Population Biology Commons^™

The Energetics Of Seasonality In Wild Diademed Sifaka (Propithecus Diadema): A Technical And Biological Validation Of Fecal Triiodothyronine Radioimmunassay, Casey Farmer

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The energetic state of an animal has vital consequences for its fitness, but it can be difficult to detect through behavioral observations. The development of techniques to determine an animals’ energetic state non-invasively would allow conservation planners to rapidly assess the energy balance and conservation potential of individuals, groups, and populations. Thyroid hormones like triiodothyronine (T3) regulate and reflect metabolic state in mammals. T3 is a non-invasive biomarker that can be detected in feces and could potentially be used for this purpose. I perform the first validation of a commercially available T3 radioimmunoassay designed for humans on a wild strepsirrhine …

Population Demographics Of Channel Catfish In The Lower Wabash River, Valerie J. Thompson

Masters Theses

Inland fisheries are experiencing increasing demands due to anthropogenic stressors, especially within large river systems that support both recreational and commercial fisheries. Riverine species are sensitive to habitat degradation, species introductions, and exploitation, so continued monitoring and management of these communities are vital to maintain abundance and diversity within these systems. The North American catfish family, Ictaluridae, supports both recreational and commercial fisheries throughout the United States. Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus are heavily studied and managed compared to other sport catfishes in this family because of their economic and ecological significance. One important Channel Catfish fishery exists in the lower …

Moose Abundance And Calf:Cow Ratios On The Blackfeet Indian Reservation And Glacier National Park, Landon Joel Magee

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Many moose (Alces alces; Sikihtsisoo) populations across North America, especially along their southern range, are declining due to factors such as climate change, parasites and disease, predation, habitat loss and degradation, and overharvest. These declines highlight broader ecological concerns, as moose play a critical role as prey within their ecosystems. Despite their importance, data on crucial demographic parameters like abundance and age ratios are sparse for moose, complicating management efforts. Conventional monitoring methods, including radio-collaring, harvest data, public surveys, and aerial surveys, face significant logistical and financial challenges, and often fail to provide a comprehensive understanding of …

Better Understanding The Barred Owl, Adam Lee Potts

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis research presents an analysis of barred owl nest site selection in an understudied region of their expanded range. The barred owl has dramatically expanded its range westwards over the last 150 years, prompting multiple conflicting reinterpretations of their species account. Hypotheses of range expansion are reviewed to provide context for this study’s research. This study gathers empirical data on nest site selection in the mixed conifer forests of Montana’s Seeley-Swan and Mission Valleys. Eight barred owl nests were located following extensive territory surveys. Field measurements of tree height and diameter using USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plot …

Long- And Short-Term Weather Variables Affect Capture Rates In Western Painted Turtles (Chrysemys Picta Bellii) In Marshall Co., South Dakota, Amy Dolan, Heather L. Waye, Peter Dolan

Biology Publications

Turtle populations are declining globally, and yet accurate long-term population surveys are often lacking. Even amongst widespread species, information on long-term population trends is largely missing. As such, studies on demographics, population structure, and factors that affect capture efficacy are needed. In 2019 we began a long-term study on Western Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta bellii) in the Couteau des Prairie habitat in northeastern South Dakota. We captured turtles using several trapping techniques and investigated the effects of short- and long-term weather variables on catch per unit effort. Temperature was positively associated with daily capture rates, showing the strongest …

Using Novel And Traditional Survey Techniques To Monitor Small Mammal Species In Northwestern California, Sydney Mccluskey

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Small mammal species play a critical role in forest ecosystems contributing significantly to overall forest biodiversity and ecological dynamics. Forest-dwelling species are among the most vulnerable to habitat loss and fragmentation. It is essential to develop efficient techniques for monitoring small mammal populations in forested ecosystems to inform conservation efforts and management plans; yet, monitoring small mammals in these habitats can be particularly challenging due to their size, activity patterns, and frequently nocturnal nature. In this study, I aimed to address two primary research objectives: 1) compare the effectiveness of 3 distinct camera-trap survey techniques (i.e., ground, tree, and tube) …

Scale And Habitat Effects On Measurement Of Streptomyces Biogeography And Biodiversity, Terilyn A. Stoflet

