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2014

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Psychiatric Hospitalization To School Transitions: Examining Professional Perceptions Of Effectiveness And Fidelity, Jacqueline Michele Tisdale Jan 2014

Psychiatric Hospitalization To School Transitions: Examining Professional Perceptions Of Effectiveness And Fidelity, Jacqueline Michele Tisdale

Open Access Dissertations

The present study examined the effectiveness of adolescent psychiatric hospitalization-to-school transitions from the perspective of hospital and school-based mental health providers. Twenty-four school-based mental health professionals were surveyed to gain a better understanding of their experiences of reintegrating students to school following brief psychiatric hospitalization, including collaborations with hospital-based providers and contact with students’ parents during and after hospitalization. Fourteen hospital and school mental health providers completed written narrative responses based upon a case vignette to identify ideal transition processes, and also participated in a semi-structured interview to identify barriers to successful transition plan implementation. Data was gathered and examined …


Structural And Conformational Insights Into Bulky Arylamine-Induced Mutagenesis, Lifang Xu Jan 2014

Structural And Conformational Insights Into Bulky Arylamine-Induced Mutagenesis, Lifang Xu

Open Access Dissertations

Cancer is the second deadliest disease in the United States. Over 100 different types of cancers exist, among which lung, breast and prostate cancers are those most frequently diagnosed. Genetic factors are important. However, exposures to tobacco smoke and environmental pollutants are considered to be responsible for 75%–80% of cancer. About 6% of cancer deaths every year in the US are reportedly to be directly linked to known carcinogen exposures. Therefore, it is important to study the mechanisms of how the environmental carcinogens trigger cancer initiation. Most chemical carcinogens are metabolized into reactive species in vivo to interact with DNA, …


Studying Science: Students Gaining Access To The Community Of Practice Of Environmental Studies, Renee Johnson-Thornton Jan 2014

Studying Science: Students Gaining Access To The Community Of Practice Of Environmental Studies, Renee Johnson-Thornton

Open Access Dissertations

Although nearly equivalent percentages of black and white students entering college aspire to earn degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), a much smaller percentage of black students than white undergraduates complete STEM degrees (HERI, 2010). Thirty-six percent of black undergraduates who initially pursue STEM fields and go on to earn bachelor’s degrees switch to non- STEM majors, and 29.3 percent leave college before graduating, a rate 10 percentage points higher than that of their white counterparts (19.8 percent) (Chen, 2013). In the Environmental Sciences, of the 4,802 degree recipients in 2010, 81 percent (3,879) were white and only …


The Global Obesity Epidemic Is Related To Stroke, Dementia And Alzheimer's Disease, Ian J. Martins Jan 2014

The Global Obesity Epidemic Is Related To Stroke, Dementia And Alzheimer's Disease, Ian J. Martins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The global epidemic in obesity and diabetes has affected individuals in both the developing and developed world with the global death rate (63%) related to chronic diseases with 35% attributed to cardiovascular disease and stroke, 21 % to cancer and 12 % to chronic respiratory disease. The interest in connections between the global stroke epidemic, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has increased with hypertension, smoking, diabetes, obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, atrial fibrillation, excessive alcohol consumption, abnormal lipid profile and psychosocial stress/depression implicated in their pathogenesis. The connection between stroke and AD is possibly related to the low adiponectin and …


Top Ten Effective Community College Board Trustees Self-Perceived Leadership Attributes, John Newell Henning Jan 2014

Top Ten Effective Community College Board Trustees Self-Perceived Leadership Attributes, John Newell Henning

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study was designed to discover what community college trustees believe are the most effective leadership attributes. Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees were asked to list in, order of importance, the most effective community college board of trustee leadership attributes. The research questions emphasized the importance of the leadership attributes that occur when board trustees must complete community college goals given the recent increased student enrollment, despite diminished college budgetary resources. The theoretical framework of Stogdill (1974) was used for trait theory, Hersey, Blanchard and Dewey (2012) for situational leadership, and Burns (1978) for transformational leadership. …


Is The College-Ready Teaching Framework Related To Student Achievement?, Narciso Aguda Jan 2014

Is The College-Ready Teaching Framework Related To Student Achievement?, Narciso Aguda

