The Functional Role Of Leaf Nutrients In An Old-Field Successional Community,
2015
Eastern Illinois University
The Functional Role Of Leaf Nutrients In An Old-Field Successional Community, Kirstin I. Duffin
Masters Theses
In functional ecology, traits that capture aspects of plant performance are used to understand how organisms interact with their environment. Leaf nutrients are an example of a functional trait that directly links to plant metabolic processes and therefore may describe plant assemblage dynamics. Multivariate leaf nutrient analyses may be used with other functional traits to understand ecological strategies because they are a direct measure of leaf metabolic processes and can describe nuances in plant allocation patterns. In this thesis, I explored (1) whether a suite of leaf nutrients (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium) was related to plant growth …
Movement Of Bigmouth Sleeper, Gobiomorus Dormitor, In The Río Cañas, Puerto Rico, Revealed By Radio Telemetry, And A Discussion Of The Species’ Amphidromous Characterization,
2015
University of Arkansas - Pine Bluff
Movement Of Bigmouth Sleeper, Gobiomorus Dormitor, In The Río Cañas, Puerto Rico, Revealed By Radio Telemetry, And A Discussion Of The Species’ Amphidromous Characterization, Steve E. Lochmann, Christine Adelsberger, J. Wesley Neal
Gulf and Caribbean Research
Bigmouth Sleeper, Gobiomorus dormitor, are tropical fish native to rivers of Puerto Rico. They are popular sport fish targeted by local anglers. They are considered as diadromous, but this characterization is controversial. The displacement of Bigmouth Sleepers in the Río Cañas, Puerto Rico, was examined using radio telemetry. Twenty fish were radio-tagged and monitored from January to November 2008. Fish were in the Río Cañas 69%, 62%, and 59% of the time before (January-May), during (June-August), and after (September-November) the spawning season, respectively. Average detected linear home range (within the river) for all tracking periods was 2.3 km, but …
Cows And Plows: Science-Based Conservation For Grassland Songbirds In Agricultural Landscapes,
2015
University of Montana - Missoula
Cows And Plows: Science-Based Conservation For Grassland Songbirds In Agricultural Landscapes, Marisa K. Lipsey
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
Temperate grasslands are among earth’s most imperiled ecosystems. In North America, steep declines of endemic songbird populations indicate that grassland loss and degradation may be approaching critical levels. Grasslands are agricultural landscapes largely (~85%) under private ownership with little formal protection status. Remaining bird populations depend on grazing lands that have not been converted to cropland. We combine regional data from a hotspot for grassland bird diversity (northeast Montana, USA; 26,500-km2) with continental data spanning the northern Great Plains (1,000,000-km2) to evaluate how land use and management influence bird distribution and abundance. Regionally, habitat used by seven grassland specialists spanned …
Community Perturbation Associated With New Zealand Mudsnail (Potamapyrgus Antipodarum) Invasion: Discrepancies In Temporal And Spatial Assessment,
2015
University of Montana - Missoula
Community Perturbation Associated With New Zealand Mudsnail (Potamapyrgus Antipodarum) Invasion: Discrepancies In Temporal And Spatial Assessment, Eric H. Richins
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
Invasive species have the potential to alter the ecosystems within which they establish as well as adjacent but uninvaded ecosystems by altering the flow of nutrients or biota across system boundaries. New Zealand mudsnails (Potamopyrgus antipodarum; NZMS) are often very abundant where they invade, sequestering the majority of stream primary production. This sequestering of production may reduce aquatic insect production, subsequent insect emergence and subsidies to riparian ecosystems. Tetragnathid spiders, an insectivorous riparian specialist, are dependent on the emergence of aquatic insects and are typical indicators of aquatic insect subsidies to riparian zones. In addition, NZMS invasions can result …
Habitat Value Of Restored Intertidal Shoreline For Fish And Macrobenthic Communities In Northeast Florida,
2015
University of North Florida
Habitat Value Of Restored Intertidal Shoreline For Fish And Macrobenthic Communities In Northeast Florida, Shannon K. Dunnigan
UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Oyster reefs are declining worldwide, as well as the economic and ecological value of oysters to their respective systems. Numerous restoration efforts have been undertaken in hopes of re-establishing these shellfish populations. This study evaluated a restoration project within the Guana Tolomato Matanzas estuary in northeast Florida, U.S.A., to investigate community structure as well as seasonal patterns in species abundance and diversity of juvenile fish and benthic macrofauna within restored and unrestored intertidal habitats along the Guana Peninsula. The first objective was to determine whether the artificially created reefs provided similar quantity and diversity of benthic macrofauna as adjacent unrestored …
