A perda e fragmentação de habitats são, atualmente, as principais ameaças à conservação da biodiversidade. Espécies que outrora tinham sua distribuição contínua são forçadas a sobreviver de forma segmentada, em populações menores e mais susceptíveis à extinção. Segundo a teoria de metapopulações, se extinções locais em fragmentos específicos puderem ser compensadas por recolonizações provenientes de populações adjacentes, uma espécie pode persistir apesar da fragmentação. Extinções e recolonizações são processos que dependem da estrutura da paisagem. Fragmentos pequenos e com baixa qualidade de habitat possuem maior probabilidade de extinção, assim como paisagens pouco conectadas e com alta resistência à dispersão de indivíduos têm menores taxas de recolonização. Modelos de dinâmica populacional espacialmente explícitos (MVPEE) possibilitam a análise da influência de diferentes tipos de paisagens sobre a persistência de espécies, contribuindo na decisão de estratégias para sua conservação. Esta tese teve o objetivo de identificar os fatores que afetam a persistência de três espécies de aves florestais endêmicas à Mata Atlântica (Chiroxiphia caudata, Xiphorhyncus fuscus e Pyriglena leucoptera) através de um MVPEE. Foram estudadas quatro paisagens do Planalto Atlântico de São Paulo que possuem florestas fragmentadas. A técnica de play-back foi utilizada para atestar a presença ou ausência das aves em 80 fragmentos dispersos por essas paisagens. Esses dados foram utilizados para gerar modelos logísticos de incidência capazes de estimar sua probabilidade de ocorrência de acordo com a cobertura e arranjo espacial da paisagem circundante. Ademais, o padrão de movimentação das aves entre fragmentos florestais foi determinado através de experimentos de play-back que as induziu a transpor a matriz, e pela translocação de indivíduos acompanhados por radio-telemetria. Os modelos de incidência indicaram que a probabilidade de ocorrência das aves em locais de matas fragmentadas depende em larga escala da distribuição espacial dos remanescentes florestais, sendo maior em locais onde o isolamento dos fragmentos é baixo. Esse efeito torna-se ainda mais importante em locais onde os fragmentos não são grandes o suficiente para prover as aves com todos os recursos necessários, forçando-as a buscá-los em matas adjacentes, mas não muito distantes entre si a ponto de coibir sua movimentação. Essa capacidade das aves de transpor a matriz inter-habitat, alcançando florestas próximas, foi confirmada pelos estudos de movimentação. As espécies estudadas são capazes de se movimentar entre fragmentos florestais próximos, mostrando-se ainda capazes de utilizar corredores de habitat ou árvores isoladas para facilitar sua passagem pela paisagem. Esses resultados indicam que os territórios das espécies estudadas podem incluir fragmentos isolados, porém funcionalmente conectados pela movimentação das aves, sendo que as condições mínimas para o estabelecimento destes territórios em termos de quantidade e espaçamento das florestas variam em função da espécie. Esses resultados, somados às informações bibliográficas sobre a biologia das espécies estudadas, foram utilizados para guiar a construção de um MVPEE ecologicamente calibrado, onde as células da paisagem foram definidas como sendo os territórios potenciais das aves. Esse modelo de viabilidade se mostrou de grande utilidade para avaliar os efeitos de variações estruturais da paisagem sobre a persistência de populações de pequenas aves territoriais. Simulações conduzidas tanto com paisagens artificiais como reais indicaram que, em uma escala espacial ampla, a persistência dessas espécies está em grande parte sujeita à quantidade de territórios que a paisagem pode suportar, mas não à sua agregação. No entanto, o aumento da densidade de florestas na paisagem leva a um aumento na quantidade de territórios possíveis, afetando positivamente a persistência das espécies. O MVPEE desenvolvido para esta tese permitiu conciliar uma análise estrutural de paisagens com a modelagem de dinâmicas populacionais, o que é considerado como um dos assuntos prioritários de pesquisa em ecologia de paisagens. / Habitat loss and fragmentation are currently the most important threats to the conservation of biodiversity. These processes may generate patchy landscapes where several species are forced to survive in small and isolated populations, which are very susceptible to local extinctions. According to the metapopulation theory, if local extinctions in specific patches can be compensated by re-colonization from surrounding populations, a species can persist despite fragmentation. Extinctions and re-colonizations are processes that depend directly on landscape structure. Small patches with low habitat quality have increased extinction probabilities, while poorly connected landscapes with high resistance to the dispersal of individuals have decreased re-colonization rates. Spatially explicit population viability models (SEPVM) allow analyses of the influence of different types of landscapes on the persistence of species, contributing to conservation strategies decision making. The objective of the current thesis was to identify the factors which affect the persistence of three forest bird species endemic to the Atlantic forest (Chiroxiphia caudata, Xiphorhynchus fuscus and Pyriglena leucoptera) through a SEPVM. Four different fragmented landscapes of the Atlantic plateau of São Paulo were chosen for this study. The playback technique