Browsing by Department "Biological Sciences"
Now showing items 61-80 of 301
Diversity and Conservation of the Southern Cavefish, Typhlichthys subterraneus
(2016-07-29)
The Southern Cavefish, Typhlichthys subterraneus, is one of the most fascinating stygobionts of the Amblyopsidae due to undescribed diversity within it. I investigated aspects of morphological and molecular diversity for ...
Diversity and evolution of annelids with emphasis on Spionidae
(2020-06-01)
Annelida is a diverse phylum with over 21,000 species described that occupy a variety of environments including marine, terrestrial, and fresh water. This group includes earthworms, leeches, and marine segmented worms. ...
Diving tourism on coral reefs in Florida: Variation in recreational diver behavior and impacts on reef corals
(2012-04-06)
Ecotourism often is promoted as an ecologically-friendly use of natural resources, however if not managed carefully, can cause negative impacts to ecosystems. In the Florida Keys, minimal government involvement in regulating ...
Do seasonal changes in developmental temperature have season-specific consequences in a lizard?
(2016-12-09)
Rapidly changing environmental conditions can reduce the fitness of a phenotype. Phenotypic plasticity can solve this problem by enabling individuals to develop phenotypes that are suited to their immediate environment. ...
Ecoimmunological Investigations of the Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus)
(2011-08-04)
Despite the benefits gained from studying the immune system of non-traditional model organisms, including the discovery of key components of the human immune system, squamates remain the most poorly-understood major ...
Ecological and Genetic Investigations of the Nickel Hyperaccumulator Streptanthus polygaloides (Brassicaceae)
(2018-07-25)
Hyperaccumulators are plants that take up, transport, and sequester large amounts of an element in their tissues. By doing this, they often achieve tissue concentrations that are toxic to most organisms. In this dissertation, ...
Ecological Assessments of the Lesser Prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) in Southeastern New Mexico
(2013-04-19)
In this study of lesser prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), I constructed artificial leks using audio playback (aural stimuli) and decoys (visual stimuli) on active leks, as well as on abandoned lekking locations ...
Ecological Associations of Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in the Upper Mobile-Tensaw River Delta, Alabama
(2008-12-15)
Relatively little is known about most of the 15 species of bats in Alabama. Especially scarce are data on species occurring in southern Alabama, including the Mobile-Tensaw Delta region. Because there are significant ...
Ecological Distribution of Shrews in the Cumberland Plateau of Alabama
(2015-12-14)
Shrews are small mammals that often occur in sympatry with other species of shrews.
This suggests some form of resource partitioning is occurring. I examined eight habitats in Jackson County, Alabama, and detected ...
Ecological Investigation of a Population of Trillium pusillum at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama
(2019-01-03)
Trillium pusillum is a state-imperiled spring wildflower. Much information concerning its biology remains largely unknown. Four aspects of T. pusillum biology were investigated during this study. First, edge effects on ...
The Ecology and Evolution of Coral-Associated Apicomplexans
(2012-12-05)
Apicomplexans are protists within the eukaryotic supergroup S.A.R. that infect a wide- range of animal species and can cause disease. Although apicomplexans are an important parasitic group, little is published regarding ...
Ecology Of Rudbeckia auriculata (Perdue) Kral (Asteraceae)
(2006-05-15)
Rudbeckia auriculata is a rare species endemic to three southeastern states: Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. Eight censuses of flowering individuals of the species were conducted from 1992 to 2002. Although the number of ...
Ecomorphological analysis of cyprinds in the Mobile Bay Basin
(2015-12-10)
Ecomorphology is the study of variations in morphology and how it relates to organisms’ various life histories or ecologies. Phenetic packing/dispersal studies analyzes morphologies of community members and sees how the ...
Effect of Age of Forest on Mammals in the Upper Mobile-Tensaw River Delta, Alabama
(2006-12-15)
Ecosystems provide services to humans through ecological processes, raw materials, and aesthetics, but these services often are negatively impacted by human activities. Flood-prone riparian areas are called upon increasingly ...
The Effect of Incubation Temperature on Sex and Morphology in the African Redhead Agama (Agama picticauda)
(2017-11-30)
The first demonstration of temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) in a vertebrate was in the African redhead agama (Agama agama) nearly 50 years ago. The original study was generally overlooked until it was later ...
The Effect of Male Plumage Coloration on Parental Effort in Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis)
(2013-07-15)
In iteroparous species, there is tradeoff between current and future reproductive investment. Parents that invest more in current offspring will provide resources that give those offspring better chances of survival and ...
The Effects of Burrow Collapse on the Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus)
(2008-05-15)
The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is a species in decline due, in part, to loss of habitat and altered land use. One particular area of concern is the use of vehicles during urbanization and agriculture practices ...
The Effects of Chronic Elevated Temperatures on Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Tuber Development
(2023-04-24)
With global temperatures rising due to climate change, many crops are being adversely
affected. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is the fourth most important food crop in the world and
is especially vulnerable to heat stress, ...
EFFECTS OF DDT AND DDE ON IMMUNITY, OXIDATIVE STRESS AND REPRODUCTIVE PARAMETERS IN RODENTS
(2021-04-26)
Lingering endocrine disrupting chemicals (i.e. DDT) are a significant threat to wildlife and humans. The effects of DDT have long been documented to cause adverse effects on reproduction, immunity and induce physiological ...
The effects of dietary and skeletal calcium availability on reproductive performance of mammals
(2011-12-01)
Investment in offspring production often requires the mobilization of endogenous resources, a strategy which may negatively impact maternal condition. In mammals, skeletal ossification in growing offspring requires ...