Digital Commons Network^™

Anthropogenic Habitats Facilitate Dispersal Of An Early Successional Obligate: Implications For Restoration Of An Endangered Ecosystem, Katrina E. Amaral, Michael W. Palace, Kathleen M. O'Brien, Lindsey E. Fenderson, Adrienne I. Kovach

New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station Publications

Landscape modification and habitat fragmentation disrupt the connectivity of natural landscapes, with major consequences for biodiversity. Species that require patchily distributed habitats, such as those that specialize on early successional ecosystems, must disperse through a landscape matrix with unsuitable habitat types. We evaluated landscape effects on dispersal of an early successional obligate, the New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis). Using a landscape genetics approach, we identified barriers and facilitators of gene flow and connectivity corridors for a population of cottontails in the northeastern United States. We modeled dispersal in relation to landscape structure and composition and tested hypotheses about the influence …

Anthropogenic Habitats Facilitate Dispersal Of An Early Successional Obligate: Implications For Restoration Of An Endangered Ecosystem, Katrina E. Amaral, Michael W. Palace, Kathleen M. O'Brien, Lindsey E. Fenderson, Adrienne I. Kovach

Faculty Publications

Landscape modification and habitat fragmentation disrupt the connectivity of natural landscapes, with major consequences for biodiversity. Species that require patchily distributed habitats, such as those that specialize on early successional ecosystems, must disperse through a landscape matrix with unsuitable habitat types. We evaluated landscape effects on dispersal of an early successional obligate, the New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis). Using a landscape genetics approach, we identified barriers and facilitators of gene flow and connectivity corridors for a population of cottontails in the northeastern United States. We modeled dispersal in relation to landscape structure and composition and tested hypotheses about the influence …

Genetic Variation Within And Among Asexual Populations Of Porphyra Umbilicalis Kützing (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) In The Gulf Of Maine, Usa, Renee L. Eriksen, Lindsay A. Green, Anita S. Klein

New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station Publications

The intertidal marine red alga Porphyra umbilicalis reproduces asexually in the Northwest Atlantic. We looked for population substructure among typical open-coastal and atypical estuarine habitats in seven asexual populations of P. umbilicalis from Maine to New Hampshire using eight expressed sequence tag-simple sequence repeats (EST-SSR) or microsatellite loci. Six genotypes were identified, four of which may represent recombinant genotypes from a recombination event that took place locally, or that took place prior to introduction to the Northwest Atlantic. Genotypic diversity was lowest in a population from Wiscasset, Maine, which inhabits an atypical habitat high in the intertidal zone of a …

Channeled Whelk (Busycotypus Canaliculatus) Ecology In Relation To The Fishery In Vineyard And Nantucket Sounds, Massachusetts, Shelley Ann Edmundson

Doctoral Dissertations

Channeled whelks (Busycotypus canaliculatus) are predatory marine gastropods that support lucrative commercial fisheries along the east coast of the United States, with areas around Massachusetts supplying the largest landings. In the absence of a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of channeled whelk biology, it is unclear how to sustainably manage their fisheries. Within this dissertation, various aspects of whelk ecology were investigated to determine how to protect this species, while effectively managing the local fishery.

Early life history experiments revealed channeled whelk egg strings may incubate for 8 to 9 months in MA water temperatures. Incubation period decreased with increasing …

A Comparison Of Macrofaunal And Algal Communities In Oyster Aquaculture Gear, An Eelgrass Bed, Oyster Reef, And A Mudflat In Great Bay, New Hampshire, Megan Elizabeth Glenn

Master's Theses and Capstones

Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) and eelgrass (Zostera marina) are important ecosystem engineers in Great Bay, NH, however despite restoration efforts they have been in decline. In addition to loss of the resource, this degradation results in loss of associated ecosystem services such as habitat provision. It is possible that the recent increase in oyster farming in Great Bay could help mitigate habitat loss. My research objective was to quantify the biotic communities present in three natural habitats (eelgrass beds, oyster reefs and mudflats) in Great Bay NH and compare those to communities living on the type of gear (“racks and bags”) …

Tradeoffs Between Three Forest Ecosystem Services Across The State Of New Hampshire, Usa: Timber, Carbon, And Albedo, David A. Lutz, Elizabeth A. Burakowski, Mackenzie B. Murphy, Mark E. Borsuk, Rebecca M. Niemiec, Richard B. Howarth

