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Examination Of The Allee Effect On Postlarval Recruitment And Post Settlement Survival In The Caribbean Spiny Lobster Panulirus Argus, Adrianna Zito

All Theses

Positive density dependence (the Allee effect) has been reported in a number of species that are attracted to conspecific cues. This effect has been shown to influence the settlement of many species of marine invertebrates. Caribbean spiny lobsters are gregarious den dwellers attracted to conspecific cues. Previous studies have suggested that the benefit of conspecific attraction is a reduced predation risk by decreasing the time to find crevice shelters (the guide effect) or by cooperative group defense once sharing shelters. I tested a third hypothesis that attraction to conspecific cues increases the settlement of lobster postlarvae into the highest quality …

Greening American History: Incorporating An Environmental Perspective Into United States Survey Courses, Nelson Paul Rosit

Theses and Dissertations

To paraphrase a well-known historian, there is too little nature in the study of history. Although environmental history is a well established field, nature and the physical environment are still often excluded agents in history pedagogy. The following essay is an effort to remedy this problem. This dissertation has two main objectives. The first is to define and describe environmental history and present a rationale for its inclusion as a major component of survey history courses. The second is to outline ways college teachers can include an environmental perspective in their instructional strategies. It includes three sample lesson plans that …

Socioeconomic And Racial/Ethnic Differentials Of C-Reactive Protein Levels: A Systematic Review Of Population-Based Studies, Aydin Nazmi, Cesar G. Victora

Food Science and Nutrition

Background:Socioeconomic and racial/ethnic factors strongly influence cardiovascular disease outcomes and risk factors. C-reactive protein (CRP), a non-specific marker of inflammation, is associated with cardiovascular risk, and knowledge about its distribution in the population may help direct preventive efforts. A systematic review was undertaken to critically assess CRP levels according to socioeconomic and racial/ethnic factors.

Methods:Medline was searched through December 2006 for population-based studies examining CRP levels among adults with respect to indicators of socioeconomic position (SEP) and/or race/ethnicity. Bibliographies from located studies were scanned and 26 experts in the field were contacted for unpublished work.

Results:Thirty-two relevant …

Effects Of White-Tailed Deer Herbivory On Forest Plant Communities, John Thrift

All Theses

ABSTRACT
The impact of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) herbivory on forest ecosystems has received more attention as deer populations continue to increase in many areas. We investigated the effects of deer herbivory on plant communities in three different geographic regions to increase the general knowledge of herbivory impacts and also to investigate specific regional effects where research has been lacking.
Twelve exclosures were constructed in clearcut hardwood stands on the Clemson Experimental Forest, SC. Sapling, seedling, and understory species richness (S), Shannon's Diversity Index (H'), and Evenness (J') were compared between exclosures and paired control plots after the first and …

The Ecology Of Freshwater Turtle Communities On The Upper-Coastal Plain Of South Carolina, Patrick Cloninger

All Theses

A mark-recapture study was used to examine aspects of freshwater turtle ecology, including the size at maturity, sex ratio, growth, sexual size dimorphism and ectoparasite infestation, on the Upper-Coastal Plain of South Carolina at Pee Dee Research and Education Center (PDREC). Turtles were trapped at 8 sites in Dargans' Pond during the summers of 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006 for a total of 279 trap nights and at 6 sites in the smaller ponds at PDREC for a total of 120 trap nights during the summer of 2006. In Dargans' Pond there were 548 captures of Trachemys scripta, made …

A Statewide Biomarker Approach To Estimate Contaminant Effects In The Wadeable Streams Of South Carolina, Molly Keaton

All Theses

Freshwater species in South Carolina have been declining for many years. However, the threats that these organisms face from point and non-point source pollution are largely unknown. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) began a five year survey of the wadeable streams of South Carolina in May 2006. One of the purposes of this study was to use molecular biomarkers of contaminant exposure to fully assess the health of fish in South Carolina's freshwater streams. During the first year of the study, sunfish (Lepomis sp.) were sampled from May through September 2006 at randomly selected sites in three …

The Decline Of Fowler's Toad (Bufo Fowleri) In Southern Louisiana: Molecular Genetics, Field Experiments And Landscape Studies, Laura Sanders Vogel

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Two of the most pervasive threats to species biodiversity are invasive species and habitat loss and degradation. Invasive species are often relatively insensitive to disturbance and many expand their range into disturbed and fragmented habitats. This dissertation uses an interdisciplinary approach to investigate how anthropogenic habitat disturbance is precipitating a range expansion in an invasive toad species, Bufo nebulifer, which is driving a decline in its native congener, B. fowleri. I employed a remote sensing and GIS study using historical data to compare changes in the two species distributions and habitat changes, a molecular genetic study to identify interspecific hybrids …

