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Systematics Of Leptopelis (Anura: Arthroleptidae) From The Itombwe Plateau, Eastern Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Francisco Portillo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Leptopelis, a genus of Central African treefrogs, includes 51 species that live in tropical forests and savannas. Currently, only two species of Leptopelis are known from the poorly explored Itombwe Plateau in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Itombwe is renowned among conservationists for its rich and endemic amphibian fauna, including: Xenopus itombwensis, Chrysobatrachus cupreonitens, Laurentophryne parkeri, Hyperolius leleupi and at least three species of Arthroleptis. Evolutionary relationships of Itombwe Leptopelis were examined by sequencing two mitochondrial genes (16S: 557 bp [base pairs], cyt b: 620 bp) and one nuclear gene (RAG1: 761 bp). Results recovered strong support for …

Spatial Ecology Of The Trans-Pecos Rat Snake (Bogertophis Subocularis) In The Chihuahuan Desert Of Trans-Pecos Texas, Arturo Rocha

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Trans-Pecos Rat Snake (Bogertophis subocularis) is a medium to large rat snake that occurs from south-central New Mexico, south-central Texas, down into the north-central and northeastern states of Mexico. There is paucity in the ecology of B. subocularis to date. Some North American colubrid snakes, such as Thamnophis sirtalis, are the most represented species in thermal ecology and life history studies in all reptiles. There is nothing known on the winter ecological aspects of this species, and very little information regarding its overall ecology. The goal of this study is to determine home range, movement patterns, habitats and utilization …

An Assessment Of Land Cover Change At The Indio Mountains Research Station, Rebecca Anne Escamilla

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Land cover change is a significant contributor to environmental change on a global scale. In the arid regions of the southwest US, shrub encroachment is one of the most important forms of land cover change. Many factors contribute to shrub encroachment, which can impact structure and function. In the Chihuahuan Desert, mountain ecosystems are known as biodiversity hotspots and are especially susceptible to environmental change making them useful indicators of global change. The overarching goal of this dissertation is to improve i) understanding of land cover change in a Chihuahuan Desert mountain landscape, and ii) how knowledge of land cover …

What Is The Role Of Isolation And Disturbance On The Diversity Of Aquatic Invertebrates In Former Ranchlands Of The Northern Chihuahuan Desert?, Gena Esposito

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Chihuahuan Desert is considered one of the most diverse deserts in the world and its aquatic systems have been identified as unique and of global importance. Despite this, the Chihuahuan Desert has remained relatively unstudied, especially concerning its aquatic systems and how the extreme desert environment has shaped the diversity of the organisms within them. In this study we examined the effects of isolation and disturbance on macroinvertebrate diversity in both temporary and permanent desert ponds. To examine the effects of isolation and desiccation, macroinvertebrates were collected from a permanent spring (Squaw Spring) and six nearby temporary ponds (tanks) …

A Meta-Analysis Of Seaweed Impacts On Seagrasses: Generalities And Knowledge Gaps, Mads Thomsen, Thomas Wernberg, Aschwin H. Engelen, Fernando Tuya, Mat A. Vanderklift, Marianne Holmer, Karen J. Mcglathery, Francisco Arenas, Jonne Kotta, Brian R. Silliman

Research outputs 2012

Seagrasses are important habitat-formers and ecosystem engineers that are under threat from bloom-forming seaweeds. These seaweeds have been suggested to outcompete the seagrasses, particularly when facilitated by eutrophication, causing regime shifts where green meadows and clear waters are replaced with unstable sediments, turbid waters, hypoxia, and poor habitat conditions for fishes and invertebrates. Understanding the situations under which seaweeds impact seagrasses on local patch scales can help proactive management and prevent losses at greater scales. Here, we provide a quantitative review of available published manipulative experiments (all conducted at the patch-scale), to test which attributes of seaweeds and seagrasses (e.g., …

