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Articles 1 - 18 of 18
Full-Text Articles in Behavior and Ethology
Functional Regionalization In The Fly Eye As An Adaptation To Habitat Structure, Carlos A. Ruiz
Functional Regionalization In The Fly Eye As An Adaptation To Habitat Structure, Carlos A. Ruiz
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
With over 150,000 described species, flies constitute one of the most species-rich groups of animals on earth, and have managed to colonize almost every corner of it. Part of their success comes from their amazing flying skills, which are strongly tied to their visual capabilities. To navigate fast and accurately through their habitats, they must be able to process the inordinate amounts of visual information necessary to sort obstacles, avoid predators and remain on course. Surprisingly, despite their tiny brains, flies have no problem in processing all that information to generate correcting maneuvers in just about 30 ms. To this …
Structure, Control, And Communication Of Collective Animal Behavior In Dynamic Environments, Ivan Ignacio Rodriguez-Pinto
Structure, Control, And Communication Of Collective Animal Behavior In Dynamic Environments, Ivan Ignacio Rodriguez-Pinto
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Collective behavior in animal aggregations is highly complex and spans multiple spatial scales, across a wide range of environmental conditions. In socially active fish, aggregation into schools is a widespread adaptation that confers a variety of safety benefits. The emergent patterns exhibited by collectively behaving fish schools may be influenced by biotic (i.e. predation) or abiotic (i.e. habitat complexity, turbidity) factors in the local environment. Our knowledge of the ways and extent to which environment variability affects schooling behavior at the collective level is currently limited. In this dissertation, I investigated whether environmental factors influenced the collective behavior of fish …
Beyond Predation: How Do Consumers Mediate Bottom-Up Processes In Ecosystems?, Bradley Austin Strickland
Beyond Predation: How Do Consumers Mediate Bottom-Up Processes In Ecosystems?, Bradley Austin Strickland
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
By eating and scaring prey, predators can exert strong effects on communities and ecosystems. In addition, some animals may physically alter habitats and may recycle nutrients through digestion, both of which affect resources available to producers. Bottom-up effects initiated by large predators have not been well-studied and could prove to be important for understanding food webs and how ecosystems function. American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) are abundant mobile predators that are capable of engineering aquatic habitats by moving organic material across ecosystem boundaries and creating and maintaining alligator ponds. In this dissertation, I documented the scale of ecological impacts …
The Effects Of Copper Exposure On Fish Locomotion And Predator-Prey Interactions, Tiffany N. Yanez
The Effects Of Copper Exposure On Fish Locomotion And Predator-Prey Interactions, Tiffany N. Yanez
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This study determined the effects of the copper water quality criterion (WQC) by the EPA on [1] swimming performance and [2] predator-prey interactions of the Sailfin Molly, across a salinity gradient. Fish acclimated to FW (0 ppt) and 8-ppt saltwater were exposed to 11.3 and 8.44 µg/L Cu for 96 h, respectively. At the end of the exposures, fish swimming performance was determined by using the critical swimming speed, Ucrit, the speed at which a fish cannot longer maintain position in the water column. Ucritwas then measured again after a 4-week depuration period to determine if …
Factors Affecting Green Turtle Foraging Ecology Across Multiple Spatial Scales, Elizabeth Rose Whitman
Factors Affecting Green Turtle Foraging Ecology Across Multiple Spatial Scales, Elizabeth Rose Whitman
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The hierarchical levels at which resource selection occurs can have important consequences for individual and population energy budgets and structure the impacts of a forager on its ecosystem. Assessing factors affecting resource selection of large marine herbivores across scales is important because of their potentially large impacts on seagrass community dynamics and historical and current changes in their population sizes and those of their potential predators. I explored the factors (predation risk, resource abundance, quality and identity) affecting resource use of large marine herbivores (green turtles, Chelonia mydas) from the scale of habitat patches to forage species within patches. …
Linking Husbandry And Behavior To Enhance Amphibian Reintroduction Success, Luke Jack Linhoff
Linking Husbandry And Behavior To Enhance Amphibian Reintroduction Success, Luke Jack Linhoff
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Wildlife in captivity has a long history of benefiting global conservation goals. Captive animals can raise awareness and appreciation for the conservation of endangered species. Additionally, captive animals can be used as source populations to reintroduce animals back to the wild or to supplement existing wild populations. The rapid increase in amphibian species threatened with imminent extinction has necessitated the creation of dozens of captive-breeding programs. The focus of this dissertation has integrated topics across the spectrum of animals in captivity and the wild, and the results provide useful recommendations for conservation action. First, I describe how market pressures over …
Impact Of Herbivory, Structural Complexity, And Sediment On Caribbean Coral Reefs, Alain Duran
Impact Of Herbivory, Structural Complexity, And Sediment On Caribbean Coral Reefs, Alain Duran