All Materials

Forests are more frequently being managed to store and sequester carbon for the purposes of climate change mitigation. Generally, this practice involves long-term conservation of intact mature forests and/or reductions in the frequency and intensity of timber harvests. However, incorporating the influence of forest surface albedo often suggests that long rotation lengths may not always be optimal in mitigating climate change in forests characterized by frequent snowfall. To address this, we investigated trade-offs between three ecosystem services: carbon storage, albedo-related radiative forcing, and timber provisioning. We calculated optimal rotation length at 498 diverse Forest Inventory and Analysis forest sites in …

Global Patterns, Trends, And Drivers Of Water Use Efficiency From 2000 To 2013, Bao-Lin Xue, Qinghua Guo, Alvarez Otto, Jingfeng Xiao, Shengli Tao, Le Li

All Materials

Water use efficiency (WUE; gross primary production [GPP]/evapotranspiration [ET]) estimates the tradeoff between carbon gain and water loss during photosynthesis and is an important link of the carbon and water cycles. Understanding the spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of WUE is helpful for projecting the responses of ecosystems to climate change. Here we examine the spatiotemporal patterns, trends, and drivers of WUE at the global scale from 2000 to 2013 using the gridded GPP and ET data derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Our results show that the global WUE has an average value of 1.70 g C/kg H2O …

Water Use Efficiency Of China's Terrestrial Ecosystems And Responses To Drought, Yibo Liu, Jingfeng Xiao, Weimin Ju, Shaoqiang Wang, Xiaocui Wu

All Materials

Water use efficiency (WUE) measures the trade-off between carbon gain and water loss of terrestrial ecosystems, and better understanding its dynamics and controlling factors is essential for predicting ecosystem responses to climate change. We assessed the magnitude, spatial patterns, and trends of WUE of China’s terrestrial ecosystems and its responses to drought using a process-based ecosystem model. During the period from 2000 to 2011, the national average annual WUE (net primary productivity (NPP)/evapotranspiration (ET)) of China was 0.79 g C kg−1 H2O. Annual WUE decreased in the southern regions because of the decrease in NPP and the increase in ET …

Environmental Disasters Data Management Workshop Report, Coastal Response Research Center

Coastal Response Research Center

The Environmental Disasters Data Management (EDDM) project seeks to foster communication between collectors, managers, and users of data within the scientific research community,

industry, NGOs, and government agencies, with a goal to identify and establish best practices for

orderly collection, storage, and retrieval. The Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC) is assisting NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (ORR) with

this effort. The objectives of the EDDM project are to:

• Engage the community of data users, data managers, and data collectors to foster a culture of applying consistent terms and concepts, data flow, and quality assurance and control;
• Provide oversight in …

Parental Conversation Styles And Learning Science With Preschoolers, Emily A. Stone

Honors Theses and Capstones

Preschool children participated in a science-learning event about light in their own classroom. The same day as the event, parents or caregivers were instructed to converse with their children at home in the evening about either the science learning event or another ‘special or fun’ event that happened to them recently in whatever way was natural for them. One week later, a researcher interviewed children to examine what they remembered about the science-learning event. Analyses focused on the impact of the topic and degree of elaboration of parent-child conversations on children’s memory for the science-learning event a week later. The …

Macrosystems Ecology: Understanding Ecological Patterns And Processes At Continental Scales, James B. Heffernan, Patricia A. Soranno, Michael J. Angilletta Jr., Lauren B. Buckley, Daniel S. Gruner, Tim H. Keitt, James R. Kellner, John S. Kominoski, Adrian V. Rocha, Jingfeng Xiao, Tamara K. Harms, Simon J. Goring, Lauren E. Koenig, William H. Mcdowell, Heather Powell, Andrew D. Richardson, Craig A. Stow, Rodrigo Vargas, Kathleen C. Weathers

All Materials

Macrosystems ecology is the study of diverse ecological phenomena at the scale of regions to continents and their interactions with phenomena at other scales. This emerging subdiscipline addresses ecological questions and environmental problems at these broad scales. Here, we describe this new field, show how it relates to modern ecological study, and highlight opportunities that stem from taking a macrosystems perspective. We present a hierarchical framework for investigating macrosystems at any level of ecological organization and in relation to broader and finer scales. Building on well-established theory and concepts from other subdisciplines of ecology, we identify feedbacks, linkages among distant …

