Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Institution
-
- Utah State University (5)
- Western Washington University (5)
- Kennesaw State University (4)
- Portland State University (2)
- Selected Works (2)
-
- Augustana College (1)
- Binghamton University (1)
- Boise State University (1)
- Bowling Green State University (1)
- Butler University (1)
- Clark University (1)
- Coastal Carolina University (1)
- Columbus State University (1)
- DePaul University (1)
- East Tennessee State University (1)
- Furman University (1)
- Grand Valley State University (1)
- James Madison University (1)
- Longwood University (1)
- Missouri State University (1)
- Montclair State University (1)
- Nova Southeastern University (1)
- Old Dominion University (1)
- Stephen F. Austin State University (1)
- The University of Southern Mississippi (1)
- University of Central Florida (1)
- University of Kentucky (1)
- University of Louisville (1)
- University of San Diego (1)
- University of South Florida (1)
- Publication Year
- Publication
-
- Institute Publications (5)
- Electronic Theses and Dissertations (3)
- All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023 (2)
- Biological Sciences Faculty Publications (2)
- Dissertations and Theses (2)
-
- Faculty Publications (2)
- Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses (2)
- Theses and Dissertations (2)
- All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present (1)
- Biology (1)
- Biology Dissertations (1)
- Biology Faculty Articles (1)
- Biology Faculty Publications (1)
- Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations (1)
- Biology Publications (1)
- Biology Student Research (1)
- Biology: Faculty Scholarship (1)
- Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works (1)
- Carmen M. Salsbury (1)
- College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses (1)
- College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations (1)
- Faculty Articles (1)
- Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry (1)
- Graduate Dissertations and Theses (1)
- Integrative Biology Publications (1)
- MSU Graduate Theses (1)
- Master's Theses (1)
- Masters Theses (1)
- Masters Theses, 2020-current (1)
- Rebecca W. Dolan (1)
- Publication Type
- File Type
Articles 1 - 30 of 48
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Impacts Of Anthropogenic Disturbances And Urbanization On The Behavior And Morphology Of Two Free-Living Lizard Species (Uta Stansburiana And Aspidoscelis Neotesselatus), Layne O. Sermersheim
Impacts Of Anthropogenic Disturbances And Urbanization On The Behavior And Morphology Of Two Free-Living Lizard Species (Uta Stansburiana And Aspidoscelis Neotesselatus), Layne O. Sermersheim
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present
Urbanization can alter wildlife, requiring species to adjust to anthropogenic changes via life history strategies. Reptiles are particularly vulnerable to these changes, as ectotherms directly rely on their environment to maintain their optimal homeostatic state. As urbanization changes the landscape, reptiles will have to adapt to anthropogenic change, but it is unclear what behaviors may be aiding in this adaptation and whether there are morphological tradeoffs existing to support this change. To analyze the impact of urbanization and anthropogenic disturbances on reptile behavior and morphology, I conducted three research studies on two different species – the common side-blotched lizard and …
Patterns And Potential Mechanisms Of Phenotypic Changes In Urban Small Mammals, Leslie Lopez
Patterns And Potential Mechanisms Of Phenotypic Changes In Urban Small Mammals, Leslie Lopez
Master's Theses
Urbanization is an example of human induced rapid environmental change that can have wide-reaching ecological effects, including habitat destruction, fragmentation, and alteration of local climates. Effects of urbanization have been shown to impact wildlife, as disturbances resulting from urbanization can create novel environments and selective pressures that could lead to changes in morphology, physiology, or both. Small mammals such as rodents are an ecologically important set of wildlife species because they are a key prey item for several predators, hold strong influence over plants as a primary consumer, and some species carry and transmit major human and animal diseases. Previous …
The Effect Of Urbanization And Temperature On Thermal Tolerance, Foraging Performance, And Competition In Cavity-Dwelling Ants, Brooke A. Harris, Dale Stevens, Kaitlyn A. Mathis
The Effect Of Urbanization And Temperature On Thermal Tolerance, Foraging Performance, And Competition In Cavity-Dwelling Ants, Brooke A. Harris, Dale Stevens, Kaitlyn A. Mathis
Biology
Human disturbance including rapid urbanization and increased temperatures can have profound effects on the ecology of local populations. Eusocial insects, such as ants, have adapted to stressors of increasing temperature and urbanization; however, these evolutionary responses are not consistent among populations across geographic space. Here we asked how urbanization and incubation temperature influence critical thermal maximum (CTmax) and various ecologically relevant behaviors in three ant species in urban and rural locations in Worcester, MA, USA. We did this by incubating colonies of three species of cavity dwelling ant (Aphaenogaster picea, Tapinoma sessile, and Temnothorax longispinosus) from 2 habitat …
