Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

The Effects Of Off-Road Vehicle Use In Desert Tortoise (Gopherus Agassizii) Habitats, Brent D. Clark

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) populations have been in decline and have been placed on the endangered species list. No single factor is ultimately responsible for the tortoise decline. It is a combination of events that collectively have a negative impact. I chose to focus my study on only one factor, off-road vehicles. By evaluating the damage done to the terrain by off-road vehicles, a better understanding of their impact on the tortoise populations can be assessed and protective measures taken.

The amount of available vegetation does not seem to play a role in their decisions of which plants to …

Defining Soil Type And Habitat Characteristics Of The Arctomecon Californica, Philip S. Childers

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A. californica can be considered a rare endemic species, which is believed to be restricted by unique soil relationships. These relationships make the species vulnerable to anthropogenic habitat disturbance. Although A. californica is listed as critically endangered by the state of Nevada, further research is needed before the species can be listed as federally endangered or threatened. This study used primary observational data and secondary GIS compatible data to characterize A. californica habitat. Representative sampling techniques were used to select observations from derived soil types. Although a majority of A. californica populations were found to occur in gypsic soil types, …

Draft Plan Of Management For The Kalbarri Blue Holes Fish Habitat Protection Area., Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

The overall objective of the proposed FHPA and the associated Plan of Management is to conserve and protect a portion of the near-shore reef ecosystem in the vicinity of the Blue Holes, and to manage activities within the area, to promote the observation and protection of fish living within the area. Strong community commitment has already been demonstrated, and this is crucial in the implementation of the proposed management plan

Fish Stock And Fishery Enhancement In Western Australia. A Summary Report., Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

This summary paper provides an overview of the key proposals set out in the full policy discussion paper, Fisheries Management Paper No 175. It does not discuss the theoretical background for the framework presented and therefore readers interested in such discussion are directed to Fisheries Management Paper No 175.

Both papers have been prepared to encourage public involvement in the development of policy for stock enhancement within Western Australian waters. Stock enhancement can involve an existing fishery or creation of a new fishery through the translocation of fish. It affects both public and private waters.

Feasibility Of Mapping Benthic Biotopes In The Hudson River, Nicole P. Maher, Robert M. Cerrato

School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

Successful management of aquatic resources requires comprehensive maps that identify the spatial distribution and extent of potentially vulnerable habitats and their resident biota (e.g., essential fish habitat). We illustrate a technique that describes submerged landscapes not only in terms of geophysical properties, but also in terms of the resident biotic communities. Biological community distribution was highly correlated with the geophysical provinces initially identified by Bell et al. (2000). However, fewer groups of stations (created mainly by combining provinces) explained almost as much of the variation in benthic community structure and was a better description of the major biotopes in this …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 36, No.1 March 2004

The Prairie Naturalist

DUCK NESTING SUCCESS IN NORTH DAKOTA ROAD RIGHT-OF-WAYS ▪ J. Walker, S. S. Stephens, M. S. Lindberg, and J. 1. Rotella

DID TALLGRASS PRAIRIE EXTEND INTO PENNSYLVANIA? ▪ D. C. Laughlin

INFLUENCE OF PREY ABUNDANCE ON RAPTORS IN TALLGRASS PRAIRIE ▪ A. W. Reed, G. A. Kaufman, D. A. Rintoul, and D. W. Kaufman

AMERICAN BITTERN NESTING IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA ▪ L. C. Carroll and F. A. de Szalay

THE FLORA OF THE COTTONWOOD LAKE STUDY AREA, STUTSMAN COUNTY, NORTH DAKOTA ▪ . D. M. Mushet, N. H. Euliss Jr., S. P. Lane, and C. M. Goldade …

The Hardy Inlet Estuarine Fishery Management Issues And Options, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

This paper presents information available on fish resources in the Hardy Inlet/Blackwood River system, and discusses the key management matters and likely impacts of a number of possible management measures.

