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Articles 1 - 12 of 12

Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Photo-Identification Methods Reveal Seasonal And Long-Term Site-Fidelity Of Risso’S Dolphins (Grampus Griseus) In Shallow Waters (Cardigan Bay, Wales), Marijke N. De Boer, Josephine Clark, Mardik F. Leopold, Mark P. Simmonds, Peter J.H. Reijnders Dec 2013

Photo-Identification Methods Reveal Seasonal And Long-Term Site-Fidelity Of Risso’S Dolphins (Grampus Griseus) In Shallow Waters (Cardigan Bay, Wales), Marijke N. De Boer, Josephine Clark, Mardik F. Leopold, Mark P. Simmonds, Peter J.H. Reijnders

Ecology Collection

A photo-identification study on Risso’s dolphins was carried out off Bardsey Island in Wales (July to September, 1997-2007). Their local abundance was estimated using two different analytical techniques: 1) mark-recapture of well-marked dolphins using a “closed-population” model; and 2) a census technique based on the total number of iden-tified individual dolphins sighted over the study period. The mark-recapture estimates of 121 (left sides; 64 - 178, 95% CI; CV 0.24) and 145 dolphins (right sides; 78 - 213, 95% CI; CV 0.24) closely matched the census technique estimates (population size of 90 - 151). It was found that the dolphins …


A Framework To Evaluate Wildlife Feeding In Research, Wildlife Management, Tourism And Recreation, Sara Dubois, David Fraser Oct 2013

A Framework To Evaluate Wildlife Feeding In Research, Wildlife Management, Tourism And Recreation, Sara Dubois, David Fraser

Wildlife Population Management Collection

Feeding of wildlife occurs in the context of research, wildlife management, tourism and in opportunistic ways. A review of examples shows that although feeding is often motivated by good intentions, it can lead to problems of public safety and conservation and be detrimental to the welfare of the animals. Examples from British Columbia illustrate the problems (nuisance animal activity, public safety risk) and consequences (culling, translocation) that often arise from uncontrolled feeding. Three features of wildlife feeding can be distinguished: the feasibility of control, the effects on conservation and the effects on animal welfare. An evaluative framework incorporating these three …


Wildlands Conservancy/Connick Ranch Research, Susie Van Kirk Oct 2013

Wildlands Conservancy/Connick Ranch Research, Susie Van Kirk

Susie Van Kirk Papers

Susie Van Kirks research notes on the Wildlands Conservancy and Connick Ranch. Includes newspaper references, interviews, as well as deed, survey and patent information.


Pelagic Larval Duration Links Life History Traits And Species Persistence In Darters (Percidae: Etheostomatinae), Morgan Jessica Douglas Aug 2013

Pelagic Larval Duration Links Life History Traits And Species Persistence In Darters (Percidae: Etheostomatinae), Morgan Jessica Douglas

Masters Theses

Pelagic larval duration (PLD) likely influences evolutionary processes including dispersal, genetic connectivity, and extinction in aquatic organisms. PLD has been well studied in marine systems, but very few freshwater species have been studied. Darters are a diverse group of freshwater North American fish with available information on the length of this stage from propagation efforts. There is surprising variation in the length of this stage ranging from 0 to 60 days. By compiling information from Conservations Fisheries, Inc. (Knoxville, TN) and the literature, we were able to make comparisons between the PLD of 23 species and other life history characteristics. …


Genetic Structure Of The Florida Key Tree Cactus, Pilosocereus Robinii, Using Restriction Site Associated Dna (Rad) Markers, Tonya D. Fotinos Jul 2013

Genetic Structure Of The Florida Key Tree Cactus, Pilosocereus Robinii, Using Restriction Site Associated Dna (Rad) Markers, Tonya D. Fotinos

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rare plant conservation efforts must utilize current genetic methods to ensure the evolutionary potential of populations is preserved. One such effort involves the Key Tree Cactus, Pilosocereus robinii, which is an endangered columnar cactus native to the Florida Keys. The populations have precipitously declined over the past decade because of habitat loss and increasing soil salinity from rising sea levels and storm surge. Next-generation DNA sequencing was used to assess the genetic structure of the populations. Twenty individuals representative of both wild and extirpated cacti were chosen for Restriction Site Associated DNA (RAD) analysis. Samples processed using the HindIII …


Parentage Analysis And Conservation Genetics Educational Material For The Eastern Hellbender Salamander, Cryptobranchus Alleganiensis Alleganiensis, Sarah A. Chudyk May 2013

Parentage Analysis And Conservation Genetics Educational Material For The Eastern Hellbender Salamander, Cryptobranchus Alleganiensis Alleganiensis, Sarah A. Chudyk

Master's Projects

Populations of the Eastern hellbender salamander, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis, are declining, making this a species of special concern in New York State and under consideration for Federal Endangered Species listing. As a result of this decline, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Buffalo Zoo initiated a headstarting program with an egg mass found in the Allegheny River drainage. The juveniles being raised by the Zoo will be released back into the watershed and so understanding the genetic diversity and parentage of these hellbenders will inform the reintroduction efforts. Furthermore, in order to determine how to …


Federal Conservation Spending Allocated By Agency, Emily Clare Manneschmidt May 2013

Federal Conservation Spending Allocated By Agency, Emily Clare Manneschmidt

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.


