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Articles 1 - 30 of 31
Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
In Search Of Hidden Talents : Stress-Adapted Students, Classroom Characteristics, And Academic Achievement, Jessica Lynn Murray
In Search Of Hidden Talents : Stress-Adapted Students, Classroom Characteristics, And Academic Achievement, Jessica Lynn Murray
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Differentiated Instruction, an approach to teaching that encourages educators to adjust their content, pedagogy, and assessment based on the needs of individual students, lacks suggestions for how to target specific student groups, such as “high-risk” students. Researchers in the field of evolutionary developmental psychology have begun to focus on stress-adapted students (who are described in a similar way as “high risk” students) and has made suggestions about how to play to the strengths of the cognitive enhancements, or “hidden talents” of these students. When considered together, the work from both fields may provide a clear set of pedagogical recommendations for …
Molecular Mechanisms Shaping Host Range Of A Vector-Borne Pathogen, Thomas Macgregor Hart
Molecular Mechanisms Shaping Host Range Of A Vector-Borne Pathogen, Thomas Macgregor Hart
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Vector-borne diseases, such as Lyme disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl), have narrow host ranges and are apt models to study host-microparasite coevolution. Some species and strains of Lyme borreliae (LB) are specialists, infecting only mammalian or only avian hosts (ex. Borrelia afzelii and B. garinii, respectively), while others are generalists and infect both hosts (ex. B. burgdorferi). Such host tropisms are hypothesized to be partially shaped by the ability of these pathogens evade host immune defenses, such as complement. Complement is a first line host defense against invading pathogens that kills LB in vitro and inhibits spirochete …
A Comparative Spatial And Climate Analysis Of Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis And Human Babesiosis In New York State (2013-2018), Collin J. O'Connor
A Comparative Spatial And Climate Analysis Of Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis And Human Babesiosis In New York State (2013-2018), Collin J. O'Connor
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) and human babesiosis are tick-borne diseases spread by Ixodes scapularis (the blacklegged or deer tick) and are the result of infection with Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia microti, respectively. In New York State (NYS), incidence rates of these diseases increased concordantly until around 2013, when rates of HGA began to increase more rapidly than human babesiosis, and the spatial extent of the diseases diverged. Surveillance data of tick-borne pathogens (2007 to 2018) and reported human cases of HGA (n=4,297) and human babesiosis (n=2,986) (2013 to 2018) from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) showed a …
Haemoparasite Infection And Immunogenetic Diversity In A Clade Of North American Songbirds, Naima Starkloff
Haemoparasite Infection And Immunogenetic Diversity In A Clade Of North American Songbirds, Naima Starkloff
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The persistence of an organism in a particular habitat is mediated by a complex interplay of abiotic and biotic interactions. These interactions become especially complicated for a vector-transmitted parasite as its persistence relies on its ability to colonize both ectothermic and endothermic host organisms. Host factors, rather than environmental factors, have been highlighted as key predictors of the diversity and prevalence of avian haemosporidians (malaria parasites and relatives) globally. The range of a parasite is limited by its host specificity as well as the community of hosts present. In addition, as haemosporidian infections typically have negative fitness consequences on hosts, …
Tribute From The Underworld : The Historical Ecology Of The Maya Postclassic Fish Trade With Isotopic Analysis Of Otoliths From MayapáN And Caye Coco, Jeffrey Michael Bryant
Tribute From The Underworld : The Historical Ecology Of The Maya Postclassic Fish Trade With Isotopic Analysis Of Otoliths From MayapáN And Caye Coco, Jeffrey Michael Bryant
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
This dissertation investigates the Maya fish trade through the extensive analysis of fish otoliths (ear stones), from the Postclassic sites of Mayapán, and Caye Coco, and provides an initial foundation for the development of a historical ecology program. Through osteometry, thin-section microscopy of growth rings, and microscale stable isotope analysis (δC13 and δO18), a spectrum of data is produced to characterize the Postclassic fish trade. These data are used to illuminate themes of the seasonality of the fish harvest, diet, biodiversity, fish population demography, environmental change, sustainability, and resilience. The timing of a seasonal intensification of the harvest is viewed …
