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Influence Of Habitat And Intrinsic Characteristics On Survival Of Neonatal Pronghorn, Christopher N. Jacques, Jonathan A. Jenks, Troy W. Grovenburg, Robert Wayne Klaver

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Increased understanding of the influence of habitat (e.g., composition, patch size) and intrinsic (e.g., age, birth mass) factors on survival of neonatal pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) is a prerequisite to successful management programs, particularly as they relate to population dynamics and the role of population models in adaptive species management. Nevertheless, few studies have presented empirical data quantifying the influence of habitat variables on survival of neonatal pronghorn. During 2002–2005, we captured and radiocollared 116 neonates across two sites in western South Dakota. We documented 31 deaths during our study, of which coyote (Canis latrans) predation (n = 15) was the …

Recreation Ecology Of Colorado Fourteeners: An Assessment Of Trail Usage And Impacts, James C. Ewing

Master's Theses

The popularity of climbing Colorado’s 14,000 ft. peaks, or “Fourteeners”, has risen dramatically in recent years, raising important sustainability and management questions. Moreover, groups managing the peaks operate with major capital constraints so their efforts need to be informed, prioritized, and efficient. This paper gauges the dynamics of trail usage, explanatory variables, and recreational impacts across all 58 Fourteeners, and details evaluation adjustments that minimize error and produce results in-step with the resource management framework. Relative to a baseline study completed in 2005, substantial changes occurred in trail usage and impact dynamics. The greatest changes were concentrated on peaks previously …

Complex Effects Of Nitrogen Pollution And Grazing On Nectar Resources Of The Adult Bay Checkerspot Butterfly (Euphydryas Editha Bayensis), Nidhi Jain

Master's Theses

Recent anthropogenic increases in atmospheric nitrogen due to urbanization and combustion have had many adverse effects on natural systems, including loss of biodiversity, especially in sensitive habitats. One such region is the serpentine ecosystem of Coyote Ridge in San Jose, CA, the last refuge for recurring populations of the federally threatened Bay Checkerspot Butterfly (BCB) (Euphydryas editha bayensis). Increases in non-native grass cover and decreases in native forb cover (including cover of the BCB’s native larval host plants) have been attributed to the fertilizing effects of increased atmospheric nitrogen deposition. To counteract this effect, grazing has been implemented as a …

Effects Of Small-Scale Substrate Complexity And Heterogeneity On Rocky Intertidal Species Interactions, Sara E. Worden

Master's Theses

The barnacle assemblage in the high rocky intertidal zone has provided an excellent study system to examine species interaction webs. This assemblage consists of a small set of species: barnacles, a variety of macroalgae, and a suite of limpet grazers. Despite the extensive intertidal research occurring along the central California coast, little is known about this specific interaction web and what physical factors may influence it in this region. This study examines the direct, indirect, positive, and negative interactions between the intertidal barnacle Balanus glandula Darwin, the brown seaweed Pelvetiopsis limitata Gardner, and limpet grazers, and how the underlying rock …

Associations Of Lifestyle Factors With Bone Accrual In Child And Adolescent Amateur Swimmers, Codruta Andy Collins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Maximizing bone mass during growth is important to prevent osteoporosis later in life. Swimming competitively at elite levels during growth does not offer an osteogenic advantage. Swimmers have lower bone mass than athletes who engage in high-impact activities and have similar or lower bone mass than sedentary individuals. Amateur swimmers, who train less intensely than their elite counterparts, may also be at risk of training-related bone mass deficits, but their bone accrual has not been characterized. This dissertation examines determinants of bone accrual over a two-year period in a cohort of 234 Caucasian of 8- to 18-year-old amateur swimmers and …

Individual-Level Variation And Higher-Level Interpretations Of Space Use In Wide-Ranging Species: An Albatross Case Study Of Sampling Effects, Sarah Gutowsky, Marty Leonard, Melinda Conners, Scott A. Shaffer, Ian Jonsen

