Life Sciences Commons^™

Influence Of Silvicultural Treatment, Site Characteristics, And Land Use History On Native And Nonnative Forest Understory Plant Composition On The Penobscot Experimental Forest In Maine, Elizabeth Bryce

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates forest understory plant diversity and composition in managed and unmanaged stands within the context of a long-term silvicultural experiment in the Acadian Forest of Maine. I examined the effects of silvicultural intensity and past land use on understory plant species diversity and composition. Silvicultural treatments include three variants of the selection system, three variants of the shelterwood system, modified and fixed diameter-limit cutting, and an unregulated harvest. Two types of unmanaged stands were studied: a continuously forested natural area and secondary forest stands on old fields. Chapter 1 presents analysis of understory plant diversity and composition in …

The Very Basics Of Sustainability - An Alternative Viewpoint (Slides With Audio) (Large File! To Speed Up Download, Right-Click On "Download" Link To Save To Own Pc.), Jim Mcgovern

Other resources

This presentation sets out the very basics of ‘sustainability’, although a definition of sustainability is not attempted. Some of the very basics are the context in which the Earth and humankind exist in space and time, the Earth’s climate, the Earth’s population and humankind’s options and choices. The author advocates keeping an open mind on all available options, including the use of oil, gas, coal, tar sands, carbon capture and sequestration, nuclear power etc., as well as the technologies that are more widely considered ‘green’. The author also argues that, in addressing the challenges that humankind faces, globally concerted effort …

Factors Influencing The Environmental Quality Of The Bay Of Saint Louis, Mississippi And Implications For Evolving Coastal Management Policies, Pradnya Ankush Sawant

Dissertations

The Bay of St. Louis, MS is a small northern Gulf of Mexico estuary that has been identified by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) as an impaired waterbody for its designated uses, mainly due to the presence of pollutant pathogens. A systematic study of this estuary was important to understand the behavior and responses of the bay to several natural and anthropogenic forcing factors. A 14- month long study (bimonthly sampling) to evaluate its environmental quality was undertaken from April 2003 to May 2004. Environmental quality was defined as "the health of an ecosystem characterized in terms of …

Habitat-Based Intraguild Predation By Caribbean Reef Octopus Octopus Briareus On Juvenile Caribbean Spiny Lobster Panulirus Argus, Mark J. Butler Iv, Jennifer A. Lear

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Intraguild predation occurs when species simultaneously compete for resources and interact as predator and prey, which describes the interaction between juvenile Caribbean spiny lobster Panulirus argus and Caribbean reef octopus Octopus briareus in the Florida Keys, USA. Octopuses are notorious predators of decapod crustaceans, and their use of crevice shelters suggests that they may also compete for shelter with their lobster prey. Lobsters use mainly chemical cues to detect and avoid octopus, so we hypothesized that the negative association between these species may be as much the consequence of avoidance of a superior competitor as it is of direct predation. …

The Lobster Bulletin, Summer 2009, Lobster Institute, University Of Maine

Lobster Bulletin

The Lobster Bulletin newsletter includes research updates, and information on lobsters and the lobster industry. The Lobster Institute at the University of Maine is dedicated to protecting and conserving the lobster resource, and enhancing lobstering as an industry and a way of life.

Headlines in the Summer 2009 issue include:

• Development of Best Management Practices to Reduce or Eliminate Stress on Lobsters
• Mariner Beverages, USA Wine West Unveil New Wine to Benefit the Lobster Institute
• Lobster Institute Presents First Rising Star Award to Lobster Gram, Inc.
• Best Management Practices to Reduce or Eliminate Stress from Hauling & Handling of Lobsters …

Limnological Assistance For The Lake Mead National Recreation Area In Meeting The Challenge Of The Water 2025 Initiative: Annual Report, Period Ending July 1, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Limnological Studies

Project 1: Eighteen advisory team meetings were attended this year; technical input was provided as appropriate; and summaries were prepared and delivered to Kent Turner. The SCOP Selenium Management Plan has been reviewed and a report is in preparation.

