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Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons™
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Articles 1 - 30 of 69
Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
The Impacts Of Environment And Host Evolutionary Relationships On Lemur Microbiota, Rachel B. Burten
The Impacts Of Environment And Host Evolutionary Relationships On Lemur Microbiota, Rachel B. Burten
Doctoral Dissertations
Recent studies have shown that the mammal microbiome is modified by environmental conditions, and that reduced microbiome functionality is associated with host health issues. Microbiome data in wild and captive primate populations can therefore be used to assess their health as they encounter a variety of environments. Comparative studies of the microbiome can also inform disease ecology, conservation, and captive management strategies tailored to different primate species. Therefore, this study examines how the hair, oral, and gut microbiota of nine wild and captive lemur species are determined by host phylogenetic relationships and host environment. I found that host species identity …
The Wild Tomato Clade Offers Insights Into Fleshy Fruit Trait Evolution At The Phenotypic And Molecular Levels, Jacob R. Barnett
The Wild Tomato Clade Offers Insights Into Fleshy Fruit Trait Evolution At The Phenotypic And Molecular Levels, Jacob R. Barnett
Doctoral Dissertations
Biologists have long been fascinated by the diversity of fleshy fruits, yet questions remain as to how this variety has evolved. According to the dispersal syndrome hypothesis, flowering plants improved their reproductive success by producing fleshy fruits with appealing combinations of traits that attract animal dispersers. However, animal preferences may not be the only selective pressure driving fruit trait diversity—conflicting forces include damage-inflicting seed predators and pathogens, abiotic habitat conditions, or constraints stemming from non-adaptive mechanical, developmental, or phylogenetic limitations. Few studies have examined the early stages of fleshy fruit evolution across an entire clade of recently diverged plant species. …
Incorporating Biodiversity-Ecosystem Function Relationships Into Models And Conservation Planning, Sarah R. Weiskopf
Incorporating Biodiversity-Ecosystem Function Relationships Into Models And Conservation Planning, Sarah R. Weiskopf
Doctoral Dissertations
Unsustainable use of nature and climate change are leading to unprecedented biodiversity declines. These declines have cascading impacts on ecosystem function and ecosystem services, and ultimately on human well-being. International agreements have been adopted that aim to address both crises. The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, set global emission reductions targets. In 2022, most countries agreed to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). The GBF sets 23 ambitious targets for 2030 ranging from reducing threats to biodiversity, meeting people’s needs through sustainable use and benefit sharing, and solutions for implementation. Although adopting global goals and targets is an important first …
Timing Is Everything: Climate Change Implications For Phenological Events And Reproductive Success In River Herring, Meghna N. Marjadi
Timing Is Everything: Climate Change Implications For Phenological Events And Reproductive Success In River Herring, Meghna N. Marjadi
Doctoral Dissertations
Anadromous river herring (alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis)) make annual spring spawning migrations from the ocean to freshwater, where juveniles reside before emigrating to the ocean. Climate change may alter environmental and biological cues that prompt both adult migration and juvenile emigration, with implications for adult spawning success and offspring survival for these imperiled species. Shifts in adult migration have been observed in some rivers, while impacts on reproductive success and juvenile survival remain unknown. Cues for juvenile emigration are poorly understood as they have been explored at limited spatial and temporal scales. …
Population Ecology Of The Diamondback Terrapin At Their Northern Range Limit, Patricia M. Levasseur
Population Ecology Of The Diamondback Terrapin At Their Northern Range Limit, Patricia M. Levasseur
Doctoral Dissertations
This dissertation research focuses on the population ecology of the northern diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin terrapin) in Wellfleet Bay, MA. The northern diamondback terrapin is a Massachusetts-threatened turtle species restricted to estuarine environments. With a range from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina to Massachusetts, Cape Cod Bay is the northernmost part of the subspecies range. Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary has been using capture-mark-recapture (CMR) methods since 1980 marking over 3,000 individuals; however, low detection rates and variable search effort have resulted in unreliable population estimates not suitable for informing conservation practices within the bay. Low sample sizes, …
Habitat Use And Individual-Based Modeling Of Bald Eagles In Maine Near Current And Potential Wind Energy Facilities, Blake Massey
Habitat Use And Individual-Based Modeling Of Bald Eagles In Maine Near Current And Potential Wind Energy Facilities, Blake Massey
Doctoral Dissertations