Stable Isotope Analysis Of Busycon Sinistrum To Determine Fort Walton-Period Seasonality At St. Joseph Bay, Northwest Florida, Ryan Michael Harke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Recent archaeological investigations indicate that coastal Fort Walton cultures in the St. Joseph Bay region of northwest Florida emphasized marine and estuarine foraging. These late prehistoric (A.D. 1000-1500) peoples collected fish, shellfish, and other aquatic resources. At the Richardson's Hammock site (8Gu10), radiocarbon-dated to about A.D. 1300, as at dozens of other shell middens around this salty bay, large gastropods were a major subsistence component. This adaptation is in sharp contrast with that of contemporaneous inland Fort Walton societies, who relied on maize agriculture. It is unknown whether coastal groups represent separate hunter-gatherer-fisher populations or seasonal migrations by inland …

The World’S Deepest Subterranean Community - Krubera-Voronja Cave (Western Caucasus), Alberto Sendra, Ana Sofia P.S. Reboleira

International Journal of Speleology

Subsurface biota extends over a wide variety of habitats that can be spatially interconnected. The largest communities of this subsurface biota inhabit cavities and are well known mainly in caves where biologists are able to have access. Data about deep subterranean communities and arthropods living under one thousand meters was unknown.

An expedition to world’s deepest cave, Krubera-Voronja in Western Caucasus, revealed an interesting subterranean community, living below 2000 meters and represented by more than 12 species of arthropods, including several new species for science. This deep cave biota is composed of troglobionts and also epigean species, that can penetrate …

A New Species Of Frog (Strabomantidae: Pristimantis) From Peru With Comments On Its Ectoparasites (Acari: Trombiculidae), Alan W. Brus

Honors Projects

In South America, frogs of the genus Pristimantis are diverse and can be found from lowland forests to elevations of about 4000 m in the Andes. The 444 known species of Pristimantis belong to 16 species groups. One of these groups is the Pristimantis orestes Group, the 14 members of which inhabit the páramo, puna, and upper montane forests in southern Ecuador (3 species) and Peru (11 species). Species of the Pristimantis orestes Group are characterized by having snout-vent lengths ranging from 18.0 to 29.4 mm, short robust bodies, relatively short snouts, narrow digital discs, and areolate ventral skin. Some …

Comparative Developmental Transcriptomics Of Echinoderms, Roy Vaughn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The gastrula stage represents the point in development at which the three primary germ layers diverge. At this point the gene regulatory networks that specify the germ layers are established and the genes that define the differentiated states of the tissues have begun to be activated. These networks have been well characterized in sea urchins, but not in other echinoderms. Embryos of the brittle star Ophiocoma wendtii share a number of developmental features with sea urchin embryos, including the ingression of mesenchyme cells that give rise to an embryonic skeleton. Notable differences are that no micromeres are formed during cleavage …

The Impact Of Black Swan (Cygnus Atratus) Grazing On The Seagrass Halophila Ovalis In The Lower Swan River Estuary, Gary Choney

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Grazing is an important ecosystem process, influencing community structure and rates of ecosystem processes. Although grazing on seagrasses is generally considered to be minor in many temperate regions of the world, waterfowl are often considered significant grazers in temperate lagoons and estuaries. This study examined spatial and temporal variation in swan abundance, grazing pressure and the impact grazing has on seagrass. Little is known on how grazing rates vary on larger water bodies in the southern hemisphere at different times of year and whether temporal changes in grazing rates affect the ability of seagrasses to tolerate grazing. The plant response …

Seeing Through Others' Eyes : Towards A Hybrid Ecology Of Marine Turtle And Dugong In Australia, Zoe Car

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis explores the conflict between conservationists and Indigenous communities over the hunting of marine turtles and dugong in Australia, with a view to finding a way to overcome the barriers that prevent the resolution of this issue. I approached this exploration as an ecologist, using the framework of Berkes (2004) who proposed three shifts for the field of ecology. This meant taking a systems approach and investigating the intertwining threads of the issue as possible, with a specific focus on integrating the human aspects of the problem in a participatory manner. By doing so my work entered into a …

Swamp : Walking The Wetlands Of The Swan Coastal Plain ; And With The Exegesis, A Walk In The Anthropocene: Homesickness And The Walker-Writer, Anandashila Saraswati

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This project is comprised of a creative work and accompanying exegesis. The creative work is a collection of poetry which examines the history and ecology of the wetlands and river systems of the Swan Coastal Plain, and which utilises the practice of walking as a research methodology. For the creative practitioner walking reintroduces the body as a fundamental definer of experience, placing the investigation centrally in the corporeal self, using the physical senses as investigative tools of enquiry. As Rebecca Solnit comments in her history of walking, ‘exploring the world is one of the best ways of exploring the mind, …

