Browsing Master's Theses by Subject "Biology, Ecology"
Now showing items 1-20 of 22
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Bioenergetics and Trophic Impacts of Invasive Indo-Pacific Lionfish
(East Carolina University, 2010)Indo-Pacific lionfish, Pterois volitans and Pterois miles, are non-native marine fish with established populations in the western North Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Rapid population growth threatens native fish ... -
Biogeographic Characterization of Fishes from Intertidal Sandflats in Pamlico River, North Carolina
(East Carolina University, 2012)The spatial and temporal changes in fish community structure in Pamlico River, North Carolina were analyzed. Salinity and temperature are important water quality parameters influencing fish community structure in estuaries. ... -
CAN NUTRIENT ADDITIONS MEDIATE GAPE LIMITED PREDATION IN LARVAL RANA SPHENOCEPHALA?
(East Carolina University, 2013)Some predators are limited in the size prey item that they can catch and consume, and this is referred to as "gape limited". Prey found with these predators may have the ability to respond by growing rapidly to reach a ... -
Does history matter? : An experimental assessment of whether dragonfly colonization history affects insect biodiversity within ephemeral ponds
(East Carolina University, 2010)Current interactions among species could have an important role in controlling biodiversity. Some studies, however, have shown that the particular time a species arrives at a site during the process of community assembly ... -
DOES THE QUANTITY OF RESOURCES IN THE ENVIRONMENT ALTER THE IMPACT OF MULTIPLE PREDATORS ON THEIR PREY?
(East Carolina University, 2013)Predation is an important biological process affecting prey populations and most prey in nature are exposed to multiple predator species. Much research has revealed that the combined effect of multiple predators on their ... -
Ecological effects of rising sea level on shorezone
(East Carolina University, 2009)This study examines the ecological effects of sea-level rise on shorezone in the Neuse River estuary and western Pamlico Sound, NC. Shorezone is defined here in an ecohydrological context as the area of wetland that extends ... -
Experimental evidence for predator learning and Müllerian mimicry in Peruvian poison frogs (Ranitomeya, Dendrobatidae)
(East Carolina University, 2013)Poison frogs are characterized by bright coloration, striking patterns, and toxicity; they have thus become a classic example of aposematism. Ranitomeya imitator mimics three congeneric model species (R. fantastica, R. ... -
Historical Ecology of Striped Bass Stocking in the Southeastern United States
(East Carolina University, 2012)Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) is the most recreationally and commercially important non-salmonid fish species in the continental United States. As such, it has been exploited to the point of collapse at various points ... -
IS PREDATION BY TURTLES SUFFICIENTLY STRONG TO AFFECT BIODIVERSITY WITHIN FISHLESS PONDS?
(East Carolina University, 2011)Ecologists have long known that predation can have a strong effect on the diversity and abundance of prey in ecological communities. Much evidence on the importance of predation in aquatic systems has stemmed from studies ... -
Local and Regional Aspects of Habitat Quality Jointly Affect the Biodiversity of Ephemeral Ponds
(East Carolina University, 2012)The biodiversity of local communities is likely affected by both local habitat quality and by the quality of the landscape surrounding the locality. In pond environments, habitat quality may be affected by the kind of leaf ... -
Making Art Responsibly
(East Carolina University, 2010)This essay is a written defense for the body of work titled, "How Does Your Garden Grow?" as well as an examination of how art can behave responsibly in regards to the social process. -
Maternal input of Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) : Determining a mother's life history from its progeny in coastal North Carolina
(East Carolina University, 2014)Otolith studies have become more prevalent in recent years as use has expanded from ageing to examination of migration patterns and fidelity to natal habitats, and more recently examining otoliths for possible maternal ... -
Movements of North Carolina Striped Bass, Morone saxatilis, Inferred through Otolith Microchemistry
(East Carolina University, 2014)Striped Bass, Morone saxatilis, is an anadromous, recreationally and commercially important fish species found throughout the U.S. Atlantic east coast, whose migrations have been intensely studied. A review of the relevant ... -
Predator Out of Place : The Differential Impacts of Native and Non-native Crayfish on Bufo Tadpoles
(East Carolina University, 2010)Predators have been shown to alter important fitness components (larval period, mass at metamorphosis, and overall survivorship) of larval anurans. Uncommonly studied predators of tadpoles include crayfish. Both native and ... -
Priority effects of overwintered Rana tadpoles on larval Southern toad (Bufo terrestris Bonnaterre)
(East Carolina University, 2010)In natural ecosystems, the order of species arrival can impact the development of the community. In the Atlantic Coastal Plain of the Carolinas, wetland ponds exhibit a wide range of hydroperiods, ranging from ponds that ... -
RESPONSE OF A SPARTINA PATENS-DOMINATED OLIGOHALINE MARSH TO NITROGEN ENRICHMENT IN COASTAL NORTH CAROLINA, USA.
(East Carolina University, 2013)Coastal marshes are highly productive ecosystems that play a significant role in the global carbon budget. Anthropogenic alterations to coastal landscapes can significantly impact these marsh ecosystems, though the actual ... -
Response of Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) at Different Life Stages to Flooding and Salinity
(East Carolina University, 2014)Baldcypress are dominant trees in forested coastal wetlands. As sea levels rise, it is important to increase our understanding of how increased salinity and flooding will affect forested coastal wetlands. This study combined ... -
Responses of Leaf Litter Breakdown Rates and Microbial Enzyme Activity to Salinity in North Carolina Wetlands
(East Carolina University, 2014)Sea-level rise and human activities are causing the increase of salinity in coastal freshwater wetlands. Increased salinity in some wetlands has been found to accelerate leaf litter decomposition, an important driver of ... -
River Herring Nursery Habitat in Albemarle Sound, North Carolina, Inferred from Otolith Microchemistry
(East Carolina University, 2012)River herring is a collective term used to describe two similar alosine species: alewife Alosa pseudoharengus and blueback herring A. aestivalis. Both of these anadromous species are native to the Atlantic coast of North ... -
A study of composition, abundance, and fatty acid profiles of zooplankton in Albemarle Sound and Chowan River, North Carolina during spring and early summer
(East Carolina University, 2014)In the Albemarle Sound and Chowan River, North Carolina, river herring (alewife and blueback herring) once comprised a commercially important fishery; however, this fishery has since collapsed and a moratorium on river ...