Digital Commons Network^™

Influence Of Environmental Features On Spermatophore Placement In Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma Maculatum), Megan A. Kuechle

Theses and Dissertations

Successful reproduction in salamanders is driven by behavioral, environmental, and temporal interactions among adults. While much of our understanding of salamander mating systems is based upon either courtship behavior of both sexes or aspects of female choice, the decisions made by males regarding where to place spermatophores is much less quantified. In this study, we mapped male spermatophore placement in the spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) with respect to ecological and spatial locations within a vernal pool complex in Charles City County, Virginia. The overall goal was to use the spatial and ecological placement of spermatophores to determine if …

Evaluation Of Private Landowner Intention To Create Early Successional Habitat In Virginia's Appalachian Region, Hannah M. Coovert

Theses and Dissertations

As human land uses continue to expand rapidly across the landscape, the management practices of private landowners are an essential part of effective conservation of biodiversity. Conservation of early successional habitats (ESH) and the species that depend on them is a priority in the eastern United States, and efforts to create more ESH on private lands has primarily focused on forest landowners and the harvesting of timber. Private lands with significant pasture cover in a forested landscape present an additional opportunity to create and maintain ESH, yet our understanding of landowner values and attitudes about management strategies in pastures (i.e., …

Groundwater Quality Assessment Of The Piney Point Aquifer In The Virginia Coastal Plain, Elizabeth J. Keily

Theses and Dissertations

The solid phase of an aquifer has an effect on the aqueous phase; if groundwater quality is degraded by the solid phase of an aquifer this is referred to as geogenic pollution. In this study, the Piney Point aquifer in the Virginia Coastal Plain was assessed for mechanisms that may release anions from the solid to aqueous phases and effect water quality. This was done by conducting leaching experiments modified from Balintova et al. (2013). Piney Point aquifer sediments and groundwaters were also analyzed to give a baseline for these experiments. Sedimentary analysis was found to be consistent with McFarland …

Nutrient Uptake Among Urban And Non-Urban Streams Within The Piedmont Physiographic Province Of Virginia, Joseph T. Famularo

Theses and Dissertations

To assess how urbanization impacts stream nutrient uptake, a series of instantaneous (i.e. slug) nutrient additions were conducted in 3 urban and 3 non-urban streams during open and closed canopy conditions. Single additions of N, P, and combined additions of N and P were performed at each site. These data were used to test the hypothesis that high N:P concentrations in urban streams would result in P-limited conditions, and to assess differences in nutrient uptake kinetics (i.e., the relationship between uptake and concentration) between urban and non-urban streams. The results show that there were no consistent differences in N vs. …

Leaf-Ing A Legacy, Susan R. Whiteland

International Journal of Lifelong Learning in Art Education

Leaf-ing a Legacy is the story of a university art education class that joined with an elementary classroom and residents in a long term health/rehabilitative center through a service-learning project that utilized digital technology and art making in a problem-based learning format to explore the concept of legacy. Evidence was found that the experience promoted socio-emotional learning and fostered the building of socio-emotional capital for the participants involved.

International Journal Of Lifelong Learning In Art Education 2018 Full Issue, Pamela H. Lawton

International Journal of Lifelong Learning in Art Education

No abstract provided.

Virginia Commonwealth University Fall Commencement Program [2018], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Virginia Commonwealth University Courses [2018], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Listing of courses for the 2018-2019 year.

Virginia Commonwealth University Commencement Program [2018], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Virginia Commonwealth University Graduate Bulletin [2018], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Graduate bulletin for Virginia Commonwealth University for the academic year 2018-2019. It includes information on academic regulations, degree requirements, course offerings, faculty, academic calendar, and tuition and expenses for graduate programs.

Virginia Commonwealth University Undergraduate Bulletin [2018], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Undergraduate bulletin for Virginia Commonwealth University for the academic year 2018-2019. It includes information on academic regulations, degree requirements, course offerings, faculty, academic calendar, and tuition and expenses for undergraduate programs.

