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Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons™
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Full-Text Articles in Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology
Vertebrate Scavenger Diversity And Ecosystem Services Along An Elevational Gradient In Central Nepal, Aishwarya Bhattacharjee
Vertebrate Scavenger Diversity And Ecosystem Services Along An Elevational Gradient In Central Nepal, Aishwarya Bhattacharjee
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
A growing number of studies recognize the ecological significance of vertebrate scavengers, and several species belonging to this diverse, functional guild are of high conservation importance around the globe. Studies on taxonomic and functional components of biodiversity often use elevation gradients to comprehensively examine patterns and drivers across multiple spatial scales. Yet, there are relatively few elevational studies on large vertebrates or multi-taxa guilds, and the related variation of their ecosystem services. In particular, scavenger research has largely focused on local-scale studies or regional/global comparisons of local-scale investigations. Moreover, these studies primarily consider taxonomic community characteristics and the patterns of …
Cavity Nest Webs As A Template For Studying Non-Trophic Interactions In Invasion Ecology, Joshua M. Diamond
Cavity Nest Webs As A Template For Studying Non-Trophic Interactions In Invasion Ecology, Joshua M. Diamond
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Invasive exotic animals are considered destructive forces in cities for preying on and competing with native species. I examined an aspect of competition from a different perspective, focusing on the role of Miami’s rich exotic bird assemblage in its cavity nest web, where a supply of woodpecker-created cavity nests limited by urbanization is the focal point of competition. We located 967 nest trees with 1,864 cavities and determined that woodpeckers successfully nested in this tropical urban region by exploiting standing dead palms (snags). Native upland forests were the most important cover type for woodpeckers but planted landscapes like parks and …
Where Birds Chill: An Assessment Of The Habitat Preferences Of Birds Overwintering In Hudson Valley Forests, Elizabeth Claire Axley
Where Birds Chill: An Assessment Of The Habitat Preferences Of Birds Overwintering In Hudson Valley Forests, Elizabeth Claire Axley
Senior Projects Spring 2019
Many avian species overwinter in eastern North America; however, studies on bird populations are rarely undertaken during this critical survival time, and little is known as to their habitat preferences and foraging behavior. In this observational study, we performed a survey of birds overwintering in the Hudson Valley’s temperate, primarily-deciduous forests, assessing avian populations’ habitat preferences through the vegetative structural variables surrounding overwintering birds as they forage. Our results suggest that high canopy cover is critically important to predicting overwintering bird occupancy on a microhabitat scale. Moreover, overwintering birds preferentially occupy forest plots not dominated by sugar maples, in spite …
The Plight Of Cranes: A Case Study For Conserving Biodiversity, J. Christopher Haney, Mark E. Eiswerth
The Plight Of Cranes: A Case Study For Conserving Biodiversity, J. Christopher Haney, Mark E. Eiswerth
Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop
Cranes provide an exemplary case for evaluating conservation policy because (1) they are a charismatic group with high public visibility, (2) as migratory vertebrates they provide an umbrella for the protection of aquatic habitats and a wider set of species, (3) they are a widely-distributed avian family, consequently protection efforts have favored international cooperation, (4) genetic and taxonomic relationships have been studied, and (5) populations of at least 7 crane species are threatened, endangered, or otherwise considered at direct risk. We use comparisons among the world's cranes to show how biogeographic, taxonomic, and genetic data bases can be linked for …