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Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
The Importance Of Soil Carbon In Large-Scale Shrub Removal Practices In The Chihuahuan Desert, Kathleen Schaeffer
The Importance Of Soil Carbon In Large-Scale Shrub Removal Practices In The Chihuahuan Desert, Kathleen Schaeffer
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Shrub encroachment is a worldwide phenomenon that affects multiple biomes at different ecological and anthropogenic levels. In dryland ecosystems, shrub encroachment is a noted concern amongst land managers, as it can lead to a loss of soil resources and biodiversity. To mitigate the negative effects of shrub encroachment in Drylands, land managers can implement large-scale shrub removal practices. These land restoration practices can shift landscapes to novel ecosystems, where resulting plant communities can vary following treatments. Grass recovery or increasing herbaceous cover is often a primary goal of these treatments, however predicting which sites may show higher grass responses to …
Increases In Uvr Exposure: Local Adaptation Of A Bdelloid Rotifer, Maribel J. Baeza
Increases In Uvr Exposure: Local Adaptation Of A Bdelloid Rotifer, Maribel J. Baeza
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Aquatic species living in ephemeral habitats without a continual influx of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) are at increased risk of the effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) as the climate changes. Climate change is predicted to cause changes in DOC, some habitats will experience extended periods of drought and reduced input from DOC sources, and other environmental features that increase UVR reaching aquatic habitats. UVR can cause damage to cellular structures and biomolecules such as DNA, proteins, and lipids. The pigmented bdelloid Philodina sp. (Philodina) found in rock pools in the Chihuahuan Desert naturally experiences high UVR, yet it appears to …
Chihuahuan Desert Rock Pool Community Assemblages: Patterns Of Taxonomic Diversity, Joseph Lee Mcdaniel
Chihuahuan Desert Rock Pool Community Assemblages: Patterns Of Taxonomic Diversity, Joseph Lee Mcdaniel
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
As climate change continues to become more prevalent, increasing temperatures and altering precipitation patterns will disrupt the environmental balance of ecosystems and spark the imminent threat of a 6th mass extinction event. Many researchers believe this has already begun, as losses for numerous taxonomic clades have been well documented; however, the loss of invertebrates is still unknown and may be much more severe than those of other animal clades. A significant factor contributing to the shortfall of invertebrate biodiversity loss is rooted in the lack of understanding of the diversity and distribution of these animals. There is still much to …
Linking Plot And Landscape Level Phenology, Alejandra Flores
Linking Plot And Landscape Level Phenology, Alejandra Flores
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Plant phenology has become popularize since the 1990s to help understand the effects of climate change on vegetation, it is a way to study the patterns of leaf-out, flowering, and senescing of the life-cycle of the plant. The timing from start of season (SOS) to end-of-season (EOS) of plant leaf-out development has important implication on ecosystem productivity and carbon cycling across ecological scales from individual trees to whole regions. The need for plant phenology studies in dryland are highly anticipated, since they make up 40% of the terrestrial landscape and recently have shown the play an important role in the …
Behavioral Ecology Of A Desert Ambush Predator: Assessing Movement Patterns, Habitat And Microhabitat Use, And The Innate Feeding Response Of Eastern Black-Tailed Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Ornatus) In The Northern Chihuahuan Desert, James Emerson
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Research on the ecology and evolution of rattlesnakes has been sporadic over the past 80 years, but has seen recent expansion into the diverse fields of physiology, physiological ecology, life history, behavioral ecology, ethology, reproductive biology, chemical ecology, venom biochemistry and medicine, conservation, and many other subdisciplines. The development of small, implantable VHF radiotransmitters in the 1980s revolutionized research in the field of behavioral ecology for rattlesnakes, which are uniquely suited for radiotelemetry studies because they possess several morphological, physiological, and behavioral characteristics that are unique among terrestrial vertebrates. The widespread application of radiotelemetry by the mid-1980s advanced the model …
