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Seasonal Composition And Population Density Of Zooplankton In Lake Karaboğaz From The Kızılırmak Delta (Samsun, Turkey), Ertunç Gündüz, Yasemi̇n Saygi, Fatma Yildiz Demi̇rkalp, Seli̇m Süalp Çağlar, Si̇bel Atasağun, Sabri̇ Kilinç

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Zooplankton composition and abundance were investigated seasonally at 6 sites in Lake Karaboğaz in relation to some physicochemical conditions. A total of 63 taxa were identified, among them 51 species of rotifers, 8 cladocerans, and 4 copepods. Rotifera represented the predominant component (79% of the total community), followed by nauplii, cladocerans, and copepods (15%, 5%, and 1%, respectively). The average total zooplankton abundance ranged from 9603 to 22,968 ind/m^3. The maximum and the minimum densities were measured in June and August of 2009, respectively. Of the identified zooplankton, 39 taxa were species with a low frequency in the lake. Among …

Effects Of Artificial Migration Of Susceptible Individuals On Resistance And Fitness Of A Fenitrothion-Resistant Strain Of Musca Domestica (L.) Diptera, Arda Cem Kuyucu, Seli̇m Süalp Çağlar

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Migration of susceptible individuals from untreated areas to populations that have developed insecticide resistance is one of the most important processes that can significantly delay or even prevent the development of resistance against insecticides. Fitness parameters of susceptible and resistant insect populations and changes in fitness following susceptible population migration have a crucial place in this process, as they determine the permanence and spread of susceptible alleles in the absence of insecticides. In this study, we investigated changes in resistance levels and fitness characteristics after introducing individuals from the ancestral susceptible strain in an equal ratio to a housefly (Musca …

Diversity Indices Of Pelagic Rotifers In Camp Balloki Water Park, Lahore, Pakistan, Abdul Qayyum Khan Sulehria, Muhammad Anwar Malik

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This work attempted to evaluate the rotifer species diversity indices of Camp Balloki Water Park and infer the state of the water according to rotifers and physicochemical parameters. The diversity indices, species richness, and evenness were assessed every month. The Shannon–Weaver index indicated that this habitat had great diversity of rotifers throughout the year. These results were supported by the Simpson dominance, diversity, and reciprocal indices. Water and plankton samples were taken monthly from January 2006 to December 2006. In total, 38 rotifer species of 20 genera and 13 families were identified. Brachionus, Lecane, and Trichocerca dominated the locality. Rotifer …

Factors Influencing The Current And Historical Invasion Trends In The Connecticut College Arboretum, Lillian Fayerweather

Botany Honors Papers

Invasive species present a growing risk to native ecosystems. It would be impossible to eliminate them, but by learning where they are more likely to occur it may be possible to concentrate resources on removal and management in the most at risk areas. A number of site characteristics may influence invasive species presence and invasion trends. In order to determine what factors affect species presence and historical invasion trends, I utilized data from decennial surveys conducted in the Bolleswood Natural Area of the Connecticut College Arboretum in New London, Connecticut. In 1952, 4 transects were established across the area, composed …

Insects As Indicators Of Environmental Stress, De Anna Estella Beasley

Theses and Dissertations

In the face of climate change-related events and anthropogenic disturbances, understanding the impacts of these events on species richness, abundance and distribution is important for us to mitigate biodiversity loss and better predict consequences for the environment and for human life. Insects are excellent models for understanding the consequences of environmental stress due to the sensitivity of their development and behavior. The overall focus of my dissertation research is the investigation of fluctuating asymmetry and oviposition behavior as indicators of environmental stress. My research includes a meta-analysis of published literature, and empirical research that was part of a collaborative initiative …

Gradients In Season, Latitude, And Sea Ice: Their Effect On Metabolism And Stable Isotopic Composition Of Antarctic Micronekton, Erica H. Ombres

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Respiration, metabolic enzyme assays, and body composition parameters were measured in the Antarctic krill Euphausia superba during the summer, fall and winter on the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). E. superba of all sizes decrease their metabolism from the summer to the winter. These same parameters were also measured along the WAP during the austral fall 2010. E. superba's enzyme activity indicated that there was a latitudinal gradient to the decline in metabolism along the WAP with the more northerly sites having significantly higher metabolic enzyme activities than the sites to the south.

Carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ^{15 …}

An Investigation Of The Factors Leading To Invasion Success Of Non-Native Plants Using A System Of Native, Introduced Non-Invasive, And Invasive Eugenia Congeners In Florida, Kerry Bohl

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The overwhelming majority of plant species introduced into a new range never become invasive. Consequently, identification of factors allowing the small fraction of successful invaders to naturalize, increase in abundance, and displace resident species continues to be a key area of research in invasion biology. Of the considerable number of hypotheses that have been proposed to resolve why some plant species become noxious pests, the enemy release hypothesis (ERH) is one of the most commonly cited. The ERH maintains that invasive plants succeed in a new range because they are no longer regulated by their coevolved natural enemies, and this …

Ecology Of The Late Neogene Extinctions: Perspectives From The Plio-Pleistocene Of Florida, Shubhabrata Paul

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The ecological impact of past extinction events is one of the central issues in paleobiology. In face of present environmental changes, a better understanding of past extinctions will enable us to identify the magnitude of biodiversity crises and their underlying processes. The Late Neogene was a time of extraordinary climatic reorganization, including Northern Hemisphere glaciation, the rise of the Central American Isthmus, and associated changes in environmental conditions. Therefore, the Late Neogene extinctions of marine molluscs of South Florida present an ideal platform to examine the interaction between environmental changes and biotic response. In the present study, three different aspects …

Associational Resistance And Competition In The Asphondylia - Borrichia - Iva System, Keith Stokes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Indirect ecological effects such as associational resistance and resource competition have the potential to affect ecological interactions and influence the structure of ecological communities. Although resource competition is commonly studied, the effects of associational resistance are not as evident if studies are not designed to detect them. Additionally, the relative strengths of different ecological mechanisms ought to be measured in studies, rather than the strength of singular mechanisms. This permits proper attribution of causes and effects in community structure and detection of higher order interactions in a way that naïve reductionism will not.

In a series of experiments, I looked …

A Comprehensive Research Framework For Geographic Parthenogenesis In Whiptail Lizards (Genus Aspidoscelis), Adam Leland

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

One of the most compelling topics in biology has been the ubiquity of sexual reproduction in living organisms. Because the ecological and evolutionary advantages of sex are well founded, those organisms that reproduce asexually remain enigmatic. Parthenogenesis, the clonal reproduction of an all-female species without the need for males, is a relatively common form of asexual reproduction in vertebrates, and has been subject of numerous academic investigations. Many parthenogenic organisms also share aspects of their geographic distributions, such as inhabiting higher latitudes, higher altitudes, islands or island-like habitats, xeric environments, and marginal, disturbed or ecotonal habitats relative to their sexual …

Effect Of Laser Ablation Depth In Otolith Life History Scans, Renée R. Hoover, Cynthia M. Jones

OES Faculty Publications

Life history scans of fish otoliths are bringing new insight into the structure, connectivity, and movement of fish populations. Data obtained from such scans, however, possess in-herent limitations that have not yet been fully addressed or understood. For example, several investigators have noted delays in otolith elemental uptake that do not appear to reflect habitat exposure. We hypothesized that the 3-dimensional structure of otoliths may produce sampling artifacts in the results obtained from laser ablation scans. To test this hypothesis, we sampled sagittal otoliths from juvenile Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus with laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to obtain …

Propulsion In Cubomedusae: Mechanisms And Utility, Sean Colin, John H. Costello, Kakani Katija, Jamie Seymour, Kristen Kiefer

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Evolutionary constraints which limit the forces produced during bell contractions of medusae affect the overall medusan morphospace such that jet propulsion is limited to only small medusae. Cubomedusae, which often possess large prolate bells and are thought to swim via jet propulsion, appear to violate the theoretical constraints which determine the medusan morphospace. To examine propulsion by cubomedusae, we quantified size related changes in wake dynamics, bell shape, swimming and turning kinematics of two species of cubomedusae, Chironex fleckeri and Chiropsella bronzie. During growth, these cubomedusae transitioned from using jet propulsion at smaller sizes to a rowing-jetting hybrid mode …

Effects Of Site Preparation, Seed Germination, And Harvest Maturity On Wiregrass Restoration Efforts At Fort Stewart, Ga, Nickey Garrett Anderson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Wiregrass (Aristida stricta Michx.) was once the dominant ground cover species within the Atlantic Coastal Plain longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) ecosystem. Less than 1 million hectares of intact longleaf pine-wiregrass communities remain, due primarily to anthropogenic activities. Wiregrass is a keystone species in the longleaf pine ecosystem, as its presence facilitates the natural fire regime, a critical component in the perpetuation of these communities. Therefore, there is increased interest in wiregrass restoration in both existing longleaf pine communities and future longleaf pine restoration sites. Many restoration sites are on tracts that have been cleared of all vegetation. Removal of …

