Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons^™

Macroinvertebrate Assemblages And Dynamic Soil Properties: Influence Of Dredging, Bianca N. Ross

Senior Honors Projects

Bianca Peixoto

Senior Honors Project

Macroinvertebrate Assemblages and Dynamic Soil Properties: Influence of Dredging: Abstract

The habitat characterization of subaqueous soils is important for inventorying natural resources and monitoring changes in ecosystem processes. This project aimed to characterize benthic communities within coastal ponds of southern Rhode Island, and develop an understanding of how these communities change due to habitat alterations. I explored the distribution of benthic biology among a range of estuarine subaqueous soils and the effect of anthropogenic disturbance (dredging) on these distributions. The term “benthic” refers to the collection of organisms living in the substrate at the interface …

Survival, Abundance, And Geographic Distribution Of Temperate-Nesting Canada Geese (Branta Canadensis) In Arkansas, Margaret Eliese Ronke

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Temperate-nesting Canada geese in Arkansas have grown in abundance and range since reintroduction in the 1980s. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission uses harvest and other methods to maintain the population at desired levels. However, continued management of temperate-nesting geese requires knowledge of the population's demographics and current range to help establish quantifiable management goals.

To assess the need and effect of changing hunting regulations, survival and recovery rates and abundance were estimated for this population. Annual survival rates of temperate-nesting Canada geese banded and recovered in Arkansas from 2005 to 2011 were estimated using the Burnham joint live-dead recovery …

Effects Of Petroleum Distillates On Amphibian Development, Kate Walker

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Petroleum distillates are widely used as an energy source and the extraction and disposal of these chemicals are done with little consideration of their effects on aquatic environments. Amphibians are considered excellent ecological indicators but little research has examined effects of petroleum distillates on aquatic species. I evaluated the lethal and sublethal effects on larval amphibians with exposure to petroleum distillates associated with various venues of pollution including hydraulic fracturing. I selected three petroleum distillates (kerosene, oil, and unleaded gasoline) that are known to have negative effects on aquatic organisms and are similar to the common constituents of mixtures used …

Habitat Assessment Of Two Narrowly Endemic Plant Species, Ozark Spiderwort (Tradescantia Ozarkana) E. S. Anderson And Woods. And Newton's Larkspur (Delphinium Newtonianum) D. M. Moore, Autumn Lynn Coffey Olsen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The threat of biodiversity loss is upon us with the onset of climate change and our ever-demanding needs of the Earth's resources for a rapidly growing human population. Species highly vulnerable to loss are those limited in abundance and distribution, or those with reduced genetic diversity. Efforts to actively conserve a sensitive species require effectual data on the probable causes of their vulnerability. Two species of concern, Delphinium newtonianum and Tradescantia ozarkana, are globally rare endemic vascular plant species found only in the Interior Highlands of North America. In an attempt to understand the causes for their endemism, habitat …

Diversity And Ecology Of Host-Seeking Mosquitoes In Irrigated Agro-Ecosystems Of Clay County, Nebraska, Alister K. Bryson

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In the United States, Nebraska has the third highest incidence of human West Nile virus (WNV). Since WNV was first detected in the state in 2002, 3,422 confirmed cases and 57 deaths have been reported. Irrigated agro-ecosystems, which have been associated with elevated WNV incidences in other states, are prevalent in Nebraska. The objectives of this investigation were to 1) characterize mosquito abundance and diversity in irrigated agro-ecosystems, and 2) evaluate associations of two primary vectors of WNV, Culex tarsalis and Culex pipiens, with irrigation methods (sprinkler vs. surface) and crop type (corn vs. soybean). Investigations were conducted …

Response Of Large River Fishes To A Prolonged High Water Event In The Missouri River, Nebraska, Nicholas Paul Hogberg

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Regulation and modification of large rivers to accommodate human uses have been a root cause of freshwater biodiversity declines. The Missouri River is among the most drastically-altered large river systems in North America, with a series of mainstem impoundments in the upper watershed altering flow characteristics downstream, and channelization throughout the lower river homogenizing instream habitat and reducing off-channel habitat. Precipitation events during the winter and spring 2010-2011 caused flooding of the greatest magnitude and duration since reservoir completion. The large magnitude and long duration of this flood made it unlike any flood in recent history and provided a unique …

Accuracy Or Precision: Implications Of Sample Design And Methodology On Abundance Estimation, Lucas K. Kowalewski

