Population Biology Commons^™

Ecology Of Tenodera Sinensis And Tenodera Angustipennis (Mantodea: Mantidae) In Eastern Virginia, Cory A. Gall

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

My study, conducted on the Wildlife Refuge located on Virginia's Eastern Shore, focused on the life history, ecology, and intra- and interspecies interaction of Tenodera sinensis and T. angustipennis. Field methods included capture-mark-recapture, species, sex, and developmental life stage identification, and recorded key developmental milestones. Also, to analyze food-limiting growth, a laboratory cohort was fed ad lib, with lab and field cohorts measured bi-weekly and their mean weekly growth was compared.

When compared to a lab cohort, Tsinensis field mantises were shown not to be growth limited by the abundance of prey. In 2011, the dates of several developmental stages …

Effects Of The Parasitic Dinoflagellate Hematodinium Sp. On Blue Crab (Callinectes Sapidus) Activity Predation And Habitat Selection, John M. Tiggelaar Ii

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The blue crab Callinectes sapidus occurs along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States, and in high salinity regions, they are subject to lethal infection by the parasitic dinoflagellate Hematodinium. In Virginia's seaside estuaries, the prevalence of Hematodinium infection of C. sapidus can sometimes exceed 50%, threatening the commercial fishery for this species. Indeed, other commercially important crustacean fisheries have approached collapse due to Hematodinium infections. Most studies of this host-parasite interaction have focused on epidemiology, host-pathogen dynamics, and pathogen transmission, and little is known about the impact of the parasite on host behavior and population dynamics. …

Whaling: Don’T Trade The Moratorium Away, Mark Peter Simmonds, Sue Fisher

Conservation Collection

In their proposal to allocate ‘whale shares’ to both whalers and conservationists as an alternative to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) moratorium on commercial whaling, Christopher Costello and colleagues overlook several factors (Nature 481, 139–140; 2012).

West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery. Harvest Strategy And Decision Rules Framework Proposals Under A Quota Management System. A Discussion Paper., Department Of Fisheries Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

This paper outlines a set of updated proposals for use in the Harvest Strategy and Decision Rules framework (referred to as the HSDR) for the West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery (WCRLMF)2 , which have been developed to facilitate implementation of the new quota based management system. Where relevant, this current document utilises the information and outcomes presented in the previous discussion document on HSDR3 (Donohue et al., 2010) developed for use with the then input (effort) control management system that operated until 2009/10.

Operational And Compliance Elements Of A New Management Plan For The West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery. A Discussion Paper., Department Of Fisheries Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

This paper was prepared to set out the proposed direction for compliance and other operational matters under a new management plan for the West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery (the new Management Plan) which is expected to commence operation on 15 January 2013. It is one of two papers being released by the Department of Fisheries (Department) for comment as part of consultation on the development of this legislation, and is designed to encourage public involvement in the changes to the management arrangements for the West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery (the fishery).

Camera Survey Of Wildlife Corridors Adjacent To Highway 101, Grace K. Mannell, Chelsea E. Rose

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Driving poses a significant threat to safety for both humans and wildlife. Along highway 101 in San Luis Obispo, California, is a stretch of roadway that is exceptionally deadly to mammals such as deer and bears. Roadkill counts and motion-activated cameras have been utilized along this route in a previous study (Perrine and Snyder, 2011) to assist Caltrans in setting up wildlife barriers. We sought to continue this research using remote motion-sensing cameras to monitor wildlife during winter and spring of 2011. We set up cameras at five previously monitored locations that had already been determined to host heavy wildlife …

Two New Species Of Trigonotylus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Stenodemini) From Western Canada And Northwestern United States, G G.E. Scudder, Michael D. Schwartz

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

No abstract provided.

