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- Title
- The effects of Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius) on gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) habitat utilization.
- Creator
- Hicklin, Judith Ray, Florida Atlantic University, Austin, Daniel F.
- Abstract/Description
-
Three plots were chosen on the Florida Atlantic University Nature Preserve (FAUNP) to study the effect of the exotic Brazilian pepper trees, on the burrow site selection and foraging range of the native gopher tortoise. The home range of tortoises was not statistically different among plots. Proximity of burrows to tree, size of tree and nearest neighbor distance exhibited no effect on burrow site selection or foraging range. Tortoise burrows in all plots exhibited a random dispersion....
Show moreThree plots were chosen on the Florida Atlantic University Nature Preserve (FAUNP) to study the effect of the exotic Brazilian pepper trees, on the burrow site selection and foraging range of the native gopher tortoise. The home range of tortoises was not statistically different among plots. Proximity of burrows to tree, size of tree and nearest neighbor distance exhibited no effect on burrow site selection or foraging range. Tortoise burrows in all plots exhibited a random dispersion. Current coverage by Brazilian pepper trees and the size of the trees present on the FAUNP has no significant effect on the burrow site selection, or burrow status of the gopher tortoises.
Show less - Date Issued
- 1994
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15024
- Subject Headings
- Schinus, Habitat (Ecology)--Florida, Exotic plants--Florida, Gopher tortoise--Habitat
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Genetic variation amongst different populations of Typha domingensis and Typha latifolia (cattails) in the Florida Everglades.
- Creator
- Tapia, Manuel N., Florida Atlantic University, Zhang, Xing-Hai
- Abstract/Description
-
This thesis is intended to explore the genetic variation between cattail species (Typha spp.), within T. domingensis in different locations, anthropoegenic conditions, and possibly discover a hybrid in the Florida Everglades. Typha domingensis is the dominant cattail species in the Everglades, while Typha latifolia a less common species is also present. Five nuclear and chloroplast protein encoding genes from around 20 samples of cattail plants were collected randomly in the Water...
Show moreThis thesis is intended to explore the genetic variation between cattail species (Typha spp.), within T. domingensis in different locations, anthropoegenic conditions, and possibly discover a hybrid in the Florida Everglades. Typha domingensis is the dominant cattail species in the Everglades, while Typha latifolia a less common species is also present. Five nuclear and chloroplast protein encoding genes from around 20 samples of cattail plants were collected randomly in the Water Conservation Areas of the Everglades Protection Act, cloned and sequenced. The results of sequencing showed differences between the two species studied, using an insertion within an intron of the Type 2 Metallothionein-like protein gene as a marker to differentiate between the two species. A high degree of nucleotide polymorphisms interspecifically was revealed. Species identification based on morphology is not always reliable that is why our marker must be utilized to confirm the identity of a plant.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13415
- Subject Headings
- Everglades (Fla ), Typha--Florida--Everglades, Wetland plants--Florida--Everglades, Habitat (Ecology)--Florida--Everglades
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Sulfur-35 incorporation in the seagrass Thalassia testudinum under oxic and anoxic conditions.
- Creator
- Peters, Jasmine Star., Florida Atlantic University, Koch, Marguerite
- Abstract/Description
-
Currently, there is a great deal of interest in the role of sulfur in the seagrass ecosystems and for sulfide, a known phytotoxin, in particular. This research used a 35S tracer technique to examine sulfur metabolism in the seagrass Thalassia testudinum. The uptake of the 35S radiotracer was documented at similar rates under both oxic and anoxic treatments. The highest total radioactivity was in root and rhizome tissue, as compared to the leaves. 35S translocation from roots to leaves was...
Show moreCurrently, there is a great deal of interest in the role of sulfur in the seagrass ecosystems and for sulfide, a known phytotoxin, in particular. This research used a 35S tracer technique to examine sulfur metabolism in the seagrass Thalassia testudinum. The uptake of the 35S radiotracer was documented at similar rates under both oxic and anoxic treatments. The highest total radioactivity was in root and rhizome tissue, as compared to the leaves. 35S translocation from roots to leaves was found to be more efficient in young versus mature leaves. Total sulfur uptake was estimated and found to be significantly different between root and rhizome tissue under oxic conditions. In the anoxic treatment, 1 mM sulfide may have been a threshold, at which the seagrass showed reduced uptake of 35S into the below-ground tissue. While the plants assisted in the production of sulfide in this experiment, sulfide accumulation may inhibit 35S uptake. This is counter to the idea of increased sulfide intrusion under sediment hypoxia. This study represents the first attempt to use 35S to trace sulfur incorporation into seagrass; further research will be required to understand the complex sulfur biochemistry of these important marine plants using this method.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13385
- Subject Headings
- Seagrasses--Ecology, Sulfates--Physiological effect, Plant morphology, Marine sediments
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Plant colonization on a newly restored floodplain of the Kissimmee River, Florida.
