Life Sciences Commons^™

Projecting Terrestrial Carbon Sequestration Of The Southeastern United States In The 21st Century, Xia Song, Hanqin Tian, Xiaofeng Xu, Dafeng Hui, Guangsheng Chen, Greg Sommers, Luke Marzen, Mingliang Liu

Biology Faculty Research

How terrestrial ecosystems respond to future environmental change in the 21st century is critically important for understanding the feedbacks of terrestrial ecosystems to global climate change. The southeastern United States (SEUS) has been one of the major regions acting as a carbon sink over the past century; yet it is unclear how its terrestrial ecosystems will respond to global environmental change in the 21st century. Applying a process-based ecosystem model (Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model, DLEM) in combination with three projected climate change scenarios (A1B, A2, and B1 from the IPCC report) and changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide, nitrogen deposition, and …

The Effects Of Climate Change On Stream Invertebrates In Their Role As Biological Indicators And Responders To Disturbance, Anna T. Hamilton

Biology ETDs

Global climate models provide estimates of future changes in air temperature and precipitation patterns, drought, flooding, sea-level rise, and increases in the frequency, duration, and intensity of extreme heat and storm events. These climate changes will affect stream invertebrate communities directly, indirectly, and through interactions with other stressors, resulting in a range of biological responses, including species range shifts, losses and replacements, novel community compositions, and altered ecosystem functions and services. Effects will vary regionally and present heretofore unaccounted influences on biomonitoring, which water-quality agencies use to assess the status and health of ecosystems as required by the Clean Water …

Agriculture In A Water Scarce World, Allison Roberts, Amjad Assi, Bassel Daher, Men Li

Student Papers in Public Policy

According to the McKinsey report (2009), the world is facing a water scarcity challenge where agriculture is its predominant consumer. It accounts for approximately 3100 billion m³, or 71 percent of global water withdrawals today, and is expected to increase to 4500 billion m³ by 2030. This increase is due to a number of factors: growing population and the ever growing necessity to cater for its food needs, economic growth, the variability of precipitation trends and increase in global temperatures. In addition to the increase in water scarcity, the agricultural sector faces an enormous challenge of producing …

Marine Invertebrates: Communities At Risk, Jennifer A. Mather

Ecological Impacts of Climate Change Collection

Our definition of the word ‘animal’ centers on vertebrates, yet 99% of the animals on the planet are invertebrates, about which we know little. In addition, although the Census of Marine Life (COML.org) has recently conducted an extensive audit of marine ecosystems, we still do not understand much about the animals of the seas. Surveys of the best-known ecosystems, in which invertebrate populations often play a key role, show that the invertebrate populations are affected by human impact. Coral animals are the foundation of coral reef systems, which are estimated to contain 30% of the species in the ocean. Physical …

Assessing Physiological Thresholds For Eelgrass (Zostera Marina L.) Survival In The Face Of Climate Change, Carolyn Jane Ewers

Master's Theses

Seagrasses are well known for the important ecological roles they play in coastal marine waters worldwide. However, the severe rate of decline observed in seagrasses this century is expected to accelerate with climate change. Conservation efforts can be improved by quantifying physiological thresholds of seagrasses and using these estimates in modeling to forecast changes in distribution. This study examines the response of eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) across current temperatures to look for early warning signs of vulnerability and to evaluate the ways we determine critical thresholds for survival. Whole eelgrass ramets, collected from three beds in Morro Bay, California, …

Colorado River Cutthroat Trout Habitat Resistance And Resilience To Climate Change, Kate H. Olsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Government agencies and private organizations spend large amounts of public money attempting to return ecosystems to a more natural state, which have often been harmed or even destroyed as a result of modern development. Colorado River cutthroat trout, Oncorhyncus clarki pleuriticus, are a subspecies of cutthroat trout. Cutthroat trout live in the Rocky Mountains of the western United States. The population of this particular subspecies has been severely reduced by human actions, and currently only 12% of its historic populations still exist. To improve the condition of cutthroat trout, fisheries professionals and biologists are working to restore natural populations. …

Final Evaluation Of The North East Agricultural Region (Near) Strategy, Andrew Blake, Don Burnside, Vicki Williams

All other publications

No abstract provided.

