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Trace Metals And Stable Isotopes As Tracers Of Life History And Trophic Connections In Estuarine-Dependent Fish From Tampa Bay, Florida, Linae Marie Boehme-Terrana

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Florida's estuaries support a wide range of species yet little is known about tracemetal cycling among members of this important ecosystem. To examine the flow of trace metals through the Tampa Bay estuary, four fish species representing different trophic levels were analyzed for copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and stable isotopes of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N). Species selected were the striped mullet (Mugil cephalus), tidewater mojarra (Eucinostomus harengulus), bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli), and sand seatrout (Cynoscion arenarius). Juvenile fish were collected from the Alafia, Hillsborough, Palm, and Little Manatee Rivers. Adults were …

Effects Of Nutrients From The Water Column On The Growth Of Benthic Microalgae In Permeable Sediments, Brian P. Darrow

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In some continental shelf sediments integrated benthic microalgal biomass is greater than the integrated phytoplankton biomass in the overlying water column. In addition, benthic microalgae may account for up to 10% of the primary production responsible for the coastal fishery yield of the eastern United States.

A three-dimensional model of the eastern Gulf of Mexico examines the effects of water-column nutrient sources on the growth of benthic microalgae. To parameterize the exchange of nutrients across the sediment/water interface in these permeable sediments, a non-local exchange submodel was constructed and tested within the framework of the model's grid.

Based on the …

Habitat Structure: A Fundamental Concept And Framework For Urban Soil Ecology, Loren Byrne

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Habitat structure is defined as the composition and arrangement of physical matter at a location. Although habitat structure is the physical template underlying ecological patterns and processes, the concept is relatively unappreciated and underdeveloped in ecology. However, it provides a fundamental concept for urban ecology because human activities in urban ecosystems are often targeted toward management of habitat structure. In addition, the concept emphasizes the fine-scale, on-the-ground perspective needed in the study of urban soil ecology. To illustrate this, urban soil ecology research is summarized from the perspective of habitat structure effects. Among the key conclusions emerging from the literature …

The Use Of Microarrays In The Detection Of The Gene Expression Of Ribulose- 1,5- Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase (Rubisco) In The Marine Environment, Kathryn Lafaye Bailey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) pathway is the primary pathway for the entry of inorganic carbon in the biosphere. Autotrophic organisms use this cycle to ultimately convert CO₂ into carbohydrates using a key enzyme known as ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO). The gene that encodes for the large subunit of RubisCO is rbcL and detection of its expression can be used to determine the autotrophic organisms present in the environment. Recently, microarrays have been used to study functional gene expression from environmental samples such as those obtained from sediments and soil. The purpose of this thesis is to combine microarray technology and rbcL …

Socio-Natural Landscapes In The Palmarejo Valley, Honduras, James R. Hawken

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Communities have traditionally been viewed as spatially bounded social units composed of multiple households whose inhabitants are integrated by shared resources and a common sense of identity. While investigating resources and identity is useful for archaeological study because of their material correlates, such views of community ultimately fail to acknowledge the dynamic interaction between cultural and environmental forces in shaping and shifting those arrangements over time. This study examines settlement, excavation, and geoarchaeological data from the Palmarejo Valley in northwestern Honduras with the aim of modeling the process of community formation at the intersection of social and natural landscapes in …

Points Of Discussion And Directions For Research On Caddo Historic Archaeology, Timothy K. Perttula

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

I start with the premise that there are considerable gaps remaining in our basic knowledge of the Caddo historic archaeological record for the period from ca. 1670-1850 in East Texas. The period between ca. A.D. 1542-1670 is better known archaeologically, thanks in large measure to some significant work at Late Caddo sites along the Red River, along Big Cypress Creek, and in the Neches-Angelina River basins, but there are considerable gaps there as well in what we think we know about the life and times of the Caddo in the 16th and 17th centuries, especially on the role Europeans may …

Art, Ecology And Art Education: Locating Art Education In A Critical Place-Based Pedagogy, Mark Graham

Faculty Publications

In contemporary life and education, the local is marginalized in favor of large-scale economies of consumption that are indifferent to ecological concerns. The consequences of neglecting local human and natural communities include a degraded habitat, loss of wilderness, alienation, rootlessness, and lack of connection to communities. Critical place-based pedagogy provides a robust framework for the theory and practice of art education that is concerned with ecological issues. This article locates art education within a critical pedagogy of place as a prelude to describing contemporary art and art education that is engaged with ecological Issues.