was used to assess the incidence of the birds inside 80 forest fragments in these landscapes. These data were used to derive logistic incidence models to estimate their occurrence probabilities according to the cover and spatial pattern of the surrounding landscape. Furthermore, the movement pattern of the birds between forest fragments was inferred from playback experiments which induced birds to overcome the matrix, and through the translocation of individual birds which were followed by radio-telemetry. The incidence models indicated that the occurrence probability of the birds in places of fragmented habitat depends in large scale on the spatial distribution of forest remnants, being higher where patch isolation is low. This effect becomes even more important in places where habitat patches are not big enough to provided the birds with sufficient resources, forcing them to search for it in nearby forests, which shall not be further away than the birds\' aptitude to move through the landscape. Their ability to overcome the inter-habitat matrix, reaching close by forests, was confirmed by the experiments on individuals\' movements. The studied species are able to move between nearby forest patches, being even able to use habitat corridors or isolated trees to ease their passage through the landscape. These results indicate that the territories of the studied species can include isolated patches which are connected by birds\' movement. Also, the minimum conditions to the establishment of these territories in terms of amount and aggregation of forests varies according to the species. These results, added to bibliographical information on the studied birds\' biology, were used to guide the development of an ecologically scaled SEPVM, in which the landscape cells were defined as potential bird territories. This viability model was greatly useful to assess the effects of landscape structural changes on the persistence of small territorial birds\' populations. Simulations using both artificial and real landscapes indicated that, in a wide landscape scale, the persistence of these species is largely subjected to the amount of territories the landscape can bear, but not to its aggregation. Nevertheless, increases of forest density lead to a higher amount of possible territories, positively affecting the persistence of the species. The SEPVM developed for the current thesis allowed the reconciliation of a structural analysis of the landscape to dynamical population modeling, what is considered as a top priority research subject in landscape ecology.

Coral reef ecosystems worldwide are facing increasing degradation due to disease, anthropogenic damage, and climate change, particularly in the Tropical Western Atlantic. Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) have been recently gaining attention through increased characterization as continuations of shallow reefs below traditional SCUBA depths (>30 m). As MCEs appear to be sheltered from many stressors affecting shallow reefs, MCEs may act as a coral refuge and provide larvae to nearby shallow reefs. The Deep Reef Refugia Hypothesis (DRRH) posits that shallow and mesophotic reefs may be genetically connected and that some coral species are equally compatible in both habitats. The research presented here addresses key questions that underlie this theory and advances our knowledge of coral connectivity and MCE ecology using the depth-generalist coral Montastraea cavernosa. Chapter 1 presents an overview of the DRRH, a description of MCEs in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), and the framework of research questions within existing reef management infrastructure in the GOM. Through microsatellite genotyping, Chapter 2 identifies high connectivity among shallow and mesophotic reefs in the northwest GOM and evidence for relative isolation between depth zones in Belize and the southeast GOM. Historical migration and vertical connectivity models estimate Gulf-wide population panmixia. Chapter 3 focuses on population structure within the northwest GOM, identifying a lack of significant population structure. Dominant migration patterns estimate population panmixia, suggesting mesophotic populations currently considered for National Marine Sanctuary protection benefit the Flower Garden Banks. Chapter 4 quantifies the level of morphological variation between shallow and mesophotic M. cavernosa, revealing two distinct morphotypes possibly representing adaptive tradeoffs. Chapter 5 examines the transcriptomic mechanisms behind coral plasticity between depth zones, discovering a consistent response to mesophotic conditions across regions. Additionally, variable plasticity of mesophotic corals resulting from transplantation to shallow depths and potential differences in bleaching resilience between shallow and mesophotic corals are identified. The dissertation concludes with a synthesis of the results as they pertain to connectivity of shallow and mesophotic corals in the Gulf of Mexico and suggests future research that will aid in further understanding of MCE ecology and connectivity. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2018. