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Cattle Grazing Reduces Survival And Reproduction Of The Western Prairie Fringed Orchid, Bonnie Warner Alexander, Donald Kirby, Mario Biondini, Edward Dekeyser

The Prairie Naturalist

QuantifYing impacts of livestock grazing and prairie management strategies on the threatened western prairie' fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara) is difficult due to the erratic appearance of the orchid above-ground. We monitored above-ground survival of orchids from flowering to mature seed capsule production, comparing plant height, flower numbers, and seed capsule numbers from 2002-2004 in rotationally grazed pastures and non-grazed sites. Orchid survival differed significantly between grazed and non-grazed pastures, with the proportion of plants surviving from flower to capsule production consistently lower in grazed pastures. Mean orchid survival in grazed and non-grazed areas was 40% and 87%, respectively. …

Critique Of A Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Method Applied To Residential Open Space, Sarah Rigard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

To this date, little research has been done evaluating the quality of wildlife habitat provided by open space in residential areas. Quality wildlife habitat for the purposes of this study is defined as those areas which contain the physical and biological characteristics necessary to support native wildlife species of the region. This thesis critiqued a wildlife habitat assessment method used in a nationwide study of residential open space for the purpose of better understanding the research conducted by the study and to inform similar, future habitat evaluations of landscapes altered by human activity to accommodate residential land use. The methodology …

Ecological And Genetic Status Of The Purple Pitcher Plant, Sarracenia Purpurea L., In Maryland And Virginia, Philip M. Sheridan

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Sarracenia purpurea is a rare wetland plant in Virginia and a threatened species in Maryland, with two potential subspecies in the region. I utilized restriction fragments from the intron of the chalcone synthase gene to compare S. purpurea populations and determine whether the subspecies concept was supported. I performed a census of existing populations, compiled all known historical data on the species, and investigated the reasons for the species demise and predicted dates of extinction. Bloom phenology was examined to see if climate change may have influenced bloom period. Soil, vegetation, and climatic information was obtained to determine if taxonomic …

Evidence For Recent Population Bottlenecks In Northern Spotted Owls (Strix Occidentalis Caurina), W. Chris Funk, Eric D. Forsman, Matthew Johnson, Thomas D. Mullins, Susan M. Haig

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) is one of the most controversial threatened subspecies ever listed under the US Endangered Species Act. Despite protection of its remaining forest habitat, recent field studies show continued declines of northern spotted owls. One potential threat to northern spotted owls which has not yet been shown is loss of genetic variation from population bottlenecks. Bottlenecks can increase the probability of mating among related individuals, potentially causing inbreeding depression, and can decrease adaptive potential. Here we report evidence for recent bottlenecks in northern spotted owls using a large genetic dataset (352 individuals …

Gamma Ray Burst Redshift Catalog And Applications, Limin Xiao

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The measurement of redshifts for gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is an important issue for the study of the high redshift universe and cosmology. We developed a program to estimate the redshifts for GRBs from the original light curves and spectra, aiming to get redshifts for bursts without spectroscopic or photometric redshifts. We derive the luminosity indicators from the light curves and spectra of each burst, including the lag time between low and high photon energy light curves, the variability of the light curve, the peak energy of the spectrum, the number of peaks in the light curve, and the minimum rise …

Analysis Of Mammoth Cave Pre-Park Communities, Matthew Brunt

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Before the creation of Mammoth Cave National Park, this area was home to numerous communities, each with a sense of identity. To prepare for the creation of the National Park, all residents living within these communities were relocated, and many of these communities were lost to the passage of time. Today, public memory of these lost communities is being fostered by the descendents of the pre-park area.

Through the use of a Historical Geographic Information System, 1920 Edmonson County manuscript census data, and statistical analysis, the demographic composition of these lost communities was explored. This project not only brought to …

Lake Mead Symposium Plenary Schedule, Kent Turner

Lake Mead Science Symposium

Preliminary schedule for the symposium.

Lake Mead Science Symposium, January 13 An 14, 2009, Las Vegas, Nevada: Program, Kent Turner

Lake Mead Science Symposium

Conference program for the 2009 Lake Mead Science Symposium. Includes abstracts of presentations, registration packet, exhibitor and sponsor information.

