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Articles 1 - 12 of 12
Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Monitoring Mammals At Multiple Scales: Case Studies From Carnivore Communities, Kadambari Devarajan
Monitoring Mammals At Multiple Scales: Case Studies From Carnivore Communities, Kadambari Devarajan
Doctoral Dissertations
Carnivores are distributed widely and threatened by habitat loss, poaching, climate change, and disease. They are considered integral to ecosystem function through their direct and indirect interactions with species at different trophic levels. Given the importance of carnivores, it is of high conservation priority to understand the processes driving carnivore assemblages in different systems. It is thus essential to determine the abiotic and biotic drivers of carnivore community composition at different spatial scales and address the following questions: (i) What factors influence carnivore community composition and diversity? (ii) How do the factors influencing carnivore communities vary across spatial and temporal …
Extreme Morphology, Functional Trade-Offs, And Evolutionary Dynamics In A Clade Of Open-Ocean Fishes (Perciformes: Bramidae), Michelle C. Gilbert, Andrew J. Conith, Catherine S. Lerose, Joshua K. Moyer, Steve H. Huskey, R. Craig Albertson
Extreme Morphology, Functional Trade-Offs, And Evolutionary Dynamics In A Clade Of Open-Ocean Fishes (Perciformes: Bramidae), Michelle C. Gilbert, Andrew J. Conith, Catherine S. Lerose, Joshua K. Moyer, Steve H. Huskey, R. Craig Albertson
Biology Department Faculty Publication Series
Synopsis When novel or extreme morphologies arise, they are oft met with the burden of functional trade-offs in other aspects of anatomy, which may limit phenotypic diversification and make particular adaptive peaks inaccessible. Bramids (Perciformes: Bramidae) comprise a small family of 20 extant species of fishes, which are distributed throughout pelagic waters worldwide. Within the Bramidae, the fanfishes (Pteraclis and Pterycombus) differ morphologically from the generally stout, laterally compressed species that typify the family. Instead, Pteraclis and Pterycombus exhibit extreme anterior positioning of the dorsal fin onto the craniofacial skeleton. Consequently, they possess fin and skull anatomies that are radically …
Interacting Effects Of Climate And Biotic Factors On Mesocarnivore Distribution And Snowshoe Hare Demography Along The Boreal-Temperate Ecotone, Alexej P. Siren
Interacting Effects Of Climate And Biotic Factors On Mesocarnivore Distribution And Snowshoe Hare Demography Along The Boreal-Temperate Ecotone, Alexej P. Siren
Doctoral Dissertations
The motivation of my dissertation research was to understand the influence of climate and biotic factors on range limits with a focus on winter-adapted species, including the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis), American marten (Martes americana), and snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus). I investigated range dynamics along the boreal-temperate ecotone of the northeastern US. Through an integrative literature review, I developed a theoretical framework building from existing thinking on range limits and ecological theory. I used this theory for my second chapter to evaluate direct and indirect causes of carnivore range limits in the northeastern US, …
Not Gone With The Wind: Addressing Effects Of Offshore Wind Development On Bat Species In The Northeastern United States, Zara Rae Dowling
Not Gone With The Wind: Addressing Effects Of Offshore Wind Development On Bat Species In The Northeastern United States, Zara Rae Dowling
Doctoral Dissertations
Development of coastal and offshore wind energy resources has the potential to add considerable renewable electricity capacity to the United States electrical grid, but could have detrimental impacts on wildlife. Land-based wind energy facilities are estimated to kill hundreds of thousands of bats every year in the United States, and could threaten population viability of some species. Little is known about the potential impacts of offshore wind development on bat populations along the North Atlantic coast, but a number of species are known to frequent marine islands or fly over the ocean during migration. This dissertation helps to characterize risks …
Botswana’S Elephant-Back Safari Industry – Stress-Response In Working African Elephants And Analysis Of Their Post-Release Movements, Tanya Lama
Masters Theses
Understanding how African elephants (Loxodonta africana) respond to human interactions in ecotourism operations is critical to safeguarding animal and human welfare and sustaining wildlife ecotourism activities. We investigated the stress response of elephants to a variety of tourist activities over a 15-month period at Abu Camp in northern Botswana. We compared fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) concentrations across three elephant groups, including: eight elephants in an elephant-tourism operation (Abu herd), three elephants previously reintroduced back into the wild from the Abu herd, and wild elephants. There were no differences in FGM concentrations between the three groups of elephants. The highest observed …
The Role Of Phenotypic Integration In Mammalian Tooth Function And Jaw Morphological Diversity, Andrew Conith
The Role Of Phenotypic Integration In Mammalian Tooth Function And Jaw Morphological Diversity, Andrew Conith
Doctoral Dissertations
Here I investigate how two major components of the mammalian feeding system, teeth and jaws, are influenced by functional, environment, and developmental factors. First, I build physical models of the molars from two early mammals, Morganucodon and Kuehneotherium, and compare their ability to process a proxy food item. Early mammals were under strong selection to reduce metabolic costs, so any savings in energy during feeding would be advantageous. I tested the ability of both mammals to process a hard and soft food item with material properties similar to that of the insects they would have likely consumed. Morganucodon was …
