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- Title
- The avian community characteristics of constructed treatment wetlands of South Florida.
- Creator
- Beck, Tyler J., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
-
This study compared the avian communities of treatment wetlands in South Florida called Stormwater Treatment Wetlands (STAs) to those in natural marshes and crop lands, and examined factors that influenced the size and structure of the avian communities within the STAs. The STAs contained a more abundant, rich and distinct avian community compared to reference land types. The STAs were dominated by wintering waterfowl, and therefore community patterns fluctuated more seasonally other land...
Show moreThis study compared the avian communities of treatment wetlands in South Florida called Stormwater Treatment Wetlands (STAs) to those in natural marshes and crop lands, and examined factors that influenced the size and structure of the avian communities within the STAs. The STAs contained a more abundant, rich and distinct avian community compared to reference land types. The STAs were dominated by wintering waterfowl, and therefore community patterns fluctuated more seasonally other land types. Within the STAs, density and richness in the fall and winter were much greater in the submerged aquatic vegetation than in the mixed emergent vegetation when waterfowl were present. The STAs maintain two vegetation treatments which enhanced their biodiversity value by supporting distinct avian communities with different migratory strategies This suggests the increase in treatment wetlands could partially offset the loss of natural wetlands, but avian communities in treatment wetlands are not surrogates for natural wetlands.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3362327
- Subject Headings
- Constructed wetlands, Wetland hydrology, Watershed management, Habitat (Ecology), Birds, Ecology
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Comparative ecophysiology of bloom-forming macroalgae in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida: Ulva lactuca (Chlorophyta), Hypnea musciformis, and Gracilaria tikvahiae (Rhodophyta).
- Creator
- Vlaming, Lisa N.A., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
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Macroalgal blooms are responses to nutrient enrichment in shallow seagrass ecosystems like the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Florida. Little is known about nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) limitation or the importance of morphological/physiological characteristics of bloom-forming macroalgae (Ulva lactuca, Hypnea musciformis, and Gracilaria tikvahiae) in the IRL. We hypothesized: 1) all species would proliferate in nutrient-rich Titusville, 2) opportunistic U. lactuca would dominate, 3) Rapid...
Show moreMacroalgal blooms are responses to nutrient enrichment in shallow seagrass ecosystems like the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Florida. Little is known about nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) limitation or the importance of morphological/physiological characteristics of bloom-forming macroalgae (Ulva lactuca, Hypnea musciformis, and Gracilaria tikvahiae) in the IRL. We hypothesized: 1) all species would proliferate in nutrient-rich Titusville, 2) opportunistic U. lactuca would dominate, 3) Rapid Light Curves (RLCs) would assess nutrient status, and 4) nutrient concentrations would regulate growth more than N:P ratios. Field studies showed rapid biomass doubling times of 2 days (U. lactuca; November 2012) in urbanized Titusville. RLCs in a guano-enriched island off Big Pine Key (BPK) and Titusville (Ulva spp.) were similar due to P-saturation. Laboratory studies showed three-fold higher RLCs and two-fold faster growth at high nutrient concentrations of N and P. Reductions of both N and P will be required to moderate future blooms.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3361257
- Subject Headings
- Marine algae, Marine algae, Ecophysiology, Marine algae, Adaptation, Algal blooms
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Constraints of landscape level prey availability on physiological condition and productivity of great egrets and white ibises in the Florida Everglades.
- Creator
- Herring, Garth, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
-
Life history strategy suggests long lived bird species will adjust their nesting effort according to current conditions, balancing the costs of reproduction with their long-term needs for survival and future reproduction. The habitat conditions that produce these responses may differ between species, even within the same ecosystem, producing different nesting and population trends. I traced the pathway by which food availability influences the physiological condition of pre-breeding great...