Wind energy facilitates have expanded significantly in the United States over the last few decades due to technological advancements, regulatory incentives, and policies aimed at increasing renewable energy production, but poorly sited turbines may have adverse effects on local and migratory birds, bats, and other wildlife and their habitats. In the northeastern United States, Maine has become the leader in wind energy but also has the greatest density of Bald Eagles in the region. As wind energy production continues to be developed across the state and in coastal waters, research is needed to analyze and assess potential risks, including displacement, …
Applications Of Statistical Physics To Ecology: Ising Models And Two-Cycle Coupled Oscillators, Vahini Reddy Nareddy
Applications Of Statistical Physics To Ecology: Ising Models And Two-Cycle Coupled Oscillators, Vahini Reddy Nareddy
Doctoral Dissertations
Many ecological systems exhibit noisy period-2 oscillations and, when they are spatially extended, they undergo phase transition from synchrony to incoherence in the Ising universality class. Period-2 cycles have two possible phases of oscillations and can be represented as two states in the bistable systems. Understanding the dynamics of ecological systems by representing their oscillations as bistable states and developing dynamical models using the tools from statistical physics to predict their future states is the focus of this thesis. As the ecological oscillators with two-cycle behavior undergo phase transitions in the Ising universality class, many features of synchrony and equilibrium …
Flexible Phenotypes, Energetics, And Whole-Animal Performance Of Migratory Songbirds, Michael Griego
Flexible Phenotypes, Energetics, And Whole-Animal Performance Of Migratory Songbirds, Michael Griego
Doctoral Dissertations
Animal life has evolved innumerable strategies to adapt to a great range of environmental conditions present on earth. The physiology of free-living animals has thus been shaped to allow for maximal performance under challenging conditions and has given rise to traits that enable animals to overcome daunting ecological pressures. Few life history stages in the animal kingdom rival the intensity of annual avian migration: the extreme metabolic requirements of long-distance flight coupled with navigating vast and hostile ecological barriers results in enormously high mortality for young birds. It is therefore the main focus of this thesis to identify physiological traits …
Constraints Of The Imagination: How Phenotypes Are Shaped Through Genetics, The Environment, And Development, Michelle Gilbert
Constraints Of The Imagination: How Phenotypes Are Shaped Through Genetics, The Environment, And Development, Michelle Gilbert
Doctoral Dissertations
Phenotypic constraints are ubiquitous throughout nature, being found throughout all stages of life and at multiple different biological levels including cellular, genetic, environmental, behavioral, evolutionary, and developmental. These constraints have shaped, not only the natural world, but the way that we perceive what is possible, or impossible, an observation made clear by François Jacob in his 1977 paper “Evolution and Tinkering”. This is reflected in the literature, repeatedly, by the regular occurrence of densely packed visualization of phenotypic space that seemingly always have large areas that go unoccupied. Despite constrained regions of space being observable across countless taxa, identifying the …
Ecology And Phytochemistry Of The Non-Native Plant Thlaspi Arvense (Brassicaceae) In Subalpine Meadows Of Colorado, Usa, Elsa Cousins
Ecology And Phytochemistry Of The Non-Native Plant Thlaspi Arvense (Brassicaceae) In Subalpine Meadows Of Colorado, Usa, Elsa Cousins
Doctoral Dissertations
Climate change is altering ecosystems at multiple scales. Globally, warming temperatures and increasing irregularity of precipitation will have large scale impacts on species distribution and success. Locally, understanding species response to fine scale microhabitat variation can provide key insights into population adaptation. Non-native plants represent an opportunity to investigate population level response and adaptation to relatively novel combinations of biotic and abiotic environments. Subalpine meadows are at the intersection of biotic and abiotic change, as large-scale climatic shifts alter water and temperature regimes and species range shifts become increasingly common and larger in scale. This dissertation addresses these questions of …
The Influence Of Climate Change On The Ecology Of The Arctic Ground Squirrel In Denali National Park, Ak., Nigel A. Golden
The Influence Of Climate Change On The Ecology Of The Arctic Ground Squirrel In Denali National Park, Ak., Nigel A. Golden
Doctoral Dissertations
This dissertation research focuses on the ecology of the Arctic ground squirrel (Urocitellus parryii) in Denali National Park and Preserve, AK. The Arctic ground squirrels is a species of interest for monitoring efforts under the National Park Services’ Vital Signs Monitoring Program under the Vital Signs Monitoring program. The focus of this program is to monitor what is considered to be the most significant indicators of ecological conditions of the specific park resources that are of the greatest concern. The CAKN designated the Arctic ground squirrel (Urocitellus parryii) as one indicator species of park ecosystems. Despite being easy to observe …
The Spatial Distribution Of Invasive Plant Presence, Abundance, And Impact, Evelyn M. Beaury
