Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Intertemporal Choice And Delayed Gratification, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

A parasitoid wasp has deposited half of her eggs in a host. She now faces the choice between depositing her remaining eggs in the same host or searching for another. Continuing to deposit in the current host provides the immediate payoff of completing her reproductive duties, allowing her to move on to other activities such as foraging or searching for another mate. Searching for another host, in contrast, delays the payoffs of reproducing until a suitable host is found. This wasp faces an intertemporal choice—that is, a choice between options that involve payoffs available at different times (Read, 2004; Stevens, …

Ecology Of Blanchard Springs Caverns, Ozark National Forest, Arkansas: 42 Years Later, C. J. Midden, S. K. Sasser, J. L. Grove

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Interrelationships between subterranean and epigean environments affect dispersion and distribution of cave organisms among the macro and microhabitats. This study examined the environmental impact of 42 years of tourism and development in the two lower sections of Blanchard Springs Caverns found in Stone County, Arkansas; and contributes to a better understanding of the seasonal fluctuations of the abiotic and biotic parameters.

Temperature, water quality, and fauna data were collected. A new entrance, lighting, and approximately 12,500 visitors during the 12-month study had no observable effect on cavern temperatures. Stream water quality measurements were comparable to Grove’s 1974 study. Gray bat, …

Inbreeding Depression In The Introduced Spider Latrodectus Geometricus, Margaret A. Howard

Honors College Theses

The brown widow spider (Latrodectus geometricus) is thought to be native to South America or Southern Africa, but its distribution has expanded to most continents by human introduction. In the continental USA, L. geometricus was first documented in south Florida in the 1930’s. In the early 2000’s a population expansion occurred, and this species is now found in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and southern California. Introduced species may face many obstacles when establishing a new population. One common obstacle might be severe inbreeding following founder events or genetic bottlenecks. The purpose of this study was …

Comparative Leaf Anatomy Of C3 And Cam Species In Oncidiinae (Maxillarieae, Orchidaceae), Samuel A. Eident

Masters Theses

The subtribe Oncidiinae is a diverse group of mostly epiphytic orchids within the tribe Maxillarieae, consisting of 55 genera and 1700 species. In this group, there have been many studies examining morphological and anatomical variation as well as metabolic pathways of carbon fixation, but most have not integrated morphological and anatomical variation with a physiological aspect of inquiry. The objective of my research was to establish a suite of anatomical characteristics that can be used to distinguish between C₃ and CAM species. Secondarily, I hoped to use that suite of characteristics in determining whether intermediate CAM species (those that …

Dna Markers Identify Genetic Heritage Between Chickadees Near A Contact Zone In Illinois, Fahad M. Alshammari

Masters Theses

I studied the genetic interactions of Black-capped (Poecile atricapilus) (BCCH) and Carolina (P. carolinensis) (CACH) Chickadees in and near the largest hybrid contact zone in Illinois. Biologists have assumed Carolina and Black-capped Chickadees hybridize in their large contact zone in Bond and Fayette Counties, based on intermediate morphological measurements, plumage characteristics and the production of aberrant vocalizations. In determining hybridization, however, diagnostic genetics may be more useful than any other criterion. The genetic and environmental factors that have contributed to the survival of this chickadees hybrid zone have underscored the genetic integrity of both species. We …

The Cattle Dung Arthropod Community In Eastern South Dakota: Their Colonization, Impact On Degradation, And Response To Rangeland Management, Jacob Pecenka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cattle grazing operations are an important industry throughout the world and a vital component of the economy of the Northern Great Plains. Rangeland management is important to ensure that cattle grazing remains not only profitable but also environmentally sustainable. Conventionally managed rangeland systems that practice continuous grazing and repeated applications of chemicals such as avermectins pose a risk to the continuing productivity of rangelands. These practices have ecological consequences, primarily to the arthropod community that inhabits cattle dung pats. This diverse community works together to recycle dung pats and make the nutrients in dung accessible to the surrounding plant community, …

