Digital Commons Network^™

Behavioral Ecology And Conservation Genetics Of The Sister Islands Rock Iguana, Jeanette Blair Moss

Theses and Dissertations

Insular fauna face disproportionate risks of extinction owing to direct human perturbation and intrinsic factors that are enhanced at small population sizes. Currently, our understanding of the processes that promote long-term persistence of naturally small populations and the cryptic processes that may contribute to accelerating their decline is limited by lack of empirical investigations across the range of natural conditions. Implementing effective protections for rare and understudied taxa requires the identification and examination of factors that limit recruitment at critical life stages. Predicting population health outcomes of future perturbations further necessitates an understanding a taxon’s behavioral ecology. Finally, cryptic threats …

An Unsupervised Machine-Learning Framework For Behavioral Classification From Animal-Borne Accelerometers, Jane Elizabeth Dentinger

Theses and Dissertations

Studies of animal spatial distributions typically use prior knowledge of animal habitat requirements and behavioral ecology to deduce the most likely explanations of observed habitat use. Animal-borne accelerometers can be used to distinguish behaviors which allows us to incorporate in situ behavior into our understanding of spatial distributions. Past research has focused on using supervised machine-learning, which requires a priori specification of behavior to identify signals whereas unsupervised approaches allow the model to identify as many signal types as permitted by the data. The following framework couples direct observation to behavioral clusters identified from unsupervised machine learning on a large …

Spatial Distribution Of Tuberculosis And Its Association With Meteorological Factors In Mainland China, Yingjie Zhang, Mengyang Liu, Samuel S. Wu, Hui Jiang, Junjie Zhang, Songwang Wang, Wei Ma, Qihuan Li, Yuan Ma, Yue Liu, Wei Feng, Endawoke Amsalu, Xia Li, Wei Wang, Weimin Li, Xiuhua Guo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

BACKGROUND: The incidence of tuberculosis (TB) remains high worldwide. Current strategies will not eradicate TB by 2035; instead, by 2182 is more likely. Therefore, it is urgent that new risk factors be identified.

METHODS: An ecological study was conducted in 340 prefectures in China from 2005 to 2015. The spatial distribution of TB incidence was shown by clustering and hotspot analysis. The relationship between the distribution patterns and six meteorological factors was evaluated by the geographically weighted regression (GWR) model.

RESULTS: During the 11 years of the study period, TB incidence was persistently low in the east and high in …

Examining The Effect Of Interstitial Space On Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea Virginica): Applications Of Photogrammetry And Three-Dimensional Modeling, Bailie Lavan

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Global oyster populations have decreased by as much as 99% in the past century. Oysters are known ecosystem engineers, providing benthic habitat for macrofauna, linking benthic and pelagic food webs, improving water quality, and mitigating shoreline erosion. Restoration efforts are critical in re-establishing native oyster populations. In the Chesapeake Bay, where oyster loss is primarily due to severe over harvest, artificial substrates with geometric shapes are widely used in restoration efforts. However, natural oyster reefs form emergent shapes with a high degree of aggregation and many interstitial spaces (three-dimensional volumetric spaces between oysters within a reef). The lack of interstitial …

“Don’T Buy Where You Can’T Work:” Protest And Riot In Harlem, 1932 -1935, Christie Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

In the 1930’s, Harlem joined together to participate in a “Don’t Buy Where You Can’t Work” campaign, to gain agency in their community. Store owners and legal decisions would block these efforts. This work explores the failure of this movement’s impact on the Riot of 1935.

Discontinuity Analysis Reveals Alternative Community Regimes During Phytoplankton Succession, David G. Angeler, Craig R. Allen, Dirac L. Twidwell Jr., Monika Winder

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

It is well-recognized in plankton ecology that phytoplankton development can lead to distinct peaks (i.e., blooms) during spring and summer. We used a 5-year (2007–2011) phytoplankton data set and utilized discontinuity analysis to assess resilience attributes of spring and summer blooms based on the cross-scale resilience model. Using the size structure (i.e., cross-scale structure as an indicator of resilience) in the sampled plankton data, we assessed whether spring and summer blooms differ substantially between but not within blooms; that is, whether they comprise alternative community regimes. Our exploratory study supported this expectation and more broadly resilience theory, which posits that …

Intersex Wildlife As Sentinels For Human Health And Endocrine Disruption Near Superfund Sites: A Systematic Review, Olivia Anderson, Melissa Perry

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Fish and wildlife are often used as sentinels for human health. This systematic review examines one aspect of wildlife health, intersex (both ovarian and testicular tissue) animals and their prevalence or severity near Superfund sites (EPA designated toxic waste sites). The body of evidence demonstrates some evidence of this indicator and more research is needed, specifically a meta-analysis that is outside the scope of this study.

