Blue catfish Ictalurus furcatus is an invasive species of great concern in coastal habitats throughout the eastern United States, inclulding the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. In this dissertation, I use field surveys, laboratory experiments and quantitative modeling to pro…
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Anthrozoology is a relatively new field of study in the world of academia. This discipline, which includes researchers ranging from social studies to natural sciences, examines human-animal interactions. Understanding what affect these interactions have on a person’s perception …
Connectivity is essential for the maintenance of genetic diversity and stability of wildlife populations. However, aquatic habitats are becoming more isolated, particularly in semiarid regions of the southwestern United States. An artificial aquatic mosaic of stock tanks often r…
The aims of the present study were to generate morphological and genetic data to support management strategies for captive antelope populations. To achieve this objective I i) tested the validity of previously described subspecies using morphological characters; ii) tested the u…
Climate change is altering thermal regimes in aquatic systems worldwide, often impacting species on the southern edges of their ranges in the northern hemisphere. Yellow Perch, Perca flavescens, a cool water species, have a patchy distribution at the southern edge of their range…
Cities are complex socioecological systems that require data collection methods that are equal in their ability to capture ecological patterns and social inequity. Social inequity in cities is apparent through lasting environmental legacies, such as in tree cover, which reflects…
The aim of this dissertation is to use evidence-based research to better understand the ecology of the endangered Ganges River dolphins (GRD, Platanista gangetica gangetica) in Nepalese waterways to account for the potential roles that river dolphins play in riverine ecosystems …
Separating the contribution of habitat filtering and dispersal mechanisms in forming species distribution remains a challenge in community ecology. Despite the effect of environmental variables in structuring communities, only restricted numbers of them were considered as a habi…
Identification of biomarkers that reflect physiological status is fundamental for assessing population health, as well as providing more accurate estimates of life history parameters. Blue (Balaenoptera musculus) and gray (Eschrichtius robustus) whale populations feed on lower t…
A primary objective of state wildlife management agencies is to establish sustainable harvest levels for game species. An important component of sustainable management practices is the identification of appropriate management units for monitoring and establishing defensible harv…
Global climate change has had a substantial impact on marine biogeography and many species have experienced large spatial redistributions. While many approaches to understanding these changes focus on thermal habitat, theory from physiology and ecology suggest that oxygen and pr…
Cougars ( Puma concolor ) have been recolonizing Midwestern North America over the past 2 decades with > 950 cougar confirmations east of established populations. Management and public interest in habitat suitability and connectivity east of current cougar range have grown as…
The lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens population in the Lake Winnebago System (LWS) supports a culturally and economically important spear fishery. Harvest from the spear fishery is closely monitored and managed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) through us…
The Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) is a small, federally threatened seabird native to the western coast of North America that ranges from the Aleutians to central California. Murrelets are old-growth forest specialists during the breeding portion of their life histo…
Globally, private conservation is increasingly posited as one of the key solutions to curb biodiversity loss. In South Africa, where wildlife can be privately owned, the wildlife economy including private conservation has been endorsed by the state as a solution to unemployment,…
This dissertation argues that history, values, and politics/institutions play roles in conjunction with science when there is conflict over the process of formulating and implementing environmental policy. It considers how power influences wildlife conservation, specifically bla…
The sharp-tailed grouse(Tympanuchus phasianellus) is a symbol of Saskatchewan and has important cultural and economic status in the province. Over the last few decades this species has been declining in Saskatchewan, especially in southern grassland regions. While the decline in…
Reptiles and amphibians are in rapid, global decline but these declines are regionally and taxonomically disproportionate. North American pit vipers have low fecundity and rely on high adult survivorship, making them particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic threats. The rare, bu…
Sexual seedling establishment in aspen is increasingly recognized as an important natural regeneration pathway for the species in the western U.S. However, information on seedling abundance as well as factors influencing aspen sexual regeneration is limited and frequently anecdo…