Projecting Range Expansion Of Invasive European Green Crabs (Carcinus Maenas) To Alaska: Temperature And Salinity Tolerance Of Larvae, Anson Hines, Greg Ruiz, Natasha Gray Hitchcock, Catherine E. De Rivera

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The European Green Crab (Carcinus maenas) is a global invader, successfully colonizing many world regions and having significant ecological and economic impacts. The Green Crab colonized western North America in the late 1980s, spreading primarily northward from the initial establishment in San Francisco Bay to several other bays in northern California, Oregon, and Washington. Initial analysis, based largely upon temperature tolerance of postlarval crabs, suggests Green Crabs will continue to spread and become established throughout much of Alaska. However, establishment of self-sustaining populations in Alaska may be restricted by environmental conditions for reproduction and larval development, instead of the broad …

Friends Of Red Rock Canyon Quarterly Meeting, Public Lands Institute

Presentations (PLI)

The Public Lands Institute is dedicated to strengthening the national fabric that is essential for the protection, conservation, and management of public lands.

Oliver Ranch Science School Complex & Wild Horse And Burro Facility: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending June 30, 2004, Margaret N. Rees

Oliver Ranch Project

Assist in project coordination between numerous stakeholders such as the Clark County School System, Desert Research Institute, Community College of Southern Nevada, UNR Cooperative Extension, Nevada State College, local museums, state parks, non-profit organizations, federal agencies, and the public to ensure appropriate educational curricular activities and venues are provided for in the conceptual design of the School and the Wild Horse and Burro facility where appropriate as well as assist in the NEPA process as needed. The activities will be conducted at least in part by university faculty, staff and students as part of the university’s research, teaching, and service …

Oliver Ranch Science School Complex & Wild Horse And Burro Facility: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending December 31, 2004, Margaret N. Rees

Oliver Ranch Project

Assist in project coordination between numerous stakeholders such as the Clark County School System, Desert Research Institute, Community College of Southern Nevada, UNR Cooperative Extension, Nevada State College, local museums, state parks, non-profit organizations, federal agencies, and the public to ensure appropriate educational curricular activities and venues are provided for in the conceptual design of the School and the Wild Horse and Burro facility where appropriate as well as assist in the NEPA process as needed. The activities will be conducted at least in part by university faculty, staff and students as part of the university’s research, teaching, and service …

Ecological Species Groups Of South Carolina's Jocassee Gorges, Southern Appalachian Mountains, Scott R. Abella, Victor B. Shelburne

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

Ecological species groups, consisting of assemblages of co-occurring plant species exhibiting similar environmental affinities, were developed for ground-flora and tree strata in late- successional forests on a 13,000 ha southern Appalachian landscape. We distinguished 11 ground-flora groups that included 50 species and six tree groups comprised of 19 species. Ground-flora groups ranged from a xeric Vaccinium group (including Vaccinium pallidum, Euphorbia corollata, and Piptochaetium avenaceum) to a mesic Rhododendron group (typified by Rhododendron maximum, Mitchella repens, and Hexastylis heterophylla). Tree groups ranged from a Quercus coccinea group to a Tsuga canadensis group. Consistent with previous research, species groups exhibited a …

Oliver Ranch Science School Complex & Wild Horse And Burro Facility: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending September 30, 2004, Margaret N. Rees

Oliver Ranch Project

Assist in project coordination between numerous stakeholders such as the Clark County School System, Desert Research Institute, Community College of Southern Nevada, UNR Cooperative Extension, Nevada State College, local museums, state parks, non-profit organizations, federal agencies, and the public to ensure appropriate educational curricular activities and venues are provided for in the conceptual design of the School and the Wild Horse and Burro facility where appropriate as well as assist in the NEPA process as needed. The activities will be conducted at least in part by university faculty, staff and students as part of the university’s research, teaching, and service …

On The Ecological Status Of The Concept "Boundary Conditions" - A Few Methodological Remarks, Lubomira Burchardt, Krzystof Lastowski, Harold G. Marshall

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Plant and animal populations are frequently found in habitats where the environmental conditions are considered extreme or challenging for life form to exist. These conditions may be classified as either: (1) Supreme: a situation characteristic of degradation conditions where only a few species live under stress, and (2) Extra-ordinary: habitats that provide high biodiversity that are under stress conditions. Due to the differences in what we consider extreme conditions, it is necessary to distinguish between these two categories, because they are not comparable. Our presentation will include examples of these two extreme environmental categories.

