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Feeding Selectivity Of An Algivore (Tropheus Brichardi) In Lake Tanganyika, Robin Richardson-Coy

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Algivorous fish remove attached algae (periphyton) from the benthos in near shore areas of lakes. Periphyton has a complex three-dimensional structure dominated by Bacillariophyta (diatoms), Chlorophyta (green algae), and Cyanophyta (cyanobacteria). These three phyla vary in nutritional quality with diatoms providing essential fatty acids that consumers need for growth and reproduction. Selection of specific phyla may be driven by nutritional quality or it may be a function accessibility due to both mouth morphology of the fish and location of the algae in the periphyton community. I investigated whether Tropheus brichardi, an algivorous cichlid of Lake Tanganyika, selectivity feeds on …

Response Of Grasshoppers To The Agricultural Mosaics Of The Cape Floristic Region Biodiversity Hotspot In South Africa, Samuel Adu-Acheampong

All PhD Dissertations

Agricultural production is one of the main drivers of the on-going biodiversity crisis. This has resulted in research on the impact of agriculture on biodiversity being at an all-time high. This is critical given that the world must produce food for the ever-growing human population. This growing demand for food often demands increasing production areas at the expense of protected ones. Such trade-offs can potentially lead to dire consequences on biodiversity and its associated ecosystem function. In an attempt to minimise this potential negative impact, and also to conserve biodiversity and its associated ecosystem function, scientists and producers have developed …

Nectar Feeding And Volatile Chemical Signatures Influencing Host Plant Selection In Major Afrotropical Mosquito Disease Vectors, Vincent Odhiambo Nyasembe

All PhD Dissertations

Although it is widely accepted that plant resources play an important role in the biology of mosquito species, the preferred mosquito host plants in the natural habitats remain largely unknown. The persistence of mosquito-borne diseases and the re-emergence of others such as Zika have created the need for novel control strategies with plant feeding becoming a new focus for such strategies. Effective deployment of these new tools requires an accurate identification of preferred host plant species that are attractive to mosquitoes. Chapter two of this study explored the potential of a single component plant-based lure, linalool oxide (LO), previously developed …

Pteropus Voeltzkowi And The Understory: A Study Of The Behavioral Impacts Of The Pemba Flying Fox On The Vegetation And Soil Quality Of Pemba Island, Lea Davidson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines the impact of Pteropus voeltzkowi , colloquially known as the Pemba Flying Fox, on biodiversity and health of the forest ground layer. Known to serve as reforesters, high concentrations of both fruit seeds and nutrient dense guano are introduced into specific environmental locations due to the bat's behavioral patterns. Working around two roost locations, one in Ngezi Forest and the other at the Kidike conservation site near Mjini Ole, diversity of juvenile vegetation was measured and quantified. In a laboratory setting, soil samples from both sites were analyzed for impacts of guano concentration on soil chemical properties. …

Functional Traits Of Expanding, Thicket-Forming Shrubs: Contrasting Strategies Between Exotic And Native Species, Sheri A. Shiflett, Julie C. Zinnert, Donald R. Young

Biology Publications

Woody expansion has been documented for decades in many different systems globally, often yielding vast changes in ecosystem functioning. While causes and consequences of woody expansion have been well documented, few studies have addressed plant functional traits that promote dramatic and rapid expansion in range. Our objectives were to investigate plant functional traits that contribute to the colonization, rapid expansion, and thicket formation of an invasive, N-fixing shrub, Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb. (Elaeagnaceae), and a native, N-fixing shrub Morella cerifera (L.) Small (Myricaceae) and compare to native, sympatric, non-expanding shrub species. Quantified functional traits included morphological (e.g., specific leaf area, leaf …

Nuclear Genome Size Diversity Of Marine Invertebrate Taxa Using Flow Cytometric Analysis, Kyle Roebuck

Lopez Laboratory: Genomics & Microbial Data

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Site Characteristics On The Reproductive Output Of Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus Ficaria), Justin P. Kermack

ETD Archive

Ranunculus ficaria L., an ephemeral perennial invasive plant brought over from Europe, is becoming widespread throughout the Northeastern United States. This herbaceous buttercup is able to create extensive dense mats that limit native species growth. Taking advantage of an early growing season and rapid reproduction rates, this species can create dense monocultures, which threatens native communities and ecosystems. Elimination of native spring ephemerals results in decreased biodiversity. A better understanding of how R. ficaria responds to site characteristics is needed to prioritize management efforts toward high-risk sites.

