Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons^™

The Sources And Fates Of Nutrients In The Deep Lake Watershed, Kiler Austin Kenison

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

This water quality survey determined the sources and fates of nutrients within the Deep Lake watershed located in Stevens County, WA. Deep Lake is a 191-acre exorheic lake found just below the Canadian border in northeast Washington state. It is situated at the bottom of a narrow valley with steep walls and is fed throughout the year by snowmelt from tributaries descending the mountains surrounding it. Above and to the north of the lake, the tributaries are utilized by cattle ranchers as a water source for livestock while a small community of homes surrounds the lake. Water samples, discharge, and …

Monitoring Faunal Responses To Biodegradable Oyster Reef Restoration Materials With Camera Traps, Tara L. Blanchard

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Restoration of the oyster reefs has become increasingly crucial due to great population declines around the globe. Intertidal oyster reefs provide essential foraging and loafing grounds to many faunal species, including several threatened/endangered wading bird species. Biodegradable oyster reef restoration materials have been introduced to avoid potential plastic pollution from traditional materials. Studies have shown success regarding oyster recruitment rates to these materials. However, their impacts on fauna using restored oyster reefs are unknown. This project aims to evaluate oyster reef restoration using biodegradable materials to increase faunal diversity, abundance, and foraging behaviors. Camera traps were deployed to observe fauna …

Examining Wrack In Mosquito Lagoon To Analyze Biodiversity And Seagrass Viability, Nicole Jerrell

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Seagrass restoration of Halodule wrightii, has become crucial as seagrass coverage in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) declined by 58% between 2011 and 2019. To understand the abundance of seagrass fragments available for natural recruitment and restoration, we tracked the abundance of viable fragments found in the wrack in Mosquito Lagoon. Wrack is plant material, including seagrass fragments, mangrove propagules, and detritus. Seagrass fragments were considered viable if the fragment had an apical meristem present. Replicate samples were collected from 5 locations every two weeks, starting in September 2022 and ending in September 2023, and the samples were processed …

Interdisciplinary Learning: How Different Ways Of Thinking Can Fuel Passion And Expand Understanding., Allison Amy Peschek

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

This Capstone project was created to show the profound experience resulting from an extended range of interdisciplinary learning, and how different methods, when paired together, can enhance a learning experience. This was a personal project of exploration into those different angles, and primarily focused on avenues of logical and creating learning, respectively. These methods have been implemented by this author often in the past, but this capstone will explore this concept further, as there is a lot of potential in combining these different methods and biases in learning, to both further passion and understanding as a learner, but to also …

Colombia´S National Mountain Peatland Map: Peatland Distribution, Condition And Carbon Stocks, Patrick Nicolas Skillings-Neira

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

In this research, I explore the distribution, condition, and carbon stocks of peatlands in the Colombian Andes. High mountain peatlands in Colombia, usually found within the páramos, face significant ecological challenges. Although Law 1930 (2018) mandates sustainable páramo management, it does not prohibit peatland disturbance. Undisturbed peatlands act as long-term carbon sinks, but their degradation can convert them into greenhouse gas sources. The lack of comprehensive national peatland mapping hampers effective environmental management and policy formulation. I aim to create a national-scale peatland map, assess peatland distribution, quantify degraded pasture peatlands, and report preliminary soil carbon stocks. Additionally, I compared …

Movement Behavior And Metapopulation Connectivity Of Stream Salamanders In Response To Disturbance Events, Kathryn M. Greene

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Metapopulations are shaped by the dispersal between populations in a landscape. Disturbance events can disrupt this connectivity resulting in local population extinction. For my dissertation, I used a combination of empirical and theoretical techniques to examine dispersal in response to disturbance and assessed it’s population-level consequences. My research used capture-mark-recapture sampling techniques to evaluate stream salamander movement in response to (1) a supraseasonal drought and (2) mountaintop-removal-mining (MTR) and valley-filling (VF) and (3) agent-based simulation modeling to evaluate population extinction risk in response to varying dispersal and mortality rates.

First, I evaluated the effects of a supraseasonal drought, a severe …

Steps Towards Operationalizing One Health Approaches, Kim M. Pepin, Keith M. Carlisle, Dean Anderson, Michael G. Baker, Richard B. Chipman, Jackie Benschop, Nigel P. French, Suzie Greenhalgh, Scott Mcdougall, Petra Muellner, Emil Murphy, Dion R. J. Neale, Michael J. Plank, David T. S. Hayman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

One Health recognizes the health of humans, agriculture, wildlife, and the environment are interrelated. The concept has been embraced by international health and environmental authorities such as WHO, WOAH, FAO, and UNEP, but One Health approaches have been more practiced by researchers than national or international authorities. To identify priorities for operationalizing One Health beyond research contexts, we conducted 41 semi-structured interviews with professionals across One Health sectors (public health, environment, agriculture, wildlife) and institutional contexts, who focus on national-scale and international applications. We identify important challenges, solutions, and priorities for delivering the One Health agenda through government action. Participants …