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The resilience of coral reefs depends, among others, upon local physical and biological characteristics. This dissertation focused on how herbivory, structural complexity, and sedimentation can impact the structure, function, and, ultimately, resilience of Caribbean coral reefs. We filled an important knowledge gap related to trophic niche and ecological roles of surgeonfishes (A. coeruleus and A. tractus), two of the most important herbivorous fishes in the Caribbean. We showed that both species feed primarily on turf algae preventing further progression of algal succession while A. tractus may also help reduce macroalgal abundance by targeting common macroalgal species such as …
A Confluence Of Invasion, Behavioral, And Theoretical Ecology: What Drives Ephemeral Metacommunity Re-Assembly?, Jesse Ryan Blanchard
A Confluence Of Invasion, Behavioral, And Theoretical Ecology: What Drives Ephemeral Metacommunity Re-Assembly?, Jesse Ryan Blanchard
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Metacommunity theory has been particularly useful in understanding the way spatially structured communities assemble. Both niche and neutral processes are known to influence metacommunity assembly, and the relative influence of each depends on the level of dispersal-limitation. Contemporary trait-based analyses of metacommunity assembly have enhanced our understanding of these processes. Of the traits investigated, individual personalities have received the least attention, but have been suggested to be drivers of metacommunity assembly model parameters, such as dispersal tendencies and patch density. I address this topic from three angles, three chapters, in this dissertation. First, I used a three-year field survey of …
Using Introduced Species Of Anolis Lizards To Test Adaptive Radiation Theory, James T. Stroud
Using Introduced Species Of Anolis Lizards To Test Adaptive Radiation Theory, James T. Stroud
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Adaptive radiation – the proliferation of species from a single ancestor and diversification into many ecologically different forms – has long been heralded as an important process in the generation of phenotypic diversity. However, the early stages of adaptive radiation are notoriously elusive to observe and study. In this dissertation, I capitalize on communities of introduced non-native Anolis lizards as analogues of early stage adaptive radiations. In Chapter II, I begin by reviewing the concept of “ecological opportunity” – a classic hypothesis put forward as a potential key to understanding when and how adaptive radiation occurs. In Chapter III, I …
Jewels For Dollars: Native And Nonnative Freshwater Fish Interactions In A Stressful Dry Down Environment, Vanessa Trujillo
Jewels For Dollars: Native And Nonnative Freshwater Fish Interactions In A Stressful Dry Down Environment, Vanessa Trujillo
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Vertebrate populations are subjected to novel anthropogenic stressors that are expected to multiply exponentially in the future. Introductions of nonnative species and human-altered hydrology are among these stressors to native species communities. The Rocky Glades, located in Everglades National Park, may serve as a population sink for native species that typically do not survive the altered hydrology of the dry season, and as a source of nonnative species that may be better adapted to chronically stressful conditions. In the seasonally-flooded Everglades, the nonnative African Jewelfish invaded in the 1960s and has since shown rapid range expansion. African Jewelfish are aggressive …
Experimental Analysis Of The Effects Of Hydroscape Structure On Fishes In A Dynamic Wetland, Michael R. Bush
Experimental Analysis Of The Effects Of Hydroscape Structure On Fishes In A Dynamic Wetland, Michael R. Bush
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Hydroscape structure can play a critical role in animal behavior, abundance, and community structure dynamics. Hydroscape configuration can be dynamic and can change quickly in ephemeral systems. However, ephemeral freshwater wetlands are among the most impacted systems in the world and restoration efforts often rely on incomplete information when establishing management objectives. Further understanding how alterations in hydroscape structure in dynamic systems affect animals is critical for conservation and management success.
To determine impacts that changing hydroscape conditions can have on consumers in freshwater wetlands, I examined the effects of a large-scale physical model on fish behavior, abundance, and community …
Examining Movement And Habitat Selection Of Everglades Fishes In Response To Seasonal Water Levels, Gregory J. Hill
Examining Movement And Habitat Selection Of Everglades Fishes In Response To Seasonal Water Levels, Gregory J. Hill
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Fish distribution patterns and seasonal habitat use play a key role in the food web dynamics of aquatic ecosystems, including the Florida Everglades. In this study I examined the fine scale habitat shifts and movements of spotted sunfish, Lepomis punctatus across varying seasons and hydrologic conditions using in-situ field enclosures and Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) systems. Data on fish use of three dominant Everglades marsh habitats and activity level were recorded continuously from January to August, 2015. Fish were more active and had the highest use of higher elevation habitats when water levels rose during an experimental reversal in mid-April. …
Effects Of Catastrophic Seagrass Loss And Predation Risk On The Ecological Structure And Resilience Of A Model Seagrass Ecosystem, Robert J. Nowicki
Effects Of Catastrophic Seagrass Loss And Predation Risk On The Ecological Structure And Resilience Of A Model Seagrass Ecosystem, Robert J. Nowicki
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
As climate change continues, climactic extremes are predicted to become more frequent and intense, in some cases resulting in dramatic changes to ecosystems. The effects of climate change on ecosystems will be mediated, in part, by biotic interactions in those ecosystems. However, there is still considerable uncertainty about where and how such biotic interactions will be important in the context of ecosystem disturbance and climactic extremes.
