D. Kraus

Masters Theses

This investigation was undertaken to determine if annual marks were present in the otoliths of the Bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus, and to explore their possible use as ageing structures in a thermally perturbed environment.

Two populations were studied; one from a farm pond with marked seasonal changes and the other from Lake Sanchris which serves as a cooling reservoir in central Illinois. Age determinations were made on 53 and 45 fish from the farm pond and Lake Sanchris respectively.

Annual marks were found to occur in the sagittae otoliths of the bluegill. These marks showed bright amber in sectioned …

A Key To The Hepaticae Of Coles And Clark Counties, Illinois, Michael J. Klopmeyer

Masters Theses

This study represents a taxonomic survey of the hepaticae of east-central Illinois. The counties included in this study were Coles and Clark, located in the east-central portion of the state, near the Indiana stateline. Of the areas included in this study, two are in Clark county, Rocky Branch and Rocky Hollow, and one in Coles county, Rock's Park.

The influence of the Wisconsin glacier, and its terminal moraine located in southern Coles county, greatly influenced the topography and ultimately the specific habitats for the hepaticae. The majority of the liverworts encountered in these counties are found in the numerous sandstone …

Bryophytes Of Rocky Branch Nature Preserve, Clark County, Illinois, David C. Burnette

Masters Theses

An extensive field survey of the Rocky Branch Nature Preserve in Clark County, Illinois, revealed a total of 52 bryophyte species. Of these, 38 were mosses and 14 were liverworts. Descriptions, habitats and distribution comments, plus a map showing the county distributions for each species in Illinois are included.

As a result of this survey, the liverwort Nardia lescurii (Aust.) Underw. is a new addition to the bryoflora of Illinois. There were also several other bryophytes found that were previously unreported for Clark County or the Rocky Branch Nature Preserve. These include Rhynchostegium pulchellum (Hedw.) Robins var. pulchellum, Isopterygium …

A Factor Analysis Of Physical Fitness Components For Seventh Grade Chinese Students, Chen-Hsing Huang

Masters Theses

The main purpose of this study is to explore the basic elements of physical fitness, which can serve as a source for the construction of a physical fitness test for Chinese students. The subjects of this study are 100 male seventh grade students of junior high school in Kaohsiung City, Republic of China.

A physical fitness test consisting of 29 subtests was devised and used as the basis for the investigation. Data collected from tests were analyzed by means of factor analysis and resulting in the following:

I. Seven basic elements that account for physical fitness were found. They were …

Daily Growth Increments In The Otoliths Of Young-Of-The-Year Largemouth Bass, Micropterus Salmoides, Steven J. Miller

Masters Theses

Daily rings were found to occur in the otoliths of laboratory-reared, young-of-the-year largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, for at least 151 days after swimup. Ring formation began at hatching but the total complement of prolarval rings was visible for only 10-15 days after swimup. Subdaily rings were visible in the posterior field but were easily distinguished from daily rings. Both high and low contrast tissue was present in otoliths from fish over 45 days old. Sagittal sections were superior to frontal sections for aging bass. The accuracy of the two-sections was similiar but sagittal sections were much easier and faster …

Correlation Of Hook-And-Line Vulnerability Of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Salmoides) With Selected Physicochemical Parameters At Ridge Lake, Dale P. Burkett

Masters Theses

Fluctuation in kilograms of largemouth bass caught per man-hour of fishing pressure (catch rate) in Ridge Lake (a 6.8ha impoundment located in Fox Ridge State Park, Coles County, Illinois) was positively correlated with dissolved oxygen concentration (r=0.7490), conductivity (r=0.7439), pH (r=0.5965), and alkalinity (r=0.7531). Negative correlations were found between largemouth bass catch rate and turbidity (r=-0.5145), as well as ammonia (r=-0.4694). No significant (p<0.05) correlations were found between catch rate and column water temperature, air temperature, barometric pressure, water level, maximum water temperature, minimum water temperature, maximum air temperature, or minimum air temperature.

