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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Ecosystem Functional Consequences Of Top Predator Mortality Due To The Invasive Shrub, Lonicera Maackii, Josey Lee-Anne Berta
Ecosystem Functional Consequences Of Top Predator Mortality Due To The Invasive Shrub, Lonicera Maackii, Josey Lee-Anne Berta
Online Theses and Dissertations
Lonicera maackii (Amur Honeysuckle) is an invasive woody plant species that is present across the United States. Previous studies have assessed the biotic effects of honeysuckle, as well as abiotic effects such as changes in soil chemistry, ground level light, and forest floor temperature. Although directs effects of L. maackii on native terrestrial plant communities are well studied, little is known about its indirect effects, especially in aquatic ecosystems. Based on limited prior studies, I predicted addition of L. maackii leaves to aquatic systems would increase mortality of a top amphibian predator due to the release of phenolic compounds that …
Ecosystem Functional Consequences Of Body Size Variation In An Apex Predator (Ambystoma Jeffersonianum), David Samuel Smith
Ecosystem Functional Consequences Of Body Size Variation In An Apex Predator (Ambystoma Jeffersonianum), David Samuel Smith
Online Theses and Dissertations
Biodiversity is often emphasized at the species level where each species is assigned a mean functional trait value. However, populations within a species, and individuals within a population, often exhibit considerable intraspecific functional variation. Therefore, instead of focusing on species’ mean trait values, we must incorporate intraspecific variation when considering species’ ecological roles and conservation values. The primary objective of this study was to determine the effects of variation in body size (a functional trait in many aquatic taxa) in an apex predator on ecosystem functioning. We sought to characterize trophic cascades initiated by larval populations of Ambystoma jeffersonianum that …
Population Demographics And Active Foraging Behavior Of Copperheads (Agkistrodon Contortrix) At A Recreational Site In Eastern Kentucky, Jocelyn Hendricks
Population Demographics And Active Foraging Behavior Of Copperheads (Agkistrodon Contortrix) At A Recreational Site In Eastern Kentucky, Jocelyn Hendricks
Online Theses and Dissertations
Recreational areas represent a significant source of human-wildlife interaction, which can have an especially negative effect on organisms, like snakes, that are generally perceived as dangerous by the public. Considering the projected increase in recreation rates in the United States, the threat to this already vulnerable group of organisms deserves attention. While habitat factors associated with recreational areas—fragmentation, decreased canopy cover, altered vegetation composition—have been shown to affect snake thermoregulatory behavior and abundance, detailed studies of wild snake behavior are uncommon due to their cryptic nature. The goal of this study was to reduce human-wildlife conflict at a recreational site …
The Use Of Environmental Dna For The Detection Of Palaemonias Ganteri (Hay, 1901), A Federally Endangered Cave Species, Andrew Joseph Stump
The Use Of Environmental Dna For The Detection Of Palaemonias Ganteri (Hay, 1901), A Federally Endangered Cave Species, Andrew Joseph Stump
Online Theses and Dissertations
Kentucky’s limestone caves and karst water systems are an ecologically important part of its natural heritage and home to many unique subterranean species. In addition to being geologically interesting, it is also home to one, of only three, extant North American atyids: the federally endangered Kentucky Cave Shrimp (Palaemonias ganteri, Hay 1901). However, access for monitoring and management objectives involving this species and other cave inhabitants can be difficult, highly contingent upon environmental conditions, and time consuming with low yields using traditional techniques. Advancements in metabarcoding and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies provide tools that may allow researchers and managers …