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Marine ecologists and managers need to know the spatial extent of at-sea areas most frequented by the groups of wildlife they study or manage. Defining group-specific ranges and distributions (i.e., space use at the level of species, population, age-class, etc.) can help to identify the source or severity of common or distinct threats among different at-risk groups. In biologging studies, this is accomplished by estimating the space use of a group based on a sample of tracked individuals. A major assumption of these studies is consistency in individual movements among members of a group. The implications of scaling up individual-level …

Population Genetics And Epigenetics Of Two Salt Marsh Plant Species Along An Environmental Gradient, Christy M. Foust

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of a given genotype to exhibit different phenotypes in response to environmental variables, which can impact population level processes. Plasticity of ecologically-relevant traits is important to an organism’s environmental response; however, the underlying mechanisms of plasticity are largely unknown. Ecological epigenetics may offer mechanisms (e.g. DNA methylation) underlying phenotypic plasticity. Epigenetics can be defined as the underlying molecular mechanisms that allow one genotype to exhibit different phenotypes. Differential DNA methylation is one epigenetic mechanism that has been correlated with a number of ecologically-relevant traits; including, differential herbivory in Viola cazorlensis, spinescence in Ilex aquifolium …

Lingnan Gardeners Newsletter (No. 12) = 嶺南彩園通訊 (第12期), Lingnan Gardeners, Kwan Fong Cultural Research And Development Programme, Lingnan University

Lingnan Gardeners Newsletter 嶺南彩園通訊

Winter Begins 立冬

In Situ Studies Of Limestone Dissolution In A Coastal Submarine Spring, Rachel Marie Schweers

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Limestone dissolution in karst environments is likely due to geochemistry of the water, the actions of microbial communities, and the effect of water flow. We explored the rate of limestone dissolution and will examine here the microbial communities associated with the limestone. A conduit within the brackish cave, Double Keyhole Spring, on the coast of central west Florida was the site of the experiment. PVC pipes (5cm x 16cm) were filled with crushed limestone that was screened to a 1.9cm – 2.54cm size range. There were three treatments (5 replicates each): Control - sealed autoclaved controls with limestone and conduit …

Rna Interference: Potato/Tomato Psyllid, Bactericera Cockerelli, Oral Delivery Of Double-Stranded Rnai Construct, Bijaya Kumar Sharma

Biology Theses

The potato/tomato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Sulc.), is a serious and economically important pest of the potato, tomato and other solanaceous crops. This insect is the putative primary vector of the phytopathogenic bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum which causes the Zebra Chip in potato. This disease has caused millions of dollars loss to the potato industry. While traditional management programs have minimized the negative impacts of this disease system, a sustainable alternative to chemical treatment is needed. Management of this pest by downregulation of endogenous mRNA using RNA interference (RNAi) technology is one of the best molecular method available; however, several technical …

Integrating Resource Selection Into Spatial Capture-Recapture Models For Large Carnivores, K. M. Proffitt, Joshua F. Goldberg, Mark Hebblewhite, R. Russell, B. S. Jimenez, H. S. Robinson, K. Pilgrim, M. K. Schwartz

Wildlife Biology Faculty Publications

Wildlife managers need reliable methods to estimate large carnivore densities and population trends; yet large carnivores are elusive, difficult to detect, and occur at low densities making traditional approaches intractable. Recent advances in spatial capture-recapture (SCR) models have provided new approaches for monitoring trends in wildlife abundance and these methods are particularly applicable to large carnivores. We applied SCR models in a Bayesian framework to estimate mountain lion densities in the Bitterroot Mountains of west central Montana. We incorporate an existing resource selection function (RSF) as a density co-variate to account for heterogeneity in habitat use across the study area …

Thermal Patterns Constrain Diurnal Behavior Of A Ground-Dwelling Bird, J. Matthew Carroll, Craig A. Davis, R. Dwayne Elmore, Samuel D. Fuhlendorf, Eric T. Thacker

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Recently, gaining knowledge about thermal refuges for vulnerable species has been a major focal point of ecological studies, and this focus has been heightened by predicted temperature increases associated with global climate change. To better understand how organisms respond to thermal landscapes and extremes, we investigated the thermal ecology of a gallinaceous bird species (northern bobwhite; Colinus virginianus, hereafter bobwhite) during a key life history period. Specifically, our study focused on the brood-rearing period of precocial bobwhite chicks associated with brood-attending adults. We measured site-specific black bulb temperatures (Tbb) and vegetation characteristics across 38 brood tracking days and 68 random …

