Using Camera-Based Unmarked Spatial Capture-Recapture Modeling To Estimate Reintroduced Elk (Cervus Canadensis) Population Parameters And Distribution In Southeastern Kentucky,
2026
University of Kentucky
Using Camera-Based Unmarked Spatial Capture-Recapture Modeling To Estimate Reintroduced Elk (Cervus Canadensis) Population Parameters And Distribution In Southeastern Kentucky, Claire Marie Muia
Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources
Estimation of population parameters is important for wildlife management decisions. Elk reintroduced to southeastern Kentucky experienced early irruptive population growth and are currently monitored using a statewide harvest-based statistical population reconstruction model (SPR) across the Kentucky Elk Restoration Zone (KERZ). Because the SPR model is spatially coarse and difficult to scale to the smaller management units comprising the KERZ, we conducted a spatially explicit capture-recapture study using a clustered camera-trapping array deployed for 10 weeks from June–August 2024 to estimate elk population parameters within Management Unit 4. Due to a lack of resights of GPS-marked elk, population parameters were estimated …
How Semiflightless Birds Adapt: A Survey From Barú, Costa Rica,
2026
Scripps College
How Semiflightless Birds Adapt: A Survey From Barú, Costa Rica, Eli P. Laloudakis
Scripps Senior Theses
When we think of birds, we think of flight. Because of this, scientific research often focuses on how birds evolved flight and how their wings function during flight. However, not all birds can fly or fly well, as wings wax and wane on developmental, seasonal, and evolutionary time scales (Dial and Heers 2021). Consequently, rudimentary wings can be found in developing birds, secondarily flightless or semiflightless birds, birds that undergo simultaneous molts, and extinct theropods with “protowings” (structures that preceded fully functional wings). Secondarily flightless and semiflightless birds often evolve where there is no/low predation, abundant year-round food supply, and …
Toadally Not A Frog: A Neuromuscular Physiology Study,
2026
The University of Akron
Toadally Not A Frog: A Neuromuscular Physiology Study, Iris Renna
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
Upper-level physiology labs in undergraduate education use freshly isolated bullfrog and/or leopard frog tissue to teach core concepts in nerve and muscle physiology. Sourcing live animals for routine educational use raises ethical and conservation concerns. Cane toads (Rhinella marina) are an invasive species that are routinely culled, can provide a potential source of laboratory animals which would remove pressure to native amphibian populations. This study tested the hypothesis that cane toads can serve as a functional substitute for bullfrogs and/or leopard frogs in the muscle and nerve physiology lab. Isolated sciatic nerve and gastrocnemius muscle preparations from cane …
American Elderberry's Next Top Pollinator: Evaluating The Role Of Arthropods In Pollination,
2026
Missouri State University
American Elderberry's Next Top Pollinator: Evaluating The Role Of Arthropods In Pollination, Jenny K. Burrow
Graduate Theses/Dissertations
American elderberry (Sambucus nigra subsp. canadensis) is a woody deciduous shrub native to eastern North America. In addition to its long history of use by indigenous peoples, there is renewed interest in cultivating and consuming American elderberry, primarily driven by expanding health supplement markets. Despite recent advances in horticultural development of American elderberry, its pollination ecology remains poorly understood. In this field study, I evaluated the contribution of arthropod visitors to pollination of American elderberry. To do this, I first characterized the identities and abundances of arthropod visitors via timed arthropod collections and floral observations during peak flowering …
Factors Affecting Detection Of A Cryptic Ambush Predator Using Camera Traps, With Implications For Snake Monitoring,
2026
Marshall University
Factors Affecting Detection Of A Cryptic Ambush Predator Using Camera Traps, With Implications For Snake Monitoring, Sarah Elizabeth Ebert
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Camera traps are becoming increasingly popular in wildlife research because they can be deployed for long time periods with little maintenance and are much less invasive than traditional trapping methods. However, they are primarily used to study large mammals and have not been extensively tested for snake species, many of which are cryptic and understudied. The Adapted-Hunt Drift Fence Technique (AHDriFT) arrays were designed to improve detection of herpetofauna by attaching camera traps to drift fences. In the summer of 2022, we installed 20 AHDriFT arrays at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in coastal South Carolina where we …
Indigenous Land Seizure & Environmental Injustice: Impacts Of Settler Colonialism,
2026
Bemidji State University
