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- Title
- An introduction to the Abacoa Greenway.
- Creator
- Blubaugh, Carmen., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Greenways are corridors of relatively intact natural vegetation through otherwise disturbed habitat that typically connect larger protected natural areas. The establishment of greenway systems throughout the United States is a testament to the increasing recognition of the necessity to incorporate wild areas within urban and other disturbed landscapes for the sake of biological sustainability and the emotional welfare of human residents. In my thesis, I examine a local greenway in Jupiter,...
Show moreGreenways are corridors of relatively intact natural vegetation through otherwise disturbed habitat that typically connect larger protected natural areas. The establishment of greenway systems throughout the United States is a testament to the increasing recognition of the necessity to incorporate wild areas within urban and other disturbed landscapes for the sake of biological sustainability and the emotional welfare of human residents. In my thesis, I examine a local greenway in Jupiter, Florida, the Abacoa Greenway, which is both product and component of the greenway movement, a recent and revolutionary phenomenon in urban planning. I evaluate the greenway's ecology, the specific functions it serves, and its significance within the broader realm of environmental ethics. The primary protected habitats are a mixture of scrubby pine flatwoods and shallow wetland basins. The flatwoods provide important habitats for numerous native species, including the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) and the many commensal species that live in the tortoises' burrows. The shallow wetland basins also serve a number of purposes, including a surface water management system. As a whole, the greenway is an important resource for human recreation and environmental education, including scholarly research by students and faculty at Florida Atlantic University. It serves as important link between people and nature in an urban setting where they might otherwise be completely estranged.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/11594
- Subject Headings
- Greenways, Biological diversity conservation, Government policy, Nature conservation, Government policy, Ecology
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Territory size of the Florida Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) at Savannas Preserve State Park.
- Creator
- Smith, Theresa E., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
The Florida Scrub-jay is the only bird endemic to the state of Florida, and is entirely restricted to pyrogenic xeric oak scrublands. The species is listed as Threatened, and all populations throughout the state are in decline. The major causes of decline are habitat modification due to development and fire suppression. Preservation and proper fire management is crucial for the continued survival of the species. The territories of three families of Florida Scrub-jays at Savannas Preserve...
Show moreThe Florida Scrub-jay is the only bird endemic to the state of Florida, and is entirely restricted to pyrogenic xeric oak scrublands. The species is listed as Threatened, and all populations throughout the state are in decline. The major causes of decline are habitat modification due to development and fire suppression. Preservation and proper fire management is crucial for the continued survival of the species. The territories of three families of Florida Scrub-jays at Savannas Preserve State Park were delineated, and the area calculated using 100% MVCP analysis and compared to work previously published by Cowan (2005). The results of this study show that Savannas Preserve State Park oak scrub habitat is deteriorating, but that aggressive fire management can restore the scrub to optimal Florida Scrub-jay habitat.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/11599
- Subject Headings
- Savannas Preserve State Park (Fla.), Florida Scrub-jay, Distribution, Bird populations, Wildlife conservation
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- What remittances can't buy: the social costs of migration and transnational gossip on women in Jacaltenango, Guatemala.
- Creator
- Sabbagh, Jocelyn., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
The academic debate on gender and migration has missed some of the key factors that impact women's lives and communities of origin. Interviews conducted in Jacaltenango, a Mayan sending community in Guatemala, suggest that while the migration of a spouse does bring substantial financial benefits there are significant individual and social costs that result from migration. More importantly, the interviews uncovered the crucial impact of transnational gossip on women's lives, a feature that has...
Show moreThe academic debate on gender and migration has missed some of the key factors that impact women's lives and communities of origin. Interviews conducted in Jacaltenango, a Mayan sending community in Guatemala, suggest that while the migration of a spouse does bring substantial financial benefits there are significant individual and social costs that result from migration. More importantly, the interviews uncovered the crucial impact of transnational gossip on women's lives, a feature that has been absent in previous academic treatments of gender and migration. Transnational gossip has exacerbated the negative effects of migration for women in migrant-sending locations, pushing women to stay in the "private sphere" and serving as a form of social control that keeps women from actively participating in their communities. For many women, long periods of time living apart from their spouses combined with fears about transnational gossip have brought severe loneliness, anxiety, health problems and even seclusion. This phenomenon is helping define the contemporary social structures of Jacaltenango, and represents one of the most important effects of migration in terms of the lived reality of spouses and families of the predominantly male immigrants who leave Mayan communities in Guatemala to seek work in the United States.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/11603
- Subject Headings
- Women heads of households, Guatemalans, Family, Emigration and immigration, Social life and customs
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Breeding season and fecundity of Gopherus polyphemus in South Florida.