- Creator
- Pinneo, Janet R., Florida Atlantic University, Gallagher, Jacqueline
- Abstract/Description
-
This study focused on whether wetland vegetation could become re-established on a newly restored floodplain of the Kissimmee River if seasonal floodplain inundation were re-established. The wetland was re-created by back-filling a section of the Kissimmee Canal and diverting water flow into remnant river meanders. Seasonal flooding did occur during the study period. There were no other interventions to promote wetland plant growth. Ten vegetation quadrats were stratified between the back...
Show moreThis study focused on whether wetland vegetation could become re-established on a newly restored floodplain of the Kissimmee River if seasonal floodplain inundation were re-established. The wetland was re-created by back-filling a section of the Kissimmee Canal and diverting water flow into remnant river meanders. Seasonal flooding did occur during the study period. There were no other interventions to promote wetland plant growth. Ten vegetation quadrats were stratified between the back-filled canal and adjacent floodplain. These quadrats were monitored for 11 months. Of the 68 plant species recorded, 72% were obligate, facultative wetland or aquatic species. Diversity, richness, and percent cover of wetland plants increased with time. Coverage of broadleaf marsh habitat increased with increasing water depths. Vegetation at the end of the study period was similar to pre-channelized estimates. Restoration of hydrologic fluctuations appears sufficient to re-establish wetland habitat in this area of the Kissimmee River basin.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2001
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12844
- Subject Headings
- Plant colonization--Florida--Kissimmee River Watershed, Floodplain ecology--Florida--Kissimmee River Watershed, Restoration ecology--Florida--Kissimmee River Watershed
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Exploring conservation: Piquigua, Heteropsis Ecuadorensis, in Ecuador.
- Creator
- Fadiman, Maria
- Abstract/Description
-
Colonists and indigenous groups living in and around Ecuador’s Mache-Chindul Reserve cultivate various subsistence food plants. The data reveal various differences between the two groups in regards to gendered agricultural spaces. Colonists maintain distinct planting areas, while the Chachi do so less. While each group plants some of the same crops, their basic staples differ: rice for the colonists and plantains for the Chachi. The gendered spaces are also distinct. In colonist households,...
Show moreColonists and indigenous groups living in and around Ecuador’s Mache-Chindul Reserve cultivate various subsistence food plants. The data reveal various differences between the two groups in regards to gendered agricultural spaces. Colonists maintain distinct planting areas, while the Chachi do so less. While each group plants some of the same crops, their basic staples differ: rice for the colonists and plantains for the Chachi. The gendered spaces are also distinct. In colonist households, women take primary care of plants closest to the home, while men’s domain is furthest from the home. Among the Chachi, the reverse pattern is the norm. This spatial organization is looked at in the context of previous theories regarding gender and agricultural. These distinctions are important to be considered in the context of better understanding gendered space among rural groups, and also for developing and implementing effective land use programs in and around protected areas. This manuscript is a version of an article published in Papers of Applied Geography Conferences 30 (2007) p. 427-436
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/165383
- Subject Headings
- Ethnobotany, Ecuador, Rain forest plants, Conservation of natural resources--Ecuador, Weaving--Ecuador, Rain forests--Ecuador--Management, Rain forest ecology--Ecuador
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Salinity Assessment, Change, and Impact on Plant Stress / Canopy Water Content (CWC) in Florida Bay using Remote Sensing and GIS.
- Creator
- Selch, Donna, Zhang, Caiyun, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Geosciences
- Abstract/Description
-
Human activities in the past century have caused a variety of environmental problems in South Florida. In 2000, Congress authorized the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), a $10.5-billion mission to restore the South Florida ecosystem. Environmental projects in CERP require salinity monitoring in Florida Bay to provide measures of the effects of restoration on the Everglades ecosystem. However current salinity monitoring cannot cover large areas and is costly, time-consuming,...
