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Articles 1 - 12 of 12
Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Trophic Dynamics Of The Lake Superior Fish Community, Ariel Edwards
Trophic Dynamics Of The Lake Superior Fish Community, Ariel Edwards
All NMU Master's Theses
The Lake Superior food web has undergone many changes in recent decades, including the rehabilitation of the native apex predator lake charr (Salvelinus namaycush) and the introduction of several nonnative species. The trophic linkages and ecological requirements of the entire fish community, including predators and prey fishes, has not been assessed on a whole-lake scale in over a decade. Here, I investigated the trophic dynamics across multiple regions of the lake, and estimated the consumptive effect of lean lake charr in one region of Lake Superior. From April to October of 2021, a total of five predator, four …
A Review Of Current Methods In Avian Dietary Analysis And Their Integrated Application To Characterize The Trophic Niche Of Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia Motacilla)., Brandon Hoenig
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Characterizing a species’ dietary composition presents an avenue to understand many facets of its ecological niche and can provide essential information for the species’ long-term conservation. To date, the vast majority of diet studies have relied on direct identification of prey during foraging observations or from diet samples to characterize the dietary habits of birds. However, advancements in laboratory-based approaches have revolutionized the field of trophic ecology by allowing researchers to indirectly infer dietary habits with higher resolution across greater time scales. Here, I apply two of these laboratory-based techniques, namely DNA metabarcoding and stable isotope analysis, to characterize the …
The Ecological Role Of Cassiopea In Shallow Mangrove Habitats, David Marcel Durieux
The Ecological Role Of Cassiopea In Shallow Mangrove Habitats, David Marcel Durieux
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Upside-down jellyfish, Cassiopea sp., can be locally abundant in shallow mangrove habitats throughout the tropics and subtropics. Unlike other jellyfish, Cassiopea sp. are epibenthic. Due to this unique lifestyle and their ability to achieve high population densities, an understanding is needed of their ecological impacts both individually and in aggregations, particularly given that Cassiopea sp. ranges are expanding poleward due to global climate change. We quantified the fluid flow produced by Cassiopea sp. feeding currents and found that an average-sized Cassiopea sp. can transport over 200 l/h of water in the vertical excurrent jet of their feeding current. Populations of …
The Relationship Between Population Dynamics And Dietary Preferences Within Two Snake Genera (Storeria And Thamnophis), Molly M. Dixon
The Relationship Between Population Dynamics And Dietary Preferences Within Two Snake Genera (Storeria And Thamnophis), Molly M. Dixon
Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations
Amidst massive losses in biodiversity, it is vital to identify the factors driving species declines. The main objective of this research was to assess dietary differences between Storeria dekayi and Thamnophis sirtalis and their less abundant and more geographically restricted sister species, Storeria occipitomaculata and Thamnophis butleri, in Illinois and Michigan. I hypothesized that greater abundance and more cosmopolitan distribution are associated with consuming a wide variety of prey and more nonnative prey. To assess diets, I conducted field surveys of Storeria and Thamnophis and analyzed DNA metabarcoding data from fecal samples. I found no significant difference in the …
Competitive Interactions: Spatial And Temporal Niche Partitioning Between Brook And Brown Trout In Southwest Michigan, Frederick J. Glassen
Competitive Interactions: Spatial And Temporal Niche Partitioning Between Brook And Brown Trout In Southwest Michigan, Frederick J. Glassen
Masters Theses
Niche diet partitioning between Brook Trout and Brown Trout were studied in two southwestern Michigan, USA streams, one dominated by Brook Trout, the other with both Brook and Brown Trout. Brook Trout are endemic to eastern North America and have been introduced throughout the world for sport fishing. Brown Trout were first introduced to Michigan in 1883 using a genetic strain from Germany. Stomach contents were collected from a population of Brook Trout in the absence of Brown Trout in Frost Creek, while the other population was in potential competition with Brown Trout in Cedar Creek. Absent Brown Trout, Brook …
Novel Method To Determine Paleodiet Of Extinct Equid Merychippus Sp. Using Dental Calculus, Ranjit Z. S. Virk
Novel Method To Determine Paleodiet Of Extinct Equid Merychippus Sp. Using Dental Calculus, Ranjit Z. S. Virk
Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current
Within the Miocene Epoch, the emergence of grasslands within North America coincided with the incidence of higher-crowned teeth (hypsodonty) within the proto-horse Merychippus that allowed for the inclusion of these expanding grasslands as a food source. As herbivorous paleofauna consume plant matter, microscopic remains become incorporated within dental calculus and, due to their diagnostic morphology, can be used to identify dietary components. In Merychippus, the recovery of plant microfossils holds the potential to provide greater clarity on the paleodiet of these equids. In the present study, the purpose was to quantify and compare Merychippus paleodiet constituents among sample groups. …
