Life Sciences Commons^™

Beetle Diversity In Temperate Deciduous Forests With Different Management History In Central Illinois, Syue Ru Chien

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Is Context Dependency Imperative To Understanding The Impacts Of Invasive Plants?, Brendan B. Haile

Masters Theses

Introduced exotic species have a tendency to become invasive and impact local biological communities. Invasions often impact community attributes such as cover and species richness, but these factors may also regulate patterns of invasion. In such cases, impacts may be dependent on the invasion context. We used data from the Buell-Small Succession Study, a long-term permanent plot study in the piedmont region of New Jersey, to document context dependency in invasion. To do this, we analyzed the factors that affected the colonization and growth of four invasive species, Alliaria petiolata, Lonicera japonica, Microstegium vimineum and Rosa multiflora, as well …

The Effect Of Self-Recognition In The Competition Between Genets Of Solidago Altissima, Charles Jaques

Masters Theses

Competition is a major driving force in the abundance, distribution, and diversity within any biological system. Plants are more likely to suffer reductions in fitness as a consequence of competition, as they typically occur in dense communities. Individuals within these populations must respond to both inter- and intraspecific competition. Recent studies suggest that the ability to distinguish kin from non-kin may play an integral role in the success of individuals within different plant populations and communities. However, a less known interaction is that between individual clones within a genet as they grow, spread, and begin to interact with nearby rival …

Evaluation And Demographic Response Of The Shovelnose Sturgeon Commercial Caviar Fishery In The Wabash River, Jessica L. Thornton

Masters Theses

Shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus Rafinesque) are considered one of the last commercially viable options for sturgeon roe harvest. Due to the collapse of several marine sturgeon fisheries and the Similarity of Appearances provision which protect shovelnose sturgeon in only a part of their range, the caviar fishery in the Wabash River remains an important point of supply for this lucrative natural resource. In this thesis, I presented an evaluation of the shovelnose sturgeon commercial caviar fishery in the Wabash River. More specifically, I described the demographic response of this population to continued exploitation over a 10-year period. Additionally, I …

Demographics And Parasites Of Spotted Bass In The Wabash River, Evan C. Boone

Masters Theses

Spotted Bass Micropterus punctulatus Rafinesque are a popular sport fish primarily found in the streams and reservoirs of the south. The Wabash River, a large tributary of the Ohio River, contains a naturally reproducing population on the northern boundary of their range. Currently, the lower Wabash River is monitored using two different sampling designs, the Long Term Electrofishing Program monitors community assemblages using stratified random sampling whereas the Illinois Department of Natural Resources uses a fixed sampling design. Due to the wide distribution but low abundance of Spotted Bass throughout this drainage, captures from each design were compared to assess …

Diel And Seasonal Patterns Of Channel Catfish Movement And Habitat Use In The Lower Wabash River, Hanna Gibbs Kruckman

Masters Theses

Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus are commonly found throughout the Mississippi River basin and support commercial and recreational fisheries in many large river systems. Understanding population demographics as well as movement patterns and habitat usage can provide a more holistic approach to species management and conservation. Within a 16-km stretch of the lower Wabash River, 27 channel catfish were implanted with acoustic transmitters to monitor fine scale movement and habitat use from September 2014 through April 2016. Channel catfish were located using active tracking during two types of tracking events. Site tracking occurred only during daylight hours and diel tracking monitored …

Sampling Efficiency, Population Characteristics, And Potential Impacts Of Harvest Regulations On Three Riverine Species Of Catfish, Zachary Adam Mitchell

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Asian Carp Population Status And Reproductive Potential In Illinois River Tributaries, Clinton Wesley Morgeson

Masters Theses

Large floodplain rivers are among the most complex natural systems characterized by exchange between the river and its floodplain. Information regarding fishes in main channel habitats is abundant, however much less understanding extends into their tributaries. Tributaries of large rivers provide critical habitats for main channel fishes, important for foraging, spawning, and refuge. In addition to native diversity, large rivers are host to multiple exotic species invasions, threatening biodiversity, ecosystem function, and habitat quality. Two notorious invaders are Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and Bighead Carp (H. nobilis), collectively Asian Carp, presenting an imminent threat of invasion …

