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Modeling Canopy Effect In The Great Lakes Cladophora Model, Ankita Bakshi

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Cladophora glomerata is a filamentous green alga native to the Great Lakes. However, its nuisance growth in phosphorus rich waters negatively affects the lakes’ aesthetic and water quality. The Great Lakes Cladophora Model (GLCM) v1, developed in 1982, was the first mechanistic model to simulate Cladophora growth basing phosphorus availability and environmental conditions followed by Cladophora Growth Model and GLCM v2. In this study, the light and temperature mediation factors for Cladophora net growth are revised as a necessary step prior to the development of a self-shading algorithm. The concept of a fixed-value, maximum achievable biomass (carrying capacity) employed in …

Environmental And Soil Variables Affecting The Structure And Floristicwoody Composition Of Oak Forests Of Northeastern Mexico, Juan Antonio Encina-Domínguez, José Ramón Arévalo Sierra, Eduardo Estrada Castillon, Miguel Mellado Bosque

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of environmental and soil factors on the structure and floristic woody composition of oak forests. Oak forests of the Sierra de Zapalinamé in northeastern Mexico (25°N) are distributed in canyons and northwest slopes with higher humidity, surrounded by montane chaparral. We carried out a vegetation inventory across an altitudinal gradient. All trees with diameter at breast height of =>3 cm were identified and measured. In addition, the cover of understory species was measured in each plot. Using multivariate techniques, we detected two oak forest associations: Quercus greggii - Q. …

A Preliminary Checklist Of The Stoneflies (Arthropoda: Insecta: Plecoptera) Of Arkansas, Henry W. Robison, Chris T. Mcallister

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Seventy-seven species of stoneflies representing 8 families and 24 genera are herein reported from Arkansas. The most diverse families of state stoneflies were Perlidae (26 species), Capniidae (14 species), and Perlodidae (12 species) while Pteronarcyidae had only a single representative species. Additional taxa will surely be added to the list with future taxonomic studies incorporating molecular analyses.

Life In The Dirt: Factors Influencing The Behavior And Distribution Of Spea Intermontana In Eastern Washington State, Corey Brumbaugh

All Master's Theses

I divided my thesis into two major studies focusing on the Great Basin Spadefoot Toad, Spea intermontana, at the Beverley Dunes (Beverley, WA). The first study explored the effects of temperature and water level on the rate of metamorphosis. We gathered data on rates of development, survival, body mass, snout-vent length, and hind leg length of metamorphs under 4 treatments: 20C x High Water, 30C x High Water, 20C x Water Loss, and 30C x Water Loss. These data show that temperature has a stronger effect on the overall rate of metamorphosis of Great Basin Spadefoot Toads. The second …

Four Years Of Unmanned Aerial System Imagery Reveals Vegetation Change In A Sub-Arctic Mire Due To Permafrost Thaw, Jessica Delgreco

Master's Theses and Capstones

Warming trends in sub-arctic regions have resulted in thawing of permafrost which in turn induces change in vegetation across peatlands both in areal extent and composition. Collapse of palsas (i.e. permafrost plateaus) has also been correlated with increases in methane (CH4) emission to the atmosphere. Vegetation change provides new microenvironments that promote CH4 production and emission, specifically through plant interactions and structure. By quantifying the changes in vegetation at the landscape scale, we will be able to scale the impact of thaw on CH4 emissions in these complex climate-sensitive northern ecosystems. We combine field-based measurements of vegetation composition and Unmanned …

Discriminant-Based Study Of The Shell Morphometric Relationships Of Patella Caerulea (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia) Of The Western Mediterranean Sea, Zoheir Bouzaza, Karim Mezali

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Our work is a contribution to the study of the morphometric dissimilarity of the limpet Patella caerulea (Linnaeus, 1758) inhabiting the seashore of the western Mediterranean Sea. For this study, 438 individuals of this species were sampled in 24 stations and separated into 2 groups of individuals: the first group (G1) originating from the upper infralittoral and the lower mediolittoral areas, and the second group (G2) originating from the upper mediolittoral area. The biometry of P. caerulea has been studied by considering the total length (L), the total width (W), and the total height (H) of the shell. These parameters …