Effects Of Prescribed Fire On Upland Plant Biodiversity And Abundance In Northeast Florida,
2015
University of North Florida
Effects Of Prescribed Fire On Upland Plant Biodiversity And Abundance In Northeast Florida, Peter D. Maholland
UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Terrestrial ecosystems in the southeastern United States have evolved with fire as a common disturbance and as a result many natural communities require the presence of fire to persist over time. Human development precludes natural fires from occurring within these communities; however, prescribed fire is considered to be a critical tool in the effort to restore fire-dependent ecosystems after decades of fire exclusion. Direct effects of fire on individual floral and faunal species as well as benefits to biodiversity at the landscape (gamma diversity) level have largely been supported in previous research. However, information on the effects of natural and …
Horseshoe Crab Research In Urban Estuaries: Challenges And Opportunities,
2015
Sacred Heart University
Horseshoe Crab Research In Urban Estuaries: Challenges And Opportunities, Jennifer Mattei, Mark L. Botton, Mark Beekey, Christina P. ColóN
Biology Faculty Publications
Horseshoe crabs rely on estuaries for food resources, places to spawn and for larvae and juveniles to develop and grow. Many of these estuaries are becoming increasingly urbanized and dominated by human activity. An urban estuary is characterized by armored shorelines, high nutrient loads, large fluctuations in algal and bacteria populations, increased levels of pollutants like heavy metals and pesticides, and seasonally low oxygen levels and pH. While urban estuaries are challenging for horseshoe crab survival and to researchers trying to study them, there are also opportunities for involving the public in research and increasing public awareness of the importance …
The Mismanagement Of Limulus Polyphemus In Long Island Sound, U.S.A.: What Are The Characteristics Of A Population In Decline?,
2015
Sacred Heart University
The Mismanagement Of Limulus Polyphemus In Long Island Sound, U.S.A.: What Are The Characteristics Of A Population In Decline?, Mark Beekey, Jennifer Mattei
Biology Faculty Publications
Over the past 15 years, horseshoe crabs in Connecticut have gone from being considered a nuisance species to a species of Greatest Conservation Need in 2015. This has happened through first, its discovery as an economically important species, second through research of its ecological role in coastal estuaries, and third, through education of the public concerning its role in the environment and their own health. To manage horseshoe crab populations successfully requires long term monitoring, research and education. The use of annual or biannual trawl data trends to assess the success of management decisions is limited due to the high …
Advancing Understanding Of The Role Of Belowground Processes In Terrestrial Carbon Sinks Through Ground-Penetrating Radar: Final Report (De-Sc0008099),
2015
Old Dominion University
Advancing Understanding Of The Role Of Belowground Processes In Terrestrial Carbon Sinks Through Ground-Penetrating Radar: Final Report (De-Sc0008099), Frank P. Day
Biological Sciences Faculty Publications
Coarse roots play a significant role in belowground carbon cycling and will likely play an increasingly crucial role in belowground carbon sequestration as atmospheric CO2 levels continue to rise, yet they are one of the most difficult ecosystem parameters to quantify. Despite promising results with ground-penetrating radar (GPR) as a nondestructive method of quantifying biomass of coarse roots, this application of GPR is in its infancy and neither the complete potential nor limitations of the technology have been fully evaluated. The primary goals and questions of this study fell into four groups: (1) GPR methods: Can GPR detect change …
Physical And Biological Constraints On The Abundance Of Cyanobacteria In The James River Estuary,
2015
Virginia Commonwealth University
Physical And Biological Constraints On The Abundance Of Cyanobacteria In The James River Estuary, Brendan C. Trache
Theses and Dissertations
The tidal-fresh James River experiences recurring blooms of toxin-producing cyanobacteria, including Microcystis aeruginosa. However, cyanobacteria cell densities in the James are relatively low. Our purpose was to identify key factors suppressing cyanobacteria growth in the face of eutrophication. A mesocosm experiment was designed to test the effects of light, mixing and grazing on cyanobacteria abundance, with nutrients held constant. We predicted that toxic cyanobacteria would be most abundant under stagnant conditions, with enhanced light, with no bivalve grazers present. Abundances of indicator gene copies and phytoplankton counts supported this hypothesis. However, chlorophyll-a, phycocyanin, and the toxin microcystin were all …
