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Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons™
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- 4-methcyclohexane methanol (1)
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Articles 1 - 5 of 5
Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
An Industrial Chemical Used In Coal-Washing Influences Plankton Communities In Freshwater Microcosms, Danielle Turner
An Industrial Chemical Used In Coal-Washing Influences Plankton Communities In Freshwater Microcosms, Danielle Turner
Honors College Theses
In 2014, 4-methylcyclohexane methanol (MCHM), an industrial chemical used to wash coal, contaminated drinking water in 300,000 homes in West Virginia, USA and raised concerns about toxicity to humans and freshwater ecosystems. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined that a concentration of 1 ppm was safe for human exposure. Despite the concern for human consumption, it is important to determine if MCHM has negative effects on aquatic organisms in contaminated water, particularly plankton communities that comprise the base of freshwater food webs. I exposed freshwater plankton communities in microcosms to 0, 0.5, 1 or 3 ppm MCHM under …
The Effects Of Thermal Opportunity And Habitat On Physiological Performance In Ecologically Distinct Populations Of The Florida Scrub Lizard Sceloporus Woodi, Lauren K. Neel
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
An ectotherm’s ability to thermoregulate affects many physiological traits. Therefore, thermal factors are paramount when considering behavior, activity time, body temperatures, energy budget, and performance capabilities. The Florida scrub lizard (Sceloporus woodi) is a ground-dwelling lizard that occupies longleaf pine and sand pine scrub habitats in the Ocala National Forest. Here, this species’ habitat is maintained by either clear-cut logging in scrub stands, or prescribed burning in long leaf pine stands. These habitat types differ in their dominant vegetation, canopy cover, and availability of vertical perches and thus are ecologically different. I used biophysical models to measure the …
Biogeographical Patterns In The Hard-Tick Genus Amblyomma Koch 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae), Matthew H. Seabolt
Biogeographical Patterns In The Hard-Tick Genus Amblyomma Koch 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae), Matthew H. Seabolt
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Amblyomma Koch is a genus of hard-ticks with approximately 130 species. Its geographical range is typical for organisms with a Gondwanan origin. A majority of these species are endemic to the Neo- and Afrotropical regions, with the remaining taxa dispersed throughout Southeast Asia, Australia and the Pacific islands. Based on this distribution, we hypothesize that the genus dispersal patterns will mirror the fragmentation and continental drift of the Gondwanan supercontinent. Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference and node-dating analyses of nuclear 18S rDNA gene sequences reveal a more recent origin and radiation patterns within the genus and suggest that Amblyomma …
The Nutritional Value Of Fecal Sacs: Testing The Parental Nutrition Hypothesis, Amanda W. Burns
The Nutritional Value Of Fecal Sacs: Testing The Parental Nutrition Hypothesis, Amanda W. Burns
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Nest sanitation is an important aspect of parental investment in birds with altricial nestlings. Passerine nestlings produce fecal matter that is encased in a mucous membrane for easy disposal. These fecal sacs are either removed from the nest and transported a distance away or they are ingested by the adult. A decline in fecal sac ingestion rates as nestlings age has been observed in several species. The parental nutrition hypothesis posits that this pattern can be attributed to increasing digestive efficiency as nestlings age. The parental nutrition hypothesis makes three predictions: fecal sac consumption rates should decrease as nestlings age, …
Assemblage Structure, Production, And Food Web Dynamics Of Macroinvertebrates In Tropical Island Headwater Streams, Keysa G. Rosas-Rodriguez
Assemblage Structure, Production, And Food Web Dynamics Of Macroinvertebrates In Tropical Island Headwater Streams, Keysa G. Rosas-Rodriguez
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Variation in long-term temperature and precipitation patterns will likely influence the decomposition and export of benthic organic matter and influence aquatic macroinvertebrate consumer communities. Tropical systems are relatively understudied; therefore basal information is urgently needed. As part of an ongoing long-term study, we monitored macroinvertebrates in two shrimp-dominated and fishless headwater streams within the Luquillo Experimental Forest in Puerto Rico from 2009-2010. We combined growth rates with yearly biomass data to calculate secondary production and examined gut contents to develop quantitative food webs. Macroinvertebrate assemblages were dominated by a few insect taxa, with similar biotic composition across streams and habitats, …