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A Comparative Analysis Of The Metabolism And Energetics Of Darters (Percidae), Emma Kirsten Kist

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Ecological niche theory suggests two species cannot live in the same ecological niche and differences should exist among species that appear to cohabitate. Variations in physiology and behavior that potentially enable species coexistence can be reflected in metabolism. This study investigated coexisting darter fishes by measuring the metabolism of greenside (Etheostoma blennioides) and variegate (E. variatum) darters over 48 h using intermittent-flow respirometry. Activity was analyzed using time-lapse videos. E. blennioides mean metabolic rate (154.64 ± SE 52.54 mg O2·kg-1 ·hr-1 ; n=14; p=0.0006) was significantly greater than and varied more than E. variatum’s mean rate (92.51 ± SE 32.70 …

Hibernacula Site Selection Of The Eastern Box Turtle, Terrapene C. Carolina, In A West Virginia Population, Benjamin Owen Koester

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene c. carolina) are a terrestrially hibernating reptile found throughout the eastern United States. Despite their prevalence, little, outside of anecdotal observations, is known about their hibernacula selection. This study examines if they preferentially select hibernacula locations, and if so, what characteristics they select in a West Virginia population. Over the course of two years, radio-tagged turtles (n=12) were followed into hibernation in Wayne County, WV. Upon entering hibernation, ~36 data point were collected in a grid-like fashion around the hibernacula, with an additional point collected at the hibernacula. At each point, seven variables were recorded: soil …

An Assessment Of West Virginia Watersheds Through The Use Of Geographic Information System (Gis), Nathan Thomas Hoxie

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Analysis of West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) agency’s Stream Condition Index and habitat assessment data compared two cycles of data. Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to develop a kriging model to project scores. Scores were calculated for Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) eight and ten using Zonal statistics. The Getis-Ord Gi Star was used to identify high and low value clusters. Land use and impervious surface data was gathered from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to assess impacts to watersheds. The results for WVSCI and habitat assessment showed that there was an improvement between cycles. Negative WVSCI …

Analyzing Pterosaur Ontogeny And Sexual Dimorphism With Multivariate Allometry, Erick Charles Anderson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The relationships of pterosaurs have been previously inferred from observed traits, depositional environments, and phylogenetic associations. A great deal of research has begun to analyze pterosaur ontogeny, mass estimates, wing dynamics, and sexual dimorphism in the last two decades. The latter has received the least attention because of the large data set required for statistical analyses. Analyzing pterosaurs using osteological measurements will reveal different aspects of size and shape variation in Pterosauria (in place of character states) and sexual dimorphism when present. Some of these variations, not easily recognized visually, will be observed using multivariate allometry methods including Principle Component …

Testing The Efficacy Of Anuran Callback Surveys, Matthew S. Grisnik

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Monitoring programs often suffer from imperfect detection resulting in skewed population estimates, biased estimates of changes in occupancy over time, and can result in an underestimated proportion of area occupied (PAO) by a species. To increase the detection probability, researchers must increase sampling both spatially and temporally. Callback surveys are an active form of sampling that have been used to monitor many avian and mammal species. During callback surveys, the call of a conspecific male is projected with the intention of increasing probability of detection by eliciting a response from territorial males. These methods work for organisms that establish breeding …

A Coprological Survey Of Golden Mantled Howler Monkeys (Alouatta Palliata Palliata) In The Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, Jess M. Conatser

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Interactions between free-ranging primates and their associated parasitic forms continue to be a point of interest in ecology for several reasons. External and internal parasitism is not atypical for wild populations of primates, and the repercussions of these relationships can range from benign to life-threatening and capable of altering the structure of naturally occurring groups. The ecological relationship between the golden mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata palliata) and its host-specific ectoparasite, the howler monkey bot fly (Alouattamyia baeri) poses significant potential detriment to the overall body quality and success of the host primate. A. p. palliata has also been recorded …

Studying Macroinvertebrate Diversity In An Urbanized Watershed Of Rock Island, Illinois., Brittany A. Poynor

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Urban land-use covers millions of hectares in the United States. Rock Island is an urbanized city in Illinois, U.S.A. that currently has issues with their stormwater system due to being an urban area. For the past few years, the water quality of the streams in this watershed has been examined, but the biodiversity which can also contribute to water quality knowledge, has not been studied in depth.

