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Articles 241 - 270 of 381

Full-Text Articles in Biology

Modeling Canopy Photosynthesis Of A Scrub-Oak Ecosystem Under Elevated Co2, Lori Jones Jan 2008

Modeling Canopy Photosynthesis Of A Scrub-Oak Ecosystem Under Elevated Co2, Lori Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rising atmospheric CO2 and the need to understand potential impacts on terrestrial ecosystems has become increasingly recognized. Models can play a beneficial part in this research to enhance understanding of ecosystem responses to changing conditions like elevated CO2. In this study, data from a long term elevated CO2 experiment in a native forested ecosystem in east central Florida were employed to assess the utility of a multi-layer canopy photosynthesis model as a tool to better understand the responses to elevated CO2 in this ecosystem. Model results compared satisfactorily with the canopy gas exchange measurements in this ecosystem for the period …

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Recovery And Restoration Of The Seagrass Halodule Wrightii After Boat Propeller Scar Damage In A Pole-Troll Zone In Mosquito Lag, Katherine Grablow Jan 2008

Recovery And Restoration Of The Seagrass Halodule Wrightii After Boat Propeller Scar Damage In A Pole-Troll Zone In Mosquito Lag, Katherine Grablow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study combined documentation of four boat propeller scar types in Halodule wrightii seagrass beds in Mosquito Lagoon, Florida with manipulative field experiments to document scar recovery times with and without restoration. Scar types ranged from the most severe scar type (Type 1) with trench formation which had no roots or shoots in the trench, to the least severe (Type 4) scars that had no depth, intact roots and shoots shorter than the surrounding canopy. For 110 measured existing scars, the frequency of each scar type was 56% for Type 1, 10% for Type 2, 7% for Type 3, and …

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Prevalence And Severity Of Fibropapillomatosis In Juvenile Green Turtles (Chelonia Mydas) In Three Habitats On Florida's Eas, Kelly Borrowman Jan 2008

Prevalence And Severity Of Fibropapillomatosis In Juvenile Green Turtles (Chelonia Mydas) In Three Habitats On Florida's Eas, Kelly Borrowman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a tumor-forming disease mainly found in juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas) inhabiting Florida's east coast. Despite increased research on the herpes virus that putatively causes it, long-term assessment is still needed of the distribution and severity of FP. Using the decades-long database compiled by the University of Central Florida Marine Turtle Research Group, I determined FP severity and distribution at three different sites: Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Sabellariid Worm Reef (SWR) and Trident Submarine Basin (TSB). Fibropapillomatosis occurred in > 50% of IRL turtles, 18% of SWR turtles and <1% of TSB turtles. Regression of FP tumors was correlated with its prevalence, i.e. when and where FP was common, tumor regression was common. The probability of a turtle being non-afflicted or mildly afflicted increased with both increasing straight-line carapace length (SCL) and increasing relative body condition (residuals of log body mass versus log SCL). Mean annual growth rates of IRL and SWR turtles did not vary with FP severity; however, mean annual growth rates in IRL (1.10 cm/y) were significantly higher than in SWR (1.05 cm/y) and TSB (1.04 cm/y). Annual apparent survival estimates for IRL and TSB turtles were 0.72 and 0.73, respectively, and were constant over time. Even with increased prevalence of FP, annual apparent survival estimates were constant and similar to survival estimates of juvenile green turtles in areas without FP. In IRL, survival rates among FP Categories 0, 1 and 2 were similar (0.74, 0.74 and 0.81 respectively) and lower only for FP Category 3 (0.63). Thus, while FP occurred in > 50% of turtles in some Florida east coast populations, …

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Control Of Stomatal Formation In Arabidopsis Thaliana Inflorescence Stem, Nalini Odapalli Jan 2008

Control Of Stomatal Formation In Arabidopsis Thaliana Inflorescence Stem, Nalini Odapalli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stomata are cellular structures that control water loss and gas exchange through the plant epidermis. Stomata arise from special stem cells called meristemoids through a series of programmed asymmetric divisions that are controlled by cell signaling, or via multitude of regulatory pathways and intercellular communication between epidermal cells. In Arabidopsis thaliana, stomata are spaced non-randomly in the epidermis by cell-cell signaling of the receptor-like protein TOO MANY MOUTHS (TMM) as well as other proteins. Point mutation of the TMM gene prevents the development of stomata in some tissues like inflorescence stems. Investigation of tmm mutant stems showed that self-renewing stem …

