Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing Effects Of Land Use On Streams Along The Natchez Trace Parkway Using Rapid Bioassessment Protocol Techniques, Bonnie Laine Earleywine

Theses and Dissertations

Stream quality along the Natchez Trace Parkway was evaluated by hydrologic unit code 4 (HUC4) watersheds and habitat assessment scores as a broad and local scale, respectively. Water chemistry parameters and rapid bioassessment techniques for habitat and fish and invertebrate communities were sampled in 18 streams and six HUC4 watersheds. Forest, agriculture, and developed land use had little variation at HUC4 level; land use impacts could not be determined. Turbidity and TSS were important factors determining habitat scores and created a “boundary” separating southern and northern watersheds. A latitudinal trophic shift was observed of fish omnivoreinsectivore- piscivore in southern watersheds …

Investigating The Relationship Between The Policy Implementation Process And The Utilization Of Information Technology In A Constitutional Republic: The Case Of I-269 Nepa Process, Joseph Hampton Holland

Theses and Dissertations

Information technologies (IT) have provided significant benefits for society. By drawing on the assumptions of the New Public Management (NPM) framework, the author investigates how, in one case, IT alters the policy implementation process. Additionally, the author tests reinforcement theory, sociotechnical theory, and technological determinism to determine which IT model best explains the utilization of IT at the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT). This study examines the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. By conducting interviews, analyzing documents, and examining a physical artifact, the author explores the administration of an economic impact analysis (EIA) that was conducted on the …

Spatial And Temporal Distribution Of Larval Fishes In A Large Tidal River., Harold Seelig

Theses and Dissertations

There are few published studies of larval fish assemblages from unregulated, tidal freshwater rivers. Patterns in the spatial and temporal distribution of larval fishes in the Mattaponi River were examined. Sampling took place on a weekly basis from February through August, 2006 and 2007. Larval fishes were categorized by taxa, reproductive guild, and residency guild. Group comparisons using multi-response permutation procedures (MRPP) indicated significant spatial and temporal differences in assemblage composition on multiple scales. Differences in assemblage composition were analyzed using non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMS). Interannual differences were attributable to anadromous and semi-migratory species. Seasonal differences were attributable to herrings, …

Human-Wildlife Conflict Across Urbanization Gradients: Spatial, Social, And Ecological Factors, Amanda H. Gilleland

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As suburban and exurban residential developments continue to multiply in urban areas, they encroach on wildlife habitats leading to increased human-wildlife interactions. The animals involved in direct conflict with homeowners are often relocated or exterminated by the homeowners. Often the homeowners contact state licensed wildlife trappers to eliminate the problem animal. In this study I examined how landscape, ecological, and social factors influence the incidence of human-wildlife conflict of thirty two residential areas in the Tampa, Florida metropolitan area. These residential areas, totaling over 300 km2, are part of the urban development gradient representing a range of urban land use …

The Colonization Mechanism Of Pink Salmon Populations In Glacier Bay, Alaska, Based On Genetic Data, Christine M. Kondzela

Fisheries

Following retreat of the last glacial advance in the early 1700s, pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha colonized many watersheds in Glacier Bay, Alaska. Streams in the lower Bay were populated first, and colonization proceeded up the Bay during the last 200 years. The objective of this study was to use analyses of genetic data---microsatellite and allozyme loci, and mitochondrial DNA haplotypes---to elucidate the colonization mechanism. The even- and odd-year broodlines served as replicate experiments; the mechanisms of colonization for the two broodlines were similar in most respects. The population genetic structure, based on allele/haplotype frequencies and genetic diversity (FST), suggested that …

Large-Scale Effects On Bird Assemblages In Desert Grasslands, Giselle Block, Michael L. Morrison