The Spatial Distribution Of Invasive Plant Presence, Abundance, And Impact, Evelyn M. Beaury
Doctoral Dissertations
Across the globe, native ecosystems are increasingly threatened by the spread and negative impacts of non-native, invasive plants. While many hypotheses explore what contributes to the damage caused by invasive species, few studies have tested these hypotheses at the macroscale. My dissertation addresses this knowledge gap by synthesizing thousands of vegetation surveys from ecosystems across the United States. I leverage existing, as well as explore new macroecological methods to deepen our understanding of the spatial ecology of plant invasions. My dissertation also asks how effective management and policy has been at reducing plant invasions. The primary introduction pathway for invasive …
Drivers And Direct Impacts Of Lean Mass Dynamics On The Stopover Ecology And Migratory Pace Of Nearctic-Neotropical Migrant Songbirds In Spring, Mariamar Gutierrez Ramirez
Drivers And Direct Impacts Of Lean Mass Dynamics On The Stopover Ecology And Migratory Pace Of Nearctic-Neotropical Migrant Songbirds In Spring, Mariamar Gutierrez Ramirez
Doctoral Dissertations
Annual migration in songbirds is one of the most demanding life-history stages. It represents a period of high mortality, yet there is still much unknown about the ecological correlates that influence its successful completion. After long non-stop migratory flights, birds require a stopover period to rest and replenish depleted energy reserves. Birds use fat as the primary fuel to power long-distance flights. However, birds also burn lean tissue, which results in significant reductions in muscle and organ masses. The discovery and quantification of lean mass catabolism represented a paradigm shift in migration ecology because non-fat components were thought to remain …
Thermal Ecophysiology Of Juvenile Anadromous River Herring, Lian W. Guo
Thermal Ecophysiology Of Juvenile Anadromous River Herring, Lian W. Guo
Doctoral Dissertations
Temperature controls the rate of all biochemical processes, and thus can significantly influence the physiology and ecology of all living organisms on earth. Understanding how temperature influences fitness can therefore provide insight into mechanisms affecting population size, dynamics, and geographic distributions, especially in the context of climate change. Early life stages of fishes experience significant selective pressure to grow large and accumulate energy reserves in order to avoid predation and starvation. Increasing temperatures will increase routine metabolic rates, which may result in less energy being available for growth and energy storage. In this thesis, I examine the effects of temperature, …
Developing A Restoration Strategy For Brook Floater (Alasmidonta Varicosa) In Massachusetts, Ayla Skorupa
Developing A Restoration Strategy For Brook Floater (Alasmidonta Varicosa) In Massachusetts, Ayla Skorupa
Doctoral Dissertations
The brook floater (Alasmidonta varicosa) is a freshwater mussel (Order: Unionida) native to Atlantic Slope drainages from Canada (Nova Scotia and New Brunswick) to Georgia, U.S. The precipitous loss of brook floater populations and extant low densities in many regions evokes an urgency to establish conservation initiatives for the species. A targeted approach to population restoration is critical in Massachusetts (MA) where brook floater remain in low abundances in only 4 of the 11 originally occupied watersheds (Hydrologic unit code-12). A succinct strategy to restore a rare freshwater mussel species is unavailable yet critical to aid restoration. The …
The Effect Of Disturbance And Invasion On Fungal And Plant Communities Over An Elevational Gradient, Adam N. Trautwig
The Effect Of Disturbance And Invasion On Fungal And Plant Communities Over An Elevational Gradient, Adam N. Trautwig
Doctoral Dissertations
High-elevation ecosystems are at risk of disruption from the future effects of climate change. Sub-alpine meadows are a source of unique plant populations, intraspecific variation of elevationally extreme populations, and vital sources of fresh water resources. We evaluated the whole fungal communities, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) communities, plant communities, and edaphic variables of sub-alpine meadows in undisturbed, disturbed, and disturbed with a non-native member of the Brassicaceae (Thlaspi arvense) plots. In conjunction with measuring the effects of disturbance on native communities we conducted potting experiments on a dominant grass of sub-alpine meadows (Festuca thurberi). We also …
Data Access, Distribution Models, And Stable Isotopes: Merging Approaches To Improve Bear Distribution Estimates And Bear Carnivory For Conservation, Nereyda Falconi
Data Access, Distribution Models, And Stable Isotopes: Merging Approaches To Improve Bear Distribution Estimates And Bear Carnivory For Conservation, Nereyda Falconi
Doctoral Dissertations
My dissertation aims to contribute to the knowledge of Andean bears in Peru. The Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus) is the sole bear species in south America. The lack of knowledge on different aspects of Andean bear ecology, biogeography, and abundance patterns hinders current conservation efforts for the species. I compiled Andean bear occurrence records in Peru with collaboration from many colleagues and created an open-access database at the GBIF data repository. Next, I modeled the distribution of Andean bear within Peru and compared estimates including and excluding unpublished records. I found that models combining published and unpublished records …