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examined the College-Ready Teaching Framework (CRTF), a multiple measure teacher effectiveness rubric created by Green Dot Public Schools. The purpose of the dissertation was to determine whether or not the CRTF as a whole or in part could account for differences in student outcomes (California Standards Test [CST] scores, student growth percentile [SGP], and grade point average [GPA]). The study included teachers and students at Green Dot during the 2012-2013 school year. Correlational analyses were used to determine if there was a relationship between student achievement outcomes and the CRTF. Factor analysis was used to discover other Factors …


The Exit Interview: Millennials' Perspectives On Why They Quit, Hannah Bateman Jan 2014

The Exit Interview: Millennials' Perspectives On Why They Quit, Hannah Bateman

Theses and Dissertations

Millennials, individuals born approximately between 1982 and 2002 (Howe & Strauss, 2000) are on average, quitting their jobs within 3 years (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012). Their short job tenure not only impacts organizations negatively (Phillips & Connell, 2003), but it also influences how the Millennials are portrayed in the media. Public perceptions assert (although not supported by substantial evidence) that Millennials quit their jobs because they lack loyalty and have a poor work ethic (Marston, 2013), have extreme confidence in their abilities (Howe and Strauss, 2000), make inappropriate work demands (Erickson, Alsop, Nicholson, & Miller, 2009), and possess high …


Inside The Blackwall Box: Explaining U.S. Marine Salvage Awards, Joshua C. Teitelbaum Jan 2014

Inside The Blackwall Box: Explaining U.S. Marine Salvage Awards, Joshua C. Teitelbaum

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Under U.S. maritime law, a salvor of imperiled maritime property on navigable waters is entitled to a monetary award from the owner. When the salvage service is rendered voluntarily in the absence of a contract, the court determines the salvage award according to six factors enumerated by the Supreme Court in The Blackwall, 77 U.S. 1 (1869). The law, however, does not specify a precise formula or rule for calculating awards on the basis of the Blackwall factors. How do courts turn their findings on the Blackwall factors into salvage awards? This article addresses this question by examining the …


Challenges On The Road To School Success For Low Socio-Economic And Minority Students School Dropout And Parent Involvement, Rose A. Hall Jan 2014

Challenges On The Road To School Success For Low Socio-Economic And Minority Students School Dropout And Parent Involvement, Rose A. Hall

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

As the United States struggles to keep its students competitive in a global society, dropout rate reduction has been a priority for large urban school districts. Students have a less than a 50-50 chance of graduating from high school with their peers in big-city school districts like New York City and Chicago, where far fewer than half graduate each spring, according to a 2006 research study (Toppo, 2006). The promotion and implementation of parent involvement is a major key to confronting school dropout, especially low-income, minority students leaving school early without graduating. "Minority, low income families are repeatedly found to …


Conceptualizing Social Determinants Of Maternal And Infant Health Disparities, Susanne Klawetter Jan 2014

Conceptualizing Social Determinants Of Maternal And Infant Health Disparities, Susanne Klawetter

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Research demonstrates that women and children within marginalized ethnic and racial groups and those living in poverty experience disparate health outcomes. These disparities have immediate and long-term consequences. Exploring two theories used to examine social determinants of health— life course perspective and historical trauma response, this article will explain the major premises of each, provide application examples, compare and examine utility for practice, and highlight areas for future research. A theoretical critique will be included, as well as insight into how these theories together might address gaps as an approach to maternal and infant health research and practice.


Constructive Feedback In L2 Writing With Chinese High School Students In Taiwan, Chiawei Diane Yang Jan 2014

Constructive Feedback In L2 Writing With Chinese High School Students In Taiwan, Chiawei Diane Yang

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the lack of motivation in L2 writing of Chinese high school students in Taiwan. The subject of this study was to examine how age, culture, and the education system in Taiwan influenced students’ motivation in learning English writing. It provided insight about how academic environments influence students’ motivation in learning English, how teachers’ feedback shapes students’ learning attitudes, and effective ways to increase students’ motivation and self-esteem. The study utilized Krashen’s (1981) affective filter hypothesis and Dornyei’s (1994) three levels of motivation theory. Ten Taiwanese students participated in this study. All of …