Project 2: A formal report titled, Surface Water Monitoring for Indicator Bacteria in High-use Sites of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, was delivered in the second quarter of this year. Subsequently, a poster presentation on this topic was delivered at the Lake Mead Science Symposium and a manuscript has been prepared for submission to the journal, Lake and Reservoir Management. …

Effect Of The Herbivorous Channel Clinging Crab (Mithrax Spinosissimus) On Patch Reef Algal Communities In The Florida Keys, Florida (Usa), Angela M. Mojica Osorio

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Coral reefs worldwide are undergoing dramatic habitat modification from coral to macroalgal dominance due to water pollution, coral diseases, global. warming, and the loss of herbivores. This phase-shift bas been particularly severe on Caribbean reefs due in large measure to the decline of piscine and echinoderm grazers, whose presence appears crucial for stemming the decline of coral reefs and enhancing their resilience. Virtually unknown, however, is the role of other macrograzers in coral reef ecosystems. This is the first study to examine the feeding ecology and grazer effect of the herbivorous West Indian spider crab (Mithrax spinosissimus) on inshore patch …

Joint Fire Science Program – Lake Mead National Recreation Area: Revegetating Burned Arid Lands: Identifying Successful Native Species Using Trait And Competition Analysis, Quarterly Progress Report, April 1 — June 30, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Fire Science

• Initiated a competitive hierarchy study.
• Monitored and maintained outplanting at Goodsprings.
• Completed more seed granivory trials at Goodsprings.
• Mentored student to completion of undergraduate research project.
• Monitored and maintained nursery plots.
• Revising article submitted to Journal of Arid Environments.

Natural Life Histories Of Alaska Colias (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), Jack L. Harry

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Eight species of the genus Colias of Alaska were studied during the years of 2005, 2006, and 2007. Natural life histories were determined, immature stages described, measured, and photographed. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) pictures of the micropyle of five species are included.

A New Brevicipitid Species (Brevicipitidae: Callulina) From The Fragmented Forests Of The Taita Hills, Kenya, Simon P. Loader, G. John Measey, Rafael O. De Sá, Patrick K. Malonza

Biology Faculty Publications

A new species Callulina dawida is described from the Taita Hills, Kenya. It is distinguished from other members of the genus on the basis of the degree of digital expansion. The species further differs from other members of the genus based on molecular sequence comparisons and on its call. The morphological variation in the new species is described, including a comparison of internal and external characters and sexual dimorphism with other species of Callulina. The conservation status of the species, on the basis of its restricted distribution and land use changes in the area, is considered to be of …

Spatial, Seasonal, And Size-Dependent Variation In The Diet Of Sacramento Pikeminnow In The Main Stem Of Chorro Creek, Central Coast California, Brian G. Dugas

Master's Theses

This study examined the diet composition of ninety-nine Sacramento pikeminnow (150-410 mm [5.9-16 in] fork length [FL]) collected from the upper and lower main stem of Chorro Creek, Morro Bay Watershed, California in 2006. The goal of this study was to characterize the spatial and seasonal variability in the diet of Sacramento pikeminnow within Chorro Creek and to determine what proportion of the diet is represented by rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and their anadromous form (steelhead). Prey was identified in 88% of the samples collected in the early season and 84% of the samples collected in the late season. Fish …

Temporal Shifts In Demography And Life History Of An Anadromous Alewife Population In Connecticut, Justin P. Davis, Eric T. Schultz

EEB Articles

Populations of anadromous alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) are declining throughout much of their range, particularly in southern New England where fishery moratoriums have recently been instituted in three states. The alewife run at Bride Brook, a coastal stream in East Lyme, Connecticut, was studied from 2003-06 to assess shifts in demography and life history. Annual censuses of abundance, along with sampling for size, age, and spawning history structure were conducted. These data were compared to similar data in 1966-67 at this site. Recent alewife runs at Bride Brook featured lower abundance and younger, smaller fish that were less likely to be …

Time Series Observations Of Species Composition And Behavioral Interactions Of Fish At An Ocean Observatory Off The Coast Of Georgia, Amy E. Paquette

Honors Scholar Theses

The use of ocean observatories is expanding with the potential for collecting serial data with high temporal resolution at multiple sites within an ecosystem. Integration of underwater video cameras in observatory systems allow observation of vagile species and are useful tools for observing variations in behavior over time. In order to assess the utility of using video records for time series behavioral data I analyzed video records from an observatory site in the South Atlantic Bight (SAB) off the Coast of Georgia collected during the month of November in 2000, 2002 and 2004. Data were used to quantify annual variation …

Spatial Ecology, Population Structure, And Conservation Of The Wood Turtle, Glyptemys Insculpta, In Central New England, Michael T. Jones

