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Central Washington University

2020

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Articles 1 - 13 of 13

Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Infant Attraction: Why Social Bridging Matters For Female Leadership In Tibetan Macaques, Xi Wang, Dong-Po Xia, Lixing Sun, Paul A. Garber, Randall C. Kyes, Lori K. Sheeran, Bing-Hua Sun, Bo-Wen Li, Jin-Hua Li Jun 2020

Infant Attraction: Why Social Bridging Matters For Female Leadership In Tibetan Macaques, Xi Wang, Dong-Po Xia, Lixing Sun, Paul A. Garber, Randall C. Kyes, Lori K. Sheeran, Bing-Hua Sun, Bo-Wen Li, Jin-Hua Li

Biology Faculty Scholarship

Leadership is a key issue in the study of collective behavior in social animals. Affiliation–leadership models predict that dyadic partner preferences based on grooming relationships or alliance formation positively affect an individual’s decision to follow or support a conspecific. In the case of many primate species, females without young infants are attracted to mother–infant dyads. However, the effects of mother–infant–female associations on affiliation–leadership models remain less clear. In free-ranging Tibetan macaques Macaca thibetana, we used social network analysis to examine the importance of “mother-infant-adult female” social bridging events as a predictor of who leads and who follows during group …

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Ticks On Lizards: Parasite-Host Interactions Of The Southern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria Multicarinata) In Washington State, Emma Houghton Jan 2020

Ticks On Lizards: Parasite-Host Interactions Of The Southern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria Multicarinata) In Washington State, Emma Houghton

All Undergraduate Projects

I investigated interactions between ectoparasites (ticks) and their host, the southern alligator lizard (Elgaria multicarinata). Alligator lizards are capable of complement-mediated killing of the Lyme disease spirochete carried by ticks and may potentially reduce Lyme disease prevalence by cleansing pathogenic organisms from ticks. Despite this, little is known about host-parasite dynamics in alligator lizards. My goals were to 1) assess patterns of tick presence (i.e. parasite load) on alligator lizards and 2) investigate potential negative effects of ticks on alligator lizards. I sampled lizards during the summer of 2019 near Catherine Creek, along the Columbia River Gorge in southern Washington. …

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Toadal Isolation: Genetic Connectivity Of The Western Toad (Anaxyrus Boreas) Along I-90 In The Snoqualmie Pass Area Of Washington State, Anneliese Myers Jan 2020

Toadal Isolation: Genetic Connectivity Of The Western Toad (Anaxyrus Boreas) Along I-90 In The Snoqualmie Pass Area Of Washington State, Anneliese Myers

All Master's Theses

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used to assess the genetic connectivity of western toad (Anaxyrus boreas) breeding populations along Interstate-90 near Snoqualmie Pass, WA. Sites north and south of the freeway were sampled during the breeding season of 2019. SNP loci were subsequently generated using the proprietary DArTseqTM (Canberra, ACT, Australia) method. A total of 15,468 SNPs were used to calculate pairwise FST values and three distinct breeding populations were identified, two north and one south of I-90. All pairwise FST values between these sites were low (0.02) but significantly different from 0. The lowest pairwise …

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Environmental Dna Is An Effective Method To Monitor Species In Various Freshwater Habitats, Kayleigh Mullen Jan 2020

Environmental Dna Is An Effective Method To Monitor Species In Various Freshwater Habitats, Kayleigh Mullen

All Master's Theses

This research investigated the use of DNA shed from individuals into the environment (eDNA) to monitor three amphibian species and two trout species associated with habitat intersected by Interstate-90 in Snoqualmie Pass, Washington. This included a large catchment area within creeks and nearby wetlands historically affected by I-90, including sites where significant habitat improvements had been made. Species-specific primers were used to detect three focal amphibians of varying local abundance and two focal trout species. This study showed successful detection of species across both lentic and lotic systems throughout the study area through efficient multiplexing (detection of multiple species in …

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Diversity Analysis Of Soil Fungus Communities In Disturbed, Nursery, And Mature Forest Conditions, Dana Whitmore Jan 2020

Diversity Analysis Of Soil Fungus Communities In Disturbed, Nursery, And Mature Forest Conditions, Dana Whitmore

All Master's Theses

Populations of soil fungi were examined in Derby Canyon Natives, Coeur d’Alene Forest Service nursery, Swamp Lake, and the Keechelus Lake wildlife overcrossing soils. All sampling sites were connected by their relation to the revegetation and native soil plug inoculation of the wildlife overpass. This study was an effort to describe soil fungi communities present on the overpass before plant introduction, those that plants would be bringing in their pots, and the fungi that could be introduced via soil plug transplantation. DNA was extracted from soil samples, then sequenced using next-generation sequencing methods, allowing for the analysis of species richness …

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Early Life History And Stock Discrimination Of Kokanee Salmon (Oncorhynchus Nerka) In An Alpine Lake Environment, Alexandra Mccarrel Jan 2020

Early Life History And Stock Discrimination Of Kokanee Salmon (Oncorhynchus Nerka) In An Alpine Lake Environment, Alexandra Mccarrel

All Master's Theses

This study examines an ecologically and recreationally important population of kokanee salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) residing in Keechelus Lake and its tributary Gold Creek in the central Cascades of Washington State. This population of kokanee salmon is a vital food base for a population of ESA-listed resident bull trout. However, little is known about the early life history of this population and how it interacts with unique features in its rearing environment. With my research I described the early life history of kokanee salmon that spawn in the lake’s main tributary, Gold Creek, and proposed a framework to determine …