Ecology Of An Invasive Predator In Hawaii, Steven C. Hess, Heidi Hansen, Paul C. Banko

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Cats (Felis catus) brought to Hawaii in the 1700s now occupy most habitats throughout the islands, including montane and sublapine zones. We studied home range, population genetics, diseases, and diet of feral cats on Hawai`i Island. Feral cats on Mauna Kea live in low densities and exhibit some of the largest reported home ranges. While 95% kernel home range estimates for 4 males ( x = 1418 ha) were nearly twice as large as 3 female home ranges ( x = 772 ha), one male maintained a home range of 2050 ha. Population genetics revealed that Mauna Kea …

Characterizing The Hydrology Of Shallow Floodplain Lakes In The Slave River Delta, Nwt, Canada, Using Water Isotope Tracers, Bronwyn E. Brock, Brent B. Wolfe, Thomas W.D. Edwards

Geography and Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

The relative importance of major hydrological processes on thaw season 2003 lakewater balances in the Slave River Delta, NWT, Canada, is characterized using water isotope tracers and total suspended sediment (TSS) analyses. A suite of 41 lakes from three previously recognized biogeographical zones—outer delta, mid-delta, and apex—were sampled immediately following the spring melt, during summer, and in the fall of 2003. Oxygen and hydrogen isotope compositions were evaluated in the context of an isotopic framework calculated from 2003 hydroclimatic data. Our analysis reveals that flooding from the Slave River and Great Slave Lake dominated early spring lakewater balances in outer …

The Evolution Of Color Polymorphism: Crypticity, Searching Images, And Apostatic Selection, Alan B. Bond

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The development and maintenance of color polymorphism in cryptic prey species is a source of enduring fascination, in part because it appears to result from selective processes operating across multiple levels of analysis, ranging from cognitive psychology to population ecology. Since the 1960s, prey species with diverse phenotypes have been viewed as the evolved reflection of the perceptual and cognitive characteristics of their predators. Because it is harder to search simultaneously for two or more cryptic prey types than to search for only one, visual predators should tend to focus on the most abundant forms and effectively overlook the others. …

Impact Of An Exotic Parasitoid On Plutella Xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) Population Dynamics, Damage And Indigenous Natural Enemies In Kenya, B. Löhr, R. Gathu, C. Kariuki, J. Obiero, G. Gichini

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Diadegma semiclausum (Hellén) (Hymenoptera: lchneumonidae), an exotic diamondback moth parasitoid, was released in two pilot areas (Werugha in Coast Region and Tharuni in Central Province) in Kenya. Fifteen month before release, observations on the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus), and local natural enemy population dynamics and pest damage were initiated in both areas and continued for three years after release. The P. xylostella population was bimodal with higher records during dry seasons. At Werugha, the peak population of P. xylostella was 16.8 per plant (October 2001); at Tharuni it was 12.8 (February 2002). Populations at Werugha declined from three months …

Polymorphisms In Nucleotide Excision Repair Genes, Arsenic Exposure, And Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer In New Hampshire, Katie M. Applebaum, Margaret R. Karagas, David J. Hunter, Paul J. Catalano, Steven H. Byler, Steve Morris, Heather H. Nelson

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background:

Arsenic exposure may alter the efficiency of DNA repair. UV damage is specifically repaired by nucleotide excision repair (NER), and common genetic variants in NER may increase risk for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC).

Objective:

We tested whether polymorphisms in the NER genes XPA (A23G) and XPD (Asp312Asn and Lys751Gln) modify the association between arsenic and NMSC.

Methods:

Incident cases of basal and squamous cell carcinoma (BCC and SCC, respectively) were identified through a network of dermatologists and pathology laboratories across New Hampshire. Population-based controls were frequency matched to cases on age and sex. Arsenic exposure was assessed in toenail …

The Use Of Microarrays In The Detection Of The Gene Expression Of Ribulose- 1,5- Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase (Rubisco) In The Marine Environment, Kathryn Lafaye Bailey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) pathway is the primary pathway for the entry of inorganic carbon in the biosphere. Autotrophic organisms use this cycle to ultimately convert CO₂ into carbohydrates using a key enzyme known as ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO). The gene that encodes for the large subunit of RubisCO is rbcL and detection of its expression can be used to determine the autotrophic organisms present in the environment. Recently, microarrays have been used to study functional gene expression from environmental samples such as those obtained from sediments and soil. The purpose of this thesis is to combine microarray technology and rbcL …