Contemporary Art, Science, Ecology, And A Critical Pedagogy Of Place, Mark Graham

Faculty Publications

In contemporary life and education, the local is marginalized in favor of large-scale economies of consumption that are indifferent to ecological concerns. The consequences of neglecting local human and natural communities include a degraded habitat, loss of wilderness, alienation, rootlessness, and lack of connection to communities. Place-based education responds to this indifference to local ecological concerns by grounding student learning in the experiences of their own lives, communities, and regions. Critical place-based pedagogy broadens the scope of place-based learning by incorporating critical theory into the curriculum of the local. This article describes a critical pedagogy of place as a prelude …

A Comparative Ecological Study Between Coyotes (Canis Latrans) In A Protected And Urban Habitat: A Closer Look At Enteric Parasites And Diet Between Florida Coyotes, Denara Lynn Manning

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Coyotes (Canis latrans) have inhabited Florida (USA) since the 1960s and are currently found throughout the state. The purpose of the present study was to obtain information on enteric parasites and diet of Florida coyotes from two different habitat types. Seasonal variation in diet was also examined. Fresh coyote fecal samples were collected from protected and urban habitats in Pinellas County, Florida (USA; 27°54' n, 82°41'w) from may 2005 to march 2007. A standard fecal flotation examination and formalin-ethyl acetate sedimentation were utilized on fecal samples collected from the protected (n=40) and urban (n=50) habitats. Five novel (newly documented) parasites …

“From Margin To Center”: Processes And Relationships To Participation One Woman’S Ethnographic Journey Mirrored Through Community Research, Melise D. Huggins

Journal of International Women's Studies

In the closing two years of my doctoral degree that spanned ten years of my life, I was asked by a mentor to write a personal essay on my academic experiences at the university. That essay follows and is printed here not without the accompanying editing that marshaled its own questioning, self-reflection and analysis that comes with distance, wisdom, and the editor of a juried journal.

I was concerned to give a revisionist accounting now, another five or six years after the writing of the essay, to explain what my perspective was then as a disaffected African- American ABD (all …

Archaeological Testing For The Walker Ranch Park Bridge Project (41bx1271), San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, Barbara A. Meissner

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

In April 2006 the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) of the University of Texas at San Antonio was contracted by the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of San Antonio to perform subsurface investigations within the boundaries of site 41BX1251, in north-central San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. The purpose of the testing was to learn if the concrete abutment of a planned pedestrian bridge over Salado Creek would impact significant archaeological deposits in this site, which is a part of the Walker Ranch National Historic District.

Five shovel tests and one backhoe trench were excavated. The shovel tests were …

Biodiversity Loss And The Taxonomic Bottleneck: Emerging Biodiversity Science, Ke Chung Kim, Loren B. Byrne

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Human domination of the Earth has resulted in dramatic changes to global and local patterns of biodiversity. Biodiversity is critical to human sustainability because it drives the ecosystem services that provide the core of our life-support system. As we, the human species, are the primary factor leading to the decline in biodiversity, we need detailed information about the biodiversity and species composition of specific locations in order to understand how different species contribute to ecosystem services and how humans can sustainably conserve and manage biodiversity. Taxonomy and ecology, two fundamental sciences that generate the knowledge about biodiversity, are associated with …

The Politics Of Hate: Ultranationalist And Fundamentalist Tactics And Goals, Joan Davison

Journal of Hate Studies

Ultranationalist and religious fundamentalist movements frequently use hate to mobilize people. These groups possess a sophisticated understanding of the importance of appealing to the emotions. Leaders often employ xenophobic language intended to inspire fear and justify a defensive reaction. The movements also rely heavily upon symbols, myths, and public events to simplify and communicate the “truths” of their ideologies. The leaders convey messages with tremendous affective appeal. Yet, measures exist to counter and contain the politics of hate. The development of civil society, group rights, a free media, and integrated institutions can contribute to a durable solution in cases of …

The Role Of Social Structural And Social Contextual Factors In Shaping Chronic Disease And Chronic Disease Risk Behavior: A Multilevel Study Of Hypertension, General Health Status, And Mental Distress, Caroline Mae Mckay

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

At present there is a reliance on behavioral interventions that have been limited in their effectiveness to reduce the public health burden of chronic disease, partly because the effects of social context on the initiation and maintenance of health behaviors is not incorporated into public health policy and practice. Yet current research indicates that there are macro-level structural and contextual influences on population health that cannot be reduced to individual or compositional effects. This study investigated the associations between social structural factors, community social context, individual characteristics, and self-reported correlates of disease. Distal influences included social structural inequalities such as …