Ranunculus ficaria abundance and reproductive output (seed, bulbil and tuber production rates) were …

Balancing Stability And Flexibility In Adaptive Governance: An Analysis Of Tools Available In U.S. Environmental Law, Robin Kundis Craig, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Craig R. Allen, Craig Anthony (Tony) Arnold, Hannah E. Birge, Hannah Birge, Daniel A. Decaro, Alexander K. Fremier, Alexander K. Fremier, Hannah Gosnell, Edella C. Schlager

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Adaptive governance must work “on the ground,” that is, it must operate through structures and procedures that the people it governs perceive to be legitimate and fair, as well as incorporating processes and substantive goals that are effective in allowing social-ecological systems (SESs) to adapt to climate change and other impacts. To address the continuing and accelerating alterations that climate change is bringing to SESs, adaptive governance generally will require more flexibility than prior governance institutions have often allowed. However, to function as good governance, adaptive governance must pay real attention to the problem of how to balance this increased …

Semi-Arid Grassland Bird Responses To Patch-Burn Grazing And Drought, Susan K. Skagen, David J. Augustine, Justin D. Derner

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

As grassland birds of central North America experience steep population declines with changes in land use, management of remaining tracts becomes increasingly important for population viability. The integrated use of fire and grazing may enhance vegetation heterogeneity and diversity in breeding birds, but the subsequent effects on reproduction are unknown. We examined the influence of patch-burn grazing management in shortgrass steppe in eastern Colorado on habitat use and reproductive success of 3 grassland bird species, horned lark (Eremophila alpestris), lark bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys), and McCown’s longspur (Rhynchophanes mccownii), at several spatial scales during 2011 …

The Feasibility Of Counting Songbirds Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Andrew M. Wilson, Janine M. Barr, Megan E. Zagorski

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Obtaining unbiased survey data for vocal bird species is inherently challenging due to observer biases, habitat coverage biases, and logistical constraints. We propose that combining bioacoustic monitoring with unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology could reduce some of these biases and allow bird surveys to be conducted in less accessible areas. We tested the feasibility of the UAV approach to songbird surveys using a low-cost quadcopter with a simple, lightweight recorder suspended 8 m below the vehicle. In a field experiment using playback of bird recordings, we found that small variations in UAV altitude (it hovered at 28, 48, and 68 …

Climate Dynamics, Invader Fitness, And Ecosystem Resistance In An Invasion-Factor Framework, Stephen L. Young, David R. Clements, Antonio Ditommaso

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

As researchers and land managers increasingly seek to understand plant invasions and the external (climate) and internal (plant genetics) conditions that govern the process, new insight is helping to answer the elusive question of what makes some invasions successful and others not. Plant invasion success or failure is based on a combination of evolutionary and ecological processes. Abiotic (e.g., climate) and biotic (e.g., plant competition) conditions in the environment and plant genetics (e.g., fitness) combine in either decreasing or increasing invasion, yet it has proven challenging to know exactly which of these conditions leads to success for a given species, …

Wild Stimulant Production Methods For American Ginseng Farms In Tennessee, Shannon Smith, John Dubois, Nate Phillips, Arvazena Clardy

Extension Publications

No abstract provided.

Floating Algae Blooms In The East China Sea, Lin Qi, Chuanmin Hu, Mengqiu Wang, Shaoling Shang, Cara Wilson

Marine Science Faculty Publications

A floating algae bloom in the East China Sea was observed in Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) imagery in May 2017. Using satellite imagery from MODIS, Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite, Geostationary Ocean Color Imager, and Ocean Land Imager, and combined with numerical particle tracing experiments and laboratory experiments, we examined the history of this bloom as well as similar blooms in previous years and attempted to trace the bloom source and identify the algae type. Results suggest that one bloom origin is offshore Zhejiang coast where algae slicks have appeared in satellite imagery almost every February–March since 2012. Following …

