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Flight Of The Freshwater Fish, Michael H. Wilson

Capstones

Michael H. Wilson

Capstone Abstract

December 27, 2016

Flight of the Freshwater Fish

The Hudson River provides for millions of people as a path for commercial and private transportation, a source of food and energy, and perhaps most importantly for many living in the tri-state area as a destination for recreation and relaxation. The most overlooked feature of the river is how the wildlife shows clear signs of a changing climate and rapid environmental response to the impacts of global warming on the river.

Entire populations of fish species in the lower Hudson have been forced to leave the river …

An Analysis Of Morphometric Differentiation In Lake And River Populations Of The Emerald Shiner, Notropis Atherinoides, John J.V. Lang

Biology Theses

Understanding mechanisms that account for phenotypic variation has been of interest to biologists since the advent of Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. It is now understood that adaptive divergence is a key driving force of intraspecific differentiation. Further, differences in habitat (e.g., flow regime, prey regime) have been shown to drive adaptive divergence in fish. For instance, fish inhabiting faster flowing water generally exhibit more fusiform bodies than their lake counterparts. Similarly, the partitioning of benthic and pelagic morphs generally results in smaller heads with the latter. This study used geometric shape analysis to assess morphological differences between …

Distribution, Abundance, And Migration Timing Of Greater And Lesser Sandhill Cranes Wintering In The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta Region Of California, Gary L. Ivey, Bruce D. Dugger, Caroline P. Herziger, Michael L. Casazza, Joseph P. Fleskes

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta region of California (hereafter, Delta region) is an important wintering region for the Central Valley Population of greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) and lesser sandhill cranes (G. c. canadensis), but basic information about the ecology of these birds is lacking to design a biologically sound conservation strategy. During the winters of 2007-08 and 2008-09, we conducted roost counts, roadside surveys, aerial surveys, and tracked radio-marked birds to define the geographic area used by sandhill cranes in the Delta region, document migration chronology, and estimate subspecies-specific abundance. Radio-marked sandhill cranes arrived in our study area …

Improving Conservation Efforts Through A Better Understanding Of Forest Elephant Ecology, The Impacts Of Threats On Elephants And Freshwater Fisheries In Northern Congo, Roger Patrick Boundja

Doctoral Dissertations

IMPROVING CONSERVATION EFFORTS THROUGH A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF FOREST ELEPHANT ECOLOGY, THE IMPACTS OF THREATS ON ELEPHANTS AND FRESHWATER FISHERIES IN NORTHERN SEPTEMBER 2016 ROGER PATRICK BOUNDJA, B.Sc. FORESTRY, MARIEN NGOUABI UNIVERSITY, BRAZZAVILLE MSc. UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN PhD. UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Professor Curtice R. Griffin Catch data, including fish numbers, length-weight were collected during a multi-mesh Gillnet fisheries-independent survey in 2007-2008, and fisheries-dependent mixed gear surveys in 2009-2010 and 2015 across 400km stretch of the Sangha River located in the Sangha Tri-National. Overall, very high species richness (Chao 2 mean=250, SD=16.15) and diversity index (Simpson Inverse …

Evaluating Resistance Surfaces For Modeling Wildlife Movement And Connectivity, Katherine Zeller

Doctoral Dissertations

The continued growth of human populations and associated development in many areas of the world is causing persistent fragmentation of natural habitats. In response, wildlife corridors are often promoted as essential for the conservation of wildlife species. Wildlife corridors allow for the movement of individuals between habitat patches and confer many benefits including the maintenance of metapopulations and metapopulation dynamics, the maintenance of seasonal migratory routes, genetic exchange, and the potential for individuals and populations to shift their ranges in response to climate change. Wildlife corridors are modeled across a resistance-to-movement surface where resistance represents the willingness of an organism …

Ecological Consequences Of Lost Anadromous Forage Fish In Freshwater Ecosystems, Steven R. Mattocks