The study proposed in this paper is based on the amount of biodiversity in the streams at ten sites in the Rock Island watershed and the water quality at those same sites. It …

Costs Of European Wolf And Human Coexistence, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

In “Recovery of large carnivores in Europe’s modern human-dominated landscapes” (19 December 2014, p. 1517), G. Chapron and 75 other authors documented that large carnivores (LC), including gray wolves (Canis lupus) can “share the same landscape,” with humans. The authors distinguish between North America’s separation model of LC conservation and the European coexistence model and suggest that the latter is applicable to “other areas of the world.” The authors mention LC-caused social conflict, but the article implies a level of compatibility between humans and wolves that is debatable. Wolves have only begun to recolonize most of western Europe and are …

White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Subsidize Gray Wolves (Canis Lupus) During A Moose (Alces Americanus) Decline: A Case Of Apparent Competition?, Shannon M. Barber-Meyer, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Moose (Alces americanus) in northeastern Minnesota have declined by 55% since 2006. Although the cause is unresolved, some studies have suggested that Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) contributed to the decline. After the Moose decline, wolves could either decline or switch prey. To determine which occurred in our study area, we compared winter wolf counts and summer diet before and after the Moose decline. While wolf numbers in our study area nearly doubled from 23 in winter 2002 to an average of 41 during winters 2011–2013, calf:cow ratios (the number of calves per cow observed during winter …

Patuxent’S Long-Term Research On Wolves, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

The gray wolf (Canis lupus) was one of the first species placed on the Endangered Species List in 1967. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 legally protected the wolf along with other listed species.

Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (Patuxent) in Laurel, MD, began its Endangered Wildlife Program in 1966, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) biologist Ray Erickson was assigned to lead it. In 1973, I was transferred to the program from Region 3 of the USFWS, having been employed there since 1969 to study wolves in Minnesota.

Endangered Species Act protection of the wolf fostered its quick …

First Record Of The Beetle Family Throscidae (Insecta: Coleoptera), A New Species Of I>Aulonothroscus Horn, And New Species Records To The Fauna Of Peru / Primer Registro De La Familia De Escarabajos Throscidae (Insecta: Coleoptera), Una Nueva Especie De Aulonothroscus Horn Y Tres Nuevos Registros De Especies Para La Fauna De Perú, Paul J. Johnson, Caroline S. Chaboo

University of Nebraska State Museum: Staff and Affiliates, Publications

The beetle family Throscidae is documented from Peru for the first time, based on specimens collected in the regions of Cajamarca, Junín, Loreto and Madre de Dios. Aulonothroscus tambopata new species is descri­bed from Madre de Dios. Also, three additional species of Aulonothroscus are reported from Peru for the first time – A. alvarengai Cobos new country record, A. freudi Cobos new country record, and A. oculatissimus Cobos new country record. A key separating these four species is given. This report is part of the “Beetles of Peru” project.

Se documenta por primera vez la familia de …

Chapter 5 - Ecophysiology Of Development, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Volume 1: Physiological Ecology

Explore the contents of Bryophyte Ecology, Volume 1, Chapter 5 - Ecophysiology of Development by clicking the links above. For the Contents section of this ebook, as well as Volumes 1 through 5, please visit the Bryophyte Ecology Main Page.

Use CTRL+F to easily search within PDF files.

Ebook sponsored by Michigan Technological University and the International Association of Bryologists.

Wire Netting Reduces African Elephant (Loxodonta Africana) Impact To Selected Trees In South Africa, Kelly Derham, Michelle Henley, Bruce A. Schulte

Biology Faculty Publications

African elephants (Loxodonta africana) are ecosystem engineers in that they substantially alter the environment through their unique foraging and feeding habits. At high densities, elephants potentially have negative impacts on the environment, specifically for large trees. Because of this, recent increases of elephants in the Associated Private Nature Reserves (APNR) on the western boundary of the Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa, have caused concern regarding the survival of several tree species. Our objective was to assess the effectiveness of wrapping protective wire netting around the trunk of the tree for preventing and reducing bark stripping, branch breaking, …