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Bacteria in the genus Streptomyces are detected in most soils around the world, as well as on and in seeds, plants, animals, insects and the wind. Currently, more than 700 valid species of Streptomyces have been identified worldwide. Streptomyces produce the majority of antibiotics, antivirals and antifungals, as well as important agricultural bioactive molecules due to their unique genetic capabilities. Their distinct genetic abilities allow them to produce an unlimited amount of biosynthetic gene clusters, or BGC’s. Although many compounds come from Streptomyces, scientists have not discovered the biogeographic patterns of this genus. The biogeography of Streptomyces is a …

Investigating The Relationships Between Biotic And Abiotic Factors Affecting Migratory Behavior In Westslope Cutthroat Trout Within The Priest River System, Kyle M. Keenan

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Numerous salmonid species demonstrate diverse life histories, encompassing both resident and migratory behaviors. Migratory life histories play a pivotal role in maintaining metapopulations for various reasons, facilitating genetic exchange between populations and yielding larger-sized females with increased fecundity relative to residents. This study took place in northern Idaho, within the lower Priest River system, which is highly susceptible to degrading habitat. Previous research has discovered this system as a significant contributor to migratory Westslope Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus lewisi, WCT) in the Lake Pend Oreille and Priest River systems. Expanding on these results, we compared four Priest River tributaries that produced …

Bird Predation On Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus Kisutch) In Humboldt Bay, Colton J. Dixon

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) populations along the west coast of the United States are declining. In Humboldt County, located in northwestern California, Coho Salmon have been in decline since their federal listing as threatened in 1997, primarily due to habitat loss from logging, agriculture, and urban development. Although these anthropogenic factors caused salmon populations to decline, bird predation may also be hindering population recovery, as evidenced by the recovery of Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags, originally implanted in Coho Salmon, from bird colonies in Humboldt Bay. This study examines predation by Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus), Caspian …

Interactions Between New Zealand Mud Snails (Potamopyrgus Antipodarum) And Toxic Cyanoabacteria (Anabaena) In Baduwa’T (Mad River), Humboldt County, California, Cecilia F. Kennelly

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Invasive species in freshwater systems are circulated around the globe, wreaking havoc on natural communities. The New Zealand mud snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) is a very successful aquatic invader that has established populations in freshwater streams, lakes, and rivers around the globe. The goal of this project was to evaluate the interactions of invasive New Zealand mud snails (NZMS) and toxic cyanobacteria Anabaena in the Mad River in Humboldt County, California. These two species of concern are found in similar habitats along the river, but their whether NZMS consume Anabaena or affect toxin production is unknown. First, I conducted …

Exploring Long-Term Patterns: Black Bass Tournament Fishery And Population Trends In West Virginia's Navigable Rivers, Alex J. Benecke

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Black bass Micropterus spp. are popular sport fish in West Virginia’s navigable rivers. In recent years, anglers have expressed concerns about a potential decline in fishery quality. To investigate these claims, we evaluated whether fishery quality has declined compared to earlier periods and whether population trends correspond to angler catch rates. Specifically, we aimed to (1) examine changes in species catch over time and during key periods, such as tournament and spawning seasons; (2) describe the distribution of black bass species across pools and habitat types; and (3) assess the outcomes of previous stocking efforts. To address these objectives, we …

Biology And Ecology Of Neonectria Magnoliae And Neonectria Punicea, Two Understudied Neonectria Species In West Virginia, Hannah Marie Petronek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The family Nectriaceae includes numerous phytopathogenic fungi that cause canker diseases on both angiosperm and conifer hosts worldwide. Numerous Neonectria spp. cause cankers on hardwoods and conifers in North America, but their roles in contributing to tree decline and mortality outside of beech bark disease are largely understudied. One such pathogen, Neonectria magnoliae, causes perennial cankers on two native hosts in central Appalachia: Fraser magnolia (Magnolia fraseri) and tulip-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera). We also recently confirmed N. magnoliae from non-native star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) in West Virginia. Both native hosts occur in the central …

An Effective Method For Long-Term Control Of American Bullfrogs Syntopic With Special-Status Native Amphibians In California, Usa, Jeff A. Alvarez, Jeffery T. Wilcox

Human–Wildlife Interactions

American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) are invasive in western North America and are well established in California, USA, where they are widespread. This invasive species has been implicated in the decrease of native amphibian populations and is believed to have contributed to the decline of threatened and endangered amphibians regionally. We utilized air rifles, tin alloy pellets, and 2 shooters to systematically control L. catesbeianus in both lentic and lotic habitat types within 2 counties in California. We visited sites monthly (April through November) for approximately 8 and 14 years to lethally target and remove L. catesbeianus …

