No description available.

The Attwater’s prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri; APC) is a species of grouse native to Texas coastal prairies and is on the critically endangered species list as a result of habitat destruction and overhunting. All of the current populations were captively bred and released into the wild. Survivorship for released APCs is very low, and individuals seldom survive to reproduce in the wild. One factor contributing to this may be an alteration in the gut microbiota as a result of captivity. Factors potentially influencing the gut microbial composition in captivity include antibiotic therapy, stress, and a predominantly commercially formulated diet. Recent studies have begun to shed light on the importance of the host microbial endosymbionts. Antibiotic administration, stress, diet, age, genotype and other factors have been shown to influence microbial populations in the gastrointestinal tracts of many different vertebrates. Sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons on the Ion Torrent™ platform was used in this study to identify groups of bacteria in the cloacas as a surrogate for the gut microbiota in the APC. Antibiotic-treated and untreated birds, wild-hatched and captive-bred birds, and individuals sampled before and after release to the wild were examined. Significant differences were found between wild-hatched and captive raised birds both pre- and post release. In addition, there was extensive variation among the populations at the lower taxonomic ranks between individuals for each group of APCs. Principal coordinate analysis based on the weighted UniFrac distance metric further exhibited some clustering of individuals by treatment. These data suggest that captive breeding may have long-term effects on the cloacal microbiota of APCs with unknown consequences to their long-term health and survivorship.

No description available.

Marine organic-walled microplankton biostratigraphy of the Maastrichian Prairie Bluff Chalk is documented. A total of 69 dinoflagellate species were identified in the Prairie Bluff Chalk. Samples were studied from three sites in central and western Alabama (Tombigbee River, Millers Ferry, and Braggs). Also included were several samples of the overlying Clayton Formation, and the underlying Ripley Formation. The species and their stratigraphic ranges were compared with other coeval sections in the U. S. and Europe. Dinoflagellate Zones Va and Vb of Wilson (1974) are recognized in the Prairie Bluff Chalk. This suggests the age of the Prairie Bluff Chalk is restricted to late Maastrichtian. The Prairie Bluff Chalk correlates to the upper Providence Formation of Georgia (Firth 1984); the lower Providence being early Maastrichtian. The basal Clayton Formation may be latest Maastrichtian in age / Master of Science

Eighteen prairie rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis viridis) were tracked using radio-telemetry and 82 snakes were PIT-tagged over a 2-year period in Lethbridge, AB to determine population size, movement patterns, and habitat utilization, and to predict fragmentation effects on the species within an urban locale. Population size was estimated using closed population models at 374 snakes (295 adults) and open population models at 204 snakes (161 adults), greater than an estimate of <50 adults in 2003 (Ernst, 2003) and 2006 (Ernst & Quinlan, 2006). Mean home range sizes, based on 95% minimum convex polygon analysis, differed significantly between years (31.51 ha in 2005, 3.72 ha in 2006). Calculated movement parameters, such as mean distance moved per day, total distance moved over the course of the active season, and frequency of movement varied between years and individuals. Greater-than-expected (under hypotheses of even habitat choice) utilization was observed in habitat types located within coulee and flood plain areas, with apparent preference towards unbroken parcels of grassland or cottonwoods, whereas less-than-predicted utilization of agricultural habitat type was observed. Fragmentation effects on prairie rattlesnake movement and occurrence were examined through modeling and were found to coincide with observed species’ locations, suggesting that prairie rattlesnakes are undergoing modification of movement patterns to avoid highly concentrated human density or use. Influence of weather on the use of vegetative ground cover was observed, as it was accessed more by prairie rattlesnakes at higher temperatures. Recommendations towards future management of the prairie rattlesnake population in Lethbridge are given, including protection of the Bridge View Drive site and inclusion of varied habitat types and terrain when planning habitat and wildlife corridors. Management decisions that ensure remaining habitat parcels and connective areas near rattlesnake foraging or movement corridors are also advocated. Identification of future research focuses include studies on juvenile survivorship, genetic structure, and vehicle-related mortality. / xii, 83 leaves : col. ill., col. maps ; 29 cm

