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Phylogeny And Historical Ecology Of Rhodocoma (Restionaceae) From The Cape Floristic Region, Christopher R. Hardy, H. Peter Linder

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

A macroevolutionary analysis of macroecological relationships in Rhodocoma revealed a complex history of rapid ecological divergence, as well as genetic isolation via shifts in flowering times. The rate and extent of divergence observed among even the youngest of species pairs indicated that the selective forces driving these processes are strong enough to effect substantial amounts of ecological change in relatively short periods of time, and are potentially important factors promoting the origin and persistence of species diversity not only in Rhodocoma, but also the African Restionaceae as a whole. These results also suggest that the rate and extent of …

Species Invasion Shifts The Importance Of Predator Dependence, Blaine D. Griffen, David G. Delaney

Faculty Publications

The strength of interference between foraging individuals can influence per capita consumption rates, with important consequences for predator and prey populations and system stability. Here we demonstrate how the replacement of a previously established invader, the predatory crab Carcinus maenas, by the recently invading predatory crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus shifts predation from a species that experiences strong predator interference (strong predator dependence) to one that experiences weak predator interference (weak predator dependence). We demonstrate using field experiments that differences in the strength of predator dependence persist for these species both when they forage on a single focal prey species only (the …

Foraging Behavior And Habitat Use By The Carolina Chickadee (Poecile Carolinensis) In West-Central Indiana, Ihan Chen

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I studied the effect of environmental conditions on the foraging behavior of Carolina chickadees (Poecile carolinensis) in Kiewig woods, property of Indiana State University, in West Terre Haute in west-central Indiana. My study method uses Optimal Foraging Theory (Brown 1988) to measure the giving up density (GUD) of Chickadees under different environmental conditions ( different resource abundances, different habitat types, different resource types and different seasons). For my experiment, I set up 24 feeding stations in three kinds of habitats ( open area, secondary growth woods and mature woods) within 4 sites and paired trays in each habitat X site. …

Designation Of A Neotype For Leptodactylus Gracilis (Duméril And Bibron, 1840) (Amphibia: Leptodactylidae), Rafael O. De Sá, A. Dubois, A. Ohler

Biology Faculty Publications

The examination of the preserved specimens in the herpetological collection of the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, along with a review of the original literature, indicates that no extant specimen can be undoubtedly identified as the holotype of Leptodactylus gracilis (DumCri.l and Bibron, 1840). Furthermore, it revealed that the type locality recently assigned to this taxon is in error.

The Emergence Of Sex, Ursula Goodenough

Biology Faculty Research

Biological traits, the foci of natural selection, are by definition emergent from the genes, proteins, and other “nothing-buts” that constitute them. Moreover, and with the exception of recently emergent “spandrels,” each can be accorded a teleological dimension—each is “for” some purpose conducive to an organism's continuation. Sex, which is “for” the generation of recombinant genomes, may be one of the most ancient and ubiquitous traits in biology. In the course of its evolution, many additional traits, such as gender and nurture, have emerged. Patterns of sexual exchange are the basis for patterns of biological evolution and are central to the …

Seasonal Changes In Thermal Conductance Of Bat Pelage: A Comparison Of The Eastern Red Bat (Lasiurus Borealis) And Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus Fuscus), Daniel Justin Judy

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two species with different ecologies and natural histories use different morphological characteristics and thermoregulatory strategies to survive seasonal environmental changes. The purpose of this project was to investigate two such species, the eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis) and big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus). Red bats roost in the foliage of trees and occasionally leaf litter and have dense fur, as well as a furred interfemoral membrane. These two species differ in their morphology and roosting ecology in that big brown bats are generally larger with less dense fur, no fur on the interfemoral membrane, and are less exposed to environmental …

Prey Naiveté: Evolutionary And Ecological Implications, Jonathan G. Cox

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite its ecological importance, the concept of prey naivete has become a biological truism that receives little study. I explored the evolution of naivete and its likely influence on two major ecological patterns: a) the historically greater destructiveness of freshwater predator introductions, and b) the greater strength of aquatic trophic cascades. In a review of the ecological literature, I demonstrate that the conditions for the evolution of naivete (isolation) exist in freshwater habitats at multiple spatial scales. In addition, I show that freshwater prey exhibit naivete which could be responsible for the high impacts of freshwater predator introductions. I then …

