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Survival Strategies Of Eelgrass In Reduced Light, Caroline A. Ochieng

Doctoral Dissertations

Light reduction due to anthropogenic impacts is the most widespread cause of worldwide decline of eelgrass, an ecologically important marine angiosperm whose role in supporting overall coastal ecosystem productivity has been widely recognized. Understanding eelgrass plant and meadow responses to light reduction has therefore received significant research interest over the last 30 years, while managers have sought tools to identify critical thresholds for light availability and predict impacts of human-induced disturbances in order to prevent further eelgrass loss. In the present thesis, a review of some of the literature on light reduction and its effects on eelgrass (i) summarized the …

A New Perspective: Atlantic Herring (Clupea Harengus) As A Case Study For Time Series Analysis And Historical Data, Emily Klein

Master's Theses and Capstones

This thesis endeavors to develop methods for the historical analysis of a specific species and location to begin understanding fishery patterns and change over time. The main goal was to develop statistical methods to address historical data and provide long-term information on fishery trends and potential relationships between the fishery and outside influences. The Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) fishery was investigated for underlying patterns and the possible impact of outside variables and events from 1870 to 2007.

In the Gulf of Maine, Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) provide critical forage for many economically valuable species, while supporting a major New England …

Early Performance Of Constructed Oyster Reefs In Great Bay, New Hampshire, Mark K. Capone

Master's Theses and Capstones

Several oyster reefs were constructed in Great Bay, New Hampshire using remotely-set oysters. A single large reef treatment and a cluster of several small reefs treatment were utilized to test hypotheses relevant to oyster restoration design, and to monitor early restoration reef performance. There was no significant difference in oyster size, density, and recruitment between two experimental reef structures, with both reef types having high survival and fast growth rates for the 2-year study. Both experimental reef structures had significantly higher recruitment rates than natural reefs in 2006, a year of relatively high recruitment (p < 0.05), and elevated yet not significantly higher recruitment rates in 2005, a weak recruitment year (p = 0.078). In situ fluorometry data showed that a restored reef can significantly impact chlorophyll-a levels in overlying water within two years of reef construction. Individual oyster clearance rates ranged from 1.87 L/hr--2.41L/hr.

Resolving The 150 Year Debate Over The Ecological History Of The Common Periwinkle Snail, Littorina Littorea, In Northeast North America, April M H Blakeslee

Doctoral Dissertations

Littorina littorea (common periwinkle snail) is highly abundant in both Europe and North America. A known native of Europe, its presence in North America has been the subject of a one-hundred year debate. Prior published work attempting to resolve its cryptogenic (=uncertain origin) status with historical, archaeological, ecological and/or genetic data were not successful. I therefore included novel parasite and molecular evidence to definitively resolve L. littorea's North American cryptogenic status.

First, I explored trematode species richness patterns in European versus North American L. littorea and two co-occurring native congeners, L. saxatilis and L. obtusata. Through extensive field and literature …

Field Efficiency And Bias Of Several Methods For Downed Wood And Snag Inventory In Western North American Forests, Robert Scott Kenning

Master's Theses and Capstones

Coarse woody debris (CWD)---downed forest wood and snags---has been afforded increasing attention in the past decade as studies illuminate the role of dead wood in the study of global carbon cycling, wildlife, forest fire, and soil ecology. Accordingly, the need for efficient sampling methods of CWD has grown. This study compares the field efficiency and bias of seven traditional and novel sampling techniques. Methods were tested in 14 forest stands across 3 broad study regions---alpine and ponderosa forests in Colorado and coastal rainforest in British Columbia.

For sampling downed wood volume, perpendicular distance sampling (PDS) proves to be the most …

Biology And Management Of Plodia Interpunctella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) In Stored Products, S. Mohandass, F. H. Arthur, K. Y. Zhu, James E. Throne

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Plodia interpunctella (Hubner), the Indian meal moth, is a world-wide insect pest of stored-products and processed food commodities. It can infest a variety of products and is perhaps the most economically important insect pest of processed food. In this review, we summarize the biology of P. interpunctella, discuss oviposition and development in relation to temperature, environment and food source, examine studies involving sampling and detection, describe various aspects of integrated control, summarize the current knowledge regarding management of P. interpunctella, and address potential areas for new research. The use of reduced-risk insecticides, non-chemical control, targeted pest management through …