Feeding Ecology Of Vimba (Vimba Vimba L., 1758) In Terms Of Size Groups And Seasons In Lake Sapanca, Northwestern Anatolia, Hacer Canan Okgerman, Cumhur Haldun Yardimci, Zeynep Dorak, Neşe Yilmaz

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The seasonal changes of diet in the guts of 298 vimbas (Vimba vimba L.) caught on a monthly basis in Lake Sapanca from August 2003 to July 2004 were analyzed. V. vimba fed on ostracods, gastropods, Dreissena polymorpha (mollusks), fish larvae, macrophytes, oligochaetes, chironomids, phytoplankton, and detritus. The gut fullness index (GFI) indicated that vimbas increased their feeding activity in summer and decreased it in winter. The correlation between GFI and temperature was significant (0.839, P < 0.01). The water temperature shift was one of the critical environmental factors affecting the feeding of vimbas in Lake Sapanca. The lowest similarity of diet composition was between the juvenile vimbas in autumn and the adult vimbas in spring (cluster analysis), while the highest similarity of diet composition was between adult individuals in autumn and winter (cluster analysis). In both size groups and in all seasons, the main food items were macrophytes, D. polymorpha, and phytoplankton (particularly bacillariophytes). Of animal food items, adult individuals fed mostly on D. polymorpha, while ostracods were consumed only by juvenile fish in spring, summer, and autumn. The benthic-omnivorous strategy of vimba is demonstrated by the high abundance of plant foods in their guts, confirming this mixed type of diet.

Tree Cavities And Associated Vertebrate Fauna In A Coniferous Forest Of Dhirkot, Azad Jammu And Kashmir Part Of Pakistan, Iftikhar Hussain, Sajid Abbasi, Sarwat Naz Mirza, Maqsood Anwar, Muhammad Rais, Tariq Mahmood

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Tree cavities are a globally important structural element of forest ecosystems that host numerous cavity-dwelling vertebrates, but they have received little research in Pakistan. We investigated cavity-bearing trees, the attributes of their cavities, and their associated vertebrate fauna in a coniferous forest of Pakistan. We recorded 1140 trees in a 2-km^2 sampled area. We found 211 cavities (64% decay-formed and 36% excavated cavities) in 83 trees (41% live and 59% snags). Of the cavities found, 74% were recorded in trunks and 26% were in branches. Only 28% of the cavities showed signs of recent use by any vertebrate species. We …

Den Attendance Patterns In Swift Foxes During Pup Rearing: Varying Degrees Of Parental Investment Within The Breeding Pair, Sharon A. Poessel, Eric M. Gese

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Parental investment varies inmammalian species, with male care of young being more common in social and monogamous species. Monogamy is commonly observed in canid species, with both males and females, and often ‘‘helper’’ individuals, providing some degree of care for the young. Social units of the swift fox (Vulpes velox), a small North American canid species, usually consist of a male– female pair and occasionally helpers. The role of parental investment and behavior in swift fox society is currently poorly understood. We observed swift fox dens during the pup-rearing season in each of 2 years to evaluate attendance …

Does Pitcher Plant Morphology Affect Spider Residency?, Marc A. Milne, Deborah A. Waller

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Spiders are often found as residents in association with Sarracenia purpurea ( Purple Pitcher Plant). Many spiders choose web locations based on environmental cues such as vegetation structure and composition, prey density, temperature, and humidity. To determine if spiders use cues from the Purple Pitcher Plant to build their webs, we conducted a field study using variants of the plant that separated various morphological features: nectar, pigment, and the presence of prey. There was no difference in spider residency across all treatments and no difference in male/female or mature/immature residency. Linyphiids were the most common residents, possibly due to pitcher …

Chemical Defense Of An Asian Snake Reflects Local Availability Of Toxic Prey And Hatchling Diet, D. A. Hutchinson, A. H. Savitzky, G. M. Burghardt, C. Nguyen, J. Meinwald, F. C. Schroeder, A. Mori