On Spatiotemporal Connectivity Dynamics: Perspectives From A Naturally Fragmented Metapopulation, Joseph Drake
On Spatiotemporal Connectivity Dynamics: Perspectives From A Naturally Fragmented Metapopulation, Joseph Drake
Doctoral Dissertations
Connectivity has quickly become a central tenet of ecological research, frequently evoked for conservation research and management activities. However, the concept of connectivity has proliferated into many forms for many different perspectives. Generally said, population distributions, demography, landscape, and dispersal all contribute to connectivity in a meaningful way. While great progress has been made in increasing realism in connectivity, one component seemed to stand out as being underappreciated: the role of population dynamics in the application of landscape connectivity. I began to acquire an appreciation for how common modeling approaches make assumptions about these core components of connectivity. In Chapter …
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 …
Discovering Mechanisms Driving Adaptive Evolution In The Cross-Kingdom Fungal Pathogen Fusarium Oxysporum, Dilay Hazal Ayhan
Discovering Mechanisms Driving Adaptive Evolution In The Cross-Kingdom Fungal Pathogen Fusarium Oxysporum, Dilay Hazal Ayhan
Doctoral Dissertations
Fusarium oxysporum is a cross-kingdom pathogenic fungus that can cause vascular wilt disease in many economically important plants and local or disseminated infections in humans. Although it lacks a sexual stage in its life cycle, F. oxysporum can adapt to a wide range of hosts because of accessory chromosomes (ACs) which are enriched in host-specific genes and repeat content. This dissertation investigates the mechanisms that drive the adaptive evolution in the cross-kingdom pathogen F. oxysporum using comparative genomics and an experimental evolution approach. The first chapter compares phenotypes and genomes of a plant pathogenic isolate F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici …
Environmental Drivers Of Jaguar Distribution, Activity, And Abundance In Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica, Victor Montalvo
Environmental Drivers Of Jaguar Distribution, Activity, And Abundance In Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica, Victor Montalvo
Doctoral Dissertations
Jaguars (Panthera onca) are a landscape species persisting in less than 54% of their historical distribution range; thus, the understanding of abiotic and biotic environmental factors affecting ecological interactions of this top predator in seasonal ecosystems such the dry forest is crucial for their conservation. In addition to factors affecting species ecology, some methodological constraints also could affect jaguar study outcomes leading to wrong decision-making. Data gathered from available jaguar peer-reviewed literature showed that there are large number of variables and techniques used to model jaguar distribution that did not contribute substantially to descriptions of jaguar distribution. Using …
Don't Delay: The Effects Of Tide Gates And Road-Stream Crossing Culverts On River Herring (Alosa Spp.) Spawning Migrations, Derrick J. Alcott
Don't Delay: The Effects Of Tide Gates And Road-Stream Crossing Culverts On River Herring (Alosa Spp.) Spawning Migrations, Derrick J. Alcott
Doctoral Dissertations
River herring (Alosa spp.) are anadromous fish that spawn in freshwater rivers and lakes in North America from Florida to Nova Scotia, CA. They have been listed as a species of conservation concern due to dramatic stock declines observed in the 1970’s. Stocks have failed to show significant signs of recovery despite over a decade of harvest restrictions throughout their range. Bycatch in commercial fisheries and reduced access to spawning habitat due to anthropogenic barriers to migration, such as dams and tide gates, have been identified as major causes of the decline in herring populations. Physical barriers to …
Improving Understanding Of Forest Communities And Biodiversity With Multi-Dimensional Landscape Gradients, Ben J. Padilla
Improving Understanding Of Forest Communities And Biodiversity With Multi-Dimensional Landscape Gradients, Ben J. Padilla
Doctoral Dissertations
This dissertation was motivated by a desire to understand the effects of habitat degradation and urbanization on a single species in a single study system in western Massachusetts, the red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus), but along the way unexpected conceptual and methodological hurdles caused the work to grow into a multi-species, multi-region, and multi-scale endeavor. As I designed my dissertation research and began considering approaches to quantifying heterogeneity and human influence in my study landscape, I recognized inconsistencies in methods used to define and quantify landscape metrics, particularly in urban systems. To investigate further, I conducted a critical review …
Fear, Parental Behavior, And Community Structure In Residential Lands, Aaron M. Grade
Fear, Parental Behavior, And Community Structure In Residential Lands, Aaron M. Grade
Doctoral Dissertations