Proposal To Build A Green Roof On Top Of Hardin Hall On Unl's East Campus, Abbie Andersen

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The purpose of this study is to research the feasibility of implementing more green roofs around The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s campuses. To do this investigation a systematic literature review process was used gathering multiple relevant, peer reviewed articles from UNL’s “Encore” search engine. The data was then organized into categories that described the necessary considerations that needed to be made to retrofit green roofs, information on their many benefits, and finally the potential energy cost savings that can be obtained through use of a green roof. From here a proposal for a model green roof on top of UNL’s Hardin …

Characterization Of Scleractinian Coral Caspases In Comparison With Human Homologs, Jessica Lynn Tung

2019 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Coral bleaching is an immune response where compromised algal symbionts are expelled from host tissue. Porites astreoides and Orbicella faveolata are model species on opposing ends of the immunity spectrum. Disease-resistant P. astreoides employs adaptive autophagic mechanisms when immunocompromised, while disease-sensitive O. faveolata activates caspase-mediated apoptosis. Presented here is a characterization of caspase homologs found in disease-tolerant P. astreoides (P.ast-3, P.ast-7) and disease-susceptible P. astreoides (O.fav-3a, O.fav-3b). P.ast-7 and O.fav-3a are unusual in that they retain high sequence similarity to human executioner caspases but possess a CARD-like domain characteristic of initiator and inflammatory caspases. Results indicate that P.ast-7 and O.fav-3a …

Potential Impact Of Climate Change On The Distribution Of Alpine Tundra In The Adirondack Mountains Of New York, Terry Allard

Atmospheric & Environmental Sciences

Given the potential for significant changes in climate over the next century, understanding how biome locations may shift in response to these changes may be useful in informing conservation efforts. In this work the potential effect of climate change on the distribution of alpine tundra in the Adirondack Mountains of New York is examined. The ecological niche modelling software Maxent was used to analyze the distribution of alpine tundra relative to 30 year 800m PRISM climate normal data and terrain aspect over the Adirondacks. Random points from surveyed areas of alpine tundra in the Adirondacks were used as presence data …

Long-Term Patterns In Remotely-Sensed Vegetation Productivity For A Transboundary Conservation Area In Southern Africa., Liam Resener

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

In the past century, researchers have observed changes in vegetation productivity and structure in savannas across the world. These changes, caused by shifts in precipitation patterns, fire patterns, soil nutrients, herbivory, and land management decisions, are important to understand because they affect availability of natural resources, which in turn affects the livelihoods of local populations. This study centers on the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA), a transboundary conservation area that spans five countries in Southern Africa comprised of large areas of protected land. Using the Normalized-Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), I tested a 35-year remotely-sensed time series for intra- and inter-annual …

Insect Populations Across An Urban-To-Suburban Land Use Gradient., Jacob T. Lawson

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Insect populations, especially those of pollinators, have been steadily declining across the globe in recent decades, a trend that is intensified in cities. Since the conservation of pollinators is crucial for maintaining ecosystems and ecological processes, new approaches are being promoted beyond those of conserving large natural areas. Urban native plant gardens could potentially offset some of these losses locally. This research attempts to set a local baseline for the insect diversity in urban gardens in Louisville and determine whether differences exist in garden insects in cities versus suburbs in Jefferson County, Kentucky. To address the land-use question we established …

Amphibian And Reptile Community Responses To Forest And Riparian Disturbance, Jacquelyn Christine Guzy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Riparian zones are transitional, semi-terrestrial areas regularly influenced by freshwater. These areas serve as dispersal corridors for many animal and plant species and ultimately function as important reservoirs of biodiversity in altered landscapes. While much of the riparian habitat in the United States has been affected by anthropogenic activities, management actions may mitigate potentially negative influences of these activities. For example, Streamside Management Zones (i.e., riparian buffers; SMZs) are commonly implemented within managed forests to protect water quality, but may also provide habitat for riparian-associated wildlife. Yet, little research has rigorously addressed the value of SMZs for wildlife, particularly cryptic …

Integration Of Genotype, Physiological Performance, And Survival In A Lizard (Uta Stansburiana) With Alternative Mating Strategies, Lisa Hazard, Kenneth A. Nagy, Donald B. Miles, Erik I. Svensson, Daniel Costa, Barry Sinervo

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Covariation among behavioral and physiological traits is thought to enhance reproductive success and Darwinian fitness. Species that exhibit alternative mating strategies provide excellent opportunities to assess the relative contributions of physiological and behavioral traits to fitness. Male side-blotched lizards (Uta stans-buriana) exhibit three heritable throat color morphs that are associated with alternative mating behaviors. The three morphs differ in resource holding potential, mate attraction, mate defense, and physiological performance. We examined interrelationships of body mass, stamina, field metabolic rate, growth rate, and survival to the second capture (a fitness proxy). Relationships among variables were complex, and mass, stamina, and throat …

