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Articles 151 - 180 of 632

Full-Text Articles in Population Biology

The Influence Of Juvenile Dinosaurs On Community Structure And Diversity, Katlin Schroeder, S. Kathleen Lyons, Felisa A. Smith Feb 2021

The Influence Of Juvenile Dinosaurs On Community Structure And Diversity, Katlin Schroeder, S. Kathleen Lyons, Felisa A. Smith

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Despite dominating biodiversity in the Mesozoic, dinosaurs were not speciose. Oviparity constrained even gigantic dinosaurs to less than 15 kg at birth; growth through multiple morphologies led to the consumption of different resources at each stage. Such disparity between neonates and adults could have influenced the structure and diversity of dinosaur communities. Here, we quantified this effect for 43 communities across 136 million years and seven continents. We found that megatheropods (more than 1000 kg) such as tyrannosaurs had specific effects on dinosaur community structure. Although herbivores spanned the body size range, communities with megatheropods lacked carnivores weighing 100 to …

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Data From: Recovery From Discrete Wound Severities In Side-Blotched Lizards (Uta Stansburiana): Implications For Energy Budget, Locomotor Performance, And Oxidative Stress, Susannah S. French, Spencer B. Hudson Feb 2021

Data From: Recovery From Discrete Wound Severities In Side-Blotched Lizards (Uta Stansburiana): Implications For Energy Budget, Locomotor Performance, And Oxidative Stress, Susannah S. French, Spencer B. Hudson

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Wounding events (predation attempts, competitive combat) result in injuries and/or infections that induce integrated immune responses for the recovery process. Despite the survival benefits of immunity in this context, the costs incurred may require investment to be diverted from traits contributing to immediate and/or future survival, such as locomotor performance and oxidative status. Yet, whether trait constraints manifest likely depends on wound severity and the implications for energy budget. For this study, food intake, body mass, sprint speed, and oxidative indices (reactive oxygen metabolites, antioxidant capacity) were monitored in male side-blotched lizards (Uta stansburiana) healing from cutaneous wounds of discrete …

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Documentation Of Atlantic Tarpon (Megalops Atlanticus) Space Use And Move Persistence In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Facilitated By Angler Advocates, J. Marcus Drymon, Matthew B. Jargowsky, Michael A. Dance, Mitchell Lovell, Crystal L. Hightower, Amanda E. Jefferson, Andrea M. Kroetz, Sean P. Powers Jan 2021

Documentation Of Atlantic Tarpon (Megalops Atlanticus) Space Use And Move Persistence In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Facilitated By Angler Advocates, J. Marcus Drymon, Matthew B. Jargowsky, Michael A. Dance, Mitchell Lovell, Crystal L. Hightower, Amanda E. Jefferson, Andrea M. Kroetz, Sean P. Powers

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus, hereafter tarpon) are facing a multitude of stressors and are considered Vulnerable by the IUCN; however, significant gaps remain in our understanding of tarpon space use and movement. From 2018 to 2019, citizen scientists facilitated tagging of 23 tarpon with SPOT tags to examine space use and movement across the northern Gulf of Mexico. Movement-based kernel densities were used to estimate simplified biased random bridge-based utilization distributions and a joint move persistence model was used to estimate a behavioral index for each fish. Tarpon showed consistent east–west movement from the Alabama/Florida border to Louisiana, and utilization …

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Comparing The Condition Of Deformed And Non-Deformed Walleyes In Long Lake, Mn, Clayton Beck Jan 2021

Comparing The Condition Of Deformed And Non-Deformed Walleyes In Long Lake, Mn, Clayton Beck

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Walleye Sander vitreus is a popular game fish in Minnesota. Walleye’s have become such a popular game fish for anglers that it has led agencies to raise Walleye in rearing ponds. Farm raised fish can show deformities due to environmental, genetic, nutritional, infectious, and toxic factors. Due to this phenomenon, the purpose of this study was to determine if the condition of the Walleye differed between those with and without deformities in Long Lake, MN. Angling was the method of capture during the months of September 2020 through July 2021. There was no evidence to suggest condition differed between non-deformed …

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Using Audio Recording Devices And Multiseason Occupancy Modelling To Evaluate Clark's Nutcracker (Nucifraga Columbiana) Occurrence In Whitebark Pine Habitats Of Washington's Cascade Mountains, Lauren Taracka Jan 2021