Modular Structure In Fish Co-Occurrence Networks: A Comparison Across Spatial Scales And Grouping Methodologies, Daniel Mcgarvey Dr., Joseph Veech

Environmental Studies Publications

Network modules are used for diverse purposes, ranging from delineation of biogeographical provinces to the study of biotic interactions. We assess spatial scaling effects on modular structure, using a multi-step process to compare fish co-occurrence networks at three nested scales. We first detect modules with simulated annealing and use spatial clustering tests (interspecific distances among species’ range centroids) to determine if modules consist of species with broadly overlapping ranges; strong spatial clustering may reflect environmental filtering, while absence of spatial clustering may reflect positive interspecific relationships (commensalism or mutualism). We then use non-hierarchical, multivariate cluster analysis as an alternative method …

"We Are...": Creating Discursive Spaces For The Construction Of Counter Narratives Through Photovoice As Critical Service Learning, Amanda F. Hall

Theses and Dissertations

Broader social issues that affect students’ lives manifest in the classroom and the current neo-liberal reform structures in education (e.g., the accountability movement combined with punitive discipline measures and structural classism/racism) fail to acknowledge the impact of these issues on student identity within school and community. While this era of standardized testing has brought about anti-democratic realities in schools of all sorts, it is also the case that schools that pass tests often enjoy a more liberatory climate while schools struggling to meet testing requirements are more likely to possess oppressive qualities. Not coincidentally, the more oppressive schools are often …

Forest Structural Complexity And Net Primary Production Resilience Across A Gradient Of Disturbance In A Great Lakes Ecosystem, Lisa T. Haber

Theses and Dissertations

Forests are an important component of the global carbon (C) cycle and contribute to climate change mitigation through atmospheric C uptake and storage in biomass and soils. However, the forest C sink is susceptible to disturbance, which modifies physical and biological structure and limits spatial extent of forests. Unlike severe, stand-replacing disturbances that reset forest successional trajectories and may simplify ecosystem structure, moderate severity disturbances may instead introduce complexity in ways that sustain net primary production (NPP), leading to the phenomenon of “NPP resilience.” In this study, we examined the linkage between disturbance severity and ecosystem biological and physical structural …

Using A Custom Landscape Classification To Understand The Factors Driving Site Occupancy By A Rapidly Declining Migratory Songbird, Elizabeth K. Schold

Theses and Dissertations

Land cover classifications are useful in a broad range of ecological applications, yet publicly available classifications are not always useful for the needs of specific projects. Custom classifications are always a possibility, however, they can be financially or computationally out of reach for many researchers. Here we present a custom 1m resolution land cover classification created using freely available imagery and a random forest classification approach. This classification detected shrub cover more accurately and at a finer resolution than previous classifications. With the creation of this map, we were then able to examine landscape factors influencing occupancy dynamics of the …

Red-Headed Woodpecker Full Annual Cycle Ecology At Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, Benjamin Nickley

Theses and Dissertations

The red-headed woodpecker is a primary cavity excavator found throughout the Eastern Deciduous Forest and parts of the Great Plains. Although widespread, the red-headed woodpecker is generally considered uncommon, with patchily distributed populations. Over the past 50 years, this species has experienced precipitous, range-wide declines. The red-headed woodpecker uses a variety of cover types to meet resource needs across the annual cycle, ranging from oak savannas and wetlands, to mature beech forests and urban parks. Given their apparent adaptability to such a wide range of habitats, causes of declines are perplexing. To understand and stem declines, recent studies have focused …

Virginia Commonwealth University Stormwater Management Plan, Jesse Harris

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

Every year millions of gallons of polluted stormwater and untreated sanitary waste are discharged directly into the James River during combined sewer overflow events. This is a problem considering stormwater is one of the most significant sources of pollution to the nation’s surface waters.