Assessing Minimal-Input Restoration Strategies For Desert Soil And Vegetation Restoration, Audrey Jean Rader

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Mojave and Sonoran Deserts have been negatively impacted by anthropogenic disturbances. Considering that these ecosystems may recover on millennial timescales, research has shown that restoration techniques can be fairly successful in initiating long-term recovery processes in these sensitive environments. However, uncertainty remains as to which techniques are effective in different circumstances, such as in different climates or across different soil properties, and which techniques may best avoid unintended consequences, such as facilitating non-native plants. To reduce fugitive dust as a human health hazard, increase soil stability, and enhance wildlife habitat, further work is necessary to develop restoration techniques for …

Comparative Thermal Ecology Of Coastal And Inland Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Oreganus), Hayley Layne Crowell

Master's Theses

Global biodiversity is declining as a direct result of anthropogenic climate change. Ectothermic species have become focal organisms for studying the ecological effects of altered climates due to the clear relationship between environmental temperatures and ectotherms’ basic physiological functions. Historically, examinations of these effects have focused heavily on heliothermic lizards, and most others have tended to focus on single populations or sympatric species within a single community. Addressing the longterm energetic implications of environmental temperature variation will provide valuable insight into the cascading physiological effects that certain populations or species may experience as a result of altered climates.

In this …

Beyond Genetics: Addressing Activity In Microbial Ecology, Scott Christopher Thomas

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The field of microbial ecology is on the cusp of another revolution, one that uses synergy to address the limitations of previous studies. My dissertation is representative of the new era of research to come, through combining the latest technological advances with established classical methods to provide a more complete understanding of microbial ecosystems. In my first study, I evaluate the conservation of central carbon metabolic pathways and activity along a temperature and diversity gradient (60-95 ℃) through the use of 16S rRNA gene amplicon data, metagenome sequencing, and position-specific 13C-labeled metabolite probing. In my second study, I provide the …

Humans Take Control Of Fire-Driven Diversity Changes In Mediterranean Iberia’S Vegetation During The Mid–Late Holocene, Simon E. Connor, Boris Vannière, Daniele Colombaroli, R. Scott Anderson, José S. Carrión, Ana Ejarque, Romera G Gil, Penélope González-Sampériz, Dana Hoefer, César Morales-Molino, Jordi Revelles, Heike Schneider, Der Knaap Wo Van, Leeuwen Jfn Van, Jessie Woodbridge

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

What Does The Snake Eat? Breadth, Overlap, And Non-Native Prey In The Diet Of Three Sympatric Natricine Snakes, Emily E. Virgin, Richard B. King

Biology Faculty Publications

We investigated diet breadth and diet overlap in three sympatric snakes of similar body size: Dekay’s Brownsnakes (Storeria dekayi), Red-bellied Snakes (S. occipitomaculata), and sub-adult Common Gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis), by examining recently consumed prey (n = 388) collected from wild-caught snakes (n = 263) in northern Illinois. Storeria occipitomaculata were dietary specialists, feeding nearly exclusively on slugs. Storeria dekayi fed predominately on slugs but also consumed snails and earthworms. Sub-adult T. sirtalis fed predominately on earthworms but also consumed frogs and small mammals. Diet overlap was extensive between Storeria species but relatively low between …

Resource Allocation Across Urban And Rural Counties: A Tennessee Case Study, Dontarious Damarco Cowans

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This study addresses how resource allocation of mobility-promoting organizations vary by characteristics of Tennessee counties. More specifically, I examine the variation of resources provided across urban and rural counties. Building on previous studies of mobility-promoting organizations, this study moves away from neighborhood analysis and updates to larger spatial units to a county level analysis. Including county-level data provides an opportunity to explore potential explanations for the observed regional variation in rates of poverty. Furthermore, this study analyzes aspects of disadvantage and organizational density. I utilize the Social Vulnerability Index and the Relative Rurality Index in combination with U.S. Census and …

Basking Habits Of Painted Turtles (Chrysemys Picta), Ellen Munshower

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Painted turtles, a reptile native to North America, have been known the bask in areas of relatively shallow water with direct sunlight. In our study we looked for notable traits of basking sites being used by painted turtles around Lake Sagatagan in Collegeville, MN. Data was taken at every location that painted turtles were observed basking and was then paired with a random location around the lake to see if there were differences between the specific locations with turtles and the overall lake ecosystem. Through this process we observed that turtles tended to bask in areas off cooler, shallower water, …

Marine Reserves Shape Seascapes On Scales Visible From Space, Elizabeth M. P. Madin, Alastair R. Harborne, Aaron M. T. Harmer, Osmar J. Luiz, Trisha Brooke Atwood, Brian J. Sullivan, Joshua S. Madin