Increased Taxonomic And Functional Similarity Does Not Increase The Trophic Similarity Of Communities, Thomas K. Pool, Julien Cucherousset, Stéphanie Boulêtreau, Sébastien Villéger, Angela L. Strecker, Gaël Grenouillet

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Aim: Despite a long-standing research interest in the association between the biodiversity (i.e. taxonomic and functional composition) and trophic structure of communities, our understanding of the relationship remains limited. Community assembly theory predicts that niche partitioning will result in communities with a diverse array of functional traits, which in turn may facilitate a correspondingly diverse array of trophic interactions that define the trophic niche of those communities. The aim of our study is to test this prediction.

Methods: We built a database composed of functional traits and stable isotope values (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) for …

'At-Risk' Places: Inequaties In The Distribution Of Environmental Stressors And Prescription Rates Of Mental Health Medications In Glasgow, Scotland, Juliana A. Maantay, Andrew Maroko

Publications and Research

Using geospatial analytical methods, this study examines the association between one aspect of the built environment, namely, the concentration of vacant and derelict land (VDL), and the prevalence of mental health disorders (using the proxy variable of mental health medication prescription rates) in Glasgow, Scotland. This study builds on our previous research, which demonstrated the spatial correspondence between the locations of VDL in Glasgow and several physical health outcomes. Numerous studies of other locales have found similar correspondence between different elements of the built environment and various health outcomes. This is the first study of its kind to look at …

On Flavonoid Accumulation In Different Plant Parts: Variation Patterns Among Individuals And Populations In The Shore Campion (Silene Littorea), José C. Del Valle, Mª Luisa Buide, Inés Casimiro-Soriguer, Justen B. Whittall, Eduardo Narbona

Biology

The presence of anthocyanins in flowers and fruits is frequently attributed to attracting pollinators and dispersers. In vegetative organs, anthocyanins and other non-pigmented flavonoids such as flavones and flavonols may serve protective functions against UV radiation, cold, heat, drought, salinity, pathogens, and herbivores; thus, these compounds are usually produced as a plastic response to such stressors. Although, the independent accumulation of anthocyanins in reproductive and vegetative tissues is commonly postulated due to differential regulation, the accumulation of flavonoids within and among populations has never been thoroughly compared. Here, we investigated the shore campion (Silene littorea, Caryophyllaceae) which exhibits …

Species Diversity, Distribution And Seasonal Abundance In Mangrove Associated Molluscs Along The Karachi Coast, Pakistan, Zia Ullah, Itrat Zehra, Muhammad Asif Gondal

Journal of Bioresource Management

Mangrove or Mangal vegetation are typical wetland ecosystems found in coastal deposits of mud and silt throughout the tropics and some distance into the sub-tropical latitude. Species diversity, distribution, seasonal abundance in population and behavioral responses of mangrove associated molluscs (gastropods and bivalves) were investigated in two mangal areas: Sandspit and Korangi, along the Karachi coast of Pakistan. For sampling, a fixed route was followed throughout the study period and the samples were collected and observations were made from HTZ to LTZ. Fourteen species of molluscs (5 Prosobranchia; 6 Pulmonata; 1 Opisthobranchia and 2 Lamellibranchia) belonging to ten families were …

Spatial Associations Between Contaminated Land And Socio Demographics In Ghana, Russell Dowling, Bret Ericson, Jack Caravanos, Patrick Grigsby, Yaw Amoyaw-Osei

Publications and Research

Associations between contaminated land and socio demographics are well documented in high-income countries. In low- and middle-income countries, however, little is known about the extent of contaminated land and possible demographic correlations. This is an important yet sparsely researched topic with potentially significant public health implications as exposure to pollution remains a leading source of morbidity and mortality in low-income countries. In this study, we review the associations between several socio demographic factors (population, population density, unemployment, education, and literacy) and contaminated sites in Ghana. Within this context, both correlation and association intend to show the relationship between two variables, …