Trophic Interactions In A Semiaquatic Snake Community: Insights Into The Structure Of A Floodplain Food Web, Cynthia M. Carter

Masters Theses

Food webs provide a useful conceptual framework for evaluating the relationships that exist within ecological systems. Characterizing the interactions within these webs can improve our understanding of how communities are structured and what mechanisms stabilize them. Untangling these interactions can be an intractable problem in complex systems and insights gained from conventional methods are often accompanied by inherent sources of bias. This study used stable isotope analysis, an alternative to traditional methods, to investigate the roles and relative contributions of consumers at the top of a food web to community structure and stability. I compared the niche parameters of five …

Regional Dispersal Of Daphnia Lumholtzi In North America Inferred From Issr Genetic Markers, G. Matthew Groves

Masters Theses

The exotic zooplankter Daphnia lumholtzi is believed to have been introduced into Fairfield Lake, TX in 1983. Since introduction, D. lumholtzi has spread throughout the Midwest and Southeast United States. Due to its large head and tail spines, it may be less susceptible than native species to predation and therefore pose a threat to aquatic ecosystems. Development of management practices calls for study of the dispersal and potential impact of D. lumholtzi on invaded ecosystems.

Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were used in an effort to determine dispersal patterns of D. lumholtzi. Previous studies have shown that ISSRs possess …

Colony Composition And Demographics Of Beavers In Illinois, Stanley T. Mctaggart

Masters Theses

Beavers (Castor canadensis) have been extensively studied throughout North America, but little research has been conducted on this species in Illinois and the Midwest. Beavers exhibit wide variations in colony composition and demographics over their broad geographic range, so regional research is important for sound management. The objectives of this study were to investigate the: (1) typical composition of beaver colonies in Illinois; (2) reproductive potential of female beavers in Illinois; (3) sex-age composition of beaver populations in Illinois; and (4) efficacy of night-vision surveys versus removal trapping for estimating colony size. This study was conducted during the 1999-00 and …

Isolation Effects Of Aquatic Habitat Fragmentation On Greenside (Etheostoma Blennioides) And Fantail (Etheostoma Flabellare) Darters, Rita M. Klein

Masters Theses

Aquatic habitat fragmentation is defined as the lack of connectivity between upstream and downstream populations and can occur along two gradients, the longitudinal gradient and the lateral gradient. The longitudinal gradient focuses on objects within the stream and is concerned with the disruption of stream flow, which is normally brought about by the presence of dams and bridges. Fragmentation along the lateral gradient, on the other hand, examines factors outside of the stream and is related to any loss or modification of the surrounding riparian zone.

In Illinois within the last 100 years, stream habitats have become increasingly fragmented by …

Habitat Selection, Reproductive Success, And Impaling Patterns Of A Migratory Population Of Loggerhead Shrikes, Jeffrey D. Esely Jr.

Masters Theses

I studied habitat selection and reproductive success of a migratory population of Loggerhead Shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus migrans) as well as the temporal and spatial patterns of impaling exhibited by this population during the nesting season. The selection of breeding habitat was investigated at different spatial scales. Thirty-eight (67%) of 57 nests were located in osage orange (Maclura pomifera) trees. Shrike territories (area ≤ 200 m from nest site) contained significantly more pasture, fenceline, and perch sites, but less com, alfalfa, and forest than random sites. At larger spatial scales, more grassland was detected within 300 m …

Physical Condition And Reproductive Success Of White-Tailed Deer At Fort Chaffee, Ar: A Five-Year Study, Donald A. Phillips

Masters Theses

A baseline study conducted in 1991 demonstrated that the resident white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) population at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas was in poor condition, with below average reproductive success, body weight, and antler size, and above average parasite load compared to other regional deer populations. Consequently, a management program was initiated in 1991 which included: (1) neutralizing acidic soils, (2) prescribed burning, (3) planting supplemental food plots, and (4) liberalizing the harvest of female adults from the population. The purpose of this study was to monitor changes in the health and reproductive success of the herd as this program was implemented. …

The Relative Weight (Wr) Condition Index As A Predictor Of Growth, Prey Abundance And Environmental Conditions, Hongsheng Liao