Teaching Reading As An Integrated Skill: An Evaluation Of Two Popular Esl Textbooks, Ingrid Mcvanner Jan 2014

Teaching Reading As An Integrated Skill: An Evaluation Of Two Popular Esl Textbooks, Ingrid Mcvanner

Master's Theses

As the population of non-native English speakers rises in the United States, so too does the need for effective English language instruction, and with that, effective instructional materials. With a growing population of adult English language learners with below basic prose literacy, the need for effective adult English language literacy instruction is also evident. Because people do not use one skill at a time, this project evaluates the reading materials in two adult English language integrated skills textbooks from major publishers of ESL materials in order to provide insight into the preparation of effective integrated skills textbooks designed for adult …


Understanding The Long-Term Spatiotemporal Dynamics Of The Taimyr Reindeer Herd During The Summer Concentration Period, Matthew D. Cooney Jan 2014

Understanding The Long-Term Spatiotemporal Dynamics Of The Taimyr Reindeer Herd During The Summer Concentration Period, Matthew D. Cooney

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study was part of a larger research effort devoted to investigation of spatiotemporal patterns and dynamics of the Taimyr Reindeer Herd (TRH) migration under changing climate and environmental conditions. The research aimed to systematize and analyze available historical (archival) data on wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.) migration and ecosystems change in the Taimyr Peninsula, Russia. The summer concentration patterns of the TRH as observed from 1969-2009 were investigated through the utilization of existing and innovative spatioanalytic methods and advanced GIS technologies not previously used to examine R. tarandus migration in the Russian Arctic. The project applied and tested the …


Gender Maneuvering Over Coffee: Doing Gender Through Displays Of Hegemonic Masculinity And Alternative Femininity, Jedidiah Mcclean Jan 2014

Gender Maneuvering Over Coffee: Doing Gender Through Displays Of Hegemonic Masculinity And Alternative Femininity, Jedidiah Mcclean

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This research examines how individuals “do gender” in an urban coffee shop by performing gender maneuvering strategies in order to gain masculine cultural capital typically accessed through displays of hegemonic masculinity. This participant ethnography was conducted in a corporate coffee franchise over the course of eight weeks, to observe gendered interactions in a public space. Observations were made of customer and barista socialization in the store, where gender displays were maneuvered through social artifacts such as clothing and hairstyles; as well as gendered social transactions such as conversational styles and heteronormative social customs. Research findings suggest that both masculine and …


Effects Of Clergy Reporting Laws On Child Maltreatment Report Rates, Frank E. Vandervort, Vincent J. Palusci Jan 2014

Effects Of Clergy Reporting Laws On Child Maltreatment Report Rates, Frank E. Vandervort, Vincent J. Palusci

Articles

Child maltreatment (CM) reporting laws and policies have an important role in the identification, treatment, and prevention of CM in the United States (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [US DHHS], 2012). Abuse by a member of the clergy “is not only a personal and emotional betrayal, but [also] a spiritual betrayal, with secrecy amplified by the unprecedented and systemic cover-up committed by the Church hierarchy” (Coyne, 2011, p. 15). Recent controversies have resulted in the consideration of changes in mandated U.S. reporting laws that include increasing requirements for clergy and extension to additional professions (Freeh, Sporkin, & Sullivan, …


Clothes Don't Make The Man (Or Woman), But Gender Identity Might, Jennifer Levi Jan 2014

Clothes Don't Make The Man (Or Woman), But Gender Identity Might, Jennifer Levi

Faculty Scholarship

The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Jespersen v. Harrah's Operating Co., Inc. reflects the blinders on many contemporary courts regarding the impact of sex-differentiated dress requirements on female employees. Although some courts have acknowledged the impermissibility of imposing sexually exploitive dress requirements, they have done so only at the extreme outer limits, ignoring the concrete harms experienced by women (and men) who are forced to conform to externally imposed gender norms. On the other hand, some transgender litigants have recently succeeded in challenging sex-differentiated dress requirements. This success is due in part to their incorporation of disability claims based on …


Attitudes Toward Anger Management Scale: Development And Initial Validation, David J. Boudreaux, Eric R. Dahlen, Michael B. Madson, Emily Bullock-Yowell Jan 2014

Attitudes Toward Anger Management Scale: Development And Initial Validation, David J. Boudreaux, Eric R. Dahlen, Michael B. Madson, Emily Bullock-Yowell

Faculty Publications

This article describes the development and preliminary validation of the Attitudes Toward Anger Management Scale (ATAMS), a self-report measure of attitudes toward anger management services. Undergraduate volunteers (N = 415) completed an initial version of the instrument. Principal components analysis yielded a two-factor solution. Convergent and incremental validities were supported.