Distribution And Habitats Of Mosquito Larvae In The Kingdom Of Tonga, Jon S. Harding, Culum Brown, Felicity Jones, Russell Taylor

Ecology Collection

Mosquitoes are a significant pest and human health issue in the Kingdom of Tonga. The occurrence of species and habitats used by mosquito larvae were investigated to determine the potential for control through larval habitat management. Forty-two sites, including 22 villages and 20 farm plantations on the six islands of Tongatapu, Pangaimotu, Vava’u, Pangaimotu (Vava’u group), ‘Utungake and Nuku, were surveyed in April 2006. A total of eight mosquito species were collected: Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus), Ae. horrescens (Edwards), Ae. nocturnus (Theobold), Ae. tongae (Edwards), Culex albinervis (Edwards), Cx. annulirostris (Skuse), Cx. quinquefasciatus (Say) and Cx. sitiens (Wiedemann). Several species were …

Terrestrial Gastropod Responses To An Ecosystem-Level Calcium Manipulation In A Northern Hardwood Forest, Monica A. Skeldon, Matthew A. Vadeboncoeur, Steven P. Hamburg, Joel D. Blum

All Materials

The effects of acid deposition on soil calcium (Ca), and in turn on land snail populations, have been of heightened concern for several decades. We compiled a 10 year record (1997–2006) of gastropod abundance on two small watersheds at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, one of which was treated with a Ca addition in 1999. In years 3–7 post Ca addition, snail abundance in the treated watershed was 73% higher than in the reference area (p < 0.001); there was no significant difference in the 3 years prior to treatment, and no significant difference in slug abundance in any year. We analyzed relationships between snail density and microsite spatial variation in leaf-litter Ca concentration, litter-layer thickness, tree species composition, slope, dead wood, and forest-floor light level. We found that snail abundance was significantly correlated with litter Ca concentration (p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with the importance value of American beech (p = 0.05). Isotopic-tracer analysis indicated that, on average, 76% of Ca in snail shells 5 years post treatment was derived from the added Ca. However, interannual variation in snail numbers indicates that other factors beyond available Ca have a strong influence on snail abundance.

Benthic Mapping For Habitat Classification In The Peconic Estuary: Phase I Groundtruth Studies, Robert M. Cerrato, Nicole P. Maher

School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

Benthic habitat maps of the estuary seafloor will increase our knowledge of range and variability in benthic habitats, will assist managers in their efforts to protect and/or restore commercially and recreationally important finfish and shellfish, will link land usage (e.g. developed vs. undeveloped areas) and water quality data to benthic habitat quality, and will make it possible to utilize faunal data as a long-term indicator of the overall “health” of the estuary. We are developing benthic habitat maps by combining high-resolution remote sensing techniques with detailed study of the physical and faunal characteristics at point locations in different seafloor environments. …

Correlation Of Eastern Wild Turkey Poult:Hen Ratios With Population Indices To Detect Reproductive Density Dependence, Jay D. Mcghee, Jim Berkson

Virginia Journal of Science

Knowledge of how density affects population growth is important for the harvest management of wild turkey. Unfortunately, available time-series are often too short for statistical detection of density dependence. The correlation between wild turkey recruitment and population size was assessed using data from 7 state wildlife agencies, circumventing the problem of short time-series by using multiple datasets. Correlation coefficients were calculated between surveyed poult:hen ratios and harvest-based population indices for 31 geographic or harvest management regions. Estimated correlation coefficients were tested for homogeneity to determine if an average correlation could be calculated. Correlation coefficients for the 29 regions ranged from …

Seasonal Variation In Diet Of The Cotton Rat (Sigmodon Hispidus) Based On Fecal Analysis, Lynn A. Walker

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Cotton rats, Sigmodon hispidus, live in oldfields, habitats with a variety of mostly herbaceous plants. Based on other studies, the hispid cotton rat eats predominantly grasses, but grasses rarely are the only food. Fecal samples were collected each month during an ongoing capture-mark-release demographic study of the rodent community at a location in southern Chesapeake, Virginia. In the lab, five fecal pellets per animal were stained, placed on a microscope slide, and covered with starch-gel medium and coverslip. Then a clear nail polish was applied to produce a semi-permanent slide. Using a microscope and a set of reference slides, plant …

