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Articles 3661 - 3690 of 6307

Full-Text Articles in Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology

2015 Academic Program Review School Of Natural Resources University Of Nebraska–Lincoln Jan 2015

2015 Academic Program Review School Of Natural Resources University Of Nebraska–Lincoln

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

No abstract provided.


Salamander Monitoring Studies, Harry Tiebout Jan 2015

Salamander Monitoring Studies, Harry Tiebout

Gordon Natural Area Herpetological Studies Documents

No abstract provided.


How Resort Owners And Customers Perceive Ecosystems To Be Affected By Changes In Water Level Regulation In Voyageurs National Park, Lauren M. Meckle Jan 2015

How Resort Owners And Customers Perceive Ecosystems To Be Affected By Changes In Water Level Regulation In Voyageurs National Park, Lauren M. Meckle

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.


Riqueza De Helmintos Parásitos De Vertebrados Silvestres Del Estado De Hidalgo, México, Jorge Falcón-Ordaz, Scott Monks, Griselda Pulido-Flores, Luis García-Prieto, Georgina Lira-Guerrero Jan 2015

Riqueza De Helmintos Parásitos De Vertebrados Silvestres Del Estado De Hidalgo, México, Jorge Falcón-Ordaz, Scott Monks, Griselda Pulido-Flores, Luis García-Prieto, Georgina Lira-Guerrero

Estudios en Biodiversidad

La diversidad de helmintos parásitos de vertebrados del estado de Hidalgo, en México es poco conocida, a pesar de que su estudio se inició desde 1937. Asimismo, mucha de la información generada se ha publicado de manera dispersa, lo que dificulta aún más el establecer con precisión los valores actuales. Por ello, el objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar la riqueza de la fauna helmintológica asociada a vertebrados silvestres de Hidalgo. Para alcanzar dicho objetivo, se realizaron tres acciones: 1) recopilación bibliográfica retrospectiva de información; 2) consulta al acervo de diversas colecciones científicas nacionales e internacionales, e 3) incorporación de …


Calidad Del Agua En La Subcuenca Fluvial La Garita, Acapulco, Guerrero Por Monitoreo Con Insectos, Ana Yolanda Rosas-Acevedo, Audel Sánchez-Infante, José Luis Rosas-Acevedo Jan 2015

Calidad Del Agua En La Subcuenca Fluvial La Garita, Acapulco, Guerrero Por Monitoreo Con Insectos, Ana Yolanda Rosas-Acevedo, Audel Sánchez-Infante, José Luis Rosas-Acevedo

Estudios en Biodiversidad

La subcuenca La Garita (Región Hidrológica: Rh19Ac) ha sufrido la influencia del hombre, presenta escorrentía y momentos de estiaje, además de puntos aislados de contaminación por basura y descargas. Se realizó un monitoreo de insectos. Se exploró la posibilidad del uso del índice BMWP (Biological Monitoring Working Party), para arroyos y ríos, en la determinación de la calidad del agua y del ecosistema. En la parte alta o cabecera (BMWP=122) correspondió a excelente (ecosistema no impactado), en la zona media o de transferencia (BMWP-CR=118) fue buena (ecosistema no alterado de manera sensible) y en la parte baja o zona de …


Problemática De Contaminación En La Zona Agrícola De La Reserva De La Biosfera Barranca De Metztitlán, Hidalgo, México, Maritza López-Herrera, Leticia Romero-Bautista, Nahara Ayala-Sánchez, Irma E. Soria-Mercado, Amelia Portillo-López Jan 2015

Problemática De Contaminación En La Zona Agrícola De La Reserva De La Biosfera Barranca De Metztitlán, Hidalgo, México, Maritza López-Herrera, Leticia Romero-Bautista, Nahara Ayala-Sánchez, Irma E. Soria-Mercado, Amelia Portillo-López

Estudios en Biodiversidad

El presente trabajo se generó con el objetivo de dar a conocer la problemática que existe actualmente en una zona agrícola de gran importancia en el estado de Hidalgo, la “Vega de Metztitlán”, zona que forma parte de la Reserva de la Biosfera Barranca de Metztitlán, sitio declarado como reserva federal. El aporte de agua residual que se hace a través de los acuíferos que irrigan a la zona, ha generado que este sitio se vea expuesto a un gran riesgo de contaminación por metales pesados, hidrocarburos y demás contaminantes, los cuáles quedan biodisponibles para las plantas e indirectamente existe …