Western North American Naturalist

During winter 1996–1997 and summer 1997, we surveyed birds at 26 study sites in desert grasslands of Arizona and New Mexico to determine tolerance of birds to variability in plant composition and structure. The relationship between bird abundance and vegetative characteristics might be an important consideration in the development of management and restoration plans. Of the 49 bird species we observed, we examined 13 and 16 species in detail for winter and summer seasons, respectively. A noticeable shift in species composition occurred between 3% and 10% woody plant cover. During winter, Chestnut-collared Longspurs (Calcarius ornatus) and Horned Larks …

Un Estudio Ecológico De Las Lagartijas Del Valle Seco De Buenavista Y De Los Valles Húmedos De La Josefina Y Salango, Ross Brennan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La región costera del sur de la provincia de Manabí, Ecuador es un lugar de gran biodiversidad y endemismo. En esta zona el desierto peruano del Tumbes y el bosque húmedo del Chocó se encuentran. La gran cantidad de especies endémicas y la alta biodiversidad resultan de la interacción entre las dos regiones y la diversidad de hábitats que crean. Hay bosques secos tropicales y bosques húmedos muy cerca de Puerto López. Sin embargo, esta región está cambiando rápidamente debido a las actividades humanas; hay progresiva desertificación y otras amenazas a la diversidad. Además, no hay muchos estudios de la …

Economic Development, Inequality And Malnutrition In India, Arnab Mukherji, Divya Rajaraman, Hema Swaminathan

Working Papers

Economic development and inequality is known to have an impact on health outcomes. We show this to be true in India where we study the effect of economic status on under and over nutrition. Inequality is measured using income or assets and we show that both matter for malnutrition. We find women are at much higher risk of being malnourished and this risk increases with age. Our results suggest that while under nutrition should remain a policy priority, rising over nutrition in the population cannot be ignored by nutritional planners.

Editing Eden, Frank Hutchins, Patrick C. Wilson

University of Nebraska Press: Sample Books and Chapters

Recent scholarship on the Amazon has challenged depictions of the region that emphasize its natural exuberance or represent its residents as historically isolated peoples stoically resisting challenges from powerful global forces. The contributors to this volume follow this lead by situating the discussion of the Amazon and its inhabitants at the intersections of identity politics, debates about socioeconomic sovereignty, and processes of place making. Editing Eden focuses on case studies from Amazonian Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador regarding the themes of indigeneity, community making, development politics, and the transcendence of indigenous/nonindigenous divides. Portraits of the Amazon emerge through an analysis of …

Investigations Into The Application Of Single-Beam Acoustic Backscatter For Describing Shallow Water Marine Habitats, Greg Foster

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1

Producing thematic coral reef benthic habitat maps from single-beam acoustic backscatter has been hindered by uncertainties in interpreting the acoustic energy parameters E1 (~roughness) and E2 (~hardness), typically limiting such maps to sediment classification schemes. In this study acoustic interpretation was guided by high-resolution LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) bathymetry. Each acoustic record, acquired from a BioSonics DT-X echosounder and multiplexed 38 and 418 kHz transducers, was paired with a spatially-coincident value of a LIDAR-derived proxy for topographic complexity (Reef-Volume) and its membership to one of eight LIDAR-delineated benthic habitat classes. The discriminatory capabilities of the 38 and …

European Starling Preferences For Bait Substrates Used In Drc-1339 Applications, H. Jeffrey Usda-Aphis-Wildlife Services, George M. Linz, Scott F. Beckerman, Anthony Duffiney, Thomas Halstead

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Additional bait substrates for the avicide, DRC-1339 Concentrate (3-chloro-4- methylaniline hydrochloride), could provide USDA/Wildlife Services with more flexibility when managing nuisance populations of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) at livestock facilities. From January 11 to 21, 2008, we conducted 11 2-choice preference tests with 6 bait types at a feedlot in central Kansas. The baits included cracked corn mixed with lard (2 concentrations), 2 forms of distiller’s grain (wet powder and pellets), 2 types of livestock feed (calf-starter pellet and sweet-feed mix), and a custom-produced poultry pellet (carrier pellet) made by USDA specifically for baiting starlings. We evaluated bait …

