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Articles 1 - 24 of 24
Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Contribution Of Lianas To Plant Area Index And Canopy Structure In A Panamanian Forest, Maria Elizabeth Rodriguez-Ronderos
Contribution Of Lianas To Plant Area Index And Canopy Structure In A Panamanian Forest, Maria Elizabeth Rodriguez-Ronderos
Theses and Dissertations
Lianas are an important component of tropical forests, where they reduce tree growth, fecundity and survival. Competition for light among plants may be intense; however the amount of light that lianas intercept is poorly understood. We used a large-scale liana removal experiment to quantify light interception by lianas in a Panamanian secondary forest. We measured the change in plant area index (PAI) and forest structure six weeks after cutting lianas in eight 80x80 m plots and in eight control plots, and then annually for four years. We used ground-based LiDAR to measure the 3-dimensional canopy structure before cutting lianas and …
Suitability Of Great South Bay, New York To Blooms Of Pfiesteria Piscicida And P. Shumwayae Prior To Superstorm Sandy, October 29, 2012, Pawel Tomasz Zablocki
Suitability Of Great South Bay, New York To Blooms Of Pfiesteria Piscicida And P. Shumwayae Prior To Superstorm Sandy, October 29, 2012, Pawel Tomasz Zablocki
Theses and Dissertations
Pfiesteria piscicida and P. shumwayae are toxic dinoflagellates implicated in massive fish kills in North Carolina and Maryland during 1990s. A set of physical, chemica l, and biological factors influence population dynamics of these organisms. This study employs i nformation gathered from relevant literature on temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbulent mixing, and dissolved nutrients, bacteria, algae, microzooplankton, mesozooplankton, bivalve m ollusks, finfish, and other toxic dinoflagellates, which influence Pfiesteria population dynamics. The research focused on whether conditions in the Great South Bay, Long Island, New York were suitable to blooms of Pfiesteria species prior to the passage of superstorm …
A Tale Of Two Morphs: Genetic And Genotypic Structure Between Macrocystis Pyrifera And Macrocystis Integrifolia, Heidi Hargarten
A Tale Of Two Morphs: Genetic And Genotypic Structure Between Macrocystis Pyrifera And Macrocystis Integrifolia, Heidi Hargarten
Theses and Dissertations
Organisms living along environmental gradients often utilize phenotypic plasticity to maximize their survival across a range of conditions. Wherever gradients occur, there is potential for divergence through isolation-by-adaptation (IBA) to build-up between genotypes experiencing different selective pressures. Plasticity in traits pertaining to mating systems in particular are likely to constitute an interesting and revealing model for the study of the underlying mechanisms behind parapatric speciation. Giant kelp, Macrocystis spp., shows striking plasticity in holdfast morphology and reproductive strategy when colonizing intertidal (M. integrifolia morph) versus subtidal (M. pyrifera morph) areas along temperate rocky coastlines of the eastern Pacific Ocean. In …
Functional Diversity Of Regional Marine Paleocommunities After The Permo-Triassic Mass Extinction: Case Studies From Panthalassa And Paleo-Tethys, Ashley Ann Dineen
Functional Diversity Of Regional Marine Paleocommunities After The Permo-Triassic Mass Extinction: Case Studies From Panthalassa And Paleo-Tethys, Ashley Ann Dineen
Theses and Dissertations
The Permo-Triassic mass extinction (PTME) was the largest biodiversity collapse in Earth’s history. Published data has been interpreted as indicating that marine ecological devastation following the PTME was protracted and may have lasted 5 million years into the Middle Triassic (Anisian). However, a review of previous literature shows that understanding of biotic recovery is usually based on only a few components of the ecosystem, such as on taxonomic diversity, a single genus/phylum, or shallow water facies. Typically, paleocommunities are considered fully recovered when dominance and diversity are regained and normal ecosystem functioning has resumed. However, to more fully characterize Triassic …
Factors Constraining The Reproductive Output Of Baptisia Alba Macrophylla, Ashley Morgan Hembrough
Factors Constraining The Reproductive Output Of Baptisia Alba Macrophylla, Ashley Morgan Hembrough
Theses and Dissertations
