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Patterns Of Trematode Distribution From Hosts Collected At Lake Winnibigoshish, Minnesota, Scott Malotka

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

A comparative and seasonal study was performed on trematode populations and communities within waterfowl definitive hosts in order to determine important factors in the structuring of these communities. Furthermore, larval trematode populations were also sampled in order to compare larval stages found within snail hosts to adult stages found within collected waterfowl in order to determine where infections could have occurred with the trematode species. 52 birds including 18 blue-winged teal (Anas discors), 5 bufflehead (Bucephala albeola), 4 common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula), 1 greater scaup (Aythya marila), 1 green-winged teal (Anas carolinensis), 11 lesser scaup (Aythya affinis), 1 northern pintail …

Modeling Canopy Effect In The Great Lakes Cladophora Model, Ankita Bakshi

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Cladophora glomerata is a filamentous green alga native to the Great Lakes. However, its nuisance growth in phosphorus rich waters negatively affects the lakes’ aesthetic and water quality. The Great Lakes Cladophora Model (GLCM) v1, developed in 1982, was the first mechanistic model to simulate Cladophora growth basing phosphorus availability and environmental conditions followed by Cladophora Growth Model and GLCM v2. In this study, the light and temperature mediation factors for Cladophora net growth are revised as a necessary step prior to the development of a self-shading algorithm. The concept of a fixed-value, maximum achievable biomass (carrying capacity) employed in …

Environmental And Soil Variables Affecting The Structure And Floristicwoody Composition Of Oak Forests Of Northeastern Mexico, Juan Antonio Encina-Domínguez, José Ramón Arévalo Sierra, Eduardo Estrada Castillon, Miguel Mellado Bosque

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of environmental and soil factors on the structure and floristic woody composition of oak forests. Oak forests of the Sierra de Zapalinamé in northeastern Mexico (25°N) are distributed in canyons and northwest slopes with higher humidity, surrounded by montane chaparral. We carried out a vegetation inventory across an altitudinal gradient. All trees with diameter at breast height of =>3 cm were identified and measured. In addition, the cover of understory species was measured in each plot. Using multivariate techniques, we detected two oak forest associations: Quercus greggii - Q. …

Discriminant-Based Study Of The Shell Morphometric Relationships Of Patella Caerulea (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia) Of The Western Mediterranean Sea, Zoheir Bouzaza, Karim Mezali

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Our work is a contribution to the study of the morphometric dissimilarity of the limpet Patella caerulea (Linnaeus, 1758) inhabiting the seashore of the western Mediterranean Sea. For this study, 438 individuals of this species were sampled in 24 stations and separated into 2 groups of individuals: the first group (G1) originating from the upper infralittoral and the lower mediolittoral areas, and the second group (G2) originating from the upper mediolittoral area. The biometry of P. caerulea has been studied by considering the total length (L), the total width (W), and the total height (H) of the shell. These parameters …

Habitat Effects And Differences In The Reproductive Success Oforchis Punctulata And Orchis Purpurea (Orchidaceae), Spyros Tsiftsis, Vladan Djordjevic

Turkish Journal of Botany

The pollination success of two nonrewarding orchids in two coarse habitats was examined. The comparative results of Orchis punctulata and O. purpurea showed a significant differentiation. The fruit set of O. purpurea was significantly greater compared to O. punctulata, whereas both species also had significantly higher fruit set in the grassland compared to the forest. Although the pollination success of O. purpurea was not significantly correlated with plant height, inflorescence size, or nearest neighbor distance, these factors were found to be significantly correlated to the pollination success of O. punctulata. Among these factors, the nearest neighbor distance had the highest …

A Preliminary Checklist Of The Stoneflies (Arthropoda: Insecta: Plecoptera) Of Arkansas, Henry W. Robison, Chris T. Mcallister

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Seventy-seven species of stoneflies representing 8 families and 24 genera are herein reported from Arkansas. The most diverse families of state stoneflies were Perlidae (26 species), Capniidae (14 species), and Perlodidae (12 species) while Pteronarcyidae had only a single representative species. Additional taxa will surely be added to the list with future taxonomic studies incorporating molecular analyses.

