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Introduction
Title
Introduction.
Creator
Swain, Hilary M., Breininger, David R., Busby, Derek S., Clark, Kerry B., Cook, Susan B., Day, Robert A., De Freese, Duane E., Gilmore, R. G., Hart, Amy W., Hinkle, C. Ross, McArdle, Deborah A., Mikkelsen, Paula M., Nelson, Walter G., Zahorcak, Alyssa J., Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
Date Issued
1995
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/FCLA/DT/3172867
Subject Headings
Biodiversity, Indian River (Fla.: Lagoon), Biodiversity conservation, Biotic communities, Birds, Wildlife conservation
Format
Document (PDF)
Mapping, habitat characterization, and fish surveys of the deep-water Oculina coral reef Marine Protected Area: a review of historical and current research
Title
Mapping, habitat characterization, and fish surveys of the deep-water Oculina coral reef Marine Protected Area: a review of historical and current research.
Creator
Reed, John K., Shepard, Andrew N., Koenig, Christopher C., Scanlon, Kathryn M., Gilmore, R. G.
Date Issued
2005
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/FCLA/DT/3172802
Subject Headings
Oculinidae, Marine biodiversity conservation, Marine resources conservation, Mapping, Habitat conservation, Fish surveys
Format
Document (PDF)
Molluscan biodiversity in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida
Title
Molluscan biodiversity in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida.
Creator
Mikkelsen, Paula M., Mikkelsen, Paul S., Karlen, David J., Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
Date Issued
1995
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/FCLA/DT/3172957
Subject Headings
Mollusks, Mollusks --Florida, Indian River (Fla.: Lagoon), Biodiversity conservation, Species
Format
Document (PDF)
BIODIVERSITY, CARBON, AND WILDFIRES IN FOREST ECOSYSTEMS: EXAMINING DEAD WOOD’S INFLUENCE BY INTEGRATING META-ANALYTIC, HIERARCHICAL & SIMULATION MODELING APPROACHES
Title
BIODIVERSITY, CARBON, AND WILDFIRES IN FOREST ECOSYSTEMS: EXAMINING DEAD WOOD’S INFLUENCE BY INTEGRATING META-ANALYTIC, HIERARCHICAL & SIMULATION MODELING APPROACHES.
Creator
Parajuli, Rabindra, Markwith, Scott H., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Geosciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description
Forest ecosystems are critically important to biodiversity and the global carbon budget. Within forest ecosystems, dead wood has several ecological roles, including in carbon and nutrient dynamics and biodiversity conservation. However, surface fuels in forests also influence wildfire behavior and associated risks and hazards. Therefore, appropriate management of dead wood contributes directly to appropriate functioning of the forest ecosystem by conserving forest biodiversity, mitigating...
Show moreForest ecosystems are critically important to biodiversity and the global carbon budget. Within forest ecosystems, dead wood has several ecological roles, including in carbon and nutrient dynamics and biodiversity conservation. However, surface fuels in forests also influence wildfire behavior and associated risks and hazards. Therefore, appropriate management of dead wood contributes directly to appropriate functioning of the forest ecosystem by conserving forest biodiversity, mitigating extreme wildfire events and pyrogenic emissions, and enhancing carbon sequestration. Using data extracted from peer-reviewed journal articles, geospatial, and field inventory data, and integrating meta-analytic, hierarchical regression, and vegetation simulation modeling approaches, this dissertation project examined the influence of dead wood on biodiversity, carbon, and wildfires in forest ecosystems. The meta-analysis results suggest that dead wood quantity is an indicator of forest biodiversity, while dead wood types and decay stages had varied relationships with biodiversity. Generalized linear and additive mixed effects modeling of geospatial and human observed data demonstrated the predominant influences of weather conditions and moderate effects of live and dead fuels on exceptionally large wildfires’ behavior in the western United States. Consistently dominant effects of temperature on wildfire behavior highlight and emphasize the pressing need to address climate change's impact on western US forests. Lastly, vegetation and wildfire simulation modeling of forest stand inventory data and post-modeling carbon computations suggested that physical harvesting of dead wood, an approach analogous to traditional practice of firewood collection, when combined with modern mechanical fuel reduction treatments in Sierra Nevada, CA, mixed conifer forests has great potential to mitigate wildfire hazards, reduce fire emissions, and enhance carbon sequestration.
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Date Issued
2024
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014456
Subject Headings
Forest ecology, Wildfires, Forest management, Forest biodiversity conservation
Format
Document (PDF)
Elucidation of Microbial Communities From South Florida Beaches Using 16S rRNA Sequence Analysis
Title
Elucidation of Microbial Communities From South Florida Beaches Using 16S rRNA Sequence Analysis.
