Life Sciences Commons^™

Distribution Of Tick Species On Free-Ranging Ungulates In Northern New England, Karisa Graham

Honors Theses and Capstones

In Northern New England, ungulates are often parasitized by ticks, which is one of the leading causes for the decline in population. Ungulates are a good host for ticks, specifically deer ticks and winter ticks, and these ticks cause many tick-borne diseases in humans as well. The purpose of this study was to assess passive sampling from harvested animals as a means of tick surveillance in Vermont and New Hampshire. Ticks were collected from deer and moose and mapped throughout the two states by ArcGIS to visualize the trends in distribution. Relative abundance was greater in southeastern Vermont, with no …

Geomorphology Of Tidal Wetlands: Impacts Of Extreme And Annual Flood Events To Salt Marsh And Mangrove Systems, Frances R. Griswold

Doctoral Dissertations

Tidal wetlands are vital for buffering coastal settings from the threats of accelerated sea level rise and storms. Understanding the factors that are most influential for the maintenance and recovery of tidal wetlands after extreme events compounded by future accelerated sea level rise is of the utmost importance, yet this knowledge is not well established. Two tidal wetland schemas investigated in this dissertation are mangrove systems in Vieques, Puerto Rico (including robust lagoonal-mangrove forest systems and fringing mangrove forests), and salt marshes in New England. While the climatic forcings, vegetation type, and locations are vastly different for these two tidal …

The Impacts Of Asian Longhorned Beetle On Forests In Southern New England, Olivia Fay Box

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Over the past several decades, the United States has been experiencing an influx of nonnative pests due to increased globalization, and many of these pests have the potential to permanently alter the composition, structure, and function of forests. Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) is an invasive pest that came into Worcester county, MA in 2008, where the first instance of this species invading both urban and natural forested areas was documented. Within the quarantine area for this novel invasion, 30,000 trees were removed over the course of 10 years as part of management efforts focused on harvesting all host species, primarily …

Occurrence Of Pulmonary Arteritis With Lungworm Infections In Gray Seals From New England, 2013-2020, Jillian R. Broadhurst, Inga Sidor Dvm, Ms, Dacvp

Honors Theses and Capstones

Gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) are a common pinniped species in New England coastal waters. Parasitic infection is an important cause of mortality for this species, and lungworm species are frequently implicated in cases of respiratory infection, especially in pups and weanling seals. The most common of these is Otostrongylus circumlitus, a large nematode found in the bronchi and bronchioles of affected seals. The full life cycle is unknown but its presence in lungs and sometimes pulmonary arteries suggests that migration via arterial circulation occurs. Signs and microscopic findings are widely variable; our cases included dyspnea, bloody mucoid …

Habitat Associations Of Priority Bird Species And Conservation Value On Small, Diversified Farms In New England, Isabel Brofsky

Masters Theses

In recent decades, New England agriculture has become increasingly characterized by small, diversified farming operations with values deeply rooted in community and conservation. In sharp contrast to large-scale, high-intensity agriculture currently typified by the majority of North American farms, New England farmers commonly prioritize ecologically beneficial production practices such as reduced chemical inputs, integrated pest management (IPM), low tillage, cover cropping and crop rotation, and retention of natural habitats like woody hedgerows and herbaceous strips. Public support and demand for local, sustainable food, evidenced by the success of CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) in the region, has helped to bolster this …

Associations Between Avian Spruce-Fir Species, Harvest Treatments, Vegetation, And Edges, Brian W. Rolek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Habitat loss is the primary cause of species loss and declines of global biodiversity. Several birds associated with the spruce-fir forest type (hereafter spruce-fir birds) have declining populations across the continent in the Atlantic Northern Forest, and the extent of coniferous forest has declined in some areas. This region is extensively and intensively managed for timber products.

To investigate the influence from harvest treatments on the spruce-fir bird assemblage during the breeding and post-breeding period in lowland conifer and mixed-wood forests, we used avian point count detection data to test for associations between avian assemblages and seven common harvest treatments. …

Developing A Collaborative Research Program To Evaluate Fine-Scale Groundfish Dynamics In Eastern Maine, Mattie Rodrigue

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fisheries science conducted and used for management strategies in the Gulf of Maine (GOM) is conducted at broad spatial and temporal scales. There is a tendency for fisheries-independent monitoring programs, which play a critical role in fisheries assessment and management, to miss fine-scale dynamics, especially given the complex hydrographic structures characterizing the GOM. In New England, fishermen participating in a heterogeneous groundfish fishery within the GOM may have varied perceptions of fish abundance or distribution depending on the scale at which they participate in the fishery. Overlooking fine-scale life-history dynamics coupled with scale-mismatch in science and management may perpetuate a …

Forest Harvesting Productivity And Cost In Maine: New Tools And Processes, Patrick Hiesl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Computer simulations have been used in forestry and forest operations since around 1960. In many cases such simulations can be used to answer questions that would be time consuming and expensive to investigate in a real-life environment. This dissertation focuses on the use of computer simulation in forest operations to answer questions regarding the profitability of technological advancements, investments in precommercial thinning (PCT), and the use of different harvesting systems. To explore the benefits of decoupling a harvesting system, a new simulation method, called agent based modeling was used. Agent based modeling is primarily used in social sciences but now …

The Role Of Underutilized Fish In New England's Seafood System, Taylor Witkin

Honors Theses

The global fisheries crisis has led to an increasing recognition for the need to relieve pressure on overfished, popular food fish stocks. Opportunities exist to shift consumer demand toward more sustainable choices, including fish that may be locally abundant. Attempts have been made to market underused fish (sometimes termed “trash fish”) that represent more sustainable alternatives; however, it is unclear whether consumers will choose to purchase these more sustainable options, particularly if underused fish are also unfamiliar. Chapter 1 reviews existing research and current issues surrounding sustainable seafood and the recent shift toward local, abundant, undervalued species in New England’s …