Effects Of Invasive Winter Moth Defoliation On Tree Radial Growth In Eastern Massachusetts, Usa., Michael J. Simmons, Thomas D. Lee, Mark J. Ducey, Joseph S. Elkinton, George H. Boettner, Kevin J. Dodds

Natural Resources & the Environment

Abstract

Winter moth, Operophtera brumata L. (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), has been defoliating hardwood trees in eastern Massachusetts since the 1990s. Native to Europe, winter moth has also been detected in Rhode Island, Connecticut, eastern Long Island (NY), New Hampshire, and Maine. Individual tree impacts of winter moth defoliation in New England are currently unknown. Using dendroecological techniques, this study related annual radial growth of individual host (Quercus spp. and Acer spp.) trees to detailed defoliation estimates. Winter moth defoliation was associated with up to a 47% reduction in annual radial growth of Quercus trees. Latewood production of Quercus was reduced by …

Bacterial Biodegradation Of Soluble Crude Oil Hydrocarbons And The Influence Of Protists In Simulated Arctic Seawater And Sea Ice, Heather Ballestero

Doctoral Dissertations

With expected increases in vessel traffic, drilling, and exploration for petroleum and natural gas, the potential for an Arctic oil spill is heightened, yet knowledge of contaminant fate and behavior is limited in this environment. With challenging conditions in the Arctic and limited equipment caches, response will be extremely difficult. In freezing conditions, oil may become encapsulated in ice. Understanding biodegradation potential in this environment can dictate response options for spills that occur in Arctic marine waters. The influence of protists on bacterial biodegradation of water accommodated fractions (WAF) of petroleum hydrocarbons is unknown, yet important because it could enhance …

The Individual Tree And Forest Stand Level Impacts Of Winter Moth Defoliation In Eastern Massachusetts, Usa, Michael J. Simmons

Master's Theses and Capstones

Winter moth is a non-native invasive defoliator in New England. This thesis related host tree radial growth of individual trees in eastern Massachusetts to winter moth defoliation intensity using tree core analysis. Further, tree core analysis was used to identify winter moth defoliation events in several forest stands in eastern Massachusetts and these events were used to relate winter moth to stand level tree mortality and understory woody plant density. Quercus radial growth from 2005-2010 was negatively related to winter moth defoliation. In addition, Quercus mortality in mixed -- Quercus and Quercus - P. strobus forests in eastern Massachusetts was …

Predation As A Vehicle To Aid Tunicate Invasion In The Biofouling Community, Helen Day

Master's Theses and Capstones

Competition for space can influence community dynamics in the sessile biofouling community. Within recent decades, community dynamics have shifted towards a community dominated by tunicates. This research proposed predation as a mechanism driving this shift.

In the Gulf of Maine, the non-native species Botrylloides violaceous became abundant when predators (i.e. the benthic fish Tautogolabrus adspersus and the sea star Asterias rubens) removed the cryptogenic (i.e. native) tunicate Molgula citrina. Moreover, B. violaceus was present in higher amounts in habitats with low abundances of M. citrina than it was in areas in which the two tunicate species were both abundant. Furthermore, …

Spring 2012, Faculty Spotlight: Gregg Moore: Longstanding Mangrove Research Leads To Study Abroad And Renewed Environmental Stewardship In Grenada, Center For International Education

UNH International Educator Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Crommet Creek Conservation Area Management Plan, Joanne Glode, Dea Brickner-Wood, Ed Robinson, Wendy Weisiger, Peter Wellenberger, Rachel Stevens

PREP Reports & Publications

The Crommet Creek Conservation Area comprises the largest block of natural lands in the immediate Great Bay watershed, and in New Hampshire’s North Atlantic Coast Ecoregion. It includes the entire watershed of two tidal creeks that flow directly into the Great Bay Estuary. The area has been identified by the Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership as a protection priority due to the size of the natural area; the diversity of habitats and wildlife it supports; and it’s integral role in protecting the regional water quality and resources within the Great Bay Estuary. The Conservation Area includes headwater wetlands, and the …

Tracking Environmental Trends In The Great Bay Estuarine System: An Examination Of Water Quality And Nuisance Macroalgal Blooms, Jeremy C. Nettleton