Diet Analysis Of Stranded Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) In Virginia, Kristen Marie Volker
Diet Analysis Of Stranded Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) In Virginia, Kristen Marie Volker
Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations
This study describes the diet of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) stranded in Virginia via stomach content analysis and considers factors such as proportion of numerical abundance and reconstructed mass, frequency of occurrence, average reconstructed prey size, prey diversity and quantity, and otolith degradation code. Fish size was estimated via regression equations established from local fish collected during the study that derive wet weight directly from otolith length or width. Squid size is estimated from previously published equations. Soniferous fishes dominated the diet, especially Atlantic croaker, spot, and seatrout spp., adding evidence to the theory that bottlenose dolphins passively …
Diet Of A Recently Reintroduced River Otter (Lontra Canadensis) Population In Taos County, New Mexico, Gabriela Alexandra Wolf-Gonzalez
Diet Of A Recently Reintroduced River Otter (Lontra Canadensis) Population In Taos County, New Mexico, Gabriela Alexandra Wolf-Gonzalez
Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources
North American river otters (Lontra canadensis), native to every U.S. state and Canada, experienced extensive population decreases and range reduction until the mid-20th century as a result of overexploitation and habitat loss during European colonization. The last known river otter in New Mexico was killed on the Gila River in 1953, although unverified reports continued thru 2008. After a nearly 60-year absence from New Mexico, 33 adult river otters were reintroduced to the Rio Pueblo de Taos in the northern part of the state between 2008-2010; however, they were not subsequently monitored or studied. I characterized diet of …
Ecology Of Coyotes (Canis Latrans) In The Greater Detroit Area Of Southeastern Michigan, William B. Dodge
Ecology Of Coyotes (Canis Latrans) In The Greater Detroit Area Of Southeastern Michigan, William B. Dodge
Wayne State University Dissertations
Coyote distribution and habitat use, diet and foraging behavior and space use patterns were investigated in the greater Detroit area of southeastern Michigan. We found evidence of coyotes on 24 of 30 (80%) suburban and 7 of 11 (64%) urban plots. Overall fifty-eight percent of coyote evidence was found within edge habitats, with den sites and tracks the only types of evidence found strictly in interior habitats. Land cover around evidence points included more wooded land cover than expected in suburban areas, suggesting the importance of tree cover for coyote occupancy, and more open space and wooded land cover than …
Foraging Ecology Of Shorebirds At A Stopover Site: Niche Dynamics, Aggression And Resource Use In Delaware Bay, Ivana Novcic
Foraging Ecology Of Shorebirds At A Stopover Site: Niche Dynamics, Aggression And Resource Use In Delaware Bay, Ivana Novcic
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Classical ecological theory predicts that generally similar species ought to partition resources in order to minimize competition amongst themselves. This basic idea becomes complex when one is dealing with species that migrate over thousands of miles and forage in a broad diversity of habitats and geographical locations. I studied a suite of migratory sandpipers, and asked whether they partitioned niches at a major migratory stopover in Delaware Bay. During migration, shorebirds form large, usually mixed-species flocks, which forage on marshes, mudflats, beaches or similar two-dimensional habitats where all individuals are distributed on the same horizontal plane. These habitats are often …
How Important Is Land-Based Foraging To Polar Bears (Ursus Maritimus) During The Ice-Free Season In Western Hudson Bay? An Examination Of Dietary Shifts, Compositional Patterns, Behavioral Observations And Energetic Contributions, Linda J. Gormezano
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Trophic mismatches between predators and their prey are increasing as climate change causes decoupling of phenological relationships. Predators linked to the life histories of a particular prey will have a more difficult time persisting through environmental change unless they can alter their behavior to maintain the historical match or possess the ability to pursue alternate prey. Arctic predators typically possess flexible foraging strategies to survive in the labile environment, however, quantifying the limits of those strategies can be difficult when life history information is incomplete. In such cases, piecing together different aspects of a predator's foraging behavior, particularly when environmental …
Seasonal Food Habits Of Burrowing Owls (Athene Cunicularia) In Human-Altered Landscapes, Carie Marie Wingert
Seasonal Food Habits Of Burrowing Owls (Athene Cunicularia) In Human-Altered Landscapes, Carie Marie Wingert
Master's Theses
In 2004, I initiated a year-long study to investigate the food habits of burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia). Burrowing owls have been found in a variety of human-altered landscapes; however, little is known about burrowing owl food habits in urban landscapes. Burrowing owl food habits during the non-breeding season are also largely undocumented, despite increasing concern over the survival of overwintering burrowing owls. Differences in prey consumption between reproductive and non-reproductive owls during the breeding season have not yet been examined. I collected pellets over a 12 month period at four study sites affected by different levels of human …