Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Playing-With The World: Toy Story's Aesthetics And Metaphysics Of Play, Jonathan Hendricks

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pixar’s Toy Story (John Lassiter, 1995) is not just a story about toys and the children that play with them, but a demonstration of how we interact with the world. This thesis looks at the way in which both main children, Andy and Sid, interact with their toys and how this interaction is one that is structured by way of what Martin Heidegger calls “Enframing.” In this modality of playing, toys and other things and entities in the world, and the world itself, appear to the children as on-hand resources for use at any time and can be molded, as …

The Archaeopalynology Of Crystal River Site (8ci1), Citrus County, Florida, Kendal Jackson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Woodland-period (ca. 1000 B.C. to A.D. 1050) fisher-hunter-gatherers of the Crystal River drainage on Florida’s Big Bend Coast are well known among southeastern archaeologists for their elaborate shell mound architecture, maritime lifeway, and exotic exchange goods. Recent archaeological investigations at the Crystal River site have employed high-resolution topographic mapping, geophysical surveys, trench excavations, and coring to model the temporality of mound construction and occupation at the site; this work has set the stage for subsequent research focusing on community structure, resource extraction, and human-ecosystem dynamics. However, like many central and north peninsular Gulf Coast sites, our understanding of Crystal …

Identifying Humanized Ecosystems: Anthropogenic Impacts, Intentionality, And Resource Acquisition At Crystal River (8ci1) And Roberts Island (8ci41), Charles Trevor Duke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The impact of human activity on ecosystems is an issue at the forefront of global concern. Marine ecosystems are a particular concern, given their importance for human sustenance. Through the removal of species that are highly susceptible to the effects of overfishing, global fisheries have been driven to near collapse in recent decades. The long-term effects of such practices has resulted in declines in mean trophic level of aggregate fish catches over time, as well as decreasing diversity of species available for regular harvest (Jackson et al. 2001; Pauly et al. 1998). These supposedly “modern” problems have been recently identified …

The Ecological Role Of Rhizophytic Green Algae In Soft-Bottom Habitats, Laura Bedinger

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rhizophytic algae are large, abundant primary producers throughout tropical and subtropical areas worldwide where they grow as an understory in seagrass beds, as well as form mixed or monospecific beds of exclusively rhizophytic algal species. In this dissertation, "rhizophytic algae" refers to coenocytic green algae (Chlorophyta) in the order Bryopsidales that use a net of rhizoids to anchor in unconsolidated sediments. In the development of seagrass beds, rhizophytic algae colonize bare patches and are thought to facilitate seagrass colonization by stabilizing sediments and providing organic matter. However, despite their prominence little is known about many aspects of the ecology of …

Paleobiological Assessment Of Controls Underlying Long-Term Diversity Dynamics, Andrés L. Cárdenas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Deciphering the factors underlying both long-term patterns of diversity and taxonomic turnover rates (i.e., extinction, and origination) has been one of Paleobiology's major foci for the past three decades. The importance of documenting these components is that they will expand our ability to interpret and model the evolutionary processes underlying those trends, highlight the evolutionary impact of historical events, and contribute to the formulation of robust predictions about the future of global diversity in response to the current anthropologically driven environmental changes. Accordingly, the first part of this study examines the possible occurrence of global marine evolutionary environmental controls into …

Plant Species Richness And Species Area Relationships In A Florida Sandhill, Monica Ruth Downer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pine sandhill are integral pyrogenic communities in the southeastern United States. Though once widespread, habitat destruction, fire suppression and fragmentation have reduced the population to nearly 3%. It is important to learn as much as possible about these unique areas in order to implement best management practices to conserve and restore the existing populations of these communities.