Los Hongos Poliporoides De La Subcuenca Del Río Metztitlán, Hidalgo, México, Leticia Romero-Bautista, Miguel Ángel Islas-Santillán, Maritza López-Herrera, Nahara Ayala-Sánchez, Irma Estela Soria-Mercado, Amelia Portillo-López, Tania Raymundo-Ojeda, Ricardo Valenzuela-Garza Jan 2015

Los Hongos Poliporoides De La Subcuenca Del Río Metztitlán, Hidalgo, México, Leticia Romero-Bautista, Miguel Ángel Islas-Santillán, Maritza López-Herrera, Nahara Ayala-Sánchez, Irma Estela Soria-Mercado, Amelia Portillo-López, Tania Raymundo-Ojeda, Ricardo Valenzuela-Garza

Estudios en Biodiversidad

Los hongos poliporoides son excelentes descomponedores de la madera, aunque también hay ectomicorrizógenos; su importancia ecológica radica en que ayudan a mantener el equilibrio del ciclo del carbono en la naturaleza. Además presentan potencial biotecnológico dadas sus características nutrimentales, medicinales y degradadoras, por su capacidad de producir metabolitos secundarios y ser potencialmente cultivables. Se analiza la importancia del impacto ambiental en los ecosistemas de la subcuenca del río Metztitlán y la diversidad de este grupo de hongos asociados a ellos. Se revisaron ejemplares de herbario y se realizaron exploraciones micológicas en 13 comunidades vegetales de 11 municipios, y 37 localidades …


Abiotic Habitat Preferences Of Age-0 Paddlefish In Lake Sakakawea, North Dakota During Late Summer, Derek Dufault Jan 2015

Abiotic Habitat Preferences Of Age-0 Paddlefish In Lake Sakakawea, North Dakota During Late Summer, Derek Dufault

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Since the early 1990’s, surface visual counts along transects have been conducted annually, allowing for estimates of relative abundance and year-class strength of age-0 paddlefish Polyodon spathula on the upper portions of Lake Sakakawea, North Dakota. This study focuses on the annual visual surface count data collected over an eleven year period from 2004-2014. More specifically it focuses on abiotic habitat factors (Secchi depth, water depth, and water temperature) and how they relate to age-0 paddlefish locations in late summer. Understanding habitat use during early life stages is imperative, yet to date, there is very limited knowledge available regarding the …


Influence Of Depth And Retrieval Speed On Yellow Perch Barotrauma Recovery Time In Winter, Bradley J. Klingsheim Jan 2015

Influence Of Depth And Retrieval Speed On Yellow Perch Barotrauma Recovery Time In Winter, Bradley J. Klingsheim

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Physoclistous fish are often affected by barotrauma because the swim bladder is not connected to the esophagus. Barotrauma is increasingly being used in assessing mortality in fish brought from deep water. Barotrauma is the physical damage that occurs because of the over inflation of the gas bladder resulting from a rapid decrease in ambient pressure. The two important factors influencing barotrauma effects are water depth and decompression. In this study, two experiments were conducted on yellow perch (Perca flavescens) at three depth locations on Grace Lake, Bemidji, Minnesota. Fish were measured for barotrauma recovery time (s) following capture by hook …


Indicadores Bióticos De Calidad Ambiental Del Sur Del Estado De Tamaulipas, México. Caso De Estudio: Aves, René Bernardo Elías Cabrera-Cruz, Marco Antonio González-González, Julio César Rolón-Aguilar, Juan Carlos Gaytán-Oyarzún Jan 2015

Indicadores Bióticos De Calidad Ambiental Del Sur Del Estado De Tamaulipas, México. Caso De Estudio: Aves, René Bernardo Elías Cabrera-Cruz, Marco Antonio González-González, Julio César Rolón-Aguilar, Juan Carlos Gaytán-Oyarzún