- Creator
- Strattan, Melody., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
The gopher tortoise, Gopherus polyphemus, is a threatened species native to the southeastern United States. The breeding season of G. polyphemus is reportedly from April to June. However, out of season hatchlings in Jupiter, Florida, suggest that in South Florida, the very southernmost part of the gopher tortoise's range, the warmer climate allows a longer period of reproduction or a year-round breeding season. My research sought to find evidence for an extended breeding season and to collect...
Show moreThe gopher tortoise, Gopherus polyphemus, is a threatened species native to the southeastern United States. The breeding season of G. polyphemus is reportedly from April to June. However, out of season hatchlings in Jupiter, Florida, suggest that in South Florida, the very southernmost part of the gopher tortoise's range, the warmer climate allows a longer period of reproduction or a year-round breeding season. My research sought to find evidence for an extended breeding season and to collect fecundity data on the South Florida tortoises by capturing female tortoises and X-raying them at different times of the year to check for the presence of eggs. Although I found no conclusive proof of an extended breeding season, I present additional circumstantial evidence for it, as well as information regarding the fecundity of tortoises in the spring.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/11604
- Subject Headings
- Gopher tortoise, Reproduction, Gopher tortoise, Breeding, Wildlife conservation, Wildlife management
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Assemblage dynamics of exotic herpetofauna on Jupiter campus of Florida Atlantic University.
- Creator
- Kingsland, Kimber, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Many species considered exotic, by both biological definition and social construction, have been introduced into South Florida. These species compete for resources with native species and with each other. In this study, I surveyed the John D. MacArthur Campus of Florida Atlantic University in Jupiter Florida during spring and fall of 2005 to determine the assemblage dynamics of several exotic herpetofauna species, primarily the nocturnal Wood Slave gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia), the Indo-...
Show moreMany species considered exotic, by both biological definition and social construction, have been introduced into South Florida. These species compete for resources with native species and with each other. In this study, I surveyed the John D. MacArthur Campus of Florida Atlantic University in Jupiter Florida during spring and fall of 2005 to determine the assemblage dynamics of several exotic herpetofauna species, primarily the nocturnal Wood Slave gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia), the Indo- Pacific gecko (H. garnotii), and the diurnal Cuban brown anole (Anolis sagrei). I found that the more recently established (H. mabouia) was out-competing (H. garnotii) on most of the buildings being surveyed. The study also showed that the Cuban treefrog, (Osteopilus septentrionalis) population affected the gecko populations significantly. (A. sagrei) was the primary anole found on campus, with sightings of (A. carolinensis) the native Florida green anole, being rare.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/11609, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FADT11609
- Subject Headings
- Amphibians, Reptiles, Biological diversity conservation
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Niche adjustment of the brown anoles after introduction of the curlytail lizard.
- Creator
- Jameson, Meghan R., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
The effects of the recently introduced species, the curlytail lizard, on the Florida ecosystems are relatively unknown. Previous research conducted in the Bahamas showed that brown anole lizards, once introduced to curlytail lizards, became arboreal to evade the threat of the curlytail lizards. To attempt to see if such a niche shift in the brown anole population is occurring in Florida, data were collected using two areas located on the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College of FAU. One area was...
Show moreThe effects of the recently introduced species, the curlytail lizard, on the Florida ecosystems are relatively unknown. Previous research conducted in the Bahamas showed that brown anole lizards, once introduced to curlytail lizards, became arboreal to evade the threat of the curlytail lizards. To attempt to see if such a niche shift in the brown anole population is occurring in Florida, data were collected using two areas located on the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College of FAU. One area was inhabited by only brown anoles whereas the other area was inhabited by brown anoles and curlytail lizards, the latter which newly invaded this site in 2006. Observations were made by walking through the selected area, and counting and recording all lizards that were visible. Data were collected at specific times during the day, four times a day. After comparing the two locations, it was found that the brown anoles have become arboreal when sharing an environment with curlytail lizards.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/11610
- Subject Headings
- Anoles, Lizards, Physiology, Wildlife conservation, Curlytail lizards
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Effects of prescribed burning on native and exotic herpetofauna in Florida pine flatwoods in Savannas Preserve State Park.
