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Evidence For Maize (Zea Mays) In The Late Archaic (3000–1800 B.C.) In The Norte Chico Region Of Peru, Jonathan Haas, Winifred Creamer, Luis Huamán Mesía, David Goldstein, Karl Reinhard, Cindy Vergel Rodríguez

Karl Reinhard Publications

For more than 40 y, there has been an active discussion over the presence and economic importance of maize (Zea mays) during the Late Archaic period (3000–1800 B.C.) in ancient Peru. The evidence for Late Archaic maize has been limited, leading to the interpretation that it was present but used primarily for ceremonial purposes. Archaeological testing at a number of sites in the Norte Chico region of the north central coast provides a broad range of empirical data on the production, processing, and consumption of maize. New data drawn from coprolites, pollen records, and stone tool residues, combined …

Global Trends In Seasonality Of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (Ndvi), 1982-2011, J. Ronald Eastman, Florencia Sangermano, Elia A. Machado, John Rogan, Assaf Anyamba

Geography

A 30-year series of global monthly Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) imagery derived from the Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies (GIMMS) NDVI3g archive was analyzed for the presence of trends in changing seasonality. Using the Seasonal Trend Analysis (STA) procedure, over half (56.30%) of land surfaces were found to exhibit significant trends. Almost half (46.10%) of the significant trends belonged to three classes of seasonal trends (or changes). Class 1 consisted of areas that experienced a uniform increase in NDVI throughout the year, and was primarily associated with forested areas, particularly broadleaf forests. Class 2 consisted of areas experiencing …

Influence Of Removal Sampling Of Small Mammals On Abundance And Diversity Attributes: Scientific Implications, Thomas P. Sullivan, Druscilla S. Sullivan

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Terrestrial small mammals occupy a variety of temperate and boreal forests in North America and Eurasia and contribute to biodiversity within these ecosystems. Researchers commonly use a variation of removal trapping to sample small-mammal populations and communities in these systems. However, it is not known if recurrent removal sampling might bias abundance estimates or alter the very populations under study. We addressed 2 questions: (1) are estimates of population size and species richness and diversity gained from removal trapping different from those based on live-trapping? and (2) what residual impact does removal trapping have on small-mammal populations and communities, as …

Emergent Irrigation Agriculture And Settlement Patterns In The Lower Nepeña Valley, North-Central Coast Of Peru, Caitlyn Yoshiko Mcnabb

LSU Master's Theses

The Andes is one of many regions thought to have developed as a pristine hydraulic state; thus the region serves as a testing ground for theories on the development of irrigation. Since Wittfogel (1957) proposed a correlation between irrigation and the development of pristine states, the relationships between social organization, political power, and coordinated subsistence strategies have been hotly debated. This research will examine the role of irrigation in the transition to early urban settlements in the Nepeña Valley, on the north-central coast of Peru. I especially focus on the nature of political structure and social organization, examining the validity …

Chapter 1 - Field Taxonomy And Collection Methods, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Volume 3: Methods

Explore the contents of Bryophyte Ecology, Volume 3, Chapter 1 - field Taxonomy and Collection Methods by clicking the link above. For the Contents section of this ebook, as well as Volumes 1 through 5, please visit the Bryophyte Ecology Main Page.

Use CTRL+F to easily search within PDF files.

Ebook sponsored by Michigan Technological University and the International Association of Bryologists.

Trophic Ecology Of Oxygen Minimum Zone Zooplankton Revealed By Carbon And Nitrogen Stable Isotopes, Rebecca Williams

Open Access Dissertations

Oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) are areas in which midwater oxygen concentration can be significantly lower than in non OMZ areas at comparable depths. OMZs are of great interest because of the limits oxygen availability places on life. The potential for OMZ expansion with warming of the oceans has refocused attention on the importance of these areas and their potential impacts on the global carbon cycle. The large open ocean OMZs of the Eastern Tropical Pacific and Arabian Sea are notable for their size, thickness, and the intensity of oxygen depletion (

Here, I use measurements of natural abundance carbon and …

Large-Scale Spatial Synchrony And Cross-Synchrony In Acorn Production By Two California Oaks, Walter D. Koenig, Johannes M.H. Knops