Changing Fire Regimes And Nuanced Impacts On A Critically Imperiled Species, Jeremy T. Rockweit, Katie M. Dugger, Damon B. Lesmeister, Raymond J. Davis, Alan B. Franklin, J. Mark Higley

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildfire activity throughout western North America is increasing which can have important consequences for species persistence. Native species have evolved disturbance-adapted traits that confer resilience to natural disturbance provided disturbances operate within their historical range of variability. This resilience can erode as disturbance regimes change and begin operating outside this range. We assessed wildfire impacts during 1987–2018 on the northern spotted owl, an imperiled species with complex relationships with late and early seral forest in the Pacific Northwest, USA. We analyzed population- and individual-level wildfire impacts across the frequent-fire portion of the owl’s geographic range at two spatial scales and …

Heating Decoys To Mimic Thermal Signatures Of Live Animals For Drones, Landon R. Jones, Cerise Mensah, Jared S. Elmore, Kristine O. Evans, Morgan B. Pfeiffer, Brad F. Blackwell, Raymond B. Iglay

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Method name

Heating animal decoys to mimic thermal signatures for drones

Abstract

Thermal sensors mounted on drones (unoccupied aircraft systems) are popular and effective tools for monitoring cryptic animal species, although few studies have quantified sampling error of ani- mal counts from thermal images. Using decoys is one effective strategy to quantify bias and count accuracy; however, plastic decoys do not mimic thermal signatures of representative species. Our objective was to produce heat signatures in animal decoys to realistically match thermal images of live animals obtained from a drone-based sensor. We tested commercially available methods to heat plastic decoys of …

Competitive Behaviors Between Black Vultures (Coragyps Atratus) And Turkey Vultures (Cathartes Aura) During Scavenging / Comportamientos Competitivos Entre Coragyps Atratus Y Cathartes Aura Durante El Carroñeo, Amanda M. Herbert, Patrick A. Zollner, Landon R. Jones, Marian L. Wahl, Grant N. Burcham, Bryan M. Kluever, Lee A. Humberg, Brandon M. Quinby

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Abstract

Interference competition occurs when an individual prohibits another’s access to a resource through antagonistic interactions. Despite considerable research on scavenger interactions at carrion, the limited evidence for competitive interactions between black vultures (Coragyps atratus) and turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) relies upon the frequency of antagonistic interactions without considering other forms of competition. Using remote cameras, we recorded the duration of aggression, scavenging, and vigilance behaviors exhibited by individual black vultures and turkey vultures scavenging stillborn domestic cattle carcasses within flocks composed of one or both vulture species. We tested for differences of durations of each …

The Texas Feral Swine Eradication And Control Pilot Program, David R. Pipkin, Bruce R. Leland, Katherine Garwood, Linda Tschirhart-Hejl, Michael J. Bodenchuk, John M. Tomecek

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The United States Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill) established the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program. The program funded US$75M for 5 years, split evenly between the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), both programs within the United States Department of Agriculture. The agencies solicited joint programs from states with high densities of feral swine in two phases. In Texas, NRCS and APHIS submitted three multi-county project areas along watersheds for Phase I funding and one eradication effort along with two crop protection projects in Phase II. …

Spatiotemporal Partitioning Of Two Invasive Ungulates In Guam [Abstract], Kelly J. Koriakin, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Nathan P. Snow, D. Buck Jolley

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Interspecific interactions are crucial in shaping ecosystem dynamics (Connell 1983, Tilman 1987, Barbosa and Castellanos 2005). Non-native ungulates have been introduced across the globe (Ferretti and Lovari 2014, Volery et al. 2021) and in environments where multiple invasives thrive, these co-occurring sympatric species may shift spatiotemporal patterns to minimize interspecific competition (Schoener 1974, Chesson 2000). Spatiotemporal shifts can lead to cascading effects to the native flora and fauna (Simberloff and Von Holle 1999). Given the potential negative impacts, understanding these interactions is vital for effective management of these ecosystems.

Two invasive ungulates, the wild pig (Sus scrofa) and …

Grazing Management For Livestock, Free-Roaming Horses And Burros, And Resilience, Sherman R. Swanson

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Grazing management avoids overgrazing by allocating forage for livestock on the basis of animal unit months and managing wild and free-roaming horses (Equus caballus) and burros (E. asinus) to achieve and maintain an appropriate management level (AML) for each herd. Riparian green forage and water attracts cattle (Bos taurus) and equids when upland forage is brown. Key species that focus management for resilience to weather variation, fire, and floods are preferred forage plants for cattle and horses. They include riparian stabilizers such as densely rooted sedges and deep-rooted perennial grasses in sagebrush (Artemisia …

Exploring The Consistency Of Flow Regimes Within And Among Ecoregions Of The Southeastern United States, Frank Paul Braun Iv