The purpose of the VCU Stormwater Management Plan (VCU SWMP) is to reduce the impact of stormwater pollution using green infrastructure and low impact development best management practices like rain gardens, green roofs, and infiltration trenches. These stormwater control strategies present opportunities for VCU to reduce runoff and to preserve and restore green spaces on an …

Climate Change And Mountaintop Removal Mining: A Maxent Assessment Of The Potential Dual Threat To West Virginia Fishes, Lindsey R F Hendrick

Theses and Dissertations

Accounts of species’ range shifts in response to climate change, most often as latitudinal shifts towards the poles or upslope shifts to higher elevations, are rapidly accumulating. These range shifts are often attributed to species ‘tracking’ their thermal niches as temperatures in their native ranges increase. Our objective was to estimate the degree to which climate change-driven shifts in water temperature may increase the exposure of West Virginia’s native freshwater fishes to mountaintop removal surface coal mining. Mid-century shifts in habitat suitability for nine non-game West Virginia fishes were projected via Maximum Entropy species distribution modeling, using a combination of …

Assessing The Relative Influences Of Abiotic And Biotic Factors On A Species’ Distribution Using Pseudo-Absence And Functional Trait Data: A Case Study With The American Eel (Anguilla Rostrata), Taylor E. Woods

Theses and Dissertations

Species’ distributions are influenced by abiotic and biotic factors but direct comparison of their relative importance is difficult, particularly when working with complex, multi-species datasets. Here, we present a flexible method to compare abiotic and biotic influences at common scales. First, data representing abiotic and biotic factors are collected using a combination of geographic information system, remotely sensed, and species’ functional trait data. Next, the relative influences of each predictor variable on the occurrence of a focal species are compared. Specifically, ‘sample’ data from sites of known occurrence are compared with ‘background’ data (i.e. pseudo-absence data collected at sites where …

Determining Tidal Characteristics In A Restored Tidal Wetland Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles And Derived Data, Victor Thornton

Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology was used to determine tidal extent in Kimages Creek, a restored tidal wetland located in Charles City County, Virginia. A Sensefly eBee Real-Time Kinematic UAV equipped with the Sensor Optimized for Drone Applications (SODA) camera (20-megapixel RGB sensor) was flown during a single high and low tide event in Summer 2017. Collectively, over 1,300 images were captured and processed using Pix4D. Horizontal and vertical accuracy of models created using ground control points (GCP) ranged from 0.176 m to 0.363 m. The high tide elevation model was subtracted from the low tide using the ArcMap 10.5.1 …

Migratory Patterns And Population Genetic Structure In A Declining Wetland-Dependent Songbird, Matthew G. Desaix

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding migratory connectivity is essential for assessing the drivers behind population dynamics and for implementing effective management in migratory species. Genetic markers provide a means to describe migratory connectivity, as well as incorporate population genetic analyses, however genetic markers can be uninformative for species with weak genetic structure. In this study, we evaluate range-wide population genetic structure and migratory connectivity in the prothonotary warbler, Protonotaria citrea, a wetland-dependent neotropical migratory songbird, using high-resolution genetic markers. We reveal regional genetic structure between sampling sites in the Mississippi River Valley and the Atlantic Seaboard with overall weak genetic differentiation among populations …

Identification Of Taxonomic And Functional Ichthyofaunal Zones Within The James River Basin, Virginia, Joseph L. Noel

Theses and Dissertations

Environmental gradients structure ichthyofaunal communities longitudinally along river networks via the selective filtering of species’ traits. In many instances, these environmental influences have created distinct zones of co-occurring fish species. Zonation studies have most often been conducted with taxonomic data (species x site matrices), but the increasing availability of functional trait data creates an opportunity to build more rigorous understanding of species’ co-occurrence patterns. Notably, zonation studies that use taxonomic data may not reveal the same patterns as studies based on trait data. In this study, we tested for distinct ichthyofaunal zonation in James River Basin, VA using a combination …

Improving The Conservation Of A Cryptic Endangered Freshwater Mussel (Parvaspina Collina) Through The Use Of Environmental Dna And Species Distribution Modeling, Bonnie A. Roderique

Theses and Dissertations

Conservation efforts that involve habitat protection, population augmentation, and species reintroductions require knowledge of the habitat requirements, distribution, and abundance of a species—information that can be challenging to acquire, especially for rare organisms with patchy distributions. In this thesis, I develop a protocol for the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) and create a Species Distribution Model for the endangered James spinymussel, Parvaspina collina (Unionidae). The results of this work show that eDNA is a robust tool for identifying species presence but not for estimating the relative abundance of populations. This study found that P. collina’s distribution is influenced by abiotic …

[2017-12-08] Meeting Of The Board Of Visitors Of Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Commonwealth University. Board Of Visitors

VCU Board of Visitors Minutes

Official minutes of the VCU Board of Visitors and its Executive Committee.