Baptisia alba macrophylla, a native, herbaceous perennial legume, produces inflorescences with a large number of flowers, yet matures relatively few fruits. We hypothesized that the number of seeds matured by B. alba macrophylla is maximized based on resource availability at each stage of development, but this optimal number is further compromised by extrinsic factors including pollen limitation and pre-dispersal seed predation by the weevils Apion rostrum and Tychius sordidus. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a field experiment at two sites: (i) the John English Prairie, located in Hudson, IL, and also (ii) the Sugar Grove Nature Center and Funks …
Effects Of The Developmental Environment On Oxidative Damage And Antioxidants In Red-Eared Slider Turtle ( Trachemys Scripta Elegans ) Hatchlings, Lisa Allison Treidel
Effects Of The Developmental Environment On Oxidative Damage And Antioxidants In Red-Eared Slider Turtle ( Trachemys Scripta Elegans ) Hatchlings, Lisa Allison Treidel
Theses and Dissertations
Developmental environments influence many individual phenotypes. However, currently we have a limited understanding of how the developmental environment influences oxidative stress resistance phenotypes. Oxidative stress is defined as a physiological state during which the production of harmful free radicals exceeds the protective capabilities of antioxidants. Variations among adults in susceptibility to oxidative stress can have important consequences for life history strategies and fitness related traits. Our work was aimed at providing insight in to the role that the developmental environment plays on oxidative stress phenotypes in the model oviparous reptile the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans). Here, we conducted …
Paleoecology Of Glacial And Non Glacial Carboniferous Faunas During The Late Paleozoic Ice Age In Patagonia, Nicole Braun
Paleoecology Of Glacial And Non Glacial Carboniferous Faunas During The Late Paleozoic Ice Age In Patagonia, Nicole Braun
Theses and Dissertations
The Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA) records the only icehouse to greenhouse transition in Earth’s history that involved complex marine and terrestrial life and serves as an analogue for Quaternary climate change. Identifying biotic responses to paleoenvironmental variations during the LPIA is important in order to understand how our modern fauna may respond to contemporary climate change. Low-paleolatitude (far-field) marine faunas far from ice centers have been recognized and used as a global proxy for biotic responses to the LPIA, but the biotic responses in high-paleolatitude (near-field) regions close to Gondwanan ice centers have received much less attention. We tested …
Paleoredox Geochemistry And Bioturbation Levels Of The Exceptionally Preserved Early Cambrian Indian Springs Biota, Poleta Formation, Nevada, Usa, Jonah Meron Novek
Paleoredox Geochemistry And Bioturbation Levels Of The Exceptionally Preserved Early Cambrian Indian Springs Biota, Poleta Formation, Nevada, Usa, Jonah Meron Novek
Theses and Dissertations
The early Cambrian Indian Springs biota, western Nevada, USA exhibits Burgess Shale-type (BST) preservation of a diverse array of animal phyla, including the earliest definitive echinoderms. It therefore provides an important window on animal life during the Cambrian radiation. The objective of this study is to analyze the trace metal paleoredox geochemistry and bioturbation levels of this BST deposit in order to characterize the paleoenvironmental conditions in which these animals lived and their fossils were preserved. A total of 28 rock samples were collected from outcrops at three previously reported intervals of exceptional preservation at the Indian Springs locality, as …
Microbially Induced Sedimentary Structures As An Ecological Niche In Subtidal Early Triassic Environments Of Eastern Panthalassa, Erin Wimer
Theses and Dissertations
Early Triassic microbially induced sedimentary structures (MISS) are a critical link in understanding the dynamics between changing environmental conditions and their effect on marine communities. The Permo-Triassic mass extinction (PTME) resulted in vacated ecospace and reduced bioturbation that allowed MISS to expand into Early Triassic subtidal environments. Data from southern Idaho and Montana indicate that MISS inhabited and proliferated in subtidal marine environments during the Griesbachian. This propagation led to changes in shallow substrate geochemical conditions that directly affected macrofaunal communities. The proliferation of microbial mats would have created anoxic and euxinic porewaters and made vertical bioturbation physiologically difficult. Geochemical …
Switching Tactics: Phenotypic Plasticity In The Alternative Mate-Finding Tactics Of Burying Beetles, Theresa Mulrey