Estudios en Biodiversidad

Este trabajo plantea una evaluación de prioridad biológica para la conservación de aves en la región sur de Tamaulipas, México. La metodología empleada fue la técnica Evaluación Rápida de Prioridad Biológica (ERPBIO). Esta permite determinar las principales zonas y grupos a conservar en flora y fauna para amplias zonas de estudio de manera rápida y precisa. La región sur de Tamaulipas comprende los municipios de Aldama, Altamira, Ciudad Madero, González y Tampico, con una superficie total de 8,969.05 km2. Dentro de los resultados obtenidos se elaboró una base de datos por municipio, encontrando una amplia cantidad de estudios con un …


La Biodiversidad De Los Hongos Ectomicorrízicos Y Su Importancia Para La Conservación Del Bosque En La Zona Poblana Del Parque Nacional Malintzi, Marco Antonio Marín-Castro, Virginia Silva-Díaz, Gladys Linares-Fleites, Ana María Castagnino, José Antonio Ticante-Roldán Jan 2015

La Biodiversidad De Los Hongos Ectomicorrízicos Y Su Importancia Para La Conservación Del Bosque En La Zona Poblana Del Parque Nacional Malintzi, Marco Antonio Marín-Castro, Virginia Silva-Díaz, Gladys Linares-Fleites, Ana María Castagnino, José Antonio Ticante-Roldán

Estudios en Biodiversidad

El Parque Nacional Malintzi comprende una superficie de 45,852 hectáreas, de las cuales corresponden 14,544 al estado de Puebla. El deterioro a su riqueza forestal tiene sus inicios desde la época colonial y hasta nuestros días la presión sobre los recursos de este parque nacional aumenta debido a que los pobladores de la zona, tradicionalmente ven en la montaña su fuente de sustento mediante la agricultura y la extracción de madera, que aunadas a la tala clandestina inmoderada, han influido drásticamente en la pérdida de biodiversidad y cambio de uso del suelo. Los objetivos de este trabajo fueron describir la …


Los Hongos Agaricales De Las Áreas De Encino Del Estado De Baja California, México, Nahara Ayala-Sánchez, Irma E. Soria-Mercado, Leticia Romero-Bautista, Maritza López-Herrera, Roxana Rico-Mora, Amelia Portillo-López Jan 2015

Los Hongos Agaricales De Las Áreas De Encino Del Estado De Baja California, México, Nahara Ayala-Sánchez, Irma E. Soria-Mercado, Leticia Romero-Bautista, Maritza López-Herrera, Roxana Rico-Mora, Amelia Portillo-López

Estudios en Biodiversidad

Se realizó una recopilación de las especies de hongos del orden Agaricales (regionalmente conocido como “agaricoides”) de los bosques Quercus spp. de la península de Baja California (México), con la pretensión de contar con un panorama de la diversidad de este grupo taxonómico en el área, su distribución y dinámica dentro de estos ecosistemas y el papel ecológico de cada una de las especies citadas. Para la realización del presente estudio se reunió la información obtenida de las especies recolectadas de las diferentes localidades de las áreas de encino del estado de Baja California desde 1996 hasta el presente, ejemplares …


Los Agaves Mezcaleros Del Altiplano Potosino Y Zacatecano, Edgar León Esparza-Ibarra, Juan Violante-González, Scott Monks, Jorge Cadena Iñiguez, Cuauhtémoc Araujo-Andrade, Erich Dietmar Rössel-Kipping Jan 2015

Los Agaves Mezcaleros Del Altiplano Potosino Y Zacatecano, Edgar León Esparza-Ibarra, Juan Violante-González, Scott Monks, Jorge Cadena Iñiguez, Cuauhtémoc Araujo-Andrade, Erich Dietmar Rössel-Kipping

Estudios en Biodiversidad

En el Altiplano Potosino y Zacatecano, los agaves mezcaleros son un componente socioeconómico importante ya que se pueden aprovechar desde el punto de vista económico, ya que tiene valor en el mercado para la producción de bebidas espirituosas como el mezcal; social, ya que su producción y modo de empleo genera jornales disminuyendo la migración; en la salud, por la producción de aguamiel, jarabes e inulinas como complemento nutricional; científico, por los aportes al conocimiento en la variación biológica de los agaves; debido a la diversidad y su plasticidad para enfrentar temperaturas extremas y sequías prolongadas, entre otros. Es por …