An Insight Into The Microbiome Of The Amblyomma Maculatum(Acari: Ixodidae), Khemraj Budachetri, Rebecca E. Browning, Steven W. Adamson, Scot E. Dowd, Chien-Chung Chao, Wei-Mei Ching, Shahid Karim Jan 2014

An Insight Into The Microbiome Of The Amblyomma Maculatum(Acari: Ixodidae), Khemraj Budachetri, Rebecca E. Browning, Steven W. Adamson, Scot E. Dowd, Chien-Chung Chao, Wei-Mei Ching, Shahid Karim

Faculty Publications

The aim of this study was to survey the bacterial diversity of Amblyomma maculatum Koch, 1844, and characterize its infection with Rickettsia parkeri. Pyrosequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA was used to determine the total bacterial population in A. maculatum. Pyrosequencing analysis identified Rickettsia in A. maculatum midguts, salivary glands, and saliva, which indicates successful trafficking in the arthropod vector. The identity of Rickettsia spp. was determined based on sequencing the rickettsial outer membrane protein A (rompA) gene. The sequence homology search revealed the presence of R. parkeri, Rickettsia amblyommii, and Rickettsia endosymbiont of …


Effects Of Landscape Composition And Configuration On Migrating Songbirds: Inference From An Individual-Based Model, Emily B. Cohen, Scott M. Pearson, Frank R. Moore Jan 2014

Effects Of Landscape Composition And Configuration On Migrating Songbirds: Inference From An Individual-Based Model, Emily B. Cohen, Scott M. Pearson, Frank R. Moore

Faculty Publications

The behavior of long-distance migrants during stopover is constrained by the need to quickly and safely replenish energetic reserves. Replenishing fuel stores at stopover sites requires adjusting to unfamiliar landscapes with little to no information about the distribution of resources. Despite their critical importance to the success of songbird migration, the effects of landscape composition and configuration on fuel deposition rates (FDR [g/d]), the currency of migration, has not been tested empirically. Our objectives were to understand the effects of heterogeneous landscapes on FDR of forest-dwelling songbirds during spring migration. The results of field experiments were used to parameterize a …


Interspecific Competition Of A New Invasive Mosquito, Culex Coronator, And Two Container Mosquitoes, Aedes Albopictus And Cx. Quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae), Across Different Detritus Environments, D. A. Yee, J. F. Skiff Jan 2014

Interspecific Competition Of A New Invasive Mosquito, Culex Coronator, And Two Container Mosquitoes, Aedes Albopictus And Cx. Quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae), Across Different Detritus Environments, D. A. Yee, J. F. Skiff

Faculty Publications

The mosquito Culex coronator (Dyar and Knab) (Diptera: Culicidae) has undergone rapid range expansion in the United States since 2003, with its historical distribution in the southwest expanding eastward to the Atlantic coast. Although Cx. coronator nominally use small natural aquatic habitats for development, the use of containers (e.g., tires) makes it potentially important as container invasive. To determine the potential ecological effects of Cx. coronator on resident container species, we conducted a laboratory experiment to assess its competitive ability with two common tire-inhabiting species, Aedes albopictus (Skuse) and Culex quinquefasciatus (Say) (Diptera: Culicidae). Larvae were reared under a factorial …


Importation Of Exotic Ticks And Tick-Borne Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae Into The United States By Migrating Songbirds, Nabanita Mukherjee, Lorenza Beati, Michael Sellers, Laquita Burton, Steven Adamson, Richard G. Robbins, Frank Moore, Shahid Karim Jan 2014

Importation Of Exotic Ticks And Tick-Borne Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae Into The United States By Migrating Songbirds, Nabanita Mukherjee, Lorenza Beati, Michael Sellers, Laquita Burton, Steven Adamson, Richard G. Robbins, Frank Moore, Shahid Karim