Population Physiology, Demography, And Genetics Of Side-Blotched Lizards (Uta Stansburiana) Residing In Urban And Natural Environments, Spencer B. Hudson
Population Physiology, Demography, And Genetics Of Side-Blotched Lizards (Uta Stansburiana) Residing In Urban And Natural Environments, Spencer B. Hudson
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023
Wildlife populations across the globe are poised to lose their natural habitat to urbanization, yet there is limited information on how different species handle living in cities. Animals in urban environments are often susceptible to novel stressors, which can threaten their individual health and population viability. The physiological characteristics of animals, such as those related to metabolic hormones, oxidative stress, and immunity, are expected to be important for survival in this context. If so, animals persisting in urban areas may demonstrate physiological differences from their natural counterparts, perhaps due to evolutionary change. These potential outcomes have been documented in birds …
Determining How Anthropogenic Change Filters Biological Communities And How Species Modify Their Traits In Response To Urbanization, Kristopher Warren Row
Determining How Anthropogenic Change Filters Biological Communities And How Species Modify Their Traits In Response To Urbanization, Kristopher Warren Row
Biology Dissertations
Humans are significantly altering the environment at an alarming pace, leading to a reduction in species diversity. This transformation has created modified habitats where some species struggle to survive, while a few others not only manage to survive but thrive. One of the most drastic forms of habitat modification is urbanization, which is spreading worldwide and contributing to the decline of biodiversity. Urbanization has given rise to urban-tolerant species that differ ecologically from species that avoid urban areas across various niche dimensions. These urban-tolerant species must adapt to changes in food sources, microhabitat conditions, and alterations in physical habitat structures. …
The City Blues Of An Iridescent Canary: Physiological, Behavioral, And Developmental Impacts Of Lead (Pb) On Songbirds Along An Urban-To-Rural Gradient, Michelle Ross
Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses
Urbanization is rapidly changing the environment and creating new challenges in the lives of animals across the globe. Anthropogenic contaminants found commonly in old construction materials—including heavy metals like lead— persist within the environment for prolonged periods of time and present a widespread problem for all who live near contaminated areas. Despite the phase-out of lead usage, it continues to threaten the health of all organisms but especially those from urban areas where historical lead use was more common. Currently, the sub-lethal effects of lead on wildlife are not well understood, though lead is known to affect physiology and behavior …
Neonate Atlantic Sharpnose Shark (Rhizoprionodon Terraenovae) Relative Abundance And Body Condition In Two South Carolina Estuaries Varying In Urbanization, Rileigh E. Hawk
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Urbanization near estuaries has been shown to affect the growth and survival of juvenile sharks using the system as a nursery. North Inlet and Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, are similarly-sized, tidally-dominated, bar-built estuaries with extensive Sporobolus-lined tidal creeks but differ in degree of human impact. Previously, Murrells Inlet was shown to have a lower abundance and diversity of large sharks than North Inlet and Atlantic Sharpnose Sharks (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae) were shown to use North Inlet as a primary nursery. To examine potential differences in neonate shark abundance and growth between a developed estuary, Murrells Inlet, and a protected estuary, North …
Consistent Nest Site Selection By Turtles Across Habitats With Varying Levels Of Human Disturbance, Molly Folkerts Caldwell, Jorge E. López-Pérez, Daniel A. Warner, Matthew E. Wolak
Consistent Nest Site Selection By Turtles Across Habitats With Varying Levels Of Human Disturbance, Molly Folkerts Caldwell, Jorge E. López-Pérez, Daniel A. Warner, Matthew E. Wolak
Biology Student Research
Human disturbance impacts the breeding behavior of many species, and it is particularly important to understand how these human-caused changes affect vulnerable taxa, such as turtles. Habitat alteration can change the amount and quality of suitable nesting habitat, while human presence during nesting may influence nesting behavior. Consequently, both habitat alteration and human presence can influence the microhabitat that females choose for nesting. In the summer of 2019, we located emydid turtle nests in east-central Alabama, USA, in areas with varying levels of human disturbance (high, intermediate, low). We aimed to determine whether turtles selected nest sites based on a …
Anthropogenic Land Uses Influence Stream Dissolved Organic Matter Quality More Than Decomposition Rates And Macroinvertebrate Diversity, Shayenna Nolan, Alyssa Alves Frazao, J D. Hosen, Catherine Febria
Anthropogenic Land Uses Influence Stream Dissolved Organic Matter Quality More Than Decomposition Rates And Macroinvertebrate Diversity, Shayenna Nolan, Alyssa Alves Frazao, J D. Hosen, Catherine Febria
Integrative Biology Publications