Consequences Of Kleptoplasty On The Distribution, Ecology, And Behavior Of The Sacoglossan Sea Slug, Elysia Clarki, Michael Louis Middlebrooks

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The sacoglossan sea slug Elysia clarki is able to photosynthesize for three to four months using chloroplasts sequestered from its algal food sources. Furthermore, the slug is able to store multiple chloroplasts from different algal species within the same cell. This research, consisting of several related studies, explores the role that provision of organic nutrients via photosynthesis plays in the biology of the slug. The first chapter demonstrates that, under conditions of starvation, photosynthetic activity in E. clarki remains fully functional for one month after which it then declines. During the first month of starvation the slug exhibits similar feeding …

Ontogeny And Littoral Structure Of Lakes Created On Phosphate Mined Lands Of Central Florida, Chrysoula Mitraki

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Created lakes are an end product of phosphate mining in Florida. Beginning in 1975, Florida reclamation rules set criteria for phosphate created lakes aiming to approximate the structure of natural lakes, and emphasizing extensive littoral zones with both emergent and submersed vegetation.

Lake development relative to lake age and design were examined for 22 phosphate lakes representing a 40-year age trajectory, utilizing water quality and benthic invertebrate communities from littoral and deep-water locations (Chapter 1). The relative importance of morphometry and lake age in the development of littoral plant communities was examined using multiple vegetation surveys throughout the year, in …

Modification Of Trophic Links Between An Omnivore And Macroinfaunal Prey From Sandy Beaches Of Differing Physical Regimes, Kristina Joan Morrow

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sandy beach ecosystems have been studied worldwide; however, ecological data are sparse for the extensive barrier islands of Florida. Accordingly, I investigated the feeding patterns of the ghost crab (Ocypode quadrata), a dominant omnivore inhabiting beaches along the Floridian coast. Density data was collected for ghost crabs and swash macroinfaunal prey. In addition, I utilized stable isotopes in conjunction with the mixing models IsoSource and SIAR to characterize diets of ghost crabs across three barrier islands in spring and summer 2011. Results showed that ghost crabs at Cayo Costa feed primarily on swash macroinfauna, while those from Anclote Key shifted …

Assessment Of Diver Impact During The Spiny Lobster Sport Season, Florida Keys, Usa, Mark Lewis Hartman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Spiny Lobster (Panulirus argus) fishery in Florida is closed during the spawning season (March-July) except for a two-day recreational `miniseason' for sport divers in July, several days prior to the opening of the commercial fishing season. In Monroe County, recreational fishers, who possess a valid Saltwater Fishing License with crawfish stamp, are allowed to harvest six lobsters per day, each with a minimum carapace length of 76.2 mm (3.0 inches). During these two days, approximately 50,000 people attempt to catch lobster, and the number of boats visiting the reef has been estimated to be up to 900 times higher …

No Honor Among Snails: Conspecific Competition Leads To Incomplete Drill Holes In The Naticid Gastropod Neverita Delessertiana (R Cluz), Jack A. Hutchings

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The fossil record of drilling predation has been widely used to study predator-prey interactions and their relative importance on long-term evolutionary processes. Incomplete drill holes have been interpreted as indicators of failed attacks due to well-defended prey. However, this interpretation is based on pair-wise interactions between one predator and one prey, a condition commonly compromised in nature. The hypothesis that interference among drilling predators leads to an increase in the relative frequency of incomplete drill holes was tested in the laboratory using the naticid Neverita delessertiana (R cluz) and a common prey, the bivalve Chione elevata (Say). The experiment consisted …

Dolphin Sound Production And Distribution On The West Florida Shelf, Peter Simard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an investigation of dolphin sound production and distribution off west central Florida. Although a wealth of information exists on the production of common sounds (whistles, echolocation) made by captive, trained dolphins, far less is known about free-ranging dolphin sound production and of unusual sounds. In addition, while inshore dolphin populations or communities are the subjects of research projects in many locations, dolphins in offshore waters are less commonly studied. The objectives of this dissertation were to contribute information on free-ranging dolphin sounds and continental shelf dolphin distribution.