The Interactive Effects Of Annual Climatic Variability And Rangeland Management On The Reproductive Success Of Dickcissels (Spiza Americana), Lauren A. Spahr

Senior Honors Theses

Grassland songbird populations have declined due to poor rangeland management and habitat fragmentation. Few studies have taken into account variation in climatic conditions in tallgrass prairie systems when determining the factors contributing to songbird reproductive success. During a six year study we measured reproductive success in Dickcissels on five rangeland treatments. We estimated daily survival rates (DSRs) and linked estimates of daily survival to rangeland management type and climate data. DSRs were best predicted by the model including mean temperature, winter season precipitation, and interactions, which had 7.5 times more support than the constant model. Mean annual temperature was negatively …

Invertebrate Prey Selectivity Of Channel Catfish (Ictalurus Punctatus) In Western South Dakota Prairie Streams, Erin D. Peterson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Benthic invertebrates are an important resource for aquatic consumers and should be considered in management of sportfish populations as a factor influencing fishery health. Our study seeks to draw a relationship between invertebrate prey availability and the Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus fishery of western South Dakota through diet analysis, but invertebrate surveys in the area have not focused on invertebrates as a prey source. Our objectives were to characterize patterns in availability of the invertebrate prey base in five major river basins, and to evaluate the effects of availability on Channel Catfish prey selectivity and condition. Invertebrates were collected at …

Mountain Lion (Puma Concolor) Population Characteristics And Resource Selection In The North Dakota Badlands, Randy D. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mountain lions (Puma concolor) have significant ecological impacts on the ecosystems they inhabit, leading to both biological and social ramifications. Yet, due to the relatively recent natural recolonization by mountain lions of the Little Missouri Badlands Region of western North Dakota, detailed data regarding many aspects of this population have been lacking. Therefore, we studied mountain lions occupying the Badlands Region to improve our understanding of mountain lion population ecology, resource selection, and occurrence in North Dakota. Our objectives were to: 1) improve the accuracy of home range size, subadult movement, and survival estimates of mountain lions in …

A Statewide Assessment Of Drivers Influencing Biotic Integrity In Perennial, Wadeable Prairie Streams Of South Dakota, Lyntausha Kuehl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biological assessments are used to evaluate the biotic integrity of a system. Great Plains prairie streams are harsh environments due to variable climate, topography, vegetation, and human development. This presents a challenge to water resource managers who must detect impairment and determine causation. The objectives of this study were: 1) to develop a macroinvertebrate Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) for the Northwestern Great Plains (NWGP) and compare it to an existing Northern Glaciated Plains (NGP) IBI, and 2) to identify and evaluate statewide abiotic drivers of biotic integrity. The IBIs were hypothesized to differ regionally, as were abiotic drivers explaining …

Phenotypic Plasticity Of Native And Invasive Cool-Season Grasses In Response To Frequency Of Moisture Availability, Ming-Yu Stephens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phenotypic plasticity, the ability of an individual to alter its growth in response to environmental conditions, is an attribute that is considered a likely invader attribute, as it provides the opportunity to expand its ecological niche breadth. Adaptive phenotypic plasticity can affect not only the ability to establish in a new environment, but also the ability to outperform the existing vegetation over time. Bromus inermis (smooth brome) and Poa pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass) are invasive species in tall- and mixed-grass prairie ecosystems. The objectives of this two-part study were to quantify the adaptive plasticity of biomass accumulation and tiller production in …

Biotic Integrity In The Northwestern Great Plains And Mechanisms Regulating Stream Condition In South Dakota, Chad Kaiser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic disturbance of streams can alter biotic integrity in various ways. Some degradation is easy to classify and monitor, others such as habitat impairment may be less easy to quantify. The Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) is a unique method of assessing the aquatic health of an ecosystem. Beginning in 2010 the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources (SD DENR) began implementing biological monitoring on wadeable streams by developing an IBI for the Northern Glaciated Plains ecoregion in eastern SD (Krause et al. 2013). Prior to this survey the condition of the majority of SD’s streams was unknown. …