Indigenous Land Seizure & Environmental Injustice: Impacts Of Settler Colonialism, Lydia Moorman
Journal of Earth and Life Science
The fields of conservation and environmentalism prioritize ecosystem health, yet both emerged from western frameworks that displaced and criminalized Indigenous land stewardship. The idealization of “pristine wilderness” narratives served to justify the removal of Indigenous peoples from their homelands and erased millennia of sustainable land stewardship that had maintained ecological balance long before western conservation existed. These narratives not only misrepresented Indigenous relationship with land but also constructed a false dichotomy between humans and nature that positioned Indigenous presence as a threat rather than a source of ecological knowledge. Simultaneously, anthropogenic expansion; such as pipelines, mining, railroads, and other extractive …
Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus Niger) Occupancy In A Southern Missouri Woodland,
2026
Missouri State University
Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus Niger) Occupancy In A Southern Missouri Woodland, Daniel Garten
Graduate Theses/Dissertations
Species occupancy, which relates the probability of presence of a species at a specific place and time, is an important component of conservation and wildlife management. Principally it is used for estimation of a species’ distribution as well as understanding species interactions and quantifying environmental effects. The purpose of this study was to analyze occupancy of the Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) across multiple seasons (2019–2022) at Bull Shoals Field Station (BSFS), and to identify potential covariates associated with detection and colonization. Data were drawn from camera trap surveys from 26 sites during summer and fall seasons. Multi-season occupancy models …
Hybridization And Introgression In Marine Invertebrates: Population Genomics Of Phymactis Papillosa And Asterias Sea Stars,
2026
CUNY City College
Hybridization And Introgression In Marine Invertebrates: Population Genomics Of Phymactis Papillosa And Asterias Sea Stars, Christopher J. Dookie
Dissertations and Theses
Hybridization and introgression are evolutionary significant processes in marine invertebrates (Sanford & Kelly,2011) yet genome-wide investigations of gene flow in these taxa remain limited relative to vertebrate systems (Marchi et al., 2021). This thesis presents genomic analyses of hybridization and introgression in two marine invertebrates occupying contrasting oceanographic settings and characterized by contrasting genomic datasets: restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) SNP data for the eastern Pacific sea anemone Phymactis papillosa and whole genome sequencing (WGS) data for the North Atlantic sea stars Asterias rubens and Asterias forbesi. For each system, I applied coalescent-based species tree inference using CASTER (Zhang …
Data From: Mass Mortality Of Avian Migrants In New Mexico, Usa, That Coincided With An Extreme Weather Event,
2026
New Mexico State University
Data From: Mass Mortality Of Avian Migrants In New Mexico, Usa, That Coincided With An Extreme Weather Event, Dylan M. Osterhaus, Allison J. Salas, Patricia L. Cutler, Mara E. Weisenberger, Kerry Mower, Abigail J. Lawon, Timothy F. Wright, Jeanne M. Fair, Martha J. Desmond
Fish, Wildlife, & Conservation Ecology: Datasets
No abstract provided.
Assessing Climate-Driven Shifts In Floral Resource Availability For Bees On Barrier Islands In The Southeastern U.S.,
2026
Georgia Southern University
Assessing Climate-Driven Shifts In Floral Resource Availability For Bees On Barrier Islands In The Southeastern U.S., Hannah Brown
College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations
Climate change can alter the timing of bee and angiosperm phenology, potentially reshaping the seasonal availability of floral resources for bee species. Although plant-pollinator phenology has been widely studied in temperate systems, less is known about these dynamics in subtropical coastal ecosystems, such as barrier islands in the southeastern United States. In this study, we examined climate-driven changes in bee activity and floral resource availability across 16 barrier-island sites spanning from Florida to Virginia. Using museum bee occurrence records, herbarium-derived flowering phenology models, site-specific floristic inventories, and published bee-plant interaction data, we estimated species-specific bee activity periods and daily floral …
Cytonuclear Incompatibilities In Hybrid Systems: Oxidative Phosphorylation Capacity And Nuclear Marker Transmission Ratio Distortion In Hybrids Of An Introgressed Strain Of Parasitoid Wasp,
2026
Georgia Southern University
Cytonuclear Incompatibilities In Hybrid Systems: Oxidative Phosphorylation Capacity And Nuclear Marker Transmission Ratio Distortion In Hybrids Of An Introgressed Strain Of Parasitoid Wasp, Julie Kessler
College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations
Speciation is an evolutionary process resulting in the divergence of populations into reproductively isolated species, a key concept that supplies our planet with an abundance of biodiversity. Mechanisms for speciation center on obstacles to fertilization and include post-zygotic barriers, such as intrinsic deleterious interactions, that arise in hybrid systems where genetic variants are combined. Genes from separate parent lineages are often incompatible due to the co-evolution of paired genes within a singular species not matching their complement genes in another species, and the result is a reduction in fitness of the hybrid when these genes come together. The mitochondrial OXPHOS …
A Critical Perspective On The Society Of Environmental Toxicology And Chemistry's Adherence To Founding Principles— Opportunities For The Future,
2026
U.S. Geological Survey
A Critical Perspective On The Society Of Environmental Toxicology And Chemistry's Adherence To Founding Principles— Opportunities For The Future, Barnett A. Rattner, Annegaaike Leopold, Carys L. Mitchelmore, Glenn W. Suter, Mark S. Johnson, Adriana C. Bejarano, Lawrence A. Kapustka, Niranjana Krishnan, Derek C. G. Muir, Beatrice O. Opeolu, Martha Georgina Orozco-Medina, April Reed, Bruce W. Vigon, Adam R. Wronski
Epidemiology, Biostatistics, & Environmental Health Faculty Publications
The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) is a global organization whose mission is the advancement of environmental science and management through collaboration, leadership, communication and education. On SETAC's 45th anniversary, the following question was raised: Are the 1979 founding principles of SETAC, multidisciplinary approaches to solving environmental problems, multisector engagement and scientific objectivity, still useful, adequate and effective in fulfilling its mission? In a special session held at the 45th Annual Meeting in Fort Worth, Texas, United States, a critical evaluation of the founding principles was initiated by reviewing SETAC's history and ongoing activities, and recommendations were made …
Postfire Habitat Use And Density Of Pacific Martens (Martes Caurina) In Lassen National Forest, California,
2026
Cal Poly Humboldt
Postfire Habitat Use And Density Of Pacific Martens (Martes Caurina) In Lassen National Forest, California, Deirdre L. Replinger
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
Increasing frequency, size, and severity of wildfires in western North America threatens forest-dependent wildlife species. The Pacific marten (Martes caurina) has historically been associated with mature, structurally complex forest throughout most of its range. Recently, martens have been detected in forests burned at high severity by the 2021 Dixie Fire—the largest recorded single fire in California state history. I used non-invasive remote camera traps and hair snares (n = 166 sites) to assess marten habitat use and density using spatial occupancy and spatial capture-recapture models. I detected martens across the burn severity gradient (unburned to high-severity) at …
Ectomycorrhizal Fungi Associated With Pinus Species Of California's Northwestern Coast,
2026
Humboldt State University
Ectomycorrhizal Fungi Associated With Pinus Species Of California's Northwestern Coast, Monika Audrey Richardson
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi are vital for increasing host plant uptake of nutrients and stress tolerance within ECM forest ecosystems. The species assemblage of ECM fungi can vary locally in response to numerous biotic and abiotic environmental factors. In California’s northwestern coast the occurrence of three Pinus species, along with a disjunction between populations of Pinus muricata in Mendocino and Humboldt Counties, offer a unique opportunity to investigate the spatial and host effects on pine-associated ECM fungi. Ectomycorrhizal fungal community structure was quantified from host tree roots and sequenced sporocarps occurring at the same sites to create a project specific ITS …
Multiple Burn And Forest Characteristics Affect Gray Fox (Urocyon Cinereoargenteus) Occurrence Following A California Megafire,
2026
Cal Poly Humboldt
Multiple Burn And Forest Characteristics Affect Gray Fox (Urocyon Cinereoargenteus) Occurrence Following A California Megafire, Amida Zohar Verhey
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
In western North American forests, predator communities are faced with changing fire regimes and increased fire severity and size, particularly with megafires (>10,000 ha). As some wildlife communities may restructure following the loss of apex consumers, understanding post-fire space use of mid-trophic carnivores may inform species composition in these forests. I compared gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) occupancy in and around the 2021 Dixie Fire, the largest single-ignition fire in California state history, to examine which spatially variable burn and forest characteristics affected the space use of a widespread generalist mesopredator. Using 210 camera traps placed in 2023, …
A Fine-Scale Genomic Study Of Cheat Mountain Salamanders (Plethodon Nettingi) On Managed Public Land,