The Emerald Ash Borer, Emily Bryant Mar 2013

The Emerald Ash Borer, Emily Bryant

The STEAM Journal

An Emerald Ash Borer made from recycled natural materials to create sustainable art.


Species Status Of Sclerocactus Brevispinus, S. Wetlandicus, And S. Glaucus: Inferences From Morphology, Chloroplast Dna Sequences, And Aflp Markers, J. Mark Porter, Jennifer Cruse-Sanders, Linda Prince, Robert Lauri Jan 2013

Species Status Of Sclerocactus Brevispinus, S. Wetlandicus, And S. Glaucus: Inferences From Morphology, Chloroplast Dna Sequences, And Aflp Markers, J. Mark Porter, Jennifer Cruse-Sanders, Linda Prince, Robert Lauri

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

We examine patterns of variation in 12 continuous morphological traits, chloroplast DNA sequences from 10 intergenic spacer regions (petA-psbJ, psbk-trnS, psbM-trnD, rpob-trnC, trnC-trnD, trnGCU-trnG2S, trnFM-trnUGA, atpF-atpH, trnT-trnD, trnQ-psbk), atpF, and rpl16, and Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) genetic markers in Sclerocactus glaucus sensu lato (= S. brevispinus, S. glaucus, and S. wetlandicus), a complex that historically has been considered conspecific and afforded protection …


Differences In Habitat At Two Spatial Scales Fail To Predict Differing Occurrences Of Three Species Of Wintering Ammodramus Sparrows In South Carolina Salt Marshes, Kimberly A. Trinkle Jan 2013

Differences In Habitat At Two Spatial Scales Fail To Predict Differing Occurrences Of Three Species Of Wintering Ammodramus Sparrows In South Carolina Salt Marshes, Kimberly A. Trinkle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Salt marshes have low levels of vertebrate diversity yet extremely high rates of endemism. Two of these endemic species are the Saltmarsh (Ammodramus caudacutus) and Seaside Sparrow (A. maritima); the closely related Nelson's sparrow (A. nelsoni) winters exclusively on salt marshes. A previous winter study found that individual sparrows of all three species were highly faithful to specific banding sites, and that the relative abundances of the three species differed by site. I hypothesized that the reason sparrow assemblages varied among sites was that the three species' winter habitat requirements were different. All three species winter in salt marshes, but …


Rating Harms To Wildlife: A Survey Showing Convergence Between Conservation And Animal Welfare Views, S. Dubois, D. Fraser Jan 2013

Rating Harms To Wildlife: A Survey Showing Convergence Between Conservation And Animal Welfare Views, S. Dubois, D. Fraser

Environment and Nature Conservation Collection

Human activities may cause conservation concerns when animal populations or ecosystems are harmed and animal welfare concerns when individuals are harmed. In general, people are concerned with one or the other, as the concepts may be regarded as separate or even at odds. An online purposive survey of 339 British Columbians explored differences between groups that varied by gender, residency, wildlife engagement level and value orientation (conservation-oriented or animal welfare-oriented), to see how they rated the level of harm to wildlife caused by different human activities. Women, urban residents, those with low wildlife engagement, and welfare-orientated participants generally scored activities …


The Influence Of Different Cover Types On American Robin Nest Success In Organic Agroecosystems, John E. Quinn, Amy Oden, James R. Brandle Jan 2013

The Influence Of Different Cover Types On American Robin Nest Success In Organic Agroecosystems, John E. Quinn, Amy Oden, James R. Brandle

Biology Publications

There are many opportunities for biodiversity conservation in organic farm systems. Successful and sustainable conservation efforts in organic systems, however, need to measure appropriate outcomes. In particular, data are needed on the breeding success of associated wildlife species. We measured nesting success of the American Robin (Turdus migratorius) in woodlands embedded within eight organic farms in eastern Nebraska. We modeled daily nest survival rate to identify land use and land cover patterns that optimize conservation of birds in organic farm systems. The percentage of a crop in the fields adjacent to linear woodlands best predicted daily survival rate. …