Digital Commons Network^™

Using The Past To Restore The Future: Quantifying Historical Vegetation To Assist In Tidal Freshwater Wetland Restoration, Christopher D. Gatens

UROP Posters

Wetlands have been providing humans with critical natural ecosystem services throughout our time on Earth. Nevertheless, these invaluable ecosystems have been habitually altered as a cost of human progression. Two of the most common alterations to wetlands are damming and filling. Both occurred along Kimages Creek in Charles City County, VA during the 19^th and 20^th centuries. In 2010 the Lake Charles dam was partially removed, restoring the creek’s tidal communication with the James River. Upon the recession of the body of water, numerous woody stumps were revealed. We studied these stump remnants in an attempt to assess …

Spatial Analysis Of Nest Productivity And Predation In Prothonotary Warblers, Miranda Foster, Lesley P. Bulluck

UROP Posters

Generally, statistics are based off the assumption that observations are independent from each other in space. In larger ecological systems however, there can be spatial autocorrelation whereby data collected in nearby areas are not independent of one another which violates the assumption of most statistical tests. It is therefore becoming commonplace for ecological studies to study spatial autocorrelation to both eliminate error (accounting for a nuisance variable that could give false positives) and to better understand the spatial structure of their system of interest. Indeed, the mechanisms that lead to spatial autocorrelation are often associated with behaviors and/or intrinsic characteristics …

The Effects Of Hydropeaking On Lotic Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages, Andrew L. Garey

Theses and Dissertations

The term hydropeaking refers to anthropogenically induced, short-duration, high-magnitude discharge pulses that are generated in lotic systems for electricity production. The practice of hydropeaking produces the largest source of renewable energy worldwide, and its use is projected to increase through the year 2040. The primary objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of hydropeaking on benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages, which are important components of lotic ecosystems. Results of this work show that, across a wide range of impacted systems worldwide, the consistently observed patterns of elevated benthic macroinvertebrate drift in response to hydropeaking pulses are primarily related to the …

Dispersal: A Multidisciplinary Investigation Of Plant Life, Alexandra E. Arzt

Theses and Dissertations

Using plants as a basis for exploring the interstices between the human and nonhuman, this thesis investigates ideas of awareness, intelligence, deep time, animism, and the fluctuating human perception of the agency of Nature. It outlines environmental art practices since the 1950s involving vegetal life. In addition, the paper provides a critical analysis of plant perception of Jakob von Uexküll’s work and theories of vital materialism and “critical plant studies” while noting recent studies in plant neurobiology. In my work, plants become active participants via their movement, seeding, and smell. This study takes the form of imitation, purposeful symbiosis, anthropomorphism, …

Emergent Non-Consumptive Predator Effects Alter Habitat Colonization By Dipteran Prey, Ethan G. Staats

Theses and Dissertations

When ovipositing, prey organisms avoid habitat patches containing predator cues because predators consume, and negatively affect the fitness of their prey. Richness of predator species often enhances the strength of consumptive predator effects, but little is known about how multiple predators combined affect prey non-consumptively. We quantified dipteran colonization in aquatic mesocosms in response to varied predator richness. Multiple predator species combined reduced oviposition by Culex mosquitoes, chironomid midges, and the general colonizing dipteran community more than predicted by the effects of the independent predator species. Previous research which quantifies effects of multiple predators on prey as prey abundance, but …

Effects Of Constant Vs. Fluctuating Temperatures On Performance And Life History Of The Herbivorous Pest Lymantria Dispar (Lepidoptera: Eribidae), Brendan E. Sostak

Theses and Dissertations

The role of temperature variation in organismal performance is understudied, but is critically important for understanding the response of biodiversity to climate change. To address this issue in herbivorous insects, I studied the direct and interactive effects of thermal regime (constant vs. fluctuating temperatures) and nutrition (dietary nitrogen) on gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) performance under laboratory conditions. Predictions for differences between constant and fluctuating thermal conditions were derived from Jensen’s inequality, and artificial diets of differing nutritional quality were made by modifying nitrogen (casein) content. Larvae were reared in the laboratory under four temperature regimes (22°C constant, 22°C …