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Thesis (MTech (Nature Conservation))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / Stable isotope analysis (SIA) of whiskers has been used to identify temporal feeding habits, intra-population diet variation, as well as individual dietary specialisation of marine and terrestrial carnivores. However, the potential of the method to disclose such dietary information for large wild felids has been little explored. The accurate interpretation of stable isotope ratios along serially sampled whiskers is hampered by lack of information on species-specific whisker growth rates, whisker growth patterns and whisker-diet trophic discrimination factors (TDFs). Whisker growth rate and growth pattern informs on the time period encapsulated in the analysed segment of a whisker, while whisker-diet TDFs are required to make correct deductions of the prey species consumed by a predator. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the technique of using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of felid whiskers to quantify the diet of wild felids and in particular, to identify diet variation among individuals. To achieve this, lion Panthera leo and leopard Panthera pardus whisker growth rate and growth pattern, and lion whisker-diet TDFs were measured, using captive individuals held at the National Zoological Gardens, Pretoria. The viability and applicability of the technique was then explored on six free-ranging leopards in Phinda Private Game Reserve (hereafter Phinda), northern KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) whose diets have been intensively studied using traditional methods. Whisker growth rates and growth patterns were measured for four lions (three sub-adult females and one adult male) and an adult male leopard over 185 days using giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis meat as an endogenous biomarker to consecutively mark whiskers as they grew. The 13C-depleted, C3-derived giraffe meat with its characteristic isotopic signature could be discerned from the 13C-enriched diet of C4 grain-fed beef and chicken the felids were sustained on. Two whiskers were removed from each felid at the beginning of the experiment, and felids were fed the giraffe meat at four predetermined periods to mark the whiskers replacing the removed ones. The periods with low δ13C values, identified following serial sectioning of the regrown whiskers at 1 mm intervals (and stable isotope analysis of these sections), were then correlated to specific giraffe meat feeding bouts and hence growth periods. Knowledge of the duration between giraffe meat feeding bouts enabled the calculation of whisker growth rate and determination of growth pattern. δ13C and δ15N whisker-diet TDFs were estimated for five lions whose diet remained consistent over multiple years. Whiskers removed from four lions at the beginning of the whisker growth experiment, a whisker removed from a female lion as part of a pilot study a year before the experiment and the diet (chicken and beef) samples collected during the experiment were analysed for their isotopic ratios. These were used to calculate isotopic differences between lion whiskers and diet.

This research study explores the ways in which articulations of belonging are expressed by a small number of second year education undergraduates in a post-1992 university in the UK. Issues of student engagement and belonging in Higher Education (HE) have been the subject of research within recent years as a way to enhance rates of student retention and success, as the Widening Participation agenda has realised a changing demographic within the traditional student body. This study focuses on the First Generation Student (FGS), as reflective of the non-traditional student, who is subject to a negative framing within the educational literary discourse. The research adopts a metaphorical lens to locate the FGS as migrant within the HE landscape and to consider HE institutional efforts to foster a sense of belonging, as a strategic tool for success, as a colonising process. Working within an ecological framing of the topic, the study focuses on the differing contexts within which the research participants operate and considers the impact these have upon student engagement with the university. As a way to foreground respectful working with research participants, a person-centred approach has been employed, using a narrative inquiry methodological framework. Voices of the participants, as narrators, are privileged within this study in order to afford them the opportunity to add to the ongoing conversation on belonging. Creative strategies, based upon photo- and metaphor-elicitation, have been employed to facilitate discussion of the abstract and intangible concept of belonging and to provide a participatory nature to this research study. Findings signal a strong resolve by these narrators to overcome obstacles in their path to success within what is often an unfamiliar terrain within HE. The potentiality of the individual is privileged, showing strengths that are brought to the world of study which are often unrecognised by university practices. The affective dimension of belonging is emphasised within the research and metaphors of belonging, articulated by the narrators, offer alternative conceptual structurings which privilege aspects to do with security and adventure. Such insights afford opportunities to view belonging from differing perspectives, to re-figure ways in which students see themselves within HE processes, and to alert staff and personnel to new ways in which they might view the non-traditional student. Aspects of valuing the diversity of students and of a person-centred approach to working are viewed as key to creating the possibilities for belonging.

