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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Scales Of Resilience: Community Stability, Population Dynamics, And Molecular Ecology Of Brook Trout In A Riverscape After A Large Flood,
2015
Antioch University - New England
Scales Of Resilience: Community Stability, Population Dynamics, And Molecular Ecology Of Brook Trout In A Riverscape After A Large Flood, Erin V. Rodgers
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
Climate change in the northeastern United States currently and in future decadal predictions is characterized by warmer average temperatures and more frequent and intense storm events. Many aquatic organisms that thrive below a certain temperature threshold, such as brook trout, are being pushed towards their upper thermal limits, ultimately lowering their probability of survival and resilience to disturbance. In late-August and early-September 2011, Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee created an extended flood in the Delaware Water Gap region of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as much of the northeast. This dissertation examines the effects of this flood on …
Coarse Woody Debris And The Carbon Balance Of A Moderately Disturbed Forest,
2015
Virginia Commonwealth University
Coarse Woody Debris And The Carbon Balance Of A Moderately Disturbed Forest, Amy V. Schmid
Theses and Dissertations
Landscapes are comprised of multiple ecosystems shaped by disturbances varying in severity and source. Moderate disturbance from weather, pathogens, insects, and age-related senescence, in contrast to severe disturbances that fell trees, may increase standing woody debris and alter the contribution of coarse woody debris (CWD) to total ecosystem respiration (RE). However, woody debris dynamics are rarely examined following moderate disturbances that substantially increase standing dead wood stocks. We used an experimental manipulation of moderate disturbance in an upper Great Lakes forest to: 1) examine decadal changes in CWD stocks through a moderate disturbance; 2) quantify in situ CWD …
The Problem Of Low Agreement Among Automated Identification Programs For Acoustical Surveys Of Bats,
2015
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
The Problem Of Low Agreement Among Automated Identification Programs For Acoustical Surveys Of Bats, Cliff Lemen, Patricia W. Freeman, Jeremy A. White, Brett R. Andersen
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
We compared four programs designed to identify species of bats from their echolocation calls (Bat Call ID, EchoClass, Kaleidoscope Pro, and SonoBat) using field data collected in Nebraska, USA (29,782 files). Although we did not know the true identity of these bats, we could still compare the pairwise agreement between software packages when identifying the same call sequences. If accuracy is high in these software packages, there should be high agreement in identification. Agreement in identification by species averaged approximately 40% and varied by software package, species, and data set. Our results are not consistent with the high accuracy often …
The Role Of Citizens In Detecting And Responding To A Rapid Marine Invasion,
2015
Northeastern University
The Role Of Citizens In Detecting And Responding To A Rapid Marine Invasion, Steven B. Scyphers, Sean P. Powers, J. Lad Akins, J. Marcus Drymon, Charles W. Martin, Zeb H. Schobernd, Pamela J. Schofield, Robert L. Shipp, Theodore S. Switzer
University Faculty and Staff Publications
Documenting and responding to species invasions requires innovative strategies that account for ecological and societal complexities. We used the recent expansion of Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) throughout northern Gulf of Mexico coastal waters to evaluate the role of stakeholders in documenting and responding to a rapid marine invasion. We coupled an online survey of spearfishers and citizen science monitoring programs with traditional fishery-independent data sources and found that citizen observations documented lionfish 1–2 years earlier and more frequently than traditional reef fish monitoring programs. Citizen observations first documented lionfish in 2010 followed by rapid expansion and proliferation in …
Yellowstone Wolf (Canis Lupus) Density Predicted By Elk (Cervus Elaphus) Biomass,
2015
USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Yellowstone Wolf (Canis Lupus) Density Predicted By Elk (Cervus Elaphus) Biomass, L. David Mech, Shannon M. Barber-Meyer
United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications
The Northern Range (NR) of Yellowstone National Park (YNP) hosts a higher prey biomass density in the form of elk (Cervus elaphus L., 1758) than any other system of gray wolves (Canis lupus L., 1758) and prey reported. Therefore, it is important to determine whether that wolf–prey system fits a long-standing model relating wolf density to prey biomass. Using data from 2005 to 2012 after elk population fluctuations dampened 10 years subsequent to wolf reintroduction, we found that NR prey biomass predicted wolf density. This finding and the trajectory of the regression extend the validity of the model …
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 …
A Gis Assessment Of Ecoregion Representation In Chile's Existing And Proposed Integrated Network Of Protected Areas,
2015
University of Montana
A Gis Assessment Of Ecoregion Representation In Chile's Existing And Proposed Integrated Network Of Protected Areas, Jessica Schutz
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
Chile's state designated protected areas are reported to show representation bias and to be unable to meet conservation goals. Private protected areas are considered an important tool to resolve these issues, which has led to support for increasing the role of private protected areas in Chile and creating an integrated public-private protected area network. But the validity of the capacity of private protected areas to fix Chile's state protected area network bias, and the advantage of creating an integrated protected area network, have not been assessed. This study uses the most recent data on Chile's state, private, and international protected …
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 …
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 …
Plant Functional Traits Of Dominant Native And Invasive Species In Mediterranean-Climate Ecosystems,
2015
Chapman University
Plant Functional Traits Of Dominant Native And Invasive Species In Mediterranean-Climate Ecosystems, Jennifer L. Funk, Rachel J. Standish, William D. Stock, Fernando Valladares
Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research
The idea that dominant invasive plant species outperform neighboring native species through higher rates of carbon assimilation and growth is supported by several analyses of global datasets. However, theory suggests that native and invasive species occurring in low-resource environments will be functionally similar, as environmental factors restrict the range of observed physiological and morphological trait values. We measured resource-use traits in native and invasive plant species across eight diverse vegetation communities distributed throughout the five Mediterranean-climate regions, which are drought-prone and increasingly threatened by human activities including the introduction of exotic species. Traits differed strongly across the five regions. In …
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 …
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 …
Abundance, Density, And Opinions About Columbian Black-Tailed Deer, Whidbey Island, Washington,
2015
University of Montana - Missoula
Abundance, Density, And Opinions About Columbian Black-Tailed Deer, Whidbey Island, Washington, Robert P. Wingard
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
Obtaining reliable knowledge is the first step towards properly managing wildlife species. Columbian black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) on Whidbey Island, Washington have not been the subject of study, and little is known about the population, or the opinion of resident’s of Whidbey Island towards the deer population. However, wildlife managers suggest deer on the island may be overabundant or over social carrying capacity. Given the lack of empirical knowledge about the deer population or human opinions towards deer on Whidbey Island, I designed research to determine the abundance and density of Columbian black-tailed deer on Whidbey Island, …
Decadal Scale Responses Of Soil And Ecosystem Processes To Forest Restoration In Rocky Mountain Conifer Forests,
2015
University of Montana - Missoula
Decadal Scale Responses Of Soil And Ecosystem Processes To Forest Restoration In Rocky Mountain Conifer Forests, Peter Ganzlin
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
Decades of fire suppression have left much of the forest in the intermountain western United States exceedingly dense, and forest restoration techniques – including thinning and prescribed fire – are increasingly being used in an attempt to mitigate the potentially disastrous effects of severe wildfire, to enhance tree growth and regeneration, and to stimulate soil nutrient cycling. While many of the short-term effects of forest restoration have been established, the long-term effects on soil biogeochemical and ecosystem processes are largely unknown. In this thesis I present two manuscripts documenting and synthesizing these long-term impacts. The first chapter focuses on the …
