Population Biology Commons^™

Great Lakes Snake: Estimating The Occupancy And Detection Probabilities Of The Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus Catenatus), Arin June Thacker

Masters Theses

Detailed knowledge of a species’ range and distribution is important for understanding species persistence and developing species management plans. This issue is particularly pronounced in threatened species with wide-spread range and a low detectability in their natural environment, as surveying and successfully encountering this type of species is oftentimes difficult. One such species is the eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus), a smallbodied pit viper with a distribution centered around the Great Lakes region. We used singleseason occupancy modeling in order to reassess the status of historic massasauga occurrences. We evaluated factors affecting eastern massasauga detection probability from a …

Improving Growth And Survival Of Cultured Yellow Lampmussel (Lampsilis Cariosa) For Restoring Populations, Virginia Martell

Masters Theses

In North America 72% of freshwater mussel species are endangered, threatened, or of special concern due to factors such as habitat loss and degradation, biological invasion, and land use change. Propagation of freshwater mussels has been considered a necessary conservation strategy for population restoration where threats have been mitigated but small population sizes limit population viability. Yellow lampmussel is a species of freshwater mussel that is endangered, threatened, or imperiled throughout its range; therefore, I evaluated laboratory techniques (probiotic supplements and secondary rearing designs) to improve culture of yellow lampmussel for population restoration. Several aquaculture facilities commonly use probiotics; thus, …

Estimating Avian Populations With Passive Acoustic Technology And Song Behavior, Stephanie C. Prevost

Masters Theses

The need for improvements in avian wildlife monitoring efficiency, accuracy, and scope has led to use of new technologies such as autonomous recording units (ARUs). As a monitoring tool, passive acoustic recording has numerous benefits, but it is still limited to use in human-accessible areas. There is also need for monitoring technologies in areas that are inaccessible. Military installations, which host a disproportionately large number of threatened, endangered, and at-risk species compared to other federal lands, pose the accessibility problem with sizeable impact areas that are too hazardous for humans to access. This thesis introduces the Balloon Aerial Recording System …

Population Demographics And Genetic Structure Of Black Bears In Coastal Louisiana, Jesse Charles Troxler

Masters Theses

The range and abundance of the Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolus) were greatly diminished during the 20th century. This subspecies was reduced to 3 small, isolated subpopulations in Louisiana as bottomland hardwood habitat was converted to agriculture. These bears were listed as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1992 and a recovery plan was published in 1995. Recovery requires estimates of population parameters to evaluate current population status and future viability. I conducted a mark-recapture study from 2010 to 2012 to estimate demographic parameters of the coastal population of Louisiana black bears. Because inbreeding …

Trends In Borrelia Spp. Prevalence In Ixodes Spp. Ticks From The Southeastern Coastal United States, Lauren Paul Maestas

Masters Theses

The Lyme borreliosis (LB) cycle, involving Ixodes scapularis and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (Bbss), is well documented in the northeastern US, where LB is becoming increasingly prevalent. In coastal North Carolina, I. affinis has been shown to have a higher incidence of Bbss than I. scapularis. My objectives were, to assess changes in prevalence of Bbss in Ixodes spp. along a transect from Virginia to Florida, and to assess the value of dogs and mesomammals as sentinels for spread of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato.

Ixodes spp. were collected at sites from 37.4^o N to 30.0^{o …}

Mating System Biology Of The Florida Native Plant: Illicium Parviflorum, Nicholas Earl Buckley

Masters Theses

Self-incompatibility is thought to have played a profound role in the evolution of the angiosperms. However, there is little evidence of self-incompatibility systems in early diverging lineages of flowering plants. Illicium parviflorum, one such early-divergent angiosperm, is an evergreen perennial species endemic to central Florida, particularly within the Ocala National Forest. Although locally abundant, I. parviflorum is currently listed as endangered at the state level due to being under constant threat of habitat disturbance and over-harvesting. Notably, this species had been described as self-incompatible due to its low seed-set. However, low seed set may also be a result of …

Factors Related To Nest Survival And Over-Winter Survival Of A Northern Bobwhite (Colinus Virginianus) Population In Southwest Florida, Steven Kenneth Brinkley

Masters Theses

The northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) is a gallinaceous upland game bird dependent on early successional grassland habitat for reproduction and survival. Bobwhite populations have been declining range-wide for nearly a half century. The habitat of Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area (BWWMA) in southwest Florida is mostly virgin, early successional grassland and pine flatwoods. Although BWWMA is located in the far southern end of the bobwhite range, the area is a popular public land for bobwhite hunting. The BWWMA bobwhite population has declined evidenced by a dramatic decrease in harvest over the last 20 years. The two objectives of my …