- Creator
- Goethel, Carrie Ann., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Florida's pine flatwoods are pyrogenic ecosystems that require frequent fires to regenerate the herbaceous layer and suppress crowding vegetation. Human development has hindered these natural fires and consequently affected the herpetofauna (amphibian and reptile) species. Anthropogenic encroachment, in addition to fire suppression, has also provided ideal habitats for invasive species within native environments. Exotic species are often found in developed areas around buildings and roads,...
Show moreFlorida's pine flatwoods are pyrogenic ecosystems that require frequent fires to regenerate the herbaceous layer and suppress crowding vegetation. Human development has hindered these natural fires and consequently affected the herpetofauna (amphibian and reptile) species. Anthropogenic encroachment, in addition to fire suppression, has also provided ideal habitats for invasive species within native environments. Exotic species are often found in developed areas around buildings and roads, and it is likely this pattern continues into the park. This eight-month coverboard survey focuses on the effects various fires may have on herpetofauna in the area and explores the level of intrusion exotic species exhibit within the communities. Minimal differences among herpetofauna composition between transects were found. However, a convincing percentage of exotic species were found only within the first ten meters of the transects while all native species were at least 25 meters into a transect.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/11611
- Subject Headings
- Prescribed burning, Environmental aspects, Reptiles, Habitat, Scrub pine, Ecology, Savannas Preserve State Park (Fla.), Wildlife conservation
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Influences of mosquito control impoundments on Rhizophora mangle initial propagule establishment and growth.
- Creator
- Coldren, Glenn A., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Rotational Impoundment Management (RIM) is a commonly used method of mosquito control in Florida involving seasonal flooding during mosquito breeding season and allowances for natural tidal variations during summer flooding. My study looks at the effects of this impoundment strategy on the red mangrove, Rhizophora mangle L., recruitment. Primary productivity of mangroves in these impoundments has been found to be similar to that of natural areas, although nutrient levels have been found to...
Show moreRotational Impoundment Management (RIM) is a commonly used method of mosquito control in Florida involving seasonal flooding during mosquito breeding season and allowances for natural tidal variations during summer flooding. My study looks at the effects of this impoundment strategy on the red mangrove, Rhizophora mangle L., recruitment. Primary productivity of mangroves in these impoundments has been found to be similar to that of natural areas, although nutrient levels have been found to differ greatly. R. mangle is a completely viviparous species, and as such, maternal conditions have a strong effect on propagules. My study compares the initial establishment and growth of R. mangle propagules collected from and planted in both impounded and non-impounded sites.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/11618
- Subject Headings
- Red mangrove, Mangrove ecology, Wetland conservation, Mosquitos, Control
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Gun control in Florida: an analysis of the Right to Carry Law of 1987.
- Creator
- Mathews, Sunil., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
In 1987, Florida passed a Right to Carry Law, allowing citizens to purchase a concealed weapons license. Bill proponents believe that an armed citizenry will deter crime. This study examines the relationship between gun control legislation and violent crime in Florida. By using multiple regression analysis, I conclude that gun control legislation has a significant effect on homicide rates, and the presence of national economic conditions is associated with violent crime in Florida.
- Date Issued
- 2009
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3325083
- Subject Headings
- Firearms ownership, Law and legislation, Violence, Prevention, Firearms, Law and legislation, Gun control
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- We are Limestone Creek: an oral history of Limestone Creek community Jupiter, Florida.
- Creator
- Stout, Sara M., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Limestone Creek is an unincorporated community existing within the planning and zoning boundary lines of Jupiter, Florida. Contrasting the economically flush and rapidly developing surrounding municipality of Jupiter, Limestone Creek is a predominantly African American community with an apparent economic gap that leaves the community untouched by development. This thesis project attempts to capture the voices of Limestone Creek and Jupiter residents pertaining to their accounts with an...
