Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

To Jump Or Not To Jump: Mule Deer (Odocoileus Hemionus) And White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Crossing Decisions, Emily N. Burkholder

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

There have been recent efforts to enhance ungulate movement through modified fencing structures. Ungulates such as mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) typically negotiate fences by either jumping over fencing or going under. Here we examine crossing success and crossing decisions of mule deer and white-tailed deer and determine factors that influence crossing success and the impending decision to jump over or crawl underneath fencing. Using a BACI (Before-After-Control-Impact) design, we deployed remote cameras along fence lines in three study areas; Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Suffield and OneFour research center in Southeastern Alberta, …

Influence Of Fine Sediment On Arctic Grayling (Thymallus Arcticus) Egg Survival And Spawning Habitat Suitability, Ian R. Anderson

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

The Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) is a freshwater salmonid that is found in clear, cold waters throughout the northern regions of North America. Arctic grayling are still widespread in Alaska and Canada but have declined substantially in their two historic, disjunct southern populations in the contiguous United States. One of these populations was found in the AuSable River in Michigan and went extinct in the mid-1900s (Vincent 1962) while the other, found in the Upper Missouri River drainage in Montana, now inhabits a small portion of its historical range (Nelson 1954). Currently, only two native populations of Arctic …

Evidence For Use Of Alliaria Petiolata In North America By The European Cabbage White Butterfly, Pieris Rapae, Sam L. Davis, Don Cipollini

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Pieris rapae L., an invasive crop pest, may have recently begun using Alliaria petiolata Bieb. (Cavara & Grande), a European invasive biennial. We investigated how P. rapae uses forest habitats for nectar and oviposition and examined larval performance on A. petiolata in the field and laboratory. Being known primarily to occupy open habitats, we found that P. rapae regularly uses forest edge habitats, most surveyed A. petiolata plants had P. rapae damage, and P. rapae successfully used both stages of A. petiolata for larval development.

Shell Repair In Geukensia Demissa And Predation Preferences Of Callinectes Sapidus: Do Crabs Target Mussels With Weakened Shells?, Madeleine S. Gillis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Atlantic blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, are voracious predators that often leave damage on the shells of unconsumed ribbed marsh mussels, Geukensia demissa. The extent of shell damage and size-dependent tradeoffs in marsh mussel growth and repair, as well as the effects of shell damage on crab predation preferences, were determined in this thesis. A preliminary experiment investigated characteristics of damaged mussels in the field. Mussels (n = 30) were collected in the fall of 2011 within two ocean-dominated inlets along the South Carolina coast and were measured for size (length, width, height), area of damage, shell thickness, mass, and strength …

Chemically-Mediated Prey Responses: Invasive Brook Stickleback Induced Changes In Behavior And Life History Of Larval Long-Toed Salamanders, Renae K. Reed

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"The purpose of this research was to assess the predator-induced responses of a larval amphibian to its natural predators and to an unfamiliar fish. Amphibians express chemically-mediated antipredator defenses in behavior, morphology and life history, and are currently threatened with predation by invasive fish. To investigate this issue, we first initiated a behavioral assay to test the null hypotheses that predator type and diet have no effect on long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum) behavior. We exposed individual replicate A. macrodactylum to chemical cues (kairomones) from garter snakes (Thamnophis elegans), tiger salamanders (A. tigrinum) and brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans), which had been …

Spatiotemporal Variability Of Plant Phenology In Drylands: A Case Study From The Northern Chihuahuan Desert, Naomi Robin Luna

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

With global change, which includes climate change, there is a sense of urgency to understand how shifts in climate will affect ecosystems. Although several studies have improved understanding of how and why some ecosystems respond, most studies have not explored simultaneous responses of different land cover types throughout a given region. Dryland ecosystems, such as the Chihuahuan Desert, appear to respond to climate variability and currently make up about 40% of global land surface area. It is expected that drylands will expand to cover 60% of land surface area on earth by mid-century making this ecosystem more critical to global …

A Single Strand Of Argument With Unfounded Conclusion, Robert W. Elwood

Animal Sentience

Key (2016) describes the neural system involved in human pain experience in an excellent fashion but then suggests that only that complete system can generate the experience of pain. Thus animals without all components will not feel pain. This argument has been refuted in the past by analogy to vision where it is clear that a broad range of taxa, vertebrate and invertebrate, have good visual abilities albeit with completely different central nervous systems and receptors. This known counterargument to Key’s main idea is not mentioned in the target article. Further criteria that might indicate pain and studies examining these …