Long-Term, High Frequency In Situ Measurements Of Intertidal Mussel Bed Temperatures Using Biomimetic Sensors, Brian Helmuth, Francis Choi, Allison Matzelle, Jessica Torossian, Scott Morello, K.A.S. Mislan, Lauren Yamane, Denise Strickland, P. Szathmary, Sarah Gilman, Alyson Tockstein, Thomas Hilbish, Michael Burrows, Anne Marie Power, Elizabeth Gosling, Nova Mieszkowska, Christopher Harley, Michael Nishizaki, Emily Carrington, Bruce Menge, Laura Petes, Melissa Foley, Angela Johnson, Megan Poole, Mae Noble, Erin Richmond, Matt Robart, Jonathan Robinson, Jerod Sapp, Jackie Sones, Bernardo Broitman, Mark Denny, Katharine Mach, Luke P. Miller, Michael O'Donnell, Philip Ross, Gretchen Hofmann, Mackenzie Zippay, Carol Blanchette, J. Macfarlan, Eugenio Carpizo-Ituarte, Benjamin Ruttenberg, Carlos Peña Mejía, Christopher Mcquaid, Justin Lathlean, Cristián Monaco, Katy Nicastro, Gerardo Zardi

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

At a proximal level, the physiological impacts of global climate change on ectothermic organisms are manifest as changes in body temperatures. Especially for plants and animals exposed to direct solar radiation, body temperatures can be substantially different from air temperatures. We deployed biomimetic sensors that approximate the thermal characteristics of intertidal mussels at 71 sites worldwide, from 1998-present. Loggers recorded temperatures at 10–30 min intervals nearly continuously at multiple intertidal elevations. Comparisons against direct measurements of mussel tissue temperature indicated errors of ~2.0–2.5 °C, during daily fluctuations that often exceeded 15°–20 °C. Geographic patterns in thermal stress based on biomimetic …

The Ecology And Evolution Of Rare, Soil Specialist Astragalus Plants In The Arid Western U.S., Joseph M. Statwick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Organisms that specialize in uncommon habitats are, by their very nature, inherently uncommon. Specialization has its advantages, namely reduced competition and predation, but it also incurs costs. Specialists often have small population sizes, narrow ranges, and fragmented habitat, all of which engender negative consequences on an evolutionary timescale. Herein, I examine benefits and costs of specialization in selenium-hyperaccumulating plants in the genus Astragalus (Fabaceae). These plants are disproportionately likely to be rare and of conservation concern. Thus, I optimized germination pretreatments for Astragalus species such that seed loss can be minimized during ex situ cultivation, and found that physical scarification …

Use Of Qualitative Behaviour Assessment As An Indicator Of Welfare In Donkeys, Michela Minero, Emanuela Dalla Costa, Francesca Dai, Leigh Anne Margaret Murray, Elisabetta Canali, Françoise Wemelsfelder

Animal Welfare Collection

One of the objectives of the Animal Welfare Indicators project was to develop animal-based indicators to assess donkey welfare, including their emotional state. This study aimed to develop a fixed rating scale of Qualitative Behaviour Assessment (QBA) for donkeys, to evaluate the inter-observer reliability when applied on-farm, and to assess whether the QBA outcomes correlate to other welfare measures.

A fixed list of 16 descriptors was designed on the basis of a consultation in a focus group. The fixed list was then used by four trained observers to score nine 2 min videos of groups of donkeys owned by six …

Mating Games Squid Play: Reproductive Behaviour And Sexual Skin Displays In Caribbean Reef Squid Sepioteuthis Sepioidea, Jennifer Mather

Reproductive Behavior Collection

Observation of the sexual interactions of Sepioteuthis sepioidea squid during the short reproductive stage of their lives showed a scramble competition system, with both male and female polygyny. Mature females were faithful to a specific location in the daytime, whereas males moved from group to group and formed short-term consortships with females. Males defended females from other males, particularly with an agonistic Zebra display. Male–female pairs exchanged Saddle-Stripe displays, after which males might display an on–off Flicker. There was considerable female choice. Only if a female responded to this display with a parallel Rocking action would she pair and would …

Hpi Reactivity Does Not Reflect Changes In Personality Among Trout Introduced To Bold Or Shy Social Groups, Jack S. Thomson, Phillip C. Watts, Tom G. Pottinger, Lynne U. Sneddon

Social Behavior Collection

Physiological stress responses often correlate with personalities (e.g., boldness). However, this relationship can become decoupled, although the mechanisms underlying changes in this relationship are poorly understood. Here we quantify (1) how an individual’s boldness (response to novel objects) in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, changes in response to interactions with a population of either bold or shy conspecifics and we (2) measured associated post-stress cortisol levels. Initially-bold trout became shyer regardless of group composition, whereas shy trout remained shy demonstrating that bold individuals are more plastic. Stress-induced plasma cortisol reflected the original personality of fish but not the personality induced …