Lichen Inventory Of White Rocks Open Space (City Of Boulder, Colorado), Erin A. Tripp

Western North American Naturalist

A lichen inventory of White Rocks Open Space (City of Boulder, CO), a unique outcropping of exposed unstable sandstones, is presented. White Rocks is an ecologically important, ~40.5-ha (100-acre) protected area whose biological significance is in part attributable to geological and climatological history as well as degree of preservation, but also because it represents a biodiversity reservoir in a sea of agriculture and urban development. This inventory resulted in documentation of 56 species, including 1 new record to the United States, 1 new record to Colorado, 2 species new to science, and 2 additional species potentially new to science pending …

Biodiversity And Ecological Dynamics Of Sciophilous Benthic Communities On Artificial Plates: Emphasis On Reef Sponges, Caidra Elizabeth Hassanzada

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Low light intensity habitats harbor unique sciophilous benthic communities and are a source of novel and unique sponge fauna. However, the community structure of these habitats is poorly studied to date. Thus, this study attempts to understand the composition and structure of sciophilous sponge populations in southeast Florida. Fifty limestone plates were placed on a shallow reef in Fort Lauderdale for two years (2010-2012). To identify the sponge community and their patterns over time, all plates were photographed at the end of each year. Then, samples were taken from each of the live sponge specimens observed on the plates and …

Switchgrass Germplasm Resources, Michael D. Casler, Kenneth P. Vogel, Melanie Harrison

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is an important native grass and dominant member of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. It is used for conservation, restoration, livestock feed production, and bioenergy feedstock production. The purpose of this review is to describe the biological and geographical basis for switchgrass germplasm diversity and to provide a resource for scientists and outreach personnel to find switchgrass germplasm to meet their needs. Upland and lowland ecotypes represent the most important polymorphism in switchgrass, with distinct but overlapping geographic distributions. Variation in ploidy exists within both ecotypes, with 2n = 4x = 36 the dominant ploidy …

Supporting Teachers’ Learning About Mathematical Modeling, June L. Gastón, Barbara A. Lawrence

Publications and Research

In the United States, one of the Standards for Mathematical Practice of the Common Core Curriculum (Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2010) is Model with mathematics. This standard requires that students be taught in a manner that will enable them to ―apply the mathematics they know to solve problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace‖ (p. 7). However many prospective and practicing teachers acquire a pedagogical style that does not support this standard. To promote higher levels of student thinking associated with mathematical modeling, teachers must thus be taught not only what mathematical modeling is, but how it …

Guide To The Dr. Jane Claire Dirks-Edmunds Papers, Linfield College Archives

Linfield Archives Finding Aids

This collection reflects the life work of Dr. Jane Claire Dirks-Edmunds, a student and professor of Linfield College. A dedicated and scrupulous woman, the majority of the collection consists of her research, teaching materials, and correspondence. The collection also includes research and correspondence by Dr. Jane Claire Dirks-Edmunds’s mentor, Dr. James A. Macnab.

Global Patterns, Trends, And Drivers Of Water Use Efficiency From 2000 To 2013, Bao-Lin Xue, Qinghua Guo, Alvarez Otto, Jingfeng Xiao, Shengli Tao, Le Li

All Materials

Water use efficiency (WUE; gross primary production [GPP]/evapotranspiration [ET]) estimates the tradeoff between carbon gain and water loss during photosynthesis and is an important link of the carbon and water cycles. Understanding the spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of WUE is helpful for projecting the responses of ecosystems to climate change. Here we examine the spatiotemporal patterns, trends, and drivers of WUE at the global scale from 2000 to 2013 using the gridded GPP and ET data derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Our results show that the global WUE has an average value of 1.70 g C/kg H2O …

Connecting Disease With The Enviornment:What Can Multidisciplinary Science Do For Epidemiology?, Amanda Jamison

Bakerman Student Research Awards

Movement of viruses and microscopic pathogens into new habitat,through accidental introduction or range expansion is of great interest.Studies have begun to examine the potential applications of geospatial technology,while integrating typical ecological components.