Toward A Strategy For The Conservation And Protection Of The World’S Temperate Grasslands, William D. Henwood

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Temperate grasslands are one of the world’s great biomes and were once home to some of the largest assemblages of wildlife the earth has ever known. Today these grasslands are considered the most altered terrestrial ecosystem on the planet and are recognized as the most endangered ecosystem on most continents. While species and habitat declines continue, temperate grasslands have the lowest level of protection of the world’s 14 biomes. With only 4% of the biome under protected status, considerable effort will be required to increase this level of protection. Several international bodies have suggested that achieving at least a 10% …

Consumer Return Chronology Alters Recovery Trajectory Of Stream Ecosystem Structure And Function Following Drought, Justin N. Murdock, Keith B. Gido, Walter K. Dodds, Katie N. Bertrand, Matt R. Whiles

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Consumers are increasingly being recognized as important drivers of ecological succession, yet it is still hard to predict the nature and direction of consumer effects in nonequilibrium environments. We used stream consumer exclosures and large outdoor mesocosms to study the impact of macroconsumers (i.e., fish and crayfish) on recovery of intermittent prairie streams after drying. In the stream, macroconsumers altered system recovery trajectory by decreasing algal and macroinvertebrate biomass, primary productivity, and benthic nutrient uptake rates. However, macroconsumer influence was transient, and differences between exclosures and controls disappeared after 35 days. Introducing and removing macroconsumers after 28 days resulted mainly …

Interisland Variability Of Dune Plant Community Structure On Virginia's Barrier Islands, Justin K. Shafer

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The barrier islands of the Virginia Coast Reserve LTER site provide an opportunity to study interisland variability of dune plant communities. My research focused on the variation in biomass and diversity of communities among islands and dune positions. Grassy dunes of young, intermediate and old age were sampled on Smith, Hog, and Parramore Islands. Aboveground biomass was obtained from harvest plots, and roots were extracted from cores. Data were collected on depth to groundwater and total soil nitrogen. Variation in mean aboveground biomass was evident among the islands with the highest values on Hog Island, followed by Smith, then Parramore …

Toward An Applied Anthropology Of Gis: Spatial Analysis Of Adolescent Childbearing In Hillsborough And Pinellas Counties, Florida, Kathleen I. Maes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work investigates births to white, African American and Hispanic adolescents in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties, Florida, from 1992 to 1997 in two age groups - 13 to 17 year-olds and 18 to 19 year-olds - using spatial statistical techniques along with key informant interviews to provide insights into the utility of the research findings. The research developed a method for estimating the adolescent population in inter-census years, which was used to determine denominators for calculating teen birth rates. It also developed a composite deprivation index using socioeconomic indicators at the census block group level. The index provided context for …

Diversity And Abundance Of The Dark Kangaroo Mouse, Microdipodops Megacephalus, In Communities Of Nocturnal Granivorous Rodents In Western North America, Ashley Sagers Haug

Theses and Dissertations

The dark kangaroo mouse, Microdipodops megacephalus, is a sensitive species in the Great Basin Desert. This thesis explores the structure of desert rodent communities of the Great Basin to better understand M. megacephalus' place in the community and the conditions that promote large and stable populations. To determine community structure, I used nestedness analysis to evaluate 99 communities of nocturnal granivorous rodents. I found that the community structure was non-random, indicating the existence of assembly rules and ecological constraints. I also found that M. megacephalus was the second most vulnerable species in the community. To explore the correlation …

Taxonomy And Applied Biogeography Of Mongolian Stoneflies (Insecta: Plecoptera), Sarah Walker Judson

Theses and Dissertations

Since the early 1900s, efforts have been made to catalogue the stoneflies of Mongolia. Taxonomic work from 1960 to 1980 greatly expanded basic lists of stoneflies in Mongolia, but no comprehensive survey or synthesis of this dispersed literature has been completed. In conjunction with a modern survey of the aquatic insects of Mongolia, we collected Plecoptera on a series of expeditions to the Selenge (north) and Altai (west) regions of Mongolia. A total of 48 species distributed in 24 genera and 8 families were documented, including 3 of the 5 Mongolian endemics, 2 new species records for Mongolia, and 1 …