Este estudo investigou as tomadas de decisões de jogadores dentro da grande área do futebol com base em variáveis espaciais e espaço-temporais de coordenações interpessoal e extrapessoal. Participaram do estudo 150 jogadores do sexo masculino, com idade entre 18 e 38 anos, e experiência de prática neste esporte de, no mínimo, 7 anos. Foram filmados 12 jogos de futebol de um campeonato amador na Colômbia. As imagens capturadas foram analisadas através do software TACTO, e as variáveis consideradas para análise foram as seguintes: i) ângulo de chute, formado por vetores ligando o jogador com posse de bola a dois componentes do jogo que geravam uma lacuna no gol; ii) ângulo A de passe, composto por vetores conectando o portador da bola ao seu marcador mais próximo e ao seu companheiro de equipe; iii) ângulo B de passe, formado por vetores ligando o portador da bola ao seu companheiro de equipe e ao marcador mais próximo dele; iv) distância interpessoal, caracterizada pela distância entre o jogador com posse de bola e seu defensor mais próximo; v) velocidade e variabilidade relacionadas às mudanças em cada uma dessas medidas. Essas variáveis foram comparadas em relação a situações de chute, passe e drible. Os resultados revelaram que, em relação à decisão de chutar, o ângulo de chute representando a interação entre as possibilidades de completá-lo e de o mesmo ser interceptado, diferiu do mesmo ângulo em que as decisões de passe e drible foram tomadas; e, na decisão de driblar, a distância interpessoal apresentou diferenças com as situações em que o passe foi executado. Concluiu-se que, no caso do chute ao gol e o drible, os ângulos de chute e distâncias interpessoais, respectivamente, funcionaram como variáveis informacionais de coordenações interpessoal e extrapessoal importantes para as tomadas de decisão / This study investigated the players\' decision-makings within the penalty area of the soccer based on spatial and spatio-temporal variables of interpersonal and extrapersonal coordination. Participants included 150 male players aged between 18-38 years and at least 7 years of experience. For this purpose, 12 soccer games of an amateur Colombian championship were recorded, and analysed using the TACTO software. The spatial and spatiotemporal variables were: (i) shooting angle formed by vectors liking the ball carrier to two game components that generated a gap in the goal; (ii) passing angle A composed by passing vectors connecting the ball carrier to his nearest defender and to a teammate; (iii) passing angle B formed by vectors linking the ball carrier to a teammate and to the teammate\'s nearest defender; (iv) interpersonal distance characterized by distance between the ball carrier and his nearest defender; v) velocity and variability related to the changes of each these measures. These variables were compared in relation to shooting, passing, and dribbling actions. The results revealed that, regarding to the decision of shooting, the passing angle representing the interaction between possibilities to complete it and for it to be intercepted, differed from the same angle at which the passing and dribbling decisions were made; concerning to dribbling actions, the interpersonal distance was different from the same measure when the passing was chosen. It was concluded that, in the case of shooting at goal and dribbling, the shooting angle and the interpersonal distance, respectively, functioned as important informational variables of extrapersonal and interpersonal coordination in decision makings

A mineração modifica profundamente os ecossistemas naturais e, embora a recuperação dessas áreas seja exigida pela legislação, trata-se ainda de um grande desafio técnico. Geralmente, as estratégias de recuperação envolvem a distribuição de solo florestal superficial, a semeadura de gramíneas exóticas para cobrir o solo, chamada de \"tapete verde\", e o plantio de mudas de árvores exóticas e/ou nativas. No entanto, a semeadura de gramíneas exóticas pode restringir a regeneração de espécies nativas, sendo a avaliação da sua viabilidade ecológica necessária para determinar sua real necessidade. Nesse contexto, o objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar se é necessário o uso de gramíneas exóticas para o recobrimento inicial do solo na recuperação de florestas tropicais em áreas de mineração de bauxita, bem como se a trajetória ecológica