Habitat Effects And Differences In The Reproductive Success Oforchis Punctulata And Orchis Purpurea (Orchidaceae), Spyros Tsiftsis, Vladan Djordjevic

Turkish Journal of Botany

The pollination success of two nonrewarding orchids in two coarse habitats was examined. The comparative results of Orchis punctulata and O. purpurea showed a significant differentiation. The fruit set of O. purpurea was significantly greater compared to O. punctulata, whereas both species also had significantly higher fruit set in the grassland compared to the forest. Although the pollination success of O. purpurea was not significantly correlated with plant height, inflorescence size, or nearest neighbor distance, these factors were found to be significantly correlated to the pollination success of O. punctulata. Among these factors, the nearest neighbor distance had the highest …

How Fine Particulate Matter Modifies Preterm Birth Risks In Korea, Hyun Jin Choi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the increasing interest in preterm birth risk associated with maternal exposure to the current level of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in Korea, there is little information on differences in PM2.5 exposure and its impact on preterm birth. This study was designed to examine the effects of Korea's air quality on preterm birth, including the possibility of moderation and mediation. This work was also designed to investigate manipulable factors for PM2.5 exposure. The theoretical framework of this quantitative and observational study included the social ecological theory and systems theory. The conceptual framework of this partially ecologic and retrospective cohort study …

The Enduring Importance Of Wildness: Shepherding Wilderness Through The Anthropocene, Patrick Ram Kelly

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Wilderness and wildness have long been essential values at the heart of American conservation. Both have played critical roles in the formation of environmental ethics, providing a conceptual foundation for the belief that the non-human natural world is valuable for its own sake (Nash, 2001). After grounding and inspiring much of 20th century environmentalism, their influence in the current century has grown increasingly tentative. The arrival of what some have called the “Anthropocene epoch” – a term meant to capture the planetary scale impacts of human activity – now threatens the continued viability and relevance of wilderness and wildness to …

Social Science Perspectives On Drivers Of And Responses To Global, Andrew K. Jorgenson, Shirley Fiske, Klaus Hubacek, Jia Li, Tom Mcgovern, Torben Rick, Juliet B. Schor, William Solecki, Richard York, Ariela Zycherman

Publications and Research

This article provides a review of recent anthropological, archeological, geographical, and sociological research on anthropogenic drivers of climate change, with a particular focus on drivers of carbon emissions, mitigation and adaptation. The four disciplines emphasize cultural, economic, geographic, historical, political, and social‐structural factors to be important drivers of and responses to climate change. Each of these disciplines has unique perspectives and makes noteworthy contributions to our shared understanding of anthropogenic drivers, but they also complement one another and contribute to integrated, multidisciplinary frameworks. The article begins with discussions of research on temporal dimensions of human drivers of carbon emissions, highlighting …

Effects Of Local And Regional Processes On The Structure Of Notonecta Metacommunities, Mitra Asgari

Wayne State University Dissertations

Understanding the processes influencing the spatial and temporal distribution of species is the main focus of ecological studies. Community structure and organization is affected by local and regional processes. Local processes affect population persistence and abundance of species through biotic interactions and abiotic environmental conditions within local sites. Regional processes, such as species dispersal among patches and colonization/extinction dynamics, can also affect the dynamics and structure of local populations and communities. Metacommunity theory considers the interplay of both local and regional processes as drivers of species distributions among isolated patches. Recent studies suggest considering features such as habitat type, dispersal …

The Effect Of Environmental Perturbations On The Plant Phyllosphere Microbiome, Bram W. Stone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Applying ecological concepts to microbial communities has proved to be challenging, often revolving around the relative importance of stochastic and deterministic processes applied heterogeneously across the habitat in time or space. The phyllosphere is the aboveground surface of plants on which microbial communities, composed primarily of Bacteria, but also including Archaea and microbial eukaryotes, exist and is characterized by stochastic immigration balanced with strong selective forces. Variation in bacterial community composition was characterized across space and time, with special attention given to the exposure of phyllosphere communities to rain as a plausible mechanism of ecological disturbance. Bacterial communities were characterized …