Vegetation Response To Repeated Prescribed Burning And Varied Wildfire Severity In Upland Forests On The Cumberland Plateau, Kentucky, Zachary W. Poynter

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

As a result of decades of fire suppression, oaks (Quercus L.) and other disturbance-dependent tree species are experiencing widespread regeneration failure. Today, fire takes the form of relatively low to moderate intensity prescribed fire, used to restore fire adapted ecosystems, and wildfires which often vary in severity. I investigated long-term changes to forest structure and composition in response to repeated prescribed burning followed by an extended period of no fire. Burning reduced total basal area, midstory stem density and sapling stem density. However, the fire-free interval significantly increased sapling layer stem densities of oaks and competitor species. This research …

Guide To Quaking Aspen Ecology And Management With Emphasis On Bureau Of Land Management Lands In The Western United States, Paul C. Rogers

Aspen Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Genotypic Variability In Populus Tremula L. Affects How Anthropogenic Nitrogen Enrichment Influences Litter Decomposition, Franziska Bandau, Benedicte Riber Albrectsen, Riitta Julkunen-Tiitto, Michael J. Gundale

Aspen Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Can Carbon Fluxes Explain Differences In Soil Organic Carbon Storage Under Aspen And Conifer Forest Overstories?, Antra Boca, Helga Van Miegroet

Aspen Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Aspen Health On National Forests In The Northern Rocky Mountain Region, James T. Blodgett, Kurt K. Allen, Kendra Schotzko, Al Dymerski

Aspen Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Climatic Sensitivity Of A Mixed Forest Association Of White Spruce And Trembling Aspen At Their Southern Range Limit, Sophan Chhin, G. Geoff Wang

Aspen Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Post-Glacial Biogeography Of Trembling Aspen Inferred From Habitat Models And Genetic Variance In Quantitative Traits, Chen Ding, Stefan G. Schreiber, David R. Roberts, Andreas Hamann, Jean S. Brouard

Aspen Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Maintaining Ecosystem Resilience: Functional Responses Of Tree Cavity Nesters To Logging In Temperate Forests Of The Americas, Jose Tomas Ibarra, Michaela Martin, Kristina L. Cockle, Kathy Martin

Aspen Bibliography

Logging often reduces taxonomic diversity in forest communities, but little is known about how this biodiversity loss affects the resilience of ecosystem functions. We examined how partial logging and clearcutting of temperate forests influenced functional diversity of birds that nest in tree cavities. We used point-counts in a before-after-control-impact design to examine the effects of logging on the value, range, and density of functional traits in bird communities in Canada (21 species) and Chile (16 species). Clearcutting, but not partial logging, reduced diversity in both systems. The effect was much more pronounced in Chile, where logging operations removed critical nesting …

Quaking Aspen In The Northern Rockies Retention And Restoration, Camille Stevens-Rumann, Penelope Morgan, Eva Strand, Diane Abendroth

Aspen Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Aspen Ecosystem Vulnerability To Climate Change For The Uinta-Wasatch- Cache And Ashley National Forests, Utah, Janine Rice, Tim Bardsley, Pete Gomben, Dustin Bambrough, Stacey Weems, Allen Huber, Linda A. Joyce

Aspen Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Development And Application Of A Fish-Based Index Of Biotic Integrity For Lakes In Eastern South Dakota, Daniel T. Nelson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) was developed to summarize the impact of watershed and water quality degradation to biotic communities and help to provide a more complete picture of water quality changes that are not captured in traditional physical and chemical measurements. In 2014, nearly 15% of South Dakota lakes did not meet their designated beneficial uses based on water quality measures but the impacts to the fish communities are unknown. The goal of this study was to develop a fish-based IBI for eastern South Dakota lakes by addressing three specific objectives:
1) Determine whether an IBI could be …