The connection of music and verse evident in the work of American poet, Carl Sandburg, is a topic that has received inadequate attention. Much preexisting research has focused on Sandburg's work with The American Songbag anthology; however little has been written about music composers' settings of his verse. The relevance of Sandburg's work as a poet has faded in today's society; the rural prairie subject matter and his poetic style are deemed archaic in an ever-evolving mechanistic society. Philip Wharton, a native of Sandburg's Midwest prairie, composes to create an evocative and image-laden world for the hearers of his music. This is what creates a semblance between both artists' works. This paper makes a connection between the work of the 20th century prairie poet and a current, 21st century American composer's musical setting of Sandburg's verse. Both artists are connected not only geographically, but also in their approach to an accessible art form for their audience. Negating current compositional trends and using text from Sandburg's poetry collections, Chicago Poems and Cornhuskers, Wharton melds the text into his evocative, imagistic musical language in his song cycle, The Prairie Sings. Using examples from the five movements of the cycle, I show the dependent relationship of verse and music. An in-depth analysis of the connection of poetry and music in each of the five movements of the cycle is contained in the paper. An additional connection in the dynamic interplay of the vocal line and piano accompaniment, the two "narrators" of the cycle, is also discussed. The resulting research points to an aspect of a creation of a regional American "sound, " reminiscent of trends of nationalism in the 19th and 20th century in art, literature and music.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Geography / Douglas G. Goodin / Prescribed burning in tallgrass prairie affects a wide range of human and natural systems. Consequently, managing this biome based on sound science, and with the concerns of all stakeholders taken into account, requires a method for mapping burned areas. In order to devise such a method, many different spectral ranges and spectral indices were tested for their ability to differentiate burned from unburned areas at both the field and satellite scales. Those bands and/or indices that performed well, as well as two different classification techniques and two different satellite-based sensors, were tested in order to come up with the best combination of band/index, classification technique, and sensor for mapping burned areas in tallgrass prairie. The ideal method used both the red and near-infrared spectral regions, used imagery at a spatial resolution of at least 250 m, used satellite imagery with daily temporal resolution, and used pixel-based classification techniques rather than object-based techniques. Using this method, burned area maps were generated for the Flint Hills for every year from 2000-2010, creating a fire history of the region during that time period. These maps were compared to active fire and burned area products, and these products were found to underestimate burned areas in tallgrass prairie.

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1979 R617 / Master of Science