Life In The Dirt: Factors Influencing The Behavior And Distribution Of Spea Intermontana In Eastern Washington State, Corey Brumbaugh

All Master's Theses

I divided my thesis into two major studies focusing on the Great Basin Spadefoot Toad, Spea intermontana, at the Beverley Dunes (Beverley, WA). The first study explored the effects of temperature and water level on the rate of metamorphosis. We gathered data on rates of development, survival, body mass, snout-vent length, and hind leg length of metamorphs under 4 treatments: 20C x High Water, 30C x High Water, 20C x Water Loss, and 30C x Water Loss. These data show that temperature has a stronger effect on the overall rate of metamorphosis of Great Basin Spadefoot Toads. The second …

Effects Of Local And Regional Processes On The Structure Of Notonecta Metacommunities, Mitra Asgari

Wayne State University Dissertations

Understanding the processes influencing the spatial and temporal distribution of species is the main focus of ecological studies. Community structure and organization is affected by local and regional processes. Local processes affect population persistence and abundance of species through biotic interactions and abiotic environmental conditions within local sites. Regional processes, such as species dispersal among patches and colonization/extinction dynamics, can also affect the dynamics and structure of local populations and communities. Metacommunity theory considers the interplay of both local and regional processes as drivers of species distributions among isolated patches. Recent studies suggest considering features such as habitat type, dispersal …

The Effect Of Environmental Perturbations On The Plant Phyllosphere Microbiome, Bram W. Stone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Applying ecological concepts to microbial communities has proved to be challenging, often revolving around the relative importance of stochastic and deterministic processes applied heterogeneously across the habitat in time or space. The phyllosphere is the aboveground surface of plants on which microbial communities, composed primarily of Bacteria, but also including Archaea and microbial eukaryotes, exist and is characterized by stochastic immigration balanced with strong selective forces. Variation in bacterial community composition was characterized across space and time, with special attention given to the exposure of phyllosphere communities to rain as a plausible mechanism of ecological disturbance. Bacterial communities were characterized …

A Conceptual Model For The Integration Of Social And Ecological Information To Understand Human-Wildlife Interactions, Stacy A. Lischka, Tara L. Teel, Heather E. Johnson, Sarah E. Reed, Stewart Breck, Andrew Don Carlos, Kevin R. Crooks

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

There is growing recognition that interdisciplinary approaches that account for both ecological and social processes are necessary to successfully address human-wildlife interactions. However, such approaches are hindered by challenges in aligning data types, communicating across disciplines, and applying social science information to conservation actions. To meet these challenges, we propose a conceptual model that adopts a social-ecological systems approach and integrates social and ecological theory to identify the multiple, nested levels of influence on both human and animal behavior. By accounting for a diverse array of influences and feedback mechanisms between social and ecological systems, this model fulfills a need …

Site Conditions And Functional Traits Affect Regeneration Dynamics Of European Hornbeam (Carpinus Betulus L.) In Forest Canopy Gaps, Éva Salamon-Albert, Ágnes Csiszár, Dénes Bartha

Turkish Journal of Botany

European hornbeam is a deciduous tree in mixed forest ecosystems, making a valuable contribution to species richness at a community level. We investigated early-phase regeneration of saplings in canopy gaps under contrasting ecological conditions by analyzing relationships between site parameters, leaf nutrients, and light-regulated carbon and water exchange functions at ecosystem and forest levels. Using plant response variables, we also detected functional soft traits and trade-offs. Species abundance proved to be affected by the elevation and slope of the sites, air humidity, precipitation during the growing period, as well as light-dependent and light-saturated rate of the assimilation function. Relationship between …

Ecological Implications Of Foraging And Life-History In Three Cold-Adapted Species, Andrew Von Duyke

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This research investigates the ecology of: ringed seals (Pusa hispida), moose (Alces alces), and bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus). Each of these species draws upon specialized strategies to meet the physical demands of life in their extreme environments. However, they are currently experiencing unprecedented changes in their habitats. This work adds to what is known about the behavior, physiology, and population dynamics of cold-adapted species—providing insights of value for an improved understanding of foraging and life-history theory, and informing conservation and ecosystem monitoring efforts. Chapter 1 provides a brief introduction to the scope of work …

The Effects Of Temperature On Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis Resistance And Heart Rate In The Polymorphic Eastern Red-Backed Salamanders, Plethodon Cinereus, Joseph Alan Demarchi