Show moreLife history strategy suggests long lived bird species will adjust their nesting effort according to current conditions, balancing the costs of reproduction with their long-term needs for survival and future reproduction. The habitat conditions that produce these responses may differ between species, even within the same ecosystem, producing different nesting and population trends. I traced the pathway by which food availability influences the physiological condition of pre-breeding great egrets and white ibises through to reproductive measures, and the physiological condition of chicks. I focused on these two species with contrasting foraging strategies, in relation to foraging and habitat conditions to maximize the likelihood of application of these results to other wading bird species. Experimental food supplementation and physiology research on white ibis chicks demonstrated that in years with low prey availability white ibis were food limited, with increased levels of stress protein 60 and fecal corticosterone. This is the first study to demonstrate experimentally the response of stress protein 60 to changing levels of food availability. During a year with low prey availability (2007) white ibis adults and chick physiological condition was lower than that of great egrets. During the same year, fledging success was lower for both species (20% for white ibis versus 27% for great egret) but the magnitude of the decrease was particularly severe for the white ibis (76% decline versus 66% decline for the great egret). Results suggest white ibises modify their clutch size during years with poor habitat in accordance with life history traits of a long-lived species, whereas great egrets maintained their clutch size during years with poor habitat., Increasing recession rates, hydrological reversals, and prey densities influenced white ibis, whereas great egrets were most influenced by prey densities and recession rates, with no effect of hydrological reversal. During the same year, fledging success was lower for both species (20% for white ibis versus 27% for great egret) but the magnitude of the decrease was particularly severe for the white ibis (76% decline versus 66% decline for the great egret). Results suggest white ibises modify their clutch size during years with poor habitat in accordance with life history traits of a long-lived species, whereas great egrets maintained their clutch size during years with poor habitat. Increasing recession rates, hydrological reversals, and prey densities influenced white ibis, whereas great egrets were most influenced by prey densities and recession rates, with no effect of hydrological reversals. This study is the first to make the link between landscape hydrology patterns, prey availability, and responses in wading bird nesting. These linkages provide critical insight into how species' nesting patterns could differ given the same time and spatial constraints and how that may be related to long-term nesting trends. This knowledge could ultimately lead to novel predictions about population and community patterns of wetland birds.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/77643
- Subject Headings
- Bird populations, Water birds, Wetland ecology
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Dietary niche relationships of white ibis, tricolored heron and snowy egret nestlings in the northern Everglades.
- Creator
- Boyle, Robin A., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
-
Food availability is the primary factor affecting the reproductive success in many species of birds. Diet composition can indicate diet quality, habitat use and niche requirements for breeding birds and may be variable across short and long-term time scales. Identifying primary prey types of nesting wading birds is important for the hydrologic restoration of wetlands. I collected nestling boluses during the 2008 and 2009 nesting seasons from three species of wading birds that nest in the...
Show moreFood availability is the primary factor affecting the reproductive success in many species of birds. Diet composition can indicate diet quality, habitat use and niche requirements for breeding birds and may be variable across short and long-term time scales. Identifying primary prey types of nesting wading birds is important for the hydrologic restoration of wetlands. I collected nestling boluses during the 2008 and 2009 nesting seasons from three species of wading birds that nest in the northern Everglades: White Ibis, Tricolored Herons and Snowy Egrets. White Ibis bolus composition was dominated by crayfish in both years, but exhibited some variation with landscape water depth in 2009; fish use was greatest when the wetland landscape was relatively dry. In contrast, the prey of Tricolored Herons and Snowy Egrets were primarily fish and their respective diets did not differ from one another in either fish species composition or size structure.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2953207
- Subject Headings
- Wetland ecology, Bird populations, Water birds
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Differentiating decomposition rates within the ridge-slough microtopography of the central Florida Everglades.
- Creator
- Van der Heiden, Sheryl R., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
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The relative rates of detrital decomposition in four vegetation communities within the Everglades' ridge-slough microtopography were evaluated during two trials. Litterbags with community-specific detritus in proportion to each community's composition were put into the four communities; namely, submerged marsh, emergent marsh, short Cladium ridge, and tall Cladium ridge. These litterbags were paired with litterbags containing control leaf litter from Chrysobalanus icaco and Salix caroliniana...