Analysis Of The Role Of Residential Segregation On Perinatal Outcomes In Florida, Georgia And Louisiana, Tabia Henry Akintobi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between residential segregation (the physical separation of Blacks and Whites in residential contexts) and adverse perinatal outcomes (low birth weight, preterm delivery and small for gestational age births) in Florida, Georgia and Louisiana. The study determined the independent effect of the level of residential segregation on the likelihood of adverse perinatal outcomes after controlling for contextual and individual factors. The study also assessed whether the relationship between residential segregation and adverse perinatal outcomes were moderated by ethnicity and median income.The studied employed an observational, cross-sectional study design that utilized secondary …

Environmental Variability In The Florida Keys: Impacts On Coral Reef Health, Inia M. Soto

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

I examined the hypothesis that high variability in Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and ocean color are associated with higher coral cover and slower rates of decline of coral cover within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS). Synoptic SST time series maps, covering the period 1994-2005, were constructed for the FKNMS with data collected using the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) satellite sensors. The SST data were compared with coral cover time series assessments at 36 sites conducted by the Coral Reef and Evaluation Monitoring Program (CREMP; 1996-2005), sponsored by the Environmental Protection …

Tardigrade Evolution And Ecology, Phillip Brent Nichols

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A character data set suitable for cladistic analysis of tardigrades at the family level was developed. The data matrix consisted of 50 morphological characters from 15 families of tardigrades and was analyzed by maximum parsimony. Kinorhynchs, loriciferans and gastrotrichs were used as outgroups. The results agree with the currently accepted hypothesis that Eutardigrada and Heterotardigrada are distinct monophyletic groups. Among the eutardigrades, Eoyhypsibiidae was found to be a sister group to Macrobiotidae + Hypsibiidae, while Milnesiidae was the basal eutardigrade family. The basal heterotardigrade family was found to be Oreellidae. Echiniscoideans grouped with some traditional Arthrotardigrada (Renaudarctidae, Coronarctidae + Batillipedidae) …

Assessment Of Resource Selection Using Remote Sensing And Geographic Information Systems (Gis) For Two Vertebrates In Disparate Habitats: The Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus Polyphemus) And The North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena Glacialis), Cherie A. Keller

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a treatise on spatially-explicit resource selection on two very different vertebrate species. The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) is the most endangered large whales in the world. Ship strikes and fishing gear entanglement are impediments to recovery. The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is an imperiled species whose upland habitats are shrinking from urban and agricultural development. Determining spatial distribution of important resources is important for conservation strategies. Historical and modern thinking of habitat selection theory and analytical techniques are reviewed and applied to these species. Fine-scale resource selection of sea surface temperature …

A Multilevel Modeling Analysis Of The Geographic Variability Of Low Birth Weight Occurrence In Florida, Joseph William Green

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The associations of neighborhood level socioeconomic deprivation and low birth weight were investigated among 1,030,443 singleton live births in the State of Florida between the years 1992 and 1997. Census data for per capita income, unemployment, percent of individuals living below the poverty line, vehicle ownership and educational attainment were used as neighborhood level indicators of socioeconomic status. Additionally, these variables were combined into a deprivation index to measure relative deprivation of neighborhoods across Florida. Birth data were linked to census block groups and tracts, which were used as proxies for low birth weight. Multilevel models were used to model …

A Stable Isotopic Examination Of Particulate Organic Matter During Karenia Brevis Blooms On The Central West Florida Shelf: Hints At Nitrogen Sources In Oligotrophic Waters, Julie Ann Havens

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Blooms of the red tide dinoflagellate Karenia brevis occur annually on the west Florida shelf. In the late summer/early fall months, background concentrations increase from 10³ cells L^-1 to excesses of 10⁶ cells L^-1. Blooms are most common between Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor, and may be maintained for months. The region’s hydrography may play a role in the initiation, maintenance and termination of blooms.

The west Florida shelf is depauperate in inorganic nutrients. Inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus rarely exceed the limits of detection, whereas dissolved organic nitrogen is often present at concentrations of 15 …

The Big Thicket: Typical Or Atypical?, Michael H. Macroberts, Barbara R. Macroberts

East Texas Historical Journal

No abstract provided.

