You searched for +publisher:"Virginia Tech" +contributor:("Kelly, Marcella J.").
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Virginia Tech
1.
Rowe, Christopher Brian.
The influence of habitat features and co-occurring species on puma (Puma concolor) occupancy across eight sites in Belize, Central America.
Degree: MS, Fish and Wildlife Conservation, 2018, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82032 
► Large carnivores play many vital biological, economic, and conservation roles, however, their biological traits (low population densities, cryptic behavior) make them difficult to monitor. Pumas…
(more)
▼ Large carnivores play many vital biological, economic, and conservation roles, however, their biological traits (low population densities, cryptic behavior) make them difficult to monitor. Pumas have been particularly difficult to study because the lack of distinctive markings on their coats prevents individual identification, precluding mark-recapture and other similar analyses. Further, compared to temperate areas, research on the interspecific interactions of Central American felids is particularly lacking. I used single- and multi-season, single-species occupancy models and two-species co-occurrence models to analyze camera trapping and habitat data collected at eight study sites across Belize. Puma occupancy was positively influenced by jaguar trap success, understory density, canopy cover, and human trap success, and negatively influenced by stream density. Jaguar trap success was the best predictor of where pumas occurred, while prey species were not found to influence puma occupancy. Mean occupancy was 0.740 (0.013) and ranged from 0.587 (0.042) to 0.924 (0.030). Over time, puma occupancy rates were generally high (> 0.90) and stable. Puma occupancy was higher in logged areas, suggesting that current levels of natural resource extraction at those sites were not detrimental to the species. Co-occurrence modeling showed little evidence for interactions between the carnivores, suggesting that jaguars may be acting as an umbrella species and that conservation efforts directed at jaguars are likely to benefit the other carnivores, including pumas. Overall, these findings are positive for puma conservation, but human-induced land use change is expanding and further monitoring will give us insight into how pumas respond to human encroachment.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kelly, Marcella J. (committeechair), Sollmann, Rahel (committee member), Stauffer, Dean F. (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: Belize; camera-trapping; dynamic occupancy; gray fox; jaguar; multispecies occupancy; ocelot; predator-prey dynamics; puma; single-season occupancy
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APA (6th Edition):
Rowe, C. B. (2018). The influence of habitat features and co-occurring species on puma (Puma concolor) occupancy across eight sites in Belize, Central America. (Masters Thesis). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82032
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Rowe, Christopher Brian. “The influence of habitat features and co-occurring species on puma (Puma concolor) occupancy across eight sites in Belize, Central America.” 2018. Masters Thesis, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82032.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Rowe, Christopher Brian. “The influence of habitat features and co-occurring species on puma (Puma concolor) occupancy across eight sites in Belize, Central America.” 2018. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Rowe CB. The influence of habitat features and co-occurring species on puma (Puma concolor) occupancy across eight sites in Belize, Central America. [Internet] [Masters thesis]. Virginia Tech; 2018. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82032.
Council of Science Editors:
Rowe CB. The influence of habitat features and co-occurring species on puma (Puma concolor) occupancy across eight sites in Belize, Central America. [Masters Thesis]. Virginia Tech; 2018. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82032
Virginia Tech
2.
Mesa Cruz, Jose Bernardo.
Non-invasive assessment of stress hormones, parasites, and diet, using scat of five felid species in Belize, Central America.
Degree: MS, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, 2014, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/64185
► Many Neotropical felid species, such as jaguars, are threatened with extinction due to habitat fragmentation and/or human persecution. Human activities around protected areas in Belize,…
(more)
▼ Many Neotropical felid species, such as jaguars, are threatened with extinction due to habitat fragmentation and/or human persecution. Human activities around protected areas in Belize, Central America, are increasing and so are levels of human-felid conflict. Potential consequences of this conflict are an increase in stress impacting health, diet shifts, or heightening of animal aggression. The goal of this work was to assess the effects of human-modified habitats on native felids by comparing fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) concentrations, endoparasite species richness (ESR), and diet using non-invasive scat sampling in a protected forest vs. surrounding non-protected areas in Belize. Field studies relying on non-invasive fecal hormone monitoring are subject to potential hormone degradation in samples exposed to the environment. Therefore I conducted immunoassay and environmental validations for measuring FGM in jaguars (Panthera onca).
In the field, I collected scat using a detector dog, identified samples using DNA, retrieved parasite propagules with a flotation technique, and identified prey remains by morphology. I detected five felids: jaguar, puma, ocelot, jaguarundi and domestic cat. FGM concentrations were higher in pumas and jaguarundis than in the other felids. I found no livestock remains in felid scats. ESR was similar across felid species. Domestic cats were found only in human-modified areas. This results provide a baseline on adrenal activity, prey consumption, and endoparasites in felids of Belize. These findings could be used for comparisons to populations thought to be affected by human activities across Belize and in neighboring countries.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kelly, Marcella J. (committeechair), Hopkins, William A. (committee member), Brown, Janine L. (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: non-invasive; Neotropical felids; Belize; fecal glucocorticoids; diet; endoparasites
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APA (6th Edition):
Mesa Cruz, J. B. (2014). Non-invasive assessment of stress hormones, parasites, and diet, using scat of five felid species in Belize, Central America. (Masters Thesis). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/64185
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Mesa Cruz, Jose Bernardo. “Non-invasive assessment of stress hormones, parasites, and diet, using scat of five felid species in Belize, Central America.” 2014. Masters Thesis, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/64185.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Mesa Cruz, Jose Bernardo. “Non-invasive assessment of stress hormones, parasites, and diet, using scat of five felid species in Belize, Central America.” 2014. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Mesa Cruz JB. Non-invasive assessment of stress hormones, parasites, and diet, using scat of five felid species in Belize, Central America. [Internet] [Masters thesis]. Virginia Tech; 2014. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/64185.
Council of Science Editors:
Mesa Cruz JB. Non-invasive assessment of stress hormones, parasites, and diet, using scat of five felid species in Belize, Central America. [Masters Thesis]. Virginia Tech; 2014. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/64185
Virginia Tech
3.
Murphy, Asia J.
The Biodiversity Mirage: the Effects of Habitat Degradation and Exotic Predators on Ground-Dwelling Forest Birds, Tenrecs and Lemurs in Northeastern Madagascar.
Degree: MS, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, 2015, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/52906
► Madagascar is one of the world's top conservation priorities due to the intense anthropogenic pressures on its diverse and endemic wildlife. There have been very…
(more)
▼ Madagascar is one of the world's top conservation priorities due to the intense anthropogenic pressures on its diverse and endemic wildlife. There have been very few studies conducted in the largest protected area complex in Madagascar, the Masoala-Makira landscape (northeastern Madagascar). My goal was to examine the response of ground-dwelling forest birds, tenrecs (Lipotyphla: Tenrecidae) and lemurs to habitat degradation and the presence of exotic predators, and monitor population trends at resurveyed sites from 2008 to 2013. Using camera trap surveys and distance sampling, we observed 26 bird species (n = 4,083 observations), three spiny tenrec species (n = 244 observations) and 12 lemur species (n = 1,172 observations). Out of 13 focal species (seven bird, three tenrec and three lemur species), seven had higher point estimates of occupancy or density at intact forests when compared to intermediately degraded or degraded forest sites. Common tenrecs (Tenrec ecaudatus) and cathemeral lemurs changed their activity patterns, becoming more nocturnal in degraded forests. Feral cat (Felis sp.) trap success was negatively related to the detection of three bird species (red-breasted coua, Coua serriana; scaly ground-roller, Geobiastes squamiger; and Madagascar crested ibis, Lophotibis cristata). At two resurveyed sites (S02 and S05), out of 19 and 17 species, only four and eight species did not show consistent declines in occupancy or encounter rates, respectively, over a six-year period. This research highlights the urgent need for immediate conservation action in the Masoala-Makira protected area complex in order to protect one of the world's biodiversity hotspots.
Advisors/Committee Members: Karpanty, Sarah M. (committeechair), Kelly, Marcella J. (committeechair), Stauffer, Dean F. (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: Madagascar; camera trap; line transect; habitat degradation; exotic species; lemurs; tenrecs; ground-dwelling birds
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APA (6th Edition):
Murphy, A. J. (2015). The Biodiversity Mirage: the Effects of Habitat Degradation and Exotic Predators on Ground-Dwelling Forest Birds, Tenrecs and Lemurs in Northeastern Madagascar. (Masters Thesis). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/52906
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Murphy, Asia J. “The Biodiversity Mirage: the Effects of Habitat Degradation and Exotic Predators on Ground-Dwelling Forest Birds, Tenrecs and Lemurs in Northeastern Madagascar.” 2015. Masters Thesis, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/52906.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Murphy, Asia J. “The Biodiversity Mirage: the Effects of Habitat Degradation and Exotic Predators on Ground-Dwelling Forest Birds, Tenrecs and Lemurs in Northeastern Madagascar.” 2015. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Murphy AJ. The Biodiversity Mirage: the Effects of Habitat Degradation and Exotic Predators on Ground-Dwelling Forest Birds, Tenrecs and Lemurs in Northeastern Madagascar. [Internet] [Masters thesis]. Virginia Tech; 2015. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/52906.
Council of Science Editors:
Murphy AJ. The Biodiversity Mirage: the Effects of Habitat Degradation and Exotic Predators on Ground-Dwelling Forest Birds, Tenrecs and Lemurs in Northeastern Madagascar. [Masters Thesis]. Virginia Tech; 2015. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/52906
Virginia Tech
4.
St Germain, Michael J.
Bat Habitat Ecology Using Remote Acoustical Detectors at the Army National Guard Maneuver Training Center - Fort Pickett, Blackstone, Virginia.
Degree: MS, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, 2012, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/76770
► Bats occupy diverse and unique niches and are regarded as important components in maintaining ecosystem health. They are major consumers of nocturnal insects, serve as…
(more)
▼ Bats occupy diverse and unique niches and are regarded as important components in maintaining ecosystem health. They are major consumers of nocturnal insects, serve as pollinators, seed disperser, and provide important economic benefits as consumers of agricultural and forest pest insects. Bats have been proposed as good indicators of the integrity of natural communities because they integrate a number of resource attributes and may show population declines quickly if a resource attribute is missing. Establishing community- and population-level data, and understanding species interactions is especially important in changing landscapes and for species whose populations levels are threatened by outside factors of anthropomorphic disturbance from hibernacular visitation to energy production and fungal pathogens. For these reasons I have set out to establish habitat use patterns, detection probabilities, spatial and temporal occupancy, and investigate species interactions. This thesis is broken down into three distinct chapters each intended to be a stand-alone document. The first establishes the basic ecology from natural history accounts, provides an overview of the various sampling strategies, and gives a comprehensive description of the study area. The seconds sets out to identify the factors influencing detection probabilities and occupancy of six sympatric bats species and provide insight into habitat use patterns. The third examines spatial and temporal activity patterns and investigates species interactions. This study can provide understanding into the secretive and poorly understood patterns of free flying bats across the landscape. It can also deliver useful information to land managers regarding potential changes in landscape practices for the conservation of bat species.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kelly, Marcella J. (committeechair), Stauffer, Dean F. (committee member), Ford, W. Mark (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: two species modeling; temporal overlapping; spatial co-occurrence; species interaction factor; proportion of area occupied; Perimyotis subflavus; occupancy; Nycticeius humeralis; Myotis septentrionalis; Myotis lucifugus; military lands; Lasiurus borealis; Eptesicus fuscus; detection probability; AnaBat; activity index
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APA (6th Edition):
St Germain, M. J. (2012). Bat Habitat Ecology Using Remote Acoustical Detectors at the Army National Guard Maneuver Training Center - Fort Pickett, Blackstone, Virginia. (Masters Thesis). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/76770
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
St Germain, Michael J. “Bat Habitat Ecology Using Remote Acoustical Detectors at the Army National Guard Maneuver Training Center - Fort Pickett, Blackstone, Virginia.” 2012. Masters Thesis, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/76770.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
St Germain, Michael J. “Bat Habitat Ecology Using Remote Acoustical Detectors at the Army National Guard Maneuver Training Center - Fort Pickett, Blackstone, Virginia.” 2012. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
St Germain MJ. Bat Habitat Ecology Using Remote Acoustical Detectors at the Army National Guard Maneuver Training Center - Fort Pickett, Blackstone, Virginia. [Internet] [Masters thesis]. Virginia Tech; 2012. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/76770.
Council of Science Editors:
St Germain MJ. Bat Habitat Ecology Using Remote Acoustical Detectors at the Army National Guard Maneuver Training Center - Fort Pickett, Blackstone, Virginia. [Masters Thesis]. Virginia Tech; 2012. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/76770
5.
McNitt, David C.
Spatial Ecology of Bobcats (Lynx rufus) in the Appalachian Mountains of Western Virginia.