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Estimation of population size by spatially replicated counts (point-count method) has been used for many large-scale animal-monitoring programs, yet its application in aquatic environments has been limited. Multiple site-specific estimates of abundance can be averaged and combined with covariate data to predict total abundance across an area of interest. Covariate data also provide an understanding of the relationship between abundance and habitat use, which is a fundamental interest of many animal-population investigations. Design of sampling scenarios for point-count population-estimate surveys can influence the accuracy and precision of the population estimate. The first objective of this study was to examine how …

Small Mammal Community Associations And Habitat Use At Pea Ridge National Military Park, Benton County, Arkansas, Christopher Reddin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Juniperus virginiana L. (Eastern Red Cedar) is a fire-intolerant tree species that has been invading and altering grassland ecosystems throughout the American Great Plains and Midwest. To see how Eastern Red Cedar encroachment affects small mammal communities, we surveyed small mammals using mark-recapture methods in Eastern Red Cedar forest and 5 other habitats common to the Ozark region. Additionally, we compared the microhabitat use of presumed juniper obligate Peromyscus attwateri J.A. Allen (Texas Mouse) and its conspecific P. leucopus Rafinesque (White-Footed Mouse). We ran over 7000 trap-nights and found that the small mammal species composition in Eastern Red Cedar was …

The Delivery, Speciation, And Fate Of Trace Elements In St. Louis Bay, Mississippi, Gopal Bera

Dissertations

Estuaries are dynamic regions in which there can be significant modification of the riverine flux of trace elements to the open ocean due to various geochemical, physical, and biological processes. Additionally, estuaries are often subject to anthropogenic inputs of trace elements. The first portion of this study investigated the source, behavior, and sediment interaction of anthropogenic stable cesium (Cs) in St. Louis Bay (SLB), MS. A consistent increase in stable Cs concentration was noticed in sediment cores starting from a period when a titanium dioxide refinery on SLB started operations. Weak correlation between Cs and clay percentage and strong correlations …

Diel Patterns Of Foraging Aggression And Antipredator Behavior In The Trashline Orb-Weaving Spider, Cyclosa Turbinata, James C. Watts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Few studies have rigorously assessed the adaptive value of diel rhythms in animals. We laid the groundwork for assessing the adaptive rhythm hypothesis by assaying diel rhythms of foraging and antipredator behavior in the orb-weaving spider Cyclosa turbinata. When confronted with a predator stimulus in experimental arenas, C. turbinata exhibited thanatosis behavior more frequently and for longer durations during the day. However, assays of antipredator response within webs revealed more complex diel patterns of avoidance behaviors and no pattern of avoidance behavior duration. Assays of prey capture behavior found that the likelihood of exhibiting prey capture behavior varied significantly …

Use Of A Net Rate Of Energy Intake Model To Examine Differences In Juvenile Steelhead (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) Densities And The Energetic Implications Of Restoration, C. Eric Wall

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) Fish and Wildlife Program mitigates for impacts of hydroelectric dams on ESA-listed salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia River Basin (CRB). Considering the sizable investments in mitigation and the diversity of stream habitats within the CRB, there has been a pointed effort to develop and identify meaningful metrics relating to fish populations and trends in their habitat across the CRB. The Integrated Status and Effectiveness Monitoring Program (ISEMP) was developed in 2003 specifically for this purpose, and is tasked with developing and testing strategies for determining the status and trend of salmonid populations and …

Prymnesium Parvum And Fish Kills In A Southern Nevada Man-~Made Reservoir, Tara Gregg

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The water chemistry of Lake Las Vegas (LLV), a Southern Nevada man-made reservoir, is influenced by both anthropogenic and natural sources. These sources affect the reservoir's water chemistry, which may promote harmful algal blooms (HABs) leading to massive fish kill events. Fish kills, caused by the golden algaePrymnesium parvum (P. parvum), continue to pose a threat in the reservoir. However, no effective treatments to controlP. parvumin large reservoirs such as LLV have been determined. This cross-sectional study evaluated important variables that may affectP. parvumHABs in LLV, including non-P. parvumbiomass (mg/m3), total zooplankton abundance (#/m3), temperature, TDS (salinity), mineral concentration (Ca, …