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Seed production that varies greatly from year to year, known as ‘‘masting’’ or ‘‘mast-fruiting’’ behavior, is a population-level phenomenon known to exhibit geographic synchrony extending, at least in some cases, hundreds of kilometers. The two main nonexclusive hypotheses for the driver of such geographically extensive synchrony are (1) environmental factors (the Moran effect), and (2) the mutual dependence of trees on outcrossed pollen (pollen coupling). We tested 10 predictions relevant to these two hypotheses using 18 years of acorn production data on two species of California oaks. Data were obtained across the entire ranges of the two species at 12 …

Assessing The Equity Implications Of Greenspace Distribution In An Arid Region, Abdelatif Eldeb

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In the last few decades, vegetation deterioration is receiving increased attention because of its adverse impacts on societal and human health, environmental sustainability, and quality of life. I have selected two cities in Chihuahua Desert region (El Paso and Juarez) as case study sites to develop a novel and applicable methodology for integrating remotely sensed data of different spectral and spatial resolutions into an analysis of the spatial distribution of an urban amenity. The primary objective of this research is to determine if the spatial distribution of greenspace in 2010 is equitable with respect to socio-demographics in El Paso and …

Insects As Indicators Of Environmental Stress, De Anna Estella Beasley

Theses and Dissertations

In the face of climate change-related events and anthropogenic disturbances, understanding the impacts of these events on species richness, abundance and distribution is important for us to mitigate biodiversity loss and better predict consequences for the environment and for human life. Insects are excellent models for understanding the consequences of environmental stress due to the sensitivity of their development and behavior. The overall focus of my dissertation research is the investigation of fluctuating asymmetry and oviposition behavior as indicators of environmental stress. My research includes a meta-analysis of published literature, and empirical research that was part of a collaborative initiative …

Activity Patterns And Spatial Resource Selection Of The Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis Sirtalis Sirtalis), Matthew Gregory Most

Master's Theses

Snake species usually exhibit seasonal variations in activity patterns, home-range size and the use of respective habitat. Using mark-recapture protocols I marked 96 individual Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis specimens in Lake Forest, IL to determine the independent variables that best explained habitat selection in a population of Eastern Garter Snakes (T. s. sirtalis). Specifically, I focused on the relationship between seasonal movement and home range size of male and female garter snakes. I analyzed the habitat preferences and spatial ecology of Eastern Garter Snakes during the 2011 sampling season and modeled the relationship between preferred or avoided habitat, in conjunction with …

Assessing The Effects Of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles On Microbial Communities In Stream Sediment Using Artificial Streams And High Throughput Screening, Alexandra Ozaki

Master's Theses

Nano-titanium dioxide (nano-TiO2) is an engineered nanomaterial used in a wide array of commercial products. The production and use of large amounts of nano-TiO2 is resulting in the unintended release to the environment. Nano-TiO2 is known to be cytotoxic due primarily to its ability to generate reactive oxygen species, and negative impacts on a variety of organisms have been demonstrated, but the effects of nano-TiO2 on complex microbial communities under ecologically relevant conditions have rarely been tested. We conducted a controlled manipulative experiment using recirculating model streams dosed with a one-time amendment of 1mg L-1 nano-TiO2 (specifically P25). Within one …

Placing Livestock In Landscape Studies: Pastures New Or Out To Graze?, Jessica Sellick, Richard Yarwood

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Residential Proximity To Industrial Combustion Facilities And Risk Of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Case–Control Study, Anjoeka Pronk, John R. Nuckols, Anneclaire J. De Roos, Matthew Airola, Joanne S. Colt, James R. Cerhan, Lindsay Morton, Wendy Cozen, Richard Severson, Aaron Blair, David Cleverly, Mary H. Ward

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Residence near municipal solid waste incinerators, a major historical source of dioxin emissions, has been associated with increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in European studies. The aim of our study was to evaluate residence near industrial combustion facilities and estimates of dioxin emissions in relation to NHL risk in the United States.