Fire is central to the maintenance of pine sandhill communities and two conceptual hypothesis regarding burn frequency have come to light in maintaining the unique species composition and richness of these areas. The first is the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis which suggests that intermediate …

Assessing The Link Between Coastal Development And The Quality Of Fish Habitat In Mangrove Tidal Tributaries, Justin Micheal Krebs

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To assess the potential influence of coastal development on the quality of estuarine habitat for nekton, we characterized land use and the intensity of land development surrounding small tidal tributaries of Tampa Bay. Based on this characterization, we classified tributaries as undeveloped, industrial, urban or man-made (i.e., mosquito-control ditches). Over one-third (37%) of tributaries were determined to be heavily developed, while fewer than one-third (28%) remain relatively undeveloped. We then examined the nekton community from eleven tributaries in watersheds representing the defined land-use classes. Whereas mean nekton density and species richness were both independent of land use, nekton-community structure differed …

Use Of Adventitious Roots For The Determination Of Hydroperiod In Isolated Wetlands, Michael Joseph Reyes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Accurate measurement of the hydroperiod in isolated wetlands currently relies upon the installation and frequent monitoring of devices such as piezometers and staff gauges. Observations of biological indicators of the hydroperiod may be able to supplement data collected from these devices and could potentially replace them as a means of accurately determining this hydrologic interval. The study objective was to determine whether adventitious root formation and maturation on buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) could be used as a viable indicator of the hydroperiod in isolated wetlands. Buttonbush seedlings were flooded in a controlled environment over a three month period in the …

Consequences Of Kleptoplasty On The Distribution, Ecology, And Behavior Of The Sacoglossan Sea Slug, Elysia Clarki, Michael Louis Middlebrooks

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The sacoglossan sea slug Elysia clarki is able to photosynthesize for three to four months using chloroplasts sequestered from its algal food sources. Furthermore, the slug is able to store multiple chloroplasts from different algal species within the same cell. This research, consisting of several related studies, explores the role that provision of organic nutrients via photosynthesis plays in the biology of the slug. The first chapter demonstrates that, under conditions of starvation, photosynthetic activity in E. clarki remains fully functional for one month after which it then declines. During the first month of starvation the slug exhibits similar feeding …

Ontogeny And Littoral Structure Of Lakes Created On Phosphate Mined Lands Of Central Florida, Chrysoula Mitraki

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Created lakes are an end product of phosphate mining in Florida. Beginning in 1975, Florida reclamation rules set criteria for phosphate created lakes aiming to approximate the structure of natural lakes, and emphasizing extensive littoral zones with both emergent and submersed vegetation.

Lake development relative to lake age and design were examined for 22 phosphate lakes representing a 40-year age trajectory, utilizing water quality and benthic invertebrate communities from littoral and deep-water locations (Chapter 1). The relative importance of morphometry and lake age in the development of littoral plant communities was examined using multiple vegetation surveys throughout the year, in …

Modification Of Trophic Links Between An Omnivore And Macroinfaunal Prey From Sandy Beaches Of Differing Physical Regimes, Kristina Joan Morrow

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sandy beach ecosystems have been studied worldwide; however, ecological data are sparse for the extensive barrier islands of Florida. Accordingly, I investigated the feeding patterns of the ghost crab (Ocypode quadrata), a dominant omnivore inhabiting beaches along the Floridian coast. Density data was collected for ghost crabs and swash macroinfaunal prey. In addition, I utilized stable isotopes in conjunction with the mixing models IsoSource and SIAR to characterize diets of ghost crabs across three barrier islands in spring and summer 2011. Results showed that ghost crabs at Cayo Costa feed primarily on swash macroinfauna, while those from Anclote Key shifted …

Comparative Developmental Transcriptomics Of Echinoderms, Roy Vaughn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The gastrula stage represents the point in development at which the three primary germ layers diverge. At this point the gene regulatory networks that specify the germ layers are established and the genes that define the differentiated states of the tissues have begun to be activated. These networks have been well characterized in sea urchins, but not in other echinoderms. Embryos of the brittle star Ophiocoma wendtii share a number of developmental features with sea urchin embryos, including the ingression of mesenchyme cells that give rise to an embryonic skeleton. Notable differences are that no micromeres are formed during cleavage …