Degree: MS, Fisheries and Wildlife Science, 2019, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/93275
► Despite the prevalent distribution of bobcats in western Virginia and the broader region of Appalachia, there is a paucity of information on their spatial ecology…
(more)
▼ Despite the prevalent distribution of bobcats in western
Virginia and the broader region of Appalachia, there is a paucity of information on their spatial ecology in this region. Due to the unique ecological conditions of Appalachia, and increasing public interest surrounding the role of bobcats as predators in the region, there is a need for local information on bobcat ecology. I utilized data from 20 GPS collared bobcats (14M, 6F) to investigate bobcat spatial ecology in the mountains of Western
Virginia. I found that male bobcats use more space than females, with home ranges nearly 3 times larger and movement rates 1.5 times higher. I found that home ranges do not expand or contract throughout the year, but do shift in shape slightly. I found that bobcats select home ranges at higher elevations, indicating that home ranges are predominantly located on ridges. I found that selection of home ranges differed between sexes and seasons, indicating that shifts in home range shape throughout the year reflect varying habitat selection. Within their home ranges, I found that bobcats select for areas of open canopy resulting from fields, fire, and timber harvest; and avoid areas of forest interior. These findings build upon previous findings regarding bobcat diet and population dynamics to provide a comprehensive understanding of basic bobcat ecology in western
Virginia, and will inform further research investigating predator/prey interactions.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kelly, Marcella J. (committeechair), Cherry, Michael J. (committee member), Bogan, Daniel A. (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: bobcats; space use; home range; resource selection; movements; Virginia; Appalachian Mountains; GPS telemetry; prescribed fire; timber harvest
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APA (6th Edition):
McNitt, D. C. (2019). Spatial Ecology of Bobcats (Lynx rufus) in the Appalachian Mountains of Western Virginia. (Masters Thesis). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/93275
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
McNitt, David C. “Spatial Ecology of Bobcats (Lynx rufus) in the Appalachian Mountains of Western Virginia.” 2019. Masters Thesis, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/93275.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
McNitt, David C. “Spatial Ecology of Bobcats (Lynx rufus) in the Appalachian Mountains of Western Virginia.” 2019. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
McNitt DC. Spatial Ecology of Bobcats (Lynx rufus) in the Appalachian Mountains of Western Virginia. [Internet] [Masters thesis]. Virginia Tech; 2019. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/93275.
Council of Science Editors:
McNitt DC. Spatial Ecology of Bobcats (Lynx rufus) in the Appalachian Mountains of Western Virginia. [Masters Thesis]. Virginia Tech; 2019. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/93275
Virginia Tech
6.
Latimer, Christopher Edward.
Avian population and community dynamics in response to vegetation restoration on reclaimed mine lands in southwest Virginia.
Degree: MS, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, 2012, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/32773
► Coal surface-mining is often implicated for its negative impacts on native flora and fauna. However, some studies suggest that, in reclaiming land after mining, there…
(more)
▼ Coal surface-mining is often implicated for its negative impacts on native flora and fauna. However, some studies suggest that, in reclaiming land after mining, there may be potential to create early successional habitat needed by many avian species currently in decline throughout eastern North America. I evaluated nest-site selection and nest success for on reclaimed mine lands in southwest
Virginia during the summers of 2010 and 2011. For this nest-site analysis, I focused on 2 bird species common to reclaimed mine lands in southwest
Virginia: field sparrows (Spizella pusillia) and indigo buntings (Passerina cyanea). In addition, I assessed bird community attributes in relation to various surface-mine reclamation regimens over a 5-year period from 2007-2011.
For both species, I found estimates of daily nest success to be higher than other estimates reported in the literature; however, empirical estimates of adult and juvenile survival are needed to provide better estimates of population status. For field sparrows, models of avian nest success support the hypothesis that a tradeoff exists between nest concealment and a view of the surroundings for field sparrows. For indigo buntings, year explained the most variation in nest success, with much lower estimates of daily nest survival in 2010, possibly as a result of increased precipitation.
I also assessed avian community dynamics in relation to vegetation changes on reclaimed mine sites and observed a total of 96 species throughout the 4 years of sampling. Local species persistence and species turnover were comparable to another
continental scale study conducted using breeding bird survey (BBS) data. Observed changes in community vital rates were likely a result of changes in certain habitat attributes over the 5-year period. Lastly, seven species were unique to certain cover types, suggesting the need to consider landscape level processes when developing restoration guidelines for reclaimed coal surface-mines.
Advisors/Committee Members: Stauffer, Dean F. (committeechair), Kelly, Marcella J. (committee member), Karpanty, Sarah M. (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: nest success; community dynamics; birds; coal mine reclamation
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APA (6th Edition):
Latimer, C. E. (2012). Avian population and community dynamics in response to vegetation restoration on reclaimed mine lands in southwest Virginia. (Masters Thesis). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/32773
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Latimer, Christopher Edward. “Avian population and community dynamics in response to vegetation restoration on reclaimed mine lands in southwest Virginia.” 2012. Masters Thesis, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/32773.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Latimer, Christopher Edward. “Avian population and community dynamics in response to vegetation restoration on reclaimed mine lands in southwest Virginia.” 2012. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Latimer CE. Avian population and community dynamics in response to vegetation restoration on reclaimed mine lands in southwest Virginia. [Internet] [Masters thesis]. Virginia Tech; 2012. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/32773.
Council of Science Editors:
Latimer CE. Avian population and community dynamics in response to vegetation restoration on reclaimed mine lands in southwest Virginia. [Masters Thesis]. Virginia Tech; 2012. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/32773
Virginia Tech
7.
Carey, Caitlin.
An Evaluation of Population Restoration and Monitoring Techniques for Freshwater Mussels in the Upper Clinch River, Virginia, and Refinement of Culture Methods for Laboratory-Propagated Juveniles.
Degree: MS, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, 2013, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/24450
► From 2006-2011, four population reintroduction techniques were applied to three sites within a reach of the upper Clinch River in Virginia designated suitable for population…
(more)
▼ From 2006-2011, four population reintroduction techniques were applied to three sites within a reach of the upper Clinch River in
Virginia designated suitable for population restoration of the federally endangered oyster mussel (Epioblasma capsaeformis). These techniques were: 1) translocation of adults (Site 1), 2) release of laboratory-propagated sub-adults (Site 1), 3) release of 8-week old laboratory-propagated juveniles (Site 2), and 4) release of stream-side infested host fishes (Site 3). Demographic data were collected in 2011 and 2012 by systematic quadrat and capture-mark-recapture sampling to assess reintroduction success, evaluate reintroduction techniques, and compare survey approaches for monitoring freshwater mussels. Estimates of abundance and density of translocated adults ranged from 450-577 individuals and 0.09-0.11/m2 in 2011, and 371-645 individuals and 0.07-0.13/m2 in 2012. Estimates of abundance and density of laboratory-propagated sub-adults ranged from 1,678-1,943 individuals and 0.33-0.38/m2 in 2011, and 1,389-1,700 individuals and 0.27-0.33/m2 in 2012. Additionally, three recruits were collected at Site 1. No E. capsaeformis were collected at Sites 2 and 3. Capture-mark-recapture sampling produced similar mean point estimates as systematic quadrat sampling, but with typically more precision. My results indicated that the release of larger individuals (>10 mm) is the most effective technique for restoring populations of E. capsaeformis, and that systematic quadrat and capture-mark-recapture sampling have useful applications in population monitoring that are dependent on project objectives. Systematic quadrat sampling is recommended when the objective is to simply estimate and detect trends in population size for species of moderate to larger densities (>0.2/m2). Capture-mark-recapture sampling should be used when objectives include assessing a reintroduced population of endangered species or at low density, obtaining precise estimates of population demographic parameters, or estimating population size for established species of low to moderate density (0.1-0.2/m2).
The ability to grow endangered juveniles to larger sizes in captivity requires improving grow-out culture methods of laboratory-propagated individuals. A laboratory experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of temperature (20-28 C) on growth and survival of laboratory-propagated juveniles of the Cumberlandian combshell (Epioblasma brevidens), E. capsaeformis, and the wavyrayed lampmussel (Lampsilis fasciola) in captivity. Results indicated that 26 C is the optimum temperature to maximize growth of laboratory-propagated juveniles in small water-recirculating aquaculture systems. Growing endangered juveniles to larger sizes will improve survival in captivity and after release into the wild. As a result, hatcheries can reduce the time that juveniles spend in captivity and thus increase their overall production and enhance the likelihood of success of mussel population recovery efforts by federal and state agencies,…
Advisors/Committee Members: Jones, Jess W. (committeechair), Kelly, Marcella J. (committee member), Hallerman, Eric M. (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: Freshwater Mussels; Epioblasma capsaeformis; Population Restoration and Monitoring; Mark-Recapture; Culturing; Temperature
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APA ·
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Manager
APA (6th Edition):
Carey, C. (2013). An Evaluation of Population Restoration and Monitoring Techniques for Freshwater Mussels in the Upper Clinch River, Virginia, and Refinement of Culture Methods for Laboratory-Propagated Juveniles. (Masters Thesis). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/24450
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Carey, Caitlin. “An Evaluation of Population Restoration and Monitoring Techniques for Freshwater Mussels in the Upper Clinch River, Virginia, and Refinement of Culture Methods for Laboratory-Propagated Juveniles.” 2013. Masters Thesis, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/24450.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Carey, Caitlin. “An Evaluation of Population Restoration and Monitoring Techniques for Freshwater Mussels in the Upper Clinch River, Virginia, and Refinement of Culture Methods for Laboratory-Propagated Juveniles.” 2013. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Carey C. An Evaluation of Population Restoration and Monitoring Techniques for Freshwater Mussels in the Upper Clinch River, Virginia, and Refinement of Culture Methods for Laboratory-Propagated Juveniles. [Internet] [Masters thesis]. Virginia Tech; 2013. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/24450.
Council of Science Editors:
Carey C. An Evaluation of Population Restoration and Monitoring Techniques for Freshwater Mussels in the Upper Clinch River, Virginia, and Refinement of Culture Methods for Laboratory-Propagated Juveniles. [Masters Thesis]. Virginia Tech; 2013. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/24450
Virginia Tech
8.
Kane, Mamadou Daha.
Estimating abundance, density, and occupancy of lion, leopard and serval in the Niokolo Koba National Park in Senegal.
Degree: MS, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, 2014, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/64421
► Carnivore are undoubtedly among the most threatened of the mammal species in Africa because of the low density at which they occur and their large…
(more)
▼ Carnivore are undoubtedly among the most threatened of the mammal species in Africa because of the low density at which they occur and their large home range requirements that do not match with human propensity to develop and alter wildlife habitat. However, the degree of threat is unevenly distributed within the continent, with western and central African carnivores being the most threatened and the least studied. I estimated population size, density, and proportion of area occupied in relation to environmental factors of one medium-size (serval – Leptailurus serval) and two large carnivores (lion – Panthera leo and leopard – P. pardus) in the Niokolo Koba National Park, Senegal, West Africa, using remote camera surveys and both traditional (CR), spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) techniques for servals and leopards, and non-spatial (MR) and spatial mark resight (SMR) methods for lions. Lions selected optimal sites with both high tree density and prey activity; leopards occupied areas with high tree density but with less prey activity; and servals selected habitats with more dense canopy cover where leopards were absent. The presence of lions was favorable to serval presence, as we presume leopards avoid lions, although we did not have strong evidence to support it. Moreover, the half mean maximum distance moved (½ MMDM) method under CR methods appeared to overestimate leopard and serval density while full MMDM estimates were close to SECR methods density estimates. For lions, both ½ MMDM and full MMDM methods in MR framework overestimated density whereas the SMR method resulted in more reasonable estimates, especially in light of previous assessments of lion densities in West Africa.. These results are of high importance for conservation and management purposes of the imperiled Niokolo Koba carnivore community.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kelly, Marcella J. (committeechair), Karpanty, Sarah M. (committee member), Ford, W. Mark (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: Camera-trapping; capture-recapture; spatially explicit capture-recapture; mark-resight; spatial mark-resight; occupancy; lion; leopard; serval; large carnivores; West Africa; Niokolo Koba; Senegal
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APA (6th Edition):
Kane, M. D. (2014). Estimating abundance, density, and occupancy of lion, leopard and serval in the Niokolo Koba National Park in Senegal. (Masters Thesis). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/64421
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Kane, Mamadou Daha. “Estimating abundance, density, and occupancy of lion, leopard and serval in the Niokolo Koba National Park in Senegal.” 2014. Masters Thesis, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/64421.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Kane, Mamadou Daha. “Estimating abundance, density, and occupancy of lion, leopard and serval in the Niokolo Koba National Park in Senegal.” 2014. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Kane MD. Estimating abundance, density, and occupancy of lion, leopard and serval in the Niokolo Koba National Park in Senegal. [Internet] [Masters thesis]. Virginia Tech; 2014. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/64421.