While echolocation has been rigorously studied in captive, trained dolphins, …

Post-Occupancy Evaluation At The Zoo: Behavioral And Hormonal Indicators Of Welfare In Orangutans (Pongo Pygmaeus Abelii), Leigha Tingey

Dissertations and Theses

An increased understanding of species-specific behavioral needs has lead zoos to focus on providing more naturalistic and stimulating environments. Scientific assessments of how changes in habitat affect animal behavior are necessary in improving overall animal welfare. This study examined the move of three orangutans housed at the Oregon Zoo into a new and innovative exhibit. Post-occupancy evaluation (POE), which offers systematic information regarding the success or failure of the built environment (Maple & Finlay, 1987), was utilized to effectively evaluate the results of the move. The collection of behavioral data and adrenal activity monitoring through collection of non-invasive saliva, urine …

Diversity And Community Assembly Patterns Of Epigean Vs. Troglobiont Spiders In The Iberian Peninsula, Pedro Cardoso

International Journal of Speleology

Cave-obligate organisms usually have smaller ranges and their assemblages have higher beta diversity than their epigean counterparts. Phylogenetic and functional diversity is usually low in cave communities, leading to taxonomic and functional disharmony, with entire groups missing from the subterranean realm. The objective of this work is to compare range, beta diversity, phylogenetic and functional diversity, taxonomic and functional disharmony of epigean versus troglobiont spiders in the Iberian Peninsula.

The median extent of occurrence was found to be 33 times higher for epigean than for cave species. Beta diversity was significantly higher for troglobiont assemblages. Cave assemblages present lower phylogenetic …

High Connectivity In The Deepwater Snapper Pristipomoides Filamentosus (Lutjanidae) Across The Indo-Pacific With Isolation Of The Hawaiian Archipelago, Michelle R. Gaither, Shelley A. Jones, Christopher Kelley, Stephen J. Newman, Laurie Sorenson, Brian W. Bowen

Fisheries Research Articles

In the tropical Indo-Pacific, most phylogeographic studies have focused on the shallow-water taxa that inhabit reefs to approximately 30 m depth. Little is known about the large predatory fishes, primarily snappers (subfamily Etelinae) and groupers (subfamily Epinephelinae) that occur at 100–400 m. These long-lived, slow-growing species support fisheries across the Indo-Pacific, yet no comprehensive genetic surveys within this group have been conducted. Here we contribute the first range-wide survey of a deepwater Indo-Pacific snapper, Pristipomoides filamentosus, with special focus on Hawai'i. We applied mtDNA cytochrome b and 11 microsatellite loci to 26 samples (N = 1,222) collected across …

A Case Study In Wetlands Conservation: Identifying Best Management Practices For Landowner Stewardship, Allison M. Bredbenner

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

This research explores wetlands conservation techniques employed by private landowners owning 1,000 or more acres who were recipients of an Environmental Law Institute National Wetlands Award. Study of private landowner stewardship is timely and important because in the United States, 75 percent of all wetlands are under private ownership. Given that wetlands provide a suite of valuable ecosystem services such as water filtration, flood abatement, and carbon storage, their conservation is critical to a healthy environment and productive economy. To accomplish this research, landowner files were processed into a digital archive and sub-categorized for research purposes. Telephone interviews were conducted …

Evolutionary Relationships Among Duiker Antelope (Bovidae: Cephalophinae), Anne Johnston

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Duikers are a species rich subfamily of threatened African antelope whose recent origin poses a challenge to the molecular identification of taxa and estimation of their phylogeny. I test the ability of DNA barcodes to identify all taxa within this group. I then use mitochondrial and nuclear genes to estimate a multi-locus species tree and to date divergence times. DNA barcodes are unable to distinguish many sister taxa, calling into question the utility of barcodes for the regulation of duiker trade or in identification of field-collected feces. The multi-locus phylogeny provides support for the relationships among major duiker lineages and …

Fine-Scale Genetic Structure And Parentage In Urocitellus Beldingi, Marissa R. Lafler