Show moreThe relative rates of detrital decomposition in four vegetation communities within the Everglades' ridge-slough microtopography were evaluated during two trials. Litterbags with community-specific detritus in proportion to each community's composition were put into the four communities; namely, submerged marsh, emergent marsh, short Cladium ridge, and tall Cladium ridge. These litterbags were paired with litterbags containing control leaf litter from Chrysobalanus icaco and Salix caroliniana during the wet and dry season trials, respectively. No regional differences in decomposition were shown, but there were significant differences across communities, attributed to the initial C:N ratio of the detritus, with the fastest decomposition occurring in the deepest submerged marsh followed by emergent marsh, and the shallower ridge communities had equally slower decomposition. Additionally, both controls followed the same pattern. Thus, decomposition contributes to an active self-maintenance mechanism within the vegetation communities which ultimately helps to conserve the ridges and sloughs.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/166456
- Subject Headings
- Biogeochemistry, Surfaces (Technology), Measurement, Vegatation dynamics, Mathematical models, Wetland ecology
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Effects of a severe winter on invasive green iguanas (Iguana iguana).
- Creator
- Campbell, Ashley B., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
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The green iguana (Iguana iguana) is an herbivorous lizard native to South America and is invasive in south Florida. The severe weather in January 2010 negatively impacted many species and significantly reduced the green iguana population, specifically adult females and juveniles of both sexes. Fifteen adult iguanas from two locations in Palm Beach County were tagged and had blood drawn for blood chemistry and HPLC steroid hormone analysis. Individuals were tracked for home range/territory...
Show moreThe green iguana (Iguana iguana) is an herbivorous lizard native to South America and is invasive in south Florida. The severe weather in January 2010 negatively impacted many species and significantly reduced the green iguana population, specifically adult females and juveniles of both sexes. Fifteen adult iguanas from two locations in Palm Beach County were tagged and had blood drawn for blood chemistry and HPLC steroid hormone analysis. Individuals were tracked for home range/territory analysis and behavioral observations. Blood chemistry values of cold-stunned individuals showed abnormal values similar to those reported in cold-stunned sea turtles. Territoriality and breeding behaviors, including nesting and head-bob displays, decreased or ceased during the following months. Steroid hormone concentrations were detected by HPLC and were not consistent with results from RIA studies in the literature.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3174507
- Subject Headings
- Weather, Environmental aspects, Adaptation (Biology), Climate changes, Environmental aspects, Conservation biology
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Effects of mid-incubation egg movement on loggerhead (Caretta caretta) turtle hatch success and embryo development.
- Creator
- Ahles, Natasha M., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
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Due to an emergency status dune restoration project following Subtropical Storm Andrea in 2007 on Singer Island, Florida, nests needed to be moved during early to mid-incubation. Nesting success was compared between those moved mid-incubation, moved within 12h to either a native sand incubation area or a renourished sand incubation area, and those left in-situ. Nests moved within 12h to the native sand had a significantly larger proportion of pipped hatchlings. Nests moved mid-incubation had...
Show moreDue to an emergency status dune restoration project following Subtropical Storm Andrea in 2007 on Singer Island, Florida, nests needed to be moved during early to mid-incubation. Nesting success was compared between those moved mid-incubation, moved within 12h to either a native sand incubation area or a renourished sand incubation area, and those left in-situ. Nests moved within 12h to the native sand had a significantly larger proportion of pipped hatchlings. Nests moved mid-incubation had a significantly lower proportion of hatched eggs as well as emergent hatchlings. The stage in which embryonic development was arrested corresponded to the stage the embryos were in during the time of movement; indicating movement was the cause of death. When comparing nests moved within the initial 2.5 weeks of development to those moved after 2.5 weeks of development, there was no significant difference in hatching success.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/221948
- Subject Headings
- Sea turtles, Embryology, Wildlife conservation
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The effects of water depth and vegetation on wading bird foraging habitat selection and foraging succes in the Everglades.
- Creator
- Lantz, Samantha., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
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Successful foraging by avian predators is influenced largely by prey availability. In a large-scale experiment at the Loxahatchee Impoundment Landscape Assessment project within the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, I manipulated two components of prey availability, water depth and vegetation density (submerged aquatic vegetation and emergent vegetation), and quantified the response by wading birds in terms of foraging habitat selection and foraging success. Manly's...