Ecological Studies Of Wolves On Isle Royale, 2009-2010, John A. Vucetich, Rolf O. Peterson

Ecological Studies of Wolves on Isle Royale

Annual Report 2009-2010

Parental Factors As A Moderator Of The Co-Occurrence Of Substance Use And Depression In Hispanic Adolescents, Rebecca Shoff

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between parenting factors and Hispanic adolescent substance use and depression. Specifically, the study examined the relationship between parental support, parental knowledge, and parental psychological control among Hispanic adolescents' use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, hard drugs and depressive symptoms. The sample included 839 Hispanic (primarily Mexican) 9th – 12th graders from west Texas area school districts who were given a self-reported survey to assess parental behaviors, substance use, and adolescent depression. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), findings indicated that higher levels of maternal support were related to lower levels of depressive …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Proenvironmental Product Use And Environmnetal Concern, Joshua M. Poulton

Theses and Dissertations

To be sustainable, an organization must be balanced in the three principles of economy, environment, and society. Advances in pro-environmental technology have overcome roadblocks limiting the economic and environmental principles. The remaining hurdle to becoming sustainable is having society’s beliefs and behaviors align. Understanding the interaction between an individual’s environmental belief and environmental behaviors is essential to bringing them into alignment. To explore this relationship, a model was developed that included the new ecological paradigm (NEP) scale and a generalized version of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The attitudes, intentions, and use of six pro-environmental products were measured in …

An Ecological Study Of The Brown Garden Snail Cornu Aspersum (Müller, 1774) From Selected Habitats In Jadiriya In Baghdad Vicinity., Dlovan Kamal, Emaduldeen A. Almuktar

Baghdad Science Journal

The present study is considered a pioneer investigation that deal with the terrestrial brown garden snail Cornu aspersum (Müller), in Iraq. Cornu aspersum however is considered an exotic species in many parts of the world ,The species is most probably infiltrates with plants transferred from one place to another. The species has gained importance in many ways. Nutritionally, the species is consumed as food item in many countries, but in other cases it is considered as pest for the damage it causes when feeding on valuable plant shoots. It also has medical importance for its role and ability in healing …

Combining Local- And Large-Scale Models To Predict The Distributions Of Invasive Plant Species, Chad C. Jones, Steven A. Acker, Charles B. Halpern

Botany Faculty Publications

Habitat-distribution models are increasingly used to predict the potential distributions of invasive species and to inform monitoring. However, these models assume that species are in equilibrium with the environment, which is clearly not true for most invasive species. Although this assumption is frequently acknowledged, solutions have not been adequately addressed. There are several potential methods for improving habitat-distribution models. Models that require only presence data may be more effective for invasive species, but this assumption has rarely been tested. In addition, combining modeling types to form ‘ensemble’ models may improve the accuracy of predictions. However, even with these improvements, models …

Cruise Foraging Of Invasive Chameleon (Chamaeleo Jacksonii Xantholophus) In Hawai’I, Travis J. Hagey, Jonathan B. Losos, Luke Harmon

Biology

We quantified the foraging behavior of the Jackson’s chameleon (Chamaeleo jacksonii xantholophus), an invasive insectivorous lizard species in Hawai’i. Using video taken in the field, we focused on percent time moving, moves per minute, and movement speeds. Our results supported previous findings that chameleons are ‘‘cruise foragers’’ (sensu Butler, 2005), a foraging behavior unlike almost all other species of lizards.