Doctoral Dissertations

Monitoring macroalgae populations is an effective means of detecting long term water quality changes in estuarine systems. To investigate the environmental status of New Hampshire's Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, this study assessed the abundance/distribution of macrophytes, particularly Gracilaria and Ulva species, relative to eutrophication patterns; compared historical (1970s-1990s) and current algal biomass/cover at several sites; and compared Ulva and Gracilaria tissue N/P content to ambient and historical levels. Nitrogen and phosphorus testing revealed that the estuarine system has become eutrophic, and Ulva and Gracilaria biomass/cover have increased significantly. The percent cover of Ulva species, at seasonal maxima, was …

Ecosystem Structure And Function In An Urban, Piped Stream, Amanda Hope

Master's Theses and Capstones

Piped streams, or streams that run underground, are common features in urban areas. However, there is little empirical evidence regarding their ecological structure and function. This study measured ecosystem metabolism, nutrient uptake, and related characteristics of Pettee Brook -- an urban stream that flows through several pipes under impervious surfaces near the UNH (Durham) campus.

Piped and open reaches of Pettee Brook had similar water quality, nutrient uptake, and ER. However, the absence of light in piped reaches led to their complete loss of GPP. Benthic AFDM and chlorophyll a biomass were also significantly reduced in piped reaches. For both …

A Comparison Of Presettlement And Modern Forest Composition Along An Elevation Gradient In Central New Hampshire, Matthew A. Vadeboncoeur, Steven P. Hamburg, Charles V. Cogbill, Wendy Y. Sugimura

All Materials

Tree species composition is influenced not only by edaphic and climatic factors but also by natural and human-caused disturbances. To understand interactions among these influences, we compared forest species composition data from the time of European settlement with modern data. We derived elevation data for 2529 trees mapped by early land surveys (1770–1850) across a 1000 m elevation gradient in central New Hampshire and compared these with modern data (2004–2009) from the Forest Inventory and Analysis program (123 plots containing 2126 trees) and from permanent plots representing case studies of different land-use histories. Spruce and beech are much less abundant …

The New Hampshire, Vol. 101 [102], No. 10 [9] (Oct. 7, 2011), The New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Print Edition

An independent student produced newspaper from the University of New Hampshire. This volume was printed as 101, but it is the 102nd volume in the series. This was corrected in pencil.

This issue was printed as 10, but it is the 9th issue in this volume. This was corrected in pencil.

Height-Diameter Allometry Of Tropical Forest Trees, T. R. Feldpausch, L. Banin, O. L. Phillips, T. R. Baker, S. L. Lewis, C. A. Quesada, K. Affum-Baffoe, E. J. M. M. Arets, N. J. Berry, M. Bird, E. S. Brondizio, P. De Camargo, J. Chave, G. Djagbletey, T. F. Domingues, M. Drescher, P. M. Fearnside, M. B. Franca, N. M. Fyllas, G. Lopez-Gonzalez, A. Hladik, N. Higuchi, M. O. Hunter, Michael W. Palace

Faculty Publications

Tropical tree height-diameter (H:D) relationships may vary by forest type and region making large-scale estimates of above-ground biomass subject to bias if they ignore these differences in stem allometry. We have therefore developed a new global tropical forest database consisting of 39 955 concurrent H and D measurements encompassing 283 sites in 22 tropical countries. Utilising this database, our objectives were:

1. to determine if H:D relationships differ by geographic region and forest type (wet to dry forests, including zones of tension where forest and savanna overlap).

2. to ascertain if the H:D relationship is modulated by climate and/or forest …

Tracking Environmental Trends In The Great Bay Estuarine System Through Comparisons Of Historical And Present-Day Green And Red Algal Community Structure And Nutrient Content, Jeremy C. Nettleton, Christopher D. Neefus, Arthur C. Mathieson, Larry G. Harris

PREP Reports & Publications

Monitoring macroalgae populations is an effective means of detecting long term water quality changes in estuarine systems. To investigate the environmental status of New Hampshire’s Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, this study assessed the abundance/distribution of macrophytes, particularly Gracilaria and Ulva species, relative to eutrophication patterns; compared historical (1970s-1990s) and current algal biomass/cover at several sites; and compared Ulva and Gracilaria tissue N/P content to ambient and historical levels. Ulva and Gracilaria biomass/cover have increased significantly at several sites. Cover by Ulva species, at seasonal maxima, was over 90 times the value recorded in the 1970s at Lubberland Creek, …