Wooster Magazine: Summer 2007, Karol Crosbie

Wooster Magazine: 2001-2010

This edition of the Wooster Magazine was published in the summer of 2007. Karol Crosbie begins the edition with a blurb about gardening as a community. Professor Jack Gallagher was awarded a Grammy Award earlier in the year for his production and recording of Oiseaux Exotiques and Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 1. President Stan Hales said goodbye to alumni in thirty cities over a four month period. Students whose Independent Studies were focused in Environmental Studies are highlighted from page twelve to nineteen. Wooster alumni and faculty in the performing arts field are featured from page twenty-four to thirty-one. The …

Direct And Indirect Effects Of Animal Detritus On Growth, Survival, And Mass Of Invasive Container Mosquito Aedes Albopictus (Diptera : Culicidae, Donald A. Yee, Banugopan Kesavaraju, Steven A. Juliano

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Compared with plant detritus, animal detritus yields higher growth rates, survival, adult mass, and population growth of container-dwelling mosquitoes. It is unclear whether the benefit from animal detritus to larvae results from greater microorganism growth, direct ingestion of animal detritus by larvae, or some other mechanism. We tested alternative mechanisms by which animal detritus may benefit the invasive container-dwelling mosquito Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae). In the laboratory, larvae were reared under three conditions with access to 1) detritus, but where microorganisms in the water column were reduced through periodic flushing; 2) water column microorganisms, but larvae had no direct …

Risk Factors Associated With Esophageal Cancer In North Of Iran, Abdolvahab Moradi, Khodaberdi Kalavi, Durdi Qujeq, Ezzat-Ollah Ghaemi, Abdoljalal Marjani, Araz Ghourchaei

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Host Rock Geochemistry On Bacterial Community Structure In Oligotrophic Cave Environments, Hazel A. Barton, Nicholas M. Taylor, Michael P. Kreate

KIP Articles

Despite extremely starved conditions, caves contain surprisingly diverse microbial communities. Our research is geared toward understanding what ecosystems drivers are responsible for this high diversity. To asses the effect of rock fabric and mineralogy, we carried out a comparative geomicrobiology study within Carlsbad Cavern, New Mexico, USA. Samples were collected from two different geologic locations within the cave: WF1 in the Massive Member of the Capitan Formation and sF88 in the calcareous siltstones of the Yates Formation. We examined the organic content at each location using liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy and analyzed microbial community structure using molecular phylogenetic analyses. In …

Prevalence Of Passive Smoking In Children And Adolescents In Kahramanmaras, Turkey, Mustafa Celik, Hasan C. Ekerbicer, Ufuk G. Ergun, Ekrem Guler, Deniz Kaya

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Exotic Grasses On Soil Seed Banks In Southeastern Arizona Grasslands, Steven P. Mclaughlin, Janice E. Bowers

Western North American Naturalist

At the Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch, an ungrazed grassland preserve in southeastern Arizona, soil seed banks were sampled in June, August, and October 2002 and June 2003. Wildfire had previously burned 90% of the research ranch in May 2002. Seed density and species richness in burned native grassland (2 plots) were compared to those in burned exotic grassland (2 plots). Averaged over 4 sample dates, seed densities were as follows: burned native grassland, 591 ± 243.1 seeds · m⁻² and 784 ± 334.9 seeds · m⁻²; burned exotic grassland, 501 ± 198.9 seeds · m⁻² and 196 …

Use Of Agricultural Lands By San Joaquin Kit Foxes, Gregory D. Warrick, Howard O. Clark Jr., Patrick A. Kelly, Daniel F. Williams, Brian L. Cypher

Western North American Naturalist

Although the current range of the endangered San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica) borders large areas of farmland, the ecology of this species rarely has been studied within an agricultural setting. In central California, we examined habitat use, prey availability, and diet of radio-collared kit foxes inhabiting an aqueduct right-of-way (ROW) bordered by farmland. During both years of study (1998–1999), nocturnal locations of foxes occurred more often than expected (based on habitat availability) in the ROW and less often than expected within annual crops. Orchards were used disproportionately more than their availability during 1998 and were used …

Central America, H. Lee Jones, Oliver Komar

North American Birds

No abstract provided.

Modeling And Prediction Of Marine Microbial Populations In The Genomic Era, Raleigh R. Hood, Edward A. Laws, Michael J. Follows, David A. Siegel

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.