Introduction, Victor H. Rivera-Monroy, Erik Kristensen, Shing Yip Lee, Robert R. Twilley

Faculty Publications

One of the major issues we currently need to address in mangrove ecological research is the causes (qualitative and quantitative) that drive current mismanagement and degradation of mangrove wetlands; one of the most productive and valuable coastal ecosystems in the world. This is a complex task, and we need to consider the complex interactions between social and ecological systems, including an evaluation of state-of-the-art mangrove ecosystem science. For instance, the attempts to refine and improve the significance of mangrove wetlands’ economic value include not only the most visible and well-recognized mangrove ecosystem services around the world, e.g., fisheries and wood …

Mangrove Ecosystems: A Global Biogeographic Perspective: Structure, Function, And Services, Victor H. Rivera-Monroy, Erik Kristensen, Shing Yip Lee, Robert R. Twilley

Faculty Publications

This book presents a comprehensive overview and analysis of mangrove ecological processes, structure, and function at the local, biogeographic, and global scales and how these properties interact to provide key ecosystem services to society. The analysis is based on an international collaborative effort that focuses on regions and countries holding the largest mangrove resources and encompasses the major biogeographic and socio-economic settings of mangrove distribution. Given the economic and ecological importance of mangrove wetlands at the global scale, the chapters aim to integrate ecological and socio-economic perspectives on mangrove function and management using a system-level hierarchical analysis framework. The book …

Female Polymorphism And Colour Variability In Argia Oculata (Coenagrionidae: Zygoptera), Iago Sanmartín-Villar, Anais Rivas-Torres, María Virginia Gabela-Flores, Andrea C. Encalada, Adolfo Cordero-Rivera

Neotropical Biodiversity

Body colouration frequently possesses a communicative function, particularly in species with colour polymorphism and developed visual systems as odonates, and also affects the conspicuousness of animals in relation to the background. Therefore, these factors can influence colour evolution and its development. The ecology and ethology of Argia oculata (Hagen in Selys, 1865) were studied in three populations with different degrees of habitat alteration. Three different sources of colour variability were found: female polymorphism, female ontogenetic change and daily change in both sexes. All males observed presented the same blue thoracic colouration pattern, without ontogenetic changes. Some of them (6–48%, variable …

The Complex Evolutionary History And Phylogeography Of Caridina Typus (Crustacea: Decapoda): Long-Distance Dispersal And Cryptic Allopatric Species, Hendrik Freitag, Samuel C. Bernardes, Almir R. Pepato, Thomas Von Rintelen, Kristina Von Rintelen, Timothy J. Page, Mark De Bruyn

Biology Faculty Publications

The evolutionary history of the old, diverse freshwater shrimp genus Caridina is still poorly understood, despite its vast distribution – from Africa to Polynesia. Here, we used nuclear and mitochondrial DNA to infer the phylogeographic and evolutionary history of C. typus, which is one of only four species distributed across the entire range of the genus. Despite this species’ potential for high levels of gene flow, questions have been raised regarding its phylogeographic structure and taxonomic status. We identified three distinct lineages that likely diverged in the Miocene. Molecular dating and ancestral range reconstructions are congruent with C …

The Impact Of Arthritis On The Health-Related Quality Of Life Among Individuals At The University Of Central Florida, Ryan E. Garwood

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This purpose of the study is to examine the difference in the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) between individuals who suffer from physician-diagnosed arthritis compared with individuals who do not suffer from physician-diagnosed arthritis in a population of university students, faculty, and staff. The study sampled from a population of students, faculty, and staff at the University of Central Florida. Through the implantation of a cross-sectional ecological design, differences between the two groups were measured with a survey that measures health-related quality of life, such as the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). The SF-36 questionnaire was distributed to subjects …

Humboldt Bay Eelgrass Comprehensive Management Plan, Merkel & Associates, Inc.

Local Reports and Publications

Within Humboldt Bay, eelgrass distribution, abundance and overall health is affected by many factors including climate change (e.g., sea level rise, ocean acidification) and human activities within the bay (e.g., mariculture, dredging, dock and wharf construction, shoreline protection, boating) and watershed (e.g., urbanization and development, agricultural and forestry practices). The Humboldt Bay Eelgrass Comprehensive Management Plan is intended to be an ecosystem based management (EBM) plan.

