Digital Commons Network^™

Bayesian Methods For Comparing Species Physiological And Ecological Response Curves, Michael B. Ashcroft, Angélica Casanova-Katny, Kerrie Mengersen, Todd N. Rosenstiel, Johanna D. Turnbull, Jane Wasley, Melinda J. Waterman, Gustavo E. Zúñiga, Sharon A. Robinson

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Many ecological questions require information on species' optimal conditions or critical limits along environmental gradients. These attributes can be compared to answer questions on niche partitioning, species coexistence and niche conservatism. However, these comparisons are unconvincing when existing methods do not quantify the uncertainty in the attributes or rely on assumptions about the shape of species' responses to the environmental gradient. The aim of this study was to develop a model to quantify the uncertainty in the attributes of species response curves and allow them to be tested for substantive differences without making assumptions about the shape of the responses. …

From Near And Far: Utilization Of In-Situ And Remotely Sensed Satellite Data From Nasa And Noaa, Jessica Rochelle Price Sutton

Theses and Dissertations

Satellite remote sensing observations have been used for numerous studies to better understand physical and biological properties over varying spatial and temporal scales. Depending on the satellite and sensor, the satellite-derived observations can provide high spatial and temporal resolution for many important physical and biological variables. While there are many limitations in utilizing satellite remote sensing products, there are also many advantages. This dissertation investigates three different applications for satellite remote sensing products to address climatological and ecological concerns. This dissertation is motivated by two overall research questions: (1) How can satellite remote sensing products be used to address important …

Study On The Proceeding Of Hydraulic Problem Of Simulating Natural Fish Passage, Zhijuan Wang, Qingyuan Yang, Minghai Huang, Yong He

International Symposium on Hydraulic Structures

Fish passage in water conservancy projects is an important means of improving river connectivity, and reducing the impact on the ecological environment. Simulating natural fish passage, which aims at the purpose of the river ecological corridor by the means of ecological optimization on the structure and section type based on the traditional fish passage, is promoted and applied in recent years gradually. At the same time, the hydraulic research related to the simulating natural fish passage has made great progress. In this paper, we firstly collected and summarized the research experience of the domestic and foreign typical fish passage, analyzed …

Ionic Liquid Extraction Unveils Previously Occluded Humic-Bound Iron In Peat Soil Pore Water, Timothy J. Veverica, Evan S. Kane, Amy Marcarelli, Sarah A. Green

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Globally, peatland ecosystems store tremendous amounts of C relative to their extent on the landscape, largely owing to saturated soils which limit decomposition. While there is still considerable uncertainty regarding CO₂ production potential below the water table in peatland ecosystems, extracellular Fe reduction has been suggested as a dominant pathway for anaerobic metabolism. However, colorimetric methods commonly used to quantitate Fe and partition between redox species are known to be unreliable in the presence of complex humic substances, which are common in peatland pore water. We evaluated both the standard o-phenanthroline (o-P) Method and an ionic …

Reproductive Characteristics Of Female Egg-Carrying Buntingi, Xenopoecilus Oophorus, An Endemic Fish To Lake Poso In Central Sulawesi, Meria Tirsa Gundo, Muhammad Fadjar Rahardjo, Djamar Tumpal Frederik Lumban Batu, Wartono Hadie

Makara Journal of Science

Reproduction characteristic of female egg-carrying buntingi, Xenopoecilus oophorus had been studied. This research was conducted at Lake Poso, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Specimens were collected monthly from August 2012 to July 2013 at four sampling stations around the lake. Macroscopic observations of ovarian maturity level and gonadosomatic index revealed a long reproductive period during the rainy season, with four spawning peaks in November, January, February and April. The highest total fecundity was 135 oocytes, and the highest batch fecundity was 36 oocytes. Analysis of the oocyte diameter frequency distribution showed X. oophorus is a multiple spawner. Batch fecundity was correlated (r …

Development And Validation Of A Remote Sensing Model To Identify Anthropogenic Boreholes That Provide Dry Season, Refuge Habitat For Anopheles Vector Mosquitoes In Sub-Saharan Africa, James Pkemoi Kukat

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A lack of surveillance systems is an impediment to public health intervention for perennial vector-borne disease transmission in northern tropical savanna region of Kenya. The population in this area are mostly poor nomadic pastoralists with little acquired functional immunity to Plasmodium falciparum, due to infrequent challenges with the parasite. A common characteristic in tropical savanna climatic zone is the availability of riverbeds that have anthropogenic boreholes that provide malaria vector mosquitoes, such as Anopheles gambiae s.l and Anopheles funestus, with aquatic refuge habitats for proliferation and endemic transmission to proximity human households during the dry-season. Unfortunately, currently there …

Full Issue 3(1/2)

International Journal of Speleology

No abstract provided.

