Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons^™

Spring Clipping, Fire, And Simulated Increased Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition Effects On Tallgrass Prairie Vegetation, Alexander J. Smart, Tabitha K. Scott, Sharon A. Clay, David E. Clay, Michelle K. Ohrtman, Eric M. Mousel

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Defoliation aimed at introduced cool-season grasses, which uses similar resources of native grasses, could substantially reduce their competitiveness and improve the quality of the northern tallgrass prairie. The objective was to evaluate the use of early season clipping and fire in conjunction with simulated increased levels of atmospheric nitrogen deposition on foliar canopy cover of tallgrass prairie vegetation. This study was conducted from 2009 to 2012 at two locations in eastern South Dakota. Small plots arranged in a split-plot treatment design were randomized in four complete blocks on a warm-season grass interseeded and a native prairie site in east-central South …

Modeling The Effects Of Crab Potting And Road Traffic On A Population Of Diamondback Terrapins, Sarah Gilligand, Randolph Chambers

Arts & Sciences Articles

No abstract provided.

Colonization Of Subterranean Habitats By Spiders In Central Europe, Vlastimil Růžička, Petr Šmilauer, Roman Mlejnek

International Journal of Speleology

Using data from the Czech Republic, we studied the distribution of spiders in soils, crevice systems, scree and caves, i.e. subterranean habitats at depths spanning from 10 cm to 100 m. In total, we found 161 species. The number of species declines with increasing habitat depth, with a major drop in species richness at the depth of 10 meters. Thirteen species exhibit morphological adaptations to life in subterranean habitats. At depths greater than 10 meters, spider assemblages are almost exclusively composed of troglomorphic species. We propose a hypothesis of evolution of troglomorphisms during Quaternary climatic cycles.

A History Of Place: Using Phytolith Analysis To Discern Holocene Vegetation Change On Sanak Island, Western Gulf Of Alaska, Cricket C. Wilbur

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This study investigated a terrestrial climate proxy, phytoliths, as a complimentary approach to documenting the dynamics of present and past vegetation on Sanak Island, the largest island in a small island group in the eastern Aleutian archipelago, and as a new basis by which to interpret Holocene environmental variability in Alaska. A phytolith reference collection was established from 59 selected plant species of maritime tundra belonging to 27 families. The grass species and a sedge species produced abundant phytolith forms whereas the majority of dicotyledons in this study were trace producers of phytoliths. A paleoenvironmental reconstruction from fossil phytoliths recovered …

The Biology And Ecology Of Epinephilidae Speciea And Their Implications To Fisheries Management, Jason R. How

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis examines the biological and ecological aspects of members of the globally exploited Epinephilidae with reference to fisheries management and in particular the use of closures. The leopard coralgrouper Plectropomus leopardus is a common reef fish throughout the Indo-Pacific region and a major target of both commercial and recreational fisheries. There has been limited research on this species in the eastern Indian Ocean, where there are only two populations. An examination of the species found a number of significant biological differences to their eastern Australian con-specifics. Most noticeable was the strong size-related cue over their protogynous sex change. The …

Applying The Principles Of Spatial Modelling To The Management Of Biodiversity In The Fragmented Landscapes Of South-Western Australia, Shaun Molloy

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Biodiversity conservation throughout the world is challenged by the impacts of a changing climate on fragmented landscapes. To mitigate these threats, conservation managers require models which can demonstrate the consequences of both negative impacts and management actions. This need can be addressed through spatial modelling applications. Unfortunately, throughout much of the world, spatial modelling is forgone, being seen as requiring skills and resources beyond the means of many conservation planners and managers. This thesis seeks to address this dilemma by delivering criteria for a successful modelling application and by providing case studies which demonstrate how appropriate modelling can be undertaken …

Food Resource Availability For Carnaby's Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus Latirostris On The Swan Coast Plain, Teagan Johnston

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

To achieve a balance between sustainable development and conservation of threatened species, management depends on understanding the predicted response and interaction of that species with their environment in order to develop appropriate mitigating solutions. The Carnaby’s cockatoo Calyptorhynchus latirostris is declining across much of its range due to the detrimental effect of habitat degradation and loss. Since the decline of food resource availability in non-breeding areas is believed to be contributing to the reduction in the number of Carnaby’s cockatoos knowledge of the birds’ foraging ecology and the influence of external factors on food resource availability is essential for effective …