In the era of the Anthropocene, streams and rivers are among the most heavily impacted ecosystems due to the influence of catchment land use on stream water quality and ecological condition. In practice, structural and functional indicators collected by biomonitoring programs are underused and thus limited in their ability to offer practical insight into functional-based restoration approaches. Here we applied a novel combination of indicators—cotton strip decomposition, benthic invertebrate sampling together with dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition — to determine if streams highly impacted by urbanized and agricultural land use across Windsor-Essex (southwestern Ontario, Canada) were consistent across season, anthropogenic …
Winter Dynamics Of Storm Water Management Ponds And Winter Tolerance In Three Aquatic Plant Species, Patrick Strzalkowski
Winter Dynamics Of Storm Water Management Ponds And Winter Tolerance In Three Aquatic Plant Species, Patrick Strzalkowski
Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)
The vast majority of the research into the performance of stormwater management ponds (SWMPs) has been performed in warm regions or during the warmer seasons in temperate regions. It is presumed that SWMPs are inactive in the winter as any potential stormwater is trapped in snow and ice. The main goal of this thesis was to test this presumption and to study the dynamics and performance of three SWMPs during the winter. Remote water level loggers were installed into the three SWMPs and daily grab samples from the influents and effluents were taken and analyzed for total phosphorus (TP), chloride, …
Immunological Tradeoffs And The Impacts Of Urbanization On The Reproductive Ecology And Physiology Of The Side-Blotched Lizard (Uta Stansburiana), Emily E. Virgin
Immunological Tradeoffs And The Impacts Of Urbanization On The Reproductive Ecology And Physiology Of The Side-Blotched Lizard (Uta Stansburiana), Emily E. Virgin
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023
Investing resources into reproduction can limit energy available to other competing demands, such as fighting off an infection; yet, both processes are necessary for organisms to survive and pass on their genes to the next generation. These strategies often follow patterns associated with lifespan, such that shorter-lived animals are more likely to invest more resources into reproduction over survival, and vice versa in long-lived animals. However, environmental change caused by urbanization can disrupt these relationships, and the within- and transgenerational costs of urbanization on females and offspring are unknown. I address these uncertainties in three research chapters to better understand …
Physiological Costs Of Total Cholesterol In European Starlings Across An Urban To Rural Gradient, Courtney Linkous
Physiological Costs Of Total Cholesterol In European Starlings Across An Urban To Rural Gradient, Courtney Linkous
Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses
Urban areas—characterized by high human densities and associated buildings and impermeable surfaces—are increasing globally and represents a leading threat to wildlife that is drastically altering the natural resources they are accustomed to. Prior studies suggest that living in urban habitats can cause wildlife to show increased cholesterol levels; in biomedical research, elevated cholesterol is linked to disease, but the consequence of elevated cholesterol in wildlife remains unclear. We measured total cholesterol in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)—an urban adapted species—across an urban and a rural site. We ask: (1) do urban starlings have elevated cholesterol, (2) does elevated cholesterol …
Light Pollution Levels On Beaches: How Window Tinting Effects Disorientation Of Sea Turtles On Hilton Head Island, Kathryn (Kate) Hettiger
Light Pollution Levels On Beaches: How Window Tinting Effects Disorientation Of Sea Turtles On Hilton Head Island, Kathryn (Kate) Hettiger
Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works
Loggerhead sea turtles, an endangered species, are decreasing at alarming rates worldwide. Artificial light from beachfront hotels on Hilton Head Island are causing disorientation in Loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings affecting their ability to successfully find the ocean. To mitigate this, exterior windows facing the ocean will be tinted using either tinting spray, which will be implemented at the Marriott Grande Ocean, or using tinting film, which will be implemented at the Marriott Westin. During the typical nesting and hatching season (May-October), sea turtle hatchling tracks will be recorded using drones to compare the effects of various levels of light pollution …
Is Immediate Flexibility Present In A Vocal Mimic, The Gray Catbird (Dumetella Carolinensis), Across An Urban Gradient?, Shannon K. Eppert
Is Immediate Flexibility Present In A Vocal Mimic, The Gray Catbird (Dumetella Carolinensis), Across An Urban Gradient?, Shannon K. Eppert
Masters Theses, 2020-current
Increasing urbanization has increased anthropogenic noise levels near developed areas. Urban noise is high amplitude and low-frequency, and these frequencies can overlap with the signals animals use to communicate, including bird songs. Many urban birds sing higher minimum frequencies in urban areas, which avoids some masking by noise, but the mechanism behind this difference is not well understood. Immediate flexibility is the ability to alter song in real-time in the presence of sudden noise, allowing for avoidance of masking and better signal transmission. I investigated if male catbirds increased signal transmission in the presence of anthropogenic versus high-frequency noise playback …