Show moreLimestone Creek is an unincorporated community existing within the planning and zoning boundary lines of Jupiter, Florida. Contrasting the economically flush and rapidly developing surrounding municipality of Jupiter, Limestone Creek is a predominantly African American community with an apparent economic gap that leaves the community untouched by development. This thesis project attempts to capture the voices of Limestone Creek and Jupiter residents pertaining to their accounts with an unincorporated area surrounded by a much wealthier municipality. Interviews were conducted with the residents of the community, Palm Beach County and the Town of Jupiter residents and officials, in an effort to explore the existence of an isolated African American community. The research resulted in varied responses to the idea of incorporation because of lack of funds. Conclusions to this research reveal that, to the members of the community, while race underlies all discussions of incorporation the more immediate issue is about securing basic services and infrastructure.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3325089
- Subject Headings
- Municipal government, Suburban African Americans, Social conditions, Social aspects, Political aspects
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- More social capital please!: a study of a Brazilian immigrant community.
- Creator
- Esteves, Jessica., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Researchers who study Brazilian immigrants in the United States have noted a lack of camaraderie and social networks among Brazilians. Based on recent research conducted in Broward County, Florida, Manuel Vâasquez argues that while there are clear structural impediments to community formation among Brazilian immigrants, Brazilians do form social networks. This thesis examines the survey and ethnographic data from Vâasquez's sample to test a series of hypotheses about which factors impact...
Show moreResearchers who study Brazilian immigrants in the United States have noted a lack of camaraderie and social networks among Brazilians. Based on recent research conducted in Broward County, Florida, Manuel Vâasquez argues that while there are clear structural impediments to community formation among Brazilian immigrants, Brazilians do form social networks. This thesis examines the survey and ethnographic data from Vâasquez's sample to test a series of hypotheses about which factors impact levels of social capital and the potential for network creation and mobilization among Brazilian immigrants. Analysis of the data suggests that religious participation and levels of perceived discrimination are correlated with higher levels of social capital in this sample. For a group of immigrants characterized by a lack of collective solidarity and facing an increasingly hostile economic and social climate, religious organizations may be essential locales for achieving sufficient social capital for social, economic, and political integration.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3335017
- Subject Headings
- Social capital (Sociology), Infrastructure (Economics), Social networks, Brazilian Americans, Social conditions, Brazilian Americans, Cultural assimilation, Brazilian Americans, Ethnic identity, Emigration and immigration
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The facts behind the FCAT.
- Creator
- Gamsey, Erin., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 makes schools accountable for the performance of their students, and measures that goal through standardized testing. Florida's standardized test is the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). This paper investigates how the incentive structure of the FCAT accountability system has resulted in costly unintended consequences, such as the disruption of local home prices, teaching towards the test, manipulation of the test pools, and an increase in the...
Show moreThe No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 makes schools accountable for the performance of their students, and measures that goal through standardized testing. Florida's standardized test is the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). This paper investigates how the incentive structure of the FCAT accountability system has resulted in costly unintended consequences, such as the disruption of local home prices, teaching towards the test, manipulation of the test pools, and an increase in the number of school dropouts. The State of Florida officially estimates that the cost to administer the FCAT is $19.44 per student. My claim is that the Florida Department of Education's estimate is profoundly understated because it does not take into account an array of internal and external costs associated with the test. By including these costs of the FCAT, I show that the FCAT does indeed cost more than $19.44 per student.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3335019
- Subject Headings
- Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, Achievement in education, Educational tests and measurements
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Manatee census of the Harbor Branch channel utilizing photo-identification techniques.
- Creator
- Nys, Lauren., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Anecdotal accounts of manatees congregating in the Harbor Branch channel have been reported by staff scientists at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute for over three decades. The main goals of this study were to identify individual manatees using photo-identification techniques and collect baseline data on manatee abundance and environmental parameters. During the primary study period (summer 2009), I identified 31 distinct manatees at Harbor Branch. Four manatees were matched with the...
Show moreAnecdotal accounts of manatees congregating in the Harbor Branch channel have been reported by staff scientists at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute for over three decades. The main goals of this study were to identify individual manatees using photo-identification techniques and collect baseline data on manatee abundance and environmental parameters. During the primary study period (summer 2009), I identified 31 distinct manatees at Harbor Branch. Four manatees were matched with the statewide Manatee Individual Photo-identification System database. I observed the highest abundance of manatees in the small boats marina, suggesting that this location is preferential manatee habitat. Water temperature at the two deepest depths measured (0.6 m and 1.50 m) were the only two significantly different environmental parameters influencing the number of manatees present. The results of this study provide evidence for the Harbor Branch channel as an important manatee habitat.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3335459
- Subject Headings
- Manatees, Monitoring, Manatees, Habitat, Manatees, Identification
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Unvanquished: economic enterprise and tribal adaptation among the Seminoles in the twentieth century.