A Conceptual Model For The Integration Of Social And Ecological Information To Understand Human-Wildlife Interactions, Stacy A. Lischka, Tara L. Teel, Heather E. Johnson, Sarah E. Reed, Stewart Breck, Andrew Don Carlos, Kevin R. Crooks

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

There is growing recognition that interdisciplinary approaches that account for both ecological and social processes are necessary to successfully address human-wildlife interactions. However, such approaches are hindered by challenges in aligning data types, communicating across disciplines, and applying social science information to conservation actions. To meet these challenges, we propose a conceptual model that adopts a social-ecological systems approach and integrates social and ecological theory to identify the multiple, nested levels of influence on both human and animal behavior. By accounting for a diverse array of influences and feedback mechanisms between social and ecological systems, this model fulfills a need …

An Empirical Investigation Of The Dimensionality Of The Physical Literacy Environment In Early Childhood Classrooms, Jaclyn M. Dynia, Rachel E. Schachter, Shayne B. Piasta, Laura M. Justice, Ann A. O'Connell, Christina Yeager Pelatti

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

This study investigated the dimensionality of the physical literacy environment of early childhood education classrooms. Data on the classroom physical literacy environment were collected from 245 classrooms using the Classroom Literacy Observation Profile. A combination of confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis was used to identify five separate dimensions of the physical literacy environment; including (a) variety and use of books, (b) variety and use of writing center materials, (c) variety and use of technology, (d) variety of environmental print and (e) variety and use of other literacy-related materials. Overall, these five dimensions demonstrated reasonable reliability and validity. Implications for investigating …

Ecology, Epidemiology, And Evolutionary Genetics Of Canine Distemper Virus Spillover In African Lions, Julie Kay Weckworth

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The impact of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) on the health and persistence of wildlife populations is an increasing conservation concern. Large carnivores are particularly vulnerable to EID impacts because they often occur in small, isolated populations with demographic and genetic challenges to long-term persistence. Ecological forces that isolate carnivore populations, e.g. agricultural intensification, simultaneously increase the probability of disease exposure from domestic species and can amplify population susceptibility to infection.

Canine distemper virus emerged as a conservation threat to African lions when an explosive epizootic caused the death or disappearance of a third of the Serengeti lion population in 1994. …

Site Conditions And Functional Traits Affect Regeneration Dynamics Of European Hornbeam (Carpinus Betulus L.) In Forest Canopy Gaps, Éva Salamon-Albert, Ágnes Csiszár, Dénes Bartha

Turkish Journal of Botany

European hornbeam is a deciduous tree in mixed forest ecosystems, making a valuable contribution to species richness at a community level. We investigated early-phase regeneration of saplings in canopy gaps under contrasting ecological conditions by analyzing relationships between site parameters, leaf nutrients, and light-regulated carbon and water exchange functions at ecosystem and forest levels. Using plant response variables, we also detected functional soft traits and trade-offs. Species abundance proved to be affected by the elevation and slope of the sites, air humidity, precipitation during the growing period, as well as light-dependent and light-saturated rate of the assimilation function. Relationship between …

Examination And Characterization Of Brook Trout Ecology Before And After A Broad Scale Disturbance Event In Headwater Streams Of West Virginia, Usa, Ross Gilbert Andrew

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

No abstract provided.

Predictors Of Readmission To Youth Counseling Services Among Adolescents In Saskatoon Canada, Felicia Lawal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders are some of the frequently occurring mental illnesses among Canadian children and adolescents that can result in debilitating short and long terms outcomes. The rise in readmission rates for recipients of mental illness in Saskatchewan, coupled with the high incidences of suicide-related deaths, necessitates a patient outcome evaluation for predictors of readmission to youth counseling services among adolescents. The purpose of this secondary data analysis study was to explore the associations between anxiety, depression, substance use disorder, individual counseling, family counseling, group counseling, and the outcome of readmission within 1 year following discharge from …

Ecological Implications Of Foraging And Life-History In Three Cold-Adapted Species, Andrew Von Duyke

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This research investigates the ecology of: ringed seals (Pusa hispida), moose (Alces alces), and bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus). Each of these species draws upon specialized strategies to meet the physical demands of life in their extreme environments. However, they are currently experiencing unprecedented changes in their habitats. This work adds to what is known about the behavior, physiology, and population dynamics of cold-adapted species—providing insights of value for an improved understanding of foraging and life-history theory, and informing conservation and ecosystem monitoring efforts. Chapter 1 provides a brief introduction to the scope of work …