Spatial Scaling Of Avian Population Dynamics: Population Abundance, Growth Rate, And Variability, Jason Jones, Patrick J. Doran, Richard T. Holmes

Dartmouth Scholarship

Synchrony in population fluctuations has been identified as an important component of population dynamics. In a previous study, we determined that local‐scale (<15‐km) spatial synchrony of bird populations in New England was correlated with synchronous fluctuations in lepidopteran larvae abundance and with the North Atlantic Oscillation. Here we address five questions that extend the scope of our earlier study using North American Breeding Bird Survey data. First, do bird populations in eastern North America exhibit spatial synchrony in abundances at scales beyond those we have documented previously? Second, does spatial synchrony depend on what population metric is analyzed (e.g., abundance, growth rate, or variability)? Third, is there geographic concordance in where species exhibit synchrony? Fourth, for those species that exhibit significant geographic concordance, are there landscape and habitat variables that contribute to the observed patterns? Fifth, is spatial synchrony affected by a species' life history traits? Significant spatial synchrony was common and its magnitude was dependent on the population metric analyzed. Twenty‐four of 29 species examined exhibited significant synchrony in population abundance: mean local autocorrelation (ρ) = 0.15; mean spatial extent (mean distance where ρ = 0) = 420.7 km. Five of the 29 species exhibited significant synchrony in annual population growth rate (mean local autocorrelation = 0.06, mean distance = 457.8 km). Ten of the 29 species exhibited significant synchrony in population abundance variability (mean local autocorrelation = 0.49, mean distance = 413.8 km). Analyses of landscape structure indicated that habitat variables were infrequent contributors to spatial synchrony. Likewise, we detected no effects of life history traits on synchrony in population abundance or growth rate. However, short‐distance migrants exhibited more spatially extensive synchrony in population variability than either year‐round residents or long‐distance migrants. The dissimilarity of the spatial extent of synchrony across species suggests that most populations are not regulated at similar spatial scales. The spatial scale of the population synchrony patterns we describe is likely larger than the actual scale of population regulation, and in turn, the scale of population regulation is undoubtedly larger than the scale of individual ecological requirements.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Vegetation Monitoring And Analysis: Year-End Progress Report, October 1, 2006 To September 30, 2007, Margaret N. Rees

Vegetation Monitoring

Executive Summary

• The Weed Sentry program surveyed more than 750 miles of federal lands in Clark County for invasive, exotic plant species.
• Weed Sentry also removed more than 600,000 individual invasive plants from federal
  lands. These removals represent pro-active efforts that may have forestalled large
  infestations difficult and costly to eradicate.
• In response to a request by the manager of the Fish and Wildlife Service Desert National
  Wildlife Refuge, a major effort of surveying springs for plant community composition
  and invasive plants provided unique knowledge services by the Weed Sentry program.
  No such baseline information existed for the Sheep Range. …

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Monitoring And Evaluation Of Sensitive Wildlife: Annual Progress Report, Period Ending September 30, 2007, Margaret N. Rees

Wildlife Monitoring

Project 1. Relict Leopard Frog Monitoring, Management, and Research

• Diurnal and nocturnal surveys completed at all natural and translocation sites during the spring – the most striking finding was the lack of frogs observed at Rogers Springs and lower Blue Point despite repeated survey efforts.
• Relict leopard frog annual translocation effort completed – a total of 1365 late stage tadpoles and 592 post-metamorphic frogs from the head-start facilities were released at existing translocation sites.
• Mark-recapture effort at Rogers Spring abandoned because of the lack of frogs; assistance provided for a mark-recapture study at upper Blue Point Spring.
• Potential translocation sites …

Summer/Fall 2007, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Land Cover Types Of The Las Vegas Wash, Nevada, Seth A. Shanahan, Dave Silverman, Art Ehrenberg

Publications (WR)