Methods

We conducted a population-based case–control study of NHL (1998–2000) in four National Cancer Institute-Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results centers (Detroit, Iowa, Los Angeles, Seattle). Residential histories 15 years before diagnosis (similar date for controls) were linked to an Environmental Protection Agency database of dioxin-emitting …

Seasonal Composition And Population Density Of Zooplankton In Lake Karaboğaz From The Kızılırmak Delta (Samsun, Turkey), Ertunç Gündüz, Yasemi̇n Saygi, Fatma Yildiz Demi̇rkalp, Seli̇m Süalp Çağlar, Si̇bel Atasağun, Sabri̇ Kilinç

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Zooplankton composition and abundance were investigated seasonally at 6 sites in Lake Karaboğaz in relation to some physicochemical conditions. A total of 63 taxa were identified, among them 51 species of rotifers, 8 cladocerans, and 4 copepods. Rotifera represented the predominant component (79% of the total community), followed by nauplii, cladocerans, and copepods (15%, 5%, and 1%, respectively). The average total zooplankton abundance ranged from 9603 to 22,968 ind/m^3. The maximum and the minimum densities were measured in June and August of 2009, respectively. Of the identified zooplankton, 39 taxa were species with a low frequency in the lake. Among …

Effects Of Artificial Migration Of Susceptible Individuals On Resistance And Fitness Of A Fenitrothion-Resistant Strain Of Musca Domestica (L.) Diptera, Arda Cem Kuyucu, Seli̇m Süalp Çağlar

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Migration of susceptible individuals from untreated areas to populations that have developed insecticide resistance is one of the most important processes that can significantly delay or even prevent the development of resistance against insecticides. Fitness parameters of susceptible and resistant insect populations and changes in fitness following susceptible population migration have a crucial place in this process, as they determine the permanence and spread of susceptible alleles in the absence of insecticides. In this study, we investigated changes in resistance levels and fitness characteristics after introducing individuals from the ancestral susceptible strain in an equal ratio to a housefly (Musca …

Tree Cavities And Associated Vertebrate Fauna In A Coniferous Forest Of Dhirkot, Azad Jammu And Kashmir Part Of Pakistan, Iftikhar Hussain, Sajid Abbasi, Sarwat Naz Mirza, Maqsood Anwar, Muhammad Rais, Tariq Mahmood

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Tree cavities are a globally important structural element of forest ecosystems that host numerous cavity-dwelling vertebrates, but they have received little research in Pakistan. We investigated cavity-bearing trees, the attributes of their cavities, and their associated vertebrate fauna in a coniferous forest of Pakistan. We recorded 1140 trees in a 2-km^2 sampled area. We found 211 cavities (64% decay-formed and 36% excavated cavities) in 83 trees (41% live and 59% snags). Of the cavities found, 74% were recorded in trunks and 26% were in branches. Only 28% of the cavities showed signs of recent use by any vertebrate species. We …

Diversity Indices Of Pelagic Rotifers In Camp Balloki Water Park, Lahore, Pakistan, Abdul Qayyum Khan Sulehria, Muhammad Anwar Malik

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This work attempted to evaluate the rotifer species diversity indices of Camp Balloki Water Park and infer the state of the water according to rotifers and physicochemical parameters. The diversity indices, species richness, and evenness were assessed every month. The Shannon–Weaver index indicated that this habitat had great diversity of rotifers throughout the year. These results were supported by the Simpson dominance, diversity, and reciprocal indices. Water and plankton samples were taken monthly from January 2006 to December 2006. In total, 38 rotifer species of 20 genera and 13 families were identified. Brachionus, Lecane, and Trichocerca dominated the locality. Rotifer …

Can A Specific Neck Strengthening Program Decrease Cervical Spine Injuries In A Men's Professional Rugby Union Team? A Retrospective Analysis, Robert Naish, Angus Burnett, Sally Burrows, Warren Andrews, Brendyn Appleby

Research outputs 2013

Cervical spine injuries in Rugby Union are a concerning issue at all levels of the game. The primary aim of this retrospective analysis conducted in a professional Rugby Union squad was to determine whether a 26-week isometric neck strengthening intervention program (13-week strengthening phase and 13- week maintenance phase) was effective in reducing the number and severity of cervical spine injuries. The secondary aim was to determine whether at week five, where the program had been the similar for all players, there was increased isometric neck strength. All 27 players who were common to both the 2007- 2008 and 2008-2009 …