Expanding Eco-Visualization: Sculpting Corn Production,
2015
Virginia Commonwealth University
Expanding Eco-Visualization: Sculpting Corn Production, Jennifer E. Figg
Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation expands upon the definition of eco-visualization artwork. EV was originally defined in 2006 by Tiffany Holmes as a way to display the real time consumption statistics of key environmental resources for the goal of promoting ecological literacy. I assert that the final forms of EV artworks are not necessarily dependent on technology, and can differ in terms of media used, in that they can be sculptural, video-based, or static two-dimensional forms that communicate interpreted environmental information. There are two main categories of EV: one that is predominantly screen-based and another that employs a variety of modes of representation …
Comparison Of Gastropod Assemblages From Natural And Phosphate Mine Lakes Of Central Florida,
2015
University of South Florida
Comparison Of Gastropod Assemblages From Natural And Phosphate Mine Lakes Of Central Florida, William A. Mailand
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Investigations were made examining the relationships between gastropod species richness and abundance across 20 phosphate and 20 natural lakes in Central Florida. In additional to lake category, age of phosphate lakes was used to determine if phosphate lakes ever approximate natural lakes. Additional physical, chemical, and biological parameters, including chlorophyll a, Ca, secchi, phosphorous, conductance, fish predation, and recreational lake use were investigated in order to determine if they affected gastropods with lake age. Comparisons were also made between gastropod species richness and average abundance and two groups of dominant vegetation categories: Panicum, a structurally complex macrophyte, and Typha …
The Status Of Fishes In The Missouri River, Nebraska:
Shoal Chub (Macrhybopsis Hyostoma), Sturgeon Chub (M. Gelida), Sicklefin Chub (M. Meeki), Silver Chub (M. Storeriana), Flathead Chub (Platygobio Gracilis), Plains Minnow (Hybognathus Placitus), Western Silvery Minnow (H. Argyritis), And Brassy Minnow (H. Hankinsoni),
2014
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
The Status Of Fishes In The Missouri River, Nebraska: Shoal Chub (Macrhybopsis Hyostoma), Sturgeon Chub (M. Gelida), Sicklefin Chub (M. Meeki), Silver Chub (M. Storeriana), Flathead Chub (Platygobio Gracilis), Plains Minnow (Hybognathus Placitus), Western Silvery Minnow (H. Argyritis), And Brassy Minnow (H. Hankinsoni), Kirk D. Steffensen, Dane A. Shuman, Sam Stukel
Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies
Throughout the past century, the Missouri River has been highly modified which has negatively affected the native fish community. Previous research quantified the reduction of several native Cyprinidae species and made several recommendations to aid in recovery. However, these recommendations were not implemented. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to assess the current population trends of eight native cyprinid species and develop the current management objectives. Over 335,000 fish were collected from the Missouri River along Nebraska’s eastern border with mini-fyke nets and otter trawls from 2003 to 2012. Target Cyprinidae species consisted of less than five percent (n …
The Status Of Fishes In The Missouri River, Nebraska: Sauger (Sander Canadensis),
2014
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
The Status Of Fishes In The Missouri River, Nebraska: Sauger (Sander Canadensis), Kirk D. Steffensen, Sam Stukel, Dane A. Shuman
Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies
Early fisheries investigation of the Missouri River fish community indicated that Sauger were common throughout Nebraska, including all major Missouri River tributaries. However due to many factors, their current range is restricted to the Missouri River and the lower reaches of a few tributaries. Hesse (1994) recommended listing Sauger as a state endangered species but this recommendation was never implemented. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to reevaluate the current population status of Sauger in the Missouri River along Nebraska’s border. Over 2,100 Sauger have been captured from the Missouri River along Nebraska’s eastern border since 2003. Sauger were …
Registration Of ‘Newell’ Smooth Bromegrass,
2014
Utah State University
Registration Of ‘Newell’ Smooth Bromegrass, K P. Vogel, R B. Mitchell, B L. Waldron, M R. Haferkamp, J D. Berdahl, D D. Baltensperger, Galen Erickson, T J. Klopfenstein
Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah
No abstract provided.
