Relationship Between Ratio Of Hybrid Sunfish To Their Parent Species And Latitude,
2026
Bemidji State University
Relationship Between Ratio Of Hybrid Sunfish To Their Parent Species And Latitude, Maxwell Kattner
Journal of Earth and Life Science
Hybrid sunfish of the Lepomis genus make up a generally small but notable portion of the population of sunfish in Minnesota lakes. Hybrid sunfish play a significant role in freshwater ecosystems across the United States. They are both morphologically and behaviorally distinct in some ways and similar in other ways to their parent species, causing them to both fill and compete with their parent species for niches occupied by multiple Lepomis species. Despite this, the ratio of hybrid sunfish to their parent species has never been properly explored. This study observed if the ratio of hybrid sunfish to their parent …
Hfpo-Da Aquatic Toxicity And Bioaccumulation,
2026
Marshall University
Hfpo-Da Aquatic Toxicity And Bioaccumulation, Bailey Dawn Rappold
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been detected globally in environmental media and biota. Legacy compounds PFOA and PFOS have been observed to be toxic and bioaccumulative in low doses and have been removed from production and industrial processes. Replacement PFAS chemicals are less understood and present a gap in current knowledge in their toxicological effects. This research utilized extended chronic toxicity studies to assess the impacts of HFPO-DA, a short chain replacement PFAS, on the standard aquatic toxicology organism Pimephales promelas. Organisms were exposed for 29 to 30 days at environmentally relevant concentrations of the toxicant, 7.8125 ng/L …
Temporal Avoidance By Gray Foxes Reflects Growing Pressure From Expanding Coyotes In The Neotropics,
2026
University of Montana
Temporal Avoidance By Gray Foxes Reflects Growing Pressure From Expanding Coyotes In The Neotropics, Madison Odenbach
Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts
Coyotes (Canis latrans) are rapidly expanding their range towards South America, potentially threatening the world’s highest canid diversity residing on that continent. A better understanding of their interactions with native species is needed to anticipate potential competitive impacts. In Costa Rica, native gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) likely occupy a similar niche to the coyote newcomer, yet little data exists on their interactions in tropical ecosystems. We hypothesized the two species separate temporally to minimize the potential for competition in our study area, given preliminary data suggesting high spatial overlap (57.1% of coyote-detected sites overlap with fox-detected …
Evaluating Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities In Streamside Management Zones In Private, Working Forests,
2026
Georgia Southern University
Evaluating Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities In Streamside Management Zones In Private, Working Forests, Haley Vaglienti
College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations
Forestry operations can alter riparian vegetation and increase sediment and nutrient inputs to streams, affecting water quality and aquatic biota. Forestry best management practices (BMPs) including streamside management zones (SMZs) are designed to mitigate those effects by reducing sediment delivery and moderating temperature, flow, and nutrient regimes. We assessed ecological integrity at 24 intermittent stream sites with SMZs in private, working forests across the Piedmont and Southeastern plains of Georgia. At each site, we conducted physical habitat evaluations and characterized benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages. Sites represented a gradient of habitat conditions, SMZ widths, and pine stand ages, allowing for comparisons of …
Aquatic Habitat Use By Western Toads And American Bullfrogs In California’S Central Valley: Effects Of Local Habitat Characteristics And Landscape Composition,
2026
Humboldt State University
Aquatic Habitat Use By Western Toads And American Bullfrogs In California’S Central Valley: Effects Of Local Habitat Characteristics And Landscape Composition, Kaitlyn Breana Hernandez
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
Drastic losses of historic wetland habitat in the California Central Valley have caused widespread population declines and extirpations of aquatic breeding amphibians. Efforts to restore wetland habitat have included private land, which represents 70% of land tenure in the Central Valley. Management of these restored wetlands is focused on waterfowl with the assumption that they will provide habitat for native herpetofauna. This study used combined surveys to test the assumption that restored wetlands on private land provide habitat for native amphibians with the western toad (Anaxyrus boreas) as a case study. The objectives were to use environmental DNA …
Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus Kisutch) Response To Habitat Restoration Through Space And Time: Monitoring Growth, Survival, And Movement In A Restored Habitat Network,
2026
Cal Poly Humboldt
Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus Kisutch) Response To Habitat Restoration Through Space And Time: Monitoring Growth, Survival, And Movement In A Restored Habitat Network, Carter Perez Adamson
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
Despite the decline of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), Prairie Creek, a tributary of Redwood Creek in northern California, remains a coho salmon stronghold. The restoration of juvenile coho rearing habitat was identified as a recovery objective in this watershed by the National Marine Fisheries Service. Among the restoration projects addressing this objective are an ongoing project on Prairie Creek and its tributary Skunk Cabbage Creek, and a prior effort on Strawberry Creek (a tributary of Redwood Creek’s estuary). Standard monitoring methods for assessing project success have limitations and may be improved by measuring salmon use of restored habitats …
Early Successional Response To Stream Daylighting In Redwood National And State Parks, Orick, California,
2026
Cal Poly Humboldt
Early Successional Response To Stream Daylighting In Redwood National And State Parks, Orick, California, Rylee Rawson
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
In-channel stream restoration projects can act as both disturbance and recovery mechanisms, disrupting existing conditions to reestablish the hydrologic and ecological processes that sustain stream ecosystems. These interventions initiate successional trajectories in which channel form and biological communities reorganize over time. In Redwood National and State Parks (California, USA), the Redwoods Rising initiative restores buried headwater channels by recontouring legacy logging roads and daylighting streams buried by Humboldt crossings. Using the National Park Service Klamath Network wadable stream monitoring protocol, I evaluated nine restored reaches spanning one to five years post-restoration, alongside old-growth reference reaches and available pre-treatment data. I …
Long-Term Compositional Shifts In The Fish Community Of The Wabash River,
2026
Eastern Illinois University
Long-Term Compositional Shifts In The Fish Community Of The Wabash River, Olivia R. Wertman
Masters Theses
There is concern about declining biodiversity in the world today and an increasing need to monitor biodiversity through collecting data and gauging changes occurring in biodiversity over time. Large river fish communities are one area of particular interest due to their sensitivity to environmental changes. One program seeking to address this is the Long-Term Survey and Assessment of Large River Fishes, LTEF, which monitors fish populations in the large rivers of Illinois. In this study, I assessed changes in the fish community of the lower 322 km of the Wabash River from 2010-2025 using annual direct current boat electrofishing surveys …
Mapping Coastal Vegetation To Evaluate Salt Marsh Decline From 2016 To 2025 In South Carolina, Usa,
2026
Marshall University
Mapping Coastal Vegetation To Evaluate Salt Marsh Decline From 2016 To 2025 In South Carolina, Usa, Zak Henry Bartholomew
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Accelerating sea-level rise and storm surge events pose a substantial threat to salt marsh ecosystems, which provide critical ecosystem services. Classification and mapping of coastal vegetation through remote sensing can identify marsh dieback events and provide spatial context for patterns of marsh vulnerability. We used a multi-sensor approach that incorporated LiDAR data, multispectral imagery, and field-derived cover estimates to classify Spartina alterniflora (smooth cordgrass) dominated marsh types on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island (MCRDPI), a sea island in South Carolina, USA. In summer 2025, surveys were conducted within marsh classes to collect training and validation data. We used random …
Rewilding The Coral Reefs,
2026
St. Mary's University
Rewilding The Coral Reefs, Magali Rodriguez, Luciana Alvillar
Posters - 2026
Coral reefs are among the most valuable ecosystems globally, contributing an estimated $10 trillion annually and supporting hundreds of millions of people through food, livelihoods, and coastal protection. (NOAA 2026) They also provide critical habitat for diverse marine species. However, reefs are rapidly declining due to rising ocean temperatures, acidification, pollution, invasive species, and physical disturbances. Globally, 30–50% of coral reefs have already been lost(NOAA 2026), and without intervention, many may face extinction by the end of the century. Rewilding and restoration efforts have become essential strategies to address this crisis. Initiatives such as NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program highlight …