Show moreSuccessful foraging by avian predators is influenced largely by prey availability. In a large-scale experiment at the Loxahatchee Impoundment Landscape Assessment project within the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, I manipulated two components of prey availability, water depth and vegetation density (submerged aquatic vegetation and emergent vegetation), and quantified the response by wading birds in terms of foraging habitat selection and foraging success. Manly's standardized selection index showed that birds preferred shallow water and intermediate vegetation densities. However, the treatments had little effect on either individual capture rate or efficiency. This was a consistent pattern seen across multiple experiments. Birds selected for certain habitat features but accrued little benefit in terms of foraging success. I hypothesize that birds selected sites with shallow water and intermediate vegetation densities because they anticipated higher prey densities, but they did not experience it here because I controlled for prey density.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2788592
- Subject Headings
- Water birds, Habitat, Wetland ecology, Habitat selection, Avian ecology, Wildlife management
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- An evaluation of methodology, dispersal and habitat usage of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides floridanus) from a supplemental stocking on Lake Okeechobee, Florida.
- Creator
- Jordan, Alyssa., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
-
The largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) fishery was at an all time low on Lake Okeechobee when experimental supplemental stockings were done to try and enhance local bass populations. Largemouth bass had never been stocked on a large lake like Lake Okeechobee. The objectives were to develop a methodology, study dispersal, and compare stocked versus wild bass habitat choices. The methodology underwent considerable changes between studies. Bass dispersed to the edges by the second sampling...
Show moreThe largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) fishery was at an all time low on Lake Okeechobee when experimental supplemental stockings were done to try and enhance local bass populations. Largemouth bass had never been stocked on a large lake like Lake Okeechobee. The objectives were to develop a methodology, study dispersal, and compare stocked versus wild bass habitat choices. The methodology underwent considerable changes between studies. Bass dispersed to the edges by the second sampling period, so a larger sampling area may be needed. Water depth and pH were found to be significantly different between wild and stocked bass. Hatchery bass are naèive about predators, which may have resulted in stocked bass not moving to shallower areas like wild bass. The pH was weakly correlated with depth, so differences may be partially due to the fact that as depth increases, pH may also increase.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3342199
- Subject Headings
- Largemouth bass, Habitat, Largemouth bass, Ecology, Freshwater ecology, Fishery management, Ecology
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Hatchling sex ratios and nest temperature-sex ratio response of three South Florida marine turtle species (Caretta caretta L., Chelona mydas L., and Dermochelys coriacea V.).
- Creator
- Rogers, Micah Marie., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
-
South Florida's loggerhead (Caretta caretta), green (Chelonia mydas) and leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) sea turtles hatchling have environmentally determined sex. The in situ nest mean hatchling sex ratios (SR) were highly female-biased : loggerhead F=0.89) and green turtle F=0.81; leatherback's SR was nearly balanced (0.55F). Nest temperatures and SRs differed between leatherbacks and loggerhead and green turtles. The latter two did not differ. The loggerhead response parameters were...
Show moreSouth Florida's loggerhead (Caretta caretta), green (Chelonia mydas) and leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) sea turtles hatchling have environmentally determined sex. The in situ nest mean hatchling sex ratios (SR) were highly female-biased : loggerhead F=0.89) and green turtle F=0.81; leatherback's SR was nearly balanced (0.55F). Nest temperatures and SRs differed between leatherbacks and loggerhead and green turtles. The latter two did not differ. The loggerhead response parameters were estimated within biological limitations by both 50-65% of incubation and mean middle 1/3 temperature. The maximum middle 1/3 temperature was the best-fit predictor for green turtles. No best-fit sex ratio-temperature response could be identified for leatherbacks. Clutches incubating under natural conditions can vary greatly in SR ; TRT differences may account for differences among species' sex ratios.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3361062
- Subject Headings
- Sex ratio, Sex determination, Genetic, Sea turtles, Nests, Sea turtles, Embryology, Loggerhead turtle, Nests, Loggerhead turtle, Effect of temperature on
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Hierarchical resource selection and movement of two wading bird species with divergent foraging strategies in the Everglades.
