Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Dopamine Modulates The Lateral Giant Neuron And Serotonergic Facilitation In Crayfish, Joshua Scott Titlow

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The lateral giant (LG) neural circuit is a model system used to study the function of individual neurons. The LG circuit is part of a tail flip escape reflex that is a defensive behavior for crayfish. This thesis begins by addressing the effects of dopamine (DA), a neurotransmitter involved in normal and abnormal behaviors of most animals. Here it is shown that dopamine decreases the excitability of the LG neuron, a trigger for the escape reflex. An electrophysiology protocol was used to mimic sensory input to the LG neuron. Stimulating a sensory nerve in the last ganglion with an electrode …

The Natural History & Distribution Of Riverine Turtles In West Virginia, Linh Diem Phu

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Turtles are unique evolutionary marvels that evolved from amphibians and developed their protective shelled form more than 200 million years ago. In West Virginia, there are 10 native species of turtles, 9 of which are aquatic. Most of these aquatic turtles feed on carrion and dead plant matter, in the water and essentially "clean" our water systems. Turtles are long-lived animals with sensitive life stages that can serve as both long-term and short-term bioindicators of environmental health. With the increase in commercial trade, habitat fragmentation, degradation, destruction, there has been a marked decline in turtle species. The need for well …

A Natural History Study Of Bufo A. Americanus, The Eastern American Toad, And The Phenology Of Spring Breeders In Southwest West Virginia, Tomi Maria Bergstrom

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Natural history traits have not been thoroughly collected and analyzed on the "common hoptoad," Bufo a. americanus (eastern American toad) in West Virginia. Updating natural history information is important to understand the present population status (Jackson, 2001). I chose to have two study sites at opposing physiographic regions to constitute a better understanding of B. a. americanus natural history in WV. The study was initiated in spring 2008 at Beech Fork State Park and Green Bottom Swamp Wildlife Refuge (in Mason and Cabell counties) and in 2009 incorporated Canaan Valley of Tucker County. Ten natural history morphometrics and characters were …

The Coal River Basin: A 2009 Water Budget Study, R. Dale Biller

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Coal River Watershed covers an area of some 890 square miles in southern West Virginia of which 863 square miles was investigated in this study. Both online and field data were collected over period from January 13, 2009 to January 13, 2010. The basin was studied as a closed system having an input, which was precipitation, and outputs, rainfall interception, evapotranspiration, and stream discharge that was separated into base flow and overland flow.

The effective rainfall of the watershed was calculated using the Thiessen polygon method to be 42 inches for the year, 48% of that water discharged by …

Effect Of Snake Populations On Salamanders As A Result Of Forest Fragmentation, Casey Renee Bradshaw

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Forest fragmentation is one of the main causes for the loss of native biodiversity. One consequence is increased proportion of edge habitat that introduces new “edge” species, and makes habitat for interior forest-living species less-suitable. This study was conducted at three sites in Tucker County, West Virginia and included one downhill ski slope, one cross country ski slope, and one gravel road. The main objectives of this study were to determine relative abundance of snake communities, how far species move from edge habitat into the forest and to determine whether snakes are a predatory threat to salamanders, specifically the federally …

Testing The Behavioral Responses Of West Virginia Turtles To Roads And Vehicles, Aaron Clinton Gooley

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Road mortality has been identified as a major threat to many turtle species; however, response to passing vehicles, crossing speed, and general behavior while crossing roads has never been investigated in turtles. To investigate these factors, Midland Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta marginata), Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene c. carolina), and Stinkpots (Sternotherus odoratus) were collected and placed in a release box on the side of a closed road with an active road running parallel to it 26 m away. Turtles were released via a pulley-operated door facing the road, and their actions videotaped by an …

Long-Term Growth And Monitoring Of The Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus A. Alleganiensis) In Eastern West Virginia, Douglas Charles Horchler

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Amphibian declines have been well documented, specifically in the last few decades. The Hellbender, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, one of North America’s largest salamander species, has suffered dramatic declines throughout much of its range, with estimated declines of up to 77 percent recently documented in some populations. With diurnal and nocturnal searches and mark-recapture techniques, I collected data on the status of Eastern Hellbender populations in Eastern West Virginia. We re-sampled a study site on the West Fork of the Greenbrier River that was first examined in 1998 by Jeff Humphries. Long-term growth and survivorship data were collected and compared to 1998 …

Potential Of Urban Habitats As Reptile And Amphibian Refuges In West Virginia, Scott Jones

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Urban herpetology is a relatively new field, examining how reptiles and amphibians survive in areas that have been altered by humans. This study sought to add data on urban habitats to the knowledge within West Virginia. I studied six sites: two urban parks (Ritter Park and Barboursville Park), a nature area near an art museum (Huntington Museum of Art), two wildlife management areas (Green Bottom WMA and Chief Cornstalk WMA), and a state park (Beech Fork State Park). The state park and two wildlife management areas were considered non-urban habitats because they are more removed from developed areas than the …