Show moreHuman activities in the past century have caused a variety of environmental problems in South Florida. In 2000, Congress authorized the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), a $10.5-billion mission to restore the South Florida ecosystem. Environmental projects in CERP require salinity monitoring in Florida Bay to provide measures of the effects of restoration on the Everglades ecosystem. However current salinity monitoring cannot cover large areas and is costly, time-consuming, and laborintensive. The purpose of this dissertation is to model salinity, detect salinity changes, and evaluate the impact of salinity in Florida Bay using remote sensing and geospatial information sciences (GIS) techniques. The specific objectives are to: 1) examine the capability of Landsat multispectral imagery for salinity modeling and monitoring; 2) detect salinity changes by building a series of salinity maps using archived Landsat images; and 3) assess the capability of spectroscopy techniques in characterizing plant stress / canopy water content (CWC) with varying salinity, sea level rise (SLR), and nutrient levels. Geographic weighted regression (GWR) models created using the first three imagery components with atmospheric and sun glint corrections proved to be more correlated (R^2 = 0.458) to salinity data versus ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models (R^2 = 0.158) and therefore GWR was the ideal regression model for continued Florida Bay salinity assessment. J. roemerianus was also examined to assess the coastal Everglades where salinity modeling is important to the water-land interface. Multivariate greenhouse studies determined the impact of nutrients to be inconsequential but increases in salinity and sea level rise both negatively affected J. roemerianus. Field spectroscopic data was then used to ascertain correlations between CWC and reflectance spectra using spectral indices and derivative analysis. It was determined that established spectral indices (max R^2 = 0.195) and continuum removal (max R^2= 0.331) were not significantly correlated to CWC but derivative analysis showed a higher correlation (R^2 = 0.515 using the first derivative at 948.5 nm). These models can be input into future imagery to predict the salinity of the South Florida water ecosystem.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004686, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004686
- Subject Headings
- Environmental management, Florida Bay (Fla.), Geographic information systems, Geospatial data, Marine ecology, Plant water relationships, Remote sensing, Salinity -- Florida -- Florida Bay -- Measurement
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The effect of canopy shading on relative primary productivity of periphyton in Water Conservation Area 2-A, Everglades.
- Creator
- Brandenburg, Mark Eric., Florida Atlantic University, Marsh, G. Alex
- Abstract/Description
-
Differences in relative primary productivity of periphyton were determined for three light regimes: open slough (control), sawgrass canopy, and cattail canopy. The center of Water Conservation Area 2-A, Everglades was chosen as the study site because it is relatively unaffected by nutrient runoff. Periphyton productivity was determined by the light and dark bottle method, and biomass was recorded as ash-free dry weight. Statistically significant correlations were found between periphyton...
Show moreDifferences in relative primary productivity of periphyton were determined for three light regimes: open slough (control), sawgrass canopy, and cattail canopy. The center of Water Conservation Area 2-A, Everglades was chosen as the study site because it is relatively unaffected by nutrient runoff. Periphyton productivity was determined by the light and dark bottle method, and biomass was recorded as ash-free dry weight. Statistically significant correlations were found between periphyton biomass and water temperature and between organic content and water temperature. Mean photosynthetically active radiation reaching the surface of the water under sawgrass and cattail canopy was 45% $\pm$ 3% and 11% $\pm$ 1% respectively. Relative primary productivity of periphyton was lower under cattail canopy than under sawgrass canopy due to increased shading of cattail. This reduction of periphyton biomass and primary productivity can be considered an indirect effect of nutrient enrichment from the Everglades Agricultural Area.
Show less - Date Issued
- 1996
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15240
- Subject Headings
- Freshwater algae--Florida--Everglades, Periphyton--Florida--Everglades, Stream ecology--Florida--Everglades, Primary productivity (Biology)--Florida--Everglades, Plant communities--Florida--Everglades, Everglades (Fla )
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Cultivated food plants: culture and gendered spaces of colonists and the Chachi in Ecuador.
- Creator
- Fadiman, Maria
- Abstract/Description
-
Colonists and indigenous groups living in and around Ecuador’s Mache-Chindul Reserve cultivate various subsistence food plants. The data reveal various differences between the two groups in regards to gendered agricultural spaces. Colonists maintain distinct planting areas, while the Chachi do so less. While each group plants some of the same crops, their basic staples differ: rice for the colonists and plantains for the Chachi. The gendered spaces are also distinct. In colonist households,...