Phenotypic And Genetic Variation Of The Brazilian Malaria Vector Nyssorhynchus Darlingi At Regional And Local Scales, Virginia Mildred Chu
Phenotypic And Genetic Variation Of The Brazilian Malaria Vector Nyssorhynchus Darlingi At Regional And Local Scales, Virginia Mildred Chu
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
There have been major successes in the fight to eliminate malaria in the Americas, with 11
Whole-Canopy Net Ecosystem Exchange And Water Use Efficiency In An Intermittent-Light Environment -- Dynamic Approach, Sergey Nikolayevich Kivalov
Whole-Canopy Net Ecosystem Exchange And Water Use Efficiency In An Intermittent-Light Environment -- Dynamic Approach, Sergey Nikolayevich Kivalov
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
An observed 20-30% increase in forest net ecosystem exchange (NEE) on partly cloudy days is often attributed to there being more uniform canopy illumination by diffuse radiation when clouds are present. However, the sky on such days is typically populated by fair-weather cumulus clouds, bringing dynamically changing shadow-to-light conditions on the order of minutes to the forest, with radiation alternating from 1000 W m^-2 in the clear sky to less than 400 W m^-2 in under-cloud shadows. These dynamically changing conditions cannot be investigated by the conventional time-averaged eddy-covariance flux method, which requires nearly steady-state turbulent conditions over much longer …
An Investigation Of Implicit And Explicit Memory In The Survival Memory Paradigm, Allison M. Wilck
An Investigation Of Implicit And Explicit Memory In The Survival Memory Paradigm, Allison M. Wilck
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Robust support has been found for a survival processing effect on memory when information is encoded for its fitness-relevance (Nairne, Thompson, & Pandeirada, 2007). However, support for this effect has been limited to forms of memory that require intentional, explicit retrieval processes. Thus far, the literature has failed to identify the effect in implicit, automatic memory using conceptual and perceptual production tasks (McBride, Thomas, & Zimmerman, 2013; Tse & Altarriba, 2010). In the current study, an alternative implicit memory test that employs different memory processes was employed in a further attempt to examine the survival processing effect in implicit memory. …
Grazing And The Coupling Of Vascular Plant And Soil Microbial Diversity In Agricultural Landscapes Of Eastern New York, Caroline Belle Girard-Cartier
Grazing And The Coupling Of Vascular Plant And Soil Microbial Diversity In Agricultural Landscapes Of Eastern New York, Caroline Belle Girard-Cartier
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
ABSTRACT
Climate Change, Spruce Root Phenology, And Allocation Of Carbon Below- And Above-Ground, Marie Louise Orton
Climate Change, Spruce Root Phenology, And Allocation Of Carbon Below- And Above-Ground, Marie Louise Orton
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Tree ring analysis has relied on a close relationship between climate and photosynthetically-derived stem enlargement. Lengthening growing seasons associated with climate warming have been predicted to enhance carbon sequestration as wood in trees, but this
Differentiation, Distribution, And Diversity Of The Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Lato Virulence Gene, Ospc, And The Overwintering Survivability Of The Tick Vector, Ixodes Scapularis, Melissa Beth Stone
Differentiation, Distribution, And Diversity Of The Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Lato Virulence Gene, Ospc, And The Overwintering Survivability Of The Tick Vector, Ixodes Scapularis, Melissa Beth Stone
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The causative agents of Lyme disease, or Lyme Borreliosis, are spirochetes in the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) species complex that are transmitted by ticks in the genus Ixodes. Certain B. burgdorferi s.l. genotypes are more likely to cause invasive, disseminated infection in humans, and the gene, ospC, has been identified as a molecular marker that can be used to predict virulence. ospC is the most polymorphic locus in the B. burgdorferi s.l. genome, and different alleles have been assigned to Major ospC Groups based on sequence dissimilarity. Issues with the Major ospC Group definition and nomenclature are pervasive in …
Soil Properties Affect Establishment Of Invasive Species, Celastrus Orbiculatus, In A Lower Hudson River Riparian Ecosystem, Shabana Hoosein Hoosein
Soil Properties Affect Establishment Of Invasive Species, Celastrus Orbiculatus, In A Lower Hudson River Riparian Ecosystem, Shabana Hoosein Hoosein
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The Hudson River Estuary has been colonized by numerous terrestrial invasive plant species, due in part to its history of anthropogenic and natural disturbance riparian dynamics. This study investigates the spatial patterns of a widespread invasion by Oriental (or Asiatic) bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb.) in Schodack Island State Park, Rensselaer and Columbia Counties. The Park is home to rare species and communities, several of which are threatened by the encroachment of bittersweet. Bittersweet populations were mapped and surveyed on a fixed grid throughout the island, to determine distribution patterns. Stem densities were approximately 50% higher in sites with dredged material …