How Do Stream Confluences Influence Aquatic Invertebrate Taxonomic And Functional Diversity?, Jeremy Brooks

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Aquatic communities, species that live and interact with each other, each have a unique composition and function (i.e collection of decomposers, predators, and grazers). Broad ecological theory provides a variety of models that can predict communities and their functions across riverscapes. For example, the River Continuum Concept (RCC) explains general shifts in stream communities and their function along longitudinal (upstream to downstream) gradients, but it fails to consider the more narrow effects of tributaries and confluences. Conversely, dendritic stream networks theory helps explain the potential role of river confluences and how they connect communities, but fails to explain general longitudinal …

Differentiation, Distribution, And Diversity Of The Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Lato Virulence Gene, Ospc, And The Overwintering Survivability Of The Tick Vector, Ixodes Scapularis, Melissa Beth Stone

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The causative agents of Lyme disease, or Lyme Borreliosis, are spirochetes in the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) species complex that are transmitted by ticks in the genus Ixodes. Certain B. burgdorferi s.l. genotypes are more likely to cause invasive, disseminated infection in humans, and the gene, ospC, has been identified as a molecular marker that can be used to predict virulence. ospC is the most polymorphic locus in the B. burgdorferi s.l. genome, and different alleles have been assigned to Major ospC Groups based on sequence dissimilarity. Issues with the Major ospC Group definition and nomenclature are pervasive in …

Climate Change, Spruce Root Phenology, And Allocation Of Carbon Below- And Above-Ground, Marie Louise Orton

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Tree ring analysis has relied on a close relationship between climate and photosynthetically-derived stem enlargement. Lengthening growing seasons associated with climate warming have been predicted to enhance carbon sequestration as wood in trees, but this

Grazing And The Coupling Of Vascular Plant And Soil Microbial Diversity In Agricultural Landscapes Of Eastern New York, Caroline Belle Girard-Cartier

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

ABSTRACT

Associations Between Invasive Eurasian Watermilfoil And Littoral Fish And Invertebrate Communities In The Keweenaw Waterway Of Lake Superior, Carmen Leguizamon

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The invasion of Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) can influence littoral zone communities within lakes. Its formation of dense mats at the water surface can suppress native macrophyte growth and impact fish diets and community structure, as well as invertebrate assemblages. However, in the colder waters of the upper Great Lakes region, Eurasian watermilfoil is patchily distributed and integrates more with the native macrophyte community. In order to identify the associations of invasive Eurasian watermilfoil and the littoral communities of the Keweenaw Waterway of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, we sampled invertebrates, fish, and macrophytes at sites that represented a gradient of Eurasian …

Assessment Of Arctic Grayling Re-Introduction Potential In The Big Manistee River, Michigan., Cameron Goble

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Arctic Grayling Thymallus arcticus were once the dominant fluvial salmonid species in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. By the late 19^th century most populations in the State had experienced drastic declines and by 1936 the species was declared extinct in Michigan. Beginning in 2011 the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians and Michigan Technological University partnered on research to determine the feasibility of re-establishing the species in the Big Manistee River watershed which was home to one of the last Arctic Grayling populations in the Lower Peninsula. The objectives of this research were to: A) assess abiotic habitat suitability for Arctic …

The Nebraska Stream Fishery Surveys: Being A Comparison Of The First Statewide Collections Of Raymond Johnson (1939-1941) With A Recent Resurvey (2003-2005), Steven C. Schainost, Edward J. Peters

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

The first statewide survey of Nebraska fishes was done between 1939 and 1941. This survey was repeated between 2003 and 2005. This document compares and contrasts the results of those two surveys to illustrate what has changed and what hasn't changed over that 60 year period. It is hoped that this document can serve as a resource for future researchers to track changes in Nebraska's fish communities.