El Nino Southern Oscillation (Enso) Enhances Co2 Exchange Rates In Freshwater Marsh Ecosystems In The Florida Everglades,
2014
University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa
El Nino Southern Oscillation (Enso) Enhances Co2 Exchange Rates In Freshwater Marsh Ecosystems In The Florida Everglades, Sparkle L. Malone, Christina L. Staudhammer, Steven F. Oberbauer, Paulo Olivas, Michael G. Ryan, Jessica L. Schedlbauer, Henry W. Loescher, Gregory Starr
Biology Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
How The Presence Of Plastic In The North Pacific Gyre Affects The Growth Of Thalassiosira Through Remote Sensing And Laboratory Replication,
2014
Chapman University
How The Presence Of Plastic In The North Pacific Gyre Affects The Growth Of Thalassiosira Through Remote Sensing And Laboratory Replication, Jordynn Brennan, Hesham El-Askary
Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters
Through the use of remote sensing, we are able to determine the approximate location of the garbage patch in the North Pacific Gyre. Though remote sensing does not penetrate the surface of the ocean, monthly satellite images can be analyzed to determine the rate of growth or rate of decrease of certain parameters, such as atmospheric gases, phytoplankton, and dissolved organic matter. Over the past decade, data from the Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (Giovanni program) has shown a significant increase in dissolved organic matter and chlorophyll a content in the area of the North Pacific Garbage …
The Non-Lethal Effects Of Climate Change On The Territoriality Of Lottia Gigantea,
2014
Chapman University
The Non-Lethal Effects Of Climate Change On The Territoriality Of Lottia Gigantea, Tracey Gunanto, Christina Chavez, Jessica Martinez, William G. Wright
Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters
The intertidal zone has been described as ground zero for global warming. Here, the owl limpet, Lottia gigantea, adapted to the cool ocean temperatures, must withstand a few hours of baking sun during day-time low tides. This hardship is predicted to increase in frequency and severity in the future as the globe warms. Our research hypothesized that heat events compromise territorial behavior of L. gigantea. All observations and experiments were performed at Inspiration Point near Newport Beach, California. We measured the natural radiant temperature of tagged limpets during day-time low tides using a field-calibrated infrared “thermogun”. We also …
Differences In The Diversity Of Frogspecies Between Sierra Lloronaand El Valle, Panama,
2014
SIT Study Abroad
Differences In The Diversity Of Frogspecies Between Sierra Lloronaand El Valle, Panama, Kei Okabe Thurber
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Panama is home to the greatest diversity of species in all of Central America. It is home to 174 species of frogs, 35 of which are endemic to Panama. Frogs are a vital part of many ecosystems. They maintain insect populations and act as food sources for larger predators. Their job of maintaining insect populations is essential to curbing the spread of diseases. Additionally, scientists have found chemical compounds in the skin of frogs that can be used to treat pain and prevent infections. The main threat to the majority of frogs is the deadly fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), or …
Comparing Disease Prevalence In Hard Corals At Four Different Reefs Near The Island Of Narganá In The Guna Yala Comarca Of Panamá,
2014
SIT Study Abroad
Comparing Disease Prevalence In Hard Corals At Four Different Reefs Near The Island Of Narganá In The Guna Yala Comarca Of Panamá, Connor Hinton
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Coral reefs harbor much of the world’s known marine biodiversity. For a number of reasons, coral reefs are becoming increasingly threatened. Large portions of the world’s reefs have already been lost, and the number of degrading reefs is constantly on the rise. One cause for the destruction of coral reefs are coral diseases, ultimately causing coral mortality. With the death of corals, a key species is lost, endangering the entire reef ecosystem. Documenting the presence of such diseases could be useful in assessing current reef health and ameliorating the growing threat of coral diseases. In this project, 18 40m2 belt …