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Human manipulation of river systems has long been a known contributor to the loss of freshwater biodiversity. By accounting for environmental causes of hydrologic variation among rivers, we can better understand how ecoregion mediates flow regimes and forecast species that may be at risk. Presumably, natural variation associated with ecoregion boundaries exerts strong influence on flow regimes, and may mediate relationships between other features (e.g., land use, dam operations) and hydrology. However, such between-ecoregion variation is poorly investigated, particularly at fine spatial and temporal scales. I characterized 10 hydrologic metrics, representing the five key dimensions of the flow regime (magnitude, …

Impact Of Road Infrastructures On The Abundance Of Common Chameleon Populations, Pablo García-Quevedo, Francisco Díaz-Ruiz, Antonio Román Muñoz, Jesús Duarte, Adrián Martín-Taboada, José-María García-Carrasco, Miguel Ángel Farfán

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The common chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon) is a threatened species in Spain. The loss and transformation of their traditional habitats are among the main causes of its decline. Linear infrastructures, such as roads and highways, cause direct habitat loss, roadkill, and fragmentation of populations by acting as an artificial barrier. In this study, we investigated the potential effect of 2 high-speed road infrastructures in southern Spain on local populations of common chameleons. A total of 34 grids of 1x1 km were sampled, differentiating between grids without road presence (n = 17) and grids with road presence (n …

Waterbird-Perceived Damage, Control Measures, And Economic Implications For Rice Production In The Brazilian Cerrado, Demetrio Luis Guadagnin, Alexandre Afonso Meyer, João Augusto Rossi Borges, Fernanda Maia Justo

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Waterbirds have the potential to inflict economic damage to crops. However, is rice (Oryza sativa) production in the Brazilian Cerrado significantly affected by waterbirds? This study aimed to assess the extent of waterbird damage on irrigated rice production in Central Brazil. We conducted surveys of waterbird populations in rice agroecosystem habitats throughout the cultivation cycle and analyzed the expenses associated with waterbird-induced yield losses and the control measures employed by farmers. The 2 most prevalent waterbird species observed were Dendrocygna viduatta and D. autumnalis, comprising 68.6% of all recorded waterbirds. These species were more frequently encountered and …

An Assessment Of Functional Characteristics In Macroinvertebrates And Fishes In The Lower Ogeechee River, Molly A. Mckeon

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The southeastern United States is a hotspot for aquatic biodiversity; yet this region is also considered vulnerable to climate and land–use changes. The Ogeechee River is an unimpeded blackwater river in Georgia that drains into the Atlantic Ocean and a unique ecosystem due to the preservation of its natural state; Historically, research conducted in the river establishes a baseline for long-term ecological studies. The aim of this study is to compare aquatic macroinvertebrate and fish community composition data collected in 2014 to 2017 to a recently collected dataset from 2023 and document temporal changes. Water quality monitoring was performed throughout …

Dust Management At An Active Construction Area Affects Monarch Distribution, Amy W. O'Donnell, Jeffery D. Sullivan, Carl R. Callahan, Peter C. Mcgowan, Diann J. Prosser

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The North American population of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) is experiencing dramatic declines, necessitating investigations into challenges facing this species that can be resolved through management actions. For instance, dust made airborne by heavy equipment driving along a dirt road can settle on roadside vegetation, resulting in reduced use by monarchs. Dust accumulation on areas where floral nectaries such as leaves, stems, and flowers may be present could reduce the ability of pollinators, such as monarchs, to access nectar from flowering plants needed during migration. One such challenge was observed on Poplar Island, an island restoration project located in …

Leaf To Canopy Functional Resilience: Plant Physiological And Carbon Cycling Stability Following Disturbances, Lisa T. Haber

Theses and Dissertations

Ecological disturbances impact core ecosystem functions, including production and biogeochemical cycling, by precipitating changes in biodiversity, physical environmental variables, vegetation structure, and functional trait distributions. As disturbance patterns intensify and abruptly transition to novel regimes under global change, future trajectories of ecosystem functions, including carbon (C) uptake and storage, are uncertain. A more complete understanding of the mechanisms underpinning ecosystem stability (or ability to return to baseline functioning) following disturbance is needed to forecast future C cycling.

Replicated ecosystem-scale disturbance experiments, particularly when coupled with modeling, are required to rigorously test hypothesized trajectories of ecosystem structural and functional change following …

Are Elaeagnus Umbellata Invasions Limited By Microbial Interactions?, Cody Anderson Leverette

Masters Theses

Mutualistic interactions with soil microbes are a key component of plant invasions. Mutualists such as ectomycorrhizal fungi and Rhizobia bacteria often limit invasive plant establishment and performance, but the role of nitrogen-fixing Frankia bacteria in invasions remains largely unexplored. In this study, I quantified the net effects of positive and negative plant-soil feedbacks, including Frankia nodulation, on invasive Elaeagnus umbellata (autumn olive; hereafter AO) seedling performance and traits at varying distances from focal shrubs using live soil and sterilized soil. The expectation was that seedling performance would decrease with further distance from shrubs as Frankia abundance decreased. Contrary to expectations, …