Expanding Eco-Visualization: Sculpting Corn Production, Jennifer E. Figg

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation expands upon the definition of eco-visualization artwork. EV was originally defined in 2006 by Tiffany Holmes as a way to display the real time consumption statistics of key environmental resources for the goal of promoting ecological literacy. I assert that the final forms of EV artworks are not necessarily dependent on technology, and can differ in terms of media used, in that they can be sculptural, video-based, or static two-dimensional forms that communicate interpreted environmental information. There are two main categories of EV: one that is predominantly screen-based and another that employs a variety of modes of representation …

Proof-Of-Concept Of Environmental Dna Tools For Atlantic Sturgeon Management, Jameson Hinkle

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The Atlantic Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus, Mitchell) is an anadromous species that spawns in tidal freshwater rivers from Canada to Florida. Overfishing, river sedimentation and alteration of the river bottom have decreased Atlantic Sturgeon populations, and NOAA lists the species as endangered. Ecologists sometimes find it difficult to locate individuals of a species that is rare, endangered or invasive. The need for methods less invasive that can create more resolution of cryptic species presence is necessary. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a non-invasive means of detecting rare, endangered, or invasive species by isolating nuclear or mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from the …

Long-Term Effects Of Land Cover Change On Fish Assemblage Structure In The Piedmont And Coastal Plain Regions Of Virginia, Samuel F. Stickley

Theses and Dissertations

Changes in land cover and fish assemblage structure were assessed across two spatial and temporal scales in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions of the Chesapeake Bay watershed in Virginia. A long-term, local study (1953 to 2014) on the Tuckahoe Creek watershed used digitized aerial photography and satellite images (Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS) to quantify land cover change for five nested catchments in 1953, 1990, and 2014. Instream fish collections from 1958, 1990, and 2014 were utilized to assess a variety of fish assemblage metrics for each of the five catchments, and analyses were performed to assess …

Physical And Biological Constraints On The Abundance Of Cyanobacteria In The James River Estuary, Brendan C. Trache

Theses and Dissertations

The tidal-fresh James River experiences recurring blooms of toxin-producing cyanobacteria, including Microcystis aeruginosa. However, cyanobacteria cell densities in the James are relatively low. Our purpose was to identify key factors suppressing cyanobacteria growth in the face of eutrophication. A mesocosm experiment was designed to test the effects of light, mixing and grazing on cyanobacteria abundance, with nutrients held constant. We predicted that toxic cyanobacteria would be most abundant under stagnant conditions, with enhanced light, with no bivalve grazers present. Abundances of indicator gene copies and phytoplankton counts supported this hypothesis. However, chlorophyll-a, phycocyanin, and the toxin microcystin were all …

Prothonotary Warbler Nestling Diet And Growth In Response To Variation In Aquatic And Terrestrial Food Availability, Jenna C. Dodson

Theses and Dissertations

Food supply has been suggested as the main determinant of reproductive success in birds. Riparian species can take advantage of seasonal pulses of both terrestrial and aquatic prey, though aquatic resources are often overlooked in studies of diet and reproductive ecology. This study investigates the flux of both aquatic (mayfly) and terrestrial (caterpillar) prey resources and nestling diet of the Prothonotary Warbler throughout the breeding season in two eastern Virginia sites. One site had significantly higher aquatic prey (mayfly) availability. Nestling diet was generally reflective of prey availability, and nestlings grew faster at the site with high aquatic prey availability. …

Effects Of The Algal Toxin Microcystin On Fishes In The James River, Virginia, Maxwell D. Haase

Theses and Dissertations

With the global rise in frequency of harmful algal blooms in estuarine environments comes an increase in prevalence of toxic metabolites, such as microcystin (MC), that some of the cyanobacteria involved will produce. At high concentrations, MC may accumulate in consumer tissues and have deleterious effects on organisms; however impacts of the toxin on aquatic living resources at ecologically relevant concentrations have not been widely documented. We analyzed the effects of MC on juveniles of five fish species from the James River, Virginia to determine if MC has the potential to impede growth. Using three separate experimental approaches, it was …

Excellence In Community-Engaged Research At Virginia Commonwealth University: A Compendium Of Case Studies Developed Through A Faculty Learning Community, Cynthia George

Community Engagement Institute

Draft presented to participants of the Community-Engaged Research (CEnR) Institute, May 8-9, 2014. A Working Document. Edited by Cynthia George, MSSW, Doctoral Candidate Graduate Research Assistant Division of Community Engagement and Center for Clinical and Translational Resea

Forest Net Primary Production Resistance Across A Gradient Of Moderate Disturbance, Ellen Goodrich-Stuart