Connecting To Nature, Community, And Self: A Conservation Corps Approach To Re-Engaging At-Risk Youth In Science Education, Sara Jo Linden

Dissertations and Theses

The social and environmental challenges of the coming decades will require that individuals possess environmental literacy: the understanding of natural systems combined with a sense of care for the earth, and the confidence and competency to act on its behalf. At the same time, disengaged youth need education environments that foster belonging and promote affective outcomes. The youth conservation corps model provides a natural context for engaging academically at-risk youth in environmental science education, while fostering connection to nature and student self-efficacy in ways that are experiential, relevant, and relationship-based. The focus of this study was a conservation corps program …

School-Located Influenza Vaccination Program Effectiveness: An Observational, Descriptive Case Study., Dorcas E. Kunkel

DNP and Student Works

Children have the highest influenza infection rates of all population groups. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends annual universal influenza vaccination of all persons ≥ 6 months of age. Many school-aged children do not receive recommended vaccinations and experience influenza, which results in poor health, absences from school, and transmission of infection to family and community members. The purpose of this evaluation was to determine the effectiveness of a school located influenza vaccination program planned and operated by public health nurses.

Learning To Live With The Trickster: Narrating Climate Change And The Value Of Resilience Thinking, Robin Kundis Craig

Pace Environmental Law Review

This article is based on the 2015 Pace Garrison Lecture that occurred on April 1, 2015. Fittingly for a talk given on April Fool’s Day, this article focuses on tricksters. It posits that framing climate change as one incarnation of a mythological trickster can give us a better cultural narrative framework for thinking about environmental, natural resources, and energy law and policy in a climate change era. The trickster narrative can helpfully displace the dominant engineering framework that informs most of American10 environmental, natural resources, and energy law and policy and open the way to a more productive policy context …

Examining Victimization In South Korea 1993-2010: A Comparative Application Of Ecological Theories Of Crime, Jisun Choi

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Theoretical approaches aimed at the understanding of population level criminal offending and victimization generally revolve around two major criminological theories: Social disorganization and routine activities/lifestyle theories. These theoretical frameworks were developed and have been examined extensively in a Western context (primarily in the U.S.) and provide evidence of both individual and aggregate indicators for the explanation of variations in crime. More recently, these approaches have been extended to the Eastern context as increasing numbers of studies have been conducted outside of the U.S. This application is relatively recent and the literature has yet to find conclusive supporting evidence for these …

Predaceous Water Beetles (Coleoptera, Hydradephaga) Of The Lake St Lucia System, South Africa: Biodiversity, Community Ecology And Conservation Implications, Renzo Perissinotto, Matthew S. Bird, David T. Bilton

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Quantifying Reproductive Output Of Marine Benthic Species Kelletia Kelletii Surrounding The 2016 El Nino Event, Justin Palmer

Baker/Koob Endowments Awarded Projects

Nearly all of the marine fish and shellfish living along coastlines release microscopic larvae into the open ocean. The larvae then disperse for weeks to months before settling back into coral reefs and kelp forests. The larvae are too small and they travel too far to be tracked directly. Yet, knowing where these larvae settle is important for conservation and management. By quantifying the origins of a reef’s population, one can determine the extent to which that reef is dependent on other fish and shellfish populations for the replenishment of the next generation. Understanding these patterns of “connectivity” and “dependency” …

The Plight Of Aspen: Emerging As A Beneficiary Of Wolf Restoration On Yellowstone’S Northern Range, John Klaptosky

Aspen Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Plants' Native Distributions Do Not Reflect Climatic Tolerance, Tierney Bocsi, Jenica M. Allen, Jesse Bellemare, John Kartesz, Misako Nishino, Bethany A. Bradley

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Aim: Biogeographers have long known that plant species do not fully encompass their fundamental niche. Nonetheless, in practice, species distribution modelling assumes that plant distributions represent a reasonable approximation of their environmental tolerance. For ecological forecasting, projections of habitat loss due to climate change assume that many species will be unable to tolerate climate conditions outside of those found within their current distributional ranges. We aim to test how well occurrences in the native range approximate the climatic conditions in which plant species can survive.