Partial Depredations On Northern Bobwhite Nests, Susan Ellis-Felege, Anne Miller, Jonathan S. Burnam, Shane D. Wellendorf, D. Clay Sisson, William E. Palmer, John P. Carroll

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Partial clutch loss following a predation event is rarely studied in ground-nesting birds despite predation often being the leading cause of nest failure. Partial nest depredation occurs when predators attack but leave some eggs intact. Using continuous video monitoring, we documented a total of 372 initial predation events at nests of Northern Bobwhites (Colinus virginianus). From these, we observed a sample of partial nest pre-dation events (n=47). Partial predation events resulted in three outcomes: (1) The nest failed due to parental abandonment; (2) adult stayed with the nest, but clutch failed to hatch, usually due to further predation events; or …

The Effect Of Auditory Call Playback On Anuran Detection And Capture Rates, Derek Adam Bozzell

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Calls of male anurans during breeding seasons are species-specific identification tools. However, males cease calling after any nearby disturbance, including those of researchers. I proposed a variation on current methods that attempts to reduce this lag in calling after researcher-created disturbance by utilizing the propensity for competition in male frogs. I surveyed 14 breeding sites in Cabell and Wayne counties during the 2010 and 2011 breeding seasons. First, I used traditional visual encounter surveys (VESs). After using automated recording devices to gather site-specific recordings of calls of all species present, I conducted secondary VESs while playing these playlists over a …

Freshwater Mussel Populations Of The Monongahela River, Pa And Evaluation Of The Orsanco Copper Pole Substrate Sampling Technique Using G.I.S. Interpolation With Geometric Means, Jonathan Hart

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Large river studies for freshwater mussel populations and habitat in the Monongahela River within Pennsylvania have been almost non-existent over the past century. Aquatic diversity and water quality have been impaired in the Monongahela River since the Industrial Revolution and early impoundments were constructed to control the river. To date, there have been no thorough mussel population studies conducted on the Pennsylvanian Monongahela River proper since A.E. Ortmann in 1919. The mussel population accounts for this large river system are invaluable accounts of the aquatic condition of the Monongahela River. Mussel populations and habitat within the river have diminished drastically …

The Role Of Fine-Scale Habitat Associations In Structuring Spider Assemblages: Determinants Of Spatial Patterns In Community Compostion, Stephanie M. Cobbold

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

No abstract provided.

Livestock Foraging Behavior In Response To Sequence And Interactions Among Alkaloids, Tannins, And Saponins, Tiffany L. Jensen

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

No abstract provided.

The Fine-Scale Habitat Use Of Risso’S Dolphins Off Bardsey Island, Cardigan Bay (Uk), Marijke N. De Boer, Sonja Eisfeld, Mark P. Simmonds

Ecology Collection

The main objectives of this study were (1) to estimate the population size of Risso’s dolphins off Bardsey Island using mark-recapture techniques (De Boer et al., 2013); and (2) to study habitat-use in relation to fine-scale oceanographic features. This work provides preliminary information on the habitat-use of Risso’s dolphins and will benefit future studies, along with the development of effective conservation measures for this species throughout the region.

Outdoor Cats: An Animal Welfare And Protection Perspective, John Hadidian, Inga Gibson, Susan Hagood, Nancy Peterson, Bernard Unti, Betsy Mcfarland, Katie Lisnik, Heather Bialy, Inga Fricke, Kathleen Schatzmann, Jennifer Fearing, Pam Runquist, Andrew N. Rowan (Ed.)

Stray and Feral Animal Populations Collection

First raised as a serious conservation issue more than 100 years ago, the impact of free-roaming cats on wildlife has been a subject of debate, controversy, and conflict since then. Cats have been tied directly to the extinction of sensitive species in island environments and implicated as major threats to certain wildlife populations elsewhere. Yet the study of free-roaming cats and the problems attributed to them lags behind the standards of research typical with more traditional vertebrate “pest” species. Alternative management approaches, ranging from traditional practices such as removal and depopulation to emerging concepts such as Trap- Neuter-Return (TNR), have …

Estimating Covariation Between Vital Rates: A Simulation Study Of Connected Vs. Separate Generalized Linear Mixed Models (Glmms), Margaret Ek Evans, Kent E. Holsinger