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Social Grouping Behaviors Of Captive Female Hippopotamus Amphibius, Tracy Blowers Jan 2008

Social Grouping Behaviors Of Captive Female Hippopotamus Amphibius, Tracy Blowers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Levels of sociality vary depending on the costs and benefits associated with grouping behavior. Grouping species form either ephemeral aggregations due to resource availability, or structured groups based on familiarity of individuals. Because there are different costs and benefits associated with different types of groups, it is important to understand more about group structure before making predictions about specific behaviors. Female Hippopotamus amphibius are known to aggregate in the wild but the true nature of their grouping behavior is still not understood. My objective was to determine if captive female hippos form either ephemeral aggregations or social groups. Behavioral data, …

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Assessing And Modeling Mangrove Forest Dynamics Along The Temperate-Subtropical Ecotone In Eastern Florida, Susan Leitholf Jan 2008

Assessing And Modeling Mangrove Forest Dynamics Along The Temperate-Subtropical Ecotone In Eastern Florida, Susan Leitholf

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mangrove ecosystems are among the world's most endangered biomes; nearly one-half of the overall coverage is threatened by human activity, invasive species, and global climate change. Mangroves play an important ecosystem role through detrital production and by providing: fisheries and wildlife nursery habitat, shoreline protection, a sink for nutrients, carbon, and sediment. In addition to human activity, the Florida mangroves (Avicennia germinans, Laguncularia racemosa, and Rhizophora mangle) are being threatened by the invasive Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius). This study was performed along a 261 km stretch of the east coast of Florida from Sebastian Inlet to the northern extent of …

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Seasonal And Diel Patterns Of Manatee Habitat Use, Monica Ann Ross Jan 2007

Seasonal And Diel Patterns Of Manatee Habitat Use, Monica Ann Ross

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

State and Federal agencies have created sanctuaries and speed zones to help reduce manatee mortality while incorporating the recreational and commercial resource needs of these same habitats for humans. Specific habitat resources are considered necessary to increase manatee survivorship. We have only recently begun to address how manatees use some of these resources based on physiological or reproductive strategies. In this study, I quantified patterns of habitat use during seasonal and diel periods for different sex and reproductive manatee classes using data from a radio-telemetry study conducted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission during 1991-1996. I used five …

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Modeling And Partitioning The Nucleotide Evolutionary Process For Phylogenetic And Comparative Genomic Inference, Todd Castoe Jan 2007

Modeling And Partitioning The Nucleotide Evolutionary Process For Phylogenetic And Comparative Genomic Inference, Todd Castoe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The transformation of genomic data into functionally relevant information about the composition of biological systems hinges critically on the field of computational genome biology, at the core of which lies comparative genomics. The aim of comparative genomics is to extract meaningful functional information from the differences and similarities observed across genomes of different organisms. We develop and test a novel framework for applying complex models of nucleotide evolution to solve phylogenetic and comparative genomic problems, and demonstrate that these techniques are crucial for accurate comparative evolutionary inferences. Additionally, we conduct an exploratory study using vertebrate mitochondrial genomes as a model …

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Individual Identification Of Polar Bears By Whisker Spot Patterns, Carlos Anderson Jan 2007

Individual Identification Of Polar Bears By Whisker Spot Patterns, Carlos Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many types of ecological studies require identification of individual animals. I developed and evaluated an automated identification system for polar bears (Ursus maritimus) based on their whisker spot patterns. First, I measured the reliability of using whisker spot patterns for identification from polar bear photographs taken in western Hudson Bay. This analysis involved estimating the complexity of each whisker spot pattern in terms of its information content. I found that 98% of patterns contained enough information to be reliable, and this result varied little among three different observers. Based on these results, I implemented a computer-aided identification system for polar …

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Spatiotemporal Variation Of Avian Populations Within Geographically Isolated Freshwater Marshes, Brian Rodenbeck Jan 2007

