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Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Trace Metal Limitation And Its Role In Oxidative Stress Of Coral Algal Symbionts; Implications For Thermally Induced Coral Bleaching Events., Katrina Lynn Iglic Sep 2011

Trace Metal Limitation And Its Role In Oxidative Stress Of Coral Algal Symbionts; Implications For Thermally Induced Coral Bleaching Events., Katrina Lynn Iglic

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Coral bleaching, the process in which corals expel their photosynthetic symbionts (Genus Symbiodinium), is caused by high temperature and irradiance stress. The synergistic effect of each stressor is the generation of damaging reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS), which are normally mitigated physiologically by antioxidant enzyme activity. Antioxidant enzymes require iron, copper, manganese and zinc in their structure and the limited nature of these trace metals in reef environments may enhance ROS production under elevated temperature and irradiance. The hypothesis tested within this thesis was that a limited availability of the trace metals Fe, Mn, Cu and …


A Model System In Landscape Genetics – The Insect Inhabitants Of Pitcher Plants, Gordana Gojko Rasic Sep 2011

A Model System In Landscape Genetics – The Insect Inhabitants Of Pitcher Plants, Gordana Gojko Rasic

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Landscape genetics is a rapidly growing field that investigates how landscape and environmental features interact with microevolutionary processes to give rise to spatial genetic variation in populations. The ability to predict landscape effects on genetic patterns has been limited by the lack of studies conducted on more than one species, over multiple spatial scales and in replicated landscapes. A system that allows for such studies are the insect inhabitants of the purple pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea): the pitcher plant flesh fly (Fletcherimyia fletcheri), the midge (Metriocnemus knabi) and the mosquito (Wyeomyia smithii). In this thesis, I worked towards developing this …


Extent, Characteristics And Downstream Effects Of Stream Enclosure In Southwestern Ontario, Katie L. Stammler Jun 2011

Extent, Characteristics And Downstream Effects Of Stream Enclosure In Southwestern Ontario, Katie L. Stammler

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In a 16000 km2 area of southwestern Ontario, almost 15% of all streams have been enclosed (buried) largely for agricultural purposes. ArcGIS was used to characterize the natural features of catchments and to calculate enclosedness (proportion of stream network enclosed; x̅ = 16.5%, n = 10106). Catchments with the highest enclosedness received >990 mm of precipitation annually and had high drainage density (>1.9 km/km2), while catchments with the lowest enclosedness receivedannually, were characterized by clay and undrumlinized till plains and had relatively shallow water tables (m). These natural features influence where enclosure is likely to occur, …