Burrowing And Walking Mechanisms Of North American Moles, Yi-Fen Lin
Burrowing And Walking Mechanisms Of North American Moles, Yi-Fen Lin
Doctoral Dissertations
Moles (Family Talpidae) are a classic example of extreme specialization, in their case highly derived forelimb morphologies associated with burrowing. Despite many observations of mole burrows and behaviors gathered in the field, we know very little about how and how well moles use their forelimbs to dig tunnels and to walk within the built tunnels to collect and transport food. The first chapter investigates the effect of soil compactness on two sympatric mole species under controlled laboratory conditions. My results demonstrate that increasing soil compactness impedes tunneling performance as evidenced by reduced burrowing speed, increased soil transport, shorter tunnels, shorter …
Distribution And Population Dynamics Of Ungulates In The Mongolian Gobi, Buuveibaatar Bayarbaatar
Distribution And Population Dynamics Of Ungulates In The Mongolian Gobi, Buuveibaatar Bayarbaatar
Doctoral Dissertations
The Mongolian Gobi is one of the most spectacular and important regions in Central Asia, comprising the largest area of intact grassland in the world. In recent years, a growing human population, expanding exploitation of natural resources, and the development of infrastructure in the region place increasing pressure on these species and their habitats. This dissertation has focused on three species of ungulates such as Mongolian saiga (Saiga tatarica mongolica) in western Mongolia, and Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus), and goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) in Southern Gobi. The study on endangered saiga antelope in …
Syllabus: Wildlife Habitat Management, Paige Warren
Syllabus: Wildlife Habitat Management, Paige Warren
Sustainability Education Resources
This course provides an in-depth exploration of wildlife-habitat relationships, illustrated through basic field zoology and natural history, evolutionary biology, and ecological theory. We introduce you to quantitative tools used to explain ecological processes and their influence on wildlife and their environment. We will examine the dynamics and management of various habitats in New England, North America, and elsewhere through field visits and use of primary literature. We will place particular emphasis on managing wildlife habitat in an urbanizing world. By one estimate, roughly 9% of the land area of the United States is in a zone of wildland-urban interface, but …
Population Dynamics, Chick Diet, And Foraging Behavior Of The Razorbill (Alca Torda) At Matinicus Rock, Maine, Katherine E. Kauffman
Population Dynamics, Chick Diet, And Foraging Behavior Of The Razorbill (Alca Torda) At Matinicus Rock, Maine, Katherine E. Kauffman
Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014
During the summers of 2007-2009, I studied the population growth and reproductive and foraging ecology of the Razorbill (Alca torda) at Matinicus Rock (MR), Maine. This medium-sized marine bird in the family Alcidae (auks) was extirpated from the Gulf of Maine in the late 19th century by hunting, collecting, and colony disturbance. Following legislation protecting seabirds and their nesting habitats, the Razorbill has recolonized probable former nesting habitat in the Gulf of Maine during the past several decades. Six small colonies comprise the Maine population, which is listed as threatened and forms the southern extension of the …
Factors Affecting Survival And Cause-Specific Mortality Of Saiga Calves (Saiga Tatarica Mongolica) In Mongolia, Buuveibaatar Bayarbaatar
Factors Affecting Survival And Cause-Specific Mortality Of Saiga Calves (Saiga Tatarica Mongolica) In Mongolia, Buuveibaatar Bayarbaatar
Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014
Factors affecting juvenile survival are poorly known in the world’s most northern antelope, the endangered saiga (Saiga tatarica), yet they are fundamental for understanding what drives population change. For saiga neonates monitored in Sharga Nature Reserve, western Mongolia, during 2008–2010, male and single calves were heavier than those of female and twins, respectively. However, there was no significant difference in seasonal and annual survival rate between male and female or singletons and twins. Litter size and birth mass varied among years, and there was a negative relationship between these variables. Multiple regression models suggest that summer precipitation in …
Conservation Implications Of A Marbled Salamander, Ambystoma Opacum, Metapopulation Model, Ethan B. Plunkett
Conservation Implications Of A Marbled Salamander, Ambystoma Opacum, Metapopulation Model, Ethan B. Plunkett
Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014
Amphibians are in decline globally and a significantly greater percentage of ambystomatid salamander species are in decline relative to other species; habitat loss contributes significantly to this decline. The goals of this thesis is to better understand extinction risk in a marbled salamander (ambystoma opacum) population and how forestry effects extinction risk. To achieve this goal we first estimated an important life history parameter (Chapter 1) then used a metapopulation model to estimate population viability and determine what aspects of their life history put them most at risk (Chapter 2) and finally predicted extinction risk in response to hypothetical forestry …