Consequences Of Developmental Lead (Pb2+) Exposure On Reproductive Strategies In Drosophila, Elizabeth Kathleen Peterson
Consequences Of Developmental Lead (Pb2+) Exposure On Reproductive Strategies In Drosophila, Elizabeth Kathleen Peterson
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Anthropogenic lead (Pb) pollution is ubiquitous in the environment and a risk factor for both human and wildlife health. Pb exposure has the potential to alter reproductive strategies with respect to mate choice and reproductive output. This could be especially deleterious if these changes disrupt adaptive behavioral and reproductive life history strategies. Therefore, the overall aim of this body of work was to examine the consequences of developmental Pb exposure on reproductive strategies, using Drosophila melanogaster as a model system. In all experiments, D. melanogaster were reared from egg stage to adulthood in either control or leaded medium and were …
What's In A Kiss? : The Role Of Kissing In Romantic Relationships, Kristina N. Spaulding
What's In A Kiss? : The Role Of Kissing In Romantic Relationships, Kristina N. Spaulding
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
A strong understanding of the role of kissing has important theoretical implications; however little research has been done on kissing in romantic relationships. This study aimed to examine the role of kissing in (a) mate assessment, (b) initiating arousal and (c) maintenance of an emotional bond. Data were collected by surveying college students at a public university in the northeast. The first survey (n = 121) examined the memory of the first kiss compared to other sexual “firsts” as well as the relationship between the first kiss and relationship outcome. Memories of the first kiss were weaker than memories of …
Sound Environment Programming The Post-1945 Moment : Charles Olson, Sun Ra, John Cage, And The Way Back In, Michael Peters
Sound Environment Programming The Post-1945 Moment : Charles Olson, Sun Ra, John Cage, And The Way Back In, Michael Peters
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
On the eve of 1945, when the Manhattan Project's machinations to split the atom were almost in place, another physicist published a little book--What Is Life? Applying physics to biology, Erwin Schrödinger described how genetic "code-script" could create aperiodic (non-repeating) new life from periodic materials, revealing the "secret" of life. This dilemma of life or death defines the post-1945 moment. Fraught with Hamlet-like uncertainty, I argue this moment is the apex of a long-fomenting, eco-historical crisis where Western thinking had severed "Man" from "Nature." Sound Environment Programming is a term I invented to detail how Charles Olson, Sun Ra, and …
Effects Of Extreme Hydrologic Events On Trout Populations And Fish Communities In A Catskill Mountain River, Scott Daniel George
Effects Of Extreme Hydrologic Events On Trout Populations And Fish Communities In A Catskill Mountain River, Scott Daniel George
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Extreme hydrologic events are becoming more common with changing climatic conditions. Although the impacts of winter and spring floods on lotic ecosystems have been well studied, the effects of summer floods on fish assemblages in mountain streams are less well known. This study took advantage of an extreme precipitation event during the course of an ongoing monitoring program, which allowed the opportunity to quantify the effects of a severe late summer flood on fish communities in a montane watershed. We also evaluated the effect of the flood on the density and age structure of two ecologically important populations of sport …
Developmental Adaptation Hypothesis : Aerobic Capacity, Submaximal Arterial Saturation And Pulmonary Volumes In Peruvian Quechua Natives, Melisa Kiyamu Tsuchiya
Developmental Adaptation Hypothesis : Aerobic Capacity, Submaximal Arterial Saturation And Pulmonary Volumes In Peruvian Quechua Natives, Melisa Kiyamu Tsuchiya
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The Quechua populations have inhabited the Andes for hundreds of generations. The ability to thrive in this hostile environment, leading an active and healthy life has generated research questions about the special phenotype of Andean highlanders compared to their sea-level counterparts, such as their higher pulmonary volumes and their outstanding work capacity in spite of the challenge of oxygen transport and delivery in hypoxia. In high altitude natives, there have been two main explanations for the origins of the aforementioned traits: genetic adaptation through natural selection and developmental adaptation through the exposure to hypoxia during growth.