Herbivory By Parma Mccullochi (Pomacentridae) : Its Role As An Ecosystem Engineer In Temperate Algal-Dominated Reefs, Frederico Vitelli

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Pomacentridae is one of the most representative families of herbivorous fishes inhabiting both tropical and temperate reefs, yet the vast majority of studies examining feeding within this family have been undertaken in tropical rather than temperate regions. Despite the high abundances of the pomacentrid Parma mccullochi in temperate waters of Western Australia, and their likely importance in removing algae from reefs in the region, there is a lack of information on their diet and their impact on the reef algal community. This study aims to determine the role of Parma mccullochi as an ecosystem engineer on temperate algal-dominated reefs in …

Metapopulation Theory Explains Black-Stripe Minnow (Pisces: Galaxiidae, Galaxiella Nigrostriata) Distribution In Seasonal Wetlands In South-West Western Australia, David M. Galeotti

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The objective of this project was to determine if Galaxiella nigrostriata populations could belong to a metapopulation. Metapopulation theory describes how multiple populations with occasional connectivity are a ‘population of populations’. Some populations’ habitats have optimal conditions (source habitats), others experience regular extinctions (sink habitats). Connectivity allows repopulation of extinct or uninhabited habitats. Galaxiella nigrostriata occurred randomly in 11 seasonal wetlands in the Kemerton wetland complex in south-west Western Australia over a 16 year period. The wetlands did not appear to be connected.

Around 70% of wetlands on the Swan Coastal Plain in south-west WA have been filled or degraded …

Short-Term Responses Of Fish Assemblages To Habitat Restoration In A Small Midwestern Stream, John Leon West

Masters Theses

Recent efforts to restore stream habitat have become a common practice, yet evaluations of biotic responses to these practices are not as common. I evaluated fish assemblage response to restoration in a reach of Kickapoo Creek, a fourth order stream southwest of Charleston, Illinois. Restoration included 446 meters of bank stabilization, pool scouring keys, and the creation of two artificial riffles. To have a representation of pre-restoration fish assemblages, I sampled four stream reaches of Kickapoo Creek twice before construction of habitat restoration: two control reaches (upstream and downstream) and two restored reaches within a 0.5 km restoration stretch (upstream …

Sharing A Vision For Biodiversity Conservation And Agriculture, John Quinn

John E Quinn

No abstract provided.

Evolutionary Adaptation Of Marine Zooplankton To Global Change, Hans Dam

Hans G. Dam

Predicting the response of the biota to global change remains a formidable endeavor. Zooplankton face challenges related to global warming, ocean acidification, the proliferation of toxic algal blooms, and increasing pollution, eutrophication, and hypoxia. They can respond to these changes by phenotypic plasticity or genetic adaptation. Using the concept of the evolution of reaction norms, I address how adaptive responses can be unequivocally discerned from phenotypic plasticity. To date, relatively few zooplankton studies have been designed for such a purpose. As case studies, I review the evidence for zooplankton adaptation to toxic algal blooms, hypoxia, and climate change. Predicting the …

Impact Of Lane Use Change Due To Bioenergy On Midwestern Us Hydrology, Andy Vanloocke, Carl J. Bernacchi, Stephen W. Nesbitt

Andy VanLoocke

Microdistributional Variability Of Larval Caddisflies In Mediterranean-Climate Streams In Northern California, Joseph R. Holomuzki, Paula Furey, Rex L. Lowe, Mary E. Power

Paula Furey

No abstract provided.

Forest Regeneration On The Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, Manette E. Sandor

Master's Theses

Woody species diversity of secondary forest has the potential to converge with that found in old growth forest. This study is the first to examine multiple aspects of species and reproductive trait diversity, and their relationship to each other, across a successional chronosequence. Species richness and species diversity increases with increasing age of forest. Diaspore size and diversity as well as fruit size generally increased with increasing age of forest, but fruit size diversity did not. Abundance of animal-dispersed species increased whereas wind-dispersed species decreased in abundance over succession. Insect-pollinated individuals were most abundant overall. Diaspore diversity, pollination diversity, and …

Nursing Females Are More Prone To Heat Stress: Demography Matters When Managing Flying-Foxes For Climate Change, Stephanie T. Snoyman, Jasmina Munich, Culum Brown