Diminishing Opportunities For Sustainability Of Coastal Cities In The Anthropocene: A Review, John W. Day, Joel D. Gunn, Joseph Robert Burger
Diminishing Opportunities For Sustainability Of Coastal Cities In The Anthropocene: A Review, John W. Day, Joel D. Gunn, Joseph Robert Burger
Biology Faculty Publications
The world is urbanizing most rapidly in tropical to sub-temperate areas and in coastal zones. Climate change along with other global change forcings will diminish the opportunities for sustainability of cities, especially in coastal areas in low-income countries. Climate forcings include global temperature and heatwave increases that are expanding the equatorial tropical belt, sea-level rise, an increase in the frequency of the most intense tropical cyclones, both increases and decreases in freshwater inputs to coastal zones, and increasingly severe extreme precipitation events, droughts, freshwater shortages, heat waves, and wildfires. Current climate impacts are already strongly influencing natural and human systems. …
Vignette 07: Stormwater Effluent Exerts A Key Pressure On The Salish Sea, Emily Howe
Vignette 07: Stormwater Effluent Exerts A Key Pressure On The Salish Sea, Emily Howe
Institute Publications
One of the primary terrestrial pressures on the Salish Sea estuarine and marine environment is urban stormwater runoff. When rainfall runs across hard, impervious surfaces, rather than soaking into the soil, it picks up and delivers toxic contaminants directly to nearby streams, rivers, and eventually the Salish Sea. In fact, for most toxic substances, surface runoff is the largest contributing source of loading to Puget Sound. Unfortunately, the Salish Sea’s relationship with stormwater effluent is no outlier; stormwater is the fastest growing cause of surface water impairment in the United States as urbanization transitions forested and other natural landscapes to …
Vignette 20: Fraser River Estuary In Need Of Urgent Intensive Care, Laura Kehoe, Tara G. Martin
Vignette 20: Fraser River Estuary In Need Of Urgent Intensive Care, Laura Kehoe, Tara G. Martin
Institute Publications
The Fraser River is the lifeline of the Salish Sea, influencing its stratification, circulation, and primary productivity. If we do not take strong action to conserve the Fraser River estuary, two-thirds of the species at risk in this region are predicted to have a less than 50% chance of survival. Many of the region's most iconic species could disappear. Conservation action combined with environmental governance is a pathway for a brighter future for the Fraser River and other highly contested regions.
Vignette 06: Living Shorelines In Puget Sound, Jason Toft
Vignette 06: Living Shorelines In Puget Sound, Jason Toft
Institute Publications
Nearly one third of Puget Sound’s shorelines are armored (e.g., seawall, bulkhead, riprap). Armoring has documented negative impacts on the flora and fauna that benefit from healthy intertidal beaches. Although shoreline armor may be necessary in some cases to protect people and property, there are often promising “living shoreline” options to restore natural features, also referred to as soft or green shorelines. These options can be applied to situations where complete restoration is either impractical or not feasible given human constraints. Living shoreline techniques often include a mix of design options, including armor removal, sediment nourishment of beaches, log placement, …
Vignette 11: Ecological Consequences Of Built Shorelines In The Salish Sea, Stuart H. Munsch
Vignette 11: Ecological Consequences Of Built Shorelines In The Salish Sea, Stuart H. Munsch
Institute Publications
The world's population is disproportionately located near water. As a result, many nearshore ecosystems are highly modified. This is the case in the Salish Sea where many species rely on shoreline habitats. One of the major modifications to the Salish Sea's shoreline is armoring. Armored shorelines sever the connection between land and sea, preventing mutual exchange of nutrients and energy, influencing fish composition, and affecting photosynthetic species through overwater structures. By appreciating habitat impacts and how to mitigate them, we may steer toward a future that enables people and nearshore ecosystems to coexist. Restoring shorelines by removing armoring can recover …
Vignette 18: Bellingham Bay, Legacy Contamination Under Repair, Olivia Klein
Vignette 18: Bellingham Bay, Legacy Contamination Under Repair, Olivia Klein
Institute Publications
Bellingham Bay, home to twelve designated hazardous waste cleanup sites, illustrates the harm of past practices as well as the effectiveness of cleanup efforts. Since 2000, the Bellingham Bay cleanup has focused on the removal of contaminated sediment and soils introduced from a wide variety of sources, including construction and other industrial and municipal activities. Bellingham Bay cleanup is managed by the Washington State Department of Ecology (under the authority of Washington State’s Model Toxic Control Act) in coordination with a multi- agency Bellingham Bay Action Team.