Ecology Of Earthworms In Riparian Habitats, Rebecca Annette Pinder
Ecology Of Earthworms In Riparian Habitats, Rebecca Annette Pinder
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Research on earthworm ecology in North America has shifted from a focus on agricultural systems to investigations of their impacts on forested ecosystems. Many of the earthworms (family Lumbricidae, Megascolecidae, and Sparganophilidae) found so far appear to be groups of exotic species, many recently arrived from Eurasia. My preliminary research established their presence along forested headwater stream banks, previously assumed to be earthworm-free zones. These riparian areas are integral landscape elements that influence many downstream processes. This dissertation is the first to examine four aspects of earthworm ecology in riparian zones: species composition and distributions; community structure of earthworm assemblages; …
Modeling The Ecological Niche Of The Nigeria-Cameroon Chimpanzee Under Climate Change, Paul Ryan Sesink Clee
Modeling The Ecological Niche Of The Nigeria-Cameroon Chimpanzee Under Climate Change, Paul Ryan Sesink Clee
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Ecological niche theory states that a set of environmental conditions exists that a species relies upon in order to survive and reproduce. Collectively, these variables define a species' niche, which includes a species' dispersal abilities and its range. Ecological niche modeling predicts the distributions of species by using information from environmental variables across geographic space, making it a valuable tool for studying how environment affects population dynamics. With accurate species presence data and geospatial information that describe its known habitat, ENMs can effectively map a species' realized niche across geographical space, and for closely related taxa, be used to understand …
Intra And Interhost Dynamics Shaping Arbovirus Adaptation And Evolution, Alexander T. Ciota
Intra And Interhost Dynamics Shaping Arbovirus Adaptation And Evolution, Alexander T. Ciota
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), which are predominately mosquito-borne and almost exclusively RNA viruses, are maintained in nature in complex transmission cycles involving blood sucking invertebrates and vertebrate hosts. Although over 120 arboviruses are human pathogens responsible for causing a significant and expanding global health burden, a detailed understanding of the complex interactions between these pathogens and their hosts, particularly invertebrate hosts, is lacking. Defining these interactions is necessary if we are to understand the selective pressures and, therefore, evolutionary, adaptive, and epidemiological potential of arboviruses. This requires experimental infection and evolution studies, particularly in vivo, with natural hosts. The results presented …
Experimental Studies Of The Multitrophic Effects Of Anti-Herbivore Defense In Three Pine Barrens Shrub Species, Elizabeth R. Coffey
Experimental Studies Of The Multitrophic Effects Of Anti-Herbivore Defense In Three Pine Barrens Shrub Species, Elizabeth R. Coffey
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Plants produce numerous chemical defense compounds in response to herbivory. Induced chemical defenses potentially influence soil dynamics by changing the nutrient ratio of the leaves, which are seasonally shed and contribute to the soil, or by affecting the detritus community through leaching of chemicals in the root zone. Manual clipping was utilized in this study to induce chemical compounds with the goal of examining the secondary effects of induced plant defenses. I removed 25% of the mass of fifteen plants of three different plant species in the Albany Pine Bush annually for two consecutive years. I then compared the soil …
Experimental And Molecular Studies Of Bryophyte Dispersal On Alpine Summits, Sean Charles Robinson
Experimental And Molecular Studies Of Bryophyte Dispersal On Alpine Summits, Sean Charles Robinson
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
A review of bryophyte dispersal studies over the last sixty years revealed that the role of gametophytic fragments in bryophyte population dynamics has not been adequately addressed. In this dissertation, I investigate the dispersal potential of wind blown bryophyte fragments on Adirondack alpine summits using a combination of field and laboratory methods.
Evaluation Of A Biopesticide Against Invasive Species For Native Species Restoration, Denise Ann Mayer
Evaluation Of A Biopesticide Against Invasive Species For Native Species Restoration, Denise Ann Mayer
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Since their introduction in the 1980s, dreissenid mussels (Dreissena polymorpha and D. rostriformis bugensis) rapidly spread throughout North America and have had severe impacts on the ecology of freshwater ecosystems. A project was initiated in the early 1990s at the New York State Museum's Field Research Laboratory to discover and develop natural products to control industrial biofouling by dreissenid mussels. A strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens (Pf-CL145A), isolated from the sediment of a North American river, was found to be effective at killing dreissenids. The strain was patented for this use.