Masters Theses

Beginning in the early 1600s, dam construction in New England obstructed anadromous fish access to spawning grounds during migration. As a result, anadromous forage fish populations have declined, which has impacted freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems. To determine the impacts of dams on anadromous forage fish and freshwater ecosystems, I used historical and current data to estimate population changes in alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) from 1600-1900. A significant reduction in spawning habitat occurred in New England as a result of 1,642 dams constructed between 1600 and 1900, resulting in 14.8% and 16.6% lake and stream habitat remaining by 1900, …

Monk Parakeets, Michael L. Avery, James R. Lindsay

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

Since their introduction to the United States in the 1960s, monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) have thrived (Figure 1). Until recently, annual Christmas Bird Count data have shown the population to be increasing exponentially. In the U.S., monk parakeets are an urban and suburban species with few natural predators, diseases or other factors limiting their population growth. They exploit backyard bird feeders and non-native ornamental plants for food. Monk parakeets often construct nests on man-made structures, such as electric utility facilities and cell phone towers. Because the birds build and maintain nests throughout the year, management of parakeet populations …

Understanding The Impact Of Commercial Harvest On White Suckers (Catostomus Commersonii) In Maine, Megan A. Begley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The State of Maine issues an unlimited number of commercial permits for the harvest of White Suckers Catostomus commersonii in Maine’s inland waters. The fishery provides a necessary source of fresh lobster Homarus americanus bait to coastal communities at a time when other bait sources are scarce. The impacts of the increasing number of permits and subsequent numbers of fishermen on the white sucker population is unknown. The Maine Department on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) has closed a number of waters due to concerns that overfishing and incidental catch of other fish species may occur.

In Chapter 1, we …

Mathematical Model Of Swimmer's Itch With Praziquantel Treatment, Kelly R. Buch

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Reproductive Schedule Of The Silver Shiner (Notropis Photogenis) In The Flint River Of Alabama, Kelly Hodgskins, Stephanie Greenleaf, Jonathan Hillman, Bruce Stallsmith

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

Many river-dwelling species of fish are dependent upon and stimulated by fluctuations in river flow for successful reproduction. This is especially true of pelagophils, a reproductive guild whose eggs and larvae require free drifting on river currents for several days. Notropis photogenis (Silver Shiner) is a rheophilic species with a broad distribution from Ontario to the southeastern United States including northern tributaries to the Tennessee River in Alabama. Little is known of its reproductive biology. The purpose of this study was to describe aspects of reproductive biology such as timing and pattern of ovarian development and oocyte maturation of N. …

Cedar Waxwings, Michael L. Avery, Anthony G. Duffiney

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

Prevention and control of cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) damage to small fruits such as blueberry, cherry, and strawberry is vexing to growers in many parts of the United States. Cedar waxwings (Figure 1) travel in flocks and descend in large numbers on berry crops, especially during winter and migration. In short feeding bouts, waxwings eat, peck, or knock substantial amounts of fruit from the plants. These frugivores are difficult to discourage once they become established at a given location. Harassment early and often using pyrotechnics or other sudden noisemakers can help prevent flocks from being established. The most effective preventative …

Vultures, Michael L. Avery, Martin S. Lowney

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

Black and turkey vultures cause problems in several ways. The most common problems associated with vultures are structural damage, loss of aesthetic value and property use related to offensive odors and appearance, depredation to livestock and pets, and air traffic safety. Management of these diverse problems often can be addressed by targeting the source of the birds causing the problem, namely the roost where the birds spend the night. Often the roost itself is the problem, such as when birds roost on a communication tower and foul the equipment with their feces or when they roost in a residential area. …

A Novel Qtl Associated With Dwarf Bunt Resistance In Idaho 444 Winter Wheat, Jianli Chen, Mary J. Guttieri, Junli Zhang, David Hole, Edward Souza, Blair Goates