Council of Science Editors:
Kane MD. Estimating abundance, density, and occupancy of lion, leopard and serval in the Niokolo Koba National Park in Senegal. [Masters Thesis]. Virginia Tech; 2014. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/64421
9.
Satter, Christopher Blake.
Estimating population density and survival of ocelots in six study sites over multiple years in Belize, Central America.
Degree: MS, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, 2017, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/74880
► The elusive and nocturnal nature of the ocelot Leopardus pardalis poses difficulty in gaining basic information on demographic parameters needed to better inform conservation. My…
(more)
▼ The elusive and nocturnal nature of the ocelot Leopardus pardalis poses difficulty in gaining basic information on demographic parameters needed to better inform conservation. My study used camera trapping data from long-term monitoring of ocelot populations on six different protected areas in Belize over a time span ranging from 1 to 12 years, with 1,700 ocelot detections in 65,157 total trap nights. I used classical and spatially explicit methods, including multi-session robust design, to estimate and compare ocelot density and survival across sites and time. Full likelihood single session models estimated densities ranging from 6.4 - 22.5 individuals/100km2 in the broadleaf forested sites. Robust design models estimated densities from 8.8 - 22.8 individuals/100 km2 and ocelots had high annual survival (71-79%) in 2 broadleaf sites. Contrary to predictions, robust design models had higher precision than full likelihood models less than half the time. Spatially explicit models estimated density ranging between 7.2 – 22.0 individuals/100 km2 in broadleaf sites, and much lower estimates at 0.9 individuals/100 km2 in the pine forest site. Accounting for sex in spatially explicit methods, which directly incorporate locations of captures into the model, increased precision in density estimates by reducing individual heterogeneity in capture probability. The spatial models also demonstrated that males moved larger distances than females and had slightly higher detection rates. Ocelot populations remained relatively stable over time at the long term sites. My study produced methodologically rigorous abundance/density estimates for ocelots in Belize and the first ever ocelot survival estimates.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kelly, Marcella J. (committeechair), Stauffer, Dean F. (committee member), Ford, W. Mark (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: Density; Belize; camera-trapping
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APA (6th Edition):
Satter, C. B. (2017). Estimating population density and survival of ocelots in six study sites over multiple years in Belize, Central America. (Masters Thesis). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/74880
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Satter, Christopher Blake. “Estimating population density and survival of ocelots in six study sites over multiple years in Belize, Central America.” 2017. Masters Thesis, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/74880.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Satter, Christopher Blake. “Estimating population density and survival of ocelots in six study sites over multiple years in Belize, Central America.” 2017. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Satter CB. Estimating population density and survival of ocelots in six study sites over multiple years in Belize, Central America. [Internet] [Masters thesis]. Virginia Tech; 2017. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/74880.
Council of Science Editors:
Satter CB. Estimating population density and survival of ocelots in six study sites over multiple years in Belize, Central America. [Masters Thesis]. Virginia Tech; 2017. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/74880
Virginia Tech
10.
Kang, Gloria Jin.
Systems analysis of vaccination in the United States: Socio-behavioral dynamics, sentiment, effectiveness and efficiency.
Degree: PhD, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, 2018, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/97079
► This dissertation examines the socio-behavioral determinants of vaccination and their impacts on public health, using a systems approach that emphasizes the interface between population health…
(more)
▼ This dissertation examines the socio-behavioral determinants of vaccination and their impacts on public health, using a systems approach that emphasizes the interface between population health research, policy, and practice. First, we identify the facilitators and barriers of parental attitudes and beliefs toward school-located influenza vaccination in the United States. Next, we examine current vaccine sentiment on social media by constructing and analyzing semantic networks of vaccine information online. Finally, we estimate the health benefits, costs, and cost-effectiveness of influenza vaccination strategies in Seattle using a dynamic agent-based model. The underlying motivation for this research is to better inform public health policy by leveraging the facilitators and addressing potential barriers against vaccination; by understanding vaccine sentiment to improve health science communication; and by assessing potential vaccination strategies that may provide the greatest gains in health for a given cost in health resources.
Advisors/Committee Members: Eubank, Stephen G. (committeechair), Abbas, Kaja M. (committeechair), Marathe, Madhav Vishnu (committeechair), Lewis, Bryan L. (committee member), Kelly, Marcella J. (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: public health; vaccination; influenza; computational epidemiology
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APA (6th Edition):
Kang, G. J. (2018). Systems analysis of vaccination in the United States: Socio-behavioral dynamics, sentiment, effectiveness and efficiency. (Doctoral Dissertation). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/97079
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Kang, Gloria Jin. “Systems analysis of vaccination in the United States: Socio-behavioral dynamics, sentiment, effectiveness and efficiency.” 2018. Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/97079.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Kang, Gloria Jin. “Systems analysis of vaccination in the United States: Socio-behavioral dynamics, sentiment, effectiveness and efficiency.” 2018. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Kang GJ. Systems analysis of vaccination in the United States: Socio-behavioral dynamics, sentiment, effectiveness and efficiency. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2018. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/97079.
Council of Science Editors:
Kang GJ. Systems analysis of vaccination in the United States: Socio-behavioral dynamics, sentiment, effectiveness and efficiency. [Doctoral Dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2018. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/97079
Virginia Tech
11.
Roberts, James Henry.
Using genetic tools to understand the population ecology of stream fishes.
Degree: PhD, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, 2012, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/27633
► Stream fishes are highly diverse, yet highly imperiled by human alterations of stream environments. Many species are poorly characterized with regard to the size and…
(more)
▼ Stream fishes are highly diverse, yet highly imperiled by human alterations of stream environments. Many species are poorly characterized with regard to the size and structure of populations and patterns of dispersal between populations, which complicates assessment of how human activities, both harmful and beneficial, will affect persistence. I used genetic tools to further this understanding in three case-study fish species of the southeastern United States: Roanoke logperch (Percina rex) of the greater Roanoke River basin and redline (Etheostoma rufilineatum) and greenside darters (E. blennioides) of the upper Tennessee River basin.
I found that endangered P. rex persists in seven isolated populations. Within populations, individuals exhibit extensive dispersal and gene flow, which maintains connectivity throughout entire watersheds. Most populations exhibit small contemporary effective population sizes and occupy few stream channels, and thereby face an elevated risk of extinction. Genetic estimates of divergence indicate that fragmentation was recent, coincident with the construction of major dams throughout the speciesâ range. Close evolutionary relationships between most populations suggest that a translocation strategy could decrease extinction risks. I developed a framework to help guide the process of balancing small-population versus translocation risks when formulating conservation strategies. When the framework was applied to populations of P. rex, straightforward management prescriptions emerged. The framework also may prove useful for other fragmented species.
Unlike P. rex, E. rufilineatum and E. blennioides are relatively abundant where they occur. However, both species were strongly affected by fragmentation due to hydroelectric dams and reservoirs. Populations in small streams flowing directly into a reservoir had lower genetic diversity than populations in larger, more fluvially connected streams. Furthermore, indices of watershed urbanization (e.g., percent impervious surface, road density) were negatively correlated with genetic diversity and with a genetic index of population stability. This suggests that darters occupying isolated streams and/or urbanizing watersheds experience smaller, more variable population sizes than darters elsewhere. Monitoring of such genetic responses could provide a useful early indicator of ecosystem stress and a useful complement to other biomonitoring techniques.
Advisors/Committee Members: Grobler, Paul (committee member), Kelly, Marcella J. (committee member), Dolloff, C. Andrew (committee member), Hallerman, Eric M. (committeecochair), Angermeier, Paul L. (committeecochair).
Subjects/Keywords: metapopulation dynamics; persistence; population structure; stream fish; darter; dispersal; endangered species; isolation-by-distance; landscape ecology; genetic diversity
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APA (6th Edition):
Roberts, J. H. (2012). Using genetic tools to understand the population ecology of stream fishes. (Doctoral Dissertation). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/27633
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Roberts, James Henry. “Using genetic tools to understand the population ecology of stream fishes.” 2012. Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/27633.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Roberts, James Henry. “Using genetic tools to understand the population ecology of stream fishes.” 2012. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Roberts JH. Using genetic tools to understand the population ecology of stream fishes. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2012. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/27633.
Council of Science Editors:
Roberts JH. Using genetic tools to understand the population ecology of stream fishes. [Doctoral Dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2012. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/27633
Virginia Tech
12.
Rios, Adyan Beatriz.
Do hurricanes and other severe weather events affect catch per unit effort of reef-fish in the Florida Keys?.
Degree: MS, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, 2012, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/32885
► Severe weather events frequently affect important marine fish stocks and fisheries along the United States Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts. However, the effects of…
(more)
▼ Severe weather events frequently affect important marine fish stocks and fisheries along the United States Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts. However, the effects of these events on fish and fisheries are not well understood. The availability of self-reported data from two fisheries in a region frequently affected by tropical cyclones provided a unique opportunity to investigate short-term responses to past events. This study involved selecting severe weather events, calculating changes in effort and catch-per-unit- effort (CPUE), and analyzing those changes across various temporal, spatial, and species-specific scenarios. Responses in each variable were analyzed within and across scenario factors and explored for correlations and linear multivariate relationships with hypothesized explanatory variables. A negative overall directional change was identified for logbook fishing effort. Based on both correlations and linear models, changes in logbook fishing effort were inversely related to changes in average maximum wind speed. Severe weather events are more likely to affect fishing effort than catch rates of reef-fish species. However, lack of responses in CPUE may also relate to the ability of this study to detect changes. The temporal and spatial scales analyzed in this study may not have been adequate for identifying changes in effort for the headboat fishery, or in CPUE for either fishery. Although there was no region-wide response in CPUE associated with severe weather events, further research on this topic is necessary to determine if storm-induced changes in fishery data are likely strong, long-lasting, or widespread enough to influence the outcome of stock-wide assessments.
Advisors/Committee Members: Berkson, James M. (committeechair), Porch, Clay (committee member), Orth, Donald J. (committee member), Kelly, Marcella J. (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: reef-fish; severe weather; tropical cyclone; stock assessment; Florida Keys
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APA (6th Edition):
Rios, A. B. (2012). Do hurricanes and other severe weather events affect catch per unit effort of reef-fish in the Florida Keys?. (Masters Thesis). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/32885
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Rios, Adyan Beatriz. “Do hurricanes and other severe weather events affect catch per unit effort of reef-fish in the Florida Keys?.” 2012. Masters Thesis, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/32885.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Rios, Adyan Beatriz. “Do hurricanes and other severe weather events affect catch per unit effort of reef-fish in the Florida Keys?.” 2012. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Rios AB. Do hurricanes and other severe weather events affect catch per unit effort of reef-fish in the Florida Keys?. [Internet] [Masters thesis]. Virginia Tech; 2012. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/32885.
Council of Science Editors:
Rios AB. Do hurricanes and other severe weather events affect catch per unit effort of reef-fish in the Florida Keys?. [Masters Thesis]. Virginia Tech; 2012. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/32885
Virginia Tech
13.
Mesa Cruz, Jose Bernardo.
Assessment of Physiological Challenges in Overwintering Black Bears (Ursus americanus): Active Gestation, Neonatal Growth, and Skeletal Muscle Conservation.