Open Access Dissertations

Abstract (Summary) Wood turtles ( Glyptemys insculpta ) are of conservation interest rangewide. Anecdotal accounts demonstrate that some populations have been decimated since 1850, and recent studies demonstrate that declines are still underway. From 2004-2008 I investigated the ecology of wood turtles in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. I obtained between one and five years of annual home range data for 150 turtles, and evaluated population structure at 31 sites in five major watersheds. Seasonal floods displaced 7% of wood turtles annually in one watershed, and accounted for elevated mortality. Twelve wood turtles were displaced < 16.8 km, and two were displaced over a 65-foot dam. Several turtles overwintered at their displacement site and two returned successfully, indicating that floods are a mechanism of population connectivity. Several homing turtles ended up in new areas. Turtles occupied stream segments with gradient < 1%, lower than generally available. Agricultural machinery accounted for most observed mortality, followed by automobiles and mammals. Female turtles exhibit smaller home ranges in agricultural areas. Older turtles move farther from the river than do young turtles, possibly reflecting their familiarity with a former landscape. Population density ranged from 0-40.4 turtles/river-kilometer. The highest densities occur in central New Hampshire and lower densities occur in the Housatonic watershed. Population density is negatively correlated with agriculture at both riparian and watershed scales, and responds unimodally to forest cover. Wood turtle populations in western Massachusetts are declining by 6.6-11.2% annually. I estimated ages of turtles by assessing shell-wear rates from photographs. Wood turtles regularly achieve ages over 80 years, and like related species, do not exhibit clear signs of senescence. Old wood turtles are reproductively dominant, and their survival rates are twice as high as young turtles. Carapace scutes appear to require 80 years to become worn. Population modeling indicates that wood turtle populations are declining in New England due to anthropogenic and natural factors. Conservation efforts must address the effects of agriculture on adult survival. Climate change may negatively affect northeastern wood turtles through increased flooding. Populations in mountainous areas may be likely candidates for conservation because they don't occupy prime agricultural land, but may be more susceptible to floods.

Effects Of The Polycyclic Musk Hhcb On Individual- And Population-Level Endpoints In Potamopyrgus Antipodarum, Signe Pedersen, Henriette Selck, Daniel Salvito, Valery E. Forbes

Valery Forbes Publications

Although the polycyclic musk 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8-hexamethylcyclopenta[γ]-2-benzopyran (HHCB) is frequently detected in aquatic sediments, very little is known about its effects on sediment-feeding organisms. Effects of sediment-associated HHCB on growth, feeding rate, survival and reproduction in the gastropod Potamopyrgus antipodarum were measured in the laboratory. Snails were exposed to six nominal HHCB concentrations: 0, 0.1, 1, 10, 30 and 100 μg g−1 dry weight (dw) sediment. Adult survival and growth were not affected by HHCB. However, juvenile growth and survival, reproduction, time to first reproduction and adult feeding rate were more sensitive endpoints and declined with increasing HHCB concentration. Individual-level endpoints for …

Accelerating Loss Of Seagrasses Across The Globe Threatens Coastal Ecosystems, Michelle Waycott, Carlos M. Duarte, Tim J. Carruthers, Robert J. Orth, Wc Dennison, Suzanne Olyarnik, Ainsley Calladine, James W. Fourqurean, Kl Heck, A. Randall Hughes, Gary A. Kendrick, W. Judson Kenworthy, Frederick T. Short, Susan L. Williams

VIMS Articles

Coastal ecosystems and the services they provide are adversely affected by a wide variety of human activities. In particular, seagrass meadows are negatively affected by impacts accruing from the billion or more people who live within 50 km of them. Seagrass meadows provide important ecosystem services, including an estimated $1.9 trillion per year in the form of nutrient cycling; an order of magnitude enhancement of coral reef fish productivity; a habitat for thousands of fish, bird, and invertebrate species; and a major food source for endangered dugong, manatee, and green turtle. Although individual impacts from coastal development, degraded water quality, …

Water Quality Changes In A Constructed Wetland At The Springs Preserve In Las Vegas, Nevada, Aaron Mathis Miller

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Springs Preserve near downtown Las Vegas, Nevada contains a seven-acre constructed wetland. Springs Preserve managers are planning to use water from the constructed wetland to irrigate creeks immediately north of the wetland. These creeks will be used by a variety ofaquatic wildlife, including endangered amphibians sensitive to harmful metalloids, such as selenium, lead, and arsenic.