Modeling Usa Stream Temperatures For Stream Biodiversity And Climate Change Assessments, Ryan A. Hill

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Stream temperature in one of the most biologically important aspects of water quality, but we lack temperature information for the vast majority of streams within the USA. Stream temperature can be influenced by several types of landscape and waterway alteration including upstream urbanization, agriculture, and reservoir releases. Stream temperatures are also expected to be affected by climate change over the next
century. We need to know how stream temperatures vary naturally, how they are influenced by human activity, and how they will respond to climate changes to effectively manage stream ecosystems. I used data from several thousand streams within the …

Predicted Effects Of Climate Change On The Distribution Of The Invasive Grass Dichanthium Annulatum, Cynthia Isabel Garcia

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Kleberg bluestem (Dichanthium annulatum) is an invasive grass species native to Africa but now found in southern United States, Mexico, and other tropical and subtropical countries throughout the world. Using the modeling software MaxEnt, climatic variables from WorldClim, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenario A1B, and two General Circulatory Models: the Canadian model (Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis or CCCMA), and the Australian model (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation or CSIRO), several models were developed to determine the possible implications of climatic change on the suitable habitat for D. annulatum, in the year 2050. Models …

Bears, Birds, Bugs And Climate: Environews #^, Richard Philp

Data and Test Instruments

There has long been a concern that global warming would cause species movements reflective of the instinctive drive to seek the most favorable environmental conditions. One concern is that agricultural pests and carriers of diseases like malaria would move north and south from tropical and subtropical areas. Some changes may benefit the species but not necessarily humankind. Both predicted and observed changes are discussed with examples from plant and animal species. Some concerns are controversial, kike the effect of climate change on polar bears.

Climate Change Extension: Presenting The Science Is Necessary But Insufficient, Paul C. Vincelli, Rebecca L. Mcculley

Plant Pathology Presentations

Why Should We Consider How to Present Scientific Information?

To engage a wide spectrum of agricultural producers in the discussion of human-induced climate change and its mitigation.

What Did We Do?

Our initial Extension efforts on climate change in Kentucky were based on an information-deficit model, which assumes that citizens fail to accept climate change because they don’t understand the science. However, social science research indicates that this topic has cultural significance for many agricultural producers, suggesting that presentation of sound scientific information alone is likely to be unpersuasive. Based on social science research, we redesigned our outreach efforts to …

Third Annual Environmental Law And Justice Symposium Issue: Introduction, Randall S. Abate, Richard D. Schulterbrandt Gragg Iii

Florida A & M University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Synergistic Effects Of The Invasive Chinese Tallow (Triadica Sebifera) And Climate Change On Aquatic Amphibian Survival, Daniel Saenz, Erin M. Fucik, Matthew Kwiatkowski

Faculty Publications

Changes in climate and the introduction of invasive species are two major stressors to amphibians, although little is known about the interaction between these two factors with regard to impacts on amphibians. We focused our study on an invasive tree species, the Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera), that annually sheds its leaves and produces leaf litter that is known to negatively impact aquatic amphibian survival. The purpose of our research was to determine whether the timing of leaf fall from Chinese tallow and the timing of amphibian breeding (determined by weather) influence survival of amphibian larvae. We simulated a …

Critical Research Needs For Successful Food Systems Adaptation To Climate Change, Michelle Miller, Molly Anderson, Charles A. Francis, Chad Kruger, Carol Barford, Jacob Park, Brent H. Mccown