The Effects Of Environmentally Relevant Doses Of Perchlorate (Clo4-) On Rana Pipiens Metamorphosis And Development, Andrea N. Golli

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of perchlorate on the development and growth of Rana pipiens. Ammonium perchlorate is a rocket fuel oxidizer that is known to interfere with the function of the thyroid gland and some of the highest United States surface water concentration exists in the Las Vegas Wash, NV. Perchlorate not only blocks the body’s ability to incorporate iodine into T3 and T4 hormones through the sodium iodine symporter system, but also depletes the thyroid glands’ internal stores of iodine. Many of the steps that regulate metamorphosis in amphibians …

Relationships Between Needle Nitrogen Concentration And Photosynthetic Responses Of Douglas-Fir Seedlings To Elevated Co2 And Temperature, James D. Lewis, Melissa S. Lucash, David M. Olszyk, David T. Tingey

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

• Here we examined correlations between needle nitrogen concentration ([N]) and photosynthetic responses of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) seedlings to growth in elevated temperatures and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations ([CO₂]).
• Seedlings were grown in sunlit, climate-controlled chambers at ambient or ambient+3.5^° C and ambient or ambient +180 μmol mol^-1 CO₂ in a full factorial design. Photosynthetic parameters and needle [N] were measured six times over a 21-month period.
• Needle [N] varied seasonally, and accounted for 30–50% of the variation in photosynthetic parameters. Across measurement periods, elevated temperature increased needle [N] by 26% and light-saturated …

Assessment And Restoration Of A Neighborhood Wetland Invaded By Exotic Plant Species, Ryan Neal, Kimberly R. Payne, Lorena Moreno, Graham Duffy, Jonathan Peck, Mary C. Savin

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

The University of Arkansas Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences (CSES) Club adopted a local wetland in the spring of 2002 through the Fayetteville Parks and Recreation Department. This project has allowed students to interact with local community and governmental organizations as well as other academic departments within the university. Students have gained valuable laboratory and field experience through characterizing hydric soils, identifying bird and plant species, and analyzing water quality, soil nutrients, and microbial biomass. Under the main goal of restoring the wetland, the club has outlined both short and long-term objectives including soil and water assessments; removal of two …

Advection, Krill, And Antarctic Marine Ecosystems, Eileen E. Hofmann, Eugene J. Murphy

CCPO Publications

Advective processes are recognized as being important in structuring and maintaining marine ecosystems. In the Southern Ocean advective effects are perhaps most clearly observed because the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) provides a connection between most parts of the system, including open ocean and continental shelf regions. The ACC also provides a mechanism for large-scale transport of plankton, such as Antarctic krill (Euphousia superba Dana), which is an important component of the Southern Ocean food web. This overview provides a summary of recent observational and modelling results that consider the importance of advection to the Southern Ocean ecosystem and, in particular, …

Light Dependence Of Selenium Uptake By Phytoplankton And Implications For Predicting Selenium Incorporation Into Food Webs, Stephen B. Baines, Nicholas S. Fisher, Martina A. Doblin, Gregory A. Cutter, Lynda S. Cutter, Brian Cole

OES Faculty Publications

The potentially toxic element selenium is first concentrated from solution to a large but highly variable degree by algae and bacteria before being passed on to consumers. The large loads of abiotic and detrital suspended particles often present in rivers and estuaries may obscure spatial and temporal patterns in Se concentrations at the base of the food web. We used radiotracers to estimate uptake of both selenite (Se(IV)) and C by intact plankton communities at two sites in the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta. Our goals were to determine (1) whether C and Se(IV) uptake were coupled, (2) the role of …

The Translocation Of Golden Perch, Murray Cod And Australian Bass, Into And Within Western Australia, For The Purposes Of Recreational Stocking, Domestic Stocking And Commercial And Non-Commercial Aquaculture. A Discussion Paper., Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

This discussion paper has been prepared to provide information to assist in assessment of the possible impact of the translocation of golden perch (Macquaria ambigua), Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii) and Australian bass (Macquaria novemaculeata) into and within Western Australia, for the purposes of recreational stocking, domestic stocking, commercial and non-commercial aquaculture. In assessing the translocation of any aquatic species, economic and social benefits must be balanced with biological and environmental risks.