Location: Continental USA. Methods: We compared the climatic conditions between occurrences in the US native …

Characterization Of The Marine Sponge Amphimedon Compressa Microbiome Across A Spatial Gradient, Renee Michelle Potens

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Diverse and ecologically important microbial communities (microbiomes) are symbiotic within marine sponges. In this study, the microbiome of Amphimedon compressa from three sample locations (Broward and Dade Counties, Southeast Florida, USA and the Southern Caribbean, Bocas del Toro, Panama) is characterized using 16S rRNA Illumina sequencing. The predominant taxa are Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria, as expected for Low Microbial Abundance sponges, accounting for over 53% of the total microbiome community. The numbers of Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) decrease from Broward County (2,900) to Dade County (2,300) and then Bocas del Toro (1,200). The correlates to a decreasing north-south gradient of …

Foraging Choices Of Vampire Bats In Diverse Landscapes: Potential Implications For Land‐Use Change And Disease Transmission, Daniel G. Streicker, Jacob E. Allgeier

KIP Articles

In Latin America, the common vampire bat Desmodus rotundus is the primary reservoir of rabies, a zoonotic virus that kills thousands of livestock annually and causes sporadic and lethal human rabies outbreaks. The proliferation of livestock provides an abundant food resource for this obligate blood‐feeding species that could alter its foraging behaviour and rabies transmission, but poor understanding of the dietary plasticity of vampire bats limits understanding of how livestock influences rabies risk. We analysed individual‐ and population‐level foraging behaviour by applying δ 13 C and δ 15 N stable isotope analysis to hair samples from 183 vampire bats captured …

Preliminary Insights Into Prehistoric Toolstone Preference Of Two Igneous Materials In The Tanana River Drainage, Interior Alaska, Brooks A. Lawler

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This project examines prehistoric human mobility and raw material preference for tool manufacture in a 45,918 square mile portion of Interior Alaska, the Tanana River Drainage. A geographic approach is used to investigate the distribution of prehistoric obsidian and rhyolitic artifacts in relation to the sources of these materials. The objective of the investigation is to reveal spatial patterning in the distributions of artifacts made of these two materials, relative to each other and relative to the cost of obtaining these raw materials from their sources on the landscape. I examine a hypothesis based in human behavioral ecology and optimal …

Exploratory Study Of Graph Drawing On A Continuum Of Expertise, Emily Macleish

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Graphs are used in our lives daily to communicate information such as political ads or car sales. In the sciences, understanding graphs is essential to effective communication as graphs are often used to report experimental results or observed trends. However, research suggests that college students are not fluent in this form of scientific communication. Additionally, research has also found that standardized assessments of quantitative literacy fail to be clearly defined at the curricular or institutional levels. This research looks at the differences between the cognitive and metacognitive strategies of how individuals along a continuum of biological expertise visually represent data. …

Long-Term Feeding Ecology Of Early-Stage Striped Bass (Morone Saxatilis) And American Shad (Alosa Sapidissima) In The Hudson River Estuary, Michael G. Smircich

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Early Successional Arthropod And Breeding Bird Response To Intercropping Switchgrass Within An Intensively Managed Loblolly Pine Forest, Craig Daniel Marshall

Theses and Dissertations

Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantations are a common land use of the southeastern United States that have the potential to function as a source of cellulosic biomass for biofuel production. A novel land use practice of intercropping switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) between planted loblolly pines has been developed as a potential method of cellulosic biomass production. I evaluated response of arthropods and breeding birds to intercropping switchgrass within loblolly pine plantations compared to typically managed pine plantations. I detected 13 arthropod orders and 44 breeding bird species during 2014 – 2015. Intercropping switchgrass reduced arthropod diversity and evenness, with richness not …

Breeding And Brood Rearing Ecology Of Mottled Ducks In The Ashepoo, Combahee, And Edisto Rivers Basin, South Carolina., Molly Rebecca Kneece

Theses and Dissertations

Mottled ducks (Anas fulvigula) are a non-migratory waterfowl species endemic to the western Gulf Coast, with a separate, genetically distinct subspecies (A. fulvigula fulvigula) occurring in peninsular Florida. Birds from Texas, Louisiana, and Florida were released in coastal South Carolina from 1975-1983, and banding data suggest an expanding population. I monitored 72 mottled duck nests and captured and radio-marked 196 pre-breeding and nesting females between 2010 and 2014 to study breeding ecology of these birds in the Ashepoo, Combahee, Edisto Rivers Basin. Nest success averaged 12% and varied with vegetation height and year. Indicated breeding pair surveys revealed breeding mottled …

U.S. Population Change: The Roles Of Amenities And Transportation, Xuan Zhou

Theses and Dissertations

Studying the spatial distribution and redistribution of population has long been a major concern of demography, because population changes can reflect deep and massive social changes. For decades, the major population change was the moving of people from rural to urban regions. However, with the advancement of transportation and information technology, many new regions have become more attractive to people, such as small and new metropolitan, nonmetropolitan, suburban, and rural areas. Traditional migration and population redistribution studies emphasize economic and social factors. Relatively little attention is paid to how natural amenities and transportation affect changes of population size and net …