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Species that sequester toxins from prey for their own defense against predators may exhibit population-level variation in their chemical arsenal that reflects the availability of chemically defended prey in their habitat. Rhabdophis tigrinus is an Asian snake that possesses defensive glands in the skin of its neck (nuchal glands'), which typically contain toxic bufadienolide steroids that the snakes sequester from consumed toads. In this study, we compared the chemistry of the nuchal gland fluid of R.tigrinus from toad-rich and toad-free islands in Japan and determined the effect of diet on the nuchal gland constituents. Our findings demonstrate that captive-hatched juveniles …

Phytoplankton In Virginia Lakes And Reservoirs, Harold G. Marshall

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

This study involves a phytoplankton summer/autumn survey in 46 Virginia lakes and reservoirs during 2010-2012. A total of 307 taxa were identified which included several filamentous and colonial cyanabacteria in bloom concentrations. With the exception of one natural lake, the other sites sampled represent impoundments created decades ago, with the majority presently classified as meso- or eutrophic. Among the cyanobacteria were 6 known toxin producers (Anabaena circinalis, Anabaena spiroides, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, Limnothrix redekei, and Microcystis aeruginosa). The study characterizes phytoplankton populations in these aging freshwater habitats taken from a large number …

Inter- And Intra-Annual Variability Of Vegetation In The Northern Hemisphere And Its Association With Precursory Meteorological Factors, Boksoon Myoung, Yong-Sang Choi, Seungbum Hong, Seon Ki Park

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Determination of phenological variation is one of the most critical challenges in dynamic vegetation modeling, given the lack of a strong theoretical framework. Previous studies generally focused on the timing of a phenological event (e.g., bud-burst or onset of growing season) and its atmospheric prompts, but not on the interactive variations across phenological stages. This study, therefore, investigated the inter- and intra-annual variability existing in all the phenological stages and the relations of the variability with four meteorological variables (surface temperature (Ts), shortwave radiation (SW ), vapor pressure deficit (VPD), and precipitation (PRCP)) using a 25-year (1982-2006) dataset of leaf …

Spatial Ecology Of Urban Raccoons In Northeastern Ohio: Implications For Oral Rabies Vaccination, Are R. Berentsen, Mike R. Dunbar, Chadd E. Fitzpatrick, W. David Walter

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In 1977, rabies was detected in a raccoon (Procyon lotor) in West Virginia, and since the mid-1980s raccoon variant rabies has spread throughout the eastern United States and moved west as far as the eastern edge of Cleveland, Ohio. The primary tool to combat this spread is the distribution of oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits. A thorough knowledge of raccoon space use is critical in determining bait placement, particularly in urban areas. We monitored nine raccoons in urban areas of Cleveland, Ohio, calculated home range sizes, monitored raccoon movement with respect to potential movement barriers, and used resource …

Graphically Characterizing The Movement Of A Rabid Striped Skunk Epizootic Across The Landscape In Northwestern Wyoming, Craig A. Ramey, Kenneth W. Mills, Justin W. Fischer, Robert G. Mclean, Kathleen A. Fagerstone, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

A striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) rabies epizootic in northwestern Wyoming was studied from the Index Case in 1988 to the last case in 1993, and possibly is the first rabies epizootic in a previously rabies-free zone monitored from beginning to end. The 843 km² study area comprised skunk habitat along 90 km of Shoshone River’s floodplain from Bighorn Lake upstream to Cody. Of 1,015 skunks tested, 215 were rabiespositive. Integrating spatial and temporal data from positive cases, we analyzed the epizootic’s movements and dynamics at 6-month intervals using multivariate movement maps, a new multivariate descriptive methodology presented …

References From Landslide Ecology, Lawrence R. Walker, Aaron B. Shiels

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Lanslide Ecology: Cover, Contents, Preface, Lawrence R. Walker, Aaron B. Shiels

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Despite their often dangerous and unpredictable nature, landslides provide fascinating templates for studying how soil organisms, plants, and animals respond to such destruction. The emerging field oflandslide ecology helps us to understand these responses, aiding slope stabilization and restoration and contributing to progress made in geological approaches to landslide prediction and mitigation.

Summarizing the growing body ofliterature on the ecological consequences of landslides, this book provides a framework for the promotion of ecological tools in predicting, stabilizing, and restoring biodiversity to landslide scars at both local and landscape scales. It explores nutrient cycling; soil development; and how organisms disperse, colonize, …

Chapter 5 Biotic Interactions And Temporal Patterns Forlandslide Ecology, Lawrence R. Walker, Aaron B. Shiels

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

1. Landslide succession is the sequential replacement of plant communities following landslide creation. It is affected by biotic interactions and abiotic conditions and occurs in the intervals between recurrent erosion events.