Identification Of Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Secondary Succession Changes In Altamira, Brazil: Integrating Remote Sensing And Gis Technology, Hui Li

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There has been extensive use of remote sensing to study secondary succession of moist tropical forests in the Amazon Basin. However, scientists have not totally understood the dynamic processes of secondary succession of Amazon forests. A lack of consensus remains about what is the best approach for biomass estimation in the Amazon Basin using remotely sensed data. It is not clear which spectral wavelength bands have the best relationship with biomass values and what are the specific relationships between biomass and TM satellite radiance. The strategies in this research, based on analysis of detailed ground-based data and satellite TM image …

Identification Of Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Secondary Succession Changes In Altamira, Brazil: Integrating Remote Sensing And Gis Technology, Hui Li

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There has been extensive use of remote sensing to study secondary succession of moist tropical forests in the Amazon Basin. However, scientists have not totally understood the dynamic processes of secondary succession of Amazon forests. A lack of consensus remains about what is the best approach for biomass estimation in the Amazon Basin using remotely sensed data. It is not clear which spectral wavelength bands have the best relationship with biomass values and what are the specific relationships between biomass and TM satellite radiance. The strategies in this research, based on analysis of detailed ground-based data and satellite TM image …

The Effect Of Prescribed Burns On Cation Exchange Capacity In An Oak Savanna, Christopher Michael Gentry

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources estimates that fire-maintained, tallgrass savannas once covered approximately 15% oflndiana. During the 1800's, settlers cleared savannas for their rich soils, which are well suited for agricultural use, and fire was suppressed from the remaining savannas because of the threat to farmland. Today, prescribed bums are being used in savannas as a management tool to reduce competition from non-native species, encourage community density, and promote patch dynamics. This research examines how fire affects Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) in post fire soil samples. CEC is an important soil characteristic that helps to describe soil fertility. With …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 35, No.4 December 2003

The Prairie Naturalist

HOME RANGE AND MOVEMENTS OF EASTERN AND RIO GRANDE WILD TURKEY FEMALES IN NORTHEASTERN

SOUTH DAKOTA ▪ C. P. Lehman, L. D. Flake, and A. P. Leif

THE BAT FAUNA OF SOUTHEASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA . J. E. Lane, C. L. Buck, and R. M. Brigham

FIRST REPORT OF THE NORTH DAKOTA RARE BIRD COMMITTEE ▪ D. Svingen and R. E. Martin

BREEDING CHRONOLOGY OF DABBLING DUCKS IN MINNEDOSA, MANITOBA ▪ A. M. Wells and H. H. Prince

A LIVE COLLECTION OF A PISTOLGRIP FROM NEBRASKA ▪ S. C. Schainost

NEW NESTING DATES FOR SOME BREEDING BIRDS IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ …

Status And Trends In Water Quality And Living Resources In The Virginia Chesapeake Bay: York River (1985-2002), Daniel M. Dauer, Harold G. Marshall, John R. Donat, Michael F. Lane, Suzanne Doughten, Frederick A. Hoffman

Status and Trends for Virginia Chesapeake Bay

The Virginia Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries continue to show some environmental trends indicating progress toward restoration of a more balanced and healthy ecosystem. However, the Bay system remains degraded and some areas and indicators show continuing degradation. Progress in reducing nutrient inputs has made demonstrable improvements and we expect that continued progress toward nutrient reduction goals, along with appropriate fisheries management and chemical contaminant controls, will result in additional improvements to the Bay. An overall summary of findings for the major VA Bay tributaries (i.e. James, York, and Rappahannock Rivers) is bulleted below while the remainder of this …