Faculty Publications

Birds are capable of carrying ticks and, consequently, tick-transmitted microorganisms over long distances and across geographical barriers such as oceans and deserts. Ticks are hosts for several species of spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGR), which can be transmitted to vertebrates during blood meals. In this study, the prevalence of this group of rickettsiae was examined in ticks infesting migratory songbirds by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). During the 2009 and 2010 spring migration season, 2064 northward-migrating passerine songbirds were examined for ticks at Johnson Bayou, Louisiana. A total of 91 ticks was removed from 35 individual songbirds for tick species …


Influence Of Race Distance And Biological Sex On Age-Related Declines In Triathlon Performance. Part A, Sam Shi Xuan Wu, Jeremiah Peiffer, Jeanick Brisswalter, Wing Y. Lau, Kazunori Nosaka, Chris R. Abbiss Jan 2014

Influence Of Race Distance And Biological Sex On Age-Related Declines In Triathlon Performance. Part A, Sam Shi Xuan Wu, Jeremiah Peiffer, Jeanick Brisswalter, Wing Y. Lau, Kazunori Nosaka, Chris R. Abbiss

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study examined the effect of biological sex and race distance on the age-related declines in swimming, cycling, running and overall performances of the sprint, Olympic, Half-Ironman and Ironman triathlons. Individual discipline and overall performance time of the top 20% non-elite males (n=468) and females (n=146) were compared by categorizing into four 10-year age-groups (20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50+ years) and normalising to the mean performance time of the fastest age-group for each race. An earlier, larger and faster rate of decline (p=0.01) in performance with ageing was observed in females (≥30 years, 9.3%, 3.0% per decade respectively) and males (≥40 …


Pgc-1Α Mediated Muscle Aerobic Adaptations To Exercise, Heat And Cold Exposure, Mohammed Ihsan, Greig Watson, Chris R. Abbiss Jan 2014

Pgc-1Α Mediated Muscle Aerobic Adaptations To Exercise, Heat And Cold Exposure, Mohammed Ihsan, Greig Watson, Chris R. Abbiss

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

PGC-1α is regarded as a key regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis due to its central role in regulating the activity of key transcription factors associated with encoding mitochondrial components. Additionally, PGC-1α has shown to mediate adaptations that increase fat metabolism and angiogenesis, contributing to the overall oxidative phenotype of the muscle. While it is well established that exercise is a potent stimulator of PGC-1α, recent evidence indicates that heat and cold exposures may also influence mitochondrial biogenesis through the up-regulation of PGC-1α. This highlights the potential use of these modalities in conjunction with exercise to enhance training adaptations. As such, the …


The New Prosecutor’S Dilemma: Prosecutorial Ethics And The Evaluation Of Actual Innocence, Dana Carver Boehm Jan 2014

The New Prosecutor’S Dilemma: Prosecutorial Ethics And The Evaluation Of Actual Innocence, Dana Carver Boehm

Utah Law Review

Buoyed by advances in forensic science, the number of postconviction exonerations has significantly risen in the American criminal justice system over the last twenty years. The ethical obligations of prosecutors faced with such claims, however, have not kept pace. Most efforts within district and U.S. attorneys’ offices have been incremental at best, and even those few prosecutors’ offices with more robust “conviction integrity units”—units that affirmatively investigate claims of actual innocence and seek to mitigate the likelihood of wrongful convictions in the first place—suffer from various structural defects. Often a prosecutor’s default posture when faced with a claim of actual …


Investigations On The Gut Microbiota Of Salmonids And The Applications Of Probiotics-Based Feed Additives, Ali Atia Abid Jan 2014

Investigations On The Gut Microbiota Of Salmonids And The Applications Of Probiotics-Based Feed Additives, Ali Atia Abid

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

A series of investigations were conducted in order to characterise the GIT microbiota of salmonids and to determine the effect of microbial modulating feed additives on the intestinal microbiota, immunity and growth of salmonids. The first experiment, Chapter three, used PCR-DGGE and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of cultivable bacteria were used to investigate the GIT microbiota of brown trout. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis demonstrated that Citrobacter freundii and Carnobacterium maltaromaticum were the predominant culturable viable bacteria and lactic acid bacteria, respectively in all regions of the GIT. DGGE revealed complex communities with a diverse range of microbes from …