Degree: PhD, Fisheries and Wildlife Science, 2018, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/96197
► The American black bear (ABB) (Ursus americanus) exhibits physiological strategies highly synchronized with the environment. Such strategies enable bears to exploit food resources when available…
(more)
▼ The American black bear (ABB) (Ursus americanus) exhibits physiological strategies highly synchronized with the environment. Such strategies enable bears to exploit food resources when available and survive the winter months by hibernating without ingesting food or water. However, there are multiple aspects of ABB hibernation physiology that remain unknown. For instance, there is conflicting evidence on the occurrence of ABB pseudopregnancy (a physiological state in which a non-pregnant bear exhibits progesterone levels similar to gravid bears in the absence of an actual pregnancy). Also, there is little known about postnatal development of cubs or the influence of maternal traits on embryonic implantation and cub growth. Finally, the role of satellite cells (SCs – stem cells able to regenerate muscle fibers) play in maintaining muscle functionality during hibernating remains understudied. Therefore, I aimed to assess these four aforementioned aspects using wild ABBs held temporarily captive at
Virginia Tech's Black Bear Research Center (VT-BBRC). The major findings of this dissertation are: 1) I suggest that wild ABBs do not experience pseudopregnancy as a reproductive strategy; 2) interactions between litter size and cub age best described postnatal cub weight dynamics and organ development. Twin cubs were heavier than single and triplet cubs, yet cubs from all litter sizes reached similar weights after mothers began consuming food post hibernation. Single cubs experienced delayed timing in ear, eye, and teeth development compared to other litter sizes; 3) maternal traits such as higher body weight and higher ability to gain weight in the fall are closely associated with earlier timing of embryonic implantation than in leaner females, which gained less weight per day in the fall; and 4) SC ability to generate muscle fibers is increased during ABB hibernation. I propose that maintaining the SCs are an important potential pathway for limiting muscle atrophy during bear hibernation. Understanding pre and postnatal development of ABBs is important for exploring factors related to climate, maternal characteristics, which possibly affect birthing phenology, and fitness of bears experiencing rapid anthropogenic environmental change. Functional aspects of bear muscle conservation are interesting for potentially for elucidating avenues to improve treatments for human metabolic disorders such as muscular dystrophy, sarcopenia, and disuse atrophy.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kelly, Marcella J. (committeechair), Brown, Janine L. (committee member), Rhoads, Robert P. (committee member), Hopkins, William A. (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: hibernation; black bear; Ursus americanus; active gestation; pseudopregnancy; neonatal development; maternal traits; satellite cells
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APA (6th Edition):
Mesa Cruz, J. B. (2018). Assessment of Physiological Challenges in Overwintering Black Bears (Ursus americanus): Active Gestation, Neonatal Growth, and Skeletal Muscle Conservation. (Doctoral Dissertation). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/96197
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Mesa Cruz, Jose Bernardo. “Assessment of Physiological Challenges in Overwintering Black Bears (Ursus americanus): Active Gestation, Neonatal Growth, and Skeletal Muscle Conservation.” 2018. Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/96197.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Mesa Cruz, Jose Bernardo. “Assessment of Physiological Challenges in Overwintering Black Bears (Ursus americanus): Active Gestation, Neonatal Growth, and Skeletal Muscle Conservation.” 2018. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Mesa Cruz JB. Assessment of Physiological Challenges in Overwintering Black Bears (Ursus americanus): Active Gestation, Neonatal Growth, and Skeletal Muscle Conservation. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2018. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/96197.
Council of Science Editors:
Mesa Cruz JB. Assessment of Physiological Challenges in Overwintering Black Bears (Ursus americanus): Active Gestation, Neonatal Growth, and Skeletal Muscle Conservation. [Doctoral Dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2018. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/96197
14.
Hilborn, Anne Winona.
The effect of individual variability and larger carnivores on the functional response of cheetahs.
Degree: PhD, Fisheries and Wildlife Science, 2018, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82040
► Functional response is the framework thorough which we can quantify how predator hunting behaviors such as rate of successful attack and time spent handling prey…
(more)
▼ Functional response is the framework thorough which we can quantify how predator hunting behaviors such as rate of successful attack and time spent handling prey interact with prey density to determine the rate at which prey are killed. Cheetahs are mesopredators and their behavior can be shaped by the need to avoid larger predators while hunting relatively large bodied and mobile prey. I used data from 34 years of observed cheetah hunts in Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to investigate how reproductive condition, prey density, seasonality, and the proximity of larger predators affect cheetah kill rates, probability of successful attack, and time spent handling prey. Mothers with cubs had an asymptotic Type II functional response where kill rate increased but eventually leveled-off at high prey densities, while cheetahs without cubs had a dome shaped Type IV functional response where kill rates actually declined at high prey density. Probability of successful attack on prey was higher for mothers with cubs, and increased slightly with prey density. Mothers with cubs had different prey handling behavior than other cheetahs. Cheetah mothers spend longer at kills then other cheetahs despite the risk that the carcass can attract lions and hyenas that could steal the carcass and potentially kill her cubs. Mothers must make sure their cubs have sufficient time at the carcass to eat their fill, thus they minimize risk from larger predators by being vigilant. In contrast, cheetahs without cubs are unconcerned with cub predation and can eat quickly to minimize the risk of kleptoparasitism. My results show how the pressures of cub rearing and coexisting with larger carnivores differentially shape the hunting behavior of cheetahs, and suggest that intensity of mesopredator suppression may depend on individual variability. This is the first time the functional response for a large mesopredator, has been quantified and the first time a dome shaped response has been recorded in a mammal. My work shows the value in accounting for individual variability in functional response and how linking of carnivore hunting behavior to multiple species interactions advances our understanding of how classical ecological theory applies to wild ecosystems.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kelly, Marcella J. (committeechair), Durant, Sarah M. (committee member), Karpanty, Sarah M. (committee member), Walters, Jeffrey R. (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: Carnivores; predator-prey interactions; mesopredators; functional response; attack rate; handling time; mesopredator suppression; individual variability
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Export
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APA (6th Edition):
Hilborn, A. W. (2018). The effect of individual variability and larger carnivores on the functional response of cheetahs. (Doctoral Dissertation). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82040
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Hilborn, Anne Winona. “The effect of individual variability and larger carnivores on the functional response of cheetahs.” 2018. Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82040.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Hilborn, Anne Winona. “The effect of individual variability and larger carnivores on the functional response of cheetahs.” 2018. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Hilborn AW. The effect of individual variability and larger carnivores on the functional response of cheetahs. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2018. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82040.
Council of Science Editors:
Hilborn AW. The effect of individual variability and larger carnivores on the functional response of cheetahs. [Doctoral Dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2018. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82040
Virginia Tech
15.
Tredick, Catherine Anne.
Black bears in Canyon de Chelly National Monument: Life in a changing environment.
Degree: PhD, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, 2011, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/28299
► Understanding how wildlife utilize habitat at varying scales is important for understanding and predicting potential impacts of landscape changes (e.g., habitat loss and fragmentation, restoration…
(more)
▼ Understanding how wildlife utilize habitat at varying scales is important for understanding and predicting potential impacts of landscape changes (e.g., habitat loss and fragmentation, restoration efforts, climate change, etc.) and in determining effective strategies for conservation and management. This research examines fine-scale and landscape-level habitat use of black bears in Canyon de Chelly National Monument (CACH), Arizona, USA in the context of large-scale landscape change. Currently, CACH is undergoing a large-scale restoration effort to remove all of the non-native Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) and tamarisk (Tamarix ramosissima and T. chinensis) within the monument. As black bears rely on the Russian olive as a primary food source, a major goal of this research was to evaluate how bears currently use this resource and how its removal might affect bear habitat use and bear-human interactions within the monument.
I developed a model of 3rd order (fine-scale) black bear habitat use in CACH using an occupancy modeling approach. Model results indicated that fine-scale habitat selection by bears in CACH is being driven by the presence of non-native Russian olive as well as native food sources. Thus availability of native foods may be sufficient to maintain the bear population in CACH, and bears may quickly adapt to the loss of the non-native food source. Similarly, results showed that bears avoid human areas and farmsteads and prefer higher elevations, suggesting that once olive is removed in the lower canyons near human areas, bear-human interactions may become less of a problem over the long term.
I also developed a model of 2nd order (landscape-level) habitat use and evaluated movement patterns of black bears in CACH using location data collected from GPS collars. Model results showed that bears selected areas with higher tree canopy cover and terrain ruggedness, indicating that forest cover and escape cover are primary factors driving black bear habitat selection at the landscape scale in this region. Movement patterns revealed large mean daily movements and low average turning angles, indicating long, linear movements designed to take advantage of the mosaic of available habitats and food resources available over larger areas.
I extracted DNA from hair samples collected throughout the study area to examine genetic variability and population structure of black bears in the region. Analyses revealed a relatively healthy, panmictic population across the wider landscape. No substantial genetic structuring was observed in multiple analyses, though I did find evidence of a slight isolation-by-distance pattern within the population. Measures of both current (Nb = 24) and long-term (Ne = 579) effective population size indicated a relatively high number of breeders in the current population and a sufficient amount of gene flow within the larger â superpopulationâ to maintain long-term genetic viability.
I focused the final portion of my dissertation research on understanding the factors that influence…
Advisors/Committee Members: Stauffer, Dean F. (committee member), Stern, Marc J. (committee member), Vaughan, Michael R. (committeecochair), Kelly, Marcella J. (committeecochair).
Subjects/Keywords: Canyon de Chelly National Monument; black bear; habitat use; genetic structure; human dimensions; wildlife stakeholder acceptance capacity
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APA (6th Edition):
Tredick, C. A. (2011). Black bears in Canyon de Chelly National Monument: Life in a changing environment. (Doctoral Dissertation). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/28299
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Tredick, Catherine Anne. “Black bears in Canyon de Chelly National Monument: Life in a changing environment.” 2011. Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/28299.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Tredick, Catherine Anne. “Black bears in Canyon de Chelly National Monument: Life in a changing environment.” 2011. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Tredick CA. Black bears in Canyon de Chelly National Monument: Life in a changing environment. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2011. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/28299.
Council of Science Editors:
Tredick CA. Black bears in Canyon de Chelly National Monument: Life in a changing environment. [Doctoral Dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2011. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/28299
Virginia Tech
16.
Garcia, Victoria.
Lifetime fitness and changing life history traits in Red-cockaded Woodpeckers.
Degree: PhD, Biological Sciences, 2014, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/71347
► As environmental change continues and increases, understanding how species will respond to change and how these responses may affect populations will be important for conserving…
(more)
▼ As environmental change continues and increases, understanding how species will respond to change and how these responses may affect populations will be important for conserving and managing species. Red-cockaded Woodpeckers (Picoides borealis) are well-studied and provide an ideal system in which to examine ecological and evolutionary questions related to life histories because monitoring them accurately is relatively easy, their behavior is well-described and structured. In this study, I examined the following questions using long-term data (1980-2013) from two study sites in North Carolina: 1) what traits contribute most to lifetime fitness, 2) how have traits changed over time and how is climate change influencing life history, and 3) to what extent are traits that contribute to fitness and that are changing over time heritable in this species. I found that a multitude of factors contribute to different aspects of fitness, including: parental age and hatch date affecting survival to year one and probability of attaining breeding status; and lay date, clutch size, age at first reproduction, and variance in clutch size affecting lifetime fitness. I also found that many traits were changing over time including lay date, clutch size, partial brood loss, and survival to year one. These traits were strongly influenced by local climate variables at each study site, but it is not clear that climate has changed over time at the study sites to account for all the observed changes in life history traits. Habitat improvement has also played a role as evidenced by increased fledgling production in terms of raw numbers (without accounting for covariates). I also found that lay date, clutch size, and partial brood loss had low heritabilities after accounting for other random and fixed effects. These results indicate that Red-cockaded Woodpeckers at these two study sites are shifting traits successfully in response to changing conditions, and that these changes are in the direction that increases aspects of fitness. These shifts indicate that individuals are plastic with respect to these traits, but most of the variance in traits was related to external habitat-associated factors rather than additive genetic variance or environmental × genotype interactions.
Advisors/Committee Members: Walters, Jeffrey R. (committeechair), Karpanty, Sarah M. (committee member), Hawley, Dana M. (committee member), Kelly, Marcella J. (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: individual fitness; lifetime reproductive success; inbreeding; climate change; animal model
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APA (6th Edition):
Garcia, V. (2014). Lifetime fitness and changing life history traits in Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. (Doctoral Dissertation). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/71347
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Garcia, Victoria. “Lifetime fitness and changing life history traits in Red-cockaded Woodpeckers.” 2014. Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/71347.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Garcia, Victoria. “Lifetime fitness and changing life history traits in Red-cockaded Woodpeckers.” 2014. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Garcia V. Lifetime fitness and changing life history traits in Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2014. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/71347.
Council of Science Editors:
Garcia V. Lifetime fitness and changing life history traits in Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. [Doctoral Dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2014. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/71347
17.
Poor, Erin Elizabeth.
A multiscale analysis and quantification of human impacts on Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) habitat in Riau, Sumatra.