Creator
Ponukumati, Sushma, Esiobu, Nwadiuto, Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description
The composition of marine bacterial communities from South Florida beaches were characterized using 16S rRNA sequence analysis. To compare cultivable and noncultured populations, community genomic DNA was extracted directly from sand and seawater samples and from two cultured equivalents. Only two ofthe 86 (2.3%) direct extracted sequences and 79 of 150 (52.6%) culture sequences belong to known isolates in Ribosomal Database (version 9.0) at 95% confidence level. At low stringency (p=0.70),...
Show moreThe composition of marine bacterial communities from South Florida beaches were characterized using 16S rRNA sequence analysis. To compare cultivable and noncultured populations, community genomic DNA was extracted directly from sand and seawater samples and from two cultured equivalents. Only two ofthe 86 (2.3%) direct extracted sequences and 79 of 150 (52.6%) culture sequences belong to known isolates in Ribosomal Database (version 9.0) at 95% confidence level. At low stringency (p=0.70), the populations cluster into several unknown clads with early divergence, indicating the presence of novel well established bacterial groups. Members of phylum Bacteroidetes, Firmicuites and Proteobacteria were identified, with the latter being the most prevalent in culture. Diversity indices rank Hollywood beach > Fort Lauderdale > Hobie beach. Taxonomic representation indicates marine water as more diverse compared to dry sand and wet sand. A combination of phylogenetic markers will be needed to define the immense diversity of this niche.
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Date Issued
2007
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000809
Subject Headings
Marine microbiology--Florida, Evolutionary genetics, Biodiversity--Research, Marine biodiversity conservation
Format
Document (PDF)
Fishes of the New England Seamounts
Title
Fishes of the New England Seamounts.
Creator
Canache, Christian., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description
Prior to 2000, very little was known about fish biodiversity on the New England Seamount chain. In late 2000, 115 fish species were found on Bear Seamount by the NOAA R/V "Delaware II." Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution conducted two cruises to explore the New England Seamount chain in 2003. This study assessed fish species throughout Alvin submersible dives during these 2003 cruises. Digital video footage was converted to still photographs and video clips using the Macintosh movie program...
Show morePrior to 2000, very little was known about fish biodiversity on the New England Seamount chain. In late 2000, 115 fish species were found on Bear Seamount by the NOAA R/V "Delaware II." Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution conducted two cruises to explore the New England Seamount chain in 2003. This study assessed fish species throughout Alvin submersible dives during these 2003 cruises. Digital video footage was converted to still photographs and video clips using the Macintosh movie program iMovie. Fishes were identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level using keys and literature. The habitat, depth and behavior of observed fishes were compared to the literature available. Geographical distributions of the species were considered. I assessed substrate preference by building a chart that reflects the different sediment regimes that fishes were found on. In all I identified 317 individuals representing 33 different taxa, including two species with new habitat range information Neocyttus helgae and Lepidion sp.
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Date Issued
2007
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/41003
Subject Headings
Seamounts, Ecology, Biodiversity conservation, Fishes, Conservation
Format
Document (PDF)
Quantifying wading bird resource selection and nesting effort: a tool for the restoration of pulsed ecosystems
Title
Quantifying wading bird resource selection and nesting effort: a tool for the restoration of pulsed ecosystems.
Creator
Petersen, Michelle L., Gawlik, Dale E., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description
Understanding the link between indicator species and their environment is imperative to managing and conserving anthropogenically-altered ecosystems. Seasonally-pulsed wetlands are uniquely complex ecosystem where water-level fluctuations shape trophic interactions. Anthropogenic manipulation of water-level fluctuation threatens the integrity of these systems worldwide. Wading birds, a group of species sensitive to landuse changes and fluctuating habitat conditions, serve as important...