Theses and Dissertations

The global carbon (C) balance is vulnerable to disturbances that alter terrestrial C uptake and loss. Moderate disturbances that kill or defoliate only a subset of canopy trees such as insect defoliation, drought, and age-related senescence are increasing in extent and frequency; yet, little is known about the effect of moderate disturbance on forest production and the mechanisms sustaining or supporting the recovery of the C cycle across a range of moderate disturbance severities. We used a broad plot-scale gradient of upper canopy tree mortality within a large manipulation of forest disturbance to: 1) quantify how aboveground wood net primary …

Commonwealth Times 2014-04-28

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

The Occurrence And Consequences Of Conspecific Brood Parasitism In The Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria Citrea), Anna Tucker

Theses and Dissertations

Brood parasites avoid costs associated with raising young by adding eggs to another individual’s clutch and providing no parental care. When conspecific brood parasitism occurs in species with high parental investment, we expect hosts to suffer costs for raising an enlarged brood. Here I describe conspecific brood parasitism (CBP) in the prothonotary warbler using maternal exclusion analyses of 333 family groups. I found that 23.4% of clutches contained at least one offspring that was not matched to the social mother and determined that parasitism seems to be an opportunistic tactic. Hosts had lower average annual reproductive success than non-hosts, but …

Combined Manipulation Of Leaf Litter And Microbial Larvicide Enhances Local Control Of Culex Mosquitoes, Katie Bellile

UROP Posters

Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) is a naturally occurring insect pathogen widely used as a microbial larvicide for mosquito control. The toxicity of Bti is specific to mosquitoes and a few other dipterans. It is applied to aquatic habitats colonized by mosquitoes and produces proteins that paralyze the digestive system of larvae that consume it. While Bti is an effective larvicide, it can also deter oviposition by female mosquitoes. Thus, reduced production of adult mosquitoes at the local (i.e., pond) scale may reflect both reduced colonization and reduced larval survival. It is important to distinguish between these mechanisms. While deterring oviposition …

Factors Influencing Personality In Prothonotary Warbler Nestlings?, Jenna Dodson

UROP Posters

Animal personality is defined as consistent expressions of an individual’s behavior when exposed to stressful conditions. Avian nestling personality traits can be determined through simple stress handling tests that measure breath rate and docility. Individuals with lower measures tend to be more bold and aggressive adults, traits that are correlated with increased fitness. Other developmental factors that correlate with increased fitness include egg size, parental provisioning rates, and body condition. The objective of this project was to determine if there is a relationship between handling stress and: egg size and parental provisioning in the migratory songbird, Prothonotary warbler (PROW). This …

Feather Reflectance Predicts Reproductive Success In Female Prothonotary Warblers, Miranda Foster

UROP Posters

In many avian species, both females and males display colorful feather ornaments that in males are known to often signal individual quality and serve as the basis for mate choice. We do not know however, if the same applies for female birds. In this study, we investigated whether carotenoid content in female Prothonotary Warblers (Prothonotaria Citrea) feathers, a measure of feather quality, was correlated with annual reproductive success. Feathers from 130 female individuals over a period of four breeding seasons were collected and their reflectance was measured, along with data on annual reproductive success. We found a significant positive relationship …

Virginia Commonwealth University Graduate And Professional Programs Bulletin [2014], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Graduate and professional programs bulletin for Virginia Commonwealth University for the academic year 2014-20015. It includes information on academic regulations, degree requirements, course offerings, faculty, academic calendar, and tuition and expenses for graduate programs.

Council For Community Engagement Grants Impact Report 2007-2012, Jennifer Jettner, Valerie Holton

Division of Community Engagement Resources

As Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) takes its place among the nation‟s top 50 public research universities, our guiding principles have been an abiding focus on student success at all levels, unparalleled innovation through research, and a university-wide commitment to human health, and engagement and empowerment in our communities. To that end, VCU has named community engagement as a key focus area in its strategic plan with the aim of developing collaborative university-community partnerships that yield creative and relevant solutions for community-identified needs. These mutually-beneficial partnerships not only support the public good, but they also support our mission to advance knowledge …

Virginia Commonwealth University Fall Commencement Program [2014], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Virginia Commonwealth University Commencement Program [2014], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Excellence In Community-Engaged Research At Virginia Commonwealth University: A Compendium Of Case Studies Developed Through A Faculty Learning Community, Division Of Community Engagement, Center For Clinical And Translational Research