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

There is a growing sense of the fragility of agricultural production in the Global North and South and of increasing risks to food security, as scientific observations confirm significant changes in the Gulf Stream, polar ice, atmospheric CO₂, methane release, and other measures of climate change. This sense is heightened as each of us experiences extreme weather, such as the increasing frequency of droughts, floods, unseasonal temperatures, and erratic seasonality. The central research challenge before us is how global, national, regional, and local food systems may adapt to accelerating climate change stresses and uncertainties to ensure the availability, …

Changes In Net Ecosystem Production Over The Past 40 Years In Arctic Tundra Ponds Near Barrow, Alaska: Application Of Historic And Modern Techniques, Nickole Ann Miller

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Arctic environments have gained interest recently due to their sensitivity to climate change. As warming has created longer growing seasons, extended ice-free periods as well as permafrost thaw, the production in freshwater ecosystems has the potential to be greatly impacted. It is hypothesized that as climate change and warming occurs, increases in primary production will occur and ponds will become carbon sinks. Net ecosystem production (NEP) was determined using phytoplankton and periphyton samples collected weekly during the growing season (June - August) from arctic tundra ponds near Barrow, Alaska. Enrichment with 14C was used to determine both weekly photosynthetic rates …

Sex Ratios Of Juvenile Green Turtles (Chelonia Mydas) In Three Developmental Habitats Along The Coast Of Florida, Cheryl Sanchez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The concept of temperature dependent sex determination (TSD) has been somewhat of an evolutionary enigma for many decades and has had increased attention with the growing predictions of a changing climate, particularly in species that are already threatened or endangered. TSD taxa of concern include marine turtles, which go through various life stages covering a range of regions. This, in turn, creates difficulties in addressing basic demographic questions. Secondary sex ratios (from life stages post-hatchling) were investigated by capturing juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas), 22.6-60.9 cm in straight carapace length (SCL), from three developmental areas along the east coast of …

Modeling The Ecological Niche Of The Nigeria-Cameroon Chimpanzee Under Climate Change, Paul Ryan Sesink Clee

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Ecological niche theory states that a set of environmental conditions exists that a species relies upon in order to survive and reproduce. Collectively, these variables define a species' niche, which includes a species' dispersal abilities and its range. Ecological niche modeling predicts the distributions of species by using information from environmental variables across geographic space, making it a valuable tool for studying how environment affects population dynamics. With accurate species presence data and geospatial information that describe its known habitat, ENMs can effectively map a species' realized niche across geographical space, and for closely related taxa, be used to understand …

What To Eat Now? Shifts In Polar Bear Diet During The Ice-Free Season In Western Hudson Bay, Linda J. Gormezano, Robert F. Rockwell

Publications and Research

Under current climate trends, spring ice breakup in Hudson Bay is advancing rapidly, leaving polar bears (Ursus maritimus) less time to hunt seals during the spring when they accumulate the majority of their annual fat reserves. For this reason, foods that polar bears consume during the ice-free season may become increasingly important in alleviating nutritional stress from lost seal hunting opportunities. Defining how the terrestrial diet might have changed since the onset of rapid climate change is an important step in understanding how polar bears may be reacting to climate change. We characterized the current terrestrial diet of polar bears …

Investigation Of Media Ingredients And Water Sources For Algae Co2 Capture At Different Scales To Demonstrate The Correlations Between Lab-Scale And Large-Scale Growth, Tabitha Graham

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

As energy use increases globally the environmental burdens increase alike. Many accusations have been made that carbon dioxide is a culprit of climate change. The University of Kentucky and Duke Energy Power have partnered to test carbon capture technology in a large scale project. To this end, the objective of this thesis is to investigate potential water media sources and nutrient sources at different volume scales for algae cultivation to help create a more environmentally viable and economically feasible solution. This work will conduct a life cycle assessment of water media sources and the effects of the inputs and outputs …

Carbon Life-Cycle And Economic Analysis Of Forest Carbon Sequestration And Woody Bioenergy Production, Prativa Shrestha