EEB Articles

Covariation between vital rates is recognized as an important pattern to be accounted for in demographic modeling. We recently introduced a model for estimating vital rates and their covariation as a function of known and unknown effects, using generalized linear mixed models (GLMM’s) implemented in a hierarchical Bayesian framework (Evans et al. 2010). In particular, this model included a model-wide year effect (YEAR) influencing all vital rates, which we used to estimate covariation between vital rates due to exogenous factors not directly included in the model. This YEAR effect connected the GLMMs of vital rates into one large model; we …

Theory And Design Of Nature Reserves, Kent E. Holsinger

EEB Articles

Notes that accompany a lecture on reserve design when I taught a graduate level course in conservation biology. These notes provide an introductory overview to the theory and design of nature reserves.

Evaluation Of Elevated Bait Trays For Attracting Blackbirds (Icteridae) In Central North Dakota, George M. Linz, Jamison B. Winter, William J. Bleier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) became an economically important crop in North Dakota in the 1970s, providing a major source of food for post-breeding blackbirds (Icteridae). Reducing local blackbird populations with rice grains treated with an avicide is one proposed alternative for reducing sunflower damage. In fall 2007 and 2008, we evaluated the idea of attracting blackbirds to rice-baited trays attached to wire cages supplied with live blackbirds. During our observations (1011 h), we saw 3888 birds, consisting of 25 species and 12 families, on the bait trays. Blackbirds made up 90.4% of the bird observations, whereas sparrows (Emberizidae) made …

Bacterial Community Structure Of Contrasting Soils Underlying Bornean Rain Forests: Inferences From Microarray And Next-Generation Sequencing Methods, Sabrina E. Russo, Ryan Legge, Karrie A. Weber, Eoin L. Brodie, Katherine C. Goldfarb, Andrew K. Benson, Sylvester Tan

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Soil microbial diversity is vast, and we lack even basic understanding of how this diversity is distributed ecologically. Using pyrosequencing and microarray methods, we quantified the structure of bacterial communities in two contrasting soils underlying Bornean rain forest (clay and sandy loam) that differ markedly in soil properties, aboveground tree flora, and leaf litter decomposition rates. We found significant soil-related taxonomic and phylogenetic differences between communities that, due to their proximity, are independent of climate. Bacterial communities showed distinct compositional and taxon-abundance distributions that were significantly correlated with the structure of the overlying tree community. Richness of bacteria was greater …

A Robust New Metric Of Phenotypic Distance To Estimate And Compare Multiple Trait Differences Among Populations, Rebecca Safran, Samuel Flaxman, Michael Kopp, Darren E. Irwin, Derek Briggs, Matthew R. Evans, W. Chris Funk, David A. Gray, Eileen A. Hebets, Nathalie Seddon, Elizabeth Scordato, Laurel B. Symes, Joseph A. Tobias, David P.L. Toews, J. Albert C. Uy

Eileen Hebets Publications

Whereas a rich literature exists for estimating population genetic divergence, metrics of phenotypic trait divergence are lacking, particularly for comparing multiple traits among three or more populations. Here, we review and analyze via simulation Hedges’ g, a widely used parametric estimate of effect size. Our analyses indicate that g is sensitive to a combination of unequal trait variances and unequal sample sizes among populations and to changes in the scale of measurement. We then go on to derive and explain a new, non-parametric distance measure, “Δp”, which is calculated based upon a joint cumulative distribution function (CDF) from all …

Leptodactylus Pentadactylus, Miriam M. Heyer, W. R. Heyer, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Adult Leptodactylus pentadactylus (Figure 1) are large, the head is about as wide as long, and the hind limbs are moderately long (Table 1; Heyer and Thompson [2000] provided definitions of adult size and leg length categories for Leptodactylus). Male vocal sacs are not visible externally or are moderately expanded as a single sac. Sexually active males usually do not have hypertrophied forearms (the largest male examined, 195 mm SVL, has very weakly hypertrophied forearms), only the largest males have a single small to moderate size black spine on each thumb. No males have chest spines. Dorsolateral folds are …