Using Audio Recording Devices And Multiseason Occupancy Modelling To Evaluate Clark's Nutcracker (Nucifraga Columbiana) Occurrence In Whitebark Pine Habitats Of Washington's Cascade Mountains, Lauren Taracka

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Clark’s nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) and whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis), both native to the harsh subalpine habitats of Washington’s Cascade Mountains, are being negatively impacted by white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola), the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae), and climate change. As temperatures continue to warm, while many species at lower elevations can move upward in elevation to suit their temperature needs, subalpine species do not have that option. Whitebark pine is a keystone tree species - numerous animals consume its high fat, high energy seeds; it’s a nurse tree, providing shelter …

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Effects Of Salt Runoff On Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Colonies, Kendra Fink Jan 2021

Effects Of Salt Runoff On Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Colonies, Kendra Fink

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Aquatic macroinvertebrates bridge the gap in part between primary and secondary consumers, making them ecologically important for most aquatic systems. They are used as biotic indicators for water quality due to their sensitivity to pollutants and may be affected, specifically, by chloride ion concentrations in the water. Water quality can be evaluated by looking at species compositions and their respective tolerance values. To determine long-term effects of road salt on macroinvertebrate colonies, a total of 338 identified macroinvertebrates of 10 families (two generalized to class) at 9 sites were collected from before, after, and between three bridges on Turtle River …

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Use Of Lymesim 2.0 To Assess The Potential For Single And Integrated Management Methods To Control Blacklegged Ticks (Ixodes Scapularis; Acari: Ixodidae) And Transmission Of Lyme Disease Spirochetes, Shravani Chitineni, Elizabeth R. Gleim, Holly D. Gaff Jan 2021

Use Of Lymesim 2.0 To Assess The Potential For Single And Integrated Management Methods To Control Blacklegged Ticks (Ixodes Scapularis; Acari: Ixodidae) And Transmission Of Lyme Disease Spirochetes, Shravani Chitineni, Elizabeth R. Gleim, Holly D. Gaff

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Annual Lyme disease cases continue to rise in the U.S. making it the most reported vector-borne illness in the country. The pathogen (Borrelia burgdorferi) and primary vector (Ixodes scapularis; blacklegged tick) dynamics of Lyme disease are complicated by the multitude of vertebrate hosts and varying environmental factors, making models an ideal tool for exploring disease dynamics in a time- and cost-effective way. In the current study, LYMESIM 2.0, a mechanistic model, was used to explore the effectiveness of three commonly used tick control methods: habitat-targeted acaricide (spraying), rodent-targeted acaricide (bait boxes), and white-tailed deer targeted acaricide (4-poster …

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Comparison Of Standard And Environmental Dna Methods For Estimating Chinook Salmon Smolt Abundance In The Klamath River, California, Doyle Joseph Coyne Jan 2021

Comparison Of Standard And Environmental Dna Methods For Estimating Chinook Salmon Smolt Abundance In The Klamath River, California, Doyle Joseph Coyne

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Evaluating abundance of juvenile salmonids is critical to conservation and management. Current abundance estimation involves use of rotary screw traps and mark-recapture studies. Use of environmental DNA (eDNA) in water samples offers a noninvasive and less expensive approach that may potentially improve or eventually replace traditional monitoring. Here I evaluate the utility of eDNA to predict weekly abundance estimates of outmigrating Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) smolts in the Klamath River, California. A total of 15 water samples were collected per week over the 17-week smolt outmigration in both 2019 and 2020. Chinook salmon eDNA concentration in each water …

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Factors Influencing Aquatic Invertebrate Diversity In Mine Pit Lakes Along The Mesabi Iron Range, Jeremy Laurich Jan 2021

Factors Influencing Aquatic Invertebrate Diversity In Mine Pit Lakes Along The Mesabi Iron Range, Jeremy Laurich

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Restoration of mine pit lakes for recreation is going to be very important for the future of Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range area. As many as 250 lakes will need to be restored in the future along this 100-kilometer-long swath of mining country. Information regarding the organisms that currently inhabit these lakes is important for future restorations to be a success. The focus of this study was to identify the types of aquatic invertebrates present in pit lakes and to identify some of the factors that influence their abundance and diversity. During this study, invertebrate samples were taken along the shore …

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Abiotic Factors Effect On Summertime Fish Sampling, Kyle Oxley Jan 2021