Survival Of Translocated Coyotes In The Chicago Metropolitan Area, Usa, Charlotte R. Milling, Chris Anchor, Stanley D. Gehrt

Human–Wildlife Interactions

For nuisance animals, the general public perceives translocation to be a humane alternative to lethal control measures, but survival of translocated wildlife is often quite low due in part to increased movement post-release. Thus, for common species whose relocation generally serves a social rather than conservation purpose, translocation might not be correctly characterized when presented as nonlethal. We quantified release site fidelity and survival of coyotes (Canis latrans) fitted with very high frequency radio-collars and translocated within the Chicago Metropolitan Area, Illinois, USA, from 2000 to 2006. We also compared survival for 14 weeks post-collaring for our translocated …

Multi-Year Effectiveness Of Pzp-22 In Free-Roaming Suburban White-Tailed Deer, Allen T. Rutberg, Kali M. Pereira, Kayla A. Grams, John W. Turner Jr.

Human–Wildlife Interactions

To address the challenge that is posed to the use of fertility control to mitigate human–deer (Cervidae) conflicts by the need to regularly re-inoculate free-roaming animals, we captured, ear-tagged, and hand-injected 68 individual adult female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) with the PZP-22 immunocontraceptive vaccine from February through April, 2014 to 2017, in the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, USA. Approximately 2.5 years after initial treatments, we booster-darted 29 of the previously treated females with either PZP-22 or native PZP (ZonaStat-D). We observed fawn production between 2014 and 2021. The combination of initial PZP-22 hand-treatments followed by single dart-delivered PZP …

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

Habitat And Demography Of The Ozark Chinquapin (Castanea Ozarkensis) At Roaring River State Park In Barry County, Missouri, Danielle Evilsizor

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

The Ozark chinquapin, Castanea ozarkensis Ashe, is a chestnut tree with a range concentrated in the Interior Highlands of North America. Like other North American members of Castanea, it was reduced from an overstory tree to an understory shrub by the invasive chestnut blight fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica [Murrill] M.E. Barr) during the early 20^th century. However, relatively little is known about the habitat of this species or its health and reproductive capability post chestnut blight. Chapter one of this study analyzed the habitat of this species through a random forest species distribution model (SDM) to predict where …

Genomic Analysis Reveals New Species And Subspecies Of Butterflies, Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Jinhui Shen, Leina Song, Nick V. Grishin

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Large-scale genomic sequencing of butterfly taxa reveals new findings that are presented here. While we focus on detecting species by comparative genomics and define subspecies as groups of populations genetically differentiated from each other but not as strongly as species (that is, subspecies as species in the making), we report other adjustments to butterfly classification. As a result, 4 subgenera, 11 species, and 6 subspecies are proposed as new. New subgenera are: Rapis Grishin, subgen. n. (type species Papilio rapae Linnaeus, 1758, genus Pieris Schrank, 1801) in Pieridae Swainson, 1820 and Callitera Grishin, subgen. n. (type species Eurygona? pulcherrima …

Reassessment Of Amblyscirtes Hegon (Hesperiidae) As A Complex Of Four Distinct Species Revealed By Genomic Analysis, Harry Pavulaan, Ricky Patterson, Nick V. Grishin

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

After the discovery of a unique phenotype in the southern United States with a different ventral ground color than nominotypical Amblyscirtes hegon (Scudder, 1863), which occurs in the northeastern United States, genomic analysis revealed that A. hegon is a species complex. Phenotypic, genitalic, and genomic differences of the complex are presented here. Four species are identified: A. hegon; A. nemoris (W. H. Edwards, 1864), stat. rest.; A. matheri Patterson, Pavulaan & Grishin, sp. n. (TL: USA, Mississippi, Warren County); and A. gelidus Grishin, Patterson & Pavulaan, sp. n. (TL: USA, Michigan, Van Buren County).

Addressing Water Hyacinth (Pontederia Crassipes) Impacts On Aquatic Biota In Lake Okeechobee, Joseph Salerno

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The incursion of water hyacinth, Pontederia crassipes in Lake Okeechobee has resulted in management systems to be implemented to reduce the coverage of the invasive macrophyte. Its residence in the Lake Okeechobee ecosystem and the effects it has on organisms in the lake, whether it be positive or harmful is unknown. This study attempted to assess the potential effects that water hyacinth has on aquatic biota in Lake Okeechobee. Biotic data were collected on open water, water hyacinth covered, and native vegetation covered habitats via hook-and-line fishing, electrofishing, baited minnow traps, and the sampling of plant roots over a thirteen-month …