Genetic And Genomic Basis Of Antibody Response To Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome (Prrs) In Gilts And Sows, Nick V. Serão, Robert A. Kemp, Benny Mote, Philip Willson, John C.S. Harding, Stephen C. Bishop, Graham S. Plastow, Jack C.M. Dekkers

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Background: Our recent research showed that antibody response to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), measured as sample-to-positive (S/P) ratio, is highly heritable and has a high genetic correlation with reproductive performance during a PRRS outbreak. Two major quantitative trait loci (QTL) on Sus scrofa chromosome 7 (SSC7; QTL_MHC and QTL₁₃₀) accounted for ~40 % of the genetic variance for S/P. Objectives of this study were to estimate genetic parameters for PRRS S/P in gilts during acclimation, identify regions associated with S/P, and evaluate the accuracy of genomic prediction of S/P across populations with different prevalences of …

Water-Quality Effects On Phytoplankton Species And Density And Trophic State Indices At Big Base And Little Base Lakes, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, June Through August, 2015, L. J. Driver, B. G. Justus

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Big Base and Little Base Lakes are located on Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, and their close proximity to a dense residential population and an active military/aircraft installation make the lakes vulnerable to water-quality degradation. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a study from June through August 2015 to investigate the effects of water quality on phytoplankton species and density and trophic state in Big Base and Little Base Lakes, with particular regard to nutrient concentrations. Nutrient concentrations, trophic-state indices, and the large part of the phytoplankton biovolume composed of cyanobacteria, indicate eutrophic conditions were prevalent for Big Base …

Dna Barcoding Of The First Recorded American Burying Beetle, Nicrophorus Americanus, In Clark County, Arkansas, J. Kelly, T. Files, N. Reyna, B. Baley

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The American Burying Beetle (ABB), Nicrophorus americanus, is a red-listed endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). We serendipitously recorded 3 individuals of this species during a forensic study in the summer of 2013. These specimens represent the first known records for Clark County, AR and the southeastern-most record in the State since the extirpation of the species from the region in the late 1800’s. Two males and one female were collected, photographed, sexed and measured. One male specimen was deceased upon discovery. The remaining two individuals were released. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service …

New Distributional Records Of The Ohio Shrimp, Macrobrachium Ohione Smith (Decapoda: Palaemonidae) In Arkansas, H. W. Robison, L. Lewis, C. Cox, G. Spooner, R. Adams, C. T. Mcallister

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The Ohio shrimp (Macrobrachium ohione) is a migratory (amphidromous) river shrimp that occurs in some Arkansas rivers. It is known from the Upper Missouri River from its mouth downstream to the Gulf of Mexico, but shrimp abundance has declined, particularly upstream of Louisiana. Ohio Shrimp has also been collected in the lower reach of the Missouri River not far from the confluence of the Mississippi River in St. Louis County. Dams and alterations in channel flow are hypothesized to have impacted upriver migrations of shrimp. Current range, abundance, and life history of Ohio shrimp is relatively unknown in the Mississippi …

Evaluation Of Bison (Bison Bison) Ecology At The Olson’S Bison Conservation Ranches, Pine River Ranch, Manitoba, Canada, Joshua L. Leonard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bison (Bison bison), the largest mammalian species in North America, historically numbering in the tens of millions (Roe 1970, McHugh 1972, Dary 1989, Shaw 1995), was nearly extirpated at the turn of the 19th century (Knapp et al. 1999; Gates et al. 2010). At the time, estimates of less than 1,000 bison remaining in North America are widely accepted (Hornaday 1889; Seton 1927; Gates et al. 2010). The decline of bison includes factors such as disease (Flores 1991; Isenberg 2000), sport hunting (Danz 1997; Dary 1989; Hewitt 1919; Isenberg 2000; McHugh 1972), and unofficially funded commercial hunting by the U.S. …

