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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Cavity Nest Webs As A Template For Studying Non-Trophic Interactions In Invasion Ecology, Joshua M. Diamond
Cavity Nest Webs As A Template For Studying Non-Trophic Interactions In Invasion Ecology, Joshua M. Diamond
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Invasive exotic animals are considered destructive forces in cities for preying on and competing with native species. I examined an aspect of competition from a different perspective, focusing on the role of Miami’s rich exotic bird assemblage in its cavity nest web, where a supply of woodpecker-created cavity nests limited by urbanization is the focal point of competition. We located 967 nest trees with 1,864 cavities and determined that woodpeckers successfully nested in this tropical urban region by exploiting standing dead palms (snags). Native upland forests were the most important cover type for woodpeckers but planted landscapes like parks and …
A Historical Floristic Inventory Of Pine Rockland Fabaceae (Leguminosae), Adel L. Pena
A Historical Floristic Inventory Of Pine Rockland Fabaceae (Leguminosae), Adel L. Pena
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The objectives of this study were to investigate temporal changes in the diversity of pine rockland Fabaceae, induced by anthropogenic factors. Herbarium collections spanning 170 years were used to analyze species frequency and richness. The results indicated temporal fluctuations in diversity with frequency of native species highest previous to the year 1920, and exotic-invasive species richness peaking after the 1960s. The accompanying species list resulting from the inventory included 122 Fabaceae species, in 56 genera, with an additional 19 species not previously listed for pine rocklands. The results emphasize the damage caused by early and deliberate introductions of exotic species, …
An Ecological Study Of The Anurans In Tea Plantations In A Biodiversity Hotspot, Lilly M. Eluvathingal
An Ecological Study Of The Anurans In Tea Plantations In A Biodiversity Hotspot, Lilly M. Eluvathingal
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Increasing human population size is increasing the demand for resources like timber, oil, tea, coffee, and other crops. Plantation crops mimic some aspects of native habitats, and there are studies that report the presence of some native anuran biodiversity in plantations. I focused on tea plantations in the Western Ghats-Sri Lanka Biodiversity Hotspot and studied the diversity and health of anurans in different habitats found within a tea cultivation area, near Munnar region in the Western Ghats, India. The landscape includes tea bushes, native evergreen shola forest patches, and eucalyptus forest stands. I reviewed 40 studies comparing amphibian species richness …
Regional Evolutionary Distinctiveness And Endangerment As A Means Of Prioritizing Protection Of Endangered Species, Emily K. Brantner
Regional Evolutionary Distinctiveness And Endangerment As A Means Of Prioritizing Protection Of Endangered Species, Emily K. Brantner
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Conservation is costly, and choices must be made about where to best allocate limited resources. I propose a regional evolutionary diversity and endangerment (RED-E) approach to prioritization of endangered species. It builds off of the evolutionary diversity and global endangerment (EDGE) approach, but will allow conservation agencies to focus their efforts on species in specific regions. I used the RED-E approach to prioritize mammal and bird species listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), as well as to make a ranking of species without ESA critical habitat (CH), as a practical application. Regional conservation approaches differ significantly from global …