Forest Diversity And Disturbance: Changing Influences And The Future Of Virginia’S Forests, Christine J. Small, James L. Chamberlain

Virginia Journal of Science

The Virginia landscape supports a remarkable diversity of forests, from maritime dune woodlands, swamp forests, and pine savannas of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, to post-agricultural pine-hardwood forests of the Piedmont, to mixed oak, mesophytic, northern hardwood, and high elevation spruce-fir forests across three mountain provinces in western parts of the state. Virginia’s forests also have been profoundly shaped by disturbance. Chestnut blight, hemlock woolly adelgid, emerald ash borer, and other pests have caused declines or functional extirpation of foundation species. Invasive plants like multiflora rose, Oriental bittersweet, and Japanese stiltgrass threaten both disturbed and intact forests. Oaks and other fire-dependent …

The Durability Of Terra Nullius: Tsilhqot'in Nation V. British Columbia

UBC Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Contribution Of Syntrophic Fatty-Acid Degrading Microbial Communities To Anaerobic Digester Function And Stability, Prince Peter Mathai

Dissertations (1934 -)

Anaerobic digestion (AD), the conversion of complex organic matter to methane, occurs through a series of reactions mediated by different guilds of microorganisms. AD process imbalances, such as organic overload or high organic loading rates (OLR), can result in the accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFA) e.g., propionate, which must be degraded to maintain stable reactor function. VFAs are metabolized by syntrophic fatty-acid degrading bacteria (SFAB) in association with methanogenic archaea (collectively, syntrophic microbial communities, SMC). Despite their indispensable role in AD, little is known about the ecology of SFAB, especially under stressed conditions. To facilitate ecological studies, four quantitative …

Racial And Socioeconomic Disparities In Melanoma Incidence Rates In Georgia: 2000-2011, Marybeth Culp, Sara W. Robb, A. R. Bayakly, John E. Vena

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: The objective of this research was to investigate melanoma incidence rates and health outcomes in Georgia over time and by race, socio-economic status (SES), and gender.

Methods: Age-adjusted melanoma incidence rates were obtained from the Georgia Comprehensive Cancer Registry SEER*Stat Database (2000-2011). To compare incidence rates across counties, and public health districts and by race, SES and gender, maps were generated using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). A cluster analysis was performed by use of SaTScan, and maps were created to visualize clusters of melanoma cases.

Results: In Georgia, from 2000-2011, age-adjusted incidence rates for melanoma were higher among Whites …

Evolutionary And Ecological Characterization Of Mayaro Virus Strains Isolated During An Outbreak, Venezuela, 2010, Albert J. Auguste, Jonathan Liria, Naomi L. Forrester, Dileyvic Giambalvo, Moncada Maria, Kanya C. Long, Dulce Morón, Nuris De Manzione, Robert B. Tesh, Eric S. Halsey, Tadeusz J. Kochel, Rosa Hernandez, Juan-Carlos Navarro, Scott C. Weaver

Faculty Publications

In 2010, an outbreak of febrile illness with arthralgic manifestations was detected at La Estación village, Portuguesa State, Venezuela. The etiologic agent was determined to be Mayaro virus (MAYV), a reemerging South American alphavirus. A total of 77 cases was reported and 19 were confirmed as seropositive. MAYV was isolated from acute-phase serum samples from 6 symptomatic patients. We sequenced 27 complete genomes representing the full spectrum of MAYV genetic diversity, which facilitated detection of a new genotype, designated N. Phylogenetic analysis of genomic sequences indicated that etiologic strains from Venezuela belong to genotype D. Results indicate that MAYV is …

Jane Claire Dirks's Correspondence With Stanley G. Jewett, Jane Claire Dirks-Edmunds, Stanley G. Jewett

Jane Claire Dirks-Edmunds Documents

This exchange between Jane Claire Dirks (later Jane Claire Dirks-Edmunds) and Stanley G. Jewett, a biologist with Region 1 of the Fish and Wildlife Service (serving Oregon and five other states), is an example of the type of correspondence Dirks had with various experts on the Pacific forest region while she was completing her doctoral thesis. Dirks-Edmunds began to study Zoology in Illinois immediately after earning her Bachelor's degree in Biology from Linfield College in 1937. She returned to teach in the Biology department at Linfield from 1941-1974.