Degree: PhD, Geospatial and Environmental Analysis, 2018, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/85130
► Worldwide, we are losing biodiversity at unprecedented rates, and due to deforestation, degradation and poaching, Southeast Asian wildlife is facing extreme threats. Indonesia recently eclipsed…
(more)
▼ Worldwide, we are losing biodiversity at unprecedented rates, and due to deforestation, degradation and poaching, Southeast Asian wildlife is facing extreme threats. Indonesia recently eclipsed Brazil in having the world's highest deforestation rate, largely due to the rise of the palm oil industry. Indonesia contains multiple biodiversity hotspots and endangered species such as the Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae). While Riau Province, Sumatra, produces approximately 20% of the world's palm oil, tigers still inhabit parts of Riau, though their habitat and prey are understudied. Thus, in this research, I aim to assess and quantify how tiger habitat has changed, how it will continue to change, and provide recommendations on how to improve the landscape for tigers. I create the first accuracy-assessed land cover maps of Riau, and then predict land cover change from 2016 – 2050. Using this newly created land cover map, I assess whether Tesso Nilo National Park, Bukit Tigapuluh National Park, and Rimbang Baling Wildlife Reserve are effective at preventing deforestation. Next, I examine human impacts within Tesso Nilo specifically, due to its suitability for oil palm and its potential as a stepping stone for wildlife movement from the western, mountains to the eastern peatlands of Sumatra. Finally, I examine impacts of human presence within Rimbang Baling on felid-prey relationships. I predict that by 2050, over 60% of natural forest in Riau will be lost, and all protected areas only confer low levels of protection. I determined that Tesso Nilo National Park has nearly 2500 km of roads within it and no areas within the park are untouched by humans. Wildlife detections were low near the boundary of Rimbang Baling and there was evidence of humans negatively impacting mousedeer (Tragulus spp) behavior. I suggest focusing on securing the habitat within Rimbang Baling and Bukit Tigapuluh to ensure habitat for dispersing tigers from the western mountains, in addition to, and perhaps before focusing on restoring Tesso Nilo and creating wildlife corridors. While tiger recovery in Riau will be difficult, with education, dedication, persistence and intelligent planning, tigers may be able to persist in this unique ecosystem in the long-term.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kelly, Marcella J. (committeechair), Sunarto, Fnu (committee member), Frimpong, Emmanuel A. (committee member), Waits, Lisette P. (committee member), Shao, Yang (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: deforestation; fragmentation; habitat loss; human impacts; land cover change; protected areas
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APA (6th Edition):
Poor, E. E. (2018). A multiscale analysis and quantification of human impacts on Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) habitat in Riau, Sumatra. (Doctoral Dissertation). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/85130
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Poor, Erin Elizabeth. “A multiscale analysis and quantification of human impacts on Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) habitat in Riau, Sumatra.” 2018. Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/85130.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Poor, Erin Elizabeth. “A multiscale analysis and quantification of human impacts on Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) habitat in Riau, Sumatra.” 2018. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Poor EE. A multiscale analysis and quantification of human impacts on Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) habitat in Riau, Sumatra. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2018. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/85130.
Council of Science Editors:
Poor EE. A multiscale analysis and quantification of human impacts on Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) habitat in Riau, Sumatra. [Doctoral Dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2018. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/85130
18.
Farris, Zachary J.
Responses of Madagascar's Endemic Carnivores to Fragmentation, Hunting, and Exotic Carnivores Across the Masoala-Makira Landscape.
Degree: PhD, Fisheries and Wildlife Science, 2015, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/51171
► The carnivores of Madagascar are likely the least studied of the world's carnivores, thus little is known about threats to their persistence. I provide the…
(more)
▼ The carnivores of Madagascar are likely the least studied of the world's carnivores, thus little is known about threats to their persistence. I provide the first long-term assessment of Madagascar's rainforest carnivore community, including: 1) how multiple forms of habitat degradation (i.e., fragmentation, exotic carnivores, human encroachment, and hunting) affect native and exotic carnivore occupancy; 2) how native and exotic carnivore temporal activity overlap and how body size and niche explain these patterns; 3) how native and exotic carnivores spatially co-occur across the landscape and which variables explain these relationships; and 4) how native and exotic carnivores and humans co-occur with lemurs across Madagascar's largest protected landscape: the Masoala-Makira landscape. From 2008 to 2013 I photographically sampled carnivores and conducted line-transect surveys of lemurs at seven study sites with varying degrees of degradation and human encroachment, including repeat surveys of two sites. As degradation increased, exotic carnivores showed increases in activity and occupancy while endemic carnivore, small mammal, and lemur occupancy and/or activity decreased. Wild/feral cats (Felis sp.) and dogs (Canis familiaris) had higher occupancy (0.37 ± SE 0.08 and 0.61 ± SE 0.07, respectively) than half of the endemic carnivore species across the landscape. Additionally, exotic carnivores had both direct and indirect negative effects on native carnivore occupancy. For example, spotted fanaloka (Fossa fossana) occupancy (0.70 ± SE 0.07) was negatively impacted by both wild/feral cat (beta = -2.65) and Indian civets (beta = -1.20). My results revealed intense pressure from hunting (ex. n = 31 fosa Cryptoprocta ferox consumed per year from 2005-2011 across four villages), including evidence that hunters target intact forest where native carnivore and lemur occupancy and/or activity are highest. I found evidence of high temporal overlap between native and exotic carnivores (ex. temporal overlap between brown-tail vontsira Salanoia concolor and dogs is 0.88), including fosa (Cryptoprocta ferox) avoiding dogs and humans across all seasons. However, I found no evidence of body size or correlates of ecological niche explaining temporal overlap among carnivores. Estimates of spatial co-occurrence among native and exotic carnivores in rainforest habitat revealed strong evidence that native and exotic carnivores occur together less often than expected and that exotic carnivores may be replacing native carnivores in forests close to human settlements. For example, falanouc show a strong increase in occupancy when dogs are absent (0.69 ± SE 0.11) compared to when they are present (0.23 ± SE 0.05). Finally, the two-species interaction occupancy models for carnivores and lemurs, revealed a higher number of interactions among species across contiguous forest where carnivore and lemur occupancy were highest. These various anthropogenic pressures and their effects on carnivore and lemur populations, particularly increases in exotic…
Advisors/Committee Members: Karpanty, Sarah M. (committeechair), Kelly, Marcella J. (committeechair), Stauffer, Dean F. (committee member), Johnson, Steig E. (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: behavior; bushmeat; camera trap; community ecology; co-occurrence; demographics; lemur biology; occupancy; poaching; temporal activity
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Manager
APA (6th Edition):
Farris, Z. J. (2015). Responses of Madagascar's Endemic Carnivores to Fragmentation, Hunting, and Exotic Carnivores Across the Masoala-Makira Landscape. (Doctoral Dissertation). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/51171
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Farris, Zachary J. “Responses of Madagascar's Endemic Carnivores to Fragmentation, Hunting, and Exotic Carnivores Across the Masoala-Makira Landscape.” 2015. Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/51171.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Farris, Zachary J. “Responses of Madagascar's Endemic Carnivores to Fragmentation, Hunting, and Exotic Carnivores Across the Masoala-Makira Landscape.” 2015. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Farris ZJ. Responses of Madagascar's Endemic Carnivores to Fragmentation, Hunting, and Exotic Carnivores Across the Masoala-Makira Landscape. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2015. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/51171.
Council of Science Editors:
Farris ZJ. Responses of Madagascar's Endemic Carnivores to Fragmentation, Hunting, and Exotic Carnivores Across the Masoala-Makira Landscape. [Doctoral Dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2015. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/51171
19.
Thapa, Kanchan.
Ecology of Tigers in Churia Habitat and a Non-Invasive Genetic Approach to Tiger Conservation in Terai Arc, Nepal.
Degree: PhD, Fisheries and Wildlife Science, 2014, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/65007
► Tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) can be viewed as a proxy for intact and healthy ecosystems. Their wild populations have plummeted to fewer than 3,200 individuals…
(more)
▼ Tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) can be viewed as a proxy for intact and healthy ecosystems. Their wild populations have plummeted to fewer than 3,200 individuals in the last four decades and threats to these apex predators are mounting rather than diminishing. Global conservation bodies (Global Tiger Initiative, World Wildlife Fund, Wildlife Conservation Society, Panthera etc.) have recently called for solidarity and scaling up of conservation efforts to save tigers from extinction.
In South Asia, tiger habitat ranges from tropical evergreen forests, dry arid regions and sub-tropical alluvial floodplains, to temperate mixed deciduous forest. The churia habitat is relatively unstudied and is considered a young and geologically fragile mountain range in Nepal. The contribution of the churia habitat to tiger conservation has not been considered, since modern conservation started in 1970s. This study focuses on the ecology of the tiger with respect to population density, habitat use, and prey occupancy and density, in the churia habitat of Chitwan National Park. This study also includes the first assessment of genetic diversity, genetic structure, and gene flow of tigers across the Terai Arc Landscape- Nepal. The Terai Arc Landscape harbors the only remaining tiger population found across the foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal and northwest India. I used a combination of camera-trapping techniques, which have been a popular and robust method for monitoring tiger populations across the
landscape, combined with a noninvasive genetic approach to gain information on tigers, thus adding new information relevant to global tiger conservation.
I investigated tiger, leopard (Panthera pardus fusca), and prey densities, and predicted the tiger density across the Churia habitat in Chitwan National Park. I used a camera-trap grid with 161 locations accumulating 2,097 trap-nights in a 60 day survey period during the winter season of 2010-2011. Additionally, I used distance sampling techniques for estimating prey density in the churia habitat by walking 136 km over 81 different line transects. The team photographed 31 individual tigers and 28 individual leopards along with 25 mammalian species from a sampling area of 536 km2 comprising Churia and surrounding areas. Density estimates of tigers and leopards were 2.2 (SE 0.42) tigers and 4.0 (SE 1.00) leopards per 100 km2. Prey density was estimated at 62.7 prey animals per 100 km2 with contributions from forest ungulates to be 47% (sambar Rusa unicolor, chital Axis axis, barking deer Muntiacus muntjak, and wild pigs Sus scrofa). Churia habitat within Chitwan National Park is capable of supporting 5.86 tigers per 100 km2 based on applying models developed to predict tiger density from prey density. My density estimates from camera-traps are lower than that predicted based on prey availability, which indicates that the tiger population may be below the carrying capacity. Nonetheless, the churia habitat supports 9 to 36 tigers, increasing estimates of current population size in…
Advisors/Committee Members: Kelly, Marcella J. (committeechair), Dinerstein, Eric (committee member), Stauffer, Dean F. (committee member), Hallerman, Eric M. (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: Panthera tigris tigris; Panthera pardus; camera-trapping; non-invasive genetic approach; density estimation; spatially-explicit capture recapture; carrying capacity; occupancy modelling; churia habitat; prey; conservation genetics; genetic variation
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APA ·
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MLA ·
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APA (6th Edition):
Thapa, K. (2014). Ecology of Tigers in Churia Habitat and a Non-Invasive Genetic Approach to Tiger Conservation in Terai Arc, Nepal. (Doctoral Dissertation). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/65007
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Thapa, Kanchan. “Ecology of Tigers in Churia Habitat and a Non-Invasive Genetic Approach to Tiger Conservation in Terai Arc, Nepal.” 2014. Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/65007.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Thapa, Kanchan. “Ecology of Tigers in Churia Habitat and a Non-Invasive Genetic Approach to Tiger Conservation in Terai Arc, Nepal.” 2014. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Thapa K. Ecology of Tigers in Churia Habitat and a Non-Invasive Genetic Approach to Tiger Conservation in Terai Arc, Nepal. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2014. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/65007.
Council of Science Editors:
Thapa K. Ecology of Tigers in Churia Habitat and a Non-Invasive Genetic Approach to Tiger Conservation in Terai Arc, Nepal. [Doctoral Dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2014. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/65007
Virginia Tech
20.
Danner, Raymond Michael.
The Effects of Limited Winter Food Availability on the Population Dynamics, Energy Reserves, and Feather Molt of the Swamp Sparrow.
Degree: PhD, Biological Sciences, 2012, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/38688
► Small birds likely face energetic challenges in temperate zone winters posed by cold weather coupled with food scarcity. These challenges are often assumed to occur,…
(more)
▼ Small birds likely face energetic challenges in temperate zone winters posed by cold weather coupled with food scarcity. These challenges are often assumed to occur, but are rarely experimentally tested. I hypothesized that the naturally occurring, lower abundances of food in temperate zone winters limit a birdâ s ability to acquire optimal energy and ultimately limit fitness. In this dissertation, I show that supplementation of food decreased mortality and improved traits potentially associated with future reproductive success of wild swamp sparrows (Melospiza georgiana), supporting the hypothesis that winter food abundance limits fitness. These results come from a replicated and controlled food supplementation experiment conducted over three years. First, I demonstrated that following food addition, immigration increased, leading to higher densities, and that all age/sex classes experienced higher survival and maintained larger energy reserves (Chapter I). Survival was positively related to energy reserves, indicating that food availability limits survival through a birdâ s ability to maintain sufficient fat. In addition to causing mortality in winter, food limitation of energy reserves may carry over to affect future reproductive success by influencing timing of preparations for breeding, including migration. In Chapter II, I show that swamp sparrows decreased fat reserves over each winter, despite unlimited food availability, indicating that they adaptively regulated fat reserves, potentially to balance starvation and depredation risks. Fat reserves of control birds tracked recent temperature and control birds lost muscle throughout the winter, indicating that they were limited by food and were unable to reach optimal fat levels on a daily basis. These
results suggest that limitation of energy reserves by food availability can be influenced by temperature and predator abundance. Lastly, I demonstrated that food abundance limits the timing of molt in the wild (Chapter III), an unprecedented finding. Because molt, migration, and breeding typically do not overlap, early molt might lead to earlier migration and breeding. Therefore, we hypothesize that timing of molt is another mechanism by which winter food abundance can limit reproductive success. These results provide strong evidence that food availability can limit wintering temperate migrants in a variety of ways.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kelly, Marcella J. (committee member), Moore, Ignacio T. (committee member), Walters, Jeffrey R. (committeecochair), Greenberg, Russell S. (committeecochair).