Show moreUnderstanding the link between indicator species and their environment is imperative to managing and conserving anthropogenically-altered ecosystems. Seasonally-pulsed wetlands are uniquely complex ecosystem where water-level fluctuations shape trophic interactions. Anthropogenic manipulation of water-level fluctuation threatens the integrity of these systems worldwide. Wading birds, a group of species sensitive to landuse changes and fluctuating habitat conditions, serve as important indicators for wetland health. I used wading birds in the Everglades, as a model system to address the challenges of environmental restoration within an ecosystem heavily impacted by anthropogenic activities. Specifically, I 1) identified the nesting response of Great Egret (Ardea alba), White Ibis (Eudocimus albus), and Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) to hydrologically-mediated changes in food availability and 2) quantified spatiotemporal foraging-habitat selection of Great Egrets, White Ibis, and Wood Storks to fluctuating hydrologic conditions. Collectively, model selection results suggest food availability, generated through dynamic hydrological conditions, is a strong predictor of the abundance of nesting birds in a given year. Great egret and white ibis produce the highest nests numbers in years when the frequency of days of rising water is low. Wood stork nest numbers are the highest in years with high prey production coupled with continuous prey availability. My study of resource selection indicated wading birds select foraging sites based on similar hydrologic parameters, but the response varies by species. Wood storks are more likely to forage in shallow cells (< 10 cm) drying with high recession rates (0.5-1.5 cm/day), and long time since last drydown (600 days). White ibises selected foraging cells with relatively shallow water depths (0-15 cm), intermediate recession rates (0.5-1.0 cm/day), and long time since drydown (600 days). Great egrets selected foraging cells with a wider range of water depths (0-20 cm) where recession rates were lower (0.5 cm/day). All species are more likely to forage in cells where water has not increased by more than 3 cm in the previous two weeks. These differences in resource selections correspond to morphological and behavioral differences in the species, whereby wood storks were more constrained hydrologically and would be more affected by water-level manipulation.
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Date Issued
2017
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004852
Subject Headings
Wetland biodiversity conservation--Florida--Everglades., Wetland conservation., Water birds., Wood stork., White ibis., Egretta alba.
Format
Document (PDF)
Ecosystem health and environmental influences on innate immune function in the loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtle
Title
Ecosystem health and environmental influences on innate immune function in the loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtle.
Creator
Sposato, Patricia L., Milton, Sarah L., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description
Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) turtles recruit to nearshore environments as juveniles. These often degraded habitats are associated with emerging diseases such as green turtle fibropapillomatosis (GTFP), however there are few studies on immune function in sea turtles. The objective of this research was to quantify phagocytosis of the innate immune system by flow cytometry and compare levels between animals from a degraded habitat (the Indian River Lagoon, FL) to a...
Show moreLoggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) turtles recruit to nearshore environments as juveniles. These often degraded habitats are associated with emerging diseases such as green turtle fibropapillomatosis (GTFP), however there are few studies on immune function in sea turtles. The objective of this research was to quantify phagocytosis of the innate immune system by flow cytometry and compare levels between animals from a degraded habitat (the Indian River Lagoon, FL) to a more pristine environment (the Trident Basin, Port Canaveral, FL), and across a range of temperatures. While in vitro temperatures did not alter rates of phagocytosis, it was higher in samples obtained in the summer than winter. Rates of phagocytosis in sea turtles with GTFP and from degraded environments with increased prevalence of GTFP were low compared to animals from the more pristine environment, suggesting that the environment can alter innate immunological function and thus contribute to the development of disease.
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Date Issued
2014
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004333, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004333
Subject Headings
Developmental biology, Ecosystem management -- Florida, Loggerhead turtle -- Habitat -- Environmental aspects, Marine biodiversity conservation, Sea turtles -- Immunology
Format
Document (PDF)
Contested spaces: NTFPS, livelihoods, and conservation planning
Title
Contested spaces: NTFPS, livelihoods, and conservation planning.
Creator
Mitchell, Christine M., Esnard, Ann-Margaret, Ivy, Russell L., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Geosciences
Abstract/Description
This research examines tensions between Latino/a farmworkers, who rely on the seasonal harvest of saw palmetto (Serenoa repens [W. Bartram] Small) berries for increased livelihood security, and conservationists and land-managers who view harvesting as detrimental for wildlife. Informal harvesting occurs on public and private lands, sometimes without permission. Berries, though ubiquitous on the landscape, have become a contested resource. The rapid conversion of rural wildlife habitat into...
Show moreThis research examines tensions between Latino/a farmworkers, who rely on the seasonal harvest of saw palmetto (Serenoa repens [W. Bartram] Small) berries for increased livelihood security, and conservationists and land-managers who view harvesting as detrimental for wildlife. Informal harvesting occurs on public and private lands, sometimes without permission. Berries, though ubiquitous on the landscape, have become a contested resource. The rapid conversion of rural wildlife habitat into suburban development has increased State urgency to bring natural areas into protection along the Florida Ecological Greenways Network. Habitat infringement and associated pressures on wildlife by development has led to the promotion of the state-wide Florida Wildlife Corridor, based on the FEGN. This corridor would connect isolated Florida black bear (Ursus americanus floridanus) populations and Florida panthers (Puma concolor coryi) with other populations. The scale of the commercial berry industry is unknown, but is estimated at millions of pounds annually. State and wildlife conservationists are increasingly concerned with the perceived scale of the harvest and its possible associated effects on wildlife, particularly Florida black bears.
