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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Dispersal And Population Structure Of Euchlanis Chihuahuaensis Via Anemochory In The Chihuahuan Desert, Tristan Chavez-Poeschel
Dispersal And Population Structure Of Euchlanis Chihuahuaensis Via Anemochory In The Chihuahuan Desert, Tristan Chavez-Poeschel
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Desert ecosystems present challenges for aquatic organisms as habitats are fragmented, both in space and time; however, diapausing stages of rotifers can travel hundreds of kilometers during wind events. I used the rotifer Euchlanis chihuahuaensis as a model species to investigate the influence of wind dispersal on gene flow and population genetics in Chihuahuan Desert populations. I hypothesized that anemochory facilitates gene flow from source populations in the Northern Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico and the western United States to habitats in the Trans-Pecos region via delineated wind corridors. To test this hypothesis, the genetic diversity of populations from both inside …
Dust Storms And The Dispersal Of Aquatic Invertebrates In The Chihuahuan Desert Ecoregion, Jose Rivas Jr.
Dust Storms And The Dispersal Of Aquatic Invertebrates In The Chihuahuan Desert Ecoregion, Jose Rivas Jr.
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
The Chihuahuan Desert surrounding El Paso, Texas is one of the most intense sources of dust in the Western Hemisphere. Within this vast desert are ephemeral wetlands with micrometazoan propagules contained within their sediment egg banks. Dispersal of aquatic microinvertebrates between habitats is vital for the success of their populations. Passive dispersal of the propagules provides an escape mechanism from unfavorable conditions. Upon desiccation of these habitats, windstorms can potentially transport propagules mixed within entrained sediments across regional scales. To study this process, I collected falling sediment from 91 windstorms, with 59 samples collected at the University of Texas at …