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

An Historical Overview And Update Of Wolf-Moose Interactions In Northeastern Minnesota, L. David Mech, John Fieberg, Shannon M. Barber-Meyer

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

Wolf (Canis lupus) and moose (Alces americanus) populations in northeastern Minnesota, USA, have fluctuated for decades and, based on helicopter counts, moose numbers declined to a new low from 2006 to about 2012. Other steep declines were found in 1991 and 1998 during periods when moose counts were done with fixed-wing aircraft; these declines also appeared to be real. Winter wolf numbers, monitored in part of the moose range, had been increasing since about 2002 to the highest population in decades in 2009. However, from 2009 to 2016, wolves decreased precipitously, and the moose- population decline leveled …

Evidence For Trait-Based Dominance In Occupancy Among Fossil Taxa And The Decoupling Of Macroecological And Macroevolutionary Success, Peter Wagner, Roy E. Plotnick, S. Kathleen Lyons

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Biological systems provide examples of differential success among taxa, from ecosystems with a few dominant species (ecological success) to clades that possess far more species than sister clades (macroevolutionary success). Macroecological success, the occupation by a species or clade of an unusually high number of areas, has received less attention. If macroecological success reflects heritable traits, then successful species should be related. Genera composed of species possessing those traits should occupy more areas than genera with comparable species richness that lack such traits. Alternatively, if macroecological success reflects autapomorphic traits, then generic occupancy should be a by-product of species richness …

Non-Targeted Colonization By The Endomycorrhizal Fungus, Serendipita Vermifera, In Three Weeds Typically Co-Occurring With Switchgrass, Prasun Ray, Yingqing Guo, Jaydeep Kolape

Nebraska Center for Biotechnology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Serendipita vermifera (=Sebacina vermifera; isolate MAFF305830) is a mycorrhizal fungus originally isolated from the roots of an Australian orchid that we have previously shown to be beneficial in enhancing biomass yield and drought tolerance in switchgrass, an important bioenergy crop for cellulosic ethanol production in the United States. However, almost nothing is known about how this root-associated fungus proliferates and grows through the soil matrix. Such information is critical to evaluate the possibility of non-target effects, such as unintended spread to weedy plants growing near a colonized switchgrass plant in a field environment. A microcosm experiment was conducted …

Science At Engineer Cantonment, Hugh H. Genoways, Brett C. Ratcliffe, Carl R. Falk, Thomas E. Labedz, Paul R. Picha, John R. Bozell

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Conclusions

It is our contention that Thomas Say, Titian Peale, Edwin James, and their colleagues of the Stephen Long Expedition of 1819–1820 were heavily engaged in scientific research, which took the form of the first biodiversity inventory undertaken in the United States. This accomplishment has been overlooked both by biologists and historians, but it should rank among the most significant accomplishments of the expedition. The results of this inventory continue to inform us today about environmental, faunal, and floral changes along the Missouri River in an area that is known to be an ecotone between the deciduous forests of the …

Chemical Composition Of Glandular Secretions From A Pair-Living Monogamous Primate: Sex, Age, And Gland Differences In Captive And Wild Owl Monkeys (Aotus Spp.), Andrea Spence-Aizenberg, Bruce A. Kimball, Lawrence E. Williams, Eduardo Fernandez-Duque

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Broadening our knowledge of olfactory communication in strictly monogamous systems can inform our understanding of how chemosignals may facilitate social and reproductive behavior between the sexes. Compared to other social and mating systems, relatively little is known about olfactory communication in strictly monogamous non-human primates. Furthermore, platyrrhines are not well represented in chemical analyses of glandular secretions. We conducted semi-quantitative headspace gas chromatography with mass spectrometry to investigate the chemical components of glandular secretions from the subcaudal and pectoral glands of a strictly pair-living platyrrhine, the owl monkey (Aotus spp.). In this study, the first chemical analysis of a …