Spatiotemporal Variation Of Avian Populations Within Geographically Isolated Freshwater Marshes, Brian Rodenbeck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Metacommunity connectivity, i.e., multi-species dispersal events, is vital to metapopulation persistence in patchy landscapes. Assessments of metacommunity connectivity are not trivial. However, a relationship between trophic rank and the species-area relationship has been found in previous studies, allowing for the use of the predator species-area relationship to act as a surrogate measure of actual metacommunity connectivity of prey species in some systems. For this study, avian species were selected as they are generalist top predators within the study system. Predator species richness within geographically isolated freshwater marshes is influenced by a number of factors. I explore the relative roles of …

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Trophic Status Of A Small Mammal Assemblage On Cape Canaveral Air Force Station With An Emphasis On Peromyscus Polionotus Niveiv, Megan Keserauskis Jan 2007

Trophic Status Of A Small Mammal Assemblage On Cape Canaveral Air Force Station With An Emphasis On Peromyscus Polionotus Niveiv, Megan Keserauskis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Successful translocation of a listed species into an area of previous occupation requires knowledge of the habitat needs. The presence of the necessary food items is critical to the successful establishment of a new population; this information is unknown for Peromyscus polionotus niveiventris, the southeastern beach mouse, a threatened subspecies on the east coast of Florida. I used fecal and stable isotope analysis to determine the diet of this subspecies at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Brevard County, Florida, between the autumn of 2003 and the spring of 2005. Six trapping grids were established, three in the dune/swale and three …

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Sex-Biased Parasitism And The Reproductive Costs Of Parasites In A Social African Ground Squirrel, Melissa Ann Hillegass Jan 2007

Sex-Biased Parasitism And The Reproductive Costs Of Parasites In A Social African Ground Squirrel, Melissa Ann Hillegass

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Vertebrate males frequently carry higher numbers of parasites than females. This bias in parasite loads could be a consequence of sexual selection. Grouping species are also assumed to be afflicted with larger numbers of parasites than solitary animals and associated costs of this parasitism could vary with group size or structure. I examined sex-biased parasitism and the influence of group size on parasite loads in Cape ground squirrels (Xerus inauris), a highly social species that occurs in the arid regions of southern Africa. Males carried three times as many ectoparasites as females, but females harbored nearly three times more endoparasites …

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Does Habitat Affect Clonal Demography? An Experiment With Polygonella Myriophylla In Roadside And Florida Scrub, Kristina Dianne Horn Jan 2007

Does Habitat Affect Clonal Demography? An Experiment With Polygonella Myriophylla In Roadside And Florida Scrub, Kristina Dianne Horn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Polygonella myriophylla (Polygonaceae) is a clonal shrub listed as endangered and narrowly endemic to pyrogenic scrub ecosystems in central Florida. It is almost restricted to gaps within the matrix of shrubs in the scrub but also occurs along adjacent road-side habitats. I hypothesize that persistent disturbed microhabitats and more dynamic sand accretion in roadsides will increase rooting probabilities compared to more stable scrub habitats, affecting survival, growth and reproduction. In April 2004- March 2006, I compared plant (genet) and basal branch (ramet) performance between experimentally manipulated plants in native scrub and roadside habitats at two locations within the Lake Wales …

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Stabel Isotope Turnover Rates And Diet-Tissue Discrimination In The Skin Of West Indian Manatees: Implcations For Evaluating Their Feeding Ecology And Habitat Use, Christy Alves Jan 2007

Stabel Isotope Turnover Rates And Diet-Tissue Discrimination In The Skin Of West Indian Manatees: Implcations For Evaluating Their Feeding Ecology And Habitat Use, Christy Alves

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) is an herbivorous marine mammal that occupies freshwater, estuarine, and marine habitats. Despite being considered endangered, relatively little is known about the feeding ecology of either of the two recognized subspecies, the Florida manatee (T.m. latirostris) and Caribbean or Antillean manatee (T.m. manatus). A better understanding of their respective feeding preferences and habitat use is essential to establish criteria on which conservation plans can be based. The present study expands on previous work on manatee feeding ecology by both assessing the application of stable isotope analysis to manatee tissue and providing critical baseline parameters …

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Restoration Of Intertidal Oyster Reefs Affected By Intense Recreational Boating Activity In Mosquito Lagoon, Florida, Andrea Barber Jan 2007

