Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

The Effects Of Human-Driven Land Use Change On American Alligator (Alligator Mississippiensis) Nesting Patterns, Madison Wallwork

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) have received little scientific attention in the context of human-driven land use change. The goal of my study is to investigate how land use change may be affecting the spatial ecology of alligator nesting in Florida. Areas directly impacted by humans are growing rapidly in Florida, yet the impacts of this land use change on alligator populations and reproduction are largely unknown. Alligators are ecosystem engineers and apex predators, and their nests often double as nests for other reptilian species. Therefore, it is imperative that we understand how human-driven land use change may be impacting …

Effects Of Land Cover Changes And Hydropower Development On Fish Communities In Amazonian Floodplain Rivers, Samuel Baron Grinstead Hessburg

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In Amazonian River systems, diverse fish communities depend on the floodplains for providing feeding opportunities and critical spawning habitat during the seasonal flood pulse, which annually submerges floodplain forests. In the Amazon, large-scale deforestation and hydroelectric dam construction can have profound impacts on entire ecosystems by altering river-floodplain connectivity. This study attempts to improve understanding of Amazonian fish responses to these two stressors. The first chapter aims to understand how deforestation impacts floating meadow fish assemblages. For this study, we surveyed fish in floodplain lakes along the lower Amazon River, recording their abundance in relation to forest cover and local …

Sweetening The Deal: Enhancing Flower Production And Quality For Native Pollinators In Urban Landscapes, Yaelle Esther Reeve

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Urban landscapes can support pollinator conservation, but traditional landscape designs lack the diverse mixtures of native plants needed to support native pollinators. Although native plants support pollinators and can survive with less water and fertilizer than non-native landscape plants, they do not always grow well under modified urban soil conditions and irrigation regimes. A better understanding of the factors influencing flower production and the quality of native plants is needed if we are to design landscapes that support pollinator conservation. This study focused on how flower production and quality in different native plants responded to compost and irrigation treatments. The …

Evolution Of Primate Vocal Repertoires: Vocal Systems As Embodied Capital For Mediating Within-Group Conflict, Eric Schniter, Mateo Peñaherrera-Aguirre

ESI Working Papers

Life history traits constrain investments in costly neural and somatic embodied capital, potentially shaping the evolution of primate vocal communication systems. This study integrates life history theory with the social complexity hypothesis to test a sequential pathway from longevity to social dynamics to vocal repertoire size, using updated vocal repertoire data for McComb & Semple’s (2005) set of 42 non-human primate species, alongside measures of group size and within-group conflict. We compiled data on vocal repertoire size, within-group conflict, group size, endocranial volume, and maximum longevity, analysing these via Phylogenetic Sequential Canonical Cascade Model and ancestral character reconstructions. …

Quantifying The Influences Of Abiotic And Biotic Factors On Post-Fire Vegetation In The Southwestern Us, Joseph Lafayette Crockett

Biology ETDs

The ongoing warming associated with climate change is increasing the flammability of southwestern US dry forests. As larger fractions of the landscape are impacted by high-severity fire, the potential exists for forests to convert to non-forest. Given that the forested area in the southwestern US is an important contributor of ecosystem services, quantifying limitations to vegetation establishment is critical to informing post-fire recovery efforts and understanding how ongoing climate change will limit seedling establishment in the future. To that end, this dissertation focuses on post-fire vegetation recovery of southwestern forests. First, I report on the influence of precipitation and topography …

Interactive Effects Of Sublethal Concentrations Of Fracking Biocides And Abandoned Mine Drainage On Amphipod Behavior, Kelly Lenhart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examined the sublethal effects of three pollutants, namely glutaraldehyde, 4,4-dimethyloxazolidine (DMO), and abandoned mine drainage (AMD), on amphipods. The primary objective was to investigate their combined effects on amphipods. The three pollutants, despite having the potential to combine in the environment, have not been studied to determine their potential for detrimental interactive effects which could result in unexpected environmental damage.