Abiotic Factors Effect On Summertime Fish Sampling, Kyle Oxley

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Fish surveys are vital in understanding various information about a fishery. Surveys lay the groundwork to how an agency views the status of the fishery, are used to set appropriate regulations, and manage stocking. Understanding which areas of a fishery holds the greatest density of fish is key to achieving the most accurate sample that reflects the fishery. The objective of this study was to track fish densities throughout the summer of 2021 and establish if there is a relationship between high fish density locations and specific water column characteristics. Fish density, temperature, and dissolved oxygen were measured bimonthly at …

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Lepidopteran Granivory Reduces Seed Counts In A Rare Species Of Riparian Scour Prairies, Cheyenne Moore, Angela J. Mcdonnell, Scott Schuette, Christopher T. Martine Jan 2021

Lepidopteran Granivory Reduces Seed Counts In A Rare Species Of Riparian Scour Prairies, Cheyenne Moore, Angela J. Mcdonnell, Scott Schuette, Christopher T. Martine

Faculty Journal Articles

In Pennsylvania Baptisia australis var. australis is found along only four waterways: the Allegheny River, Youghiogheny River, Clarion River, and Red Bank Creek. Because of its limited distribution and small number of extant populations, the species is considered state-threatened in Pennsylvania. In addition, the riparian prairie habitat that Pennsylvania Baptisia australis var. australis is restricted to is also in decline and considered vulnerable. Because of these conservation concerns, insights into the natural history of the taxon in the state is valuable and will inform conservation efforts. Field surveys and fruit collections along the Allegheny River and herbarium collections were used …

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Lessons From Four Decades Of Monitoring Vegetation And Fire: Maintaining Diversity And Resilience In Florida’S Uplands, Warren G. Abrahamson Ii, Christy R. Abrahamson, Matthew A. Keller Jan 2021

Lessons From Four Decades Of Monitoring Vegetation And Fire: Maintaining Diversity And Resilience In Florida’S Uplands, Warren G. Abrahamson Ii, Christy R. Abrahamson, Matthew A. Keller

Faculty Journal Articles

Worldwide, humans are altering the fire regimes (fire-return intervals, severity, seasonality) of fire-prone ecosystems, fragmenting natural landscapes, and altering climates. Efforts to restore fire regimes in natural areas are usually guided by fire management plans (FMP) that rely on prescribed burning. Despite the common use of FMPs, limited efforts have gone to assessing vegetative and faunal responses. While some insights into responses to fire from short-term studies are available, there is less knowledge about FMP outcomes applied over multiple decades. Peninsular Florida hosts many fire-prone communities including globally threatened Florida scrub. We repeatedly sampled species composition and abundance during a …

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Importance Of Instream Habitat To Recruitment And Community Structure Of Aquatic Invertebrates, Catherine R. Billé Jan 2021

Importance Of Instream Habitat To Recruitment And Community Structure Of Aquatic Invertebrates, Catherine R. Billé

Master’s Theses

This thesis investigates how mechanisms of colonization by aquatic insects, both by ovipositing adults and or larval drift, operate at either micro-, meso-, or macro-scales to influence larval community assemblage in streams. Our study took place in a forested floodplain stream characterized by uniform soft clay and loose detritus substrate. Within this study reach we built three sets of riffles, with each set comprised of three identical riffles built either 15, 10, or 5 m apart. We examined microscale influences on community assemblage by studying recruitment of egg masses to our constructed riffles. We found that riffle habitat additions were …

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A Decision Tool To Identify Population Management Strategies For Common Ravens And Other Avian Predators, Andrea F. Currylow, Brenda J. Hanley, Kerry L. Holcomb, Timothy Shields, Stephen Boland, William I. Boarman, Mercy Vaughn Jan 2021

A Decision Tool To Identify Population Management Strategies For Common Ravens And Other Avian Predators, Andrea F. Currylow, Brenda J. Hanley, Kerry L. Holcomb, Timothy Shields, Stephen Boland, William I. Boarman, Mercy Vaughn

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Some avian species have developed the capacity to leverage resource subsidies associated with human manipulated landscapes to increase population densities in habitats with naturally low carrying capacities. Elevated corvid densities and new territory establishment have led to an unsustainable increase in depredation pressure on sympatric native wildlife prey populations as well as in crop damage. Yet, subsidized predator removal programs aimed at reducing densities are likely most effective longer-term when conducted in tandem with subsidy control, habitat management, and robust assessment monitoring programs. We developed decision support software that leverages stage structured Lefkovitch population matrices to compare and identify treatment …