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

Sequestering carbon in standing biomass, using woody bioenergy, and using woody products are the three potential ways to utilize forests in reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs) and mitigating climate change. These forestry related strategies are, however, greatly influenced by the existing markets and market based policies. This study focuses on the first two forest strategies. It investigates the combined impact of carbon and woody bioenergy markets on two different types of forests in the US – oak dominated mixed hardwood forests in the Central Hardwood Forests Region and loblolly pine forests in the southeastern US. A modification of the Harman model …

Evaluating Habitat Vulnerability And Sustainability Of Urban Seagrass Resources To Sea Level Rise, Cynthia A. Meyer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The seagrass resource provides essential ecosystem functions for many marine species. This research evaluated the vulnerability and sustainability of the seagrass resource in an urbanized area to the effects of sea level rise. The assessment required analysis of information regarding the biogeography of the seagrass resource, and developing a method to model the spatial extent of the suitable habitat for seagrass, and applying the model to predict the implications of simulated sea level rise scenarios on the seagrass resource.

Examining the biogeography of the seagrass resource required the development of a seagrass monitoring and assessment field survey and a comprehensive …

Ecological Interactions Influencing Avicennia Germinans Propagule Dispersal And Seedling Establishment At Mangrove-Saltmarsh Boundaries, Jennifer Mcclain Peterson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mangroves and saltmarshes are ecologically important coastal ecosystems; unfortunately, these low-lying coastal ecosystems are vulnerable to global climate change. As sea-levels rise, mangroves are expected to shift their distribution landward towards higher elevation sites that are occupied by other plants, including saltmarsh taxa. Therefore, mangrove recruits at the leading edge of expansion may interact with diverse assemblages of saltmarsh plants, and these interactions could influence the success of mangrove encroachment into higher tidal-elevation areas. The purpose of the research presented here was to investigate empirically the ecological interactions that may influence the recruitment of the black mangrove, Avicennia germinans, …

Vitals Rates And Seasonal Movements Of Two Isolated Greater Sage-Grouse Populations In Utah's West Desert, Jason D. Robinson, Terry A. Messmer

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Declines in greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter, sage-grouse) populations in Utah over the last century parallel range-wide trends. However, little is known about the ecology of sage-grouse populations that inhabit Utah’s naturally fragmented habitats. Utah’s West Desert sage-grouse populations occupy sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats that are geographically separated by the Great Salt Lake, and largely confined to the Sheeprock and Deep Creek watersheds. From 2005 to 2006, we monitored sage-grouse that were radio-collared in each watershed to determine the factors affecting the vital rates in these isolated populations. Livestock grazing by domestic cattle was the dominate land use, …

Ecophysiological Responses Of Tall Fescue Genotypes To Endophyte Infection And Climate Change, Marie Bourguignon

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Tall fescue is a widely used forage grass in the eastern USA and can form a symbiosis with a fungal endophyte, which can be beneficial for the plant but can cause livestock health issues. Little is known regarding the symbiotic response to predicted climate change. To address this knowledge gap, I analyzed tall fescue variety trial data collected throughout the U.S., exploring relationships between climate variables and yield for two different fescue cultivars that were either endophyte-free or infected. This study showed no endophyte or cultivar effect on fescue yield, but identified temperature, precipitation and location as significant predictors of …

Relating Climate Change To The Nesting Phenology And Nest Environment Of Marine Turtles, Monette Schwoerer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ectotherms (including marine turtles) being especially sensitive to climate, are at risk to the accelerated rate of human-driven climate change. This study addresses two concerns associated with marine turtles and climate change – the relationship between the timing of marine turtle nesting and sea surface temperature; and the concern over the feminization of marine turtle populations due to rising sand temperatures. Previous studies of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) and green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) have documented the relationship between sea surface temperatures and nesting phenology. Earlier nesting behaviors in both species have been associated with warmer sea surface temperatures. …

Meta-Analysis Reveals Complex Marine Biological Responses To The Interactive Effects Of Ocean Acidification And Warming, Ben P. Harvey, Dylan Gwynn-Jones, Philippa J. Moore