- Creator
- Beerens, James M., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
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Seasonal variation in food availability is one of the primary limitations to avian populations, particularly during the breeding season. However, the behavioral responses between species may differ based on foraging strategies. I examined the influence of food availability on landscape-level habitat selection, patch-level habitat selection, and movements of two wading bird species with divergent foraging strategies, the Great Egret and White Ibis. On a landscape scale, there appeared to be a...
Show moreSeasonal variation in food availability is one of the primary limitations to avian populations, particularly during the breeding season. However, the behavioral responses between species may differ based on foraging strategies. I examined the influence of food availability on landscape-level habitat selection, patch-level habitat selection, and movements of two wading bird species with divergent foraging strategies, the Great Egret and White Ibis. On a landscape scale, there appeared to be a relationship among resource availability, the temporal scale of the independent variable, and whether the response was similar or different between species. At the patch level, results demonstrated a relationship between resource availability and the spatial scale of the independent variables selected by birds. Species movements were consistent with the differing strategies. This study is the first to make the link between landscape hydrology patterns, prey availability, and responses in wading bird habitat selection at multiple spatial scales.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/172667
- Subject Headings
- Water birds, Habitat, Habitat selection, Bird populations, Wetland ecology
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Influence of Soil Disturbance and Fire on the Distribution of Caesar’s Weed (Urena Lobata) in Pine Flatwoods.
- Creator
- Hagood, Daniel Harrison, Benscoter, Brian, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
-
Novel disturbances can increase the vulnerability of pine flatwoods to exotic species such as Caesar’s weed (Urena lobata), a plant that has invaded many ecosystems. To understand Caesar’s weed response to disturbance, a factorial field manipulation was used to quantify invasion success. Influence of feral swine (Sus scrofa) on the presence of seeds in the area was analyzed. The effect of heat on Caesar’s weed germination was also quantified. A winter fire and mechanical soil disturbance had...
Show moreNovel disturbances can increase the vulnerability of pine flatwoods to exotic species such as Caesar’s weed (Urena lobata), a plant that has invaded many ecosystems. To understand Caesar’s weed response to disturbance, a factorial field manipulation was used to quantify invasion success. Influence of feral swine (Sus scrofa) on the presence of seeds in the area was analyzed. The effect of heat on Caesar’s weed germination was also quantified. A winter fire and mechanical soil disturbance had no statistical effect on the spread of Caesar’s weed. However, in feral swine disturbed soils Caesar’s weed was more likely to be husked and experience less competition from seeds of other species. Low levels of seed heating increased germination. This data can provide information about the influences of fire and soil disturbances on the spread of Caesar’s weed, as well as how fire intensity levels can affect the spread of invasive Caesar’s weed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004928
- Subject Headings
- Ecology -- Florida, Urena lobata, Invasive plants--Ecology
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Limitations on macroinvertebrate populations in South Florida weltands.
- Creator
- Knorp, Natalie E., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
-
It can be difficult to disentangle the factors that determine population success in freshwater systems, particularly for organisms with disturbance-resistant life stages like aquatic invertebrates. Nevertheless, the effects of environmental variation and habitat structure on animal population success in wetlands are important for understanding both trophic interactions and biodiversity. I performed two experiments to determine the factors limiting crayfish (Procambarus fallax) and dragonfly ...
Show moreIt can be difficult to disentangle the factors that determine population success in freshwater systems, particularly for organisms with disturbance-resistant life stages like aquatic invertebrates. Nevertheless, the effects of environmental variation and habitat structure on animal population success in wetlands are important for understanding both trophic interactions and biodiversity. I performed two experiments to determine the factors limiting crayfish (Procambarus fallax) and dragonfly (Family: Libellulidae) populations in wetland environments. A simulation of a dry-disturbance and subsequent sunfish (Family: Centrarchidae) re-colonization revealed that crayfish populations are sensitive to sunfish, while dragonfly naiads seemed to be limited by other drying-related factors. A second manipulation revealed that small-bodied fishes and habitat structure (submerged vegetation) shaped dragonfly communities primarily through postcolonization processes.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3362485
- Subject Headings
- Wetland ecology, Wildlife conservation, Freshwater invertebrates, Ecology, Predation (Biology), Marine ecosystem management
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Monitoring seasonal and annual changes in the mesozooplankton community of the Indian River Lagoon, Florida.