Geographic Variability Of Octopus Insularis Diet: From Oceanic Island To Continental Populations, Tatiana S. Leite, Allan T. Batista, Françoise D. Lima, Jaciana C. Barbosa, Jennifer A. Mather

Habitat and Trophic Ecology Collection

A predator’s choice of prey can be affected by many factors. We evaluated various influences on population dietary composition, individual specialization and size of prey in Octopus insularis populations from 2 continental and 4 insular locations. We expected that habitat diversity would lead to diet heterogeneity. Furthermore, in keeping with MacArthur & Wilson’s (1967) theory of island biogeography, we expected that diet diversity would be lower around islands than on the coast of the mainland. Both predictions were confirmed when prey remains from octopus middens were examined. The 2 continental areas exhibited a richer habitat diversity and a wider variety …

Impacts Of Man-Made Structures On Avian Community Metrics In 4 State Parks In Northwestern Arkansas, R. D. Keith, B. Grooms, R. E. Urbanek

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Avian community metrics often differ between areas with no human disturbance and areas with high levels of human disturbance. However, the relationships between avian community metrics and smaller-scale disturbances are not as clear. Our goal was to investigate if avian abundance, richness, evenness, and diversity differed in areas with and without small-scale human developments. We used fixed-radius 50-m avian point counts to compare points which contained a man-made structure (n = 47), such as a picnic area, road, or campsite to those that did not contain a man-made structure (n = 181) at 4 state parks in Arkansas during 18 …

Occurrence Of Shoal Chub, Macrhybopsis Hyostoma (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) In Unusual Habitat In The Arkansas River System Of Arkansas: Could Direct Tributaries Be Refugia Allowing Persistence Despite Fragmentation Of Instream Habitat?, J. A. Brown, H. W. Robison, C. T. Mcallister

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Exposing Artemia Salina To Chattonella Subsalsa: A General Toxicity Test, Nicholas Picha

Bridges: A Journal of Student Research

The raphidophyte Chattonella subsalsa has been reported to cause harmful algal blooms in every major ocean. In South Carolina, C. subsalsa blooms have been observed in brackish stormwater detention ponds as well as estuarine waters neighboring urbanized areas. Blooms frequently cause fish kills although the fish kill mechanism of C. subsalsa is currently unknown. In many harmful species, the lethality of algal cells is thought to correspond with algal growth phase. Algal growth is known to progress through five distinct phases; lag, early exponential, late exponential, stationary, and decline. In nature, harmful algal blooms commonly occur in the late exponential …

The Spatial Distribution Of Terrestrial Stable Carbon Isotopes In North America, And The Impacts Of Spatial And Temporal Resolution On Static Ecological Models, Sydney M. Firmin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to the unique spatial and temporal characteristics of ecological phenomena, the extent and grain size of spatial data sets essentially filter the observations. This thesis examines the impacts of temporal and spatial resolution on the modeling of terrestrial stable carbon isotopic landscapes (isoscapes). I model the distribution of leaf stable carbon isotope composition (delta¹³C) for the continent of North America at multiple temporal and spatial resolutions. I generate each delta¹³C isoscape variation by first predicting the relative abundance of C3/C4 vegetation cover using monthly climate grids, crop distribution/type grids, and remote sensing data of plant …

Dentine Oxygn Isotopes (Δ18o) As A Proxy For Odontocete Distributions And Movements., Cory J.D. Matthews, Fred J. Longstaffe, Steven H. Fergispm

Earth Sciences Publications

Spatial variation in marine oxygen isotope ratios ( δ¹⁸O) resulting from differential evaporation rates and precipitation inputs is potentially useful for characterizing marine mammal distributions and tracking movements across δ¹⁸O gradients. Dentine hydroxyapatite contains carbonate and phosphate that precipitate in oxygen isotopic equilibrium with body water, which in odontocetes closely tracks the isotopic composition of ambient water. To test whether dentine oxygen isotope composition reliably records that of ambient water and can therefore serve as a proxy for odontocete distribution and movement patterns, we measured δ¹⁸O values of dentine structural carbonate (δ^{18 …}

An Update On Mortality Of Fledged Whooping Cranes In The Aransas/Wood Buffalo Population, Thomas V. Stehn, Carey L. Haralson-Strobel

