Life Sciences Commons^™

A Mathematical Approach To Understanding Eurasian Watermilfoil Growth, Spread, And Control, Diana White, Jonathan Martin, Isabel Dengos

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Stimulated Growth Response To Sand Burial Of A Coastal Shrub, D. Nicole Keller

Theses and Dissertations

Drivers of vegetation zonation on barrier islands are complex and interconnected. Sand burial is a strong driver in dynamic coastal systems, especially in the foredune community. However, it is not well understood how burial impacts the interdunal swales communities and it is especially difficult to separate the effects of burial from salinity. Climate change is altering the frequency of overwash events as well as expanding the range of the native shrub, Morella cerifera, on the Virginia barrier islands. To accurately forecast island response to climate change it is important to understand how the shrub responds to sand burial. Juvenile …

Plant-Pollinator Associations In An Eastern Serpentine Savannah And The Effects Of Overbrowsing, Allyson Richins

Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1: Native plant response to deer overbrowsing in a serpentine savannah

Plants are particularly vulnerable to physical disturbance in low productivity areas, due to a high cost of replacing lost plant tissue. In the eastern United States, serpentine grasslands are fragmented ecosystems with high concentrations of rare endemic plant species, low concentrations of soil nutrients, and uncontrolled deer overpopulation. This study assessed functional responses of native angiosperms in a rare eastern serpentine savannah to selective deer browsing. Plant count, flower count, floral area, vegetative area, and plant height of 10 serpentine plant species were compared inside and outside of …

Taxa Specific Responses To Flooding Shape Patterns Of Abundance In A River Rock Pool Metacommunity, Charles R. Stunkle

Theses and Dissertations

Connectivity and habitat area are important landscape characteristics that drive patterns of abundance and diversity across scales. However, responses to connectivity and patch size are dependent on species traits. Riverine landscapes are highly dynamic both spatially and temporally with hydrologic connectivity being a major driver of abundance and diversity. Here we modeled densities of the Virginia river snail and skimmer dragonfly nymphys, two taxa with differences in their dispersal abilities and life histories, as a function of flooding, patch area, and season in over 300 riverine rock pools. We found key differences in how each taxon responded to these predictors …

Assessing The Feasibility Of Freshwater Mussel Restoration In Urban Streams., John-Reid Ryan

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to determine whether introduced freshwater mussels (Alewife floater, Utterbackiana implicata) can survive and grow in urban streams in the James River watershed. A secondary objective was to assess differences in U. implicata survival and growth of in the context of differing water quality and food resource conditions among three urban sites and three rural sites. Results from this study show large differences in growth and survivorship of mussels across sites. Higher survivorship was observed among mussels stocked into rural streams (35% and 44%) in comparison to urban streams (3%, 6% and 14%). …