Tropical Forest Structure: Ground Measurements Of Coarse Necromass And Satellite Observations Of Crown Geometry, Michael W. Palace

Doctoral Dissertations

Forests are structurally diverse, but these structures derive from the same processes of disturbance and growth. Understanding forest structure can help unlock the history, function, and future of a forested ecosystem. Components of forest structure include tree size distributions, foliage distributions and variation in canopy density, and coarse woody debris (coarse necromass). Tropical rainforests are structurally the most complex of all ecosystems. In addition to having high biological diversity, Amazon forests are marked by complex vegetation dynamics and a diverse forest stand structures, which play an important role in the interactions of water and carbon between the biosphere and atmosphere. …

A Test Of The Nutrient-Productivity Model In The Gulf Of Maine Using The Intertidal Mussel Mytilus Edulis, Meredith A. Bailey

Master's Theses and Capstones

Historical concepts of top-down control (predator-prey interactions) on rocky intertidal community structure have transitioned to studies on bottom-up effects (nutrient supply and larval transport) as significant factors affecting rocky intertidal community structure. Studies performed on rocky intertidal locations along the Gulf of Maine (GOM) at multiple sites and seasons in 2004 and 2006 examined the ecology of Mytilus edulis populations by measuring size frequency distributions, diet quality (stable isotope composition) and physiological performance of individuals using condition indices and RNA/DNA ratios. Data were correlated to satellite imagery for sea surface temperature and chlorophyll a concentration and individuals were genetically tested …

Effects Of Forest Clear Cutting On Spotted Salamander ( Ambystoma Maculatum) Migration, Jessica Susannah Veysey

Master's Theses and Capstones

Upland buffer zones are a proposed management tool for vernal-pool-breeding amphibians. Substantial validation of buffers, via experimental upland habitat disturbance, is lacking. Specifically, no studies have examined immediate effects of clear cutting on spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum ) migration. I used clear cutting to experimentally manipulate upland buffer widths at 11 vernal pools. I then radiotracked 40 adult spotted salamanders at these pools, and modeled their migration with mixed-effects regression. Mean maximum distance from the pool was 106.0 +/- 15.4 m (range = 1.6 to 427.6 m). At clear cut-treatment pools, mean percent of time in the cut was 27.2 …

Behavioral Genetics And Crime, In Context, Owen D. Jones

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

This Article provides an introduction to some of the key issues at the intersection of behavioral genetics and crime.

It provides, among other things, an overview of the emerging points of consensus, scientifically, on what behavioral genetics can and cannot tell us about criminal behavior. It also discusses a variety of important implications (as well as complexities) of attempting to use insights of behavioral genetics in legal contexts.

An Investigation Of Genetic Variation Within Northwest Atlantic Porphyra (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) With Specific Phylogeographic Analysis Of The Common, Rocky Intertidal Species, Porphyra Umbilicalis, Brian William Teasdale

Doctoral Dissertations

To investigate the phylogeography of the rocky intertidal red alga, Porphyra umbilicalis Kutzing, a restriction fragment polymorphism assay (RFLP) of the ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase large subunit ( rbcL) was developed to accurately distinguish P. umbilicalis from the other morphologically similar species in the North Atlantic. Initial screening of ∼800 Porphyra specimens resulted in the additional discovery of a cryptic Porphyra taxon.

The presence and variability of group-I introns of the ribosomal small subunit (SSU) were screened in North Atlantic species of Porphyra in order to assess whether they could be biogeographically informative. In an initial screening for the helix 50 …

Characterization Of Prokaryotic Diversity In A Chlorinated Solvent-Contaminated Bedrock Aquifer Using Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis, Ribosomal Dna Sequencing, And Real Time Pcr, Walid Naser

Doctoral Dissertations

A culture-independent molecular phylogenetic approach was implemented to investigate spatial and temporal variations in microbial diversity and abundance in a chlorinated solvent-contaminated bedrock aquifer. Core and groundwater samples were collected from several boreholes and included the following samples: (1) groundwater that was associated with the core, (2) open fractures and (3) partially mineralized sealed fractures (PMSF) exposed by striking the core with a surface-sterilized geology hammer. DNA representing the attached and unattached microbial communities was extracted from these samples, and the 16S rRNA gene was amplified with primers specific for Bacteria, Archaea, sulfate reducers, Geobacteraceae family, Dehalorespirers (Dehalococcoides sp. and …