The Effects Of Temperature On Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis Resistance And Heart Rate In The Polymorphic Eastern Red-Backed Salamanders, Plethodon Cinereus, Joseph Alan Demarchi

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Recent Ecological Change In Ancient Lakes, Stephanie E. Hampton, Suzanne Mcgowan, Ted Ozersky, Salvatore G. P. Virdis, Tuong Thuy Vu, Trisha L. Spanbauer, Benjamin M. Kraemer, George Swann, Anson W. Mackay, Stephen M. Powers, Michael F. Meyer, Stephanie G. Labou, Catherine M. O'Reilly, Morgan Dicarlo, Aaron W. E. Galloway, Sherilyn C. Fritz

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Ancient lakes are among the best archivists of past environmental change, having experienced more than one full glacial cycle, a wide range of climatic conditions, tectonic events, and long association with human settlements. These lakes not only record long histories of environmental variation and human activity in their sediments, but also harbor very high levels of biodiversity and endemism. Yet, ancient lakes are faced with a familiar suite of anthropogenic threats, which may degrade the unusual properties that make them especially valuable to science and society. In all ancient lakes for which data exist, significant warming of surface waters has …

An Historical Overview And Update Of Wolf-Moose Interactions In Northeastern Minnesota, L. David Mech, John Fieberg, Shannon M. Barber-Meyer

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Wolf (Canis lupus) and moose (Alces americanus) populations in northeastern Minnesota, USA, have fluctuated for decades and, based on helicopter counts, moose numbers declined to a new low from 2006 to about 2012. Other steep declines were found in 1991 and 1998 during periods when moose counts were done with fixed-wing aircraft; these declines also appeared to be real. Winter wolf numbers, monitored in part of the moose range, had been increasing since about 2002 to the highest population in decades in 2009. However, from 2009 to 2016, wolves decreased precipitously, and the moose- population decline leveled …

Evidence For Trait-Based Dominance In Occupancy Among Fossil Taxa And The Decoupling Of Macroecological And Macroevolutionary Success, Peter Wagner, Roy E. Plotnick, S. Kathleen Lyons

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Biological systems provide examples of differential success among taxa, from ecosystems with a few dominant species (ecological success) to clades that possess far more species than sister clades (macroevolutionary success). Macroecological success, the occupation by a species or clade of an unusually high number of areas, has received less attention. If macroecological success reflects heritable traits, then successful species should be related. Genera composed of species possessing those traits should occupy more areas than genera with comparable species richness that lack such traits. Alternatively, if macroecological success reflects autapomorphic traits, then generic occupancy should be a by-product of species richness …

Non-Targeted Colonization By The Endomycorrhizal Fungus, Serendipita Vermifera, In Three Weeds Typically Co-Occurring With Switchgrass, Prasun Ray, Yingqing Guo, Jaydeep Kolape

Nebraska Center for Biotechnology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Serendipita vermifera (=Sebacina vermifera; isolate MAFF305830) is a mycorrhizal fungus originally isolated from the roots of an Australian orchid that we have previously shown to be beneficial in enhancing biomass yield and drought tolerance in switchgrass, an important bioenergy crop for cellulosic ethanol production in the United States. However, almost nothing is known about how this root-associated fungus proliferates and grows through the soil matrix. Such information is critical to evaluate the possibility of non-target effects, such as unintended spread to weedy plants growing near a colonized switchgrass plant in a field environment. A microcosm experiment was conducted …

Science At Engineer Cantonment, Hugh H. Genoways, Brett C. Ratcliffe, Carl R. Falk, Thomas E. Labedz, Paul R. Picha, John R. Bozell

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Conclusions

It is our contention that Thomas Say, Titian Peale, Edwin James, and their colleagues of the Stephen Long Expedition of 1819–1820 were heavily engaged in scientific research, which took the form of the first biodiversity inventory undertaken in the United States. This accomplishment has been overlooked both by biologists and historians, but it should rank among the most significant accomplishments of the expedition. The results of this inventory continue to inform us today about environmental, faunal, and floral changes along the Missouri River in an area that is known to be an ecotone between the deciduous forests of the …