In an urbanizing world, residential lands present an opportunity for conservation of biodiversity right in our backyards. Informed conservation necessitates a mechanistic understanding of how development influences animal populations and communities. Birds nesting in residential lands are less productive in urban yards than rural yards. Urban yards also have higher densities of potential predators, but lower per capita predation, indicating that direct predation is not entirely responsible for lack of productivity. I suggest that fear effects, also known as non-lethal effects, could be a mechanism by which predators exert indirect influence on bird parental behavior and nestling condition in urban …
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, …
How Do Adult Songbirds Learn New Sounds? Using Neuromodulators To Probe The Function Of The Auditory Association Cortex, Matheus Macedo-Lima
How Do Adult Songbirds Learn New Sounds? Using Neuromodulators To Probe The Function Of The Auditory Association Cortex, Matheus Macedo-Lima
Doctoral Dissertations
The ability to associate sounds and outcomes is vital in the life history of many species. Animals constantly assess the soundscape for cues associated with threats, competitors, allies, mates or prey, and experience is crucial for those associations. For vocal learning species such as humans and songbirds, learning sounds (i.e. perception and association learning) is also the first step in the process of vocal learning. Auditory learning is thought to depend on high-order cortical brain structures, where sounds and meaning are bound. In songbirds, the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM) is part of the auditory association cortex and is known to be …
Investigating The Effects Of Winter Drawdowns On The Ecological Character Of Littoral Zones In Massachusetts Lakes, Jason R. Carmignani
Investigating The Effects Of Winter Drawdowns On The Ecological Character Of Littoral Zones In Massachusetts Lakes, Jason R. Carmignani
Doctoral Dissertations
Anthropogenic alteration of water levels in lakes is a major stressor to the ecological integrity of littoral zones, which provide critical heterogenous resources that support diverse biological communities. Annual winter drawdowns have been practiced in Massachusetts (MA) for several decades; however, few studies have estimated impacts to littoral zone habitat and biological communities, particularly at relatively mild magnitudes (i.e., m) and in lakes that co-occur with other anthropogenic pressures (e.g., lakeshore development) as seen in MA lakes. My dissertation reviewed the winter drawdown literature and collected empirical data in MA lakes to characterize winter drawdown hydrological regimes and estimate responses …
De-Coding The Impact Of Evolved Changes In Gene Expression And Cellular Phenotype On Primate Evolution, Trisha Zintel
De-Coding The Impact Of Evolved Changes In Gene Expression And Cellular Phenotype On Primate Evolution, Trisha Zintel
Doctoral Dissertations
The goal of the dissertation work outlined here was to investigate the influence of proximal processes contributing to evolutionary differences in phenotypes among primate species. There are numerous previous comparative analyses of gene expression between primate brain regions. However, primate brain tissue samples are relatively rare, and my results have contributed to the pre-existing data on more well-studied primates (i.e. humans, chimpanzees, macaques, marmosets) as well as produced information on more rarely-studied primates (i.e. patas monkey, siamang, spider monkey). Additionally, the primary visual cortex has not previously been as extensively studied at the level of gene expression as other brain …
Neogene History Of The Kuroshio Current Extension And Planktic Foraminifera Evolutionary Implications, Adriane Lam
Neogene History Of The Kuroshio Current Extension And Planktic Foraminifera Evolutionary Implications, Adriane Lam
Doctoral Dissertations
There are outstanding questions as to how important currents are to dispersal, especially for the evolution of planktic foraminifera. During the Neogene Period there were significant increases in the diversity of planktic foraminifera that occurred during major tectonic gateway closures, episodes of warming and cooling, and reorganization and development of ocean gyres and currents. Relatedly, the behavior of some currents, namely western boundary currents, remains unknown through these times of global tectonic and climate events. This dissertation addresses outstanding questions related to how the Kuroshio Current Extension, the western boundary current of the northwest Pacific, responded to major tectonic and …
Ecology Of The Elusive: Genome-Informed Investigation Of Soil Microbial Diversity, Lauren Alteio
Ecology Of The Elusive: Genome-Informed Investigation Of Soil Microbial Diversity, Lauren Alteio
Doctoral Dissertations
Soil is considered one of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth, harboring diversity of organisms across the three domains of life. It is spatially and chemically heterogeneous: properties that intertwine in a complex matrix to support organismal diversity and function across different scales. Soil microorganisms both respond to and drive changes in ecosystems through metabolic activities. A single gram of soil is teeming with millions of cells comprised of thousands of species. Much of this diversity remains uncharacterized due to technical and methodological challenges faced by soil ecologists. Due to the complex physicochemical properties of soil and cross-feeding interactions between …