gerada apresenta potencial de retorno às condições pré-distúrbio. Sendo assim, utilizamos um estudo de caso de recuperação de minas de exploração de bauxita na Mata Atlântica do Brasil na região de Poços de Caldas-MG, na qual foram comparadas cronossequências de dois métodos de restauração de minas de bauxita - restauração florestal sem tapete verde (Rs) e restauração florestal com tapete verde (Rc) - tendo-se trechos de floresta nativa como ecossistema de referência. Foram avaliados dados de estrutura (cobertura de gramínea, cobertura de dossel, área basal, densidade de indivíduos com DAP ≥ 1 cm e altura ≥130 cm - classe 1 - e densidade de indivíduos com DAP < 1 cm e altura ≥ 50 cm - classe 2) e composição (riqueza, diversidade, equabilidade, riqueza e porcentagem de espécies por síndrome de dispersão). A definição da trajetória ecológica foi realizada por meio de regressões lineares. O método de restauração florestal sem tapete verde alcançou resultados superiores ao método Rc em parâmetros importantes para o estabelecimento da floresta, como cobertura de gramíneas, cobertura de dossel, riqueza e diversidade da classe 1. O método Rs também teve resultados semelhantes à Rc em vários parâmetros, apesar da idade inferior. Os dois métodos apresentaram tendências de evolução em direção aos parâmetros do ecossistema de referência, porém o método Rs, se mantiver a trajetória atual, pode alcançá-los mais rapidamente, o que reduz gastos com manutenção e manejo. Tais evidências mostram que o uso de gramíneas exóticas para recobrimento inicial de áreas mineradas não é necessário em projetos que visem à restauração florestal de áreas de mineração, pois essas prejudicam o restabelecimento da dinâmica florestal. Adicionalmente, mostrou-se ser possível recuperar áreas mineradas de bauxita com metas ecológicas mais ambiciosas, que visem o retorno de condições similares às existentes pré-distúrbio. / Mining profoundly alters natural ecosystems and, although the recovery of these areas is required by law, it is still a major technical challenge. Generally, recovery strategies involve the distribution of surface forest soil, planting of exotic grasses to cover the ground and the planting of exotic and/or native trees. However, the sowing of exotic grasses may restrict native species regeneration, therefore, context specific diagnosis must be carried out to determine the actual need of using such technique. In this context, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether the use of exotic grasses for initial soil covering in the recovery of tropical forests in areas of bauxite mining is necessary, as well as if the restored community has potential to return to the pre-disturbance conditions. Therefore, we use a case study of recovery of bauxite exploration in the Atlantic Forest region of Brazil in Pocos de Caldas, Minas Gerais, where chronosequences of two methods of restoration of bauxite mines were compared - restoration without exotic grasses (Rs) and forest restoration with exotic grasses (Rc) - taking up stretches of native forest ecosystem as a reference. We collected data on tree community structure (grass cover, canopy cover, basal area, and density of individuals CBH ≥3.1 cm and height ≥ 130 cm (1 class) and density of individuals DAP < 3.1 cm and height ≥ 50 cm (class 2) and composition (richness, diversity, evenness and richness and percentage of species by dispersion syndrome). The successional path was analyzed by linear regression. In class 1, the method of forest restoration without exotic grasses (Rs) achieved better results than Rc in key parameters for forest establishment, such as exotic grass cover, canopy cover, richness and diversity. The Rs method also had similar results to Rc in several parameters, despite being represented by younger communities. Both methods showed trends toward the parameters values found in reference ecosystem, but Rs method, if it remain the current way, can reach these values more quickly, which reduces maintenance costs and management. Such evidence shows that the use of exotic grasses for initial covering of mined areas is not necessary in projects aimed at forest restoration of mining areas, as these hinder the restoration of forest dynamics. Additionally, we proved to be possible to recover the bauxite mined areas with more ambitious ecological goals, aiming at the return of pre-disturbance conditions.