- Creator
- Kerr, Miranda Hoover., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
-
In estuaries, like the Indian River Lagoon, mesozooplankton have a vital role in the food web by connecting trophic levels. In this study, mesozooplankton abundance and species composition were monitored weekly on the incoming and outgoing tides from September 2006 to May 2009. For the incoming tide, the mean abundance was 2298.2 mesozooplankton/m3 (+/-325.2), and for the outgoing tide the mean abundance was 1180.0 mesozooplankton/m3 (+/-153.1). The mesozooplankton abundance on the incoming...
Show moreIn estuaries, like the Indian River Lagoon, mesozooplankton have a vital role in the food web by connecting trophic levels. In this study, mesozooplankton abundance and species composition were monitored weekly on the incoming and outgoing tides from September 2006 to May 2009. For the incoming tide, the mean abundance was 2298.2 mesozooplankton/m3 (+/-325.2), and for the outgoing tide the mean abundance was 1180.0 mesozooplankton/m3 (+/-153.1). The mesozooplankton abundance on the incoming tide was significantly greater than on the outgoing tide. The most abundant type of mesozooplankton was the copepod Acartia tonsa, representing 35.0% and 52.1% of the individuals on the incoming and outgoing tides respectively. Mesozooplankton abundance values were compared with environmental data obtained from the South Florida Water Management District. The strongest positive correlation was found between chlorophyll a concentrations and A. tonsa abundance, likely due to phytoplankton being the primary food source for A. tonsa.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2783241
- Subject Headings
- Marine zooplankton, Ecology, Marine ecology, Marine ecosystem management
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Phosphate-associated phenotype plasticity as a driver of cattail invasion in the sawgass-dominated Everglades.
- Creator
- Webb, James., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
-
In plants, phenotypic plasticity, the ability to morphologically adapt to new or broad environmental conditions, is a consequence of long-term evolutionary genetic processes. Thus, plants adapted to low phosphate (P) environments exhibit only limited plasticity to take advantage of nutrient enrichment, a global phenomenon in terrestrial and aquatic environments. In the face of anthropogenic P-enrichment, low nutrient adapted resident plant species are frequently displaced by species with high...
Show moreIn plants, phenotypic plasticity, the ability to morphologically adapt to new or broad environmental conditions, is a consequence of long-term evolutionary genetic processes. Thus, plants adapted to low phosphate (P) environments exhibit only limited plasticity to take advantage of nutrient enrichment, a global phenomenon in terrestrial and aquatic environments. In the face of anthropogenic P-enrichment, low nutrient adapted resident plant species are frequently displaced by species with high morphological and genetic plasticity. However, it remains unclear whether plasticity is systemically expressed across molecular, biochemical, physiological, and morphological processes that ultimately contribute to the root and shoot phenotypes of plants. In this study, we demonstrated high plasticity in root-borne traits of sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense), the dominant plant species of the P-impoverished Everglades, and counter the idea of inflexibility in low P adapted species. However, sawgras s expressed inflexibility in processes contributing to shoot phenotypes, in contrast to cattail, which was highly plastic in shoot characteristics vii in response to P enrichment. In fact, plasticity in cattail shoots is likely a function of its growth response to P that was globally regulated by P-availability at the level of transcription. Plasticity and inflexibility in the growth of both species also diverged in their allocation of P to the chloroplast for growth in cattail versus the vacuole for P storage in sawgrass. In the Everglades, anthropogenic P-enrichment has changed the environment from a P-limited condition, where plasticity in root-borne traits of sawgrass was advantageous, to one of light-competition, where plasticity in shoot-borne traits drives competitive dominance by cattail., We hypothesize that these shifts in plasticity competitive advantage from root to shoots has been a major driver of cattail expansion in the Everglades ecosystem. Further, this understanding of how natural plant species adapt and shift in response to nutrient availability could also be used a model system to optimize agricultural systems to increase efficiencies in food production and protect low nutrient adapted natural systems from cultural eutrophication.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010, 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2979377
- Subject Headings
- Ecosystem management, Vegatation dynamics, Phosphorous, Physiological transport, Biogeochemical cycles
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Population distribution, habitat selection, and life history of the slough crayfish (Procambarus fallax) in the ridge-slough landscape of the central Everglades.