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

From winter 1950 through spring 2011, 6,364 whooping cranes (Grus americana) overwintered at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, or rarely, elsewhere. Documented winter losses amounted to 105 birds dead or disappeared. About 20% of total losses occurred in the wintering area, where birds spend 5 to 6 months of the year including a few birds that over-summer. Losses of white-plumaged whooping cranes on the summering area in Canada appear to be low with only 3 instances documented. The most significant losses seem to occur in migration and may comprise over 80% of the annual mortality. Migration involves only 17-20% of the …

Use Of Freshwater Ponds By Whooping Cranes During A Drought Period, Karis Ritenour, Elizabeth Smith, Barry K. Hartup

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Whooping cranes (Grus americana) spend nearly half their annual cycle in coastal habitats within and around the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge Complex (ANWRC) located in the central portion of the Texas Coast. When drought conditions prevail in their winter range and salinities in the local bays exceed 23 parts per thousand (ppt), whooping cranes must seek alternate sources of dietary drinking water (Stehn 2008, Chavez- Ramirez and Wehtje 2012). They begin frequent (often daily) trips to freshwater sources in upland areas. These trips may result in extra energy expenditures that can impact their overall health and ability to …

Proceedings Of The Thirteenth North American Crane Workshop, Abstracts, David A. Aborn, Richard P. Urbanek

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

AGE-SPECIFIC SURVIVAL OF GREATER SANDHILL CRANE COLTS IN NEVADA. Chad August, Jim Sedinger, and Chris Nicolai 111

WHOOPING CRANE DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT USE: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE? Jane Austin, Matthew Hayes, and Jeb Barzen 111

BEHAVIORAL MOVEMENTS OF ARANSAS-WOOD BUFFALO WHOOPING CRANES: ANOMALIES OR INDICATIONS OF WAYS TO FURTHER ENHANCE SPECIES RECOVERY. David Baasch, Mark Bidwell, Wade Harrell, Kris Metzger, Aaron Pearse, and Mary Harner 112

INFLUENCES ON NEST SUCCESS IN A REINTRODUCED POPULATION OF WHOOPING CRANES. Jeb Barzen, Sarah Converse, Peter Adler, Elmer Gray, Anne Lacy, Eva Szyszkoski, and Andrew Gossens 113

DETERMINING DIET COMPOSITION AND INGESTION RATE OF …

Size Difference In Whooping Cranes Reared For Two Reintroduction Methods, Richard P. Urbanek, Marianne M. Wellington, Sabrina Servanty

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

We investigated a possible size difference in whooping cranes (Grus americana) captive-reared for 2 reintroduction methods to establish a migratory population in eastern North America. Cranes reared for ultralight aircraft-led migration (UL) to Florida were significantly larger than cranes reared for direct autumn release (DAR) on the natal area in central Wisconsin. Mean tarsal length was 315.5 ± 0.98 (1 SE) and 308.1 ± 1.87 mm, respectively, for UL and DAR males and 296.9 ± 1.03 and 290.8 ± 2.60 mm, respectively, for UL and DAR females. Because of the different rearing schedules, eggs for the DAR method …

Effects Of Wind Farms On Sand Hill Crane Play An Occupancy On The Texas High Plains, Laura Navarrete, Kerry L. Griffis-Kyle

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Wind energy is essential for a shift to carbon-emission free energy, however there has been very little research investigating the disturbance caused by wind farms on the landscape. Texas is a leading state in wind power capacity, and the High Plains of Texas support over 80% of the midcontinent population of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) every winter. Historically, cranes used saline lakes for fresh water and predator protection, but recent hydrological changes due to agricultural practices have reduced the availability of the lakes for wintering birds. Playa wetlands currently represent the main source of water and roosting habitat in the …

High Nest Density Of Sandhill Cranes In Central Wisconsin, Jeb A. Barzen, Liying Su, Anne E. Lacy, Andrew P. Gossens, Dorn M. Moore

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

We conducted aerial surveys to determine nest locations of greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) in central Wisconsin, 2001-2003. Helicopter flights covered 8.90 km2 of wetlands in each year, and we found 41 nests in 2001, 50 nests in 2002, and 48 nests in 2003 from 11 wetlands. Our best estimate of nest density (n = 14) included wetlands containing 5 or more nests and averaged 5.25 ± 0.36 (1 SE) nests/km² of wetland. Maximum nest density of larger wetlands in any 1 year was 7.80 nests/km². As some nests had likely failed by …