El Arbolado De Los Espacios Públicos Abiertos De La Zona De Monumentos Del Centro Histórico De La Ciudad De Puebla, Víctor Gutiérrez-Pacheco, Sonia Emilia Silva-Gómez, José Silvestre Toxtle-Tlamani, J. Santos Hernández-Zepeda Jan 2015

El Arbolado De Los Espacios Públicos Abiertos De La Zona De Monumentos Del Centro Histórico De La Ciudad De Puebla, Víctor Gutiérrez-Pacheco, Sonia Emilia Silva-Gómez, José Silvestre Toxtle-Tlamani, J. Santos Hernández-Zepeda

Estudios en Biodiversidad

Los conglomerados humanos, presentan espacios públicos abiertos (EPA´s), sobre todo arbolados, con funciones estéticas, sociales y ambientales. Se requiere información e indicadores con un enfoque ecológico, para que su atención descanse sobre una planeación documentada. Así, se pretende conocer la composición arbórea, su distribución y la biodiversidad en los Espacios Públicos Abiertos (EPA´s) de la Zona de Monumentos del Centro Histórico de la Ciudad de Puebla (ZMCHP). Por tanto, se contaron los especímenes, se ubicaron en los EPA´s y se identificaron. Para determinar la biodiversidad se aplicó el Índice de Diversidad de Shannon-Wiener (H´). En 25 EPA´s, se censaron 1,120 …


The Problem Of Low Agreement Among Automated Identification Programs For Acoustical Surveys Of Bats, Cliff Lemen, Patricia W. Freeman, Jeremy A. White, Brett R. Andersen Jan 2015

The Problem Of Low Agreement Among Automated Identification Programs For Acoustical Surveys Of Bats, Cliff Lemen, Patricia W. Freeman, Jeremy A. White, Brett R. Andersen

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

We compared four programs designed to identify species of bats from their echolocation calls (Bat Call ID, EchoClass, Kaleidoscope Pro, and SonoBat) using field data collected in Nebraska, USA (29,782 files). Although we did not know the true identity of these bats, we could still compare the pairwise agreement between software packages when identifying the same call sequences. If accuracy is high in these software packages, there should be high agreement in identification. Agreement in identification by species averaged approximately 40% and varied by software package, species, and data set. Our results are not consistent with the high accuracy often …


Distribution, Movement, And Ecology Of Etheostoma Spilotum (Gilbert), The Kentucky Arrow Darter, In Gilberts Big Creek And Elisha Creek, Red Bird River Basin, Clay And Leslie Counties, Kentucky, Jonathan Bradley Baxter Jan 2015

Distribution, Movement, And Ecology Of Etheostoma Spilotum (Gilbert), The Kentucky Arrow Darter, In Gilberts Big Creek And Elisha Creek, Red Bird River Basin, Clay And Leslie Counties, Kentucky, Jonathan Bradley Baxter

Online Theses and Dissertations

The Kentucky Arrow Darter (KAD), Etheostoma spilotum, is an endemic species to the Upper Kentucky River Basin and is currently proposed for listing as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The ecology and population status of this benthic species is poorly understood, so this study was designed to investigate the species’ movement capabilities, population dynamics, and overall ecology in two streams (Gilberts Big and Elisha Creek) in the Red Bird Ranger District, Daniel Boone National Forest, Kentucky. Project objectives included quantification of movement patterns, identification of microhabitat use, and estimation of population size in both streams. Sampling was conducted during …


Examining The Impacts Of Valley Fills In Stream Ecosystems On Amphibian And Aquatic Insect Communities In Southeastern Kentucky, John Clayton Bourne Jan 2015

Examining The Impacts Of Valley Fills In Stream Ecosystems On Amphibian And Aquatic Insect Communities In Southeastern Kentucky, John Clayton Bourne

Online Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1. Abstract: Biodiversity is not evenly distributed, and understanding factors that determine spatial patterns of species diversity remains a key question in ecology. Because of their relatively high abundance and complex life cycles, stream salamanders and aquatic insects are important trophic links and serve a critical role in transferring energy. Despite this importance little research has examined their community structure simultaneously in aquatic ecosystems. The primary objective of this research was to determine the structure of these communities across natural areas of southeastern Kentucky and understand what factors impact their abundances and distributions. To address this, we sampled eight …