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

Dwarf bunt [Tilletia controversa J.G. Kühn [as ‘contraversa’], in Rabenhorst, Hedwigia 13: 188 (1874)] is a destructive disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) that reduces grain yield and quality. A number of distinct genes conferring resistance to dwarf bunt have been used by breeding programs for nearly 100 years. However, few markers were identified that can be used in selection of dwarf bunt resistance. A recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from the bunt-resistant germplasm, Idaho 444 (IDO444), and the susceptible cultivar, Rio Blanco, was evaluated for phenotypic reaction to dwarf bunt inoculation in four trials in …

Investigating Sub-Tropical Community Resistance And Resilience To Climate Disturbance, Ross E. Boucek

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Changes in global climate will likely increase climate variability. In turn, changes in climate variability have begun to alter the frequency, intensity, and timing of climate disturbances. Continued changes in the climate disturbance regime experienced by natural systems will undoubtedly affect ecological processes at every hierarchical scale. Thus, in order to predict the dynamics of ecological systems in the future, we must develop a more mechanistic understanding of how and in what ways climate disturbance affects natural systems. In South Florida, two climate disturbances recently affected the region, a severe cold spell in 2010, and a drought in 2011. Importantly, …

Population Dynamics And Genetic Differentiation Of The Threatened Freshwater Mussel Species Fusconaia Askewi, Fusconaia Lananensis, And Pleurobema Riddellii, Edith D. Plants-Paris

Biology Theses

North America has the most diverse freshwater mussel fauna in the world with approximately 300 species; unfortunately, extinction rates for freshwater mussels rivals the rates of many other groups of organisms. Population-level natural life history data is essential in the management of species of conservation concern, yet basic information about freshwater mussel life-history and demographic traits are unknown for many species. To further complicate matters, taxonomic uncertainty exists among some members of the group. The work detailed herein had two goals: to gain further understanding of the taxonomic relationship between Fusconaia lananensis and F. askewi by sequencing genes that had …

Bird Dispersal Techniques, Thomas W. Seamans, Allen L. Gosser

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

Conflicts between humans and birds likely have existed since agricultural practices began. Paintings from ancient Greek, Egyptian, and Roman civilizations depict birds attacking crops. In Great Britain, recording of efforts at reducing bird damage began in the 1400s, with books on bird control written in the 1600s. Even so, the problem persists. Avian damage to crops remains an issue today, but we also are concerned with damage to homes, businesses, and aircraft, and the possibility of disease transmission from birds to humans or livestock. Successful dispersal techniques should capitalize on bird sensory capabilities. If birds cannot perceive the dispersal technique, …

Geese, Ducks And Coots, John L. Cummings

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

Canada geese, snow geese, ducks, and American coots all have been implicated in agricultural crop and turf damage. Canada geese and snow geese that graze on winter wheat and rye crops can reduce subsequent grain and vegetative yields. Canada geese also cause serious damage to sprouting soybeans in spring and to standing cornfields in the autumn. The most common damage to agricultural resources associated with geese results from consumption of crops. Other impacts involve unacceptable accumulations of feces in pastures, trampling of emerging crops, and increased erosion and runoff from fields where the cover crop has been grazed. Canada geese …

Double-Crested Cormorants, Brian S. Dorr, Kristi L. Sullivan, Paul D. Curtis, Richard Chipman, Russell D. Mccullough

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

The history of conflict between double-crested cormorants (Figure 1) and human interest in fisheries is long and convoluted. Following a low point in the 1970s, populations of cormorants expanded in North America, as did concerns about impacts on fisheries. By the late 1990s, natural resource agencies in 27 states reported losses of free-ranging fish stocks to cormorants. Agencies in 10 states, ranging from the Southwest to the Northeast, considered cormorant predation to be of moderate to major concern to fishery management.

Overall, double-crested cormorants are not major consumers of commercial and sportfish species. However, exceptions have been recorded at specific …

Blackbirds, Richard A. Dolbeer, George M. Linz

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

The term blackbird loosely refers to a diverse group of about 10 species of North American birds that belong to the avian family Icteridae. The most common species include: Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) Common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) Great-tailed grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) Brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) Yellow-headed blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) Brewer’s blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) Rusty blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) In addition to blackbirds, this family includes orioles, meadowlarks, and bobolinks.