Population Structure And Genetic Diversity Of Bromus Tectorum Within The Small Grain Production Region Of The Pacific Northwest, Nevin C. Lawrence, Amber L. Hauvermale, Amit Dhingra, Ian C. Burke

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Bromus tectorum L. is an invasive winter annual grass naturalized across the United States. Numerous studies have investigated B. tectorum population structure and genetics in the context of B. tectorum as an ecological invader of natural areas and rangeland. Despite the wealth of information regarding B. tectorum, previous studies have not focused on, or made comparisons to, B. tectorum as it persists in individual agroecosystems. The objectives of this study were to assess the genetic diversity and structure, the occurrence of generalist and specialist genotypes, and the influence of climate on distribution of B. tectorum sourced exclusively from within …

A New Tachinid Genus And Species Record For North America: Iceliopsis Borgmeieri Guimarães, John O. Stireman Iii, Jane E. Dell

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The Iceliini are a small, enigmatic New World tribe of Tachininae consisting of three genera, Icelia RobineauDesvoidy, Iceliopsis Guimarães, and Erviopsis Townsend, and five recognized species (Guimarães 1976). All known species are exclusively Neotropical in distribution with the exception of Icelia triquetra (Olivier), which ranges from Brazil, through Central America, and as far north as New York state (O’Hara & Wood 2004). Members of the tribe are generally medium-sized (ca. 7–12 mm), elongate, yellowish or grayish in color, and resemble Dexiini or Leskiini in general appearance. Species of Iceliini are relatively rarely collected and there is but a single host …

2004-2016, A Brief Summary Of Annual Avian Abundance And Avian Use Of Drain Habitat In The Corrales Bosque, Hawks Aloft, Inc.

Multi-Species Reports (Hawks Aloft)

No abstract provided.

Remote Estimation Of Biomass Of Ulva Prolifera Macroalgae In The Yellow Sea, Lianbo Hu, Chuanmin Hu, He Ming-Xia

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Since 2008, macroalgal blooms of Ulva prolifera (also called green tides) occurred every summer in the Yellow Sea (YS), causing environmental and economic problems. A number of studies have used satellite observations to estimate the severity of the blooms through estimating the bloom size and duration. However, a critical bloom parameter, namely biomass, has never been objectively determined due to lack of measurements. In this study, laboratory experiments were conducted to measure U. prolifera biomass (wet weight) per unit area and the corresponding spectral reflectance, through which a robust relationship has been established to link biomass per area to …

Identification Of Candidate Cellulose Utilizing Bacteria From The Rumen Of Beef Cattle, Using Bacterial Community Profiling And Metagenomics, Lee Opdahl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The ruminal microbiome allows ruminant animals to convert cellulosic biomass into food products. A majority of ruminal microorganisms remain uncharacterized due, in part, to the complexity of ruminal microbial communities. In order to gain further insight, selection-based batch culturing from bovine rumen fluid, in combination with metagenomics, was used to identify and characterize previously uncharacterized rumen bacteria capable of metabolizing cellulose, which was supplemented as a purified substrate. 16S rRNA-based population analysis was used to identify rumen bacteria enriched within 14 days of culturing. As a result of 4 independent experiments, seven different candidate cellulose-utilizing species-level operational taxonomic units (OTUs) …

Measuring Aquatic Organism Responses To Grassland Restoration: Does The Field Of Dreams Really Exist?, David A. Schumann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Landscape homogenization and the degradation of riparian areas has greatly impaired stream ecosystems throughout North America. Conservation programs may repair riparian ecosystems to indirectly improve water quality and instream habitat heterogeneity in hopes to elicit biological responses. However, focused manipulations on isolated stream fragments have rarely achieved biological goals. Prairie streams with restored riparian areas were appraised (chemical, physical, and biological variables) to quantify the indirect effects of prevalent grassland conservation practices on aquatic resources. Riparian rehabilitation, via passive methods, promoted bank-stabilizing vegetation along all conservation stream reaches. Riparian vegetation and function quickly recovered from previous agricultural disturbances at conservation …

Ecology Of Blanchard Springs Caverns, Ozark National Forest, Arkansas: 42 Years Later, C. J. Midden, S. K. Sasser, J. L. Grove

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Interrelationships between subterranean and epigean environments affect dispersion and distribution of cave organisms among the macro and microhabitats. This study examined the environmental impact of 42 years of tourism and development in the two lower sections of Blanchard Springs Caverns found in Stone County, Arkansas; and contributes to a better understanding of the seasonal fluctuations of the abiotic and biotic parameters.