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Date Issued
2014
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004308, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004308
Subject Headings
Agriculture -- Economic aspects, Agriculture -- Environmental aspects, Biodiversity conservation, Land use -- Environmental aspects, Land use -- Planning, Non timber forest products -- Government policy, Non timber forest products -- Management, Wildlife management
Format
Document (PDF)
Coral-Algal Symbioses in Mesophotic Montastraea cavernosa in the Gulf of Mexico
Title
Coral-Algal Symbioses in Mesophotic Montastraea cavernosa in the Gulf of Mexico.
Creator
Polinski, Jennifer, Voss, Joshua, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description
Mesophotic reefs represent biodiverse ecosystems that may act as a refuge for depth-generalist coral species threatened in shallow habitats. Despite the importance of coral-algal symbioses, few studies focus on mesophotic zooxanthellae assemblages and their influence on connectivity. This study compared zooxanthellae in Montastraea cavernosa at shallow and mesophotic depths at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and McGrail Bank. Mesophotic corals contained more zooxanthellae and...
Show moreMesophotic reefs represent biodiverse ecosystems that may act as a refuge for depth-generalist coral species threatened in shallow habitats. Despite the importance of coral-algal symbioses, few studies focus on mesophotic zooxanthellae assemblages and their influence on connectivity. This study compared zooxanthellae in Montastraea cavernosa at shallow and mesophotic depths at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and McGrail Bank. Mesophotic corals contained more zooxanthellae and more chlorophyll a and c2 per unit area coral. Increased zooxanthellae within mesophotic corals may represent an adaptive strategy to optimize light capture in low-light environments. Genetic profiles for zooxanthellae assemblages from shallow and mesophotic corals showed similar diversity across banks and between depths. The dominant sequence making up assemblages was identified as Symbiodinium type C1. Similar assemblage diversity suggests that zooxanthellae assemblages will not limit connectivity potential between shallow and mesophotic corals at these reefs.
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Date Issued
2016
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004665, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004665
Subject Headings
Adaptation (Biology), Coral reef biology, Coral reef ecology -- Research, Coral reefs and islands -- Monitoring, Corals -- Habitat, Marine biodiversity, Marine resources conservation
Format
Document (PDF)
regeneration of nature: An alternative to ecological restoration
Title
The regeneration of nature: An alternative to ecological restoration.
Creator
Hindle, Tobin, Florida Atlantic University, Fiore, Robin N.
Abstract/Description
The Regeneration of Nature: an alternative to ecological restoration is an exploration of the human response to alterations society has imposed on natural ecosystems. Ecological restoration is the dominant response to these degraded systems that has emerged within Western, empirical thought. Restoration as it is characteristically practiced in the United States attempts to reverse human impact by returning an ecosystem to an earlier state of existence; its so called pre-disturbance condition....
Show moreThe Regeneration of Nature: an alternative to ecological restoration is an exploration of the human response to alterations society has imposed on natural ecosystems. Ecological restoration is the dominant response to these degraded systems that has emerged within Western, empirical thought. Restoration as it is characteristically practiced in the United States attempts to reverse human impact by returning an ecosystem to an earlier state of existence; its so called pre-disturbance condition. However, I argue that ecological restoration does not adequately address degraded ecosystems dominating today's landscape primarily because it excludes humans as an integrated part of ecosystems and it ignores the dynamic characteristics of nature. Despite the dichotomy embedded in the restoration view, humans and nature are best understood as interdependent. Therefore, those working on urban environmental issues must develop integrated solutions in which both society and nature benefit without creating negative impacts on each other. In The Regeneration of Nature: an alternative to ecological restoration , I show how the connections between science, society, and nature can be recognized as an integrated view to establish a new paradigm for positive change within communities, both natural and human. The new paradigm, which I entitle ecological regeneration, extends the interdisciplinary style of environmental research as it calls for the development, adoption, and dissemination of a truly integrated and dynamic socio-ecological model to replace the static and reductionist view that prevails within the ecological restoration model. Where restoration treats the human and natural environments as mutually exclusive, regeneration recognizes the necessity of integrating human built systems within nature and nature within built systems. By examining conceptual and practical problems within ecological restoration, my goal is to offer an ecological regeneration framework leading to theoretically better solutions with respect to society's impact on natural ecosystems. The vision I offer here of regenerating nature within the built environment is intended to help fellow scientists, non-scientists, and the general public pursue an environmentally accountable and socially responsible prospect.
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Date Issued
2006
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12232
Subject Headings
Nature--Effect of human beings on, Extinction (Biology), Biological diversity conservation, United States--Environmental policy, Ecosystem management, Ecological assessment (Biology), Biodiversity
Format
Document (PDF)