Vegetation type, extent, continuity, and structure are some of the most important factors that determine wildlife diversity and distribution. Other contributing factors that shape wildlife communities include disturbance, competition, climate, and water availability. Because vegetation communities in the southwestern U.S. gradate sharply along zones of soil moisture, wildlife are often restricted to specific vegetation types. Along the Las Vegas Wash (Wash), Nevada, more than 250 wildlife species have been documented to occur in distinct wetland, riparian, and upland vegetation types. Recent studies have investigated the diversity and distribution of amphibians, birds, fishes, mammals, and reptiles (Shanahan 2005, 2005a, Van Dooremolen …

Eleutherodactylus Ridens (Pygmy Rainfrog) Predation, Tobias Eisenberg, Twan Leenders

Biology Faculty Publications

Workers of the large ponerine ant Paraponera clavata typically forage on small to medium-sized arthropods or collect pieces of plants or nectar but have been suspected of predating small vertebrates.

Experience Leads To Preference: Experienced Females Prefer Brush-Legged Males In A Population Of Syntopic Wolf Spiders, Eileen Hebets, Cor J. Vink

Eileen Hebets Publications

Sexual selection has long been recognized as a potential contributor to the divergence in reproductive characters that ultimately leads to speciation. Schizocosa ocreata and Schizocosa rovneri wolf spiders embody a classic example of species divergence resulting from such sexual selection, as they are reproductively isolated by courtship behavior alone. Here, we characterize a newly discovered population of wolf spiders in which brush-legged males (sensu S. ocreata) and non-ornamented males (sensu S. rovneri) are found syntopically. Mitochondrial sequence data (cytochrome oxidase subunit 1) indicate that the 2 male forms are not reciprocally monophyletic. We exposed subadult females from this …

Effects Of White-Tailed Deer Herbivory On Forest Plant Communities, John Thrift

All Theses

ABSTRACT
The impact of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) herbivory on forest ecosystems has received more attention as deer populations continue to increase in many areas. We investigated the effects of deer herbivory on plant communities in three different geographic regions to increase the general knowledge of herbivory impacts and also to investigate specific regional effects where research has been lacking.
Twelve exclosures were constructed in clearcut hardwood stands on the Clemson Experimental Forest, SC. Sapling, seedling, and understory species richness (S), Shannon's Diversity Index (H'), and Evenness (J') were compared between exclosures and paired control plots after the first and …

The Ecology Of Freshwater Turtle Communities On The Upper-Coastal Plain Of South Carolina, Patrick Cloninger

All Theses

A mark-recapture study was used to examine aspects of freshwater turtle ecology, including the size at maturity, sex ratio, growth, sexual size dimorphism and ectoparasite infestation, on the Upper-Coastal Plain of South Carolina at Pee Dee Research and Education Center (PDREC). Turtles were trapped at 8 sites in Dargans' Pond during the summers of 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006 for a total of 279 trap nights and at 6 sites in the smaller ponds at PDREC for a total of 120 trap nights during the summer of 2006. In Dargans' Pond there were 548 captures of Trachemys scripta, made …

Cross-Modal Effects On Learning: A Seismic Stimulus Improves Color Discrimination Learning In A Jumping Spider, Nicole D. Vandersal, Eileen Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

The production of multimodal signals during animal displays is extremely common, and the function of such complex signaling has received much attention. Currently, the most frequently explored hypotheses regarding the evolution and function of complex signaling focus on the signal and/or signaler, or the signaling environment, while much less attention has been placed on the receivers. However, recent studies using vertebrates suggest that receiver psychology (e.g. learning and memory) may play a large role in the evolution of complex signaling. To date, the influence of multimodal cues on receiver learning and/or memory has not been studied in invertebrates. Here, we …

Physiological Constraints On Contest Behaviour, Mark Briffa, Lynne U. Sneddon

Sentience Collection

1. Contests may involve injurious fighting, other types of direct physical aggression and communication. They occur over ownership access to mates and other resources that may increase an individual’s attractiveness and its chance of survival. Traits that enhance resource holding potential may be the result of sexual selection, natural selection or a combination of both.
2. Agonistic behaviours are expected to be demanding to perform and costly in terms of changes in physiological state. The ability to meet the physiological costs may determine contest outcomes and constrain the intensity of agonistic activities.
3. The energetic costs have been investigated in a broad range …

Effects Of Calcium Availability On The Reproductive Output Of Insectivorous Bats, Christina M. Booher