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Marine reserves can effectively restore harvested populations, and ‘mega-reserves’ increasingly protect large tracts of ocean. However, no method exists of monitoring ecological responses at this large scale. Herbivory is a key mechanism structuring ecosystems, and this consumer–resource interaction's strength on coral reefs can indicate ecosystem health. We screened 1372, and measured features of 214, reefs throughout Australia's Great Barrier Reef using high-resolution satellite imagery, combined with remote underwater videography and assays on a subset, to quantify the prevalence, size and potential causes of ‘grazing halos’. Halos are known to be seascape-scale footprints of herbivory and other ecological interactions. Here we …

Direct Lung Sampling Indicates That Established Pathogens Dominate Early Infections In Children With Cystic Fibrosis., Peter Jorth, Zarmina Ehsan Md, Amir Rezayat, Ellen Caldwell, Christopher Pope, John J. Brewington, Christopher H. Goss, Dan Benscoter, John P. Clancy, Pradeep K. Singh

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Culture and sequencing have produced divergent hypotheses about cystic fibrosis (CF) lung infections. Culturing suggests that CF lungs are uninfected before colonization by a limited group of CF pathogens. Sequencing suggests diverse communities of mostly oral bacteria inhabit lungs early on and diversity decreases as disease progresses. We studied the lung microbiota of CF children using bronchoscopy and sequencing, with measures to reduce contamination. We found no evidence for oral bacterial communities in lung lavages that lacked CF pathogens. Lavage microbial diversity varied widely, but decreases in diversity appeared to be driven by increased CF pathogen abundance, which reduced the …

Sandhill Crane Use Of Riverine Roost Sites Along The Central Platte River In Nebraska, Usa, David M. Baasch, Patrick D. Farrell, Andrew J. Caven, Kelsey C. King, Jason M. Farnsworth, Chadwin B. Smith

Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist

Wide channels with short bank vegetation, access to nearby foraging habitat, shallow water areas (deep), and absence of disturbance features are factors commonly associated with suitable roost sites for Sandhill Cranes (Antigone canadensis). However, since channel width has typically been evaluated independently of channel depth and flow, it is possible that use of narrow channels is not limited so much by a requirement for wider channels but by deeper water that flows through these narrow channels. We used a discrete-choice modeling framework and 9 years of roost location data to evaluate the influence of channel-width measures and flow …

Automated Identification Of Benthic Epifauna With Computer Vision, Nils Piechaud, Christopher Hunt, Phil F. Culverhouse, Nicola L. Foster, Kerry L. Howell

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Fire On The Mountain: Impacts Of First-Year Burned Habitat On Wildlife Occupancy, Dakota Vaccaro

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Wildfires occur on a worldwide scale in a range of different environments and with varying levels of severity. Currently, wildfires are occurring on a higher frequency than in the past partly due to climate change. Fire ecology studies provide valuable management information that can be used to inform decisions. However, very few of these studies have been conducted on the impacts fire has on wildlife the year following a burn. Wildlife play an important role in keeping ecosystems healthy and functioning, therefore it is important to understand how they will react with increasing fire prevalence. This study focuses on wildlife …

15th Annual Undergraduate Research Conference Abstract Book, Missouri University Of Science And Technology

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Impact Of Introduced Infrastructure At Sea With Cameras: A Case Study For Spatial Scale, Time And Statistical Power, Anthony W.J. Bicknell, Emma V. Sheehan, Brendan J. Godley, Philip D. Doherty, Matthew J. Witt

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

La Gota Que Colma La Caguama: Cummulative Tensions Transformed Into The Defense Of Water, Anthony J. Meluso

Geography ETDs

Making water management decisions is often where dreams and visions about potential futures are constructed and contested (Swengedouw 2015). However, in a globalized world, it is not well understood how people can challenge dominant paradigms to shape desirable futures when they are also complicit in, and dependent on existing structures (Arts & Buizer 2009; Emery, Perks, & Bracken 2013: Kleinschmit, Böcher, & Giessen 2009). This project examines a brewery conflict in the Mexicali Valley that provides an example of how protesters were able to challenge dominant assumptions about water management in a complex, globalized environment. I draw on Laclau’s (2005) …

Comparison Of Postfire Seedling Recruitment Of 2019 In Three Key Chaparral Species, Karagan Smith, Reid Furukawa, Brett Muramoto, Stephen D. Davis

Featured Research

Fire is a common natural disaster that sweeps through Southern California. Combined with periods of acute, and most recent, chronic drought, we have seen an increase in the damage and frequency of these fires in recent years. Three chaparral species are common to the Pepperdine campus: Malosma laurina, Ceanothus spinosus, and Ceanothus megacarpus. The survival of these three native species is essential because they serve as biomarkers for the changes that are occurring in our local ecosystem and provide further implications for how our ecosystem is responding to natural disaster. Seedling recruitment is a mechanism that is used by …