Visual Cues For Woodpeckers: Light Reflectance Of Decayed Wood Varies By Decay Fungus, Sean T. O'Daniels, Dylan C. Kesler, Jeanne D. Mihail, Elisabeth B. Webb, Scott J. Werner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The appearance of wood substrates is likely relevant to bird species with life histories that require regular interactions with wood for food and shelter. Woodpeckers detect decayed wood for cavity placement or foraging, and some species may be capable of detecting trees decayed by specific fungi; however, a mechanism allowing for such specificity remains unidentified.We hypothesized that decay fungi associated with woodpecker cavity sites alter the substrate reflectance in a species-specific manner that is visually discriminable by woodpeckers. We grew 10 species of wood decay fungi from pure cultures on sterile wood substrates of 3 tree species. We then measured …

Resource Partitioning Between Kit Foxes (Vulpes Macrotis) And Coyotes (Canis Latrans): A Comparison Of Historical And Contemporary Dietary Overlap, P. A. Byerly, R. C. Lonsinger, E. M. Gese, A. J. Kozlowski, L. P. Waits

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Range expansions by generalists can alter communities and introduce competitive pressures on native species. In the Great Basin Desert, USA, coyotes (Canis latrans Say, 1823) have colonized and are now sympatric with native kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis Merriam, 1888). Since both species have similar diets, dietary partitioning may facilitate coexistence.Weanalyzed coyote and kit fox diets, then compared our results to an earlier study. Because populations are dynamic, we expected that decreases in prey or increases in predator abundance could alter dietary patterns. We found no significant changes in population-level prey diversity for kit foxes or coyotes, but found …

Plumage Changes In Double-Crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax Auritus) Within The Breeding Season: The Risks Of Aging By Plumage, Jennifer E. Chastant, D. Tommy King

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Scant attention has been given to the molting patterns of known-age Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus). In general, subadult individuals are identified with a tan, buffy or mottled chest, and adults are identified with a black chest. While studying Double-crested Cormorant population dynamics in Ontario, Canada, with known-age birds, it was noted that the plumage of many (> 75%) breeding adults changed from black to heavily mottled during the course of the breeding season. No pattern with age was observed; plumage changed in equal proportions for all ages from 2-year-olds to 7-year-olds. A similar but reverse pattern has been …

Diversity Of Water Bugs In Gujranwala District, Punjab, Pakistan, Muhammad Shahbaz Chattha, Abu Ul Hassan Faiz, Arshad Javid, Irfan Baboo, Inayat Ullah Malik

Journal of Bioresource Management

Water bugs fall under the order Hemiptera, suborder Heteroptera, which is further divided into two types, i.e., semi-aquatic (Gerromorpha) and true water bugs (Nepomorpha). They play a vital role as biological control agents and also a source of food for fishes, birds and other aquatic organisms. The present work was carried out to ascertain aquatic Hemiptera in different lentic and lotic water bodies of various sizes in Gujranwala district, Pakistan. A total of 10 species belonging to five families were identified. Species include Nepa ruber Linnaeus, Laccotrephes elongatus Montandon, Ranatra filiformis Fabricius (Nepidae), Corixa substriata Uhler, Micronecta proba …

Review: Application Of Tick Control Technologies For Blacklegged, Lone Star, And American Dog Ticks, Alexis White, Holly Gaff

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Tick population control technologies have been studied for several decades but no method is successful in all situations. The success of each technology depends on tick species identity and abundance, host species identity and abundance, phenology of both ticks and hosts, geographic region, and a multitude of other factors. Here we review current technologies, presenting an overview of each and its effect on three common tick species in the eastern United States: blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis (Say; Ixodida: Ixodidae)), lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum (Linnaeus; Ixodida: Ixodidae)), and American dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis (Say; Ixodida: Ixodidae)). Moreover, …

Drivers Of Post-Fire Vascular Plant Regeneration In The Conifer-Dominated Boreal Forest Of Southern Northwest Territories, Alison White

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In recent years, climate warming has led to an increase in the severity and frequency of naturally occurring fires in boreal ecosystems globally. In 2014, an unprecedented 3.4 million hectares of boreal forest burned in the Northwest Territories (NWT). While much research has focused on post-fire succession of serotinous tree species such as Picea mariana (black spruce) and Pinus banksiana (jack pine), the understory community of vascular plants play an important role in ecosystem functioning but less is known about the response of this component of the system to changing fire regimes. Regeneration strategies such as the ability to resprout …