Spatial And Demographic Patterns Of Two Threatened Turtle Species In An Urban Environment, Carly E. Brouwers
Spatial And Demographic Patterns Of Two Threatened Turtle Species In An Urban Environment, Carly E. Brouwers
Masters Theses
Urban development is a global threat to native wildlife. The process of urbanization reduces and degrades the useable habitat of a region, and creates novel “urban ecosystems” that possess new threats and stressors to local species. Turtles are one of the most threatened vertebrate groups worldwide, and are particularly at risk of decline in urban ecosystems due to reduced nesting success, increased road mortality events, altered movement patterns, and increased predation rates. Eastern box and Blanding’s turtles are two at-risk turtle species in the state of Michigan, USA, primarily due to land use change. Presently, there are urban populations of …
A Histopathological Review Of Immune Response In Largemouth Bass To Parasitic Infections Of Soft Tissues, James D. Stephenson
A Histopathological Review Of Immune Response In Largemouth Bass To Parasitic Infections Of Soft Tissues, James D. Stephenson
Theses and Dissertations
The immune response can serve as a key indicator of a fish’s overall health and the effect stressors have on the health of the fish. Anthropogenic factors can stress a fish’s immune system and inhibit immune responses. This study investigated the response of eosinophilic cells and macrophage aggregates to parasites in the livers, spleens, and gonads of Largemouth Bass, Micropterus salmoides. Largemouth Bass were sampled from three bodies of water in the Chattahoochee Valley of varying levels of urbanization. Histopathology of the aforementioned organs was conducted to observe both the parasite density and immune response. Eosinophilic cells were shown to …
Daily Energy Expenditure Of Florida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma Coerulescens) In Suburban And Wildland Landscapes, Hugh I. Ellis, Reed Bowman
Daily Energy Expenditure Of Florida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma Coerulescens) In Suburban And Wildland Landscapes, Hugh I. Ellis, Reed Bowman
Biology: Faculty Scholarship
Urbanization alters ecological systems, disturbance regimes, food webs, and a variety of other processes that can influence local flora and fauna. In birds, most studies have focused on behavioral or demographic responses to altered conditions; however, the physiological mechanisms associated with these responses have been understudied. We have previously documented shifts in foraging behavior because of the availability of human-provided food; we sought to see if this was driven by or associated with a change in field metabolic rates. We measured field metabolic rates (FMR), a measure of daily energy expenditure (DEE), of Florida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens) in 2 habitats …
Correlates Of Bird Collisions With Buildings Across Three North American Countries, Jared A. Elmore, Stephen B. Hager, Bradley J. Cosentino, Nastasha Hagemeyer, Eric Walters, Scott R. Loss, Et Al.
Correlates Of Bird Collisions With Buildings Across Three North American Countries, Jared A. Elmore, Stephen B. Hager, Bradley J. Cosentino, Nastasha Hagemeyer, Eric Walters, Scott R. Loss, Et Al.