Stable Isotope Analysis Of Busycon Sinistrum To Determine Fort Walton-Period Seasonality At St. Joseph Bay, Northwest Florida, Ryan Michael Harke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Recent archaeological investigations indicate that coastal Fort Walton cultures in the St. Joseph Bay region of northwest Florida emphasized marine and estuarine foraging. These late prehistoric (A.D. 1000-1500) peoples collected fish, shellfish, and other aquatic resources. At the Richardson's Hammock site (8Gu10), radiocarbon-dated to about A.D. 1300, as at dozens of other shell middens around this salty bay, large gastropods were a major subsistence component. This adaptation is in sharp contrast with that of contemporaneous inland Fort Walton societies, who relied on maize agriculture. It is unknown whether coastal groups represent separate hunter-gatherer-fisher populations or seasonal migrations by inland …

The Invasive Cactus Moth, Cactoblastis Cactorum: Host Plant Testing, Species Interactions, And Effects On Local Opuntia Populations, Heather Jezorek

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The invasive cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum, poses a threat to opunitoid cacti species of North America. The following work contains four separate studies investigating C. cactorum host plant preference and performance, predation and parastitism of C. cactorum, effects of C. cactorum on local Opuntia populations, and associational effects of host and non-host plants on C. cactorum and native Opuntia-feeding herbivores. We found that, among southwestern and Mexican opuntioid taxa, moths preferred O. engelmannii var. linguiformis and var. engelmannii for oviposition, while Consolea rubescens and O. streptacantha were superior larval hosts. Oviposition was best predicted by number of cladodes and degree …

Relative Abundance And Spatial Distribution Of Lepomid Sunfishes In The Peace River, Justin Henry Heller

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines spatially continuous sampling data in order to investigate patterns of abundance and distribution of three recreationally important sunfish species (bluegill, redear, and spotted sunfish) along the main-stem of the Peace River, a large softwater river located in southwest Florida. A total of 467 electrofishing transects were sampled biannually from spring 2008 to spring 2010. Sampling sites ranged from the headwaters of the Peace River in Polk County, FL to the oligohaline waters located in Charlotte County, FL. All fish were collected with boat mounted electrofishing gear, and aquatic habitat and physiochemical water quality measurements were recorded at …

A Comparison Of Ecological Conditions And Relationships In An Altered Wetland And An Unaltered Wetland, Mark Kiyoshi Hurst

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to identify and quantify the hydrologic and ecologic differences between two adjacent sections of Colt Creek; one section unaltered and one section altered by clearing and drainage. These differences were measured by monitoring water levels, groundcover vegetation in each of the two areas, and monitoring numbers and species of birds utilizing the two areas. Surface water levels were measured in three locations: in the historic Colt Creek flow way, in the ditch draining the creek, and in an adjacent wetland strand. In addition, a shallow monitor well in the creek was used to measure …

The Conservation And Ecology Of Carnivorous Plants, David Jennings

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As discussed in Chapter 1, although our understanding of the ecology and evolution of carnivorous plants has greatly improved in recent years, many fundamental questions remain unanswered. Unfortunately, at the present time, many carnivorous plants are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic activities. Indeed, over half of the carnivorous plant species assessed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are listed as `threatened', but the threats to carnivorous plants have not previously been quantified. In Chapter 2, I quantified the conservation threats to carnivorous plant taxa worldwide by searching peer-reviewed literature, and found data on the threats to 48 …

Evaluating The Effects Of Beach Nourishment On Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta Caretta) Nesting In Pinellas County, Florida, Corey R. Leonard Ozan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The health of Florida's beaches are vital to the survival of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), as nearly half of the world's loggerheads nest on the states beaches. Many of the beaches utilized by the turtles have undergone nourishment projects in hopes of combating erosion of the shoreline, protecting beachfront property, and creating more suitable beaches for tourism. Although it is argued that beach nourishment benefits sea turtles by providing more nesting habitat, the effects of the Pinellas County nourishment projects on loggerhead nesting are unknown. Beach nourishment can alter the compaction, moisture content, and temperature of the sand, all …