- Creator
- Van der Heiden, Craig., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
-
Understanding where and why organisms are distributed in the environment are central themes in ecology. Animals live in environments in which they are subject to competing demands, such as the need to forage, to find mates, to reproduce, and to avoid predation. Optimal habitats for these various activities are usually distributed heterogeneously in the landscape and may vary both spatially and temporally, causing animals to adjust their locations in space and time to balance these conflicting...
Show moreUnderstanding where and why organisms are distributed in the environment are central themes in ecology. Animals live in environments in which they are subject to competing demands, such as the need to forage, to find mates, to reproduce, and to avoid predation. Optimal habitats for these various activities are usually distributed heterogeneously in the landscape and may vary both spatially and temporally, causing animals to adjust their locations in space and time to balance these conflicting demands. In this dissertation, I outline three studies of Procambarus fallax in the ridge-slough landscape of Water conservation Area 3A (WCS-3A). The first section outlines an observational sampling study of crayfish population distribution in a four hectare plot, where I statistically model the density distribution at two spatial scales. ... Secondly, I use radio telemetry to study individual adult crayfish movements at two study sites and evaluate habitat selection using Resource Selection Functions. In the third section, I test the habitat selection theory, ideal free distribution, by assessing performance measures (growth and mortality) of crayfish in the two major vegetation types in a late wet season (November 2007) and early wet season (August 2009).
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3356890
- Subject Headings
- Habitat selection, Statistical methods, Fish habitat improvement, Crayfish, Life cycles, Wetland ecology, Habitat (Ecology)
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Population structure and dispersal of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) of the Indian River Lagoon Estuary, Florida, and adjacent Atlantic waters.
- Creator
- Rodgers, Sarah E., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
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Worldwide research of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) has led to varied definitions and terminology regarding ways to group dolphins for study and management. An understanding of the demographic history and population structure of bottlenose dolphins residing within the Indian River Lagoon Estuary System (IRLES), Florida, is needed to help define the IRLES dolphin population: ecotype, population, or community. Using mitochondrial DNA sequencing and microsatellite genotyping, this...
Show moreWorldwide research of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) has led to varied definitions and terminology regarding ways to group dolphins for study and management. An understanding of the demographic history and population structure of bottlenose dolphins residing within the Indian River Lagoon Estuary System (IRLES), Florida, is needed to help define the IRLES dolphin population: ecotype, population, or community. Using mitochondrial DNA sequencing and microsatellite genotyping, this study detected: (1) genetic differentiation between estuarine and coastal individuals (FstmtDNA=0.414, Fstmsat=0.057; p<0.05; K=2), (2) genetic differentiation between the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) and Mosquito Lagoon (ML) (FstmtDNA=0.0201, Fstmsat=0.0234; p<0.09), and (3) minute undefined sub-structure within the IRLES (FstmtDNA=-0.00 -0.0379, Fstmsat=0.00 - vii 0.0445; p>0.1). Additionally, within ML this study detected non-mixing cohabitation of two potential ecotypes, estuarine and coastal. These findings raise many questions regarding how dolphins are presently categorized and managed which are critical to population assessments including abundance, vital rates, and health.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3362568
- Subject Headings
- Biogeography, Bottlenose dolphin, Behavior, Bottlenose dolphin, Geographical distribution, Bottlenose dolphin
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Regional differences in migratory activity by hatchling loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta): effect of reciprocal nest translocations.