Life History Parameters Of The Humpback Whale (Megaptera Novaengliae) In The Waters Of The Gulf Of Maine For The 2007 Feeding Season, Meghan Wert

Undergraduate Review

The humpback whale (Megaptera novaengliae) is an endangered species of baleen whale that feeds in the waters of the Gulf of Maine during the spring, summer and fall. The worldwide population of humpback whales ranges from 60,000 to 80,000 individuals and the population within the Gulf of Maine is estimated between 9,000 to 11,000. Humpback whales are a large baleen whale that reaches an average length of 40 to 50 feet and a weight of 35 to 40 tons. Although protected worldwide since the International Whaling Commission in 1964, this population has increased slowly and is still considered …

Grassland Songbird Survival And Recruitment In Agricultural Landscapes: Implications For Source-Sink Demography, Noah G. Perlut, Allan M. Strong, Therese M. Donovan, Neil J. Buckley

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Population growth and decline are particularly sensitive to changes in three key life-history parameters: annual productivity, juvenile survival, and adult survival. However, for many species these parameters remain unknown. For example, although grassland songbirds are imperiled throughout North America, for this guild, only a small number of studies have assessed these parameters. From 2002 to 2006, in the agricultural landscape of the Champlain Valley of Vermont and New York, USA, we studied Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) and Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) demography on four grassland treatments: (1) early-hayed fields cut before 11 June and again in early- …

Post-Fire Demography Of A Dry Eucalypt Forest In The Midlands, Tasmania: A Pilot Study, Christine Urbanowicz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

There have been many efforts to regenerate the threatened and declining dry eucalypt forests found within the Midlands of Tasmania. This pilot study was completed as part of a larger research project on eucalypt regeneration. Researchers need to know where recruits are most successful in order to appropriately place regeneration microsites. I have begun characterizing the baseline demography of a recently burnt remnant forest. I had two objectives: 1. to characterize the stand structure where recruits are successful, and 2. to describe where the recruits are within this structure. Data on location, size, and life history stage of trees were …

Abstracts Of Papers, 85th Annual Meeting Of The Virginia Academy Of Science, May 24-26, 2007, James Madison University, Harrisonburg Va

Virginia Journal of Science

Full abstracts of the 85th Annual Meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science, May 24-26, 2007, James Madison University, Harrisonburg VA

Amphibian Research And Monitoring Initiative: Concepts And Implementation, Paul Stephen Corn, Michael J. Adams, William A. Battaglin, Alisa L. Gallant, Daniel L. James, Melinda Knutson, Catherine A. Langtimm, John R. Sauer

United States Geological Survey: Publications

This report provides the basis for discussion and subsequent articulation of a national plan for the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI). The authors were members of a task force formed from within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that included scientists with expertise in biology, cartography, hydrology, and statistics. The assignment of the task force was to extend work begun by the National Amphibian Leadership Group. This group, composed of senior USGS scientists, managers, and external authorities, met in Gainesville, Florida, in February 20001. The product of this meeting was a document outlining the framework for a national program to …

The Nuclear Reddening Curve For Active Galactic Nuclei And The Shape Of The Infrared To X-Ray Spectral Energy Distribution, C. Martin Gaskell, René W. Goosmann, Robert R. J. Antonucci, David H. Whysong

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Faculty Publications

We present extinction curves derived from the broad emission lines and continua of samples of 72 radio-loud and 1018 radio-quiet active galactic nuclei (AGNs). The curves are significantly flatter in the UV than curves for the local interstellar medium. The reddening curves for the radio-quiet Large Bright Quasar Survey quasars are slightly steeper than those of the radio-loud quasars in the UV, probably because of additional reddening by dust farther out in the host galaxies of the former. The UV extinction curves for the radio-loud AGNs are very flat. This is explicable with slight modifications to standard Mathis-Rumpl-Nordsieck dust models: …

Unlv Magazine, Holly Ivy De Vore, Nancy Syzdek, Patrice E.M. Hollrah, Douglas Unger, Eugene Moehring, Gillian Silver, John F. Gallagher, Lori Bachand, Gian Galassi, Hal Rothman, Mark Hoversten, Phil Hagen, Donna Mcaleer, Suzan Dibella

UNLV Magazine

No abstract provided.

