Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Integrating, Developing, And Testing Methods To Generate More Cohesive Approaches To Biogeographic Inference, Mallory Elizabeth Eckstut

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As a fundamental component of the developing discipline of conservation biogeography, broadscale analyses of biotic assembly and disassembly across multiple temporal and spatial scales provide an enhanced understanding of how geologic transformations and climate oscillations have shaped extant patterns of biodiversity. As with any scientific field, there are limitations in the case of biogeographic historical reconstructions. Historical reconstructions are only as robust as the theoretical underpinnings of the methods of reconstruction (including data collection, quality, analysis, and interpretation). Nevertheless, historical reconstructions of species distributions can help inform our understanding of how species respond to environmental change.

My dissertation takes a …

Dot Product Graphs And Their Applications To Ecology, Sean Bailey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

We will introduce a new tool to visualize the comparison between different birds. This tool will allow users to use any number of measurable traits to see relationships between different birds, both individually and collectively.

Modeling The Genetic Consequences Of Mutualism On Communities, Carrie E. Eaton

Doctoral Dissertations

Three models of coevolutionary dynamics between mutualistically interacting species are developed. The first is a three loci, haploid model describing a general plant-pollinator system, such as Greya moth and its host plant. In this case, the system will always collapse to a single plant type and pollinator type. In a community with an mutant plant type, it is possible for a host-switch to occur, governed by the initial relative abundance plant type and the pollinator choosiness. In addition, genetic diversity can be maintained if the pollinator has no differential host preference, only adaptation to a host. Next, this model is …

Creating Sustainable Economic And Ecological Growth In The Congo Basin: Bushmeat Consumption And Biodiversity Protection, Richelle Lynn Warnock

Masters Theses

This research examines the economic and ecological sustainability of bushmeat hunting in the Congo Basin, specifically the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo. Although bushmeat hunting has provided short term gain for individuals in the region, long term solutions focusing on micro and macro level interventions may provide community wide benefits, while protecting Congo Basin wildlife. Research shows that a focus on the development of key economic sectors such as agriculture, mineral resources and hydroelectricity, as well as the growth of infrastructure may provide viable economic gain for the Congo Basin. Ecotourism and improvements to forest management …

A Multi-Taxonomic Approach To Assess The Impact Of Overabundant White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) In Forest Ecosystems Across Northeast Ohio, Sara A. Laux

ETD Archive

Browsing by white-tailed deer has alters plant species diversity of the forest understory across much of North America. A reduced understory may lead to the simplification of the forest-floor microhabitat, causing broad scale shifts in the community composition and abundance of litter-dwelling arthropods and small mammals. The objectives of this study were to 1) document changes in the forest-floor microhabitat as a result of over-browsing by deer and 2) determine if differential browsing pressures indirectly affect faunal biodiversity (litter-dwelling arthropods and small mammals) of forest ecosystems. I predicted that browsing within the understory will reduce structural complexity of the forest-floor …

Singing Behavior And Geographic Variation In The Songs Of The Veery (Catharus Fuscescens) Across The Appalachian Mountains, Courtney L. Brennan

ETD Archive

The Veery (Catharus fuscescens) is a common Neotropical migrant thrush whose breeding distribution spans the Northern United States and southern Canada and continues south through the high elevations of the Appalachian Mountains. Despite its wide distribution, many aspects of Veery biology are largely unknown, including a clear characterization of song and knowledge of geographic song variation. I describe the song structure, repertoire size, and patterns of song delivery in the songs of the Veery and describe geographic song variation across four regions along the Appalachian Mountains. Visual analysis of song spectrogram images of territorial males revealed that Veeries' repertoire ranges …

Influence Of Earthworms On Plant And Soil Invertebrate Communities Of The Cleveland Metroparks, Anton F. Schermaier

ETD Archive

No native earthworms exist in the Great Lakes region of Ohio. All earthworms found in previously glaciated areas of the United States either migrated from unglaciated areas or were introduced as a result of human activities such as agriculture and sport fishing. Non-native earthworms may facilitate dramatic changes in structure and function of plant and invertebrate communities of forest ecosystems. This study examined how the presence of non-native earthworms within the Cleveland Metroparks may correspond with plant and soil invertebrate communities. Special attention was given to the Asian earthworm, Amynthas spp., a recent arrival to northeastern Ohio and a particularly …

Ecology Of Glacial Relict Fishes In South Dakota's Sandhills Region, Eli Felts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Native stream fish zoogeography has changed substantially across North America during the last century as habitat degradation, stream fragmentation and introductions of nonnative species have led to numerous extinctions, extirpations and altered distributions. Insufficient information regarding imperiled species often results in reactive, rather than proactive, management, and knowledge of species status and ecology is critical in identifying conservation priorities. South Dakota populations of three dace species (northern redbelly dace Chrosomus eos, finescale dace Chrosomus neogaeus, and pearl dace Margariscus margarita) are relict of Pleistocene Glaciation and are isolated from the northern core of their distribution, but little information exists regarding …

Investigations For Utilizing Pteropods As Bioindicators Of Environmental Change Along The Western Antarctic Peninsula, Paul Mark Suprenand

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pteropods are holoplanktonic gastropod molluscs found globally. Although species diversity is greater at lower latitudes, species abundance is greater at temperate and polar latitudes. Declines in pteropod populations have not only been correlated to declines of their major predators, but pteropods have also been used as bioindicators of global environmental changes such as ocean acidification. With high latitude abundances, pteropods provide significant sustenance for species such as the Atlantic salmon in the Atlantic Ocean and Pleuragramma antarcticum in the Southern Ocean. Because pteropods eat phytoplankton and other pteropods, factors that affect pteropod abundance influence many trophic levels. This dissertation explores …

Evaluating The Utility Of Beaver Reintroduction Programs For Enhancing Habitat For Rainbow Trout And Steelhead, Jonathan Rodger Hegna

All Master's Theses

Beaver reintroduction programs are increasingly being viewed as a way to enhance salmonid habitat and production. However, the actual effectiveness of using beavers as a habitat enhancement tool for ESA listed steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss populations is unknown. We examined the type of habitat, at both the microhabitat and mesohabitat levels, preferred by steelhead in three small streams in the upper Yakima Basin, WA through standard snorkel surveys and habitat measurements. Our results suggest that steelhead in small streams strongly prefer (relative to availability) microhabitats that have deeper water(> 30 cm), slow stream velocities(< 0 .05 mis), and complex cover types. Habitat partitioning among the size-classes (small< 50 mm, medium 50-90 mm, large> 90 mm total length, TL) principally operated …