Subjects/Keywords: Melospiza georgiana; feather molt; adaptive fat regulation; winter ecology; food limitation
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APA (6th Edition):
Danner, R. M. (2012). The Effects of Limited Winter Food Availability on the Population Dynamics, Energy Reserves, and Feather Molt of the Swamp Sparrow. (Doctoral Dissertation). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/38688
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Danner, Raymond Michael. “The Effects of Limited Winter Food Availability on the Population Dynamics, Energy Reserves, and Feather Molt of the Swamp Sparrow.” 2012. Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/38688.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Danner, Raymond Michael. “The Effects of Limited Winter Food Availability on the Population Dynamics, Energy Reserves, and Feather Molt of the Swamp Sparrow.” 2012. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Danner RM. The Effects of Limited Winter Food Availability on the Population Dynamics, Energy Reserves, and Feather Molt of the Swamp Sparrow. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2012. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/38688.
Council of Science Editors:
Danner RM. The Effects of Limited Winter Food Availability on the Population Dynamics, Energy Reserves, and Feather Molt of the Swamp Sparrow. [Doctoral Dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2012. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/38688
Virginia Tech
21.
Rich, Lindsey N.
Monitoring and Conserving Wildlife Communities across Northern Botswana.
Degree: PhD, Fisheries and Wildlife Science, 2016, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82537
► To develop effective conservation planning and mitigate biodiversity loss, standardized metrics for monitoring and assessing biodiversity are needed. This information is particularly vital in Botswana,…
(more)
▼ To develop effective conservation planning and mitigate biodiversity loss, standardized metrics for monitoring and assessing biodiversity are needed. This information is particularly vital in Botswana, where knowledge of many of the diverse wildlife populations is lacking. To address this knowledge gap, my dissertation research evaluated the distributions, densities, and ecology of the wildlife community in northern Botswana, with a focus on terrestrial carnivore species given their importance both ecologically and economically. My objectives were threefold: 1) estimate the distributions of the mammal community (n = 44 species) and evaluate community, group, and species-specific responses to anthropogenic and environmental variables, 2) test whether the presence of intraguild species or resource availability had a larger influence on the seasonal distributions of carnivore species, and 3) simultaneously estimate the population densities of 7 carnivore species. To accomplish these objectives, I completed a multi-year camera trap survey in a 1,154-km2 study area and analyzed the data using occupancy models (single and multi- species) and spatially explicit capture-recapture models. Estimates of species richness ranged from 8 to 27 unique species, species had a mean occurrence probability of 0.32 (95% credible interval = 0.21–0.45), and estimated densities ranged from 1.8 aardwolves (Proteles cristata) to 12.7 spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) per 100 km2. The occupancy and richness of terrestrial mammals was negatively associated with human disturbance and in general, positively associated with open grasslands/floodplains. Carnivore species, specifically, tended to have greater species richness and larger population densities in open habitats than in closed. I also found carnivore distributions were positively associated with the detection rate of intraguild competitors and predators, suggesting competitor/predator avoidance did not play a large role in shaping carnivore community structure. My research highlights the pivotal role protected areas and grasslands play in conserving wildlife populations in northern Botswana. Additionally, my research helps progress camera trap analyses from single to multi-species assessments. Broader application of this multi-species approach would likely result in a better understanding of wildlife and carnivore communities which in turn, may help inform management actions aimed at addressing the loss of wildlife populations globally.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kelly, Marcella J. (committeechair), Alexander, Kathleen A. (committee member), Robinson, Hugh S. (committee member), Karpanty, Sarah M. (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: camera trap; carnivore; multispecies modelling; population density; species richness
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APA ·
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APA (6th Edition):
Rich, L. N. (2016). Monitoring and Conserving Wildlife Communities across Northern Botswana. (Doctoral Dissertation). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82537
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Rich, Lindsey N. “Monitoring and Conserving Wildlife Communities across Northern Botswana.” 2016. Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82537.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Rich, Lindsey N. “Monitoring and Conserving Wildlife Communities across Northern Botswana.” 2016. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Rich LN. Monitoring and Conserving Wildlife Communities across Northern Botswana. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2016. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82537.
Council of Science Editors:
Rich LN. Monitoring and Conserving Wildlife Communities across Northern Botswana. [Doctoral Dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2016. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82537
Virginia Tech
22.
Wultsch, Claudia.
Noninvasive tracking of jaguars (Panthera onca) and co-occurring Neotropical felids in Belize, Central America by genotyping feces and remote camera trapping.
Degree: PhD, Fisheries and Wildlife Science, 2013, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/50591
► The elusive jaguar (Panthera onca) is extremely difficult to study due to its wide-ranging behavior, crepuscular activity peaks and its occurrence in low population densities…
(more)
▼ The elusive jaguar (Panthera onca) is extremely difficult to study due to its wide-ranging behavior, crepuscular activity peaks and its occurrence in low population densities in often dense forest habitats. Jaguars are also a species of concern, but our ability to provide for their survival is hampered by our inability to obtain reliable information on the status of their wild populations. This study combines innovative noninvasive research techniques such as scat detector dogs and molecular scatology to conduct the first genetic study on wild populations of Neotropical felids coexisting across fragmented forest habitats in Belize, Central America. Specifically, we analyzed multi-locus data in jaguars (Panthera onca), pumas (Puma concolor) and ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) collected from 1053 scat samples across their range in the country. First, we optimized 14 polymorphic microsatellite loci for jaguars (Panthera onca), pumas (Puma concolor), and ocelots (Leopardus pardalis), and assessed their utility for cross-species amplification. Additionally, we tested their reliability for species and individual identification using fecal DNA as he primary DNA source. All microsatellite loci examined successfully cross-amplified in the three target species, and were polymorphic. Second, to maximize PCR amplification success and genotyping accuracy rates, and to minimize genotyping error rates for fecal DNA samples, we evaluated the performance of two fecal DNA storage techniques (dimethyl sulfoxide saline solution/DET buffer, 95% EtOH) suitable for long-term preservation at remote tropical sites. Additionally, we tested fecal DNA samples collected from four different scat locations (top, side, bottom, inside). DET buffer was the superior fecal DNA preservation method and collecting fecal DNA from side and top locations of the scat resulted in the highest PCR success rates. For the main genetic study, we assessed the genetic conservation status of all three target species across the country of Belize. We examined levels of genetic diversity within different sites, (2) defined potential genetic clusters/populations, (3) and examined levels of gene flow and population structure for all three target species on a countrywide scale. Furthermore, we compared genetic diversity and gene flow levels among the three target species. Wild felids in Belize showed moderate levels of heterozygosity (HE = 0.60 - 0.70) with jaguars having the lowest genetic diversity with average expected heterozygosities of HE = 0.60 ± 0.05 and allelic richness (AR) of 4.94 ± 0.44 followed by pumas with HE = 0.65 ± 0.06 and AR of 7.52 ± 0.86 and ocelots with HE = 0.70 ± 0.05 and AR of 3.89 ± 0.23. We observed low to moderate levels of differentiation (FST = 0.00 - 0.15) and weak population structure using spatial Bayesian clustering techniques for all three target species. Although levels of genetic diversity and gene flow across the country are still fairly high, we did detect evidence of fragmentation indicating the risk of further…
Advisors/Committee Members: Vaughan, Michael R. (committeechair), Kelly, Marcella J. (committeechair), Hallerman, Eric M. (committee member), Stauffer, Dean F. (committee member), Waits, Lisette Paulyne (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: Panthera onca; Puma concolor; Leopardus pardalis; genetic diversity; gene flow; dispersal; microsatellites; molecular scatology
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APA ·
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APA (6th Edition):
Wultsch, C. (2013). Noninvasive tracking of jaguars (Panthera onca) and co-occurring Neotropical felids in Belize, Central America by genotyping feces and remote camera trapping. (Doctoral Dissertation). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/50591
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Wultsch, Claudia. “Noninvasive tracking of jaguars (Panthera onca) and co-occurring Neotropical felids in Belize, Central America by genotyping feces and remote camera trapping.” 2013. Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/50591.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Wultsch, Claudia. “Noninvasive tracking of jaguars (Panthera onca) and co-occurring Neotropical felids in Belize, Central America by genotyping feces and remote camera trapping.” 2013. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Wultsch C. Noninvasive tracking of jaguars (Panthera onca) and co-occurring Neotropical felids in Belize, Central America by genotyping feces and remote camera trapping. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2013. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/50591.
Council of Science Editors:
Wultsch C. Noninvasive tracking of jaguars (Panthera onca) and co-occurring Neotropical felids in Belize, Central America by genotyping feces and remote camera trapping. [Doctoral Dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2013. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/50591
Virginia Tech
23.
Augustine, Ben C.
Leveraging Partial Identity Information in Spatial Capture-Recapture Studies with Applications to Remote Camera and Genetic Capture-Recapture Surveys.
Degree: PhD, Fisheries and Wildlife Science, 2018, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82727
► Noninvasive methods for monitoring wildlife species have revolutionized the way population parameters, such as population density and survival and recruitment rates, are estimated while accounting…
(more)
▼ Noninvasive methods for monitoring wildlife species have revolutionized the way population parameters, such as population density and survival and recruitment rates, are estimated while accounting for imperfect detection using capture-recapture models. Reliable estimates of these parameters are vital information required for making sound conservation decisions; however to date, noninvasive sampling methods have been of limited use for a vast number of species which are difficult to identify to the individual level–a general requirement of capture-recapture models. Capture-recapture models that utilize partial identity information have only recently been introduced and have not been extended to most types of noninvasive sampling scenarios in a manner that uses the spatial location where noninvasive samples were collected to further inform complete identity (i.e. spatial partial identity models). Herein, I extend the recently introduced spatial partial identity models to the noninvasive methods of remote cameras for species that are difficult to identify from photographs and DNA from hair or scat samples. The ability of these novel models to improve parameter estimation and extend study design options are investigated and the methods are made accessible to applied ecologists via statistical software.
This research has the potential to greatly improve wildlife conservation decisions by improving our knowledge of parameters related to population structure and dynamics that inform those decisions. Unfortunately, many species of conservation concern (e.g., Florida panthers, Andean bears) are managed without having the necessary information on population status or trends, largely a result of the cost and difficulty of studying species in decline and because of the difficulty of applying statistical models to sparse data, which can produce imprecise and biased estimates of population parameters. By leveraging partial identity information in noninvasive samples, the models I developed will improve these parameter estimates and allow noninvasive methods to be used for more species, leading to more informed conservation decisions, and a more efficient allocation of conservation resources across species and populations.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kelly, Marcella J. (committeechair), Bonner, Simon (committee member), Catlin, Daniel Herbert (committee member), Royle, Jeffrey Andrew (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: Spatial capture-recapture; partial identity; unmarked spatial capture-recapture; microsatellites; genetic mark-recapture; camera trap
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APA (6th Edition):
Augustine, B. C. (2018). Leveraging Partial Identity Information in Spatial Capture-Recapture Studies with Applications to Remote Camera and Genetic Capture-Recapture Surveys. (Doctoral Dissertation). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82727
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Augustine, Ben C. “Leveraging Partial Identity Information in Spatial Capture-Recapture Studies with Applications to Remote Camera and Genetic Capture-Recapture Surveys.” 2018. Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82727.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Augustine, Ben C. “Leveraging Partial Identity Information in Spatial Capture-Recapture Studies with Applications to Remote Camera and Genetic Capture-Recapture Surveys.” 2018. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Augustine BC. Leveraging Partial Identity Information in Spatial Capture-Recapture Studies with Applications to Remote Camera and Genetic Capture-Recapture Surveys. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2018. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82727.
Council of Science Editors:
Augustine BC. Leveraging Partial Identity Information in Spatial Capture-Recapture Studies with Applications to Remote Camera and Genetic Capture-Recapture Surveys. [Doctoral Dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2018. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82727
Virginia Tech
24.
Diggins, Corinne Ashley.
Determining Habitat Associations of Virginia and Carolina Northern Flying Squirrels in the Appalachian Mountains from Bioacoustic and Telemetry Surveys.