Switching Tactics: Phenotypic Plasticity In The Alternative Mate-Finding Tactics Of Burying Beetles, Theresa Mulrey
Theses and Dissertations
Male Nicrophorus burying beetles utilize two alternative mate-finding tactics, representing an ideal model system to test the influence of environmental cues on the expression of alternative tactics. The "searching" tactic involves flying in search of a carcass on which to mate. This tactic can result in high levels of paternity, but is risky in that carcasses are rare and competition for carcasses is fierce. The "signaling" tactic, which involves emitting pheromone in the absence of a carcass to attract females, is energetically less costly, but a signalling male must mate with multiple females to achieve the same reproductive returns as …
Hatching Asynchrony In European Starlings ( Sturnus Vulgaris ), Jason Hanser
Hatching Asynchrony In European Starlings ( Sturnus Vulgaris ), Jason Hanser
Theses and Dissertations
Across a wide range of avian taxa, eggs within clutches hatch asynchronously, placing later hatched nestlings at a disadvantage. Here, we explore the proximate and ultimate causes of hatching asynchrony within European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris. Specifically, we investigate the effect of ambient temperature on egg viability and incubation behavior prior to clutch completion. Additionally, we examine the potential for storage time and maternally-deposited yolk testosterone to influence rates of embryonic development and hatching patterns within European starlings.
Investigating Seed Dispersal Distances And Long Distance Dispersal Mechanisms Of The Invasive Plant, Alliaria Petiolata, Christopher Loebach
Investigating Seed Dispersal Distances And Long Distance Dispersal Mechanisms Of The Invasive Plant, Alliaria Petiolata, Christopher Loebach
Theses and Dissertations
Alliaria petiolata, an herbaceous plant, has aggressively invaded North American woodlands. It has been extensively studied to understand why it is a successful invader, but certain aspects of its biology have been understudied such as seed dispersal distances and long distance dispersal mechanisms (LDDM). My thesis experimentally measured A. petiolata seed dispersal distances and determined if epizoochory (external animal transport) is a LDDM. To measure dispersal distances, seed traps were placed around three A. petiolata seed point sources to capture dispersed seeds at increasing distances away from the point sources. Eight mathematical functions that describe dispersal distances were fitted to …
Environmental Impacts On Life History In Container Breeding Mosquitoes, Kathleen May Westby
Environmental Impacts On Life History In Container Breeding Mosquitoes, Kathleen May Westby
Theses and Dissertations
In this dissertation I explore different ways that the environment impacts life history in mosquitoes in ways that may alter vectorial capacity. In chapter I, I tested if short-term sugar deprivation experienced after exposure to La Crosse virus altered infection rates in Aedes albopictus and if sugar treatment and virus infection status altered blood feeding behavior and fecundity. I found no evidence that sugar deprivation impacted infection rates or fecundity. Sugar deprivation did increase blood feeding. There was no effect of infection status on blood feeding or fecundity. In chapter II, I tested for effects of seasonal cues (temperature and …
The Export Of An Algal Toxin Into Terrestrial Predators Via Emerging Aquatic Insects, Nicholas J. Moy
The Export Of An Algal Toxin Into Terrestrial Predators Via Emerging Aquatic Insects, Nicholas J. Moy
Theses and Dissertations
Algal blooms are directly related to human-caused nutrient enrichment of water bodies. The cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa produces microcystin (MC), a toxin that has been linked with mortalities and illness of many organisms. We show that MC is not constrained by the aquatic-terrestrial ecotone. MC was detected in a primary consumer and emerging aquatic invertebrate (Hexagenia Mayfly), a terrestrial insect and predator of emerging aquatic invertebrates (Tetragnathidae Spider), and a vertebrate consumer (Prothonotary Warbler). Mayfly and spider MC levels varied across the blooming period. MC levels in prothonotary warbler livers varied by age class; nestlings having the highest levels. MC levels …
Physical And Biological Constraints On The Abundance Of Cyanobacteria In The James River Estuary, Brendan C. Trache
Physical And Biological Constraints On The Abundance Of Cyanobacteria In The James River Estuary, Brendan C. Trache
Theses and Dissertations