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reproduction is a period of high calcium demand in vertebrates, and calcium deficiency can limit reproductive output in mammals. Insects are a poor calcium source, suggesting that insectivorous species are more likely to be calcium deficient. Pregnant big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) consume 10 times less calcium than they are estimated to require. To accommodate calcium demand during pregnancy, many mammals mobilize more calcium from the skeleton, and extensive bone loss has been observed in some bats during pregnancy. A conflict may arise between the female and developing embryo over allocation of limited calcium supplies, which could limit reproductive output …

Landscape Ecology Of Crayfish (Decapoda: Cambaridae) In West-Central Indiana, Jacob L. Burskey

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I investigated the distribution, zoogeography, and habitat associations of crayfish (Decapoda: Cambaridae) in an area of west central Indiana containing glaciated and unglaciated regions. I first sampled 180 streams within Vigo, Clay, Owen, Sullivan, Greene, and Knox counties to establish spatial distributions of crayfish species and gather information on natural history and site specific habitat conditions. Ten species were found; Cambarus (Tubericambarus) polychromatus, Cambarus (Lacunicambarus) sp.A, Cambarus (Erebicambarus) laevis, Fallicambarus (Creaserinus)fodiens, Procambarus (Girardiella) gracilis, Procambarus (Ortmannicus) acutus, Orconectes (Triscellescens) immunis, Orconectes ( Gremicambarus) virilis, Orconectes ( Crockerinus) propinquus, - Orconectes (Faxinous) indianensis. The two rarest species were 0. indianensis (collected …

Description Of The Tadpole Of Leptodactylus Pustulatus Peters, 1870 (Anura: Leptodactylidae), Rafael O. De Sá, Reuber Brandão, Lorena Dall'ara Guimarães

Biology Faculty Publications

The external morphology and oral disc of the tadpole of Leptodactylus pustulatus Peters, 1870, are described and illustrated for Gosner stage 39. The internal oral anatomy was analyzed with SEM at Gosner stage 36 whereas chondrocranial anatomy is reported for Gosner stage 35. The overall characteristics do not depart from those known for the genus Leptodactylus and they particularly agree for those of the melanonotus species group. The labial tooth row formula is 2(2)/3. Observations are presented that suggest that L. pustulatus engages in larval parental care.

Resumo

São descritas a morfologia externa e o disco oral do girino de …

One Nation, Under … The Watchmaker?: Intelligent Design And The Establishment Clause, Nicholas A. Shuneman

Brigham Young University Journal of Public Law

No abstract provided.

Observing Panda Play: Implications For Zoo Programming And Conservation Efforts, Sarah M. Bexell, Olga S. Jarrett, Luo Lan, Hu Yan, Estelle A. Sandhaus, Zhang Zhihe, Terry L. Maple

Zoos and Aquariums Collection

This study explores the effects of visitor observation of giant panda play on visitor concern for endangered species and satisfaction with seeing giant pandas. A total of 335 visitors to three institutions that house giant pandas participated in the study. These institutions are: the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, and the Chengdu Zoo, in China; and Zoo Atlanta in the U.S. After viewing the giant pandas, visitors were interviewed on whether they ever observed a panda play session, whether they observed panda play on the day of the visit, whether they wanted additional information on panda protection, and …

Climate. A Period Of Consequence: Environmental Literature Of 2006, Shaun O'Connell

New England Journal of Public Policy

The author talks about the consequences of not respecting the climate and understanding global warming will cause ecocide and our own extinction.

A Multi-Scale Examination Of Stopover Habitat Use By Birds, Jeffrey J. Buler, Frank R. Moore, Stefan Woltmann

Faculty Publications

Most of our understanding of habitat use by migrating land birds comes from studies conducted at single, small spatial scales, which may overemphasize the importance of intrinsic habitat factors, such as food availability, in shaping migrant distributions. We believe that a multi-scale approach is essential to assess the influence of factors that control en route habitat use. We determined the relative importance of eight variables, each operating at a habitat-patch, landscape, or regional spatial scale, in explaining the differential use of hardwood forests by Nearctic-Neotropical land birds during migration. We estimated bird densities through transect surveys at sites near the …