Includes bibliographical references (leaves 343-403) / xiii, 403 leaves : ill. (some col.) ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Examines the immune priviledged status of the testis, and the likely mechanisms involved in providing this priviledged status. Some new concepts on the possible mechanisms that afford an immunologically protected environment in the rodent testis are presented. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Animal Sciences, 1987

I studied bird and rodent nesting in woodpecker-excavated cavities in pifion-juniper (Pinus edulis-Juniperus monosperma) (P-J) woodland in southeastern Colorado during the spring and summer of 1987 and 1988. Two related investigations were conducted: one described characteristics of habitat used by birds and rodents nesting in woodpecker-excavated cavities and the other evaluated whether or not birds and rodents were competing for the nest-cavity resource. Seven species of birds and 4 species of rodents were included in the study: American kestrel (Falco sparverius), western screech-owl (Otus kennicottii), northern flicker (Colaptus auratus), ash-throated flycatcher (Mviarchus cinerascens), plain titmouse (Parus inornatus), Bewick's wren (Thrvothorus bewickii), mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides), white-footed mouse (Peromvscus leucopus), deer mouse (P. maniculatus), pition mouse (P. truei), and woodrat (Neotoma spp.). 1987 was a preliminary year. In 1988, 248 nests were located in 433 cavities monitored, and cavity density averaged 1.5/ha. Western screech-owls nested earlier than all other species (P < 0.001), plain titmice nested earlier than ash-throated flycatchers (P = 0.033), and other species of birds and rodents nested at the same time (P < 0.05). Seven of 19 characteristics associated with nests differed (P < 0.05) among species: 4 of 5 at the cavity-level, 2 of 5 at the cavity-tree level, and 1 of 9 at the cavity-site level. Generally, larger species (kestrels, screech-owls, and flickers) nested in larger cavities and smaller species (white-footed, deer, and pitlon mice, and Bewick's wren) nested in smaller cavities. Characteristics of cavities used for nesting by secondary cavity-nesting species also differed from characteristics of all cavities monitored most frequently on characteristics associated with cavity size. Differences were demonstrated using univariate analysis (Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA) because with the considerable overlap among species, multivariate analysis (discriminant function analysis [DFA]) could not discriminate among species. Management implications include the need to evaluate impacts to the P-J woodland cavity-nesting community before converting the woodland to rangeland, evaluate impacts of logging in higher elevation forests where many of the cavity-excavating woodpeckers breed, and evaluate the influence of the nest-parasitic brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) and the highly competitive European starling (Sturnus vulqaris). In 1988, 95 cavities were manipulated to yield 47 rodent exclusions and 48 bird exclusions. Proportions of these manipulated cavities used for nesting by birds and rodents were compared to the proportions of 83 control cavities used for nesting by the appropriate group of species. Cavities were revisited at 10-day intervals 4 May - 6 August 1988 and evidence of use recorded. The proportions of cavities used as nests by rodents was significantly greater in manipulated cavities than in control cavities (P = 0.0083). Thus, interspecific competition was experimentally demonstrated between birds and rodents for nest-sites in woodpecker-excavated cavities. / Graduation date: 1991

Scarce knowledge of Neotropical small mammal communities prevents experimental inquiry on the mechanisms structuring these communities. In this study, I examined patterns of local assembly of the small mammal communities on the eastern slopes of El Cielo Biosphere Reserve (ECBR) in Tamaulipas, Mexico, at two spatial scales. At the landscape level I tested patterns of species co-occurrences between four sites with a null model. At the local level I addressed floor microhabitat use, vertical structure use and temporal partitioning. I studied these niche axes at two adjoining forest types, Tropical Subdeciduous Forest (TSDF) and Cloud Forest (CF), that had different structural complexity. Total trapping effort consisted of 19,712 trapnights distributed over three years. In 1,365 capture events I recorded 789 individuals representing 14 species. Abundant species, mostly Peromyscus species that are of intermediate body size, co-occurred less often than expected by chance, whereas rare species, mainly Reithrodontomys species of small size, occurred at random over study sites. This pattern suggests that species interactions might be responsible for this non-random structure. Both the TSDF and CF had striking differences in both microhabitat use and temporal partitioning. In the TSDF common species (>8 individuals) organized along a microhabitat gradient from grassy/open areas to closed forest areas. Temporal partitioning for the whole community was less than expected by chance with use of an ad hoc null model. Species from ecotone/open areas avoided use of middle portions of the night whereas the single forest species concentrated activity in this period. So, it is plausible that predator avoidance strategies might have higher impact on temporal partitioning as compared to competitive interactions. In high contrast the CF community was codominated by two Peromyscus species that overlapped heavily in both their microhabitat use and diel activity patterns. Ecological separation of these two species probably occurs along a niche axis not considered in my study or might be facilitated by their body mass difference. Overall, I provide the first account of community patterns for small mammals at ECBR. These patterns can provide the basis for experimental manipulations to ascertain mechanisms responsible for structure at these communities.

Adolescence is a time associated with increased risk taking and peer relations. Research has shown that adolescents are more vulnerable to peer pressure compared to adults, leading to exacerbated risk taking. Preclinical research suggests that these findings may also be applicable to adolescent rodents, which find social interaction rewarding and are prone to risky behavior. There is, however, little research on the effect of social interaction on rodent models of risky decision-making. This thesis utilized social chambers, which consisted of adjacent operant chambers separated by wire mesh. Adolescent rats performed a risky decision-making task in which they had a choice between a small and large reward (associated with a mild footshock, which increased in probability across the session). Experiment 1 determined if the presence of peer altered performance on the task after stability. Experiment 2 determined if the presence of a peer altered performance on the task during acquisition. Results of Experiment 1 revealed no significant changes. Results from Experiment 2 revealed a significant increase in preference for the risky reward in the group of rats that had daily exposure to a social peer. These results provide evidence that social influence on risk taking can be modeled in rodents.

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published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Obstetrics and Gynaecology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

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