Show moreColonists and indigenous groups living in and around Ecuador’s Mache-Chindul Reserve cultivate various subsistence food plants. The data reveal various differences between the two groups in regards to gendered agricultural spaces. Colonists maintain distinct planting areas, while the Chachi do so less. While each group plants some of the same crops, their basic staples differ: rice for the colonists and plantains for the Chachi. The gendered spaces are also distinct. In colonist households, women take primary care of plants closest to the home, while men’s domain is furthest from the home. Among the Chachi, the reverse pattern is the norm. This spatial organization is looked at in the context of previous theories regarding gender and agricultural. These distinctions are important to be considered in the context of better understanding gendered space among rural groups, and also for developing and implementing effective land use programs in and around protected areas.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/165377
- Subject Headings
- Ethnobotany--Ecuador, Plants, Cultivated, Indigenous peoples--Ecology--Ecuador, Sustainable agriculture--Ecuador--societies, etc., Sustainable development--Envrionmental aspects--Ecuador, Gender identity--Ecuador, Natural resources--Ecuador
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Resource stewardship: rain forest use among three ethnic groups of Ecuador.
- Creator
- Fadiman, Maria
- Abstract/Description
-
In looking at alternative forest use, it is imperative that the sustainability of these alternatives is addressed. This question is particularly pressing in The Mache-Chindul Ecological Reserve in northwestern Ecuador. The two plant resources on which this study focuses, a palm and a hemi-epiphyte (a vine-like plant that germinates in the ground, grows up a tree, and then sends down aerial roots), can be harvested in such a way that the plant continues to grow after harvested parts have been...
Show moreIn looking at alternative forest use, it is imperative that the sustainability of these alternatives is addressed. This question is particularly pressing in The Mache-Chindul Ecological Reserve in northwestern Ecuador. The two plant resources on which this study focuses, a palm and a hemi-epiphyte (a vine-like plant that germinates in the ground, grows up a tree, and then sends down aerial roots), can be harvested in such a way that the plant continues to grow after harvested parts have been removed. Thus, these two plants are potentially sustainable resources. The idea that non-indigenous groups are more detrimental to the forest than are indigenous people is addressed. This qualitative study falls into the body of research in which various authors have questioned the concept that indigenous people are inherently conservationist in nature.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/165387
- Subject Headings
- Ethnobotany--Ecuador, Indigenous peoples--Ecology--Ecuador, Biodiversity--Ecuador, Natural resources management areas--Ecuador, Rain forests--Ecuador--Management, Sustainable development--Environmental aspects--Ecuador, Rain forest plants
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Vegetation time series analysis of the Loxahatchee Slough, Palm Beach County, Florida: A GIS incorporating satellite imagery with black and white aerial photography.
- Creator
- Hohner, Susan Marie., Florida Atlantic University, Roberts, Charles, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Geosciences
- Abstract/Description
-
The Loxahatchee Slough is the largest wilderness island refuge existing in Palm Beach County, Florida. Cultural impacts have altered the hydrology of the area. This study provides a database of historical and geographical information regarding the Slough. Aerial photography and satellite imagery from pre- and post-channelization dates are classified according to vegetation ecosystems. GIS analysis is used to compare these diverse data sets. Changes in hydroperiod are examined, using...
Show moreThe Loxahatchee Slough is the largest wilderness island refuge existing in Palm Beach County, Florida. Cultural impacts have altered the hydrology of the area. This study provides a database of historical and geographical information regarding the Slough. Aerial photography and satellite imagery from pre- and post-channelization dates are classified according to vegetation ecosystems. GIS analysis is used to compare these diverse data sets. Changes in hydroperiod are examined, using vegetation as an indicator. Results show a general trend toward dryer hydroperiod vegetation land cover. Since 1979, the Army Corps of Engineers has raised water levels back toward pre-channelization levels, in a portion of the study area known as the Historic Region. Results indicate a positive response, with a net increase of longer hydroperiod vegetation in this region since 1979.
Show less - Date Issued
- 1994
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15079
- Subject Headings
- Vegetation mapping--Florida--Palm Beach County, Plant communities--Remote sensing, Geographic information systems--Remote sensing, Aerial photography in geography--Florida--Palm Beach County, Swamp ecology--Florida--Palm Beach County
- Format
- Document (PDF)