Temperature, water quality, and fauna data were collected. A new entrance, lighting, and approximately 12,500 visitors during the 12-month study had no observable effect on cavern temperatures. Stream water quality measurements were comparable to Grove’s 1974 study. Gray bat, …

The Influence Of Tree Height On Lidar’S Ability To Accurately Characterize Forest Structure And Spatial Pattern Across Reference Landscapes, Haley L. Wiggins

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Successful restoration of degraded forest landscapes requires reference models that adequately capture structural heterogeneity at multiple spatial scales. Field-based methods for assessing variation in forest structure are costly and inherently suffer from limited replication and spatial coverage. LiDAR is a more cost-effective approach for generating landscape-scale data, but it has a limited ability to detect understory trees. Increased understanding of appropriate height cut-offs for trees to be reliably included in LiDAR-based analysis could improve applications of LiDAR to assessments of landscape-scale forest structure. Toward that end, I investigated the effect of varying tree-height criterion (minimum height cutoffs of 6, 9, …

Enhancing Conservation With High Resolution Productivity Datasets For The Conterminous United States, Nathaniel Paul Robinson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Human driven alteration of the earth’s terrestrial surface is accelerating through land use changes, intensification of human activity, climate change, and other anthropogenic pressures. These changes occur at broad spatio-temporal scales, challenging our ability to effectively monitor and assess the impacts and subsequent conservation strategies. While satellite remote sensing (SRS) products enable monitoring of the earth’s terrestrial surface continuously across space and time, the practical applications for conservation and management of these products are limited. Often the processes driving ecological change occur at fine spatial resolutions and are undetectable given the resolution of available datasets. Additionally, the links between SRS …

Combining Biodiversity Resurveys Across Regions To Advance Global Change Research, Kris Verheyen, Pieter De Frenne, Lander Baeten, Donald M. Waller, Radim Hédl, Michael P. Perring, Haben Blondeel, Jörg Brunet, Markéta Chudomelová, Guillaume Decocq, Emiel De Lombaerde, Leen Depauw, Thomas Dirnböck, Tomasz Durak, Ove Eriksson, Frank S. Gilliam, Thilo Heinken, Steffi Heinrichs, Martin Hermy, Bogdan Jaroszewicz, Michael A. Jenkins, Sarah E. Johnson, Keith J. Kirby, Martin Kopecký, Dries Landuyt, Jonathan Lenoir, Daijiang Li, Martin Macek, Sybryn L. Maes, František Máliš, Fraser J.G. Mitchell, Tobias Naaf, George Peterken

Faculty Publications

More and more ecologists have started to resurvey communities sampled in earlier decades to determine long-term shifts in community composition and infer the likely drivers of the ecological changes observed. However, to assess the relative importance of and interactions among multiple drivers, joint analyses of resurvey data from many regions spanning large environmental gradients are needed. In this article, we illustrate how combining resurvey data from multiple regions can increase the likelihood of driver orthogonality within the design and show that repeatedly surveying across multiple regions provides higher representativeness and comprehensiveness, allowing us to answer more completely a broader range …

Habitat Modeling And Vegetation Mapping Of Mammoth Cave National Park Using Lidar Data And Multispectral Imagery, Hongli Yang

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

An up-to-date and detailed vegetation map provides critical information for habitat management. In addition, a habitat model is necessary for Park’s Fire Management, for classification of fuel types, and for delineation of fire management units. Several attempts to map the vegetation at the Mammoth Cave National Park were conducted in 1934, 1975, 1997 and 2011. This essential goal of this study was to produce a new vegetation habitat model and update the vegetation map for the Park. Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) imagery, LiDAR and bedrock dataset were used for habitat model configuration and vegetation mapping at Mammoth Cave National …