The tidal-fresh James River experiences recurring blooms of toxin-producing cyanobacteria, including Microcystis aeruginosa. However, cyanobacteria cell densities in the James are relatively low. Our purpose was to identify key factors suppressing cyanobacteria growth in the face of eutrophication. A mesocosm experiment was designed to test the effects of light, mixing and grazing on cyanobacteria abundance, with nutrients held constant. We predicted that toxic cyanobacteria would be most abundant under stagnant conditions, with enhanced light, with no bivalve grazers present. Abundances of indicator gene copies and phytoplankton counts supported this hypothesis. However, chlorophyll-a, phycocyanin, and the toxin microcystin were all …
Emergent Non-Consumptive Predator Effects Alter Habitat Colonization By Dipteran Prey, Ethan G. Staats
Emergent Non-Consumptive Predator Effects Alter Habitat Colonization By Dipteran Prey, Ethan G. Staats
Theses and Dissertations
When ovipositing, prey organisms avoid habitat patches containing predator cues because predators consume, and negatively affect the fitness of their prey. Richness of predator species often enhances the strength of consumptive predator effects, but little is known about how multiple predators combined affect prey non-consumptively. We quantified dipteran colonization in aquatic mesocosms in response to varied predator richness. Multiple predator species combined reduced oviposition by Culex mosquitoes, chironomid midges, and the general colonizing dipteran community more than predicted by the effects of the independent predator species. Previous research which quantifies effects of multiple predators on prey as prey abundance, but …
Consequences Of Vine Infestation: Linking Abiotic Influences And Biotic Interactions To Successional And Structural Changes In Coastal Communities, Spencer N. Bissett
Consequences Of Vine Infestation: Linking Abiotic Influences And Biotic Interactions To Successional And Structural Changes In Coastal Communities, Spencer N. Bissett
Theses and Dissertations
Located at the interfaces of terrestrial and marine environments, coastal habitats are inherently vulnerable to the effects of global change. Barrier island systems in particular serve not only as protective buffers against storm events, but also as sentinel ecosystems for observation of the impacts of sea level rise, and of increasing storm frequency and intensity. In the mid-Atlantic region, shrub thickets of Morella species compose the dominant forest community. The often monospecific nature of these plant community assemblages is advantageous to ecological studies and cross-scale applications; the relatively low diversity facilitates transitions between scales. My objective was to investigate the …
Effects Of Constant Vs. Fluctuating Temperatures On Performance And Life History Of The Herbivorous Pest Lymantria Dispar (Lepidoptera: Eribidae), Brendan E. Sostak
Effects Of Constant Vs. Fluctuating Temperatures On Performance And Life History Of The Herbivorous Pest Lymantria Dispar (Lepidoptera: Eribidae), Brendan E. Sostak
Theses and Dissertations
The role of temperature variation in organismal performance is understudied, but is critically important for understanding the response of biodiversity to climate change. To address this issue in herbivorous insects, I studied the direct and interactive effects of thermal regime (constant vs. fluctuating temperatures) and nutrition (dietary nitrogen) on gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) performance under laboratory conditions. Predictions for differences between constant and fluctuating thermal conditions were derived from Jensen’s inequality, and artificial diets of differing nutritional quality were made by modifying nitrogen (casein) content. Larvae were reared in the laboratory under four temperature regimes (22°C constant, 22°C …
Behavioral Responses Of Male Parasitic Wasps To Plant Cues: A Comparison Of Two Host-Plant Complex Sources Of Cotesia Congregata (Say), Megan Ayers
Theses and Dissertations
Prior exposure to plants cues can enhance assortative mating in insects. We hypothesized that, as previously reported for females, males of Cotesia congregata would display inherent responses to plant cues that could be modified by postemergence experience and further, that males originating from two different host-plant complexes (HPCs) would display different behavioral responses to these HPCs. In no-choice contact assays with a non-host plant, searching responses of males and females increased sharply at Day 2 and remained stable through Day 4. In no-choice assays with potential host plants, males searched longer on catalpa than tobacco; responses were not modified by …
