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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Influences Of Landscape Characteristics On The Nesting Ecology Of Female Wild Turkeys And Behavior Of Raccoons, Michael E. Byrne
Influences Of Landscape Characteristics On The Nesting Ecology Of Female Wild Turkeys And Behavior Of Raccoons, Michael E. Byrne
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Nest predation is the principle source of reproductive failure in many bird species. Understanding nest predation requires knowledge of interactions between landscape characteristics, and the ecology and behavior of birds and local nest predators. I studied nesting ecology and multi-scale habitat selection of female wild turkeys and the habitat selection and searching behaviors of raccoons, an important nest predator, in a bottomland hardwood forest in Louisiana. My objective was to evaluate the relationships between habitat, wild turkey nest site selection, and raccoon foraging behavior. I used first-passage time (FPT) analysis on nightly foraging tracks of raccoons during the turkey nesting …
Understanding The Use Of Barrier Islands As Nesting Habitat For Louisiana Birds Of Concern, Cecilia Marie Leumas
Understanding The Use Of Barrier Islands As Nesting Habitat For Louisiana Birds Of Concern, Cecilia Marie Leumas
LSU Master's Theses
Colonial nesting seabirds are threatened by habitat loss and degradation, human disturbance, predation, and climate change. Several species of conservation concern concentrate high percentages of their total U.S. populations in Louisiana breeding colonies. We studied seabirds, including Royal Terns, Sandwich Terns, and Black Skimmers, nesting on Isles Dernieres barrier islands along the Gulf coast of Louisiana. Two of the four islands in this chain host extensive seabird colonies and two do not. We used an experimental approach to test the hypothesis that large terns and skimmers are prevented from nesting on Trinity Island, the largest of the Isles Dernieres, by …
Dactyls Reveal Evolutionary Patterns In Decapod Crustaceans, Jeffrey Guy Agnew
Dactyls Reveal Evolutionary Patterns In Decapod Crustaceans, Jeffrey Guy Agnew
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Because of their high preservation potential and uses in foraging and defense, decapod crustacean dactyls (movable fingers of claws) are potentially excellent test subjects for an ongoing debate concerning the relative importance of top-down (predators) and bottom-up (prey) controls on morphologic diversification and evolution. The utility of dactyls for inferring evolutionary patterns were evaluated using living and subfossil xanthoid crabs sampled from the southeast U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts, and were used to: (1) distinguish the roles of selection and constraint on dactyl morphology through allometric and shape comparisons in the context of the crab’s phylogenetic relationships and …
The Ecology Of Blacktail Redhorse Moxostoma Poecilurum In West Fork Thompson Creek, Louisiana, Jesse Adam Bahm
The Ecology Of Blacktail Redhorse Moxostoma Poecilurum In West Fork Thompson Creek, Louisiana, Jesse Adam Bahm
LSU Master's Theses
This study was designed to examine home range sizes and habitat use of blacktail redhorse Moxostoma poecilurum in West Fork Thompson Creek, Louisiana. Blacktail redhorse are a common non-game species found in Louisiana and other southeastern states. Adult blacktail redhorse (N=40; 187-273 mm total length) were implanted with radio transmitters and tracked twice weekly from February to September 2006 and from February to July 2007. To assess blacktail redhorse diet I analyzed 32 stomachs from fish collected by backpack electrofishing. I also conducted mark-recapture surveys of fish sampled monthly from May 2006 until July 2007. To assess homing ability in …
Effects Of Predator Activity On The Nesting Of American Black Ducks And Other Birds On Barrier Islands In The Mid-Atlantic Coast, Brian Joseph Arquilla
Effects Of Predator Activity On The Nesting Of American Black Ducks And Other Birds On Barrier Islands In The Mid-Atlantic Coast, Brian Joseph Arquilla
LSU Master's Theses
Landscape change throughout North America has resulted in heightened nest predator population and declining avian productivity. Essential to establishing effective management design is an understanding of differential predation pressure among avian groups as group specific responses to predation impact may exist. The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy of predator trapping on the nest success and density of ground nesting avifauna in 2004-2005 in the Virginia Coast Reserve, specifically dabbling ducks, Canada Goose and Willet. Second, we determine the impact of predation on ground nesting birds by relating indices of predator abundance to nest density and nest …
Do Predator Exclusion, Position, And Plant Architecture Influence Hydrilla-Dwelling Macroinvertebrate Communities?, Jonathan C. Fisher
Do Predator Exclusion, Position, And Plant Architecture Influence Hydrilla-Dwelling Macroinvertebrate Communities?, Jonathan C. Fisher
LSU Master's Theses
Hydrilla verticillata invaded south central Louisiana during the 1970s subsequently becoming the dominant submerged macrophyte in floodplain habitats of the Atchafalaya River Basin. The effects of hydrilla on littoral habitat structure, water quality, fish, and macroinvertebrates have been pervasive, and I hypothesized that dense hydrilla stands would also impact vertebrate predation on resident macroinvertebrates, although predation effects would likely be mediated by bed position. During 2003 and 2004, I conducted exclosure experiments in the Atchafalaya River Basin with artificial substrates to test for variations in hydrilla bed macroinvertebrate communities caused by predation, plant architecture, and bed position. To determine invertebrates …
Assessing Landscape-Level Impacts Of Red Imported Fire Ants On Native Faunal Communities In Pine-Dominated Forests, Keri Elizabeth Landry
Assessing Landscape-Level Impacts Of Red Imported Fire Ants On Native Faunal Communities In Pine-Dominated Forests, Keri Elizabeth Landry
LSU Master's Theses
Since the accidental introduction of red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta Buren, RIFA) into Mobile, Alabama in the 1930’s, the invasion of this species into other areas across the southeast has increased drastically. RIFA have been implicated in the disruption of ecosystems and decreases in biodiversity. Most research on effects of RIFA on vertebrates and invertebrates have focused on small spatial scales and single species. I examined established populations of RIFA in relation to native ground-dwelling arthropods and small mammal communities in longleaf-pine and pine-hardwood forests. I evaluated the efficacy of using Amdro® to control RIFA and determined the effect …