Restoration Of Intertidal Oyster Reefs Affected By Intense Recreational Boating Activity In Mosquito Lagoon, Florida, Andrea Barber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, intertidal reefs of Crassostrea virginica (eastern oyster) along central Florida's east coast have suffered extensive losses due to wakes from recreational boats. These wakes have caused extensive shell movement and sediment resuspension which results in large piles of disarticulated shells along the seaward edges of reefs. Dead margins extend up to one meter above mean high water. The creation and enforcement of "no wake" zones in the area are unlikely. Thus, there is an urgent need for an alternative restoration strategy before these oyster reefs decline any further. The goal of this project was to develop a …

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Effects Of Isolation On Metapopulation Dynamics In Small-World Networks, Alaina Brooke Bernard Jan 2007

Effects Of Isolation On Metapopulation Dynamics In Small-World Networks, Alaina Brooke Bernard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Simulation models are valuable for making predictions that may be tested in natural systems and for understanding observed patterns. The simulation model developed for this thesis evaluates the effects of spatial network architecture, including organism dispersal patterns and isolation of habitats, on metapopulations. Two fields were merged throughout this project: metapopulation biology and small-world network theory. Small-world networks are characterized in their extremes as scale-free or single-scale. These models potentially simulate the networks of habitats and corridors in which metapopulations operate. Small-world network theory has been used to describe systems as diverse as rivers, the world-wide-web, and protein interactions, but …

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Genetic And Phenotypic Evolution In The Ornate Chorus Frog (Pseudacris Ornata): Testing The Relative Roles Of Natural Selection,, Jacob Degner Jan 2007

Genetic And Phenotypic Evolution In The Ornate Chorus Frog (Pseudacris Ornata): Testing The Relative Roles Of Natural Selection,, Jacob Degner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding how migration, genetic drift, and natural selection interact to maintain the genetic and phenotypic variation we observe in natural populations is a central goal of population genetics. Amphibians provide excellent model organisms for investigating the interplay between these evolutionary forces because amphibians are generally characterized by limited dispersal abilities, high philopatry, and are obligately associated with the areas around suitable habitats (e.g. breeding ponds). Thus, on relatively small geographic scales, the relative effects of all of these evolutionary forces can be studied together. Here, we study the interaction of migration, genetic drift, natural selection, and historical process in the …

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Life History And Reproductive Biology Of Clitoria Fragrans Relative To Fire History On The Avon Park Air Force Range, Michelle Nicole Lewis Jan 2007

Life History And Reproductive Biology Of Clitoria Fragrans Relative To Fire History On The Avon Park Air Force Range, Michelle Nicole Lewis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The southeastern coastal plain of the United States is a center of endemism for plants in temperate North America and second only to California among the states. In the southeast, Florida has the largest number of these endemic plants. The largest number of these Florida endemics can be found in the fire maintained scrub and sandhill communities located on sandy ridges in Central Florida. One such endemic is Clitoria fragrans, a rare perennial herb. C. fragrans reproduces via a mixed mating system. It produces both open, chasmogamous flowers and closed, selfed, cleistogamous flowers. Little else is known about its biology. …

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Demographic Consequences Of Managing For Florida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma Coerulescens) On An Isolated Preserve., Casey Lyon Jan 2007

Demographic Consequences Of Managing For Florida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma Coerulescens) On An Isolated Preserve., Casey Lyon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many species naturally occupy discrete habitat patches within a mosaic of habitats that vary in quality. The Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) is endemic to Florida scrub, a habitat that is naturally patchy and greatly reduced in area over recent decades owing to development and urbanization. Because of this habitat loss, future management of Florida scrub-jays will focus on smaller, fragmented tracts of land. My study examines such a tract, Lyonia Preserve, southwest Volusia County, FL. This preserve was unoccupied by scrub-jays prior to habitat restoration. The preserve is now frequently managed exclusively for scrub-jays as a habitat island surrounded by …

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Characterization Of Pigment Cell Specific Genes In The Sea Urchin Embryo (Strongylocentrotus Purpuratus), Tricia Stephens Jan 2007

Characterization Of Pigment Cell Specific Genes In The Sea Urchin Embryo (Strongylocentrotus Purpuratus), Tricia Stephens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In sea urchin development, cell fate specification appears by the 60-cell stage embryo when several embryonic territories are recognized: the small micromeres, the large micromeres which will generate primary mesenchyme cells, the vegetal2 layer that will give rise to pigment cells, immunocytes, and muscle cells, the vegetal1 layer, as well as the oral and aboral ectoderm. A Delta-Notch signaling event is required for the differential specification of mesodermal cells that will give rise to secondary mesenchyme cells (SMCs). SMCs produce four cell types: pigment cells, blastocoelar cells, circumesophageal muscle cells, and coelomic pouch cells. Pigment cells are the first to …