Factors Affecting Plant Community Composition And Dynamics In The Ossipee Pine Barrens, New Hampshire, Lauren Fredrick Howard

Doctoral Dissertations

Forty-one 0.25 ha sites were sampled in the Ossipee Pine Barrens to identify and describe tree community types and investigate factors controlling forest composition and dynamics. Every site had three site-time assemblages (STA's) representing past, present, and future trees. Past (1952) vegetation was calculated based on reverse growth estimates of current stems and stumps. Future (2052) vegetation was predicted by current sapling (<10 cm dbh and ≥1 m tall) relative densities.

Cluster analysis produced three community types from 121 STA's: pitch pine, mixed pine-hardwoods, and red maple. Pitch pine communities comprised 63% of sites in 1952, but declined since. Mixed pine-hardwoods peaked at 58% in 2002, but were …

Abstracts Of Papers, 79th Annual Meeting Of The Virginia Academy Of Science, May 22-25, 2001, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia

Virginia Journal of Science

Abstracts of papers that were presented at the 79th Annual Meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science, May 22-25, 2001, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Systematics Of Neotropical Satyrine Butterflies (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae: Euptychiina) Based On Larval Morphology And Dna Sequence Data And The Evolution Of Life History Traits., Debra Lynne Murray

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Although satyrine butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae) are highly diverse and found worldwide in most terrestrial habitats, they have received little attention from systematists. This research focuses on one of the largest satyrine groups, the euptychiines, found from central United States to Argentina, with the greatest diversity in the Amazon. The subtribe Euptychiina has a troubled taxonomic history. Most genera were erected without diagnoses and placed within the subtribe without being examined. Before this project was initiated, little was known of their basic biology and morphology. Therefore, considerable attention was given to this area in my research. I describe the larvae …

Ecological Structure Of Estaurine Fish Communities: Habitat Linkages Among Dominant Species Groups In Terminos Lagoon, Mexico., Ana Laura Lara-Dominguez

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Terminos Lagoon in the southern Gulf of Mexico has 5 ecological subsystems: (1) fluvial lagoon systems (FLS) with permanent river discharge, low salinity, high turbidity and nutrients. (2) Central basin (CB) between marine and river conditions, intermediate salinity and variable transparency. (3) Inner littoral of Carmen Island (ILCI) with strong marine influence, high transparency and extensive seagrass meadows. (4) Carmen inlet (Estero Pargo, ESP) with a net outflow of water and high turbidity. (5) Puerto Real inlet (PR) with a net inflow of waters, high transparency and seagrasses. During a 15-month sampling, 13,691 individuals of 79 different species were collected …

A New Stygobiont Melitid Amphipod From The Nullarbor Plain, J. H. Bradbury, Stefan Eberhard

KIP Articles

No abstract provided.

Molecular Systematics Of The Green Algal Order Trentepohliales (Chlorophyta)., Juan Manuel Lopez-Bautista

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Molecular, karyological, and nuclear genome quantification data from representatives of the order Trentepohliales (Chlorophyta) were used to infer evolutionary relationships with other green algal classes and orders. Phylogenetic analyses of the nuclear-encoded small subunit ribosomal DNA (18S rDNA) sequences from taxa representing all of the major lineages of green algae consistently indicated that the subaerial Trentepohliales are closely related to Ulvophycean marine green algae, particularly to the siphonous and hemisiphonous orders. The phylogenetic distribution of continuous and discontinuous types of mitochondrial large subunit ribosomal RNAs (mtLSU rRNA) in green algae has been shown to be consistent with phylogenetic relationships previously …

Ecology Of Seagrass Fishes And Macroinvertebrates On Guatemala's Atlantic Coast., Alejandro Arrivillaga

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The ecology of fishes and macroinvertebrates inhabiting shallow seagrass beds was studied at Bahia La Graciosa, located in Amatique Bay in the Caribbean coast of Guatemala. The study area included extensive turtle grass, Thalassia testudinum, meadows over muddy substrate, whereas a more exposed shoreline also supported turtle grass meadows over sandy substrates outside the bay. A total of 166 samples were collected across two seasons and habitat types in three sampling trips to the area with a cylindrical drop sampler. Diversity and abundance of fishes and macroinvertebrates inhabiting seagrass and adjacent bare-sand sites were described to assess the relative importance …