2. Plant species can facilitate or inhibit landslide succession by direct species interactions or indirectly by the alteration of resources including light levels, soil stability, soil moisture, or soil nutrients. Species replacements may also occur due to differences in the life histories of landslide colonizers.

3. Herbivores, pathogens, and non-native species influence landslide succession and contribute to the variety of successional trajectories found on landslides, potentially with long-term consequences. …

Landslide Ecology, Lawrence R. Walker, Aaron B. Shiels

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Despite their often dangerous and unpredictable nature, landslides provide fascinating templates for studying how soil organisms, plants, and animals respond to such destruction. The emerging field oflandslide ecology helps us to understand these responses, aiding slope stabilization and restoration and contributing to progress made in geological approaches to landslide prediction and mitigation. Summarizing the growing body ofliterature on the ecological consequences of landslides, this book provides a framework for the promotion of ecological tools in predicting, stabilizing, and restoring biodiversity to landslide scars at both local and landscape scales. It explores nutrient cycling; soil development; and how organisms disperse, colonize, …

International Polar Year (Ipy) Back To The Future (Btf): Changes In Arctic Ecosystem Structure Over Decadal Times Scales, Sandra Villarreal

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Arctic vegetation communities are responding to climate warming through shifts in species composition and diversity but most observations have been made over relatively short time frames, and/or in association with experimental manipulations. Because vegetation plays a key role in regulating ecosystem productivity, nutrient cycling, surface energy budgets, and trophic interactions in the Arctic, there is a need to better understand shifts in tundra vegetation communities over decadal time scales. Understanding these shifts and their impact on ecosystem structure and function in the Arctic has important implications for predicting the future state of both the Arctic and the Earth System. Long …

Diversity And Biosynthetic Potential Of Culturable Aerobic Heterotrophic Bacteria Isolated From Magura Cave, Bulgaria, Iva Tomova, Irina Lazarkevich, Anna Tomova, Margarita Kambourova, Evgenia Vasileva-Tonkova

International Journal of Speleology

Biocapacity of bacteria inhabiting karstic caves to produce valuable biologically active compounds is still slightly investigated. A total of 46 culturable heterotrophic bacteria were isolated under aerobic conditions from the Gallery with pre-historical drawings in MaguraCave, Bulgaria. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that most of bacterial isolates affiliated with Proteobacteria (63%), followed by Actinobacteria (10.9%), Bacteroidetes (10.9%), and Firmicutes (6.5%). A strong domination of Gram-negative bacteria (total 81%) belonging to nine genera: Serratia, Pseudomonas, Enterobacter, Sphingobacterium, Stenotrophomonas, Commamonas, Acinetobacter, Obesumbacterium, and Myroides, was observed. Gram-positive isolates were represented by the genera Bacillus, Arthrobacter, and Micrococcus. One isolate …

Understanding Affordances: History And Contemporary Development Of Gibson’S Central Concept, Dobromir Dotov, Lin Nie, Matthieu M. De Wit

Journal Articles

Gibson developed the affordance concept to complement his theory of direct perception that stands in sharp contrast with the prevalent inferential theories of perception. A comparison of the two approaches shows that the distinction between them also has an ontological aspect. We trace the history and newer formalizations of the notion of affordance and discuss some competing opinions on its scope. Next, empirical work on the affordance concept is reviewed in brief and the relevance of dynamical systems theory to affordance research is demonstrated. Finally, the striking but often neglected convergence of the ideas of Gibson and those of certain …

A Survey Of Invasive Exotic Ants Found On Hawaiian Islands: Spatial Distributions And Patterns Of Association, Camie Frandsen Martin

Theses and Dissertations

An intensive sampling of all ant species encountered on 6 Hawaiian Islands: Big Island, Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, and Lanai took place between 1988 and 1996. Species presence and absence was recorded at each site. Using remote sensing, variables were added insitu and used throughout my analysis. Species accumulation curves suggest that sampling was comprehensive. There is a significant trend between island area and species richness which validates the Theory of Island Biogeography for invasive species. Islands were found to be significantly nested by area, order, and tourism. Cluster analysis shows a link between elevation, land-use and island, and species …