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Responses Of Small Rodents To Restoration And Management Techniques Of Florida Scrub At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florid, Alexis Suazo Jan 2007

Responses Of Small Rodents To Restoration And Management Techniques Of Florida Scrub At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florid, Alexis Suazo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Proper habitat management is essential for the survival and reproduction of species, especially those listed under state or federal laws as endangered, threatened or of special concern, and those with small local populations. Land managers use a combination of mechanical cutting and prescribed burning to manage and restore degraded scrub habitat in east central Florida. This approach improves habitat for the endangered Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens), but little is known about its effects on other taxa, especially the threatened southeastern beach mouse (Peromyscus polionotus niveiventris). This single species approach may not be beneficial to other taxa, and mechanical cutting and …

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Tree Calls Of Three Treefrogs (Hyla Femoralis, H. Gratiosa, And H. Squirella): Analysis Of Environmental, Behavioral, And Acoustic Characteristics, Kristine Schad Jan 2007

Tree Calls Of Three Treefrogs (Hyla Femoralis, H. Gratiosa, And H. Squirella): Analysis Of Environmental, Behavioral, And Acoustic Characteristics, Kristine Schad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Male frogs typically call near water at dusk to attract females for breeding. During the breeding season, male treefrogs also emit diurnal "tree calls" or "rain calls" from the tops of trees. Very little is known about tree calls, although many treefrogs use them. Tree calls may be used to attract females, deter males or be triggered by weather conditions favorable for breeding: high temperature and relative humidity, and a drop in barometric pressure. As dusk approaches, male treefrogs continue tree calls from lower in the trees, and if conditions are favorable, jump to the ground and travel to a …

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Limnological And Landscape Factors Affecting Use Of Manufactured Ponds By The Invasive Cuban Treefrog (Osteopilus Septentrionalis), Terina Nusinov Jan 2006

Limnological And Landscape Factors Affecting Use Of Manufactured Ponds By The Invasive Cuban Treefrog (Osteopilus Septentrionalis), Terina Nusinov

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Exotic amphibians are often detrimental to native biotas. In Florida, the exotic Cuban Treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis) eats native frogs and may outcompete them for resources. Cuban Treefrogs thrive in disturbed areas and around buildings, and often breed in manufactured wetlands such as retention ponds and borrow pits. This study identified limnological, landscape, and biotic characteristics that discouraged pond use by Cuban Treefrogs and promoted use by native amphibian species. I sampled natural and manufactured ponds in Orange County, Florida, for one year, using standard methods to estimate the species richness and relative abundance of amphibians and their potential fish and …

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Is The Exotic Brazilian Pepper, Schinus Terebinthifolius, A Threat To Mangrove Ecosystems In Florida?, Melinda Donnelly Jan 2006

Is The Exotic Brazilian Pepper, Schinus Terebinthifolius, A Threat To Mangrove Ecosystems In Florida?, Melinda Donnelly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mangrove ecosystems are critical to Florida, providing economic resources to humans, and untold ecological resources to estuarine organisms. In Florida's estuaries, mangrove ecosystems have suffered significant losses due to natural and human disturbances; these disturbances potentially leave mangrove communities vulnerable to invasion by the opportunistic exotic, Schinus terebinthifolius (Brazilian pepper). Prior experiments have suggested that Schinus terebinthifolius is unable to survive under marine conditions and poses no long term threat to mangrove systems. However, this contradicts field observations where Schinus terebinthifolius was found growing in the intertidal zone of Mosquito Lagoon alongside three native species of mangroves, Rhizophora mangle, Avicennia …

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Predicting Risks Of Invasion Of Caulerpa Species In Florida, Christian Glardon Jan 2006

Predicting Risks Of Invasion Of Caulerpa Species In Florida, Christian Glardon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Invasions of exotic species are one of the primary causes of biodiversity loss on our planet (National Research Council 1995). In the marine environment, all habitat types including estuaries, coral reefs, mud flats, and rocky intertidal shorelines have been impacted (e.g. Bertness et al. 2001). Recently, the topic of invasive species has caught the public's attention. In particular, there is worldwide concern about the aquarium strain of the green alga Caulerpa taxifolia (Vahl) C. Agardh that was introduced to the Mediterranean Sea in 1984 from the Monaco Oceanographic Museum. Since that time, it has flourished in thousands of hectares of …