Biological Sciences Faculty Publications
Collisions with buildings cause up to 1 billion bird fatalities annually in North America. Bird-building collisions have recently received increased conservation, research, and policy attention. However, efforts to reduce collisions would benefit from studies conducted at large spatial scales across multiple study sites, with standardized methods, and with consideration of species- and life history-related variation and correlates of collisions. We addressed these research needs with a coordinated data collection effort at 40 sites across North America. We estimated collision vulnerability for 40 bird species by accounting for their North American population abundance, distribution overlap with study sites, and sampling effort. …
Songbird Use Of Problem-Solving Feeders In Urban And Rural Areas, Kayce Miller
Songbird Use Of Problem-Solving Feeders In Urban And Rural Areas, Kayce Miller
College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations
Behavioral flexibility is important for animals to adapt to novel situations in their environment. It has been suggested that birds living in complex environments (e.g., urban areas) should be more flexible than conspecifics in less complex environments. Birds are a particularly well studied group, where novel foraging problems are used to assess flexibility and problem-solving performance of urban and rural animals of the same species; however, this is most frequently done in a lab setting with wild-caught birds originating from different habitats. Using a field-based method to test problem-solving performance should give additional insight into other factors influencing birds’ flexibility. …
Impact Of The Degree Of Urbanization On Bird Abundance And Diversity, Gabrielle Doyle, Sheila Garcia, Sophie Kidd, Tra'dayja Smith
Impact Of The Degree Of Urbanization On Bird Abundance And Diversity, Gabrielle Doyle, Sheila Garcia, Sophie Kidd, Tra'dayja Smith
Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry
Bird diversity and abundance in Farmville, Virginia. Sampling twice a day, four days a week.
The Effects Of Urbanization On Avian Seed Dispersal Success Of Toxicodendron Radicans (Anacardiaceae), Amber M. Stanley
The Effects Of Urbanization On Avian Seed Dispersal Success Of Toxicodendron Radicans (Anacardiaceae), Amber M. Stanley
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Urbanization is increasing at a dramatic rate as the human population increases. While it is well-known that urbanization tends to decrease species diversity (i.e., biotic homogenization), it is not known how urbanization affects the frequency and efficiency of species interactions. Seed dispersal is a plant-animal interaction that depends on disperser feeding rate, disperser diversity, probability of seed dispersal and germination. How these factors are affected by urbanization however is unknown. In this study, we evaluate how urbanization alters these factors. Urban sites had 2x higher feeding rate and 3x higher number of disperser species. The probability of seed dispersal however …
A Bug Eat Bug World : Does Urbanization Decrease Survivorship Of Pollinators., Amy L. Cherry
A Bug Eat Bug World : Does Urbanization Decrease Survivorship Of Pollinators., Amy L. Cherry
College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses
Human impact on the environment is responsible for the sixth mass extinction on Earth as well as rapid population declines in many taxa. Land use change, via increasing urbanization and intensity of agricultural practices, is the most important aspect of human impact on the environment, and it is associated with population decline and extinction in several taxa, but especially in pollinator species. Pollinators, which are essential for crop production, are experiencing declines as a result of the loss of habitat and host plants associated with urbanization. Urbanization negatively affects pollinators, but in the wake of lost naturalized habitat, some researchers …
Long-Term Trends Of Stream Fish Community Assemblages In Southern Missouri With Contemporary Land Use Impacts, Stephanie Marie Sickler
Long-Term Trends Of Stream Fish Community Assemblages In Southern Missouri With Contemporary Land Use Impacts, Stephanie Marie Sickler
MSU Graduate Theses
Stream fish communities in the Ozarks are structured via a number of different mechanisms, including basin, stream size, and human land use. The purpose of this study was to understand the structuring mechanisms of stream fish communities in southern Missouri. I compiled 48 years of historical fish collections performed by the Ichthyology class at Missouri State University consisting of 140 sites. I resampled 45 of these sites in summer of 2016. First, I tested whether communities are different between basins and stream size. Next, I tested associations of land use at three spatial scales to local fish communities. Last, I …
Characterization Of Urban Wetland Vegetation And Management Practices, Megan Anne Larson
Characterization Of Urban Wetland Vegetation And Management Practices, Megan Anne Larson
Graduate Dissertations and Theses
Urban wetlands are important ecosystems that moderate flooding risks and improve water quality. Vegetation is a key component of urban wetlands; plants promote sedimentation, play critical roles in biogeochemical cycling, and provide food and habitats for other organisms. My research focuses on the standing vegetation and seed banks of urban wetland plant communities. Urban wetlands in south-central New York had a higher percent cover of invasive species in the standing vegetation and significantly lower species richness; however, native species were also common in urban flora. These sites had a high percentage of obligate wetland species, and most closely resembled emergent …