Diversity And Distribution Of The Scarab Beetle Tribe Phanaeini In The Northern States Of The Brazilian Northeast (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), Conrad P. D. T. Gillett, Michael P. T. Gillett, James E. D. T. Gillett, Fernando Z. Vaz-De-Mello

Insecta Mundi

The fauna of Phanaeini of the northeast of Brazil was investigated through fieldwork in the States of Ceará, Maranhão and Piauí, and through study of preserved material from other states. Seven species of Phanaeini are newly recorded from these three states. Of these, two species are also new records for the northeast region: Phanaeus melibaeus Blanchard and an unidentified Dendropaemon Perty species. A total of 13 new state records are given for eight of the 15 species of Phanaeini recorded from the northeast to date, including three new state genus records. A key is provided for identification of all species. …

Gis And Injury Prevention And Control: History, Challenges, And Opportunities, Nathaniel Bell, Nadine Schuurman

Faculty Publications

Intentional and unintentional injury is the leading cause of death and potential years of life lost in the first four decades of life in industrialized countries around the world. Despite surgical innovations and improved access to emergency care, research has shown that certain populations remain particularly vulnerable to the risks and consequences of injury. Recent evidence has shown that the analytical, data linkage, and mapping tools of geographic information systems (GIS) technology provide can further address these determinants and identify populations in need. This paper traces the history of injury prevention and discusses current and future challenges in furthering our …

Organismal Climatology: Analyzing Environmental Variability At Scales Relevant To Physiological Stress, Brian Helmuth, Bernardo R. Broitman, Lauren Yamane, Sarah E. Gilman, Katharine Mach, K. A.S. Mislan, Mark W. Denny

Faculty Publications

Predicting when, where and with what magnitude climate change is likely to affect the fitness, abundance and distribution of organisms and the functioning of ecosystems has emerged as a high priority for scientists and resource managers. However, even in cases where we have detailed knowledge of current species’ range boundaries, we often do not understand what, if any, aspects of weather and climate act to set these limits. This shortcoming significantly curtails our capacity to predict potential future range shifts in response to climate change, especially since the factors that set range boundaries under those novel conditions may be different …

Conserving Migratory Land Birds In The New World: Do We Know Enough?, John Faaborg, Richard T. Holmes, Angela D. Anders, Keith L. Bildstein

Dartmouth Scholarship

Migratory bird needs must be met during four phases of the year: breeding season, fall migration, wintering, and spring migration; thus, management may be needed during all four phases. The bulk of research and management has focused on the breeding season, although several issues remain unsettled, including the spatial extent of habitat influences on fitness and the importance of habitat on the breeding grounds used after breeding. Although detailed investigations have shed light on the ecology and population dynamics of a few avian species, knowledge is sketchy for most species. Replication of comprehensive studies is needed for multiple species across …

Perspectives Of Underwater Optics In Biological Oceanography And Plankton Ecology Studies, Hans-Uwe Dahms, Jiang-Shiou Hwang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The ever expanding fields of UW (underwater) optics cover principal measurements of the optical properties of the sea, development of new methods of monitoring optical properties, techniques for measurements of organisms or structures in the sea and the development and application of optical instrumentation. In this respect, ocean optics is a multidisciplinary (and multinational) endeavour of science and engineering. Ocean optics has applications in the study of upwelling irradiance and chlorophyll concentrations in the ocean, in the penetration of solar radiation in shallow shelf seas and how this influences temperature profiles and ultimately its effect on sound propagation. Recent development …

Distributed, Adaptive Deployment For Nonholonomic Mobile Sensor Networks : Theory And Experiments, Jose Marcio Luna-Castaneda

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

In this work we show the Lyapunov stability and convergence of an adaptive and decentralized coverage control for a team of mobile sensors. This new approach assumes nonholonomic sensors rather than the usual holonomic sensors found in the literature. The kinematics of the unicycle model and a nonlinear control law in polar coordinates are used in order to prove the stability of the controller applied over a team of mobile sensors. This controller is adaptive, which means that the mobile sensors are able to estimate and map a density function in the sampling space without a previous knowledge of the …

Research Poster: Clark County School District Involvement In The Nsf Epscor Program, Education Component, Aubrey M. Shirk, Larry Rudd, Paul Buck

2010 Annual Nevada NSF EPSCoR Climate Change Conference

Research poster