Arthropod Diets In Chihuahuan Desert Snakes, Victor Manuel Parga
Arthropod Diets In Chihuahuan Desert Snakes, Victor Manuel Parga
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Over the past century, studies in herpetology regarding snake diets have been commonly focused on those species that feed or specialize in vertebrate prey items. For those that feed primarily on invertebrates however, little work has been done in determining diet specializations and comparing diets within a community of species. This Thesis focuses on small species of snakes that feed primarily on arthropods in a Chihuahuan Desert community, and will investigate if these are diet generalists or specialists. To this end, stomach contents were examined from preserved specimens of the following species: Rena humilis and Rena dissecta (Leptotyphlopidae), Gyalopion canum …
Ecological Features Of The Greater Earless Lizard, Cophosaurus Texanus, (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae) On Indio Mountains Research Station, Hudspeth County, Texas, Gabriela Franco
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
626 Cophosaurus texanus were captured on regular trips to Indio Mountains Research Station in Hudspeth County, Texas from August 2010 to November 2014. Mark-recapture methods using 81 pitfall traps and toe-clips for identification allowed for analyses of long-term trends. 291 adult females, 315 males, and 20 unsexed juveniles were recorded. A total of 180 independent recapture events were documented over the study period (44% females; 55% males). The greatest numbers of C. texanus were collected in 2011 (234), which was also the driest year of the four (6.77 cm), whereas 2014 was the wettest (34.95 cm), but had the second-most …
Carbon Emissions From Soil Respiration In The Northern Chihuahuan Desert Shrubland, Anna Cristina Ortiz
Carbon Emissions From Soil Respiration In The Northern Chihuahuan Desert Shrubland, Anna Cristina Ortiz
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
The United States Department of Agriculture's Jornada Experimental Range (JER), is located in the northern Chihuahuan Desert in southern New Mexico and historically functioned as an experimental rangeland for cattle grazing. Historical grazing in the US Southwest has been identified as a leading, but not the sole, factor that has led to the conversion of pristine grasslands to shrublands, such has been the case on the JER. The estimated increased variability in precipitation intensity and frequency that is predicted to occur with climate warming will likely affect ecosystem responses from ecological processes including primary productivity, microbial decomposition, and thus respiration. …
What Is The Role Of Isolation And Disturbance On The Diversity Of Aquatic Invertebrates In Former Ranchlands Of The Northern Chihuahuan Desert?, Gena Esposito
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
The Chihuahuan Desert is considered one of the most diverse deserts in the world and its aquatic systems have been identified as unique and of global importance. Despite this, the Chihuahuan Desert has remained relatively unstudied, especially concerning its aquatic systems and how the extreme desert environment has shaped the diversity of the organisms within them. In this study we examined the effects of isolation and disturbance on macroinvertebrate diversity in both temporary and permanent desert ponds. To examine the effects of isolation and desiccation, macroinvertebrates were collected from a permanent spring (Squaw Spring) and six nearby temporary ponds (tanks) …
Ecogeographical Distribution Of The Herpetofauna Of Indio Mountains Research Station, Hudspeth County, Texas, Ross Owen Couvillon
Ecogeographical Distribution Of The Herpetofauna Of Indio Mountains Research Station, Hudspeth County, Texas, Ross Owen Couvillon
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Indio Mountain Research Station (IMRS) in Trans-Pecos, Texas is dominated by Chihuahuan Desert scrub vegetation, but a complexity of plant communities exist relating to elevation, slope, and geologic formations. Surrounding the Indio Mountains are desert grasslands with various desert scrub associations. This mosaic of habitats forms a unique assemblage of amphibians and reptiles. The goal of this study was to determine if the current number of amphibians, turtles, lizards, and snakes (43 species) of IMRS was accurate and identify which biotic and abiotic factors define the distribution of these species. Records from the last approximately 25 years were used to …