Commonwealth Times 2017-02-20

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Legacy Sediment Variations In Accretion And Carbon Dynamics Following Dam Removal In A Recently Restored Tidal Freshwater Wetland, Melissa J. Davis, Christopher D. Gatens, Edward R. Crawford, Arif Sikder

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

Damming disrupts the natural flow of sediment to adjoining water bodies resulting in the accumulation of Legacy Sediments (LS). While the impact of LS inputs has been well investigated in lotic Mid-Atlantic piedmont stream restorations, (i.e. milldam removal 1,2,3,4,5,), there have been few studies investigating LS following dam removal in low-gradient coastal plain streams. The objectives of this study were to quantify spatial and temporal variations of LS characteristics in a low-gradient tidal stream restoration within the lower James River watershed. Secondary objectives were to assess the current temporal and spatial variability in sediment deposition within the recently restored Kimages …

Spatial Distribution Modelling Of Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria Citrea) On Breeding Grounds, Elli Bosch, Caitlin M. Vigneau, Rolang Piocuda, Catherine Viverette, Jessica Reese

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

Ecological niche modeling is used to predict a species’ distribution in a geographic area based on abiotic and biotic variables. Understanding a species’ range is important for conservation and restoration efforts. As anthropogenic forces may alter or deplete habitat, it is important to know the ecological requirements of a species to understand how and what habitat to protect. With the increasing threat of climate change and rising temperature and precipitation, the suitable habitat and the distribution for many species is expected to shift. Migratory species are particularly at risk of these changes as they require suitable habitat not only on …

Offspring Sex Ratio In Double Brooding Prothonotary Warblers, Radleigh Herschel, Anthony G. Kouri, Rebecca Vareed, Stephanie Warshawsky, Matthew Desaix

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

Prothonotary warblers are bright, golden birds who, with their loud calls, make themselves known in wetland habitats in the spring after returning from their winter homes in the Neotropics to breed. This migratory species is important to study because of their need for these habitats and are declining in population due to the degradation of wetland environments across the western hemisphere.

VCU started a project in 1987 to study prothonotary warblers including population genetics, breeding biology, and migration ecology. Since then, with the help of Richmond Audubon Society, the project has erected over 600 nesting boxes along the James River …

Projecting Habitat Of The Nonbreeding Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria Citrea) Under Various Climate Scenarios, Hannah Byrne, Lindsey Flanary, Ernesto Gagarin, Jessica A. Reese, Catherine B. Viverette

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

Understanding a species’ range, and how it may change over time, allows researchers to develop more robust species management plans and to identify vital habitat for conservation planning. For migratory bird species, different habitats are utilized during different times of year. While a neotropical migratory species’ breeding grounds may be adequate, its wintering ground or various stopover areas may be under threat. In what is known as a carry over effect, the degradation of wintering grounds can lead to poor quality individuals in the breeding range (Rockwell et al., 2012), thus reduced fitness.

The tropics are predicted to experience changes …

The Effects Of Inorganic Nitrogen And Phosphorus Enrichment On Herbaceous Species Growth Of The Kimages Creek Wetland (Va), Kristen Burton, Scott C. Neubauer

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) infiltrate waterways through fertilizer application, urban stormwater runoff, and sewer infrastructure leaks. As surrounding waterbodies experience increased DIN and DIP inputs, wetlands can experience corresponding nutrient enrichment. Vegetation uses DIN and DIP for structural growth, color, and seed production. Changes in DIN and DIP availability can influence species distribution due to differences in photosynthetic rates, root morphology and structure, and tissue type.

DIP and DIN inputs are projected to increase 15-30% and 30-60% in the next fifty years¹. It is of interest to examine plant growth characteristics within this nutrient enrichment …