Reproductive Biology Of Syntopic Blackside Dace And Southern Redbelly Dace In Two Kentucky Streams, Brajaan Hayes Jan 2015

Reproductive Biology Of Syntopic Blackside Dace And Southern Redbelly Dace In Two Kentucky Streams, Brajaan Hayes

Online Theses and Dissertations

When a rare endemic species and an ecologically similar, but more cosmopolitan species share habitat, understanding how they interact with each other is important for conservation efforts. This is especially true if both species rely on the same spawning habitat, which could potentially lead to competitive displacement or hybridization. It is known that the federally threatened Blackside Dace and common Southern Redbelly Dace are ecologically similar species, occur syntopically in Kentucky in the upper Cumberland River basin, and utilize some of the same host species for nest sites; however, it is unclear if the two fish species are spawning site …


Presencia De Metales Pesados En La Reserva De La Biosfera Barranca De Metztitlán, Hidalgo, México, Irving Giovanny González-Salazar, Maritza López-Herrera, Scott Monks, Griselda Pulido-Flores Jan 2015

Presencia De Metales Pesados En La Reserva De La Biosfera Barranca De Metztitlán, Hidalgo, México, Irving Giovanny González-Salazar, Maritza López-Herrera, Scott Monks, Griselda Pulido-Flores

Estudios en Biodiversidad

La Reserva de la Biosfera Barranca de Metztitlán es un área natural protegida por la gran diversidad de flora y fauna existente en la misma. La zona es atravesada por un río de gran longitud que se extiende desde el municipio de Tulancingo hasta su desembocadura en la Laguna de Metztitlán, en la zona núcleo de la reserva. A lo largo del cauce del río se ubican algunos asentamientos humanos y zonas industriales, que vierten aguas residuales domésticas e industriales. Además, el agua del río es un recurso natural utilizado como agua de riego para las zonas agrícolas, que con …


Percepción De Calidad De Vida, Contaminación Y Riesgo En Localidades Rurales Del Municipio De Tecoanapa, Guerrero, Rocío López-Velasco, América Rodríguez-Herrera, Humberto González-González, Branly Olivier-Salomé, Consuelo Montalvo-Marques Jan 2015

Percepción De Calidad De Vida, Contaminación Y Riesgo En Localidades Rurales Del Municipio De Tecoanapa, Guerrero, Rocío López-Velasco, América Rodríguez-Herrera, Humberto González-González, Branly Olivier-Salomé, Consuelo Montalvo-Marques

Estudios en Biodiversidad

En el presente trabajo se realizó un análisis sobre la percepción de calidad de vida, contaminación y riesgo en nueve comunidades rurales del Municipio de Tecoanapa, Guerrero. Para ello, se seleccionaron nueve comunidades que cumplieran con tres aspectos: rezago social (muy alto, medio y muy bajo); ubicación (cerca de ríos); y vivencias en conflictos y embates ambientales. Se levantó una encuesta a jefes de familia en febrero de 2014. Registrando que el 70% de los habitantes afirmaron tener una buena calidad de vida. Al cuestionarlos sobre contaminación, el 59.9% consideró que si existe y está asociada al agua. El 52.0% …


Plantas Útiles De Tres Municipios (Metztitlán, Atotonilco El Grande Y Huasca De Ocampo) De La Reserva De La Biosfera Barranca De Metztitlán, Hidalgo, México, Miguel Ángel Villavicencio-Nieto, Blanca Estela Pérez-Escandón, Berenice N. López-Gutiérrez Jan 2015

Plantas Útiles De Tres Municipios (Metztitlán, Atotonilco El Grande Y Huasca De Ocampo) De La Reserva De La Biosfera Barranca De Metztitlán, Hidalgo, México, Miguel Ángel Villavicencio-Nieto, Blanca Estela Pérez-Escandón, Berenice N. López-Gutiérrez