Um dos maiores impactos antrópicos aos ecossistemas terrestres é a fragmentação do habitat. Este processo afeta fortemente os padrões de movimentação das espécies, implicando em alterações consideráveis na conectividade entre as manchas de habitat remanescentes. Por sua vez, isso interfere na distribuição espacial e na dinâmica das populações de uma espécie. Nesta dissertação, foram estudados alguns aspectos dos movimentos rotineiros e dispersivo de Pyriglena leucoptera, uma espécie de ave endêmica da Mata Atlântica. Estes dois tipos de movimentação atuam em escalas distintas, afetando diferentemente os parâmetros que regulam a estrutura das populações. Com o uso da técnica de playback, foi verificado se a capacidade desta espécie atravessar áreas abertas, em movimentos rotineiros entre fragmentos, é afetada pela distância entre eles. A partir desta relação, foram obtidas probabilidades de cruzar áreas abertas, as quais foram usadas para parametrizar índices de conectividade funcional (um binário e outro probabilístico) baseados na teoria dos grafos. Em uma abordagem de seleção de modelos, estes dois índices de conectividade mais um outro estrutural (i.e. área do fragmento) foram comparados para se estabelecer qual deles melhor prediz a incidência de P. leucoptera em fragmentos florestais. Quanto aos movimentos dispersivos, foram realizados experimentos de translocação e telemetria para verificar se a dispersão desta espécie em áreas fragmentadas é afetada pela distância entre os fragmentos, assim como para averiguar se este efeito é diferente entre os sexos. Os resultados mostraram que distância entre os fragmentos florestais limita tanto a movimentação rotineira, quanto a dispersiva para esta espécie. Na escala dos movimentos rotineiros, verificou-se que fragmentos distanciados a mais de 45 m estão totalmente isolados. A incidência da espécie foi melhor descrita pelo índice de conectividade funcional probabilístico (PCS), mostrando que a conectividade é fundamental para se compreender a distribuição espacial da espécie, sendo que este atributo da paisagem deve ser visto de forma probabilística. Ademais, a dispersão foi enviesada para fêmeas, as quais possuíram maior propensão a emigrar, assim como foram mais eficientes em sua movimentação pela matriz. As conseqüências deste viés foram discutidas, destacando-se que, em áreas altamente fragmentadas, a probabilidade de colonização de áreas desocupadas diminui, bem como o fluxo gênico entre as populações da espécie pode estar comprometido. Portanto, ambos os tipos de movimento devem ser considerados para que se possa compreender mais precisamente os efeitos da conectividade do habitat para a sobrevivência de uma espécie em paisagens fragmentadas. Por fim, foi sugerido um modelo hierárquico de estrutura populacional, a fim de integrar as informações obtidas pelos dois tipos de movimentação em uma única estrutura conceitual. Esse modelo possui um grande potencial para ser usado no planejamento e manejo ambiental. / Habitat fragmentation is one of the major human impacts on terrestrial ecosystems. This process highly affects the species movement pattern, implying in considerable alterations on the connectivity between the remaining habitat patches. Consequently, it interferes in the spatial distribution and in the population dynamics of species. In this dissertation, some aspects of the routine and dispersal movements of Pyriglena leucoptera, an endemic bird of the Atlantic rainforest, were studied. These two movement types act in distinct scales, affecting, differently, the parameter regulating the structure of the populations. Using the playback technique, we verified if the gap-crossing capacity of this species, by routine movements, is affected by gap width. From this relation, we obtained gap-crossing probabilities, which were used to parameterize functional connectivity indices (one binary and one probabilistic) based on graph theory. In a model selection approach, these two indices plus another structural one (i.e. patch area) were compared to establish which one is the best to predict P. leucopteras incidence in forest fragments. About the dispersal movements, we done translocation and telemetry experiments to investigate if the species dispersal ability in fragmented landscapes is affected by the distance between forest patches, and to verify if there are sexual differences in this effect. The results showed that distance between forest patches limits both the routine movements and the dispersal one to this species. In the routine movements scale, we verified that patches are completely isolated when the gap width is higher than 45 m. The species incidence was better described by the probabilistic connectivity index (PCS), evincing that it is essential to consider connectivity to understand the spatial distribution of P. leucoptera, and this attribute must be viewed in its probabilistic form. Furthermore, dispersal is female-biased, since females are more prone to emigrate and were more efficient in their movement in the matrix. We discussed the consequences of this sex-bias, highlighting that, in severely fragmented landscapes, the colonization probability of empty patches is decreased and the genetic flux between populations should be imperiled. Thus, to comprehend the effects of habitat connectivity on species survival in fragmented landscapes, both movement types must be considered. Finally, we suggested a hierarchically structured population model in order to integrate the two movement type information in one conceptual framework. This model has a great potential to be used in environmental planning and management.

