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Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Using Environmental Dna And Occupancy Modeling To Examine Drivers Of Eastern Hellbender Extirpation And Sampling Method Efficiency In West Virginia, Sean Michael Wineland
Using Environmental Dna And Occupancy Modeling To Examine Drivers Of Eastern Hellbender Extirpation And Sampling Method Efficiency In West Virginia, Sean Michael Wineland
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Amphibian population declines and range constrictions are widespread but poorly understood. Effective conservation planning relies on accurate distribution data to develop a fundamental understanding of causal changes in species distributions. However, conventional detection methods for cryptic and elusive amphibians suffer from imperfect detection. Environmental DNA (eDNA) has emerged as an innovative and powerful conservation tool for detecting aquatic species presence; however comparative studies aimed at fully understanding eDNA detection probabilities are lacking. In this study, I used environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling methods and detailed historical records to identify drivers of extirpation and sampling method efficiency for an imperiled, long-lived giant …
Influence Of Developmental Stage, Habitat, And Captivity On Thecutaneous Bacterial Communities Of Eastern Hellbenders (Cryptobranchus Alleganiensis Alleganiensis) In West Virginia, Rachel Fern Arrick
Influence Of Developmental Stage, Habitat, And Captivity On Thecutaneous Bacterial Communities Of Eastern Hellbenders (Cryptobranchus Alleganiensis Alleganiensis) In West Virginia, Rachel Fern Arrick
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Microbes inhabit virtually all surfaces of multicellular animal hosts, with microbial cells outnumbering the hosts’ own cells 10:1. Symbiont microbes, collectively referred to as the microbiome, can have profound impacts on the metabolism, development, behavior, and disease resistance of their multicellular hosts. Because the community structure of symbiont bacteria can influence host health, the characterization of amphibian microbiomes is becoming an increasingly important tool for future conservation in the face of global amphibian declines. Eastern hellbenders are good candidates for a microbiome study because they have seen substantial declines in recent decades and learning more about the environmental and physiological …
The Natural History Of Cave-Associated Populations Of Eurycea L. Longicauda With Notes On Sympatric Amphibian Species, Kevin Wayne Saunders
The Natural History Of Cave-Associated Populations Of Eurycea L. Longicauda With Notes On Sympatric Amphibian Species, Kevin Wayne Saunders
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
The purpose of this study was to collect data on the natural history of the Long-tailed Salamander (Eurycea l. longicauda) in eastern Kentucky and West Virginia. The objectives of this research included characterization of epigean and hypogean habitat for this species, recording distances moved by individuals in populations associated with caves, and collection of data on courtship, oviposition, and larval development. The primary study site was Carter Caves State Park in Olive Hill, Kentucky. This area was visited from October 2007 to December 2008. Salamanders were photographed for identification based on unique pattern aberrancies and distances were measured between the …
Natural History Of The Four-Toed Salamander, Hemidactylium Scutatum, In West Virginia, Sandra L. Kilpatrick
Natural History Of The Four-Toed Salamander, Hemidactylium Scutatum, In West Virginia, Sandra L. Kilpatrick
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
A 2-year study was conducted to determine the reproductive and nesting habits, embryonic and larval development, and tolerance to acid conditions of Hemidactylium scutatum in West Virginia. Five study sites located in or adjacent to the Otter Creek National Wilderness Area, Monongahela National Forest, Randolph County, West Virginia, were monitored to determine nesting habits and length of incubation and larval periods in Hemidactylium Time of breeding was determined by spermatogenic wave analysis and time of egg deposition was determined by examination of ovarian follicles and field observations of gravid females migrating to nest sites. Breeding occurred in autumn and again …