Estudios en Biodiversidad

Existen muy pocos trabajos etnobotánicos realizados en la Reserva de la Biosfera Barranca de Metztitlán, por lo que el objetivo de este estudio fue generar un listado preliminar de plantas útiles de la Reserva. Se aplicaron entrevistas a habitantes de localidades ubicadas en la zona, para colectar las plantas útiles mencionadas se hicieron recorridos de campo en compañía de informantes, posteriormente las especies fueron identificadas con el uso de claves dicotómicas. Se registraron 83 especies de plantas útiles, distribuidas en 39 familias y 20 categorías de uso, siendo la medicinal la mejor representada por número de especies. Conocer el uso …


An Economic Analysis Of High-Intensity, Short-Duration Grazing Systems In South Dakota And Nebraska, Bronc Mcmurtry Jan 2015

An Economic Analysis Of High-Intensity, Short-Duration Grazing Systems In South Dakota And Nebraska, Bronc Mcmurtry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Four different grazing systems: two rotational, a continuous, and a high-intensity, short-duration (mob) system, replicated twice, were evaluated from an economic perspective. Mob grazing is defined as a system having very high stocking rates for a small amount of time. Livestock are forced to eat or trample the vegetation. Stocking rates and average daily gains (ADG) were collected from the UNL Barta Brothers ranch near Rose, Nebraska. The study started in 2011 and lasted until 2014. Using the performance data and other cost data relevant to South Dakota and Nebraska, budgets were set up for each system and extrapolated to …


Abundance, Density, And Opinions About Columbian Black-Tailed Deer, Whidbey Island, Washington, Robert P. Wingard Jan 2015

Abundance, Density, And Opinions About Columbian Black-Tailed Deer, Whidbey Island, Washington, Robert P. Wingard

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Obtaining reliable knowledge is the first step towards properly managing wildlife species. Columbian black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) on Whidbey Island, Washington have not been the subject of study, and little is known about the population, or the opinion of resident’s of Whidbey Island towards the deer population. However, wildlife managers suggest deer on the island may be overabundant or over social carrying capacity. Given the lack of empirical knowledge about the deer population or human opinions towards deer on Whidbey Island, I designed research to determine the abundance and density of Columbian black-tailed deer on Whidbey Island, …


Decadal Scale Responses Of Soil And Ecosystem Processes To Forest Restoration In Rocky Mountain Conifer Forests, Peter Ganzlin Jan 2015

Decadal Scale Responses Of Soil And Ecosystem Processes To Forest Restoration In Rocky Mountain Conifer Forests, Peter Ganzlin

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Decades of fire suppression have left much of the forest in the intermountain western United States exceedingly dense, and forest restoration techniques – including thinning and prescribed fire – are increasingly being used in an attempt to mitigate the potentially disastrous effects of severe wildfire, to enhance tree growth and regeneration, and to stimulate soil nutrient cycling. While many of the short-term effects of forest restoration have been established, the long-term effects on soil biogeochemical and ecosystem processes are largely unknown. In this thesis I present two manuscripts documenting and synthesizing these long-term impacts. The first chapter focuses on the …


School Gardens: Cultivating A Child’S Nutritional Habits, Environmental Knowledge, And Sustainability Practices, Jeffrey Meltzer Jan 2015

School Gardens: Cultivating A Child’S Nutritional Habits, Environmental Knowledge, And Sustainability Practices, Jeffrey Meltzer

Honors Theses

School gardens have existed since the late nineteenth century and today are becoming increasingly popular in many parts of the world, including where I studied in Maine and Australia (AUS). Multiple organizations support school gardens in Maine, including the Maine School Garden Network, which has over 125 registered school gardens. In AUS, the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation primarily supports the school garden movement and has over 800 registered school gardens. While many researchers have studied school gardens, few have compared two countries, focused on environmental sustainability, or investigated Maine in particular. This thesis combines information from literature reviews, and …


Coarse Woody Debris And The Carbon Balance Of A Moderately Disturbed Forest, Amy V. Schmid Jan 2015

Coarse Woody Debris And The Carbon Balance Of A Moderately Disturbed Forest, Amy V. Schmid