In an attempt to answer toxicological questions about contaminant concentrations in the constructed wetland, three metals and metalloids (selenium, arsenic, and lead), two nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), and the major ionic species were analyzed at four sampling locations for aqueous concentrations, in two separate …

Distribution And Site Selection Of Le Conte's And Crissal Thrashers In The Mojave Desert: A Multi-Model Approach, Dawn Marie Fletcher

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Information on the distribution and habitat requirements of a species are critical components to the development of meaningful conservation plans. Such knowledge, however, is particularly difficult to obtain for species that are elusive and occur at low densities, such as the Le Conte's ( Toxostoma lecontei ) and Crissal (Toxostoma crissale ) thrashers. In association with a regional conservation plan, I evaluated the distribution and habitat selection of these thrashers within Clark County, Nevada in the eastern Mojave Desert. I used a call-broadcast approach to sample 432 stratified random locations, detecting Le Conte's thrashers at 45 locations and Crissal …

A Comparative Ecological Study Of Two Sister Species Of Darters In Kentucky, Etheostoma Kantuckeense And Etheostoma Lawrencei, Bjorn Victor Schmidt

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Etheostoma kantuckeense and E. lawrencei are former members of the wide ranging E. spectabile species complex. Etheostoma kantuckeense is endemic to the Barren River Basin in Southern Kentucky and Northern Tennessee, while E. lawrencei occurs in the Green River, Salt River, and Cumberland River Basins of Central and Eastern Kentucky. Isolation of populations within these drainages has allowed for a relatively recent evolutionary divergence, leading to slight differences in morphology. This study was conducted to address if geographical isolation has led to measurable differences in the ecology of these two species. In particular, habitat preference across three spatial scales and …

Oceanic-Atmospheric Modes Of Variability And Their Effect On River Flow And Blue Crab (Callinectes Sapidus) Abundance In The Northcentral Gulf Of Mexico, Guillermo Humberto Sanchez-Rubio

Dissertations

Oceanic-atmospheric modes of variability occur on interdecadal, multidecadal, decadal, and interannual timescales and their influence on climate around the world has been confirmed. The present study investigates Mississippi River and Pascagoula River flows in response to the influence of one or more of the four oceanic-atmospheric modes of variability: the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO). These modes of variability are present in phases: PDO warm (PDOw) and cold (PDOc), AMO warm (AMOw) and cold (AMOc), NAO positive (NAOp) and negative (NAOn), and ENSO warm …

Differential Response Of Amp Activated Protein Kinase (Ampk) And Hsp70 To Temperature Stress In The Gastropod, Nucella Lapillus, Emily Zimmermann

All Theses And Dissertations

Populations of the gastropod Nucella lapillus are polymorphic for shell color, with light-colored shells predominating on warmer, wave-protected shores and dark-colored shells limited primarily to cooler, wave-exposed shores. During thermal stress, darker shells attain higher body temperatures than lighter shells. These results suggest that heat stress may determine field distribution patterns. However, there is currently little evidence of physiological consequences of thermal stress in these organisms. Following the guiding hypothesis that heat stress leads to cellular energy depletion, we explored whether the central energy regulator AMP-activated Protein Kinase (AMPK) is activated by heat stress. We compared this response in both …

The Lobster Bulletin, Spring 2009, Lobster Institute, University Of Maine

Lobster Bulletin

The Lobster Bulletin newsletter includes research updates, and information on lobsters and the lobster industry. The Lobster Institute at the University of Maine is dedicated to protecting and conserving the lobster resource, and enhancing lobstering as an industry and a way of life.

Headlines in the Spring 2009 issue include:

• Canadian Officials May Consider Ban of Floating Rope
• Sustainability Labeling & Traceability Trigger Much Discussion at Lobster Institute's 2009 Canadian/U.S. Lobstermen's Town Meeting
• Research Report: FSRS Lobster Recruitment Index
• Research Report: American Lobster Stock Assessment 2009
• The Lobster Institute presents Lobster College 2009

Spring 2009, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Limnological Assistance For The Lake Mead National Recreation Area In Meeting The Challenge Of The Water 2025 Initiative: Quarterly Report, Period Ending April 1, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Limnological Studies

Project 1: Technical input has been provided at two advisory team meetings attended this quarter.