A Comparative Study Of Eucalanoid Copepods Residing In Different Oxygen Environments In The Eastern Tropical North Pacific: An Emphasis On Physiology And Biochemistry, Christine J. Cass

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The eastern tropical north Pacific (ETNP) is characterized by one of the ocean's most severe midwater oxygen minimum zones (OMZs), where oxygen levels are often less than 5 µM. The copepod family Eucalanidae is a numerically abundant and diverse zooplankton group in the ETNP, and displays a wide range of vertical distributions related to environmental oxygen concentrations. The goal of this dissertation was to develop a better understanding of the ecology, physiology, and biochemistry of closely related copepod species (family Eucalanidae) that inhabit the ETNP OMZ system. This was accomplished through examining different parameters relating to (1) metabolic rates, (2) …

Egyptian Body Size: A Regional And Worldwide Comparison, Michelle H. Raxter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Human body size and limb proportions can provide important information about adaptation, population movements, and health disparities. This study investigated changes in body size and limb proportions of adult Egyptians temporally and geographically in relation to climatological, sociopolitical and economic developments. It was predicted that Egyptian groups that experienced more environmental stress would be shorter and exhibit less sexual dimorphism. It was also predicted that Egyptians would be intermediate between higher and lower latitude populations in body form and limb length ratios. The main skeletal sample consisted of 492 males and 528 females, all adults from the Predynastic and Dynastic …

Late Cretaceous Faunal Dynamics In The Western Interior Seaway: The Record From The Red Bird Section, Eastern Wyoming, Joshua Stephen Slattery

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Studies examining bioevents (e.g., mass extinctions, faunal turnovers, diversification events) usually only scrutinize a short interval prior to such events, however, understanding their actual paleobiological implications requires a thorough understanding of the background conditions. The objective of this study is to document the background biodiversity dynamics in a single lithofacies of the Upper Cretaceous Pierre Shale that was deposited in an offshore setting of the Western Interior Seaway (WIS) and to place these changes into an environmental context. To assess the background biodiversity dynamics, the concretionary faunas of the Baculites eliasi through B. clinolobatus biozones of the Pierre Shale in …

Estimating Groundwater Discharge In The Oligohaline Ecotone Of The Everglades Using Temperature As A Tracer And Variable-Density Groundwater Models, Victora Spence

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recent research suggests that brackish, marine-derived groundwater up-wells in the oligohaline ecotone of the coastal Everglades, bringing with it phosphorus to an otherwise phosphorus-poor environment. The purpose of this study is to estimate the rates and timing of the groundwater discharge by using variable-density groundwater models constructed, calibrated, and validated with field measurements of hydraulic head and surface and subsurface temperature. Modeled groundwater discharge rates ranged from 5.4E-04 mm/day in August to -1.3E-03 mm/day in June for Shark Slough and 4.8E-01 mm/day in June to -1.4E-01 mm/day in January for Taylor Slough, where positive values imply groundwater discharge and negative …

Foraminiferal Assemblages On Sediment And Reef Rubble At Conch Reef, Florida Usa, Christy Michelle Stephenson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Benthic foraminiferal assemblages are widely used to interpret responses of the benthic communities to environmental stresses. This study compares epibiotic foraminiferal assemblages, collected from reef rubble, with those from reef sediments. The study site, Conch Reef, is the site of the Aquarius Underwater Habitat research facility and includes protected areas used only for scientific studies. Although a number of studies have enumerated foraminiferal taxa from the Florida reef tract, no projects have focused on the assemblages that occur at Conch Reef.

Sediment and reef rubbles samples were collected via SCUBA from a depth range of 13 to 26 m during …