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Lessons From Four Decades Of Monitoring Vegetation And Fire: Maintaining Diversity And Resilience In Florida's Uplands, Warren G. Abrahamson Ii, Christy R. Abrahamson, Matthew A. Keller Jan 2021

Lessons From Four Decades Of Monitoring Vegetation And Fire: Maintaining Diversity And Resilience In Florida's Uplands, Warren G. Abrahamson Ii, Christy R. Abrahamson, Matthew A. Keller

Faculty Journal Articles

Worldwide, humans are altering the fire regimes of fire-prone ecosystems. Efforts to restore fire regimes in natural areas are usually guided by fire-management plans (FMP) using prescribed burning. We assessed an FMP by repeatedly sampling 11 Florida uplands impacted by 2 to 11 fires each during a 38-year period. Stands exhibited ecological resilience with little plant composition change and modest abundance shifts. Resilience was not eroded by repeated FMP-prescribed fires. Species richness and diversity were significantly higher at the end vs. beginning of our study, suggesting that FMP-applied fire regimes are within the range of those with which species evolved. …

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Investigation Into The Genetic Provenance Of Three Rare Plants With East-West Disjunction Patterns In Pennsylvania., Scott Schuette, Christopher T. Martine Jan 2021

Investigation Into The Genetic Provenance Of Three Rare Plants With East-West Disjunction Patterns In Pennsylvania., Scott Schuette, Christopher T. Martine

Other Faculty Research and Publications

Rare plant conservation relies on an understanding of the natural history, biology and ecology, and real and potential threats to their populations to inform state regulations that serve to protect the species from extirpation. This work often involves extensive field surveys over several years to determine population sizes and whether those populations are seeing reductions in number of individuals necessary to maintain the genetic diversity within and between those populations. Species and populations with high genetic diversity are better equipped to withstand sudden changes to their habitats that derive from land use changes and changing climate. There are a variety …

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A Reintroduction Retrospective: Comparative Fisher (Pekania Pennanti) Survival And Prey Habitat Use In The Cascade Mountains Of Washington State, Tanner S.T. Humphries Jan 2021

A Reintroduction Retrospective: Comparative Fisher (Pekania Pennanti) Survival And Prey Habitat Use In The Cascade Mountains Of Washington State, Tanner S.T. Humphries

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Increasing human impacts on biodiversity highlight the global need for ecological restoration. For many wildlife species, reintroduction is necessary to re-establish populations in parts of their historic range where they have been extirpated. Reintroduction efforts are commonly used to help restore ecosystem integrity, but are often expensive, time consuming, and unsuccessful at generating self-sustaining populations. Thus, a more complete understanding of the factors affecting restoration success is important for ensuring successful outcomes and responsible stewardship. Fishers (Pekania pennanti) are one of the most commonly reintroduced carnivores in North America, but the success of such efforts is highly variable, …

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Black Vulture Conflict And Management In The United States: Damage Trends, Management Overview, And Research Needs, Bryan M. Kluever, Morgan B. Pfeiffer, Scott C. Barras, Brett G. Dunlap, Lee A. Humberg Dec 2020

Black Vulture Conflict And Management In The United States: Damage Trends, Management Overview, And Research Needs, Bryan M. Kluever, Morgan B. Pfeiffer, Scott C. Barras, Brett G. Dunlap, Lee A. Humberg

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Contrary to rapid declines of many vulture (Accipitridae, Cathartidea) species worldwide, black vulture (Coragyps atratus) populations are increasing and expanding their range in North America. Vultures exhibit complex behaviors and can adapt to any human-dominated landscape or land use. These traits, combined with population growth and range expansion, have contributed to increased human–vulture conflicts. Our goal was to summarize the current status and trends in human–black vulture conflicts (hereafter human–vulture conflicts), review available management strategies, identify knowledge gaps, and provide recommendations to enhance management and understanding of this species and the associated conflicts. We found human–vulture conflicts are …

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Exposing Lettuce Plants To Cyanobacteria In A Closed Hydroponics System To Reduce Cyanobacterial Growth And Production, Emily Eberly Dec 2020

Exposing Lettuce Plants To Cyanobacteria In A Closed Hydroponics System To Reduce Cyanobacterial Growth And Production, Emily Eberly