- Creator
- Guertin, Jeffrey, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
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There are four distinct subpopulations of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in Florida as determined behaviorally by geographic fidelity, and genetically by mitochondrial haplotypes. The South Florida subpopulation consists of females nesting on the southeastern and southwestern coasts of Florida and their offspring. Previous research shows that west coast hatchlings exhibit higher levels of nocturnal swimming during the postfrenzy period than east coast hatchlings. This study...
Show moreThere are four distinct subpopulations of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in Florida as determined behaviorally by geographic fidelity, and genetically by mitochondrial haplotypes. The South Florida subpopulation consists of females nesting on the southeastern and southwestern coasts of Florida and their offspring. Previous research shows that west coast hatchlings exhibit higher levels of nocturnal swimming during the postfrenzy period than east coast hatchlings. This study attempted to determine how these differences in migratory behavior develop. A reciprocal translocation experiment was conducted to distinguish between environmental and genetic factors. No consistent differences in hatchling swimming behavior were seen based on geography. Movement of nests resulted in lower levels of nocturnal swimming behavior in hatchlings compared to hatchlings that emerged from natural nests, suggesting that the relocation of nests may not provide a natural incubation environment for developing hatchlings.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/1927867
- Subject Headings
- Predation (Biology), Sea turtles, Migration, Animal migration, Animal orientation
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Selection of canals and ditches as foraging habitat by wood s7374torks (Mycteria americana).
- Creator
- Van Os, Eleanor K., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
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A challenge to ensure the health of wading bird populations is to have a better understanding of the altered habitats that we must now consider part of their natural history. Throughout their range endangered Wood Storks (Mycteria americana) have been reported to forage in ditches, a disparate category of linear man-made waterways. In a 52-kmP 2 P study area on the east coast of central Florida, the characteristics of hydrologically diverse ditches were quantified, and their use by Wood...
Show moreA challenge to ensure the health of wading bird populations is to have a better understanding of the altered habitats that we must now consider part of their natural history. Throughout their range endangered Wood Storks (Mycteria americana) have been reported to forage in ditches, a disparate category of linear man-made waterways. In a 52-kmP 2 P study area on the east coast of central Florida, the characteristics of hydrologically diverse ditches were quantified, and their use by Wood Storks documented during their non-breeding season. Logistic regression analyses were carried out using the ditch characteristics as independent variables and Wood Stork presence/absence as the dependent variable. This study confirms the use of these marginal wetlands, and identifies the significance of emergent vegetation on the foraging habitat selection of Wood Storks in the dry season.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/166457
- Subject Headings
- Water birds, Habitat, Florida, Habitat selection, Animal behavior, Wetland ecology
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Studies of specific gene expression of phosphate transporters in sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense crantz) and cattail (Typha domingensis pers.).
- Creator
- Lin, Li, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
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In the Florida Everglades, sawgrass has been displaced by cattail, predominantly resulting from phosphate enrichment. It has been found that phosphate transporters and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi play an important role in phosphate uptake in the plants. This study aimed to reveal the symbiosis between AM fungi and sawgrass and cattail and identify the phosphate transporters, especially AM-specific phosphate transporters in these two species. AM colonization was only found in sawgrass...
Show moreIn the Florida Everglades, sawgrass has been displaced by cattail, predominantly resulting from phosphate enrichment. It has been found that phosphate transporters and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi play an important role in phosphate uptake in the plants. This study aimed to reveal the symbiosis between AM fungi and sawgrass and cattail and identify the phosphate transporters, especially AM-specific phosphate transporters in these two species. AM colonization was only found in sawgrass roots, not cattail, at low phosphate concentrations in lab and field samples by trypan blue staining. AM fungi could increase sawgrass growth and had little effect on cattail growth. Four phosphate transporters were identified in sawgrass. CjPT1, CjPT2 and CjPT3 were expressed in roots and shoots independent of AM fungi and phosphate availability, while CjPT4 appeared to be an AM regulated phosphate transporter gene and its expression was induced by AM fungi.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/1930493
- Subject Headings
- Phosphorus, Physiological transport, Soil stabilization, Vegetation dynamics, Ecosystem management, Soil mineralogy, Plant physiology
- Format
- Document (PDF)