Pronghorn (Antilocapra Americana) Offspring Recruitment On The Carrizo Plain National Monument: Evaluating The Effects Of Low Population Density And Marginal Habitat Quality., Diego Ramirez Johnson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Demographic fluctuation among ungulate populations is strongly linked to variability in recruitment. Rates of recruitment are subject to various forms of density-dependent and density-independent regulation. For species which benefit from the presence of conspecifics, reduced population density can decrease rates of recruitment and trigger a decline in per capita growth. Termed the Allee effect, this scenario can cause demographic collapse and population extinction. For many ungulate species, predation on juveniles is reduced when the timing and distribution of births is synchronized within a local population. Because birth synchrony is density-dependent, it may act as a mechanism for the Allee effect …

Distribution And Drivers Of A Widespread, Invasive Wetland Grass, Phragmites Australis, In Great Salt Lake Wetlands, Arin Lexine Long

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Non-native invasive plant species can often have negative effects on native ecosystems, such as altered nutrient cycling, decreased habitat for wildlife, and outcompeting native plants. Around the Great Salt Lake (GSL), Utah, the invasive wetland grass Phragmites australis has become abundant in wetlands around the lake. Phragmites is replacing many native wetland plants provide important waterfowl habitat around the GSL. For successful management of Phragmites in GSL wetlands, it is important to know the current distribution of Phragmites, as well as areas that might be vulnerable to future invasion by Phragmites. To do this, we used multispectral aerial …

Trophic Status, Energetic Demands, And Factors Affecting Lahontan Cutthroat Trout Distribution In Pyramid Lake, Nevada, Nicholas A. Heredia

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The progression of human development across the landscape has caused declines to both terrestrial and aquatic fauna. Many fishes, specifically native salmonids, have seen reductions in both population size and geographic distribution resulting from reduced habitat, overharvest, and the introduction of non-native predators and competitors. A native North American fish particularly hard hit by these types of actions, Lahontan cutthroat trout, are now limited to less than 10% of their historical habitat, and currently occupy only half of the lakes that they once occupied.

In Pyramid Lake, Nevada, where Lahontan cutthroat trout were once locally extinct, due to overfishing, water …

Modeling And Monitoring Terrestrial Primary Production In A Changing Global Environment: Toward A Multiscale Synthesis Of Observation And Simulation, Shufen Pan, Hanqin Tian, Shree R. S. Dangal, Zhiyun Ouyang, Bo Tao, Wei Ren, Chaoqun Lu, Steven W. Running

Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences Faculty Publications

There is a critical need to monitor and predict terrestrial primary production, the key indicator of ecosystem functioning, in a changing global environment. Here we provide a brief review of three major approaches to monitoring and predicting terrestrial primary production: (1) ground-based field measurements, (2) satellite-based observations, and (3) process-based ecosystem modelling. Much uncertainty exists in the multi-approach estimations of terrestrial gross primary production (GPP) and net primary production (NPP). To improve the capacity of model simulation and prediction, it is essential to evaluate ecosystem models against ground and satellite-based measurements and observations. As a case, we have shown the …

Body Size And Species Richness Changes In Glyptosaurinae (Squamata: Anguidae) Through Climatic Transitions Of The North American Cenozoic, Sara Elshafie

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Poikilothermic vertebrates offer excellent climate proxies based on relationships between environment and measurable variables such as body size and species richness. Relationships of these variables in lizards to environmental transitions over long time scales are poorly understood. Here I show that patterns of body size and species richness in a lizard clade, Glyptosaurinae (Squamata: Anguidae), correspond to known histories of paleotemperatures through the Cenozoic of North America. Glyptosaurines have the richest fossil record among North American Cenozoic lizards and exhibit a wide range of skull sizes. In order to estimate body size for glyptosaurines and other fossil anguids, I collected …

Seasonal Variability As A Source Of Uncertainty In The West Siberian Regional Ch4 Flux Upscaling, A. F. Sabrekov, Benjamin R. K. Runkle, M. V. Glagolev, I E. Kleptsova, S. S. Maksyutov

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study compares seasonal and spatial variations in methane fluxes as sources of uncertainty in regional CH4 flux upscaling from the wetlands of West Siberia. The study examined variability in summertime CH4 emissions from boreal peatlands, with a focus on two subtaiga fen sites in the southern part of West Siberia (Novosibirskaya oblast). We measured CH4 flux, water table depth, air and peat temperature, pH and electric conductivity of peat water during three field campaigns in summer 2011 (9–12 July, 26–28 July and 20–21 August). Fluxes were measured with static chambers at sites chosen to represent two of the most …

Fifth Specimen Of The Nine-Banded Armadillo (Dasypus Novemcinctus) From Nebraska, Keith Geluso, Greg D. Wright, Angelina E. Wright

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

The nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) has moved northward in the Great Plains in the last century, reaching distributional limits in Nebraska for pioneering individuals. Herein, we report on the fifth specimen from Nebraska. A male individual was obtained from Lincoln County representing a new county record for Nebraska and one of the northwestern-most specimens in the United States.