Tree Thinning And Prescribed Burning Effects On Ground Flora In Arizona Ponderosa Pine Forests: A Review, Scott R. Abella

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

Ground flora is an important response variable to monitor after tree thinning and prescribed burning treatments designed to restore Arizona ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa P.& C. Lawson) forests. This paper reviews published literature on the effects of thinning and burning on ground flora in Arizona ponderosa pine forests in five main categories of research: ground flora biomass, species diversity, plant community composition, population processes, and individual species ecology. Research published to date suggests that thinning and burning generally increase ground flora biomass, whereas other categories of research such as community composition and population processes have been little studied in Arizona …

Peer Nutrition Education: A Model For Nutrition Education Among Spanish-Language Participants Of The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program For Women, Infants And Children (Wic), Maximino Alfredo Mejía

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Despite the steady improvement in the health status of Americans, Hispanics are a minority in the United States with greater prevalence of several infectious and chronic diseases and less health knowledge than the average citizen. Nearly half of the Hispanics living in this country die of preventable nutrition-related conditions, with heart disease and cancer being the leading causes. Since this minority has limited access to health care and preventive services, there is a need for an inexpensive, viable model of health education for this underserved segment of the population in order to lower the excess of preventable diseases. We trained …

2001 - The Sixth Annual Symposium Of Student Scholars

Symposium of Student Scholars Program Books

The full program book from the Sixth Annual Symposium of Student Scholars, held on March 30, 2001. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.

The Natural History Of Aconitum Noveboracense Gray (Northern Monkshood), A Federally Threatened Species, Margaret A. Kuchenreuther

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Aconitum noveboracense Gray (Ranunculaceae), commonly known as northern monkshood, is a federally threatened herbaceous perennial that occurs in disjunct populations in Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio and New York. It appears to be a glacial relict, existing today only in unique areas with cool, moist microenvironments, such as algific talus slopes. Field studies reveal that A. noveboracense has a complex life history. Perennation of individual plants occurs through the annual production of daughter tubers. Vegetative reproduction is commonly observed, and can occur by means of aerial and subterranean bulbils, as well as by development of adventitious root buds. Populations also reproduce sexually …

A Metapopulation Approach To Pitcher's Thistle (Cirsium Pitcheri) Recovery In Southern Lake Michigan Dunes, A. Kathryn Mceachern, Marlin L. Bowles, Noel B. Pavlovic

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Successful recovery planning for a rare species relies upon knowledge of its life history and ecology, as well as an understanding of its habitat requirements and disturbance regime (Gilpin & Soule 1986, Lande 1988a). Species that depend upon early-successional or transient habitats in landscape mosaics present unique recovery challenges (Menges 1990). They require perpetuation of multiple populations within a shifting mosaic of local habitats. Recovery plans for these species must be formulated from an understanding of population demography within the context of community and landscape dynamics. Processes that maintain landscape mosaics must be given long-term protection if recovery is to …

Impacts Of Biological Invasions On The Management And Recovery Of Rare Plants In Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawaiian Islands, Lloyd Loope, Arthur Medeiros

United States National Park Service: Publications

Biological invasions assisted by humans are impoverishing biological diversity worldwide (MacDonald et al. 1989, Diamond 1989). Such invasions are particularly devestating to the biota of oceanic islands such as Hawaii (Williamson 1981, Brockie et al. 1988, Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources et al. 1991). Ecosystems of the Hawaiian Islands are much more vulnerable to biological invasions than are continental ecosystems, because the organisms in them have evolved in isolation from many of the forces that have shaped continental organisms, including foraging and trampling by herbivorous mammals, predation by ants and mammals, virulent diseases, and fires (Loope & Mueller-Dombois …

Problem Analysis For The Vegetation Diversity Project, David A. Pyke, Michael M. Borman, U.S. Department Of The Interior, Bureau Of Land Management

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

Management of the majority of public rangeland in the Great Basin and Columbia-Snake River Plateau falls under the authority of the Bureau of Land Management. The flora of this land ranges from highly diverse native plant communities to deteriorated lands dominated by exotic annuals. Approximately nine percent of the BLM’s 78 million acres of public land in this region is degraded to such a degree that changes in land management alone will not result in significant improvement. The BLM intends to restore native plant communities on these deteriorated lands, but current revegetation techniques used to establish introduced perennial grasses are …

A Survey Of The Stony Coral Community Composition Of Pompano Ledge, Broward County, Florida, With A Preliminary Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Mooring Buoys In Reducing Coral Damage, John D. Hocevar

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Stony corals of Pompano Ledge, First Reef, Broward County, Florida were sampled in situ using a new reef assessment method. The circular-radial method was used to assess the effectiveness of mooring buoys in reducing damage to reefs. Data will be part of a long-term monitoring study of·buoy impacts. The parameter of recent injury was used to provide preliminary information on buoy effectiveness.