Research outputs 2013

Ocean acidification and warming are considered two of the greatest threats to marine biodiversity, yet the combined effect of these stressors on marine organisms remains largely unclear. Using a meta-analytical approach, we assessed the biological responses of marine organisms to the effects of ocean acidification and warming in isolation and combination. As expected biological responses varied across taxonomic groups, life-history stages, and trophic levels, but importantly, combining stressors generally exhibited a stronger biological (either positive or negative) effect. Using a subset of orthogonal studies, we show that four of five of the biological responses measured (calcification, photosynthesis, reproduction, and survival, …

A History Of Place: Using Phytolith Analysis To Discern Holocene Vegetation Change On Sanak Island, Western Gulf Of Alaska, Cricket C. Wilbur

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study investigated a terrestrial climate proxy, phytoliths, as a complimentary approach to documenting the dynamics of present and past vegetation on Sanak Island, the largest island in a small island group in the eastern Aleutian archipelago, and as a new basis by which to interpret Holocene environmental variability in Alaska. A phytolith reference collection was established from 59 selected plant species of maritime tundra belonging to 27 families. The grass species and a sedge species produced abundant phytolith forms whereas the majority of dicotyledons in this study were trace producers of phytoliths. A paleoenvironmental reconstruction from fossil phytoliths recovered …

The Effect Of Temperature On Seed Quality And Quantity In Crosses Between European (Populus Tremula) And Hybrid Aspens (P. Tremula X P. Tremuloides), L. Koviuranta, T. Latva-Karjanmaa, P. Pulkkinen

Aspen Bibliography

Hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L. Populus tremuloides Michx.) plantations are expanding in Fennoscandia and the Baltic countries; however, the possible effects of plantations on the native European aspen (P. tremula) and the level of gene flow between European and hybrid aspen have not been investigated. We studied seed quantity and quality in intraspecific and interspecific crosses of the European and hybrid aspens over a two year period. In order to study whether elevated temperatures due to climate change would benefit the species differently, we performed the crosses in different temperatures. In both years, interspecific crosses produced more seeds with higher …

Nursing Females Are More Prone To Heat Stress: Demography Matters When Managing Flying-Foxes For Climate Change, Stephanie T. Snoyman, Jasmina Munich, Culum Brown

Ecological Impacts of Climate Change Collection

Determining the underlying mechanisms responsible for species-specific responses to climate change is important from a species management perspective. The grey-headed flying-fox, Pteropus poliocephalus, is listed as vulnerable but it also a significant pest species for orchardists and thereby presents an interesting management conundrum. Over the last century, the abundance of the grey-headed flying-fox, P. poliocephalus, in Australia has decreased due to a variety of threatening processes but has increased in abundance in urban areas. These flying-foxes are highly susceptible to extreme heat events which are predicted to increase in the future under climate change scenarios. Exceptionally hot days result in …

Impacts Of Climate Variability And Human Colonization On The Vegetation Of The Gala´Pagos Islands, Alejandra Restrepo, Paul A. Colinvaux, Mark B. Bush, Alexander Correa-Metrio, Jessica L. Conroy, Mark R. Gardener, Patricia Jaramillo, Miriam Steinitz-Kannan, Jonathan T. Overpeck

Biomedical Engineering and Sciences Faculty Publications

A high-resolution (2-9 year sampling interval) fossil pollen record from the Galapagos Islands, which spans the last 2690 years, reveals considerable ecosystem stability. Vegetation changes associated with independently derived histories of El Niño Southern Oscillation variability provided evidence of shifts in the relative abundance of individual species rather than immigration or extinction. Droughts associated with the Medieval Climate Anomaly induced rapid ecological change that was followed by a reversion to the previous state. The paleoecological data suggested nonneutral responses to climatic forcing in this ecosystem prior to the period of human influence. Human impacts on the islands are evident in …