Ecological Impacts of Climate Change Collection

Determining the underlying mechanisms responsible for species-specific responses to climate change is important from a species management perspective. The grey-headed flying-fox, Pteropus poliocephalus, is listed as vulnerable but it also a significant pest species for orchardists and thereby presents an interesting management conundrum. Over the last century, the abundance of the grey-headed flying-fox, P. poliocephalus, in Australia has decreased due to a variety of threatening processes but has increased in abundance in urban areas. These flying-foxes are highly susceptible to extreme heat events which are predicted to increase in the future under climate change scenarios. Exceptionally hot days result in …

Stream-Associated Amphibian Habitat Assessment In The Portland-Vancouver Metropolitan Region, Andrew Evans Dietrich

Dissertations and Theses

This study assessed the influence of landscape development on stream-associated amphibians in forested riparian areas within the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan region. Human alteration of landscapes may dramatically affect the ecology of neighboring aquatic systems. It was hypothesized that lotic amphibians would be negatively associated with greater amounts of landscape development and positively associated with forested area within the surrounding watershed. Thirty-seven 1st-3rd order streams were sampled between June 21st and September 21st in 2011. Streams potentially providing adequate habitat for stream-obligate amphibians were randomly selected. Amphibians were surveyed along 30-meter stream transects using an active-cover search (ACS). Environmental variables associated with …

On Global Change, Direct And Indirect Interactions, And The Structure Of Ecological Communities: Theoretical And Empirical Tests, Mariano Alberto Rodriguez Cabal

Doctoral Dissertations

Human induced global change (climate change, CO₂ enrichment, nitrogen deposition, habitat degradation and biological invasions) is the most serious threat to biodiversity. Understanding how ecosystems will respond to different components of global change, and how these responses will affect key ecological processes, has become essential in contemporary ecology. For example, several studies have shown that exotic invasive species have negative impacts on the composition of communities, habitat structure and ecosystem processes. Particularly, exotic species may have negative effects on species interactions due to local extinctions, competition and/or replacement of interactions. Despite the large body of research demonstrating the negative …

Positive Relationships Between Association Strength And Phenotypic Similarity Characterize The Assembly Of Mixed-Species Bird Flocks Worldwide, Hari Sridhar, Umesh Srinivasan, Robert A. Askins, Julio Cesar Canales-Delgadillo, Chao-Chieh Chen, David N. Ewert, George A. Gale, Eben Goodale, Wendy K. Gram, Patrick J. Hart, Keith A. Hobson, Richard L. Hutto, Sarath W. Kotagama, Jessie L. Knowlton, Tien Ming Lee, Charles A. Munn, Somchai Nimnuan, B. Z. Nizam, Guillaume Péron, V. V. Robin, Amanda D. Rodewald, Paul G. Rodewald, Robert L. Thomson, Pranav Trivedi, Steven L. Van Wilgenburg, Kartik Shanker

Biology Faculty Publications

Competition theory predicts that local communities should consist of species that are more dissimilar than expected by chance. We find a strikingly different pattern in a multicontinent data set (55 presence-absence matrices from 24 locations) on the composition of mixed-species bird flocks, which are important sub-units of local bird communities the world over. By using null models and randomization tests followed by meta-analysis, we find the association strengths of species in flocks to be strongly related to similarity in body size and foraging behavior and higher for congeneric compared with noncongeneric species pairs. Given the local spatial scales of our …

Effects Of Elevated Carbon Dioxide And Increased Temperature On Methane And Nitrous Oxide Fluxes: Evidence From Field Experiments, Feike A. Dijlstra, Stephen A. Prior, G. Brett Renion, H. Allen Torbert, Hanqin Tian, Chaoqun (Crystal) Lu, Rodney T. Venterea

Chaoqun (Crystal) Lu

Climate change could alter terrestrial ecosystems, which are important sources and sinks of the potent green-house gases (GHGs) nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4), in ways that either stimulate or decrease the magnitude and duration of global warming. Using manipulative field experiments, we assessed how N2O and CH4 soil fluxes responded to a rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and to increased air temperature. Nitrous oxide and CH4 responses varied greatly among studied ecosystems. Elevated CO2 often stimulated N2O emissions in fertilized systems and CH4 emissions in wetlands, peatlands, and rice paddy fields; both effects were stronger in clayey …