Blanding's Turtle (Emydoidea Blandingii) In Saratoga County, New York : Survey Methods, Spatial Ecology And Conservation, Andrea Chaloux
Blanding's Turtle (Emydoidea Blandingii) In Saratoga County, New York : Survey Methods, Spatial Ecology And Conservation, Andrea Chaloux
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
In 2003, a small, isolated population of the New York State Threatened Blanding's Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) was documented in Saratoga County, New York, between the main range and eastern range of the species, approximately 120 km from the nearest known population. The location of the population and its occupancy of a protected preserve in an area experiencing heavy development pressure prompted the need for an immediate conservation-focused study. Building upon work of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation staff from 2003-2006, a trapping (2007-2008) and radio-telemetry (2007-2009) study was conducted with the following objectives: 1) inform survey protocol recommendations …
The Importance Of Disease And Behavior In Mammalian Ecology And Behavior, Christopher R. Collins
The Importance Of Disease And Behavior In Mammalian Ecology And Behavior, Christopher R. Collins
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Causes of mortality reflect the evolutionary forces shaping the physiology and behavior of species. To evaluate the relative importance of these in North American Mammals I compared published data from 69 populations across 27 species. Of the known causes, humans are the main cause of mortality (51.8%), followed by natural causes (48.5%), with predation being the largest natural cause. Populations in remote areas experienced higher hunting mortality, and those closer to human populations suffered increased vehicle collision. Predation mortality was negatively correlated with body mass.
Darwin's Other Idea : Sexual Selection, Gender And Violence, Robert Samuel Moschgat
Darwin's Other Idea : Sexual Selection, Gender And Violence, Robert Samuel Moschgat
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
This dissertation provides an empirical exploration of Darwin's theory of sexual selection, which views the male propensity to engage in short term mating strategies--sexual promiscuity and violence--as the result of sexual selection. Within an environmental context, biological father and mother household presence are expected to inhibit the initiation of short-term mating strategies and increase parental investment--paternal and maternal attachments, supervision, and protection. Whereas, structural disadvantage--living in poverty and in dangerous neighborhoods--is predicted to increase the initiation of a short-term mating strategies and compromise the parents' ability to protect their children and by weakening paternal and maternal attachments, thereby increasing the …
Biogeographic Consequences Of Historic And Contemporary Climate Change In Boreal Forest Birds, Joel Ralston
Biogeographic Consequences Of Historic And Contemporary Climate Change In Boreal Forest Birds, Joel Ralston
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
In this dissertation, I combine ecological niche models (ENMs), which can be extrapolated through time to predict historic and future changes in species distributions, with mitochondrial and nuclear genetic markers to study the biogeographic consequences of historic and contemporary climate change on boreal forest birds, and in particular Blackpoll Warbler.
Effects Of Early Developmental Stress On Adult Physiology And Behavior, Michael James Frederick
Effects Of Early Developmental Stress On Adult Physiology And Behavior, Michael James Frederick
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Events during early development can have long-term effects on physiology and behavior. While extreme developmental stress is known to be associated with a variety of behavioral problems, it is less well understood how milder stress may affect behavior, personality, and reproductive success. This research project assessed a variety of behavioral dimensions in a college age sample, while assessing early development using size at birth, fluctuating asymmetry, and retrospective surveys. Maternal stress during pregnancy was found to reduce adolescent growth spurts and adult handgrip strength in the offspring. In males, lower birth weights were associated with higher scores of impulsivity and …
Ecological Invasion In Spatially Competitive Systems, Andrew James Allstadt
Ecological Invasion In Spatially Competitive Systems, Andrew James Allstadt
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Although the term invasion conjures images of invasive species, the dynamics of rarity is fundamental to many ecological processes. The community-level effects of invasion are determined by interactions between individuals in the system. Competition is most intense between neighboring individuals, which may generate spatial organization that can affect the outcome and time scale of an invasion. In this dissertation, I use analytic and simulation models of invasion to study preemptive competition between a rare invading type, and a resident that already occupies the system. In Chapter 1, I give motivation for these studies, and then introduce a spatially structured, individual-based …
Molecular Evolution Of Genes Underlying Phenotypic Differences Between Humans And Chimpanzees, Santhoshi Bandla
Molecular Evolution Of Genes Underlying Phenotypic Differences Between Humans And Chimpanzees, Santhoshi Bandla
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (P. paniscus) are often used as models to study the genetic and morphological changes on the lineage leading to the modern humans (Homo sapiens). Results of this dissertation suggest that, in comparison to other hominoids, chimpanzees and bonobos are more derived in their relative testes sizes and promiscuous mating systems. Phylogenetic analysis of genes that might underlie increased testes size revealed that, in addition to being a sex-determining gene, SRY displays Pan-specific amino acid replacements that make it a compelling candidate as a testes-size determining gene. Strikingly, SRY and another candidate gene, DMRT3, display patterns …