Community-Engaged Research Resources

Since 2005, the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) at VCU has offered faculty learning communities (FLC) on a variety of teaching and learning issues. For 2013-2014, VCU's Division of Community Engagement, Center for Clinical and Translational Research, and Center for Teaching Excellence collaborated to offer the first FLC focused on community-engaged research (CEnR). This FLC included 9 faculty members who are or who had been engaged in complex research projects that intentionally connect the campus and community. The members represented a wide range of disciplines, including education, social work, arts, public health, cancer prevention and control, psychology, family medicine, nutritional …

Effects Of Dissolved And Dietary Microcystin On Clearance Rates Of Wedge Clams (Rangia Cuneata) In The Tidal Fresh James River, Spencer Tassone, Paul Bukaveckas, Joe Wood

UROP Posters

Benthic filter feeders are important organisms in estuaries due to their ability to remove algal and non-algal particulate matter from the water column. Microcystin (MC) is a cyanotoxin that is known to have adverse effects on diverse consumers, though its effects on benthic filter-feeders are not well-studied. In this study, we examine the effects of microcystin on the filtering activities of Rangia cuneata, a common and often dominant filter-feeder in tidal freshwaters. Clams and seston obtained from the James River were used along with commercially-available microcystin to measure clearance rates of Rangia across a gradient of dissolved microcystin concentrations. We …

Historical Tidal Forest Composition And Contemporary Woody Recruitment Following Dam Removal From A Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain Tidal Freshwater Wetland, Richard E. Ward Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Tidal freshwater forest restoration after dam removal has been unexplored to date. This study elucidated pre-dam forest composition, as well as post-dam edaphic and microtopographical attributes and woody species recruiting along a narrow ecotone of a 29.3-ha tidal freshwater wetland. The ≈65-year-old historical forest (15 species, 200 stems ha-1) and ≈7-year-old contemporary forest (40 species and 11,009 stems ha-) community dominants were dissimilar (Fraxinus spp. vs. Liquidambar styraciflua, respectively). Pre-dam environmental conditions were unknown. Post-dam edaphic water content, organic matter, redox potential and microtopography differed significantly across tidal sites but were less variable in non-tidal sites. Shifts in the contemporary …

"Mining" For A Reference Condition In Southern West Virginia Streams, Matthew Rouch

Theses and Dissertations

Quarterly samples were used to estimate assemblage-level (all species combined) fish production within three minimally-impacted, southern West Virginia streams. The total annual fish production estimate was highest in Slaunch Fork (37.52 kg∙ha^-1∙y^-1), a tributary of the Tug Fork River, and lowest in Cabin Creek (10.59 kg∙ha^-1∙y^-1), a Guyandotte River tributary. Creek Chub Semotilus atromaculatus, Mottled Sculpin Cottus bairdii and Blacknose Dace Rhinicthys atratulus were the most abundant species among sites, accounting for >90% of all sampled individuals. Reference condition criteria were also selected and metrics calculated for each of the three …

Global Assessment Of Radiocarbon Isotopic Analysis For Particulate And Dissolved Organic Carbon In Riverine Systems, Ashley Tucker

Theses and Dissertations

Rivers are a significant source of particulate and dissolved organic carbon (POC, DOC) into inland waters and coastal systems and provide a fundamental linkage between the terrestrial, oceanic, and atmospheric carbon reservoirs. Recent studies have examined the relationship between the quantity and form (POC vs. DOC) of carbon delivered to the aquatic system; however, little is known about the age of POC and DOC exported and how the radiocarbon age may vary with latitude, topographic gradient, vegetation, and land use. I provide the first global synthesis of published radiocarbon values of POC and DOC (∆14C). Inclusion of DOC and POC …

Commonwealth Times 2013-11-25

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Mangrove Forest Age As A Predictor Of Overwintering Habitat Quality For Migratory Songbirds, Ryan Weaver

UROP Posters

Wetland ecosystems are critical habitats for a host of organisms including resident and migratory birds. Forested wetlands (i.e., mangroves) surrounding Panama City, Panama are currently being drained and cleared to allow for commercial development. Restoration or replacement of mangroves (i.e. younger stands) may not be a sufficient surrogate for existing mature stands. Our main objective was to determine if mature mangrove forests provided higher quality habitat to (wintering) birds compared with younger mangroves. To assess this, we compared the following in mature and young mangroves in Panama (1) Prothonotary warbler and Northern waterthrush body condition, our most abundant species, and …