Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Biology And Ecology Of Aedes (Stegomyia) Aegypti In The Northern Chihuahuan Desert, Adam Joseph Vera

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Aedes aegypti is a medically important mosquito species that transmits multiple arboviruses, including dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever. This mosquito species has expanded its geographical range into expanded into the Northern Chihuahuan Desert to further increase the risk of infection by these viruses in naïve human populations. Although Ae. aegypti is abundant along the U.S.â??Mexico border, the biology and ecology of this mosquito species in this temperate/arid climate region is not understood. The objective of this study was to understand the environmental factors that influence the invasive species of Ae. aegypti abundance, breeding habitat selection, host feeding behavior, and …

Landscape Genomics Of The Tussock Cottongrass (Eriophorum Vaginatum) And The Dwarf Birch (Betula Nana) In North Central Alaska, Elizabeth Stunz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Global climate change has resulted in geographic range shifts of flora and fauna at a global scale. Extreme environments, like the Arctic, are seeing some of the most pronounced changes. This region covers 14% of the Earthâ??s land area, and while many arctic species are widespread, understanding ecotypic variation at the genomic level will be important for elucidating how range shifts will affect ecological processes. Increase in shrub cover is a major effect of ongoing climate change in arctic tundra ecosystems. The relative increases in abundance and cover of shrub species such as birch, willow, and alder (Betula, Salix, and …

An Assessment Of The Role Of Roads In Population Demography And Genetic Structuring In Two Species Of Lizards In The Northern Chihuahuan Desert, Kevin Floyd

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Roads can fragment habitat and increase mortality rates of wildlife, potentially reducing population sizes and gene flow, which in turn can reduce genetic diversity through genetic drift. Although negative road impacts have been found in a variety of taxa, not all species are impacted. For instance, species that move less and rarely encounter roads and those that avoid the roads are predicted to not be negatively affected. Yet tests of these predictions are uncommon, especially for reptiles and particularly lizards. Side-blotched lizards (Uta stansburiana) are small sit-and-wait predators, while the larger marbled whiptails (Aspidoscelis marmorata) are active foragers. Their responses …

Genetic Diversity In Populations Of Epiphanes Chihuahuaensis (Rotifera: Monogononta) In The Northern Chihuahuan Desert, Diego E. Reyes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

1. Cryptic speciation in zooplankton is a phenomenon that has been recently gaining much attention. This is due in part to advances in molecular techniques which help in the identification of morphologically indistinct species. Organisms that have been traditionally believed to have cosmopolitan distributions are being found to be composed of cryptic species complexes with high levels of genetic divergence among lineages.

2. Epiphanes chihuahuaensis is a member in the Epiphanes senta species complex. In a previous study by Schröder & Walsh (2007), genetic data, along with morphological and reproductive isolation data were employed to help delineate four species within …

Systematics Of The Genus Ptychadena Boulenger, 1917 (Anura: Ptychadenidae) From Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Katrina Marie Weber

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis increases the scope of previous phylogenetic analyses that revealed high levels of genetic differentiation within the anuran genus Ptychadena. Herein, I increase sampling of Central African populations of Ptychadena by over six times to examine their relationships to other African populations and to search for cryptic species. This study represents the most comprehensive molecular phylogeny of Ptychadena to date. A total of three mitochondrial (12S, 16S, and cyt b) and two nuclear (RAG1 and rhodopsin) genes were sequenced for 67 specimens of Ptychadena. Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian analyses were conducted. These analyses revealed …

Ecology And Genetics Of Philodina Megalotrocha (Rotifera, Bdelloidea) From Chihuahuan Desert Populations, Lina Kamel Hamdan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Chihuahuan Desert is a unique region with high biodiversity. There is a high degree endemism of freshwater biota, but relatively few studies have been focused on zooplankton. Bdelloid rotifers are one component of these ecosystems and often dominate very temporary habitats. Bdelloids are usually assumed to be cosmopolitan species due to their potentially high dispersal rates. Distribution records of the bdelloid P. megalotrocha extend from North America to New Zealand. However, little is known about its ecology or genetics. The aims of this study are to: 1) determine whether the distribution of P. megalotrocha in the Chihuahuan Desert is …