- Creator
- Nolen, Amanda., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Throughout the twentieth century, the Seminole Tribe of Florida has experienced unprecedented changes to their culture, independence, and economic position. They began the century as subsistence based people with few rights to the land, and they ended the century with substantial political power and economically prosperous enterprises while maintaining their tribal status and identity as Seminoles. In the twentieth century, the Seminoles confirmed their historical role from the nineteenth...
Show moreThroughout the twentieth century, the Seminole Tribe of Florida has experienced unprecedented changes to their culture, independence, and economic position. They began the century as subsistence based people with few rights to the land, and they ended the century with substantial political power and economically prosperous enterprises while maintaining their tribal status and identity as Seminoles. In the twentieth century, the Seminoles confirmed their historical role from the nineteenth century as having never been defeated, but rather than achieving this image through war acts, as they did in the nineteenth century, they created a new role as being culturally and economically indomitable. This aspect of Seminole history has been largely ignored in the narrative of Florida's history.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3335461
- Subject Headings
- Seminole Indians, Economic conditions, Seminole Indians, Government relations, Tribal government, Indians of North America, Civil rights
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- " Pay-to-pave": gopher tortoise management, endangered species protection, and incidental take permits in Florida before and after 2007.
- Creator
- Florscher, Melinda., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
This study assesses the philosophical underpinnings of endangered species protections focused on gopher tortoises in Florida. From 1993-2007, gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) were listed in Florida as a species of special concern. Land developers wanting to build on their habitats could apply for an incidental take permit, paying a fee that allowed tortoises to be 'entombed' in their burrows to die a slow death. In 2007, when gopher tortoise status was up-losted to 'threatened', a new...
Show moreThis study assesses the philosophical underpinnings of endangered species protections focused on gopher tortoises in Florida. From 1993-2007, gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) were listed in Florida as a species of special concern. Land developers wanting to build on their habitats could apply for an incidental take permit, paying a fee that allowed tortoises to be 'entombed' in their burrows to die a slow death. In 2007, when gopher tortoise status was up-losted to 'threatened', a new policy ended the incidental take permit program. This study compares policy guidelines of the 1991 and 2007 gopher tortoise management plans and explores cases that deal with incidental take controversies. I will apply perspectives from environmental philosophy to my analysis to understand how policies attempt to balance economic goals with a mandate to protect species in peril.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3359300
- Subject Headings
- Gopher tortoise, Conservation, Endangered species, Conservation, Economic aspects, Endangered species, Law and legislation, Economic aspects, Environmental protection, Environmental policy
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Anurans of Abacoa.
- Creator
- Vuong, Wei Mien., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
The construction of Abacoa included an attempt to conserve the wildlife in a Greenway, a set of habitats separated from the residential and commercial areas. All of the wetlandswith in Abacoa represent artificially constructed ponds, canals, and streams first created from 1998-2004. The present study focuses on the anuran (i.e., frog and toad) populations and looks at the number of different species that have naturally colonized six differnet sites around Abacoa. Each of these sites varies in...
Show moreThe construction of Abacoa included an attempt to conserve the wildlife in a Greenway, a set of habitats separated from the residential and commercial areas. All of the wetlandswith in Abacoa represent artificially constructed ponds, canals, and streams first created from 1998-2004. The present study focuses on the anuran (i.e., frog and toad) populations and looks at the number of different species that have naturally colonized six differnet sites around Abacoa. Each of these sites varies in qualities that may affect the probability of breeding in that section. The quality of water is known to be less ideal as the water flows away from the headwaters and mixes with water from other sources. This study aims to determine which anuran species are found at each of these sites after nearly a decade of colonization, and how both anuran diversity and abundance correlates with water and habitat quality.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3359327
- Subject Headings
- Wildlife conservation, Amphibian populations, Restoration ecology, Anura, Habitat, Amphibians, Ecology, Amphibians, Conservation
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Avifauna in a suburban environment.