2026
West Virginia University
A Fine-Scale Genomic Study Of Cheat Mountain Salamanders (Plethodon Nettingi) On Managed Public Land, Amylynn Nicole Ephraim
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
Habitat fragmentation has the potential to isolate localized populations, particularly those which are understood to have limited dispersal capabilities. This isolation can reduce genetic diversity through the effects of inbreeding depression, and small populations are more susceptible to the impacts of genetic drift. In this study, I aim to understand the level of genetic connectivity between known occupied patches of Cheat Mountain salamanders (Plethodon nettingi; CMS) on managed public land. CMS are a federally threatened, high-elevation, West Virginia endemic species associated with red spruce (Picea rubens) forests. I used double-digest restriction site associated DNA (ddRAD) sequencing …
An Assessment Of Disease Risks, Population Genetics, And Spatial Ecology Of Appalachian Cottontails (Sylvilagus Obscurus) And Snowshoe Hares (Lepus Americanus) In West Virginia, Usa,
2026
West Virginia University
An Assessment Of Disease Risks, Population Genetics, And Spatial Ecology Of Appalachian Cottontails (Sylvilagus Obscurus) And Snowshoe Hares (Lepus Americanus) In West Virginia, Usa, Madison Leigh Miller
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) occupy a large range across the United States and Canada. While snowshoe hare populations are generally considered stable in the interior of their range, populations along range edges are experiencing declines, possibly driven by climate-related factors such as seasonal coat color mismatch. West Virginia represents one of the southernmost extents of the species’ range, yet little is known about the population genetic status or population sizes of snowshoe hares in the state. Appalachian cottontails (Sylvilagus obscurus) are another lagomorph species found in West Virginia. This species experienced a historical decline and currently …
Using Side Looking Hydroacoustics And Community Size Spectra To Assess Invasive Carp’S Impact On Fish Assemblage Integrity,
2026
West Virginia University
Using Side Looking Hydroacoustics And Community Size Spectra To Assess Invasive Carp’S Impact On Fish Assemblage Integrity, Daniel Jacob Bryan
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
Often accounting for over half of total fish biomass, invasive silver carp have dramatically reshaped the ecosystem of the Mississippi River and its tributaries. These high silver carp densities have been shown to affect native fish body condition, abundance, and community structure, highlighting the need for efficient methods to quantify silver carp’s effect on the native fish assemblage. Community size spectra (CSS) is a metric that quantifies fish assemblage body size structure based on the decrease in fish abundance with increasing size. To estimate silver carp’s effects on CSS in the Ohio River, side looking hydroacoustic monitoring was used alongside …
Green Connectivity In Metropolitan Jabodetabek: Climate Change And The Challenge Of Urban Forest,
2025
Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia
Green Connectivity In Metropolitan Jabodetabek: Climate Change And The Challenge Of Urban Forest, Safira Maharani Putri, Hendricus Andy Simarmata
CSID Journal of Infrastructure Development
Urban areas in Indonesia, particularly the Greater Jakarta metropolitan region (Jabodetabek), are increasingly experiencing the adverse effects of climate change, such as the Urban Heat Island (UHI) phenomenon. Rapid urbanization has contributed significantly to rising greenhouse gas emissions and deteriorating environmental quality. Urban forests are one of the key solutions to mitigate these impacts; however, their spatial distribution in Jabodetabek remains suboptimal and poorly connected. This study uses NDVI as a proxy for urban forest density, where “urban forest” refers to vegetated areas within cities as defined by Presidential Regulation No. 60/2020. The research addresses the following question: How has …
Just "Beet" It? A Comparison Of Road Salt Effects On The Life History Of Daphnia Magna,
2025
Purdue University
Just "Beet" It? A Comparison Of Road Salt Effects On The Life History Of Daphnia Magna, Koby Sellner
The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research
In areas that experience snow and ice, deicing reagents such as road salts are often used on roads to promote safer driving conditions. However, road salts run off into local vegetation, soil systems, and (my focus) freshwater systems. The impacts of excess salt and chloride in freshwater have been studied extensively on a broad diversity of organisms under different conditions, but previous studies have rarely used different types of road salts. Zooplankton are primary consumers in many freshwater systems, feeding on phytoplankton and serving as prey for predator species higher in the trophic chain. These animals generally are impacted negatively …