Results were as follows: approximately 6% of the study area was covered by stony corals, with an average of 3 colonies per square meter. Diversity based on abundance (H'n) was 1 .7, and diversity based on relative coverage …

The Place Of Farm Animals In Humane Sustainable Agriculture, M. W. Fox

eBooks

It is not yet widely recognized that the livestock industry has become a major threat to the world's economy, the environment, consumer health, and the food security of nations and generations to come. Farm animals do have a place in ecologically sound agriculture, but, as will be shown, they have not been properly integrated either in the United States or in other developed and less-developed nations of the world.

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 31 Number 3, Spring 1989, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

10 - VISION Santa Clara's new president talks about his priorities for the University in the decade ahead.

15 - FAMILY IN CRISIS Is the Silicon Valley family an endangered species?

18 - DUBLIN: CITY OF 1,000 YEARS Today it is a bustling European capital. But progress has come at a price.

22 - GEORGE AND THE SILVER FOX A behind-the-scenes look at President and Mrs. Bush.

27 - WHO SHALL CARE .. . AND HOW? By 2020 every fourth American may be 65 or over.

The Ecology Of Skeleton Weed In Western Australia. Survival And Reproduction Of Wild Radish Populations, F. D. Panetta

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

1.1 Skeleton weed demographic studies (84BA17)

To determine potential growth rates of skeleton weed populations on contrasting soil types.

2.1 Wild radish demography in lupin crops (87GE86) - the results are missing in the report please see in supplementary content

The Ecology Of Skeleton Weed (Chondrilla Juncea) In Western Australia. Survival And Fecundity Of Wild Radish (Raphanus Raphanistrum) Populations In Lupin Crops. Reproduction And Seed Persistence In Arum Lily (Zantedeschia Aethiopica)., F. D. Panetta

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

After ripening and fates of field-stored skeleton weed seeds, 86BA11. Predation on seeds of skeleton weed, 86BA10. The effects of wetting/drying cycles upon the fates of skeleton weed seeds, 84PE42. Skeleton weed demographic studies, 84BA17. Radish control in lupins, 86N085. Seed production and seed persistence in Arum lily, 86PE56. Germination studies on fresh and stored seeds of Arum lily, 86PE57.

Relationship Between Seasonal Changes In Forage Quality And Feeding Patterns In Meadow Voles (Microtus Pennsylvanicus), Ronald J. Brooks, Stephan A. Struger

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Forage analyses revealed that mowed orchards provide a relatively high quality forage to meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus), especially in the fall. Mowed forage was characterized by significantly higher protein and moisture content and significantly lower acid and neutral detergent fibre and lignin than forage from an abandoned orchard. Energy and fat were not significantly affected by mowing. However, vole numbers declined markedly in mowed regions in comparison to undisturbed areas. Voles preferred to inhabit areas with dense cover even though vegetative dieback had occurred. Voles did not exhibit any distinct preference for either cracked corn (rodenticide carrier agent) …

Relationship Between Seasonal Changes In Forage Quality And Feeding Patterns In Meadow Voles (Microtus Pennsylvanicus), Ronald J. Brooks, Stephen A. Struger

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 2nd (1985)

Forage analyses revealed that mowed orchards provide a relatively high quality forage to meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus), especially in the fall. Mowed forage was characterized by significantly higher protein and moisture content and significantly lower acid and neutral detergent fibre and lignin than forage from an abandoned orchard. Energy and fat were not significantly affected by mowing.. However, vole numbers declined markedly in mowed regions in comparison to undisturbed areas. Voles preferred to inhabit areas with dense cover even though vegetative dieback had occurred. Voles did not exhibit any distinct preference for either cracked corn (rodenticide carrier agent) …

The Annual Meeting Of The Iowa Academy Of Science April 22-23, 1983 [Program, 95th Meeting], Iowa Academy Of Science

Iowa Academy of Science Documents

No abstract provided.