Behavioral And Physiological Responses Of The Lobster, Homarus Americanus, To Temperature: A New Synthesis, Steven Harold Jury

Doctoral Dissertations

Temperature has a pervasive influence on lobster behavior, physiology and ecology and affects their subsequent distribution in thermally variable habitats such as estuaries and coastal areas. A multidisciplinary approach, including field and laboratory studies, was used to show: (1) that lobsters sense temperature with warm and cool thresholds as small as 0.1--0.2°C; (2) the relationship between temperature and activity is not linear, but instead switches between a high activity level in warmer months (10--20°C) and a lower level in colder months (<10°C) with transition periods in the spring and fall; (3) Parallel studies in the lab and field show that daily levels of activity are not greatly influenced by small temperature variations (i.e. tidally induced changes of 14°C), but activity levels are significantly higher in the field (249 +/- 55.1 m/d) than in the laboratory (88 +/- 12.0 m/d); (4) lobsters prefer a narrow range of temperatures over others available in a thermal gradient and avoid temperatures >23.5 +/- 0.4°C, suggesting that they behaviorally thermoregulate. While this preferred temperature shifts seasonally, the final preferred temperature …

Epidemiology Of Anthrax In The Kruger National Park, South Africa: Genetic Diversity And Environment., Kimothy Lyn Smith

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The Kruger National Park, (KNP), in the Republic of South Africa, provides a unique opportunity to investigate interesting and unresolved aspects of the epidemiology of the disease anthrax. Anthrax is a disease of primarily mammals caused by the Gram-positive, rod-shaped, spore-forming bacteria Bacillus anthracis. Beyond it's great historical significance anthrax is clearly important in the world today. From a rich legacy of empirical investigations and observations in the form of ecological and epidemiological studies conducted around the world this work endeavors to distill and extract the essence of what biotic and abiotic factors of environment might be causally associated with …

Tallgrass Prairie Remnants Of Western Iowa Cemeteries., Carrie L. Menges-Schaben

Student Work

Tallgrass prairie remnants situated in eight western Iowa cemeteries were sampled during 1995 and 1996 to compare both the frequency and season of mowing and burning on plant species composition. Dominant, native tallgrass prairie species, such as big bluestem (Andropha gerardii), Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) and leadplant (Amorpha canescens), generally showed a significant increase with burning, whether mowed or not. Mowing, however, adversely affected other species, including flower spurge (Euphorbia corollate) and porcupine grass (Stipa spartea), whether burned or not. Non-native species, in particular smooth brome (Bromus inermis) increased with mowing and the absence of fire. Overall, my study suggests …

Airbirds: Adaptative Strategies To The Aerial Lifestyle From A Life History Perspective., Manuel Marin-Aspillaga

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

"Airbirds" are defined as those birds that are adapted to almost constant life on the wing and do not perch, except for breeding and roosting. They use the air as the only medium in which to find and gather food. One taxon meets that definition: the swifts (Apodidae). Foraging zones of airbirds can be segregated in terms of clutch size, commuting foraging distance, nestling period, and nestling feeding rate. This study looked at foraging behavior and nestling diet, incubation patterns and mode of development in cypseloidine swifts, that as a group has extreme life history patterns. In a temperate one-egg …

The Use Of Secondarily Treated Wastewater Effluent For Forested Wetland Restoration In A Subsiding Coastal Zone., John M. Rybczyk

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Insufficient sedimentation, coupled with high rates of relative sea-level rise (RSLR), are two important factors contributing to wetland loss in coastal Louisiana. I hypothesized that adding nutrient rich, secondarily treated, wastewater effluent to subsiding coastal wetlands in Louisiana could promote vertical accretion in these systems through increased organic matter production and subsequent deposition, and allow accretion to keep pace with estimated rates of RSLR (subsidence plus eustatic sea-level rise). To test this hypothesis, I measured processes affecting wetland elevation including, organic matter decomposition, sediment accretion, aboveground primary production, and, plant tissue nutrient (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe) concentrations, in …