Theses and Dissertations

Landscapes are comprised of multiple ecosystems shaped by disturbances varying in severity and source. Moderate disturbance from weather, pathogens, insects, and age-related senescence, in contrast to severe disturbances that fell trees, may increase standing woody debris and alter the contribution of coarse woody debris (CWD) to total ecosystem respiration (RE). However, woody debris dynamics are rarely examined following moderate disturbances that substantially increase standing dead wood stocks. We used an experimental manipulation of moderate disturbance in an upper Great Lakes forest to: 1) examine decadal changes in CWD stocks through a moderate disturbance; 2) quantify in situ CWD …


Evolution, Systematics & Geographic Parthenogenesis Of Ilyodromus (Crustacea, Ostracoda), Rylan James Shearn Jan 2015

Evolution, Systematics & Geographic Parthenogenesis Of Ilyodromus (Crustacea, Ostracoda), Rylan James Shearn

Theses

Most multicellular organisms reproduce sexually at some point in their life cycle. This is paradoxical because being asexual is theoretically far more advantageous. Asexual organisms do not need to find and court new mates, they reproduce at a faster rate, and with no males, all members of the population contribute toward population growth rate. With over 20, often mutually exclusive hypotheses, this paradox resists a synthesised explanation, and continues to represent one of the largest gaps in our understanding of fundamental evolutionary theory. Clearly, more real world studies are required that document the selective mechanisms underlying differences in evolutionary fitness …


Plant Functional Traits Of Dominant Native And Invasive Species In Mediterranean-Climate Ecosystems, Jennifer L. Funk, Rachel J. Standish, William D. Stock, Fernando Valladares Jan 2015

Plant Functional Traits Of Dominant Native And Invasive Species In Mediterranean-Climate Ecosystems, Jennifer L. Funk, Rachel J. Standish, William D. Stock, Fernando Valladares

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The idea that dominant invasive plant species outperform neighboring native species through higher rates of carbon assimilation and growth is supported by several analyses of global datasets. However, theory suggests that native and invasive species occurring in low-resource environments will be functionally similar, as environmental factors restrict the range of observed physiological and morphological trait values. We measured resource-use traits in native and invasive plant species across eight diverse vegetation communities distributed throughout the five Mediterranean-climate regions, which are drought-prone and increasingly threatened by human activities including the introduction of exotic species. Traits differed strongly across the five regions. In …


Toxic Cyanobacteria Aerosols: Tests Of Filters For Cells, Sean R. Perry, Alexis Mack, James F. Haney, Amanda Murby Jan 2015

Toxic Cyanobacteria Aerosols: Tests Of Filters For Cells, Sean R. Perry, Alexis Mack, James F. Haney, Amanda Murby

Honors Theses and Capstones

Aerosolization of toxic cyanobacteria released from the surface of lakes is a new area of study that could uncover a previously unknown route of exposure to toxic cyanobacteria. Since toxic cyanobacteria may be responsible for adverse human health effects, methods and equipment need to be tested and established for monitoring these airborne bacteria. The primary focus of this study was to create controlled laboratory experiments that simulate natural lake aerosol production. I set out to test for the best type of filter to collect and analyze the aerosolized cells as small as 0.2-2.0 µm, known as picoplankton. To collect these …


Re-Envisioning Community-Wildfire Relations In The U.S. West As Adaptive Governance, Jesse B. Abrams, Melanie Knapp, Travis B. Paveglio, Autumn Ellison, Cassandra Moseley, Max Nielsen-Pincus, Matthew S. Carroll Jan 2015

Re-Envisioning Community-Wildfire Relations In The U.S. West As Adaptive Governance, Jesse B. Abrams, Melanie Knapp, Travis B. Paveglio, Autumn Ellison, Cassandra Moseley, Max Nielsen-Pincus, Matthew S. Carroll

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Prompted by a series of increasingly destructive, expensive, and highly visible wildfire crises in human communities across the globe, a robust body of scholarship has emerged to theorize, conceptualize, and measure community-level resilience to wildfires. To date, however, insufficient consideration has been given to wildfire resilience as a process of adaptive governance mediated by institutions at multiple scales. Here we explore the possibilities for addressing this gap through an analysis of wildfire resilience among wildland-urban interface communities in the western region of the United States. We re-engage important but overlooked components of social-ecological system resilience by situating rural communities within …