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Full-Text Articles in Environmental Sciences
Modeling Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus Polyphemus) Habitat In A Fire-Dependnent Ecosystem In North Florida, Christina Legleu
Modeling Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus Polyphemus) Habitat In A Fire-Dependnent Ecosystem In North Florida, Christina Legleu
LSU Master's Theses
Gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) populations have declined with longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystems across their historic range. The influence of gopher tortoise burrows on co-inhabiting plants and animals necessitates an understanding of how landscape features and management practices influence gopher tortoise presence, absence, and abandonment. In this study, naïve gopher tortoise burrow encounter rates from a line transect distance sampling (LTDS) pilot study were used for two methods of modeling gopher tortoise habitat. In Chapter 1, naïve encounter rates were tested for a linear correlation to a HSI model created from three ranked geographic information system (GIS) landscape variables. Initial …
Ecology Of Rusty Blackbirds Wintering In Louisiana: Seasonal Trends, Flock Composition And Habitat Associations, Emma Elizabeth Deleon
Ecology Of Rusty Blackbirds Wintering In Louisiana: Seasonal Trends, Flock Composition And Habitat Associations, Emma Elizabeth Deleon
LSU Master's Theses
With an estimated population loss of at least 5% annually and a 100-year history of decline, Rusty Blackbirds (Euphagus carolinus) are one of the fastest declining bird species in North America. Determining cause of decline is important, both for conserving the species and for identifying threats to the wooded wetland ecosystems they use on their boreal breeding-grounds and their wintering-grounds in the southeastern United States. One hypothesis is that loss of wintering ground habitat, possibly in conjunction with competition or disease, is causing Rusty Blackbird decline. To determine contribution of wintering ground conditions, it is important to understand the behaviors …