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Predation On The Eastern Oyster Crassostrea Virginica On Intertidal Reefs Affected By Recreational Boating, Jennifer Stiner Jan 2006

Predation On The Eastern Oyster Crassostrea Virginica On Intertidal Reefs Affected By Recreational Boating, Jennifer Stiner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Widely regarded as a keystone species and ecosystem engineer, the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica plays a vital role in estuarine environments. Complex, three-dimensional oyster reefs act as havens for biodiversity and contribute to ecological processes. Recently, concern for this resource has arisen in Mosquito Lagoon, Florida, the southernmost limit along the Atlantic coast for undisturbed, intertidal reefs of C. virginica. Since the 1990s, intense recreational boating activity has caused atypical dead margins (mounds of disarticulated shells) to emerge on the seaward edges of oyster reefs located along major navigational channels. Once dead margins are formed, little is known about their …

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Reproductive Delay In The Female Cape Ground Squirrel (Xerus Inauris), Beth Pettitt Jan 2006

Reproductive Delay In The Female Cape Ground Squirrel (Xerus Inauris), Beth Pettitt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Cape ground squirrel, Xerus inauris, is a highly social cooperative breeder that forms groups containing multiple breeding females. While the distribution of reproduction among group members is fairly even (i.e. exhibits low reproductive skew), previous studies of Cape ground squirrels suggest the reproductive development of sub-adult females is inhibited by the presence of adult breeding female group mates. As reproductive delay is known to be influenced by a number of different parameters, my goal was to determine if other factors affected the timing of sexual maturity, and if so, which factors are the most influential. In this study, I …

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Monitoring A Potentially Stressful Situation In Captive Western Lowland Gorillas (Gorilla Gorilla Gorilla) Through Analysis Of Behavior And Urinary Cortisol, Douglas Skurski Jan 2006

Monitoring A Potentially Stressful Situation In Captive Western Lowland Gorillas (Gorilla Gorilla Gorilla) Through Analysis Of Behavior And Urinary Cortisol, Douglas Skurski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The concept of quantifying animal welfare has received much discussion, in various industries such as agriculture, laboratory, and zoological facilities. Behavioral, physical, and physiological indicators of welfare have previously been used to assess animal welfare; each having advantages and disadvantages, ranging from the practicality of data collection, to the validity of the data and how it is interpreted. Concurrent assessment of multiple measures is a more robust way to examine animal welfare, which utilizes the advantages of each measure, and provides additional information on which to base conclusions and animal care management decisions. This study used measures of behavior and …

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Testing The Peninsula Effect: Does It Affect Freshwater Crustaceans Inhabiting Ephemeral Wetlands On Florida's Ridges?, Debra Rinne Jan 2006

Testing The Peninsula Effect: Does It Affect Freshwater Crustaceans Inhabiting Ephemeral Wetlands On Florida's Ridges?, Debra Rinne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The peninsula effect is a pattern of diversity wherein species richness decreases along a peninsula from base to tip and is attributed to three mechanisms: historical processes, habitat gradients, and immigration-extinction equilibrium. Numerous studies have reported conflicting results involving the existence, cause, and validity of the peninsula effect in part because they did not account for effects of history or habitat on species richness patterns and because most previous research focused on organisms that actively disperse, which could confound results with behavioral habitat selection. Florida poses an excellent opportunity to study the peninsula effect because of its geological history and …

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Effects Of Patch Size And Matrix Type On Bird Assemblages Within Central Florida Cypress Domes, Julia Noran Jan 2006

Effects Of Patch Size And Matrix Type On Bird Assemblages Within Central Florida Cypress Domes, Julia Noran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The numerous studies on the effects of patch size on bird assemblages have produced varied results. I studied the effects of patch size and surrounding matrix on bird assemblages within central Florida cypress domes. My null hypothesis was that bird assemblages within cypress domes are unaffected by dome size or development in the matrix around the dome. My alternative hypothesis was that differences in bird assemblages are correlated with size and the degree of development within the matrix. I classified a pool of over a thousand domes according to three size categories and four matrix types. Three representatives for each …

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