Here, I review the role of consumers in seagrass ecosystems and investigate the ecological impacts of an extreme climactic event (marine heat wave) and subsequent widespread seagrass die-off in Shark Bay, Western Australia. Specifically, …
Vocal Flexibility And Regional Variation In Free-Tailed Bat Song, Israel Salazar
Vocal Flexibility And Regional Variation In Free-Tailed Bat Song, Israel Salazar
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
While much work has been done on regional vocal variation in birds, relatively few studies have found evidence of similar variation in mammalian vocalizations. This study quantifies individual, colonial, and regional level variation in T. brasiliensis songs in the southeastern United States. Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) are among a handful of mammals that produce complex, hierarchically structured vocalizations. Their songs are composed of multiple syllables that are combined into three phrases that vary in number and order across renditions. Tadarida brasiliensis songs showed considerable amount of variation, and differed significantly between locations in terms of syllable structure …
Non-Consumptive Effects Of Predators In Coral Reef Communities And The Indirect Consequences Of Marine Protected Areas, Laura Catano
Non-Consumptive Effects Of Predators In Coral Reef Communities And The Indirect Consequences Of Marine Protected Areas, Laura Catano
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Predators exert strong direct and indirect effects on ecological communities by intimidating their prey. Non-consumptive effects (NCEs) of predators are important features of many ecosystems and have changed the way we understand predator-prey interactions, but are not well understood in some systems. For my dissertation research I combined a variety of approaches to examine the effect of predation risk on herbivore foraging and reproductive behaviors in a coral reef ecosystem. In the first part of my dissertation, I investigated how diet and territoriality of herbivorous fish varied across multiple reefs with different levels of predator biomass in the Florida Keys …
The Role Of Teleost Grazers In A Relatively Pristine Seagrass Ecosystem, Cindy Bessey
The Role Of Teleost Grazers In A Relatively Pristine Seagrass Ecosystem, Cindy Bessey
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Trophic downgrading of ecosystems necessitates a functional understanding of trophic cascades. Identifying the presence of cascades, and the mechanisms through which they occur, is particularly important for seagrass meadows, which are among the most threatened ecosystems on Earth. Shark Bay, Western Australia provides a model system to investigate the potential importance of top-down effects in a relatively pristine seagrass ecosystem. The role of megagrazers in the Shark Bay system has been previously investigated, but the role of macrograzers (i.e., teleosts), and their importance relative to megagrazers, remains unknown. The objective of my dissertation was to elucidate the importance of teleost …
Factors Influencing Movements And Foraging Ecology Of American Alligators (Alligator Mississippiensis) In A Dynamic Subtropical Coastal Ecosystem, Adam Rosenblatt
Factors Influencing Movements And Foraging Ecology Of American Alligators (Alligator Mississippiensis) In A Dynamic Subtropical Coastal Ecosystem, Adam Rosenblatt
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Top predators can have large effects on community and population dynamics but we still know relatively little about their roles in ecosystems and which biotic and abiotic factors potentially affect their behavioral patterns. Understanding the roles played by top predators is a pressing issue because many top predator populations around the world are declining rapidly yet we do not fully understand what the consequences of their potential extirpation could be for ecosystem structure and function. In addition, individual behavioral specialization is commonplace across many taxa, but studies of its prevalence, causes, and consequences in top predator populations are lacking. In …
The Effect Of Male-Male Competition And Its Underlying Regulatory Mechanisms On The Electric Signal Of The Gymnotiform Fish Brachyhypopomus Gauderio, Vielka Lineth Salazar
The Effect Of Male-Male Competition And Its Underlying Regulatory Mechanisms On The Electric Signal Of The Gymnotiform Fish Brachyhypopomus Gauderio, Vielka Lineth Salazar
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Sexually-selected communication signals can be used by competing males to settle contests without incurring the costs of fighting. The ability to dynamically regulate the signal in a context-dependent manner can further minimize the costs of male aggressive interactions. Such is the case in the gymnotiform fish Brachyhypopomus gauderio, which, by coupling its electric organ discharge (EOD) waveform to endocrine systems with circadian, seasonal, and behavioral drivers, can regulate its signal to derive the greatest reproductive benefit. My dissertation research examined the functional role of the EOD plasticity observed in male B. gauderio and the physiological mechanisms that regulate the enhanced …