Effect Of Oil And Natural Gas Development On Survival And Health Of White-Tailed Deer In The Western Dakotas, Katherine L. Moratz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Oil and gas development in North Dakota has resulted in the need for information regarding how increased activity has affected white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations. We evaluated white-tailed deer ecology in response to energy development and hypothesized that oil and gas development would negatively affect adult and neonate white-tailed deer due to increased vehicle traffic and human-related effects. We captured and radio-collared adult female and neonate white-tailed deer across three study areas: Dunn County, North Dakota, an area influenced by energy development, and Grant County, North Dakota, and Perkins County, South Dakota, areas not impacted by energy development at this …

The Effect Of Cyanobacterium Gloeotrichia Echinulata In The Belgrade Lakes, Maine, Harriet T. Rothschild

Honors Theses

Gloeotrichia echinulata is a cyanobacteria species that has been increasingly forming blooms in oligotrophic lakes in the Northeastern United States. The Belgrade Lakes in central Maine have experienced increasing blooms over the past decades. Long Pond and Great Pond in the Belgrade Lakes region are popular locations for summer tourism and year-round residents. Research into G. echinulata is important to the Belgrade community because of potential effects to water quality, public health, and recreation. Studying G. echinulata bloom density throughout the summer and how it may affect the phosphorous cycle, the nitrogen cycle, and the plankton community will help scientists …

Environmental Contingency Of Seed-Fungi Interactions In Coexisting Invasive Purple Loosestrife And Native Cattail, Shayla R. Williams

Honors Theses

Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is a highly invasive species able to quickly take over entire wetlands, especially after disturbances. Bountiful seed production and a persistent and prolific seed bank play a key role in loosestrife’s ability to invade. However, some competing native species, such as cattails (Typha spp.) have comparable seed production rates but less abundant seed banks, suggesting that there may be a difference in belowground seed survival. I investigated the abundance of loosestrife and cattail seeds in soils at roadside sites relative to above-ground stem densities. Given the importance of fungal pathogens to seed …

Effects Of Habitat Alteration On Ecomorphology Of Fish Communities In A Restored Stream, Carl Anthony Favata

Masters Theses

Decades of anthropogenic pressure have devastated lotic ecosystems across the riverscapes of North America, resulting in degradation of critical habitat and contributing to sharp declines in biotic integrity. In response, local stream restoration projects have increased in frequency. However, little effort has been allocated to monitoring and project success has been limited. In addition, restoration projects typically focus on ecological effects above the population-level, while relationships with physiological processes are seldom assessed. Lessons from the long-term restoration and ecological monitoring of Kickapoo Creek highlight some of the complex dynamics driving reach-scale restoration projects. Following instream restoration, I predicted that alterations …

Sampling Efficiency, Population Characteristics, And Potential Impacts Of Harvest Regulations On Three Riverine Species Of Catfish, Zachary Adam Mitchell

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Visitors And Enrichments On Behavior Of Captive Red Wolves’ (Canis Rufus) At The Great Plains Zoo, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Kylee S. Shotkoski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Red wolves (Canis rufus) are the first animals to maintain a wild population from captive, released individuals. A captive breeding program for red wolves was started before complete extirpation, and 4 breeding pairs were released in Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge (North Carolina) in 1987 and a small wild population still exists there. Currently, there are several captive breeding facilities for red wolves within the Species Survival Plan (SSP) program. The Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls, South Dakota participates in the SSP program. My study was initiated to create a natural history background and evaluate interaction between …

Cognitive Phenotypes And The Evolution Of Animal Decisions, Tamra C. Mendelson, Courtney L. Fitzpatrick, Mark E. Hauber, Charles H. Pence, Rafael L. Rodríguez, Rebecca J. Safran, Caitlin A. Stern, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Faculty Publications

Despite the clear fitness consequences of animal decisions, the science of animal decision making in evolutionary biology is underdeveloped compared with decision science in human psychology. Specifically, the field lacks a conceptual framework that defines and describes the relevant components of a decision, leading to imprecise language and concepts. The ‘judgment and decision-making’ (JDM) framework in human psychology is a powerful tool for framing and understanding human decisions, and we apply it here to components of animal decisions, which we refer to as ‘cognitive phenotypes’. We distinguish multiple cognitive phenotypes in the context of a JDM framework and highlight empirical …

Assessing Freshwater Mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae) In South Dakota And Identifying Drivers Of Assemblage Variation, Kaylee L. Faltys