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Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Land Use And Water Quality In Kittitas County, Wa, Lindsay Schulz Jan 2020

Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Land Use And Water Quality In Kittitas County, Wa, Lindsay Schulz

All Master's Theses

Water in Kittitas County is extremely valuable since it supports farming, recreation, and cultural activities, as well as environmental processes and a diversity of biological life while providing many ecosystem services. However, land conversions required by agricultural and urban land uses can negatively impact water quality and the biological function of the stream. I studied how forested, agricultural, and urban land use affect six streams. Fourteen sites were sampled, once each in July, August, and September 2019. Land use was calculated as a percentage of forested, agricultural, and urban land use within a 100-m buffer of the stream, upstream of …

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Ecological And Genetic Connectivity Of Shrews (Sorex Spp.) Across Interstate-90 In The Washington Cascade Range, Jordan Ryckman Jan 2020

Ecological And Genetic Connectivity Of Shrews (Sorex Spp.) Across Interstate-90 In The Washington Cascade Range, Jordan Ryckman

All Master's Theses

Roads negatively affect wildlife by degrading and fragmenting habitat. The I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East project was established to improve traffic safety for both humans and wildlife. Here, the Washington State Department of Transportation is constructing wildlife crossing structures to increase ecosystem connectivity as part of this project. The goal of my study was to investigate shrews – very small mammals with presumably low mobility and dispersal capacity – at sites on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range where wildlife crossing structures will be built in the future. My main objectives were to verify shrew species composition, assess population genetic …

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Ticks On Lizards: Parasite-Host Interactions Of The Southern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria Multicarinata) In Washington State, Emma Houghton Jan 2020

Ticks On Lizards: Parasite-Host Interactions Of The Southern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria Multicarinata) In Washington State, Emma Houghton

Undergraduate Honors Theses

I investigated interactions between ectoparasites (ticks) and their host, the southern alligator lizard (Elgaria multicarinata). Alligator lizards are capable of complement-mediated killing of the Lyme disease spirochete carried by ticks and may potentially reduce Lyme disease prevalence by cleansing pathogenic organisms from ticks. Despite this, little is known about host-parasite dynamics in alligator lizards. My goals were to 1) assess patterns of tick presence (i.e. parasite load) on alligator lizards and 2) investigate potential negative effects of ticks on alligator lizards. I sampled lizards during the summer of 2019 near Catherine Creek, along the Columbia River Gorge in southern Washington. …

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Investigating The Avian Species Composition, Diversity, And Abundance Of Engelhorn Pond, Kiana Rose Jan 2020

Investigating The Avian Species Composition, Diversity, And Abundance Of Engelhorn Pond, Kiana Rose

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Central Washington University’s Engelhorn Pond contains important habitats for many organisms, particularly migratory birds, and is a valuable resource for students. However, little information is available about the wildlife inhabiting the pond. The pond’s discrete location means that many people are unaware of its existence. In addition, the pond is threatened by a number of anthropogenic sources, including chemical runoff, garbage, and feral cats. By using point counts, a common ornithological survey technique, I recorded the bird species present at the pond during all seasons of the year. I collected data using point counts during 13 visits from June of …

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Acoustic Analysis Of Nomascus Gibbon Songs As A Potential Measure Of Current Health Status, Caroline Rowley Jan 2020

Acoustic Analysis Of Nomascus Gibbon Songs As A Potential Measure Of Current Health Status, Caroline Rowley

All Master's Theses

Post-release monitoring is vital to the rehabilitation process. Gibbons offer a unique challenge, as they are notoriously difficult to follow through the forest, but their duets offer a non-invasive window into their lives. The aim of this project is to create a method that will evaluate the health of rehabilitated and released gibbons through acoustic analyses. Gibbon duets are in part genetically determined, but learning may play a role in song development. Additionally, songs may indicate resource holding potential, and are vital to acquiring mates and producing offspring. Captive-raised gibbons are often denied the experience of co-singing with their parents, …

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Examining Environmental Use By Captive Lemur Catta And Varecia Rubra, Rhiannon Belcher Jan 2020

Examining Environmental Use By Captive Lemur Catta And Varecia Rubra, Rhiannon Belcher

All Master's Theses

There are over 100 named species of lemurs, of which 94% are considered threatened with extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They live in increasingly fragmented forests. To understand how best to protect them in their natural habitats, we can observe how they manipulate the environment and how they use objects, both natural and humanmade, around them. Understanding their behavior is a critical component of conservation, and observing behavior in a captive setting allows us to study lemur-environment relationships without disrupting what little habitat is left in Madagascar. In this study I investigated whether the …

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Sampling The Local Fare: Fishes At The Sam Israel House Pit (45gr76), Soap Lake, Washington, Adam Fruge Jan 2020

Sampling The Local Fare: Fishes At The Sam Israel House Pit (45gr76), Soap Lake, Washington, Adam Fruge

All Master's Theses

The Sam Israel site is a precontact archaeological complex with numerous fish bones at the north end of Soap Lake, Washington. Excavated in 1976, the fish remains recovered from there were never fully analyzed prior to this research. Since this inland Columbia Plateau site had thousands of fish bones, it contained untapped potential for our understanding of ancient local fish procurement. As such, I conducted a detailed analysis of 2,862 fish bone specimens from the Sam Israel House Pit locus to: study a larger sample of fish bones in greater detail than was done before; compare the distribution of fishes …

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