Ecologists and conservation biologists are interested in explaining why animal abundance and reproductive success vary among habitats. Initial motivation for this research arose from concerns for Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) populations in North America. Unlike many prairie-nesting dabbling duck populations, pintails failed to increase during periods of excellent wetland conditions, and remained below conservation goals. Low pintail populations have been linked to degraded landscape conditions on the Canadian prairies. Current habitat management for pintails aims to protect and create larger areas of perennial cover either by encouraging better management of grazing lands, by converting cropland to grassland, or by promoting adoption of fall-seeded crops like winter wheat. The central premise is that larger areas of natural grassland cover will attract breeding pintails to nest earlier in the season in low-predation-risk habitat. I studied pintail nesting ecology near the Milk River Ridge, Alberta, 2004-2006, in terms of a life-cycle perspective, from spring arrival and settling on breeding areas, to assess age and quality of nesting females, to determine timing and investment in reproduction, and finally to measure nesting success. A gradient in presumed high (grassland) to low (agriculture) habitat quality provided a landscape template for testing habitat selection models. Pintail breeding pair densities were 1.5-3 times higher in grassland than agricultural landscapes in all three years, regardless of regional population size, with pairs occupying grassland landscapes at higher densities immediately upon arrival in early spring. Northern Shoveler (A. clypeata), gadwall (A. strepera) and blue-wing teal (A. discors) had similar settlement patterns as pintails, but mallard (A. platyrhynchos) pair density was higher in agricultural areas. Relatively more, older female pintails were captured at nests in grassland landscapes whereas yearling females were encountered more often in agricultural areas, a pattern that was not detected in female shovelers. This response suggests that older female pintails may be better able to recognize and settle in higher quality grassland habitats. Body mass of pintail females did not vary among years, decreased seasonally, and was positively related to body size index and incubation stage. Furthermore, pintail body mass did not differ between grassland (650 ± 24 g), ecotone (678 ± 27 g) and agriculture (672 ± 33 g). In female shovelers, body mass varied among years (555 ± 29 g in 2004, 481 ± 18 g in 2005, 508 ± 21 g in 2006), and increased with nesting date. Shoveler body mass did not differ between grassland (519 ± 32 g), ecotone (519 ± 44 g), or agriculture (507 ± 35 g). Nest initiation dates did not vary by landscape for pintail, shoveler or mallard, but all species nested earlier in 2006 versus 2004. In pintail, shoveler and mallard, clutch size was negatively related to nest initiation date. Pintail and shoveler clutch sizes were generally larger in a wet year with abundant wetlands (2006) when compared with a dry year (2004), but no landscape differences were detected. Mallard clutch size did not vary by year or landscape. Female reproductive timing and investment (in terms of clutch size) were unrelated to upland habitat characteristics, counter to a hypothesis that predicts larger pintail clutch sizes in agricultural landscapes. However, pintail and shoveler invested in larger clutches in 2006, a wet year with abundant wetlands, possibly due to greater abundance of aquatic foods. Finally, nest survival rates of duck species, except mallard, tended to be higher in grassland landscapes and lower in agricultural landscapes. Pintail nest survival was consistently higher in grassland than in agricultural landscapes and was highest in 2006 when wetland conditions were excellent. Shoveler and blue-winged teal nest survival rates did not vary strongly with landscape, but were also higher in 2006, whereas mallard and gadwall nest survival estimates did not vary with landscape or year. Overall, pintails settled at higher densities in grassland landscapes where breeding success was higher (indexed by nesting success). This suggests that pintails respond appropriately to cues that enable them to recognize suitable habitat, at least in regions where large contiguous areas of grassland habitat remain. Furthermore, assuming that findings for pintails reflect those of other grassland bird species, large remnant areas of intact natural grassland seem particularly in need of protection or restoration, and management regimes that maintain their habitat integrity. By integrating applied and theoretical aspects of pintail reproductive ecology, I attempted to provide deeper insights into the processes that could shape behavioral decisions by breeding pintails and other duck species. Older pintails may occupy wetlands in higher quality grassland habitat early in spring, forcing subordinate or later-arriving individuals into poorer quality habitat (i.e., where nesting success is lower); however, mechanisms involved in this putative process are unknown. Overall, results suggest that grassland restoration or enhancement (e.g., managing grazing intensity) could improve reproductive success of pintails and possibly other grassland bird species.

Doctor of Philosophy / Division of Biology / Anthony Joern / John Blair / Ecological communities are comprised both of species and their interactions. The importance of species interactions is embraced by ecological network analysis, a framework used to identify non-random patterns in species interactions, and the consequences of these patterns for maintaining species diversity. Here, I investigated environmental drivers of the structure of plant-pollinator and plant-herbivore networks. Specifically, I asked: (1) Do global-scale climate gradients shape mutualistic and antagonistic networks? (2) At a landscape scale (within a 3,487 ha research site), how do contrasting regimes of major grassland disturbances - fire frequency and grazing by bison (Bison bison) - shape plant-pollinator network structure? (3) How do fire and grazing affect plant-grasshopper network structure? And, (4) What is the role of plant species diversity in determining plant-herbivore network structure? At the global scale, variability in temperature was the key climatic factor regulating both antagonistic and mutualistic network structural properties. At the landscape scale, fire and grazing had major consequences for plant-pollinator and plant-herbivore communities. In particular, bison grazing increased network complexity and resistance to species loss for both plant-pollinator and plant-herbivore systems. Results from an experimental grassland restoration that manipulated plant diversity suggest that plant diversity directly affects plant-herbivore structure and increases network stability. Collectively, these results suggest that environmental gradients and plant species diversity regulate the network structure of ecological communities. Determining how the structure of ecological interactions change with environmental conditions and species diversity improves our ability to identify vulnerable communities, and to predict responses of biodiversity to global change.