Isotopic Analysis Of Arctic Ground Squirrel Tissues And Potential Food Sources, Julee Shamhart

Master's Theses and Capstones

Given limited knowledge of the food sources of Arctic ground squirrels, an important arctic prey species, it is difficult to predict the implications of changes in food source availability that could result from climate change. I hypothesized that Arctic ground squirrels at two colonies, Atigun and Toolik, would have similar feeding habits and mushrooms would contribute to their diet The Arctic ground squirrels at Toolik had significantly higher del15N (3.7 per mill difference) and del13C values (1.3 per mill difference) than those at Atigun. Mixing models indicated that the signatures observed in the Atigun hair could result from a combination …

Enhancing Ais To Improve Whale-Ship Collision Avoidance And Maritime Security, Philip A. Mcgillivary, Kurt Schwehr, Kevin Fall

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

Whale-ship strikes are of growing worldwide concern due to the steady growth of commercial shipping. Improving the current situation involves the creation of a communication capability allowing whale position information to be estimated and exchanged among vessels and other observation assets. An early example of such a system has been implemented for the shipping lane approaches to the harbor of Boston, Massachusetts where ship traffic transits areas of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary frequently used by whales. It uses the Automated Identification Systems (AIS) technology, currently required for larger vessels but becoming more common in all classes of vessels. …

Annual Report Of The Town Officers Nelson, New Hampshire For Year Ending December 31, 2008., Nelson Town Representatives

Nelson, NH Annual Reports

This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a town/city in the state of New Hampshire.

Tracking Diet And Movement Of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus Thynnus) Using Carbon And Nitrogen Stable Isotopes, John Logan

Doctoral Dissertations

Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABFT; Thunnus thynnus) are important top predators in pelagic ecosystems. Understanding their diet and movements is necessary for proper management, but existing methods are costly and logistically challenging. Naturally occurring stable isotopes have been used to study diet and movement in many aquatic ecosystems and offer a novel approach for studying these large pelagic fishes.

Lipids, which have lower carbon isotope values than protein, can affect isotope analyses of bulk tissue. Both chemical and mathematical corrections were used to address lipid effects on ABFT and the prey. All chemical extraction methods altered nitrogen isotope values. Mathematical corrections …

Sampling And Classification Of Tree Holes Within A Northeast Temperate Forest System, Colleen M. Didas

Master's Theses and Capstones

Tree holes are water filled depressions on trees and harbor macroinvertebrate communities; they often serve as microcosms in studies of population dynamics, competition, and fungal decay of leaf litter. Quantification of tree hole prevalence and incidence in forest stands is lacking in the current literature. This study examined factors influencing tree hole occurrence and the types and formations of tree holes in northeastern forest stands. Modeling was used to correct for non-detection and estimate the abundance of tree holes on a per-hectare basis. Mixed-effects logistic regression was used to predict tree hole occurrence. Tree species, stand basal area, and diameter …

Effects Of Urbanization On The Size And Spatial Distribution Of Wetlands In New Hampshire, Katie Jacques

Master's Theses and Capstones

This study investigates the effects of land use change in the form of urbanization on the size and spatial distribution of wetlands in New Hampshire. I predict that with increased urbanization, the number of wetlands lost will rise, causing an increase in landscape fragmentation. Aerial photography, US Geological Survey topographic maps, National Agriculture Imagery Program imagery, hydrography and National Wetlands Inventory data layers were analyzed using GIS tools along four urban-rural gradient transects 5km by 25km in size. Each study area transect included urban, suburban and rural areas. This study identified the relationships between the urbanization level and the size …

Urban Containment Policies And Physical Activity A Time–Series Analysis Of Metropolitan Areas, 1990–2002, Semra Aytur, Daniel A. Rodriguez, Kelly R. Evenson, Diane J. Catellier

Health Management & Policy

Background: Urban containment policies attempt to manage the location, character, and timing of growth to support a variety of goals such as compact development, preservation of greenspace, and efficient use of infrastructure. Despite prior research evaluating the effects of urban containment policies on land use, housing, and transportation outcomes, the public health implications of these policies remain unexplored. This ecologic study examines relationships among urban containment policies, state adoption of growthmanagement legislation, and population levels of leisure and transportation-related physical activity in 63 large metropolitan statistical areas from 1990 to 2002. Methods: Multiple data sources were combined, including surveys of …