A Frog, A Toad, And A Salamander Walk Into A Forest: How Timber Harvest And Environmental Conditions Impact Amphibian Species Abundance In The White Mountain National Forest,
2026
University of New Hampshire, Durham
A Frog, A Toad, And A Salamander Walk Into A Forest: How Timber Harvest And Environmental Conditions Impact Amphibian Species Abundance In The White Mountain National Forest, William T. Brandenburg
Honors Theses and Capstones
Balancing the needs of humans and wildlife is one of the primary goals of conservation. Understanding how species respond to resource extraction is essential to achieve long-term population stability. This is especially relevant for amphibians, which are particularly sensitive to environmental disturbances due to habitat loss and degradation. As such they are often used as indicator species. This study leverages 20-years of amphibian abundance data from surveys in different silvicultural treatments to understand how American toads (Anaxyrus americanus), wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus), and red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) respond to changes in forest structure, weather, …
Surveillance Of A Novel Vesivirus Discovered In An Urban Mephitis Mephitis Population,
2026
University of New Hampshire, Durham
Surveillance Of A Novel Vesivirus Discovered In An Urban Mephitis Mephitis Population, Amanda E. Diggins
Honors Theses and Capstones
Caliciviridae is a family of non-enveloped, positive-sense, single stranded RNA viruses, including eleven defined genera that contain important pathogens of humans and animals. Within the Caliciviridae family, the genus Vesiviridae includes feline calicivirus, a leading cause of upper respiratory disease in cats, and vesicular exanthema of swine virus, a historical disease of domestic swine that has now been implicated in several marine mammal vesicular diseases, one of which has been confirmed zoonotic. Urban landscapes create a unique environment for rapid intra- and interspecies transmission of viruses. Clustered resources attract high-density populations of synanthropic wildlife species, increasing spatial overlap and heightening …
Current And Historical Occurrences Of Rare Coastal Plants In The Hampton Falls Salt Marshes,
2026
University of New Hampshire, Durham
Current And Historical Occurrences Of Rare Coastal Plants In The Hampton Falls Salt Marshes, Liliana T. Chirichella
Honors Theses and Capstones
A botanical survey of two sites in the Hampton Falls saltmarshes was conducted to document the occurrences of a list of eleven endangered and threatened coastal plants listed in the Natural Heritage Bureau’s NH Rare Plant List. This survey was conducted in fulfillment of the NH Native Plant Protection Act to highlight and identify target species in an area where restorative runneling is to be implemented in order to restore proper hydrology and prevent further expansion of mega-pools in the Little River and Depot Road salt marsh sites, which have been subject to historical ditching and are a part of …
Investigating Microbe-Mediated Temperature Tolerance In Lemna Minor,
2026
University of New Hampshire, Durham
Investigating Microbe-Mediated Temperature Tolerance In Lemna Minor, Matthew Thomas Farbaniec
Honors Theses and Capstones
Temperature limits plant growth and survival more than many other environmental variables, and increases in the frequency of extreme hot or cold weather events pose significant challenges for plant growth and crop yields. Previous studies have shown that bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms associated with plants ( i.e., the plant microbiome) can influence host response to temperature stress. These same microbes have their own temperature tolerances. We investigated whether microbial temperature tolerance correlates with plant resilience using an aquatic plant model, Lemna minor, and isolates derived from its microbiome. Microbial isolates were assessed at −10°C, 4°C, and 32°C for …
Evaluating Sampling Strategies To Monitor Southern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus Niger Niger) Populations,
2026
Marshall University
Evaluating Sampling Strategies To Monitor Southern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus Niger Niger) Populations, Casey Robin Hitchens
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