War On Drugs: Examining The Effects On Social Disorganization And Crime In Cities, Ruben Ortiz

Master’s Theses and Projects

The work of Shaw and Mckay (1942) paved the way for researchers to study inner-city crime by focusing on the environment and its effects on residents. Social disorganization, characterized by weakened institutions led researchers to analyze and predict patterns of crime in urban areas. Researchers argue that social disorganization theory arguments developed from this approach, but lost appeal among researchers due to limited empirical tests. The theory experienced a renewed interest in the 1980s, as structural factors (e.g. poverty, heterogeneity, residential mobility, racial inequality, and family disruption) were considered, all of which allowed researchers to study patterns of crime in …

An Environmental History Of The Rio Grande In The Panama Canal Zone, 1521- 1950., Francisco Javier Bonilla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an examination of the history of environmental change in the defunct Rio Grande river valley in the former Panama Canal Zone. By mining secondary sources and engineering records, this study provides a narrative of the historic river’s role in the formation of the so-called interoceanic corridor through the isthmus of Panama from 1521 to 1950. More importantly, however, as a case study of river histories in Latin American environmental history, this understudied, Pacific-draining river illustrates how nature and non-human nature made Panama’s strategic transit region into a loci for material flows over time. The Rio Grande played …

Spatial Distribution And Geomorphic Factors Of Lead Contamination On Floodplains Affected By Historical Mining, Big Rover, S.E. Missouri, David Bower Huggins

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Historical mining in the Old Lead Belt resulted in lead (Pb) contamination of floodplain soils for over 170 km along the Big River in southeastern Missouri. The overall pattern of contamination are understood. However, Pb distribution across floodplain surfaces has not been investigated at the scale needed for site-level remediation planning. The goal of this project is to examine spatial distribution of Pb with more detail and identify the role of geomorphic processes. Predictive models are needed to evaluate factors affecting Pb distribution such as elevation, distance from the channel, and geochemistry. This study evaluates Pb distribution at three ~1km …

Assessment Of American White Pelican Predation And Reproductive Success Of Walleye In The Tamarac River, Mn, Jake Graham

Biology Graduate Theses

The Tamarac River is a major tributary of the Red Lakes MN, which provides an economically important multispecies fishery. The river experiences spring spawning migrations of northern pike, walleye, and white suckers. However, limited data exists related to reproductive success of fishes in the river. Furthermore, in the previous decade large congregations of American white pelicans (AWPE) have been observed using the Tamarac River as a foraging ground each spring. Assessing reproductive success of fishes in the Tamarac River provides a more holistic understanding of fish ecology in the river and the importance of the Tamarac River to the Red …

Determining Methods Of Propagation For The Investigation Of Intraspecific Variability Of Climate Change Responses Of Appalachian Plant Species, Gayle L. Tyree

Honors Theses

Species range migrations are a well-documented response to climate change (Loarie et al. 2009), with range shifts mainly occurring poleward or to higher elevations (Walther et al. 2002). As range shifts occur, variation in phenotypic traits within plant species across climate gradients could affect their abilities to acclimate or adapt to a changing climate (Hooper et al. 2005, Souza et al. 2011). In 2014 Dr. Jennifer Boyd (BGES) initiated a research project to examine potential intraspecific phenotypic variation within wide-ranging Appalachian plant species of responses to projected future atmospheric CO2 and temperature regimes. As an undergraduate research assistant, I focused …

The Effects Of Large Herbivores On Soil Organic Matter Quality In Terrestrial Ecosystems, Adrian Alvarez

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Understanding the factors that control the natural fluxes of carbon into and out of terrestrial ecosystems is of paramount importance to forecast and adapt to climate change. Soil respiration – the release of carbon dioxide from roots and soil micro-organisms– is considered to be the largest terrestrial source of carbon dioxide. Microbial respiration, the least understood component of soil respiration, is to a great extent determined by soil organic matter quality, reflecting the relative fractions of labile and recalcitrant soil carbon. The goal of this research was to examine how herbivory affects soil organic matter quality across a wide range …

The Social Side Of Software Platform Ecosystems, Cleidson R. B. Da Souza, Fernando Figueira Filho, Müller Miranda, Renato Pina Ferreira, Christoph Treude, Leif Singer

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Software ecosystems as a paradigm for large-scale software development encompass a complex mix of technical, business, and social aspects. While significant research has been conducted to understand both the technical and business aspects, the social aspects of software ecosystems are less well understood. To close this gap, this paper presents the results of an empirical study aimed at understanding the influence of social aspects on developers’ participation in software ecosystems. We conducted 25 interviews with mobile software developers and an online survey with 83 respondents from the mobile software development community. Our results point out a complex social system based …