Degree: PhD, Fisheries and Wildlife Science, 2016, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82128
► The Virginia northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus fuscus) and the Carolina northern flying squirrel (G. s. coloratus) are geographically isolated subspecies of the northern flying…
(more)
▼ The
Virginia northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus fuscus) and the Carolina northern flying squirrel (G. s. coloratus) are geographically isolated subspecies of the northern flying squirrel found in montane conifer-northern hardwood forests the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States. Both subspecies were listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1985 as endangered, and accordingly, the
Virginia northern flying squirrel and the Carolina northern flying squirrel are considered high conservation priorities by state and federal agencies. Although the listing prompted work to determine the broad distribution and habitat associations of both subspecies, numerous data gaps remain, particularly with regard to habitat management and development of efficient monitoring techniques. Regional interest in restoration of red spruce (Picea rubens) forests in the central and southern Appalachian Mountains, considered to be the flying squirrels' primary habitat, increases the importance of understanding habitat selection and managers' ability to detect squirrels at multiple spatial and temporal scales.
I compared two novel survey techniques (ultrasonic acoustics and camera trapping) to a traditional technique (live trapping) to determine which method had higher probability of detection (POD) and lower latency to detection (LTD, number of survey nights to initial detection) of northern flying squirrels in the region. Both novel techniques performed better than the traditional techniques with higher POD and lower LTD. I found that ultrasonic acoustics and camera trapping had similar POD, whereas LTD was significantly lower with ultrasonic acoustics versus camera
trapping. Additionally, the ability to distinguish between northern flying squirrels and the parapatric southern flying squirrel (G. volans) also is possible with ultrasonic acoustics, but not with camera trapping. This ultimately makes ultrasonic acoustics the most effective and efficient method to obtain detection/non-detection data. To better inform management decisions and activities (i.e., red spruce restoration), this method should be used in conjunction with existing traditional monitoring techniques that provide demographic data such as nest boxes.
I assessed habitat selection of radio-collared
Virginia and Carolina northern flying squirrels at multiple spatial scales with use-availability techniques. I analyzed field data from paired telemetry and random points and determined
Virginia northern flying squirrels microhabitat (within-stand habitat) selection showed preference for conifer-dominant stands with deep organic horizons, a factor that might be directly linked to food (hypogeal fungi) availability.
Similar to previous studies on the
Virginia northern flying squirrel on the landscape- and stand-level using Euclidean distance based analysis, Carolina northern flying squirrels also selectively preferred montane conifer forests in greater proportion than their availability on the landscape. Additionally, Carolina northern flying squirrels…
Advisors/Committee Members: Ford, W. Mark (committeechair), Karpanty, Sarah M. (committee member), Kelly, Marcella J. (committee member), Adams, Mary Beth (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: Glaucomys sabrinus; ultrasonic acoustics; home range; habitat use; Euclidean distance; occupancy model; detection probability
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APA (6th Edition):
Diggins, C. A. (2016). Determining Habitat Associations of Virginia and Carolina Northern Flying Squirrels in the Appalachian Mountains from Bioacoustic and Telemetry Surveys. (Doctoral Dissertation). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82128
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Diggins, Corinne Ashley. “Determining Habitat Associations of Virginia and Carolina Northern Flying Squirrels in the Appalachian Mountains from Bioacoustic and Telemetry Surveys.” 2016. Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82128.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Diggins, Corinne Ashley. “Determining Habitat Associations of Virginia and Carolina Northern Flying Squirrels in the Appalachian Mountains from Bioacoustic and Telemetry Surveys.” 2016. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Diggins CA. Determining Habitat Associations of Virginia and Carolina Northern Flying Squirrels in the Appalachian Mountains from Bioacoustic and Telemetry Surveys. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2016. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82128.
Council of Science Editors:
Diggins CA. Determining Habitat Associations of Virginia and Carolina Northern Flying Squirrels in the Appalachian Mountains from Bioacoustic and Telemetry Surveys. [Doctoral Dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2016. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82128
25.
Montague, David Miles.
Diet and Feeding Ecology of the Coyotes, Black Bears, and Bobcats in Western Virginia and Preliminary Assessment of Coyote Parasites.
Degree: MS, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, 2014, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/50594
► Although deer abundance is high throughout most areas of Virginia, parts of western Virginia, especially on public lands, have comparatively low density deer populations.…
(more)
▼ Although deer abundance is high throughout most areas of
Virginia, parts of western
Virginia, especially on public lands, have comparatively low density deer populations. Concerns voiced by sportsmen regarding declining deer numbers in this region prompted interest in research to investigate the role of predation on deer populations. The coyote (Canis latrans) is a relative newcomer to
Virginia, and relatively little is known about the role coyotes play in
Virginia ecosystem dynamics, including their interactions with other sympatric predators. Research studies in other areas suggest that predation from coyotes, bobcats (Lynx rufus), and black bears (Ursus americanus) may be a significant source of deer (Odocoileus virginianus) mortality, especially for fawns, and the cumulative effects of predation from these sources may also increase the potential for additive mortality in deer populations. An important consideration when comparing feeding strategies of carnivores is the relative availability of food items across the landscape. I estimated the relative seasonal availability of several potential food items in a mosaic landscape that included some areas of prescribed burning and variable timber harvest in the mountains of western
Virginia between June 2011 and May 2013. I focused on 4 broad categories of food items: white-tailed deer, mid-sized mammals (raccoons, Procyon lotor, opossums, Didelphis virginiana, cottontails, Sylvilagus spp., and squirrels, Sciurus spp.), small mammals, and soft mast. I used distance sampling to estimate deer density, camera trapping techniques to estimate mid-sized mammal trapping rates and occupancy, mark-recapture techniques to estimate small mammal abundance, and vegetation sampling to estimate % cover, which I used as measures of food availability for predation. To estimate carnivore diet, I analyzed scats of coyotes (n = 334), bobcats (n = 258), and black bears (n = 107) collected monthly from June 2011 and May 2013. Additionally, I compared estimates of % occurrence to estimates of seasonal availability of deer, mid-sized mammals, small mammals, and soft mast by ranking availability of food items from 0 (unavailable) to 4 (highly available) from my monthly and seasonal food item abundance and density estimates. I then ranked % occurrence in scat on a 0 - 4 scale and compared diet rankings to food item availability where changes in rank indicate differences from the generalist diet.
Deer densities were substantially higher in Bath County (4.75 - 16.06 deer/km2) than in Rockingham County (0.17 - 3.55 deer/km2). I estimated availability of other food items only in Bath County. For mid-sized mammals, I estimated low activity as shown by constant, but low, trapping rates (#photo events/trap nights*100) of opossums, and relatively higher, constant trapping rates of cottontails. Raccoon and squirrel trapping rates were highly variable across seasons and raccoon occupancy (proportion of sites occupied) was higher in summer and fall (0.51 - 0.59) whereas squirrel…
Advisors/Committee Members: Kelly, Marcella J. (committeechair), Parkhurst, James A. (committee member), Zajac, Anne M. (committee member), Alexander, Kathleen A. (committee member), Fies, Michael Lawrence (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: carnivore; foraging; behavior
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APA (6th Edition):
Montague, D. M. (2014). Diet and Feeding Ecology of the Coyotes, Black Bears, and Bobcats in Western Virginia and Preliminary Assessment of Coyote Parasites. (Masters Thesis). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/50594
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Montague, David Miles. “Diet and Feeding Ecology of the Coyotes, Black Bears, and Bobcats in Western Virginia and Preliminary Assessment of Coyote Parasites.” 2014. Masters Thesis, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/50594.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Montague, David Miles. “Diet and Feeding Ecology of the Coyotes, Black Bears, and Bobcats in Western Virginia and Preliminary Assessment of Coyote Parasites.” 2014. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Montague DM. Diet and Feeding Ecology of the Coyotes, Black Bears, and Bobcats in Western Virginia and Preliminary Assessment of Coyote Parasites. [Internet] [Masters thesis]. Virginia Tech; 2014. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/50594.
Council of Science Editors:
Montague DM. Diet and Feeding Ecology of the Coyotes, Black Bears, and Bobcats in Western Virginia and Preliminary Assessment of Coyote Parasites. [Masters Thesis]. Virginia Tech; 2014. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/50594
Virginia Tech
26.
Laver, Peter Norman.
The foraging ecology of banded mongooses (Mungos mungo): Epidemiological and human-wildlife conflict implications.
Degree: PhD, Fisheries and Wildlife Science, 2013, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/50973
► Free-ranging banded mongooses (Mungos mungo) in northeastern Botswana are infected by a novel Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex pathogen, M. mungi, which putatively infects mongooses through lesions…
(more)
▼ Free-ranging banded mongooses (Mungos mungo) in northeastern Botswana are infected by a novel Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex pathogen, M. mungi, which putatively infects mongooses through lesions in the skin (often the planum nasale) from an environmental reservoir. To understand the epidemiology of the yearly and highly seasonal outbreaks of M. mungi in this population of banded mongooses, researchers need to understand what factors influence banded mongoose exposure to M. mungi and banded mongoose susceptibility to M. mungi infection. Researchers have no baseline data on the behavioral ecology of this population of banded mongooses - such as home range dynamics, denning ecology, movement ecology, and foraging ecology, all of which may play a role in banded mongoose exposure to M. mungi. Further, researchers have highlighted the potential role of prolonged elevations of glucocorticoids in impairing cell-mediated immunity, which would play a significant role in determining susceptibility to a mycobacterium such as M. mungi, however, researchers have no data on the endocrinology of banded mongooses. Finally, researchers have not detected M. mungi infection in any other population of banded mongooses. Our study population has a gradient of troops (social groups) that vary from troops with extremely close association with humans in a town, to troops associated with humans at tourist lodges within the Chobe National Park, to troops with no discernible association with humans within the national park and surrounding forest reserve. Researchers have few data on how synanthropy (living with humans) affects banded mongoose behavioral ecology and no data on how synanthropy affects banded mongoose endocrinology. Researchers do not know whether or how the high level of synanthropy in this population of banded mongooses plays a role in the epidemiology of M. mungi outbreaks. Thus, we document here some aspects of banded mongoose home range dynamics, movement metrics, denning ecology and foraging behavior for our study population in northeastern Botswana. We present a novel method for screening data from global positioning system (GPS) collars for large measurement error and we present a detailed home range study. We also document the spatio-temporal dynamics of glucocorticoid production among several banded mongoose study troops across our study site, using a non-invasive assay for fecal glucocorticoid metabolites, which we validated and also present here. We tested to see which factors, including nutritional limitation, predation risk, and reproduction (and associated competition, agonistic encounters, and predation), best explained the variation in glucocorticoid production among our study troops over several years. We found that the metrics traditionally used to screen data from GPS collars, horizontal dilution of precision (HDOP) or fix dimension (2-D or 3-D), performed poorly relative to a new screening metric that we propose, the estimated elevation error (EEE). We propose that…
Advisors/Committee Members: Alexander, Kathleen A. (committeechair), Kelly, Marcella J. (committee member), Stauffer, Dean F. (committee member), Powell, Roger A. (committee member), Brown, Joel S. (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: Botswana; Mycobacterium mungi; epidemiology; endocrinology
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APA (6th Edition):
Laver, P. N. (2013). The foraging ecology of banded mongooses (Mungos mungo): Epidemiological and human-wildlife conflict implications. (Doctoral Dissertation). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/50973
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Laver, Peter Norman. “The foraging ecology of banded mongooses (Mungos mungo): Epidemiological and human-wildlife conflict implications.” 2013. Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/50973.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Laver, Peter Norman. “The foraging ecology of banded mongooses (Mungos mungo): Epidemiological and human-wildlife conflict implications.” 2013. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Laver PN. The foraging ecology of banded mongooses (Mungos mungo): Epidemiological and human-wildlife conflict implications. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2013. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/50973.
Council of Science Editors:
Laver PN. The foraging ecology of banded mongooses (Mungos mungo): Epidemiological and human-wildlife conflict implications. [Doctoral Dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2013. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/50973
Virginia Tech
27.
Morin, Dana Janine.
Spatial ecology and demography of eastern coyotes (Canis latrans) in western Virginia.