Master's Theses

Urocitellus beldingi (Belding's ground squirrel), previously known as Spermophilus beldingi, is a social, montane rodent that occupies alpine and subalpine meadows in the Sierra Nevadas (Helgen et al. 2009). The Tioga Pass meadow (Mono Co. CA) population has been studied behaviorally and demographically for several decades. Microsatellites were developed for this species and conditions for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were defined. Nine microsatellite loci amplified adequately and were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, displaying an average heterozygosity of 0.67±0.19. These nine microsatellite loci were analyzed via PCR to elucidate the fine scale genetic structure, offering insight into population health, stochastic events, and …

A New Locality Of Mesobuthus Eupeus Thersites (C. L. Koch, 1839) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) In East Kazakhstan, Alexander A. Fomichev

Euscorpius

A new locality of Mesobuthus eupeus thersites (C. L. Koch, 1839) is reported, found during the fieldtrip to East Kazakhstan, one of the most northern areas where scorpions are found in Asia. Notes on the habitats, map and photographs of specimens are given.

Predator Mediated Selection And The Impact Of Developmental Stage On Viability In Wood Frog Tadpoles (Rana Sylvatica), Ryan Calsbeek, Shawn Kuchta

Dartmouth Scholarship

Complex life histories require adaptation of a single organism for multiple ecological niches. Transitions between life stages, however, may expose individuals to an increased risk of mortality, as the process of metamorphosis typically includes developmental stages that function relatively poorly in both the pre- and post-metamorphic habitat. We studied predator-mediated selection on tadpoles of the wood frog, Rana sylvatica, to identify this hypothesized period of differential predation risk and estimate its ontogenetic onset. We reared tadpoles in replicated mesocosms in the presence of the larval odonate Anax junius, a known tadpole predator.

Global Change, Global Trade, And The Next Wave Of Plant Invasions, Bethany A. Bradley, Dana M. Blumenthal, Regan Early, Edwin D. Grosholz, Joshua J. Lawler, Luke P. Miller, Cascade J.B. Sorte, Carla M. D'Antonio, Jeffrey M. Diez, Jeffrey S. Dukes, Ines Ibanez, Julian D. Olden

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Many non-native plants in the US have become problematic invaders of native and managed ecosystems, but a new generation of invasive species may be at our doorstep. Here, we review trends in the horticultural trade and invasion patterns of previously introduced species and show that novel species introductions from emerging horticultural trade partners are likely to rapidly increase invasion risk. At the same time, climate change and water restrictions are increasing demand for new types of species adapted to warm and dry environments. This confluence of forces could expose the US to a range of new invasive species, including many …

A Comparison Of Current Anuran Monitoring Methods With Emphasis On The Accuracy Of Automatic Vocalization Detection Software, Jacob Douglas Eldridge

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Currently, a variety of methods are available to monitor anurans, and little standardization of methods exists. New methods to monitor anurans have become available over the past twenty years, including PVC pipe arrays used for tree frog capture and Automated Digital Recording Systems (ADRS) used to remotely monitor calling activity. In addition to ADRS, machine-learning computer software, automated vocalization recognition software (AVRS), has been developed to automatically detect vocalizations within digital sound recordings. The use of a combination of ADRS and AVRS shows the promise to reduce the number of people, time, and resources needed for an effective call survey …

Avian Species Abundance In Response To Recreational Trail Use, Carrie A. Wencel

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Studies have indicated that non-consumptive outdoor recreation may affect wildlife. Thus, as the nation increases interest in outdoor recreation, data suggests the effect on wildlife will also increase. Previous studies indicate that as disturbance to wildlife increases, both avian species richness will decrease. Knowing how to anticipate effects on native species when planning and managing recreational areas is important in order to both provide for human desires and ensure the least impact to local species diversity.

The goal of this project was to observe and compare avian species richness and diversity between selected trail sites within Shevlin Park, Bend, Oregon …

Genetic Structure Of Grass Carp Populations In The Missouri And Mississippi River Basins, Usa, Bobbi M. Adams, Katie N. Bertrand, Michael L. Brown, Donald Auger

The Prairie Naturalist

We provided an early characterization of the genetic structure of the grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) population as it expands its distribution in both the Missouri and Mississippi River basins. Further, we provided initial comparisons of allelic richness at 17 polymorphic microsatellite markers between 56 grass carp from the USA, and six from the Yangtze River in China. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to eight and size ranges of alleles for fish collected from the invaded and native ranges were similar (P ≤ 0.001; 107–226 bp) to those previously reported in the literature. Distance-based clustering …