An Examination Of Beta Diversity Indices And Their Predictors In Two Large-Scale Systems, Philip Schroeder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biodiversity is what conservation biology was developed to conserve. It is the physical manifestation of life as a concept and, be it for practical or idealistic reasons, all conservationists seek to protect or, in some cases, enhance it. Because of its monolithic importance to the field, much effort has been expended trying to better measure and understand it. Recently, greater attention has been paid to the partition of diversity; the observation that the total diversity of a system (γ) can be broken down into within-site diversity (α) and between-site diversity (β). In particular, it has been noticed that the β …

Effects Of Management On Functional Diversity In Restored Tallgrass Prairie Plant Communities, Anna K. Farrell

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

While recent studies have embraced evaluating ecosystems through functional diversity, the focus on interspecific trait changes may limit their usefulness and application. Functional traits (traits that explain species’ responses to environmental conditions and their ecosystem roles) can provide a more nuanced understanding of how disturbances shape plant communities and the functions they perform. Further, the inclusion of intraspecific trait responses can explain a significant portion of these relationships. In ecosystem restorations, management strategies can act as environmental drivers and disturbances that affect community structure. This study examined how three environmental drivers (grazer presence, prescribed fire, and age) in restored grasslands …

Conflicting Hydraulic Effects Of Xylem Pit Structure Relate To The Growth-Longevity Tradeoff In A Conifer Species, Beth Roskilly

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Consistent with a ubiquitous life history tradeoff, trees exhibit a negative relationship between growth and longevity among and within species. However, the mechanistic basis of this life history tradeoff is not well understood. In addition to tradeoffs among multiple traits based on resource allocation conflicts, life history tradeoffs may arise from tradeoffs based on single traits under opposing selection. While a myriad of factors likely contribute to the growth-longevity tradeoff in trees, we hypothesized that conflicting functional effects of xylem structural traits contribute to the growth-longevity tradeoff. We tested this hypothesis by examining the extent to which xylem morphological traits …

Sibling Rivalry: A Comparison Of Giant Panda (Ailuropoda Melanoleuca) Twin Behavior, Taryn Chudo

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Expanded knowledge on an animal’s individual behavior would be useful in reintroduction programs for endangered species around the globe. Currently, reintroduction program criteria focus primarily on physical characteristics such as age, sex, and overall health for the selection of candidates. However, behavioral deficiencies have been found in captive populations, producing adverse effects on reintroduction program success. The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is a species that would benefit from understanding the impact of behavior on reintroduction success. This study focused on the relationship of behavior with kinship, birth weight and age. No significant correlation was found between birth weight …

Importance Of Moss Habitats For Mesostigmatid Mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) In Romania, Minodora Manu, Raluca Ioana Bancila, Marilena Onete

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This study aimed to characterize the composition of soil mite populations (Acari: Mesostigmata) from 3 moss habitats (rock moss, bark moss, and soil moss). In total, 15 natural forest ecosystems were analyzed (3 deciduous forests, 5 beech forests, 1 fir forest, 5 spruce forests, and 1 mixed forest), from 8 counties in Romania. A total of 240 soil samples, 97 species, and 3018 individuals were analyzed. The samples were taken from April 2012 until October 2013. The highest numerical abundance and species diversity was found in the soil moss, in comparison with bark moss, where the lowest values were recorded. …

Mesostigmata Mites (Acari: Parasitiformes) Associated With Birds And Their Nests From, Mohamed Waleed Negm, Azza Abdelgawad Mohamed, Hosam Mohamed Khalil El-Gepaly, Safaa Mohamed Abdelaziz

Turkish Journal of Zoology

A survey of gamasid mites (Arachnida: Acari: Mesostigmata) associated with domestic and wild birds in Egypt was conducted. In total, 16 species within 10 families were collected from 22 bird species. The most abundant species belonged to the genera Dermanyssus Dugès (Dermanyssidae), Ornithonyssus Sambon, and Steatonyssus Kolenati (both Macronyssidae). Among various birds examined, the distribution and occurrence of mites were recorded. Taxonomic remarks about the morphology of the collected mites are presented to facilitate species discrimination for non-acarologists. Steatonyssus longipes Radovsky & Yunker, 1963, previously described as a new species from the Egyptian slit-faced bat, Nycteris thebaica Geoffroy (Chiroptera), is …