Degree: PhD, Fisheries and Wildlife Science, 2015, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/54942
► Coyote (Canis latrans) range expansion in the Central Appalachian Mountains has stimulated interest in ecology of this predator and potential impacts to prey populations. This…
(more)
▼ Coyote (Canis latrans) range expansion in the Central Appalachian Mountains has stimulated interest in ecology of this predator and potential impacts to prey populations. This is particularly true in the Ridge and Valley Region in western
Virginia where white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations are restricted by low nutritional carrying capacity and are subject to two other predators, bobcats (Lynx rufus) and American black bears (Ursus americanus), in addition to an active hunter community. I address two primary objectives of the
Virginia Appalachian Coyote Study: to investigate 1) spatial ecology and 2) population dynamics of coyote populations in Bath and Rockingham counties. I deployed 21 GPS satellite collars on 19 coyotes over 32 months. I estimated home range size (mean = 13.46 km2, range = 1.23 km2 - 38.24 km2) across months using biased-random bridges and second-order habitat selection at four scales using eigenanalysis of selection ratios. I developed a metric to classify social status of individuals as either resident or transient based on stability of home range centers over time. I found evidence for class substructure for selection of territories where adult residents had a higher probability of mortality in high productivity/high risk habitats, compared to subadults and transients that were restricted to less productive habitats. I collected scat samples over five scat surveys across 2.5 years and extracted fecal DNA to identify individual coyotes in a mark-recapture framework. I estimated coyote densities in Bath (5.53 – 9.04 coyotes/100 km2) and Rockingham Counties (2.41 – 8.53
coyotes/100 km2) using a spatial capture-recapture model. Six-month apparent survival was lower in Bath County (ΦBath = 0.442, 0.259 – 0.643; ΦRockingham = 0.863, 0.269 – 0.991). The Bath County population demonstrated persistence despite high mortality and the Rockingham population demonstrated boundedness with recruitment inverse of changes in density. Findings at both sites suggest density-dependence, and tests of territoriality, presence of transients, and territory turnover demonstrate a capacity for immediate local immigration in response to high mortality in Bath County. I suggest that landscape-level habitat management may be a viable strategy to reduce potential conflicts with coyotes in the region.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kelly, Marcella J. (committeechair), Waits, Lisette Paulyne (committeechair), Parkhurst, James A. (committee member), Karpanty, Sarah M. (committee member), Steffen, David Earl (committee member), Nichols, James D. (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: Canis latrans; class structure; compensatory immigration; coyote; demography; density dependence; habitat selection; mortality; noninvasive genetics; optimal foraging theory; spatial capture-recapture; territoriality; transients
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APA (6th Edition):
Morin, D. J. (2015). Spatial ecology and demography of eastern coyotes (Canis latrans) in western Virginia. (Doctoral Dissertation). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/54942
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Morin, Dana Janine. “Spatial ecology and demography of eastern coyotes (Canis latrans) in western Virginia.” 2015. Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/54942.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Morin, Dana Janine. “Spatial ecology and demography of eastern coyotes (Canis latrans) in western Virginia.” 2015. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Morin DJ. Spatial ecology and demography of eastern coyotes (Canis latrans) in western Virginia. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2015. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/54942.
Council of Science Editors:
Morin DJ. Spatial ecology and demography of eastern coyotes (Canis latrans) in western Virginia. [Doctoral Dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2015. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/54942
Virginia Tech
28.
Bergeron, Christine Marie.
Individual and Interactive Effects of Maternally- and Trophically-Derived Mercury on Early Amphibian Development.
Degree: PhD, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, 2011, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/29602
► Mercury (Hg) is an important environmental contaminant due to its global distribution, tendency to bioaccumulate, and toxicity to wildlife. However, Hg has received little attention…
(more)
▼ Mercury (Hg) is an important environmental contaminant due to its global distribution, tendency to bioaccumulate, and toxicity to wildlife. However, Hg has received little attention in amphibians compared to other vertebrates, despite the fact that amphibian population declines have been documented worldwide and environmental contaminants are believed to contribute to some declines. During my dissertation research, I used a pluralistic approach which combined field studies and manipulative laboratory and mesocosm experiments to examine the bioaccumulation and ecological effects of environmentally relevant Hg exposure routes acting at various early life stages in amphibians. By collecting amphibians in the field at the Hg-contaminated South River, VA, I confirmed that amphibians exhibiting different life histories and occupying different ecological niches (Plethodon cinereus, Eurycea bislineata, and Bufo americanus) can bioaccumulate sufficient levels of Hg to warrant concern (Chapter 2) and female Bufo americanus transfer accumulated Hg to their eggs (Chapter 3). Maternal transfer of contaminants is a parental effect which typically has negative consequences for offspring because early development is a critical organizational period in the ontogeny of vertebrates. Through laboratory observations and mesocosm experiments, I examined the short and long-term effects of maternal contaminant exposure on offspring, and found the negative effects of maternal Hg exposure manifested either immediately at the embryonic stage or later during the larval stage, depending on the year in which the study was conducted (Chapters 4 and 5). Lastly, using a factorial laboratory experiment, I examined whether the latent effects of maternal transfer of contaminants manifests differently depending on the environment in which offspring develop, and found both maternal and dietary Hg exposure independently produced negative, but different, sublethal effects on larval development. Most importantly, maternal exposure to Hg combined with high dietary Hg exposure later in ontogeny had a lethal effect in larvae (Chapter 6). This study is one of the first to demonstrate that the latent effects of maternally transferred contaminants may be exacerbated by further exposure later in ontogeny, findings that may have important implications for both wildlife and human health.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hopkins, William A. (committeechair), Dolloff, C. Andrew (committee member), Kelly, Marcella J. (committee member), Sible, Jill C. (committee member), Rowe, Christopher L. (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: amphibian; American toad; mercury; maternal transfer; latent effects
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APA (6th Edition):
Bergeron, C. M. (2011). Individual and Interactive Effects of Maternally- and Trophically-Derived Mercury on Early Amphibian Development. (Doctoral Dissertation). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/29602
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Bergeron, Christine Marie. “Individual and Interactive Effects of Maternally- and Trophically-Derived Mercury on Early Amphibian Development.” 2011. Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/29602.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Bergeron, Christine Marie. “Individual and Interactive Effects of Maternally- and Trophically-Derived Mercury on Early Amphibian Development.” 2011. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Bergeron CM. Individual and Interactive Effects of Maternally- and Trophically-Derived Mercury on Early Amphibian Development. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2011. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/29602.
Council of Science Editors:
Bergeron CM. Individual and Interactive Effects of Maternally- and Trophically-Derived Mercury on Early Amphibian Development. [Doctoral Dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2011. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/29602
Virginia Tech
29.
Sunarto, Sunarto.
Ecology and restoration of Sumatran tigers in forest and plantation landscapes.
Degree: PhD, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, 2011, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/37392
► Tigers (Panthera tigris Linnaeus, 1758) are in danger of extinction. Their populations have declined from ~100,000 to only ~3,000 individuals in a century and their…
(more)
▼ Tigers (Panthera tigris Linnaeus, 1758) are in danger of extinction. Their populations have declined from ~100,000 to only ~3,000 individuals in a century and their habitat has shrunk to less than 7% of the historic range. Of the five extant tiger subspecies, the Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae Pocock, 1929) is the most seriously threatened. Currently determined as Critically Endangered under IUCN criteria, the Sumatran tiger is likely to become extinct unless effective conservation measures are enacted. Threats to the tiger include habitat destruction, killing due to conflict with humans and livestock, and poaching for illegal wildlife trade.
Long-term survival of Sumatran tigers depends largely on the effectiveness of current conservation efforts in every tiger landscape. Successful conservation and management require accurate information on ecology of the species upon which decisions can be based. This study investigated basic ecological aspects of tigers and developed strategies for management and restoration to improve tiger viability in the Central Sumatra landscape. This landscape is comprised of natural forests and plantations managed for timber and agricultural commodities.
The first chapter assesses the variation in tiger abundance across forest types in Southern Riau, and over time in Tesso Nilo National Park, all in Central Sumatra. Using camera traps, my team and I systematically sampled five blocks representing three major forest types in the region: peat land, flat lowland, and hilly lowland. I found that tiger abundance varied by forest type and through time. Excluding two sampling blocks where no tigers were photographed, the lowest tiger density was in peat land forest of Kerumutan, and the highest density was in the flat lowland forest of Tesso Nilo. Repeated sampling in the newly established Tesso Nilo National Park documented a trend of increasing tiger density (SE) from 0.90 (0.38) individuals/100 km2 in 2005 to 1.70 (0.66) individuals/100 km2 in 2008. Overall, tiger densities from this study were lower than most previous estimates from other parts of Sumatra. The trend of increasing tiger density in Tesso Nilo, however, suggests that the tiger population could be augmented by protection of habitats that were previously logged and severely disturbed.
The second chapter examines the occupancy and habitat-use of the tiger across the major landcover types (natural forest, acacia plantation, oilpalm plantation, rubber plantation, and mixed agriculture). I found that tigers used some plantation areas, although they significantly preferred forests over plantations. In all landcover types, sites with tiger detections had thicker understory cover than sites without tiger detection. Modeling tiger occupancy while recognizing that probability of detection is not always perfect, I found that tiger occupancy covaried positively and significantly with altitude and negatively, but not significantly, with distance-to-forest-cores. Probability of habitat use by tigers covaried positively and…
Advisors/Committee Members: Kelly, Marcella J. (committeechair), Stauffer, Dean F. (committee member), Nichols, James D. (committee member), Prisley, Stephen P. (committee member), Klenzendorf, Sybille (committee member), Vaughan, Michael R. (committeecochair).
Subjects/Keywords: camera trap; carnivore restoration; felids; inter-specific interaction; occupancy and habitat models; species distribution mapping; tiger density variation; vision map; wildlife conservation and management
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APA (6th Edition):
Sunarto, S. (2011). Ecology and restoration of Sumatran tigers in forest and plantation landscapes. (Doctoral Dissertation). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/37392
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Sunarto, Sunarto. “Ecology and restoration of Sumatran tigers in forest and plantation landscapes.” 2011. Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/37392.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Sunarto, Sunarto. “Ecology and restoration of Sumatran tigers in forest and plantation landscapes.” 2011. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Sunarto S. Ecology and restoration of Sumatran tigers in forest and plantation landscapes. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2011. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/37392.
Council of Science Editors:
Sunarto S. Ecology and restoration of Sumatran tigers in forest and plantation landscapes. [Doctoral Dissertation]. Virginia Tech; 2011. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/37392
Virginia Tech
30.
Gerber, Brian Daniel.
Comparing density analyses and carnivore ecology in Madagascar's southeastern rainforest.
Degree: MS, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, 2010, Virginia Tech
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/36035
► Madagascar is renowned for its biodiversity, but also for forest loss, fragmentation, and degradation, making it a global conservation priority. With few studies dedicated to…
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▼ Madagascar is renowned for its biodiversity, but also for forest loss, fragmentation, and degradation, making it a global conservation priority. With few studies dedicated to Madagascarâ s carnivores, little is known about their ecology. My objectives were to 1) compare density estimation techniques applicable to enumerating rare and/or elusive carnivores, 2) investigate Malagasy carnivore distributions, abundance and density, and occupancy/use across four sites that vary in forest disturbance, and 3) explore temporal activity patterns of rainforest carnivores. I found the spatially-explicit-capture-recapture models were empirically superior, as they are flexible and account for spatial variation in detection probability and area estimation. I found both endemic and exotic carnivore composition varied among four rainforest sites: Primary, Selectively-logged, Fragments <2.5 km and Fragments >15 km from contiguous-primary rainforest. All endemic carnivores were present in the Primary and Selectively-logged rainforest, while endemic carnivore species richness decreased and exotic carnivore species richness increased in the fragmented forests. Malagasy civet (Fossa fossana) density ± SE was significantly less in the Selectively-logged compared to the Primary rainforest (1.38 ± 0.22, 3.19 ± 0.55 civets/km2, respectively); they were absent from both fragmented forests. Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) density ± SE was not different between the Primary and Selectively-logged rainforests (0.12 ± 0.05, 0.09 ± 0.04 adults/km2, respectively); a single animal was detected in the Fragments <2.5 km, while none were detected in the Fragments >15 km. Malagasy carnivores had varied temporal activity overlap (5.8-88.8%). C. ferox preferred crepuscular activity, but overall exhibited a cathemeral activity pattern.
Advisors/Committee Members: Karpanty, Sarah M. (committeechair), Stauffer, Dean F. (committee member), Kelly, Marcella J. (committee member).
Subjects/Keywords: habitat; carnivore; Madagascar; density
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APA (6th Edition):
Gerber, B. D. (2010). Comparing density analyses and carnivore ecology in Madagascar's southeastern rainforest. (Masters Thesis). Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10919/36035
Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):
Gerber, Brian Daniel. “Comparing density analyses and carnivore ecology in Madagascar's southeastern rainforest.” 2010. Masters Thesis, Virginia Tech. Accessed March 05, 2021.
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/36035.
MLA Handbook (7th Edition):
Gerber, Brian Daniel. “Comparing density analyses and carnivore ecology in Madagascar's southeastern rainforest.” 2010. Web. 05 Mar 2021.
Vancouver:
Gerber BD. Comparing density analyses and carnivore ecology in Madagascar's southeastern rainforest. [Internet] [Masters thesis]. Virginia Tech; 2010. [cited 2021 Mar 05].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/36035.
Council of Science Editors:
Gerber BD. Comparing density analyses and carnivore ecology in Madagascar's southeastern rainforest. [Masters Thesis]. Virginia Tech; 2010. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/36035
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