Human-Wildlife Conflicts 1 Damage Identification 3 Management Methods 4 Economics 7 Species Overview 8 Legal Status 11 Glossary …

Short-Beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus Delphis) Occurrence In The Moray Firth, North-East Scotland, Kevin P. Robinson, Sonja Eisfeld, Marina Costa, Mark P. Simmonds

Mark P. Simmonds, OBE

The short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) is regarded as notably rare or absent from the northern North Sea, but recent evidence suggests a rising frequency of the species in these waters with increasing regional sea temperatures. The following paper documents the presence of D. delphis in the Moray Firth in north-east Scotland and provides the first evidence for the sustained occurrence of these delphinids in this region during the warmer summer months at least. Sightings were collated during systematic surveys of the outer Moray Firth between 2001 and 2009 by independent research teams from the CRRU and WDCS. A total …

The North American Grouse: Their Biology And Behavior, Paul A. Johnsgard

Zea E-Books Collection

The ten currently recognized species of grouse in North America have played an important role in America’s history, from the famous but ill-fated heath hen, a primary source of meat for the earliest New England immigrants, to the ruffed grouse, currently one of the most abundant and soughtafter upland game birds in more than 40 states and provinces. This book summarizes the ecology, reproductive biology, and social behavior of all ten of the extant North American grouse species. It also describes the current status of grouse populations, some of which are perilously close to extinction. The social behavior of grouse …

Influence Of Rock-Pool Characteristics On The Distribution And Abundance Of Inter-Tidal Fishes, Gemma E. White, Grant C. Hose, Culum Brown

Culum Brown, PhD

Rock pools can be found in inter-tidal marine environments worldwide; however, there have been few studies exploring what drives their, fish species composition, especially in Australia. The rock-pool environment is highly dynamic and offers a unique natural laboratory to study the habitat choices, physiological limitations and adaptations of inter-tidal fish species. In this study rock pools of the Sydney region were sampled to determine how the physical (volume, depth, rock cover and vertical position) and biological (algal cover and predator presence) parameters of pools influence fish distribution and abundance. A total of 27 fish species representing 14 families was observed …

Depression In Thermal Performance Of Age-Structured Spirodela Polyrhiza Due To The Presence Of Rhopalosiphum Nymphaeae, Mitchell Matis, Chad Brassil, Colby J. Tanner

UCARE Research Products

Thermal performance curves are keys components of population ecology. We performed this study to determine the effects of aphids on duckweed age-structured models across temperature. Results show a depression in birth rates and maturation of rates of duckweed in the presence of aphids. Regression analysis shows that this depression in maturation and birth is directly proportional to aphid growth rates across temperatures. This hints of the idea of modeling duckweed and aphid growth via nested thermal performance curves.

The Joint Effect Of Phenotypic Variation And Temperature On Predator-Prey Interactions, Jean P. Gibert

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Understanding the factors underpinning to food web structure and stability is a long-standing issue in ecology. This is particularly important in a context of global climate change, where rising environmental temperatures may impact the way species interact, potentially leading to changes in food web structure and to secondary extinctions resulting from cascading effects. In order to understand and predict these changes, we need to hone our comprehension on the way predators and their prey interact. Recent studies suggest that, in order to do so, we need to focus on the traits controlling those interactions, such as body size. Mean body …

Sources Of Ecologically Important Trait Variation In Mosquitofish (Gambusia Affinis And Gambusia Holbrooki), Heather Ann Arnett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study of contemporary evolution and eco-evolutionary dynamics is classically defined in terms of genetic evolution, but the actual suite of processes driving contemporary trait change is likely much more complex than often credited. This dissertation considers additional mechanisms of trait change that might be important to an emerging model system for study of contemporary evolution and eco-evolutionary dynamics. Specifically, the research focuses on phenotypically plastic and demographic trait variation in Eastern and Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis and G. holbrooki) facing the major ecological gradient of predation risk. Plasticity experiments employed a common-garden rearing design to manipulate fish …