Models describing the relationships of the most significant physicochemical parameters to catch rate of largemouth bass were chosen to represent the effects of environment …

A Survey Of Selected Economic Plants, Virgil S. Priebe

Masters Theses

A library research project was done to gain information on the ethnic uses of plants cited in C. B. Arzeni and B. N. McKnight's "Ethnobotany", a workbook used in conjunction with Botany classes 2320 and 5452 offered at Eastern Illinois University at Charleston. The workbook represents a series of exercises on plants and their impact and importance to man. At present, there is no single book that offers explanations and comments on the diversity of plants that appear in this workbook. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to bring together such information in one work, with the hope that …

A Redescription Of Spironoura Duyagi From The Stomach Of Malayan Box Turtles (Cuora Amboinensis), Rex A. Kuye

Masters Theses

Two hundred and twenty-six worms taken from the stomachs of three Malayan box turtles (Cuora amboinensis) were studied. The worms were identified as Spironoura spp., and their numerical measurements and morphological details compared to other described species in the genus. The nematodes, generally, conformed to published descriptions of Spironoura duyagi, but varied so widely with regards to presence or absence of key diagnostic features that a complete taxonomic analysis was undertaken.

Gastrointestinal Cestodes And Nematodes Of Coyotes From Southeastern Illinois, Valerie Keener

Masters Theses

Gastrointestinal tracts of 45 coyotes, Canis latrans, from southeastern Illinois were examined for cestodes and nematodes. The following parasites and incidences (%) were observed: Taenia sp. (71.1); Physaloptera sp. (53.3); Ancylostoma sp. (20.0); Ascarididae (11.1); Thelazia sp. (2.2); Trichuris sp. (2.2); Uncinaria sp. (2.2). Ancylostoma sp. occurred significantly more often in juveniles than adults. Parasites averaged low numbers per coyote, and no ulceration or blood in the tracts was seen.

Three-Dimensional Home Range Of The Eastern Fox Squirrel, Sciurus Niger, Joi L. Augustin

Masters Theses

Standard procedures for presenting home range data for species such as the fox squirrel on a single plane do not adequately represent the space they occupy. Comparisons of techniques for presenting the home range of this species on a three-dimensional basis were made using data obtained by direct observations of color marked squirrels. Three-dimensional ellipsoid models of their range varied from 9,154 m³ to 63,811 m³ and were assumed to be more accurate when observation points approached 50 in number. Rectangular parallelepipeds for the same data ranged from 9,784 m³ to 56,836 m³ and resulted in …

The Distribution And Relative Abundance Of Aquatic Oligochaeta In The Upper Cache River System, Southern Illinois, In Relation To Water Quality, Mark Julian Wetzel

Masters Theses

Species composition, distribution, abundance, and water quality relationships of aquatic oligochaetes occurring in the upper Cache River system, southern Illinois were investigated. Forty-two taxa of oligochaetes including 16 naidids, 22 tubificids and representatives of the families Aeolosomatidae, Branchiobdellidae, Enchytraeidae, and Lumbriculidae were collected. Four species of oligochaetes new to Illinois, Limnodrilus psammophilus Loden, L. rubripenis Loden, Psammoryctides (Spencerius) californianus Brinkhurst, and Haemonais waldvogeli Bretscher were collected during this study. Another species of Limnodrilus new to science is reported here, as yet undescribed. The thesis that aquatic oligochaetes can be used as true water quality indicator organisms is rejected. It is …

Description And Taxonomic Importance Of Penial Morphology In The Cryptodiran Turtles Of Malaysia, Lynn D. Wike

Masters Theses

This paper investigates the use of penial structure to study the relationships among the turtles of peninsular Malaysia. The penial morphology of Malaysian turtles, mainly batagurines, has not been previously described. Herein penes of 12 Malaysian species are described and compared to three Nearctic species. Each was coded for 22 penial characters which were used for numerical analysis by the NT-SYS numerical taxonomy system of multivariate statistical proceedures. The analysis failed to distinguish groups below the family level when the 15 species were tested. The test also failed to distinguish the complexes within the Batagurinae when they were analyzed separately. …