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Native freshwater mussels (Family: Unionidae) are among the most threatened groups of freshwater fauna on Earth. Approximately 35 species have gone extinct since the 1900s and 72% of remaining species are considered endangered, threatened, or species of special concern. Unionid research can begin by establishing species presence and distributions via surveys. Objectives for this study were to 1) implement the first comprehensive unionid survey for South Dakota to assess distribution, composition, and decline, 2) estimate assemblage density and determine local versus broad scale habitat drivers of assemblage variation, and 3) determine areas of unionid conservation priority in South Dakota. Mussels …

Developing Management Guidelines That Balance Cattle And Timber Production With Ecological Interests In The Black Hills Of South Dakota, Kurt M. Chowanski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Forested lands contribute to the United States (US) economy by providing livestock and timber production. Livestock grazing of forested lands has been widespread throughout the western US since the settlement era, and currently occurs on 51.4 million hectares (ha) representing 16% of all US grazing land and 22% of all US forested land (Nickerson et al. 2011). While livestock grazing and timber harvest are occurring on a substantial amount of forested land, relationships between management practices, tree stocking, timber production, forage production, livestock grazing, wildlife, aesthetics, and ecological integrity are not well documented. Whether considering timber or cattle, finding a …

Impacts Of Wetland Characteristics On Duck Use In The Prairie Pothole Region (Ppr) 1987-2013, Fred Thomas Oslund

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since 1987 the Waterfowl Breeding Populations and Production Estimates, also called the Four Square Mile Survey, has been conducted annually in the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region. The survey was designed to assess the influence of the Small Wetlands Acquisition Program on contributions to continental waterfowl populations (Cowardin et al. 1995). Each year cooperators visit sample wetlands during two survey periods, collecting data on observed waterfowl and pond conditions. Along with ground counts, aerial photography of sample areas is collected annually, capturing habitat conditions. My objective was to assess the influence of local and landscape factors on duck pair densities. Local …

Investigations In Cryptic Species: Considerations And Applications For Estimating Detection, Occupancy, And Abundance Of Semi-Aquatic Snakes, Christian Robert Oldham

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

Snake species are notoriously difficult to study in the field due to their cryptic natural-histories and secretive behaviors. Difficulties associated with detection present challenges estimating parameters including occupancy and abundance, as well as responses to habitat degradation. Our objectives were to use Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) telemetry to enhance detection of Queensnakes (Regina septemvittata) as compared to traditional capture-mark-recapture (CMR) survey techniques and to examine occupancy and abundance of Queensnakes and Northern Watersnakes (Nerodia sipedon) in streams of differing levels of anthropogenic impact within Central Kentucky. During 2013, we captured Queensnakes and implanted them with PIT …

High And Dry: Post-Fire Tree Seedlingestablishment In Subalpine Forestsdecreases With Post-Fire Drought Andlarge Stand-Replacing Burn Patches, Brian J. Harvey, Daniel C. Donato, Monica G. Turner

Aspen Bibliography

Aim: Climate warming and increased wildfire activity are hypothesized to catalyse biogeographical shifts, reducing the resilience of fire-prone forests world-wide. Two key mechanisms underpinning hypotheses are: (1) reduced seed availability in large stand-replacing burn patches, and (2) reduced seedling establishment/survival after post-fire drought. We tested for regional evidence consistent with these mechanisms in an extensive fire-prone forest biome by assessing post-fire tree seedling establishment, a key indicator of forest resilience.

Location: Subalpine forests, US Rocky Mountains.

Methods: We analysed post-fire tree seedling establishment from 184 field plots where stand-replacing forest fires were followed by varying post-fire climate conditions. Generalized linear …

Forest Birds Respond To The Spatial Pattern Of Exurban Development In The Mid-Atlantic Region, Usa, Todd R. Lookingbill, Marcela Suarez-Rubio

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

Housing development beyond the urban fringe (i.e., exurban development) is one of the fastest growing forms of land-use change in the United States. Exurban development's attraction to natural and recreational amenities has raised concerns for conservation and represents a potential threat to wildlife. Although forest-dependent species have been found particularly sensitive to low housing densities, it is unclear how the spatial distribution of houses affects forest birds. The aim of this study was to assess forest bird responses to changes in the spatial pattern of exurban development and also to examine species responses when forest loss and forest fragmentation were …