Developing Transmissible Vaccines For Animal Infections: Intrinsically Safe Designs And A Staged Transparent Development Process Will Be Essential, Daniel G. Streiker, Megan E. Griffiths, Rustom Antia, Laura Bergner, Peter Bowman, Maria Vitoria Dos Santos De Moraes, Kevin Esvelt, Mike Famulare, Amy T. Gilbert, Biao He, Michael A. Jarvis, David A. Kennedy, Jennifer Kuzma, Carolyne Nasi,Iyu Wanyonyi, Christopher Remien, Tonie Rocke, Kyle Rosenke, Courtney Schreiner, Justin Sheen, David Simons, Ivet A. Yordanova, James J. Bull, Scott L. Nuismer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Developing Transmissible Vaccines for Animal Infections: Intrinsically Safe Designs and a Staged Transparent Development Process Will Be Essential

Intrinsically safe, biologically compelling vaccine designs

Pahsed development must incorporate checkpoints and engagement

Staged development with established checkpoints

Wquitable partnerships with international governance

Toward deployment

Workshop organization

Seven proposed commitm ents for the responsible development of transmissible vaccines for infectious disease control in animals

Evolutionary outcomes of vaccine transmission depend on the viral vector and the genetic modifications introduced

The Surface Energy Balance And Its Drivers In A Boreal Peatland Fen Of Northwestern Russia, Benjamin R. K. Runkle, Christian Wille, Michal Gazovic, M. Wilmking, L. Kutzbach

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Boreal peatland energy balances using the eddy covariance technique have previously been made in Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia, and Western Siberia, but not in the European portion of the Russian Federation. European Russia contains approximately 200,000 km2 of peatlands and has a boreal (subarctic), continental climate influencing the region’s energy balance. To help fill this research gap, the surface energy balance was determined for a boreal peatland fen in the Komi Republic of Russia for an 11-month period in 2008–2009 using the eddy covariance method. The total measurement period’s cumulative energy balance closure rate was 86%, with higher closure during the …

Ecological Processes Dominate The 13C Land Disequilibrium In A Rocky Mountain Subalpine Forest, D. R. Bowling, Ashley P. Ballantyne, J. B. Miller, S. P. Burns, T. J. Conway, O. Menzer, B. B. Stephens, B. H. Vaughn

Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences Faculty Publications

Fossil fuel combustion has increased atmospheric CO₂ by ≈ 115 µmol mol⁻¹ since 1750 and decreased its carbon isotope composition (δ¹³C) by 1.7–2‰ (the ¹³C Suess effect). Because carbon is stored in the terrestrial biosphere for decades and longer, the δ¹³C of CO₂released by terrestrial ecosystems is expected to differ from the δ¹³C of CO₂ assimilated by land plants during photosynthesis. This isotopic difference between land-atmosphere respiration (δ_R) and photosynthetic assimilation (δ_A) fluxes gives rise to the ¹³C land disequilibrium …

Oreaster Reticulatus: A Study Of 3 Aggregations In The Bocas Del Toro Archipelago, Rae Robinson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Las estrellas del mar son importantes para mantener un ecosistema estable y la cadena alimentaria de una sistema del mar. La especie de estrella del mar, Oreaster reticulatus, es un despredador de material particulada, algas, larvas pequeñas, y a veces tejido esponja. En el archipiélago de Bocas del Toro esta especie brillante es frecuente. Se ha sugerido que la competencia de alimentos entre individuos de las misma especie es un fenómeno que limitaría las recursos y por lo tanto las capacidades de crecimiento. Fue presumido que habría una relación inversa entre la densidad de población y tamaño de media …

Tracking Movements Of Ambystoma Tigrinum Using Radio Telemetry, Heather L. Waye, Kirsten T. Sharpe

Undergraduate Research Symposium 2014

The eastern tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) is a widely distributed amphibian ranging from Northern Minnesota, down to Florida, and over to the east coast of the United States (Oldfield and Moriarty, 1994). As populations within the species are diverse and seldom studies have been done in the area of radio telemetry in tiger salamanders, there is a need for information in this field. This project was the first of its kind to be implemented in Minnesota.

