Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
Articles 1 - 6 of 6
Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Efficacy Of Conservation Actions For Imperiled Colorado River Fishes In The Grand Canyon, Arizona, Brian D. Healy
Efficacy Of Conservation Actions For Imperiled Colorado River Fishes In The Grand Canyon, Arizona, Brian D. Healy
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023
Many fishes are critically imperiled, particularly in their native rivers, due to human water use and dam construction, which can dramatically alter habitats and block fish migratory routes. The introduction of invasive sport-fishes that prey on native fish further threatens native species that maybe restricted to only a single river basin (i.e., “endemic”). To preserve native fishes in river systems with degraded habitats, managers need to understand the effects of conservation actions to ensure limited resources are applied effectively. Two commonly applied native fish conservation actions include removal of invasive fishes, and translocations of native fish from one place into …
Impacts Of Tourism On The Ecophysiology Of The Endangered Northern Bahamian Rock Iguana (Cyclura Cychlura), Alison C. Webb
Impacts Of Tourism On The Ecophysiology Of The Endangered Northern Bahamian Rock Iguana (Cyclura Cychlura), Alison C. Webb
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023
Increased interest in ecotourism over recent years has led to more direct human-animal interactions and a striking concomitant increase in the provisioning of non-natural food, that may have unintended consequences for the wildlife involved. The critically endangered Northern Bahamian Rock Iguana provides a valuable model to address the potential impact of food provisioning on health as there are populations that represent a graded variation in human presence, with sites experiencing high, low, or no tourism. To assess the potential impacts of tourism on iguana physiology I first reviewed the relevant literature on iguana physiology and then performed three investigations focusing …
Using Anthropogenic Risks To Inform Salmonid Conservation At The Landscape Scale, Andrew W. Witt
Using Anthropogenic Risks To Inform Salmonid Conservation At The Landscape Scale, Andrew W. Witt
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023
The expansion and industrialization of humanity has caused many unforeseen consequences to the natural world. Due to the importance of freshwater for people, rivers have been particularly altered to meet human needs, often at the expense of the natural world. Supplying water for farms, industries, and cities has reshaped the natural state of rivers by altering river paths, chemistry, and species compositions. These changes have harmed many species that prospered before widespread human alterations, including the native trout and salmon of western North America. As human populations continue to grow, new threats will surface for rivers, and the trout and …
Evaluating Habitat-Based Niche Requirements And Potential Recruitment Bottlenecks For Imperiled Bluehead Sucker (Catostomus Discobolus), Bryan C. Maloney
Evaluating Habitat-Based Niche Requirements And Potential Recruitment Bottlenecks For Imperiled Bluehead Sucker (Catostomus Discobolus), Bryan C. Maloney
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023
Changes to rivers that alter physical and thermal habitat may cause fish population abundance to decline, due to fewer individuals maturing and entering the adult population. The Weber River has become highly degraded with many dams and diversions altering fish habitat, river volume, velocity, and temperature, and limiting movement between reaches. Bluehead suckers (Catostomus discobolus) occupy only 47% of their historical range and the genetically-distinct Weber River (northern UT) population is declining and contains few young, juvenile fish. My objectives were to determine whether spawning and rearing habitat available in the Weber River may be limiting bluehead sucker …
Natural History And Breeding System Of Maguire Primrose, Jacob B. Davidson
Natural History And Breeding System Of Maguire Primrose, Jacob B. Davidson
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023
The goal of this thesis was to examine the breeding system and natural history of the Maguire primrose (Primula cusickiana var. maguirei). Maguire primrose is an endemic, threatened subspecies found only along a narrow corridor within Logan Canyon in northern Utah, USA. This plant displays distinct flower distyly, with clear distinction of pin and thrum morphologies (morphs). The timing of Maguire primrose flower blooms was disparate between upper and lower canyon populations, and the flowers experienced cool temperatures occasionally. I captured eight different species of flying insects visiting Maguire primrose flowers, and made 67 observations of insect visitation. …
Introduced Sport Fish And Fish Conservation In A Novel Food Web: Evidence Of Predatory Impact, Kevin Lee Landom
Introduced Sport Fish And Fish Conservation In A Novel Food Web: Evidence Of Predatory Impact, Kevin Lee Landom
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023
This study addressed a fundamental question in applied ecology and conservation; what is the predatory impact of introduced piscivorous sport fish on imperiled native fish populations? More specifically, which of many introduced species and size-classes represent the greatest threats and should be targeted for control? In order to explore this important question, an integrated analysis of stable isotopes, quantified observed diet analysis, and stable isotope mass-balance models were used to quantify trophic interactions. These tools were used to construct food web models that were then compared to draw inferences regarding the relative contribution of prey fish, including rare native fish, …