Over the last 30 years, Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge in Southern Illinois has made a strong and well-documented effort to convert agricultural lands to forest to further their mission of wildlife and habitat conservation. Our research seeks to assess the influence that this land use conversion has on ecological function and to establish ecological indicators of successful restoration. We examined five potential soil-based indicators of ecological function across a chronosequence of afforested sites at the refuge and compared them to nearby row crop agricultural sites and mature forest sites with similar soils and landscape positions. Collected soil samples were analyzed for total carbon, total nitrogen, labile carbon, aggregate stability, and bulk density. Soil texture analysis was also conducted to validate comparisons among sites. The data were analyzed using a multivariate analysis of variance comparing land uses as well as linear regression analyses looking at the influence of age since restoration on an index value created by subtracting the soil indicator value of the nearby agricultural site from that of the forested site. The index value was used as the dependent variable in order to control for variation among sites and isolate the influence of age. Aggregate stability and labile carbon were positively correlated with age since restoration and bulk density was negatively correlated with age since restoration. These three soil parameters were promising indicators of restored ecological function in afforested sites. Target values for these indicators were proposed. Our results help to determine the timeframe in which these ecological functions return following restoration and can be used to assess the success of current and future afforestation projects.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a multi-component intervention composed of (a) one-on-one teacher-student interaction, (b) teacher provided process praise, and (c) family-teacher good news phone calls on problem behavior among students in elementary school. A single-subject multiple baseline design was utilized to examine the functional relation between the intervention and student outcomes. Participants were two teachers and three students with high levels of problem behavior as well as low quality relationships with their teachers. Students met individually with teachers one time per week to develop and discuss student centered goals. Teachers provided students with specific process praise and made weekly good news phone calls to the students' families. These components were predicted to improve student levels of academic engagement and reduce disruptive behavior through increasing relationship quality. Results suggested the intervention shows promise in decreasing disruptive behavior. No relationship was found between the intervention and academic engagement. Teacher reports provided descriptions of their perceptions of increased relationship quality and social validity.

The persistence of woody plant populations faces numerous environmental challenges, including climate change, hybridisation and population fragmentation. Here I explore the genomic signatures and relative importance of these pressures in Dwarf Birch (Betula nana), which has declined significantly over the last century across the Scottish Highlands. Firstly, I find that future climate is likely to result in a significant range reduction and that relict populations are likely to display reduced fitness. Secondly, I show that combining multiple mutation rate markers yields more accurate estimates of demographic history and the impact of fragmentation. I develop a novel method to derive high mutation rate markers from short sequencing reads, to facilitate more widespread application. Thirdly, I assess the degree of local adaptation, and explore potential for composite provenancing for the restoration of B. nana populations. Surprisingly, the data yields little evidence of adaptive introgression from the related tree B. pubescens, suggesting that this may not be an alternative route to climate tolerance. Finally, I review published literature on the population structure and genetic diversity of genus Betula in Europe and consider options for the conservation and management of B. nana, including assisted gene flow and prioritization of in situ genetic diversity.