Physiological, Biochemical, And Molecular Responses To Copper Stress In Different Strains Of The Model Brown Alga Ectocarpus Siliculosus, Claudio Sáez Avaria Jan 2014

Physiological, Biochemical, And Molecular Responses To Copper Stress In Different Strains Of The Model Brown Alga Ectocarpus Siliculosus, Claudio Sáez Avaria

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Brown algae have been the focus of metal ecotoxicology research for over 60 years, mainly because of their high metal accumulation capacity and reputed resistance. Now that Ectocarpus siliculosus has been positioned as a model for the study of brown algae, and that the genome has been recently sequenced and annotated, new lines of research have been made possible on these ecologically and economically important organisms, including the field of ecotoxicology. Several strains of E. siliculosus have been collected and isolated from locations around the world, thus providing the opportunity to study inter-population differences in their responses to environmental stress. …


Taxonomy, Systematics And Ecology Of The Phylum Tardigrada, Nigel Marley Jan 2014

Taxonomy, Systematics And Ecology Of The Phylum Tardigrada, Nigel Marley

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

I conducted a series of research programmes on various aspects of Tardigrada biology. The published results of which are hereby presented as part fulfilment of my submission for a PhD by publications at Plymouth University. In this thesis my research publications are grouped into four chapters: Ecology & Faunistics, Alpha Taxonomy, Freshwater Fauna – a taxonomic challenge, and Superfamilies. In the first, I highlight my early papers which dealt with the faunistic surveys as I trained in systematics and taxonomy of the phylum. Amongst the key findings reported were the protozoan symphoriant, Pyxidium tardigradum van der Land, 1966, Marley and …


Bioaccumulation And Sub-Lethal Effects Of Intermittent And Continuous Exposure To Metals On The Marine Mussel, Mytilus Galloprovincialis, Dokuboba Amachree Jan 2014

Bioaccumulation And Sub-Lethal Effects Of Intermittent And Continuous Exposure To Metals On The Marine Mussel, Mytilus Galloprovincialis, Dokuboba Amachree

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Aquatic organisms experience intermittent exposure to contaminants. The hazard from such discontinuous exposure may not simply be predicted from existing continuous exposure. Little is known about the bioaccumulation responses of shellfish to metals during intermittent compared to the continuous exposure counterparts. This study was designed to compare the bioaccumulation responses of two metals (Cd and Hg) singly (Chapters 3 and 4) or mixtures (Chapters 5 and 6) during continuous and intermittent exposure. Responses were examined using a multi-assay approach in areas of oxidative stress, osmoregulation, haematology and organ pathology. Tissue metal concentrations were highest in the gill and digestive gland …


Comparative Demography And Life History Evolution Of Plants, Cyril Mbeau Ache Jan 2014

Comparative Demography And Life History Evolution Of Plants, Cyril Mbeau Ache

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Explaining the origin and maintenance of biodiversity is a central goal in ecology and evolutionary biology. Some of the most important, theoretical explanations for this diversity centre on the evolution of life histories. Comparative studies on life history evolution, have received significant attention in the zoological literature, but have lagged in plants. Recent developments, however, have emphasised the value of comparative analysis of data for many species to test existing theories of life history evolution, as well as to provide the basis for developing additional or alternative theories. The primary goal of this study was to explore existing theories of …


Habitat Characterisation Of Infralittoral Pebble Beds In The Maltese Islands, Julian Evans Jan 2014

Habitat Characterisation Of Infralittoral Pebble Beds In The Maltese Islands, Julian Evans

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The Mediterranean biocoenosis of infralittoral pebbles has been poorly studied and very little information is available on the physical characteristics of pebble beds, on the diversity of the associated assemblages, on the spatial and temporal variation in assemblage structure, or on interactions between the physical and biotic components. The present study was therefore carried out to characterise pebble-bed assemblages as a first step towards understanding the ecological dynamics of these habitats. Preliminary surveys were made along the low-lying coasts of the Maltese Islands to map the occurrence of pebble-bed habitats. Fifteen locations with pebble coverage >25 m² were chosen for …