Chemical Composition Of Glandular Secretions From A Pair-Living Monogamous Primate: Sex, Age, And Gland Differences In Captive And Wild Owl Monkeys (Aotus Spp.), Andrea Spence-Aizenberg, Bruce A. Kimball, Lawrence E. Williams, Eduardo Fernandez-Duque

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Broadening our knowledge of olfactory communication in strictly monogamous systems can inform our understanding of how chemosignals may facilitate social and reproductive behavior between the sexes. Compared to other social and mating systems, relatively little is known about olfactory communication in strictly monogamous non-human primates. Furthermore, platyrrhines are not well represented in chemical analyses of glandular secretions. We conducted semi-quantitative headspace gas chromatography with mass spectrometry to investigate the chemical components of glandular secretions from the subcaudal and pectoral glands of a strictly pair-living platyrrhine, the owl monkey (Aotus spp.). In this study, the first chemical analysis of a …

Visual Cues For Woodpeckers: Light Reflectance Of Decayed Wood Varies By Decay Fungus, Sean T. O'Daniels, Dylan C. Kesler, Jeanne D. Mihail, Elisabeth B. Webb, Scott J. Werner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The appearance of wood substrates is likely relevant to bird species with life histories that require regular interactions with wood for food and shelter. Woodpeckers detect decayed wood for cavity placement or foraging, and some species may be capable of detecting trees decayed by specific fungi; however, a mechanism allowing for such specificity remains unidentified.We hypothesized that decay fungi associated with woodpecker cavity sites alter the substrate reflectance in a species-specific manner that is visually discriminable by woodpeckers. We grew 10 species of wood decay fungi from pure cultures on sterile wood substrates of 3 tree species. We then measured …

Resource Partitioning Between Kit Foxes (Vulpes Macrotis) And Coyotes (Canis Latrans): A Comparison Of Historical And Contemporary Dietary Overlap, P. A. Byerly, R. C. Lonsinger, E. M. Gese, A. J. Kozlowski, L. P. Waits

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Range expansions by generalists can alter communities and introduce competitive pressures on native species. In the Great Basin Desert, USA, coyotes (Canis latrans Say, 1823) have colonized and are now sympatric with native kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis Merriam, 1888). Since both species have similar diets, dietary partitioning may facilitate coexistence.Weanalyzed coyote and kit fox diets, then compared our results to an earlier study. Because populations are dynamic, we expected that decreases in prey or increases in predator abundance could alter dietary patterns. We found no significant changes in population-level prey diversity for kit foxes or coyotes, but found …

Plumage Changes In Double-Crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax Auritus) Within The Breeding Season: The Risks Of Aging By Plumage, Jennifer E. Chastant, D. Tommy King

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Scant attention has been given to the molting patterns of known-age Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus). In general, subadult individuals are identified with a tan, buffy or mottled chest, and adults are identified with a black chest. While studying Double-crested Cormorant population dynamics in Ontario, Canada, with known-age birds, it was noted that the plumage of many (> 75%) breeding adults changed from black to heavily mottled during the course of the breeding season. No pattern with age was observed; plumage changed in equal proportions for all ages from 2-year-olds to 7-year-olds. A similar but reverse pattern has been …

Diversity Of Water Bugs In Gujranwala District, Punjab, Pakistan, Muhammad Shahbaz Chattha, Abu Ul Hassan Faiz, Arshad Javid, Irfan Baboo, Inayat Ullah Malik

Journal of Bioresource Management

Water bugs fall under the order Hemiptera, suborder Heteroptera, which is further divided into two types, i.e., semi-aquatic (Gerromorpha) and true water bugs (Nepomorpha). They play a vital role as biological control agents and also a source of food for fishes, birds and other aquatic organisms. The present work was carried out to ascertain aquatic Hemiptera in different lentic and lotic water bodies of various sizes in Gujranwala district, Pakistan. A total of 10 species belonging to five families were identified. Species include Nepa ruber Linnaeus, Laccotrephes elongatus Montandon, Ranatra filiformis Fabricius (Nepidae), Corixa substriata Uhler, Micronecta proba …