In an effort to more fully understand the ecology of this species, this research attempts to provide vital information that will allow a better …

Issue Brief: Asset Management For Stormwater, New England Environmental Finance Center, Sustainable Communities Learning Network

Sustainable Communities Capacity Building

Asset management is a strategic approach to maintaining and sustaining infrastructure in order to meet the needs of the community at the lowest overall life cycle cost. This approach helps communities know how and where to prioritize limited funds in order to achieve the greatest benefit. Often applied to drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, this method is well suited to managing any assets, including stormwater systems.

This issue brief is intended to introduce local governments to the asset management process and to show how it can be applied in managing stormwater assets. It was adapted from an appendix written by …

Microglia Respond To Both Permanent And Temporary Deaferentation In The Adult Zebrafish Olfactory Bulb, Amanda K. Mckenna

Masters Theses

The major goal of this study was to investigate a microglial response following deafferentation in the adult zebrafish, Danio rerio, olfactory bulb. Microglia were identified in the olfactory bulb using the 4c4 antibody and phagocytic-dependent labeling (DiA). Microglia responded to both methods of deafferentation namely, permanent (cautery) and temporary (Triton X- 100). On one and three days following both permanent and temporary deafferentation there was a significant increase in microglia in the treated olfactory bulb. At five and seven days after permanent and temporary deafferentation there was no longer a significant difference between the treated and untreated olfactory bulbs, …

Current Status And Long-Term Trends In Water Quality And Living Resources In The Virginia Tributaries And Chesapeake Bay Mainstem From 1985 Through 2012, Daniel M. Dauer, Todd A. Egerton, John R. Donat, Michael F. Lane, Suzanne C. Doughten, Cindy Johnson

Status and Trends for Virginia Chesapeake Bay

The period prior to the implementation of the Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Program was characterized by a marked decline in the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay. The disappearance of submerged aquatic vegetation in certain regions of the Bay, declines in the abundance of some commercially and recreationally important species, increases in the incidence of low dissolved oxygen events, changes in the Bay's food web, and other ecological problems have been related to the deteriorating water quality (e.g. USEPA, 1982,1983;Officer et al.,1984; Orth and Moore, 1984). The results of concentrated research efforts in the late 1970s and early 1980s stimulated the …

A Case Study Of Rhincodon Typus Scarring In Ningaloo Reef: An Assessment Of The Current Scarring Classification System, Laura Korman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Rhincodon typus are the largest fish in the sea, but little is understood about this elusive species. They are known to annually aggregate in Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia—the location of this study. In order to better understand this species, scarring was observed on a subset of the population that aggregates in Ningaloo Reef. In addition, the scarring classification system was examined to determine if it is the most effective classification system. R. typus were observed, and photographed from April 9th-April 25th, 2014. These photos were then used for identification and scarring classification purposes. The analysis of the scars on R. …

Determination Of The Ecological Condition Of Benthic Communities Affected By Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In The Elizabeth River, Chesapeake Bay, Usa, Adam M. Webb

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River, a tributary of Chesapeake Bay, has historically been polluted with hydrocarbon based industrial by-products. My study compared benthic community condition from two locations in the Southern Branch: the subtidal region near Money Point, historically affected by pollution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), to a subtidal region near Blows Creek on the opposite shore that is putatively designated as unimpacted by P AH contamination. Samples from both study sites in the Southern Branch were compared to the benthic community condition of samples from the same habitat type designations collected as part of the Chesapeake …

Hymenolepis Robertrauschi N. Sp. From Grasshopper Mice Onychomys Spp. In New Mexico And Nebraska, U.S.A., Scott Lyell Gardner, Brent A. Luedders, Donald W. Duszynski

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

From 1989 through 1998, a total of 358 grasshopper mice were collected and examined for helminth and protistan parasites from several habitat types on the Sevilleta Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site in New Mexico, U.S.A. Of these, 205 individuals were identified as Onychomys leucogaster (Wied-Neuwied 1841) and 153 individuals were classified as O. arenicola Mearns 1896. Many individuals of Onychomys were infected with a new species of Hymenolepididae (Hymenolepis robertrauschi), which is herein described, illustrated, and compared with all species of Nearctic Hymenolepis s. str. Hymenolepis robertrauschi was found in 26% of the individuals of O. arenicola …