The research employed a series of experimental setups involving controlled exposure of amphipods to varying, putatively sublethal, concentrations of the chemicals of interest. Subsequently, effects were assessed via both behavioral and feeding assessments. To facilitate this analysis, novel …

Of Changing Climate And Habitat: Range-Wide Individual Growth And Local Patterns Of Phenology And Landscape Use In A Threatened Pit-Viper, James Helferich

Theses and Dissertations

Over the 21st century, climate change and wetland habitat loss will pose major threats to the Eastern Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus), a federally threatened and Great Lakes region endemic rattlesnake. I collected capture-recapture data from sites across the range and modeled the effect of climatic variables on growth rate and asymptotic size. I found that high snow residence time was associated with larger asymptotic sizes but slower growth, while high spring precipitation increased growth rate. I then projected future growth and size under different carbon emission scenarios. Given the threat posed by successional encroachment of woody vegetation, I used spatially explicit …

Snail Races: An Inquiry-Based Approach To Learn Invasive Species Ecology, Emma Grindle, Heather E. Bergan-Roller, Ashton Johnson, Grace Lunaburg, Jennifer A.H. Koop

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Inquiry-based lessons allow learning that is hands-on and student-driven, fostering engagement and retention of knowledge in any discipline. Here, we use this learning framework to engage students in exploring the effects of biotic and abiotic factors on animal dispersal as a means of connecting students to multiple ecological concepts. Instructors are provided with a guided lecture on key ecological concepts including the impacts of invasive species, dispersal mechanisms, and species interactions with the environment. Furthermore, the interactive lecture introduces students to the snail study system and explains the experimental process, which involves low-cost, readily available materials (e.g., kiddie pools). Students …

Germination Trends Of American Chaffseed, Schwalbea Americana L., And Factors Affecting First-Year Seedling Development, Trenton Miller

All Theses

Following centuries of exploitation and fire suppression, longleaf pine systems are now the focus of many conservation efforts. Efforts to restore populations of Schwalbea americana L. in longleaf pine savannas have been met with frustratingly low recruitment. While past studies have briefly quantified germination rates for Schwalbea, there have not been any studies yet that truly investigate this plant’s germination requirements. Additionally, there has been little research into characterizing the parasitic relationship between Schwalbea and its various host species. We conducted a germination study in a growth chamber that investigated Schwalbea’s germination rate and time to germinates as …

Effect Of Plant Genotype On Plant-Microbe Interactions And Multi-Generation Ecosystem Selection Of Microbial Communities Associated With Plant Biomass In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Nachiket Shankar

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The microbiome's role in shaping host phenotypes is a critical area of investigation, with implications for ecology, evolution, and host health. Dynamic plant-microbe interactions are influenced by factors like soil type, environment, and genotype. Understanding their impact on microbial communities is key for tailored plant benefits. An artificial ecosystem selection experiment was done for eight generations with Arabidopsis thaliana Ler and Cvi. This revealed distinct microbial communities shaped by genotypes and biomass treatments. Initially, environment dominated, but over time, genotype and biomass gained influence, explaining ~40% of the variation. Moreover, genotype-specific rhizobacterial associations were observed, enhancing understanding of community dynamics …

Assessment Of Green Spaces In Metro Nashville Public High Schools, Webster G. Andrews, Anna Lennon, Darlene Panvini

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Green spaces on and near school property have been correlated to student mental health and academic achievement. However, there is a gap in the literature investigating how quality and quantity of green space is related to socioeconomic status and school economic metrics in public high schools and the surrounding neighborhoods. Nashville public high schools located in higher socioeconomic areas and having greater financial resources were predicted to provide larger, higher quality green spaces. This study combined a quantitative analysis of neighborhood socioeconomic metrics, school socioeconomic metrics, and quantity of green space (assessed using iTree Canopy) with a qualitative field assessment …

Species Richness Of Moths In Parks Surrounded By Varying Levels Of ​Urbanization Around Nashville, Tennessee, Maxwell Stone, Allie Bennett

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Moths can act as indicators of environmental wellness due to their pollution sensitivity and the complexity of biodiversity required to support their life cycles. Urbanization can impact the occurrence of moths in protected green spaces. Higher moth species richness was hypothesized to occur in parks surrounded by more rural areas. Three metropolitan parks were chosen in the Nashville area: downtown, within a suburban neighborhood, and in a rural area. Tree canopy cover and degree of impervious surfaces were assessed for each park and surrounding area using iTreeCanopy. Moths were attracted to a white sheet using a mercury vapor bulb, UV …

Lead, Cadmium, And Mercury Concentration Levels In Some Commercial Fish From The Arabian Sea And The Gulf Of Aden During The Years 2020–2022, Khaled Awadh Al-Rabaki, Salem Rabie Bazar, Ahmed Ali Balqadi, Nabil Shayif Al-Hudaifi, Marwan Ahmed Al-Habashi, Nadia Ahmed Balasuad, Muhammad Abdurrahman Ba-Omer