The Radioresistance Of Deinococcus Radiodurans., Valerie Mattimore

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Deinococcus radiodurans is a remarkably ionizing radiation resistant bacterium. As a vegetative cell it is capable of withstanding 5,000 Gy ionizing radiation without evidence of death or mutation. D. radiodurans survives irradiation by repairing DNA damage via an extremely efficient DNA repair system. However, this DNA repair system has not been completely defined. In addition, the selective process allowing the evolution of high level radioresistance has remained a question. This dissertation bolsters the understanding of the DNA repair system of D. radiodurans by characterizing a collection of ionizing radiation sensitive (IRS) mutants. The level of radioresistance is quantified and transformation …

The Genetic Effects Of Forest Fragmentation On Amazonian Forest Birds., John Marshall Bates

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

I present allozyme and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) data on the genetic structure of five species of Amazonian forest birds at two geographic scales. The five species, Glyphorynchus spirurus (family Dendrocolaptidae), Leptopogon amaurocephalus (Tyrannidae), Hypocnemis cantator, Myrmeciza hemimelaena, and Hylophylax poecilinota (all three Formicariidae), are common forest understory inhabitants throughout much of Amazonia. At the local geographic scale, I hypothesized that forest fragmentation affected genetic structure in these species. Study sites were in the Department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Six sites separated by 150 km or less for each species were sampled: three sites in continuous Amazonian forest, and three in …

Host Quality Of Baldcypress And Its Influence On Fruittree Leafroller, Archips Argyrospila (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), Performance In Forested Wetlands Of Louisiana., James R. Meeker

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Ecological relationships between the fruittree leafroller (FTLR), (Archips argyrospila (Walker)) and a new host, baldcypress (Taxodium distichum (L.)), were investigated in southern Louisiana where persistent annual defoliation over increasingly larger areas has occurred since 1983. Defoliation was observed to correspond with common types of baldcypress foliage morphology; designated as open and appressed. Pondcypress, Shumard oak and citrus foliage also were examined. The objectives were to: (1) determine the relative suitability/susceptibility of foliage types, and (2) quantify parameters of foliage quality possibly influencing FTLR performance. Levels of defoliation, egg mass counts, and laboratory bioassays of: initial survival, host preference, growth, feeding, …

Influences On The Instream Distribution Of Astyanax Fasciatus In A Small River In Costa Rica., Cecil Kelly Swing

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The instream distribution of the tetra, Astyanax fasciatus, was investigated through approximately 700 hours of field observations in a small Costa Rican stream on the southwestern Pacific coast near Golfito. Individuals tended to remain in particular pools where they subsisted primarily on a diet of terrestrial insects. These fish were able to migrate, and only as many individuals stayed in any pool as could be sustained there by available food resources. Because the water intercepted insects fairly uniformly over its surface, the biomass of fish occupying any particular pool was proportional to its surface area (r$\sp2$ = 0.652). The amount …

Ecosystem Models Of Aquatic Primary Production And Fish Migration In Laguna De Terminos, Mexico., Enrique Reyes

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Laguna de Terminos is Mexico's largest coastal lagoon. There is a high habitat diversity including open water, mangroves, seagrasses and marshes, which supports Mexico's most economically important fisheries. Understanding ecosystem processes is essential for effective management of the lagoon's resources. This research developed landscape-level models for aquatic primary production (LAPPTER model), and fish migration (ROE model) in Laguna de Terminos. The ROE model was developed first as a theoretical approach, and later integrated into the LAPPTER model as a submodule which utilizes simulated production as a food source. The ROE model includes behavioral rules for fish movement based on environmental …

Response Of Big Bluestem (Andropogon Gerardii Vitman) To Specific Date Of Spring Burning., Tracy Lea Benning

Student Work

The tallgrass prairie of central North America has been described as a fire-derived and fire-maintained ecosystem (Stuart 1951) in which fires occurred intermittently and throughout the year (Jackson 1965). Because of the importance of fire to this ecosystem, its effects have been widely studied and summarized in reviews by Ehrenreich (1959), Daubenmire (1968), Vogl (1974), and Hulbert (1986). The effect of burning during different seasons has been studied with varying results. Winter burns reduce herbage production of warm-season dominants and shift vegetational composition by differentially favoring cool-season species (e.g. Towne and Owensby 1984). Mid-to late-season fires also damaged the C4 …