Masters Theses

We evaluated the relative weight (W_r) condition index for assessment of growth, prey availability and environmental conditions in fish populations. Standard weight (W_s) equations for pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) and golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas) from 302 pumpkinseed and 285 golden shiner populations, with well over 10,000 fish of each species, were developed with regression-line-percentile (RLP) technique. The proposed W_s equation in metric units for pumpkinseed is log₁₀W_s = -5.179 + 3.237 log10TL, and for golden shiner is log10W_s = -5.593 + 3.302 log10TL. The English-unit versions of these equations were also developed. …

Nesting Dynamics Of The Eastern Bluebird (Sialia Sialis) In Southeastern Illinois, Susan E. Nelle

Masters Theses

Data collected from 1981 through 1988 from an Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) nesting box trail, involving 512 nests and 2176 eggs, in Crawford County, Illinois, were analyzed and compared to similar published works. The average nesting season lasted 167.4 days, ran from 17 March through 31 August, and was divided into three breeding peaks (or phases). Most breeding pairs were observed with either one or two clutches per season; however, triple-brooded pairs were also present, the clutches of which coincided well with the three peaks. Most data showed a decrease as the season progressed. For example, mean clutch …

The Southern Redbelly Dace, Phoxinus Erythrogaster (Rafinesque), In Clark County, Illinois, Susan C. Darrow

Masters Theses

Population and feeding ecology of the southern redbelly dace, Phoxinus erythrogaster (Rafinesque), was studied at Rocky Branch Nature Preserve, sections 29 and 30, T12N, R12W in Clark County, Illinois. Three stations designated along the eastern portion of Rocky Branch stream were seined bimonthly July through September, 1987. The length/frequency distribution curve constructed for the 358 dace collected determined Age class 0 to be dace less than 39mm, age classes I and II were indistinguishable because of overlap of fish lengths, and age class III was determined to be dace between 69 and 74mm. Other species encountered in abundance during this …

Observed Changes In The Largemouth Bass Population Since Construction Of A New Pump Storage Reservoir At Charleston, Illinois, Lawrence B. Durham

Masters Theses

Lake Charleston, Illinois was electrofished to determine the status of the largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides, Lacepede) population after its reconstruction into a pump storage reservoir. The changes observed were an increased rate of growth of the initial year class, increased average growth increment of older bass, and a more abundant bass population. Factors which may have influenced increased growth were decreased turbidity, alkalinity, and increased water level. There is a possibility the increase in water level led to an increase in terrestrial invertebrates as a food source, and increased spawning substrate and cover due to submerged terrestrial vegetation. …

A Population Study Of The Cave Beetle Neaphaenops Tellkampfi (Coleoptera, Carabidae) In Mushroom Cave, Hart County, Kentucky, Robert E. Bon Durant Sr.

Masters Theses

A two year census of the cave beetle Neaphaenops tellkampfi (Coleoptera, Carabidae) was conducted in Mushroom Cave, Hart County, Kentucky. Three methods were used to estimate populations of this beetle. A rise in population in certain areas of the cave was shown to occur in Mid-winter. The population as reported is felt to represent a portion of a much larger population which migrates toward the cave entrance beacuse of food shortages in winter with a summer movement back into deep cave habitat when the eggs of Hadenoecus subterraneus are plentiful.

Interactions In Lambdoid Bacteriophage Populations, Bruce Edward Mitchell

Masters Theses

The lambdoid bacteriophages are ideal subjects for the study of populational interactions at the molecular level because they do not mutually exclude one another in mixed infection of the same host cell. Previous work done in this laboratory using the lambdoid phage pairs λ-434 hy mi and λ-∅80 have demonstrated a density-dependent reduction in progeny yield per infected cell (burst size) as a function of increasing multiplicity of infection (m.o.i.). The λ cI gene which codes for the repress or molecule has been demonstrated to be the cause of the interaction in the λ-434 hy mi phage pair. …

Analysis Of The Capture-Recapture Method Of Determining Fish Population Size In A Pond Community, Richard E. Hall

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Zooplankton Community Dynamics And Water Quality Of Polecat Creek, Coles County, Illinois, Spring, 1975, Carl Edward Baird

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Studies On The Avifauna Of Burgner Acres, An Upland Stream-Side, Ash-Elm Forest And Its Edge, Kerry Lee Bryan

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.