Honors Projects

Sandusky Bay is largely populated by cyanobacterial algal blooms, mainly formed by Planktothrix. Fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus run from agricultural lands into the bay, building up excess nutrients forming eutrophic waters. The Planktothrix feed off these nutrients and grow into algal blooms. To determine a potential solution to the growth of these blooms, I implemented a hydroponics system involving Lactuca Sativa for analysis of Planktothrix growth and productivity. Four different nutrient conditions were added to a Planktothrix-only solution and a solution growing Planktothrix with the lettuce in the hydroponics system. The four conditions consisted of no nutrient …

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Taxonomic Review Of South American Butter Frogs: Phylogeny, Geographic Patterns, And Species Delimitation In The Leptodactylus Latrans Species Group (Anura: Leptodactylidae), Felipe De M. Magalhães, Mariana L. Lyra, Thiago R. De Carvalho, Diego Baldo, Francisco Brusquetti, Pamela Burella, Guarino R. Colli, Marcelo C. Gehara, Rafael O. De Sá, Et Al. Dec 2020

Taxonomic Review Of South American Butter Frogs: Phylogeny, Geographic Patterns, And Species Delimitation In The Leptodactylus Latrans Species Group (Anura: Leptodactylidae), Felipe De M. Magalhães, Mariana L. Lyra, Thiago R. De Carvalho, Diego Baldo, Francisco Brusquetti, Pamela Burella, Guarino R. Colli, Marcelo C. Gehara, Rafael O. De Sá, Et Al.

Biology Faculty Publications

The Leptodactylus latrans species group currently comprises eight medium- to large-sized frog species with a convoluted taxonomic history, particularly related to the specific limits of the L. latrans complex, and the species pair Leptodactylus chaquensis–Leptodactylus macrosternum. Their homogeneous external morphology and continental geographic distribution in South America have posed severe limitations to a comprehensive review, such that taxonomic consensus and species limits remain uncertain. This is further worsened by the presence of chromatic polymorphism among coexisting species that can hardly be distinguished by external morphology. Based on a large-scale geographic sampling including multilocus DNA analyses, and acoustic …

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Assessment Of Genetic Diversity In Largetooth Sawfish, Pristis Pristis, Populations Over The 20th Century, Ann Fearing Dec 2020

Assessment Of Genetic Diversity In Largetooth Sawfish, Pristis Pristis, Populations Over The 20th Century, Ann Fearing

Master's Theses

The Critically Endangered Largetooth Sawfish, Pristis pristis, experienced global declines in range and abundance over the past century and Australia is now their last stronghold. This research aimed to understand whether these declines have been accompanied by a reduction in levels of genetic diversity. Using P. pristis tissue samples sourced from natural history specimens, three fragments (616-bp, 386-bp, 141-bp) in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region were PCR-amplified. At each fragment, significant genetic structure was found in P. pristis overall (ΦST=0.946, N=9; 0.813, N=54; 0.771, N=99). The Indo-West Pacific and Atlantic/Eastern Pacific each harbor genetically distinct lineages of …

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Fish And Macroinvertebrate Response To Restoration And Conservation Efforts, Madison C. Cogar Dec 2020

Fish And Macroinvertebrate Response To Restoration And Conservation Efforts, Madison C. Cogar

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Fish and macroinvertebrate response to restoration and conservation efforts varies in regards to the size and structure of the system (e.g. headwater streams in WV versus large rivers such as the Mississippi River). This project reviews fish and macroinvertebrate rebound in treated acid mine drainage (AMD) streams in WV as well as macroinvertebrate drift patterns in the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. AMD is a product of a chemical reaction resulting in an acidic water outflow from mining sites, which may harm aquatic life. As a response, passive AMD treatment systems have been installed. I tested the effectiveness of remediation by …

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Spatial Use By Mammals Within Two State Parks In The Ozarks National Scenic Riverways, Benjamin Aaron Smith Dec 2020

Spatial Use By Mammals Within Two State Parks In The Ozarks National Scenic Riverways, Benjamin Aaron Smith

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

A mammalian species inventory with comparisons between sampled sites was conducted via multiple methodologies to document presence of mammals at two Missouri state parks within the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. Camera traps, small mammal traps, acoustic detectors, and mist nets were used to detect species at the parks, and species similarity indices and occupancy analyses were used to discern use of space. A mammalian inventory was compiled for each area of inquiry. Greater diversity was found at the park with more variable habitat types. Bat activity was more in the park with a known hibernaculum, though species specific activity differed …

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Adaptive Divergence, Neutral Panmixia, And Algal Symbiont Population Structure In The Temperate Coral Astrangia Poculata Along The Mid-Atlantic United States, Hannah E. Aichelman, Daniel J. Barshis Nov 2020