- Creator
- Blair, Courtney., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Habitat fragmentation causes the isolation of groups of individuals within species by producing a new landscape that is uninhabitable for many species, including birds. I surveyed the John D. MacArthur campus of FAU in the Fall of 2005 and Spring of 2006 to assess the use of the campus by birds. Throughout the campus trees are lined in rows along the sidewalks and around buildings, in contrast to the pine flatwoods environment that existed prior to development. The birds observed were found...
Show moreHabitat fragmentation causes the isolation of groups of individuals within species by producing a new landscape that is uninhabitable for many species, including birds. I surveyed the John D. MacArthur campus of FAU in the Fall of 2005 and Spring of 2006 to assess the use of the campus by birds. Throughout the campus trees are lined in rows along the sidewalks and around buildings, in contrast to the pine flatwoods environment that existed prior to development. The birds observed were found performing various activities on the campus, including foraging, perching, and building nests. Individuals were concentrated around or near buildings with the most diverse vegetation. Through assessing these campus uses I suggest that there are ways we can help increase bird diversity in promoting their use of urban environments. Such solutions can help decrease the number of individuals and species lost to the destructive force of habitat fragmentation.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/40269
- Subject Headings
- Birds, Ecology, Wildlife management, Birds, Habitat
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The effects of reduction mowing on gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus).
- Creator
- Del Signore, Vincent., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is endemic to the Southeast United States, where its populations are declining primarily due to habitat loss. Gopher tortoises prefer habitats with open sunny spots for nesting and basking. Fire is a normal element in gopher tortoise habitat, and when natural fires are suppressed, habitats may become too overgrown. To maintain the open spaces, some land managers use reduction mowing of vegetation. I studied gopher tortoises in the Abacoa Greenway...
Show moreThe gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is endemic to the Southeast United States, where its populations are declining primarily due to habitat loss. Gopher tortoises prefer habitats with open sunny spots for nesting and basking. Fire is a normal element in gopher tortoise habitat, and when natural fires are suppressed, habitats may become too overgrown. To maintain the open spaces, some land managers use reduction mowing of vegetation. I studied gopher tortoises in the Abacoa Greenway reserve, established to protect the tortoises in a residential area of Jupiter, Florida, and I examined how reduction mowing influences tortoise activity. I evaluated the distribution of burrows throughout the study site by flagging the burrows both before and after extensive reduction mowing took place in the greenway. Statistical comparison between new burrows found within the interior as compared to the periphery both before and after the mowing reveal a significant relationship between both variables. These results suggest that the tortoises utilize newly mowed areas as preferred substrate for new burrows.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/40270
- Subject Headings
- Gopher tortoise, Ecology, Greenways, Niche (Ecology), Adaptation (Biology), Environmental impact analysis, Prescribed burning
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Fishes of Savannas Preserve State Park.
- Creator
- McKee, Kristy., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Freshwater marshes are a harsh wetland ecosystem classified by seasonal water level fluctuation. Dry down periods are common in some marshes, making life difficult for fish and other aquatic organisms. The goal of this study was to compile an updated species list of fishes inhabiting the freshwater marsh system within Savannas Preserve State Park. Twenty-three fish species were collected between August 2005 and May 2007. This survey, along with past collections, and the current species list...
Show moreFreshwater marshes are a harsh wetland ecosystem classified by seasonal water level fluctuation. Dry down periods are common in some marshes, making life difficult for fish and other aquatic organisms. The goal of this study was to compile an updated species list of fishes inhabiting the freshwater marsh system within Savannas Preserve State Park. Twenty-three fish species were collected between August 2005 and May 2007. This survey, along with past collections, and the current species list in the park's management plan were used to make a new proposed species list. Three species of nonnative fishes were observed during the study, the first report of exotic fishes in the park. It is believed that abnormally high water levels for an extended period may have allowed the water in neighboring canals to connect to the marsh system and, as a result, new species were able become introduced in the park.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/40970
- Subject Headings
- Savannas Preserve State Park (Fla.), Ecology, Fishes, Identification, Population biology
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Observations of immature sea turtles at a nearshore hardbottom developmental habitat in Palm Beach, Florida.
- Creator
- Garrido, Katharine., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Nearshore sabellariid worm rock reefs tracts along Florida's east cost provide developmental habitat for many juvenile green turtles.
- Date Issued
- 2007
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/41004
- Subject Headings
- Sea turtles, Ecology, Adaptation (Biology), Wildlife conservation
- Format
- Document (PDF)