The Influence Of Balanced And Imbalanced Resource Supply On Biodiversity–Functioning Relationship Across Ecosystems, Aleksandra M. Lewandowska, Antje Biermann, Elizabeth T. Borer, Miguel A. Cebrián-Piqueras, Steven A.J. Declerck, Luc De Meester, Ellen Van Donk, Lars Ganfeldt, Daniel S. Gruner, Nicole Hagenah, W. Stanley Harpole, Kevin P. Kirkman, Christopher A. Klausmeier, Michael Kleyer, Johannes M. H. Knops, Pieter Lemmens, Eric M. Lind, Elena Litchman, Jasmin Mantilla-Contreras, Koen Martens, Sandra Meier, Vanessa Minden, Joslin L. Moore, Harry Olde Venterink, Eric W. Seabloom, Ulrich Sommer, Maren Striebel, Anastasia Trenkamp, Juliane Trinogga, Jotaro Urabe, Wim Vyverman, Dedmer B. Van De Waal, Claire E. Widdicombe, Helmut Hillebrand

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Numerous studies show that increasing species richness leads to higher ecosystem productivity. This effect is often attributed to more efficient portioning of multiple resources in communities with higher numbers of competing species, indicating the role of resource supply and stoichiometry for biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationships. Here, we merged theory on ecological stoichiometry with a framework of biodiversity–ecosystem functioning to understand how resource use transfers into primary production. We applied a structural equation model to define patterns of diversity– productivity relationships with respect to available resources. Meta-analysis was used to summarize the findings across ecosystem types ranging from aquatic ecosystems to grasslands …

Seasonal Dimorphism In Gastropod Hatchling Size: What Can We Learn From Egg Mass Morphology And Deposition Site Conditions?, Lily A. Harrison

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Egg size is one of the most important features of marine invertebrate reproduction because it provides insight into developmental patterns, offspring size, and adult investment per offspring. Intraspecific variation in egg size and the resulting hatchling size may depend on many factors including environmental and maternal conditions and geographic location. Therefore, both the season in which eggs are laid and the spatial heterogeneity of deposition sites may influence egg size and hatchling size. Natica chemnitzii deposits egg masses on sandy beaches along the coast of the Bay of Panama. During the wet (non-upwelling) season hatchling size is unimodal. However, monthly …

What's In A Kiss? : The Role Of Kissing In Romantic Relationships, Kristina N. Spaulding

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

A strong understanding of the role of kissing has important theoretical implications; however little research has been done on kissing in romantic relationships. This study aimed to examine the role of kissing in (a) mate assessment, (b) initiating arousal and (c) maintenance of an emotional bond. Data were collected by surveying college students at a public university in the northeast. The first survey (n = 121) examined the memory of the first kiss compared to other sexual “firsts” as well as the relationship between the first kiss and relationship outcome. Memories of the first kiss were weaker than memories of …

Soil Properties Affect Establishment Of Invasive Species, Celastrus Orbiculatus, In A Lower Hudson River Riparian Ecosystem, Shabana Hoosein Hoosein

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The Hudson River Estuary has been colonized by numerous terrestrial invasive plant species, due in part to its history of anthropogenic and natural disturbance riparian dynamics. This study investigates the spatial patterns of a widespread invasion by Oriental (or Asiatic) bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb.) in Schodack Island State Park, Rensselaer and Columbia Counties. The Park is home to rare species and communities, several of which are threatened by the encroachment of bittersweet. Bittersweet populations were mapped and surveyed on a fixed grid throughout the island, to determine distribution patterns. Stem densities were approximately 50% higher in sites with dredged material …

Consequences Of Developmental Lead (Pb2+) Exposure On Reproductive Strategies In Drosophila, Elizabeth Kathleen Peterson

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Anthropogenic lead (Pb) pollution is ubiquitous in the environment and a risk factor for both human and wildlife health. Pb exposure has the potential to alter reproductive strategies with respect to mate choice and reproductive output. This could be especially deleterious if these changes disrupt adaptive behavioral and reproductive life history strategies. Therefore, the overall aim of this body of work was to examine the consequences of developmental Pb exposure on reproductive strategies, using Drosophila melanogaster as a model system. In all experiments, D. melanogaster were reared from egg stage to adulthood in either control or leaded medium and were …