Increased Risk For Obesity And Diabetes With Neurodegeneration In Developing Countries [Journal Article], Ian J. Martins

Research outputs 2013

The incidence of global obesity and Type 2 diabetes has increased and is predicted to rise to 30% of the global population. Diet and lifestyle factors are incapable to resolve the increased incidence for obesity and diabetes in various populations of the world. Developing countries have come to the forefront because of the higher diabetic epidemic. The urbanization may possibly provide an explanation for the global diabetic epidemic. In Western countries the metabolic syndrome and non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have reached 30 % of the population and now at present NAFLD afflicts 20% of developing populations. Western diets …

Gradients In Season, Latitude, And Sea Ice: Their Effect On Metabolism And Stable Isotopic Composition Of Antarctic Micronekton, Erica H. Ombres

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Respiration, metabolic enzyme assays, and body composition parameters were measured in the Antarctic krill Euphausia superba during the summer, fall and winter on the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). E. superba of all sizes decrease their metabolism from the summer to the winter. These same parameters were also measured along the WAP during the austral fall 2010. E. superba's enzyme activity indicated that there was a latitudinal gradient to the decline in metabolism along the WAP with the more northerly sites having significantly higher metabolic enzyme activities than the sites to the south.

Carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ^{15 …}

Eco-Epidemiology Of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus, Patrick Vander Kelen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus (EEEV) is an alphavirus with high pathogenicity in both humans and horses. Florida continues to have the highest occurrence of human cases in the USA, with four fatalities recorded in 2010. Unlike other states, Florida supports year-round EEEV transmission. This research uses Geographic Information Science (GIS) to examine spatial patterns of documented sentinel seroconversions and horse cases in order to understand the relationships between habitat and transmission intensity of EEEV in Florida. Sentinel sites were categorized as enzootic, periodically enzootic, and negative based on the amount of chicken seroconversions to EEEV. Sentinel sites were analyzed …

An Investigation Of The Factors Leading To Invasion Success Of Non-Native Plants Using A System Of Native, Introduced Non-Invasive, And Invasive Eugenia Congeners In Florida, Kerry Bohl

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The overwhelming majority of plant species introduced into a new range never become invasive. Consequently, identification of factors allowing the small fraction of successful invaders to naturalize, increase in abundance, and displace resident species continues to be a key area of research in invasion biology. Of the considerable number of hypotheses that have been proposed to resolve why some plant species become noxious pests, the enemy release hypothesis (ERH) is one of the most commonly cited. The ERH maintains that invasive plants succeed in a new range because they are no longer regulated by their coevolved natural enemies, and this …

Ecology Of The Late Neogene Extinctions: Perspectives From The Plio-Pleistocene Of Florida, Shubhabrata Paul

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The ecological impact of past extinction events is one of the central issues in paleobiology. In face of present environmental changes, a better understanding of past extinctions will enable us to identify the magnitude of biodiversity crises and their underlying processes. The Late Neogene was a time of extraordinary climatic reorganization, including Northern Hemisphere glaciation, the rise of the Central American Isthmus, and associated changes in environmental conditions. Therefore, the Late Neogene extinctions of marine molluscs of South Florida present an ideal platform to examine the interaction between environmental changes and biotic response. In the present study, three different aspects …

Associational Resistance And Competition In The Asphondylia - Borrichia - Iva System, Keith Stokes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Indirect ecological effects such as associational resistance and resource competition have the potential to affect ecological interactions and influence the structure of ecological communities. Although resource competition is commonly studied, the effects of associational resistance are not as evident if studies are not designed to detect them. Additionally, the relative strengths of different ecological mechanisms ought to be measured in studies, rather than the strength of singular mechanisms. This permits proper attribution of causes and effects in community structure and detection of higher order interactions in a way that naïve reductionism will not.