Reef Fish Spatial Distribution And Benthic Habitat Associations On The Southeast Florida Reef Tract, Dana Fisco

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The Florida Reef Tract (FRT) extends from the tropical Caribbean up the southeast coast of Florida into a temperate environment where tropical reef assemblages diminish with increasing latitude. This study used data from a three-year comprehensive fishery-independent survey to quantify reef fish spatial distribution along the Southeast FRT and define where the assemblage shifts from tropical to temperate. A total of 1,676 reef fish visual census samples were conducted to assess the populations on a stratified-random selection of sites of marine hardbottom habitats between the Miami River and St. Lucie inlet. Multivariate analyses were used to investigate differences in assemblages …

Occupancy Rates And Detection Probabilities Of Red-Backed Salamanders On The Virginia Fall Line, Jay D. Mcghee

Virginia Journal of Science

To meet the conservation needs of declining amphibian populations, there is a need to assess monitoring techniques in various habitat types and seasons. I assessed detection rates and proportion of area occupied via transect monitoring for red-backed salamanders at a site along the Virginia Fall Line in Doswell, Virginia. I established 24 transects in a 3.2-ha area in both riparian and upland habitats. Objects providing natural cover along these transects were sampled 3 times a week in fall and spring over a two-year period. Models of occupancy and detection were developed and compared using Akaike’s Information Criterion. Based on 113 …

Molecular Analysis Confirming The Introduction Of Nile Crocodiles, Crocodylus Niloticus Laurenti 1768 (Crocodylidae), In Southern Florida, With An Assessment Of Potential For Establishment, Spread, And Impacts., Michael R. Rochford, Kenneth L. Krysko, Frank J. Mazzotti, Matthew W. Shirley, Mark W. Parry, Joseph A. Wasilewski, Jeffrey S. Beauchamp, Christpher R. Gillette, Edward F. Metzger Iii, Michiko A. Squires, Louis A. Somma

Papers in Herpetology

The state of Florida, USA, has more introduced herpetofauna than any other governmental region on Earth. Four species of nonnative crocodilians have been introduced to Florida (all since 1960), one of which is established. Between 2000–2014 we field-collected three nonnative crocodilians in Miami-Dade County, Florida, and one in Hendry County, Florida. We used DNA barcoding and molecular phylogenetics to determine species identification and native range origin. Also, we described diet, movement, and growth for one crocodile. Our molecular analyses illustrated that two of the crocodiles we collected are most closely related to Nile Crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) from South Africa, suggesting …

Variations In The Invertebrate Communities Of Wild Cape Cod Cranberry Bogs, Barbara Wagner

Masters Theses

As a species domesticated only in the last century, agricultural cranberry plants (Vaccinium macrocarpon) remain little removed from their wild relatives. Thus, it is a potential model species for studies of the earliest stages of domestication; however, there is little available quantitative information on its wild population biology and ecology. As such information is vital to studies of the ecological changes occurring during domestication, the purpose of this study was to consolidate the relevant knowledge available and conduct a preliminary search for patterns in the invertebrate communities of wild bogs. The alpha diversity was found to be greater …

Declining Frequency Of Road-Killed Rabbits In Central Georgia, Anna M. Bosch, Katelyn J. Benson, Alfred J. Mead

Georgia Journal of Science

Cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus, Sylvilagus aquaticus, Sylvilagus palustris) are a common component of the mammal fauna of the southeastern United States, yet their numbers have been in decline for at least the past 40 years. Urban sprawl, land use changes, forest maturation, and increased predation have contributed to the decline in Georgia. In the current study we explore the proposition that long-term changes in roadkill frequency track changes in wildlife populations as a whole. Using comparisons of historical data collected by Georgia Department of Natural Resources personnel and recent roadkill census data from Baldwin County, it appears that the overall …