Project 2: Surface Water Monitoring for Indicator Bacteria in High-use Sites of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area (poster) was presented at the Lake Mead Science Symposium; a journal article is in preparation.

Project 3: A draft document titled “Interagency Monitoring Action Plan (I-MAP): Quagga Mussels in Lakes Mead and Mohave” has been subdivided into four major sections and corresponding sub-groups have been formed to provide review and input. Six oral presentations related to quagga mussels were presented at the Lake Mead Science Symposium. Two …

The International Lepidoptera Survey Newsletter, April 2009, International Lepidoptera Survey, Kenneth E. Davenport, Ray E. Stanford, Robert. L. Langston

International Lepidoptera Survey Newsletter

Contents (pages 1-67)

Title

Flight Periods of California Butterflies for “Resident Species,” Subspecies and Most Strays to the State (2009)

Authors

Kenneth E. Davenport, Ray E. Stanford and Robert L. Langston

Abstract

Normal flight periods and early/late records for resident species, subspecies and regular strays of butterflies of California are presented below.. Many subspecies or populations in the state are distinctive and may prove to merit species recognition by specialists in the future.

Sediment Remediation Impacts On Macroinvertebrate Community Structure: Assessing The Success Of Urban Stream Restoration, Laurie Beth Nederveld

Masters Theses

Land use practices altering the natural landscape have resulted in the widespread degradation of stream ecosystems and the need for urban stream restorations. While a number of studies have evaluated the success of these stream restoration efforts, few have assessed the recovery of macroinvertebrate communities following the remediation of contaminated sediments. The purpose of my study was to evaluate the impact of sediment remediation activities on macroinvertebate abundance, diversity, and richness to determine the success of stream restoration in Ruddiman Creek, a small stream in the Muskegon Lake watershed. During my investigation, macroinvertebrate samples were collected from all available habitat …

Using Gis To Locate Areas For Growing Quality Coffee In Honduras, Ellen Mickle

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Abstract Small-scale coffee producers worldwide remain vulnerable to price fluctuations after the 1999-2003 coffee crisis. One way to increase small-scale farmer economic resilience is to produce a more expensive product, such as quality coffee. There is growing demand in coffee-producing and coffee-importing countries for user-friendly tools that facilitate the marketing of quality coffee. The purpose of this study is to develop a prototypical quality coffee marketing tool in the form of a GIS model that identifies regions for producing quality coffee in a country not usually associated with quality coffee, Honduras. Maps of areas for growing quality coffee were produced …

Impacts Of Plant Size, Density, Herbivory, And Desease On Native Platte Thistle (Cirsium Canescens), Deidra Jacobsen

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Abstract. Based on prior field observations, we hypothesized that individual and interacting effects of plant size, density, insect herbivory, and especially fungal disease, influenced seedling and juvenile plant growth in native Platte thistle populations (Cirsium canescens Nutt.). We worked at Arapaho Prairie in the Nebraska Sandhills (May - August 2007), monitoring plant growth, insect damage, and fungal infection within different density thistle patches. In the main experiment, we sprayed half of test plants in different density patches with fungicide (Fungonil© Bonide, containing chlorothalonil) and half with a water control. Fungal infection rates were very low, so we found no difference …

A Survery Of Western United States Instream Flow Programs And The Policies That Protect A River's Ecosystem, Kyle Jackson

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The Western United States can best be described as a vast, varying land, with the high plains to the east and the jagged horizons of Rockies to the west. However there is one common trait shared by these states: the lack of water resources. With the continued development of this land, the fact that water is scarce is becoming more real. This issue became more difficult to handle as the public became more aware that many competing uses existed for the finite resource, and those different uses were degrading the natural environments of the surface waters. With this realization instream …

Miti Iko Wapi Ii ?, Taylor Tully

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Vegetative communities within the savannah ecosystem oscillate between grassland and woodland states. Research has found that ecological perturbations resulting from elephants, fire, other herbivores and humans have a significant influence on the oscillation of vegetative communities. Understanding these forces and how they interplay to influence vegetative dynamics states is essential to a developing any effective conservation management program. A previous study, in 2003, was conducted to establish baseline data on vegetative community structure, elephant damage and fire damage within Ndarakwai Ranch. (Hamilton and Downing 2003). However, the study drew few definitive conclusions and suggested further research. This study was a …