In a series of experiments, I looked …

Diversity And Biosynthetic Potential Of Culturable Aerobic Heterotrophic Bacteria Isolated From Magura Cave, Bulgaria, Iva Tomova, Irina Lazarkevich, Anna Tomova, Margarita Kambourova, Evgenia Vasileva-Tonkova

International Journal of Speleology

Biocapacity of bacteria inhabiting karstic caves to produce valuable biologically active compounds is still slightly investigated. A total of 46 culturable heterotrophic bacteria were isolated under aerobic conditions from the Gallery with pre-historical drawings in MaguraCave, Bulgaria. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that most of bacterial isolates affiliated with Proteobacteria (63%), followed by Actinobacteria (10.9%), Bacteroidetes (10.9%), and Firmicutes (6.5%). A strong domination of Gram-negative bacteria (total 81%) belonging to nine genera: Serratia, Pseudomonas, Enterobacter, Sphingobacterium, Stenotrophomonas, Commamonas, Acinetobacter, Obesumbacterium, and Myroides, was observed. Gram-positive isolates were represented by the genera Bacillus, Arthrobacter, and Micrococcus. One isolate …

Effect Of Laser Ablation Depth In Otolith Life History Scans, Renée R. Hoover, Cynthia M. Jones

OES Faculty Publications

Life history scans of fish otoliths are bringing new insight into the structure, connectivity, and movement of fish populations. Data obtained from such scans, however, possess in-herent limitations that have not yet been fully addressed or understood. For example, several investigators have noted delays in otolith elemental uptake that do not appear to reflect habitat exposure. We hypothesized that the 3-dimensional structure of otoliths may produce sampling artifacts in the results obtained from laser ablation scans. To test this hypothesis, we sampled sagittal otoliths from juvenile Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus with laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to obtain …

Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Of Water Quality In Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, Africa Ixmucane Flores Cordova

Theses

Lake Atitlan in Guatemala is a vital source of drinking water. The deteriorating conditions of water quality in this lake threaten human and ecological health as well as the local and national economy. Given the sporadic and limited measurements available, it is impossible to determine the changing conditions of water quality. The goal of this thesis is to use Hyperion satellite images to measure water quality parameters in Lake Atitlan. For this purpose in situ measurements and satellite-derived reflectance data were analyzed to generate an algorithm that estimated Chlorophyll concentrations. This research provides for the first time a quantitative application …

Effects Of Site Preparation, Seed Germination, And Harvest Maturity On Wiregrass Restoration Efforts At Fort Stewart, Ga, Nickey Garrett Anderson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Wiregrass (Aristida stricta Michx.) was once the dominant ground cover species within the Atlantic Coastal Plain longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) ecosystem. Less than 1 million hectares of intact longleaf pine-wiregrass communities remain, due primarily to anthropogenic activities. Wiregrass is a keystone species in the longleaf pine ecosystem, as its presence facilitates the natural fire regime, a critical component in the perpetuation of these communities. Therefore, there is increased interest in wiregrass restoration in both existing longleaf pine communities and future longleaf pine restoration sites. Many restoration sites are on tracts that have been cleared of all vegetation. Removal of …

Propulsion In Cubomedusae: Mechanisms And Utility, Sean Colin, John H. Costello, Kakani Katija, Jamie Seymour, Kristen Kiefer

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Evolutionary constraints which limit the forces produced during bell contractions of medusae affect the overall medusan morphospace such that jet propulsion is limited to only small medusae. Cubomedusae, which often possess large prolate bells and are thought to swim via jet propulsion, appear to violate the theoretical constraints which determine the medusan morphospace. To examine propulsion by cubomedusae, we quantified size related changes in wake dynamics, bell shape, swimming and turning kinematics of two species of cubomedusae, Chironex fleckeri and Chiropsella bronzie. During growth, these cubomedusae transitioned from using jet propulsion at smaller sizes to a rowing-jetting hybrid mode …

Characterizing The Benthic Invertebrate Communities Of The Mixed-Coarse Intertidal Habitat In Boston Harbor, Elizabeth N. Eddy

Open Access Master's Theses

The Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area (BOHA) has an extensive intertidal zone, with 47% of the area composed of mixed-coarse substrate. Given anticipated climate change impacts such as sea level rise and ocean warming, and other stressors associated with the urban environment, the critical ecosystem functions provided by the dominant yet largely understudied mixed-coarse habitat are likely to be altered. To evaluate the benthic invertebrate communities of BOHA and to determine what environmental factors of the mixed-coarse substrate affect community structure, 87 sampling sites were distributed between wave-exposed and wave-protected shorelines between mean higher high water and mean lower …