Status And Trends In Water Quality And Living Resources In The Virginia Chesapeake Bay: Rappahannock River (1985-2002), Daniel M. Dauer, Harold G. Marshall, John R. Donat, Michael F. Lane, Suzanne Doughten, Frederick A. Hoffman

Status and Trends for Virginia Chesapeake Bay

The Virginia Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries continue to show some environmental trends indicating progress toward restoration of a more balanced and healthy ecosystem. However, the Bay system remains degraded and some areas and indicators show continuing degradation. Progress in reducing nutrient inputs has made demonstrable improvements and we expect that continued progress toward nutrient reduction goals, along with appropriate fisheries management and chemical contaminant controls, will result in additional improvements to the Bay. An overall summary of findings for the major VA Bay tributaries (i.e. James, York and Rappahannock Rivers) is bulleted below while the remainder of this …

Status And Trends In Water Quality And Living Resources In The Virginia Chesapeake Bay: James River (1985-2002), Daniel M. Dauer, Harold G. Marshall, John R. Donat, Michael F. Lane, Suzanne C. Doughten, Frederick A. Hoffman

Status and Trends for Virginia Chesapeake Bay

The Virginia Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries continue to show some environmental trends indicating progress toward restoration of a more balanced and healthy ecosystem. However, the Bay system remains degraded and some areas and indicators show continuing degradation. Progress in reducing nutrient inputs has made demonstrable improvements and we expect that continued progress toward nutrient reduction goals, along with appropriate fisheries management and chemical contaminant controls, will result in additional improvements to the Bay. An overall summary of findings for the major VA Bay tributaries (i.e. James, York, and Rappahannock Rivers) is bulleted below while the remainder of this …

Nectar Rewards Of Insect-Adapted Flowers In A Forest/Farm Landscape: Measurement Challenges And Ecological Questions, Theresa Bordenkecher Dailey

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Native forest wildflowers of the Midwestern United States forests now compete with agricultural weeds for the attention of insect pollinators. The tiny quantities of nectar secreted by these insect-pollinated flowers are measured using laboratory techniques such as colorimetry. However, these techniques are used with the tacit assumption that nectar sugar identity does not affect estimates of carbohydrate content. I tested this hypothesis using fructose, glucose, and sucrose and found that after reaction with anthrone, fructose products differed from those of other sugars in light absorbance measured by a spectrophotometer. Potential error from using an inappropriate sugar standard is greater than …

The Role Of Facial Pits In The Thermoregulatory Behavior Of Pitvipers (Viperidae: Crotalinae) Behavioral, Ecological And Phylogenetic Perspectives, Aaron R. Krochmal

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pitvipers (Viperidae: Crotalinae) possess unique sensory organs, the facial pits, capable of sensing subtle fluctuations in thermal radiation. Prey acquisition has long been regarded as the sole function of the facial pits. However, the ability to sense thermal radiation could also direct thermoregulatory behavior by remotely sensing nearby surface temperatures. Using a series ofbehavioral arenas of varying spatial complexity and ecological relevance, I surveyed the ability of western diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox) to direct successful thermoregulatory movements with either functional or disabled facial pits. I found that western diamondback rattlesnakes could base thermoregulatory decisions on thermal radiation cues when their …

Benthic Biological Monitoring Program Of The Elizabeth River Watershed (2002), Daniel M. Dauer

Elizabeth River Reports

Executive Summary

A study of the macrobenthic communities of the Elizabeth River watershed was initiated in summer 1999. This report presents the data from the fourth year of sampling in 2002. The three objectives of the Benthic Biological Monitoring Program of the Elizabeth River watershed are: (1) To characterize the health of the tidal waters of the Elizabeth River watershed as indicated by the structure of the benthic communities. ( 2) To conduct trend analyses on long-term data at 14 fixed-point stations to relate temporal trends in the benthic communities to changes in water and/or sediment quality. Trend analyses will …