Reliable population monitoring is essential for evaluating wildlife translocations and informing conservation management, yet traditional monitoring approaches are often labor intensive and require prolonged sampling. This study evaluated marking techniques, survey methods, and population estimation approaches for monitoring a translocated population of southern fox squirrels (Sciurus niger niger) at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, USA (MCRDPI). From January-June 2023, I conducted six live trapping and camera trapping sessions across five survey sites. I compared the performance of color-coded collars and tail shaves for individual identification and the recapture probability between live traps and camera traps. Logistic mixed-effects …
Interactions Between Red Foxes And Coyotes Across Urban And Wild Habitats,
2026
University of New Hampshire, Durham
Interactions Between Red Foxes And Coyotes Across Urban And Wild Habitats, Caroline E. Savage, Taylor S. Readyhough, Remington J. Moll, Jonathon D. Cepek
UNH URC Open (2026 and after)
Dens are critical to the life history of many mammal species, particularly when raising young. Excavating a den is energetically costly, so several species can use existing dens, and multiple species may inhabit the same den complex simultaneously. However, the extent of den sharing among urban mammals is understudied. Between March 2021, and June 2023, we used camera traps to monitor a multi-species den site in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. We documented den visitation and use by at least 11 mammal species, including red fox, coyote, raccoon, woodchuck, and Virginia opossum. Coyotes and red foxes both exhibited scent-marking at the den …
Data From: Mass Mortality Of Avian Migrants In New Mexico, Usa, That Coincided With An Extreme Weather Event,
2026
New Mexico State University
Data From: Mass Mortality Of Avian Migrants In New Mexico, Usa, That Coincided With An Extreme Weather Event, Dylan M. Osterhaus, Allison J. Salas, Patricia L. Cutler, Mara E. Weisenberger, Kerry Mower, Abigail J. Lawon, Timothy F. Wright, Jeanne M. Fair, Martha J. Desmond
Fish, Wildlife, & Conservation Ecology: Datasets
No abstract provided.
Chemical Load: An Unseen Herbicide Filter In Restored Prairies?,
2026
South Dakota State University
Chemical Load: An Unseen Herbicide Filter In Restored Prairies?, Rylie Franklin
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Community Assembly Theory is a framework used to describe the process by which species from a regional species pool disperse and encounter various abiotic and biotic conditions that act as filters, limiting which species will populate a specific local community. Prairie restoration success can be improved by understanding abiotic and biotic filters. As agricultural practices have adopted integrated weed management plans, that include the use of both chemical and non-chemical techniques, another filter needs to be considered during restoration: the chemical load of soils, i.e., herbicide residue from recent on-site applications and herbicide drift from adjacent areas. To examine the …
Using Genetic Analysis To Infer Familial Relationships Of Westslope Cutthroat Trout In The Lower Priest River, Idaho,
2026
Eastern Washington University
Using Genetic Analysis To Infer Familial Relationships Of Westslope Cutthroat Trout In The Lower Priest River, Idaho, Kolby Emtman
EWU Masters Thesis Collection
The Westslope Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus lewisi) is a native species of salmonid that holds both cultural and ecological significance in the Idaho Panhandle region of the United States. Within this region, the Priest River is a major contributor of migrant Westslope Cutthroat Trout to the Clark Fork Pend Oreille basin. This study aimed to estimate the proportion of juveniles that have at least one migrant parent, illustrate gene flow using juvenile half sibling relationships, and showcase varying levels of spawning success using juvenile full sibling relationships. Sampling of juvenile individuals occurred in 11 tributaries of the Priest River over …
Assessing Forest Health And Small Mammals After A Limited Suppression Wildfire In Colville National Forest,
2026
Eastern Washington University
Assessing Forest Health And Small Mammals After A Limited Suppression Wildfire In Colville National Forest, Samantha J. Kennel
EWU Masters Thesis Collection
In the face of a wildfire crisis, there is a growing need to expand the pace and scale of forest treatments, including the strategic use of wildfire as a management tool. However, ecological outcomes remain uncertain in forests shaped by more than a century of fire suppression. The 2022 Thor Fire, a managed wildfire in the Colville National Forest, Washington, provides an opportunity to evaluate forest health in a relatively understudied system. Using a control–impact design, I established 100 monitoring plots in burned and adjacent unburned forests to assess how wildfire and fire severity influence forest structure, fuels, and tree …
