Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Factors Affecting Habitat Quality For Wintering Wood Thrushes In A Coffee Growing Region In Honduras, Brett A. Bailey

Masters Theses

Amongst the diversity of taxa that occur in the Neotropics, 200 migratory bird species that breed in temperate North America can be found. Many of these populations have seen significant declines since the 1960s. The Wood Thrush, Hylocichla mustelina, is one such species. Shade coffee and other agroforestry practices show potential for benefiting migratory species, but the quality of coffee habitat and optimal habitat characteristics for Wood Thrushes remain unknown.

I surveyed a spatially complex, agricultural landscape in Honduras outside the recognized winter range of the Wood Thrush and radio-tagged 46 individuals within rustic coffee farms during the winters …

American Black Duck Wintering Dynamics And Dabbling Duck Response To Herbicide Application In Western Tennessee Wetlands, Joshua Matthew Osborn

Masters Theses

American black duck (Anas rubripes) populations declined throughout North America in the late 20^th century. Although the breeding population has since stabilized, research investigating habitat use by black ducks in the Mississippi Flyway is scarce. Impacts of wetland management practices in response to invasive species must also be tested to measure responses to habitat quality by black ducks and other waterfowl. During winters 2011-2013 (December-February), I estimated food biomass, diurnal habitat use, and activities of black ducks in 6 cover types at the Duck River Unit of Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge and Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge …

Ecology And Conservation Of Endangered Species In Sumatra: Smaller Cats And The Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus Sumatrensis) As Case Studies, Wulan Pusparini

Masters Theses

While we should celebrate the bicentennial of naming the Sumatran rhinoceros (SR), the only extant population on earth might be on the island of Sumatra. Since Strien's 1986 study in Mamas Valley, Leuser, very little more has been learned about how this species distributed and what factors are influencing its extirpation. This study is the first conducted in Sumatra at an Island-wide scale. Using hierarchical models, I estimate the occurrence rates (%) and indices of abundance of SR on three remaining population areas: Leuser Landscape (LL) in 2007 (2.77%, 26 (CI 12-61)), Way Kambas (WK) in 2008 (33.58%, 27 (CI …

Mussel Survivorship, Growth Rate And Shell Decay Rate In The New River Basin Of Tennessee: An Experimental Approach Using Corbicula Fluminea, Grant Andrew Mincy

Masters Theses

The New River Basin (NRB) of Tennessee is home to a number of rare endemic aquatic communities. One such community of particular importance to the area, experiencing a precipitous population decline due to the fouling and pollution of their freshwater systems, is that of freshwater mussels (Bogan 2006). This study in the NRB involves measuring the mortality rates of live Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) assemblages and the shell decay rates of their death assemblages. This study also examines the decay rates of the native Villosa iris to gather information on molluscan health and the ability of their shells …