Coarse Woody Debris And The Carbon Balance Of A Moderately Disturbed Forest, Amy V. Schmid
Coarse Woody Debris And The Carbon Balance Of A Moderately Disturbed Forest, Amy V. Schmid
Theses and Dissertations
Landscapes are comprised of multiple ecosystems shaped by disturbances varying in severity and source. Moderate disturbance from weather, pathogens, insects, and age-related senescence, in contrast to severe disturbances that fell trees, may increase standing woody debris and alter the contribution of coarse woody debris (CWD) to total ecosystem respiration (RE). However, woody debris dynamics are rarely examined following moderate disturbances that substantially increase standing dead wood stocks. We used an experimental manipulation of moderate disturbance in an upper Great Lakes forest to: 1) examine decadal changes in CWD stocks through a moderate disturbance; 2) quantify in situ CWD …
Speed And Resolution In The Age Of Technological Reproducibility, Shawn Taylor
Speed And Resolution In The Age Of Technological Reproducibility, Shawn Taylor
Theses and Dissertations
The rate of acceleration of the biologic and synthetic world has for a while now, been in the process of exponentially speeding up, maxing out servers and landfills, merging with each other, destroying each other. The last prehistoric relics on Earth are absorbing the same oxygen, carbon dioxide and electronic waves in our biosphere as us. A degraded .jpeg enlarged to full screen on a Samsung 4K UHD HU8550 Series Smart TV - 85” Class (84.5” diag.). Within this composite ecology, the ancient limestone of the grand canyon competes with the iMax movie of itself, the production of Mac pros, …
Responses Of The Catalpa Sphinx, Ceratomia Catalpae, And Its Primary Parasitoid, Cotesia Congregata, To Varying Levels Of Iridoid Glycosides In Catalpa, Jessica L. Bray
Responses Of The Catalpa Sphinx, Ceratomia Catalpae, And Its Primary Parasitoid, Cotesia Congregata, To Varying Levels Of Iridoid Glycosides In Catalpa, Jessica L. Bray
Theses and Dissertations
The catalpa sphinx, Ceratomia catalpae, is a specialist on Catalpa trees, which produce iridoid glycosides (IGs). Whereas some trees are defoliated every year, others escape herbivory. Caterpillar populations are either heavily parasitized by the braconid wasp, Cotesia congregata, or remain unparasitized. We hypothesized that these patterns could be explained by variable IG concentrations among trees and insect responses to these chemicals. IG concentrations varied among trees. Percent defoliation was positively related to IG concentration. In comparisons of insect responses to relatively high or low IG concentrations, moths preferred to oviposit on trees with high IG concentrations. Caterpillars did …
The Effects Of Hydropeaking On Lotic Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages, Andrew L. Garey
The Effects Of Hydropeaking On Lotic Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages, Andrew L. Garey
Theses and Dissertations
The term hydropeaking refers to anthropogenically induced, short-duration, high-magnitude discharge pulses that are generated in lotic systems for electricity production. The practice of hydropeaking produces the largest source of renewable energy worldwide, and its use is projected to increase through the year 2040. The primary objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of hydropeaking on benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages, which are important components of lotic ecosystems. Results of this work show that, across a wide range of impacted systems worldwide, the consistently observed patterns of elevated benthic macroinvertebrate drift in response to hydropeaking pulses are primarily related to the …
Expanding Eco-Visualization: Sculpting Corn Production, Jennifer E. Figg
Expanding Eco-Visualization: Sculpting Corn Production, Jennifer E. Figg
Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation expands upon the definition of eco-visualization artwork. EV was originally defined in 2006 by Tiffany Holmes as a way to display the real time consumption statistics of key environmental resources for the goal of promoting ecological literacy. I assert that the final forms of EV artworks are not necessarily dependent on technology, and can differ in terms of media used, in that they can be sculptural, video-based, or static two-dimensional forms that communicate interpreted environmental information. There are two main categories of EV: one that is predominantly screen-based and another that employs a variety of modes of representation …