Hadhramout University Journal of Natural & Applied Sciences

This study was conducted to determine and evaluate the heavy metal concentrations levels: lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg) in the meat of some commercial fish species: Grouper (Epinephelus areolatus), Emperor (Lethrinus nebulosus) and Cuttlefish (Sepia Pharaonis). A total of 84 fish samples were caught and collected from different sites in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea between January 2020 and December 2022. Some of them were sold in the cities markets of Hadhramout governorate- Yemen, and some of them were exported abroad. All samples were analyzed at the laboratories of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences and …

A Neotropical Perspective On The Uniqueness Of The Holocene Among Interglacials, Mark Bush, Jacob Daniel Schiferl, M. Kingston, C. M. Akesson, B. G. Valencia, A. Rozas-Davila, D. Mcgee, A. Woods, C. Y. Chen, R. G. Hatfield, D. T. Rodbell, M. B. Abbott

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Understanding how tropical systems have responded to large-scale climate change, such as glacial-interglacial oscillations, and how human impacts have altered those responses is key to current and future ecology. A sedimentary record recovered from Lake Junín, in the Peruvian Andes (4085 m elevation) spans the last 670,000 years and represents the longest continuous and empirically-dated record of tropical vegetation change to date. Spanning seven glacial-interglacial oscillations, fossil pollen and charcoal recovered from the core showed the general dominance of grasslands, although during the warmest times some Andean forest trees grew above their modern limits near the lake. Fire was very …

An Integrated Pest Management Model Incorporating Prey Refuge And Movement Between Regions, Aashima Singh Sisodia, Timothy Comar

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Msis-Ledder: Introductory Undergraduate Research Projects Using Netlogo, Timothy Comar

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Data File: Oak Seedling (Quercus Macrocarpa) Survivorship And Condition After Two Growing Seasons, Lindsey Dewey, Michaela Woods, Madelaine Gregory, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: Ecosystem Restoration Following Industrial Agriculture

This spreadsheet is the height, basal diameter, stem weight, root weight, total weight, survivorship, and presence of herbivory on Burr Oak seedlings after two growing seasons in the Spring Run experimental restoration site (39° 46 '42.2"N, 84° 20' 52.5"W).

DOI: https://doi.org/10.26890/trp9652

Design Guidance For Wetland-Road Crossings To Reduce Blanding’S Turtle Mortality Risk, Thomas P. Ballestero, Lauren E. White, Sandra Houghton, David Burdick, Josh Megyesy

Faculty Publications

Road mortality is a leading threat to freshwater turtles, particularly the Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii), an endangered species in New Hampshire. Wildlife wetland-crossing structures, such as culverts and/or fences, have proven effective in reducing wildlife road mortality while retaining habitat connectivity. Funding for adequate wetland-crossing creation or restoration is limited, so prioritizing areas of high mortality risk is essential to ensuring that the resources spent are impactful. A research team of professionals from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, New Hampshire Fish and Game, University of New Hampshire, and other organizations formed to create a model capable …

Effects Of A Major Hurricane On Dynamics, Structure, And Composition Of Mississippi River Delta Forests, Lance C. Umlang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Tropical cyclones recurrently influence coastal forests worldwide. Tree survival (resistance) and post-cyclone recruitment (resilience) can vary with cyclone intensity, producing differences in composition, arboreal structure, and dynamics among affected forests. Studies of tropical cyclone wind effects on coastal forests typically emphasize damage more than post-cyclone responses. We hypothesized that intense cyclones might produce large, stratum-dependent effects that prevent affected forests from returning to pre-storm conditions. We explored direct effects of major Hurricane Katrina and post-hurricane changes in oak-dominated bottomland and cypress/tupelo-dominated swamp forests within the inactive portion of the Mississippi River deltaic plain. Overall mortality was high (14-25%) but concentrated …

Needham’S Girls: A Historical Case Study Of Gender And Mentoring In Entomology, Pat Munday

Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Articles

James G. Needham (1868-1958) was a professor of entomology at Cornell University from 1906 to 1936, and an active emeritus for about ten years thereafter. As a professor, mentored many women graduate students at Cornell, a group that included twenty-nine who took doctorates. As a scientist, he was a member of an extensive network that included many more women entomologists. These women were located throughout the United States and Canada. Some had been his students at Cornell, some were colleagues with whom he did fieldwork, and others were young women who, even though students at colleges other than Cornell, worked …