Local Aquatic Environment Exploration And Girl Scouts, Patricia Marie Foy

Theses Digitization Project

Activities were developed to provide partial completion of water-related Junior badges and Brownie Try-It awards for Girl Scouts. The activities are specific to the Glendora Conservancy Environmental Discovery Center located in the San Gabriel foothills above Glendora, California.

Frequency Distributions Of Escherichia Coli Subtypes In Various Fecal Sources Over Time And Geographical Space: Application To Bacterial Source Tracking Methods, Matthew A. Anderson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bacterial source tracking (BST) methods often involve the use of phenotypic or genotypic fingerprinting techniques to compare indicator bacteria such as Escherichia coli isolated from unknown sources against a library of fingerprints from indicator bacteria found in the feces of various known source animals. The predictive capability of a library is based in part on how well the library isolates reflect the true population diversity of indicator bacteria that can potentially impact a water body. The purpose of this study was to compare the behavior of E. coli population structures in the feces of humans, beef cattle and horses across …

Population Structure Of The Gopher Tortise (Gopherus Polyphemus) In Florida, Using Microsatellites, Tonia S. Schwartz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) population sizes have drastically declined in the past 100 years. Much of this decline has been attributed to past human predation, to habitat loss from human development, and potentially to the recently discovered upper respiratory tract disease. An understanding of the genetic structure among populations is critical for the long-term success of relocation and other management strategies. This research focuses on the development of a suite of genetic markers and the answers they provided to questions concerning present day population genetics and its use in management. In addition, this study provides inference on historical …

An Examination Of Modulation Of Feeding Behavior In The Nurse Shark Ginglymostoma Cirratum (Bonaterre 1788), Michael Matott

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The ability of an organism to modulate its feeding behavior is an important focus of feeding ecology studies. Modulation is the ability to distinctly and consistently alter a behavior to accommodate different stimuli. The goal of this study was to examine the ability of the nurse shark Ginglymostoma cirratum to modulate its food capture behavior with different sizes and types of food items. This was carried out through kinematic and electromyographic analysis.

Eight sub-adult specimens of G. cirratum were filmed feeding on two different food types (squid and fish) and sizes (gape size and larger than gape size). Filming consisted …

Nature Writing, American Literature, And The Idea Of Community: A Conversation With Barry Lopez, David Thomas Sumner

Faculty Publications

This interview with Barry Lopez is part of a series of conversations with contemporary western writers about the ethical and cultural implications of nature writing.

Ada News - 06/21/1999, American Dental Association, Publishing Division

ADA News

Established in 1970 as the official newspaper of the American Dental Association, the ADA News serves practicing dentists and others allied to the dental profession in the U.S. and internationally. It is the No. 1 source of news and information about the many benefits and services the ADA delivers to members daily as well as timely information on scientific, social, political and economic developments affecting dentistry and health care.

The John Muir Newsletter, Spring 1999, The John Muir Center For Regional Studies

Muir Center Newsletters (1981-2015)

NEWSLETTER c Reconstructing John Mum's First Public Lecture, Sacramento, 1876 by Steve Pauly, Pleasant Hill, California (Editor's Note: In our previous issue, Steve Pauley's article placed John Muir's first public talk in context. Wmere is his re-creation of some sections of the talk.) n the beginning of the long glacial winter, the lofty Sierra seems to have consisted of one vast undulated wave, in which a thousand separate mountains, with their domes and spires, their innumerable canons and lake basins, lay concealed. In the development of these, the Master Builder chose for a tool, not the earthquake nor lightning to …

An Archaeological Survey Of Walker Ranch Park, Bexar County, Texas, Steve A. Tomka

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

The Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) of The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted an intensive surface survey and subsurface testing for cultural resources at the proposed Walker Ranch Park, in northwest San Antonio, Bexar County. Disturbances associated with the park are to include the construction of a parking lot, playground, pavilion, walking/jogging trail, ramps and traffic paths for wheelchair access to the park, and the installation of utility and drainage lines associated with these facilities. The project was carried out under contract with the city of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department between December 1 and 4, 1997. …

Workplace Spirituality: What Is It?, Edward Canavan

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

If we had to pick a few central themes of our studies at Regis University, this would be one of them. Not that we want to credit Nissan Corporation with innovative thinking in this area. But they have marketed a concept that has been very meaningful to us in our time at Regis and a concept that forms the theme of this Comprehensive Project. Let us explain. Early in our studies at Regis, we went through the "Futures Invention" process with David Thomas. This was and is a wonderful process that encourages the participants to dream dreams in various time …