Adaptive Divergence, Neutral Panmixia, And Algal Symbiont Population Structure In The Temperate Coral Astrangia Poculata Along The Mid-Atlantic United States, Hannah E. Aichelman, Daniel J. Barshis

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Astrangia poculata is a temperate scleractinian coral that exists in facultative symbiosis with the dinoflagellate alga Breviolum psygmophilum across a range spanning the Gulf of Mexico to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Our previous work on metabolic thermal performance of Virginia (VA) and Rhode Island (RI) populations of A. poculata revealed physiological signatures of cold (RI) and warm (VA) adaptation of these populations to their respective local thermal environments. Here, we used whole-transcriptome sequencing (mRNA-Seq) to evaluate genetic differences and identify potential loci involved in the adaptive signature of VA and RI populations. Sequencing data from 40 A. poculata individuals, including 10 …

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Great Lakes Snake: Estimating The Occupancy And Detection Probabilities Of The Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus Catenatus), Arin June Thacker Sep 2020

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 …

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Structure And Evolution Of Lizard Immunity Genes, Trent Santonastaso Aug 2020

Structure And Evolution Of Lizard Immunity Genes, Trent Santonastaso

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

One of the most important gene families to play a role in adaptive immunity is the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). MHC class II loci are considered to be the most variable loci in the vertebrate genome, and studies have shown that this variability can be maintained through complex co-evolutionary dynamics between host and parasite. Despite the rich body of research into the MHC, there is comparatively little understanding of its genomic architecture in reptiles. Similarly, loci associated with innate immunity have received little attention in reptiles compared to other vertebrates. In the first chapter, we investigated the structure and organization …

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Population Genetics Of A Recent Range Expansion By The Southern Pine Beetle, Dendroctonus Frontalis, Into The Northeastern United States, Megan Stubbs May 2020

Population Genetics Of A Recent Range Expansion By The Southern Pine Beetle, Dendroctonus Frontalis, Into The Northeastern United States, Megan Stubbs

Honors Theses

Population genetics as a field of study aims to determine the genetic variation among individuals in a population, and differences among populations. Certain population genetic analyses can provide such information and be used to better understand the biological aspects to a species’ expansion beyond its native range. The southern pine beetle (SPB), Dendroctonus frontalis, has become an invasive pest to pine forests in northeastern United States with its recent range expansion. Nine microsatellite loci were first developed and then used in analyses. To determine what the genetic variation is among individuals in SPB populations across its entire range, including …

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Ecological Analyses Of Macroinvertebrates And Fish Species In Six Streams On A Louisiana Military Base From 2001 To 2019, Danielle Joerger May 2020

Ecological Analyses Of Macroinvertebrates And Fish Species In Six Streams On A Louisiana Military Base From 2001 To 2019, Danielle Joerger

Biology Theses

An in-depth ecological analysis of how and why the aquatic community changes over time was conducted for 6 streams on the Fort Polk military base in Louisiana using data collected from 2001 to 2019. Fort Polk is a unique location as nineteen first-order streams are located on the premises belonging to three separate drainages. The primary goal was to determine whether temporal or between-drainage variation has a larger effect on community structure. To accomplish this the effects of disturbance on fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages was determined temporally and between drainages. Several hypotheses were drawn from this: 1) temporally, assemblages exhibit …

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Gascoyne Demersal Scalefish Resource: Oceanic Pink Snapper Recovery Plan 2018-2037, Department Of Fisheries May 2020

Gascoyne Demersal Scalefish Resource: Oceanic Pink Snapper Recovery Plan 2018-2037, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

No abstract provided.

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Pismo Clams (Tivela Stultorum) In Califorina: Population Status, Habitat Associations, Reproduction, And Growth, Alexandria R. Marquardt May 2020

Pismo Clams (Tivela Stultorum) In Califorina: Population Status, Habitat Associations, Reproduction, And Growth, Alexandria R. Marquardt

Master's Theses

Marine shellfish play a vital role in intertidal ecosystems and coastal communities, but many of these fisheries are small-scale and lack the necessary monitoring to ensure long-term sustainability. Effective management often requires information on key demographic parameters, such as population status, reproduction and growth. Pismo clams (Tivela stultorum) are a culturally important and iconic species in California, which supported a thriving commercial and recreational fishery throughout much of the 1900’s. However, Pismo clam populations have declined statewide in recent decades and are attributed to human harvest and predation by California sea otters (Enhydra lutris); However, no …

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