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Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons™
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Articles 1 - 3 of 3
Full-Text Articles in Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology
A Spatiotemporal Assessment Of Fish Assemblage Response To Land-Use Change And The Evaluation Of Edna Metabarcoding For Describing Diverse Fish Communities, Timothy M. Owen
Theses and Dissertations
Fish assemblages are often assessed as a biological proxy for environmental health. While humans value healthy environments for the ecosystem services and recreational opportunities they provide, it is increasingly evident that such resources can be paradoxically degraded by anthropogenic activities. In this investigation, we studied the relationship between different intensities of anthropogenic land-use change and habitat-driven fish assemblage response across multiple spatiotemporal scales. Secondarily, we explored the efficacy of eDNA metabarcoding against conventional electrofishing techniques for the purpose of describing complete fish communities. This study was conducted in the Tuckahoe Creek basin near Richmond, Virginia. This James River tributary serves …
Influence Of Environmental Features On Spermatophore Placement In Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma Maculatum), Megan A. Kuechle
Influence Of Environmental Features On Spermatophore Placement In Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma Maculatum), Megan A. Kuechle
Theses and Dissertations
Successful reproduction in salamanders is driven by behavioral, environmental, and temporal interactions among adults. While much of our understanding of salamander mating systems is based upon either courtship behavior of both sexes or aspects of female choice, the decisions made by males regarding where to place spermatophores is much less quantified. In this study, we mapped male spermatophore placement in the spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) with respect to ecological and spatial locations within a vernal pool complex in Charles City County, Virginia. The overall goal was to use the spatial and ecological placement of spermatophores to determine if …
The Status Of Snapping Turtles (Chelydra Serpentina) In Virginia: Population Viability, Demography, Regulatory Analysis, And Conservation, Benjamin C. Colteaux
The Status Of Snapping Turtles (Chelydra Serpentina) In Virginia: Population Viability, Demography, Regulatory Analysis, And Conservation, Benjamin C. Colteaux
Theses and Dissertations
Snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) are being harvested in unprecedented numbers in the United States (US) to meet the needs of international markets. Over three million live snapping turtles from farm and wild caught stock were exported from the US to Asia in 2012-14 alone. In the Commonwealth of Virginia, records indicate that 29,860 snapping turtles were commercially harvested between 2000 and 2015. Size limits are often used to regulate harvest pressure in snapping turtles and other game species. I analyzed the historic harvest of eleven US states to test the efficacy of minimum-size limit regulations at reducing commercial …