The Canary Island pine, Pinus canariensis, is an endemic tree that forms one of the main forest ecosystems within the archipelago, and whose distribution has been reduced in the last five centuries by clear cutting for the extraction of timber and tar. It was in the XXth century that exploitation declined and reforestation programs were brought forward for the restoration of an ecosystem that harbours a number of endangered endemic species of plants and animals. In addition to reforestation efforts, an understanding of population genetic processes is also necessary for the successful conservation management of the Canarian pine forest, particularly in light of gathering evidence for local adaptation.<br /><br />In this thesis historical and contemporary gene flow within P. canariensis was studied with nuclear and chloroplast microsatellite markers. High immigration rates (0.68–0.75) were estimated as expected for an outcrossing windpollinated tree. Nevertheless, significant population differentiation (theta = 0.019, RST = 0.044) was detectable for sites separated by only a few kilometres. Within the context of reforestation programs the high levels of gene flow detected would appear to have a positive effect on reforested stands by facilitating the immigration of local alleles from natural stands into potentially genetically depauperate first generation gene pools of reforested stands.<br /><br />Historical population growth was revealed with chloroplast microsatellites for most populations of P. canariensis. Population expansions for the pine parasite weevil Brachyderes rugatus were also detected, broadly coinciding with the population expansions within the Canary Island pine forests. Given the estimated times of expansion, these population demographic increases would seem likely related to the process of colonisation of newly emerged islands or local patches after volcanic disturbance. Detection and dating of these expansions from chloroplast microsatellites was, to some degree, negatively affected by homoplasy (i.e. parallel and back mutations).<br /><br />Coalescent simulations of the evolution of chloroplast microsatellites were applied to study the effects of homoplasy in the statistical analysis of population structuring. Measures of genetic diversity based on number of haplotypes and genetic distances were differently affected. Genetic distances were underestimated but were proportional to the actual value. These effects help to explain the lower performance of statistical analyses for the detection and dating of population expansions. Further research on the effects of homoplasy in the analysis of population differentiation using chloroplast microsatellites is essential.

Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 201 pages. / Thesis (M.S.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: Melongena corona and closely related congeners are a conspicuous part of the marine intertidal benthic communities of Florida and southeastern Alabama. Significant genetic differentiation among adjacent populations has been conjectured based on variation in shell morphology, habitat discontinuity, low levels of adult motility, and the presence of an aplanic lecithotrophic larval stage. Furthermore, studies of the highly variable shell morphology often have resulted in confusing specific and subspecific definitions of these gastropods, which are often referred to as the "corona complex". Variation in shell morphology may indicate local adaptation or environmentally induced phenotypic plasticity. In this study I utilized mitochondrial DNA sequences in order to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships of crown conchs, and nuclear microsatellite loci to investigate the patterns of relatedness within and among populations inhabiting the southeastern United States. / ABSTRACT: Approximately 500 individuals from 20 populations throughout the known range of the Crown Conch were genotyped at eight microsatellite loci. Additionally, a 1200bp portion of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene was sequenced along with a 490bp fragment of the 16s ribosomal gene from individuals representing all known species and subspecies of the genus Melongena. Phylogenetic analyses completed with these data provide no support for current taxonomic designations within this group and these genetic data indicate that the corona complex is composed of a single polymorphic species. Furthermore, microsatellite data reveal population structure consistent with restricted gene flow between extant populations and phylogeography heavily influenced by historical sea-level fluctuations during the Late Pleistocene. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Palms are ecologically important and charismatic trees of the tropics. They are important to the livelihood of local communities and are key resources for the frugivore community in tropical forests. These frugivores are in turn hunted by humans for food. This ecological connection between human, palms, and frugivores provides a unique setting to study how cultural and ecological components within this multitrophic interaction influences palm populations. In chapter 1, I explored the traditional and ecological knowledge behind the cultivation of palm-weevil larvae for food. I found the Joti people, cultivated two species of weevil-larvae differently, which also determined whether palms were logged before or after reproductive maturity. The cultivation of each weevil-larvae species therefore had a differential impact on palm populations. In chapter 2, I investigated how frugivores mediate interactions between two dominant and co-occuring palms in the Peruvian Amazonia-- Attalea phalerata and Astrocaryum murumuru. I found frugivores codispersed seeds of the two palm species, which contributed to aggregated spatial patterns of their juveniles. Spatial patterns suggested associations between heterospecific palms experienced lower density-dependent mortality than associations between conspecifics and this likely contributes to the coexistence of the two palm species in their early life-history. These findings highlight the importance of dispersers to species coexistence and suggest over-hunting can lead to shifts away from species codominance. In chapter 3, I examined the contribution of dispersal, distance-and density-dependent to spatial ecology of Attalea phalerata. Using microsatellite-based parentage analysis, I found high levels of seed movement mediated by frugivore dispersers. Despite this, I found dispersal limitation remains strong enough to cause spatial aggregation between offspring and parents. As individuals grew towards maturity, distance and density dependent mortality contributed to increasingly disaggregated patterns between older offspring cohorts of parents, non-parent adults, and siblings. These results provide a foundation for assessing the impacts of hunting on the spatial ecology of palm populations. In chapter 4, we characterized 14 microsatellite loci for A. phalerata that were used in the parentage analysis of chapter 3. These loci amplified reliably and were sufficiently polymorphic and will be useful for future studies addressing population-level questions for this species. / text

I combined long-term ecological data and population genetic data using microsatellite DNA markers to examine among- and within-population genetic structure and parentage in Tiger Rattlesnake (Crotalus tigris) populations from the Tucson Basin of southern Arizona located in the northern Sonoran Desert. Based on long-term data from radio telemetry, I determined that C. tigris show strong fidelity to both their home range and winter shelter sites, remaining in close proximity to rocky habitats within mountain ranges, which leads to apparent natural isolation of populations. Therefore, I predicted that C. tigris populations would show substantial genetic differentiation among mountain ranges. However, Bayesian clustering analyses revealed a surprising pattern of extensive admixture among mountain ranges, indicating the presence of gene flow among populations. This pattern of genetic admixture can likely be explained by historical changes in climate and physiognomy in the Sonoran Desert. Analyses of pack rat midden remains clearly show that mountain ranges were previously connected by mesic woodland habitats that may have led to panmixia in C. tigris populations as recently as 5,000-8,000 years ago. At present, C. tigris show a strong preference for xeroriparian washes, which allows individuals to occasionally move relatively long distances, likely resulting in contemporary gene flow. To maintain connections among mountain ranges, I recommend effective management, protection, and restoration (if needed) of wash habitats, which also act as corridors for a suite of other species. At the within population scale, genetic clustering analyses revealed the existence of fine-scale genetic structure in C. tigris subpopulations located in the Rincon Mountains. Further analyses based on location data of individuals indicated the existence of a potential barrier to gene flow, which corresponded to a watershed divide. Although the watershed divide would appear not to present a physical barrier to gene flow, it likely acts to segregate populations based on habitat and movement preferences associated with wash habitats. Data on spatial ecology and reproductive behavior, indicate that C. tigris distribute gametes across the landscape in the absence of actual displacement of individuals due to fidelity to home ranges and winter shelter sites. Analyses of parentage were constrained by the difficulty in obtaining offspring from gravid female C. tigris that give birth deep in rock outcrops. However, I did conduct analyses on over 30 offspring from known mothers and nearly 60 free-ranging offspring found while conducting ecological research. Surprisingly, not a single male C. tigris found courting or copulating with a female was identified as the father, indicating that reproductive behavior is a poor predictor of parentage, and therefore, fitness. Interestingly, males identified as fathers were found up to 2 km distance from their offspring, demonstrating that males from surrounding areas may move relatively long distances to mate. The mating system of C. tigris, which is characterized by promiscuity in both sexes, appears to drive dramatic differences in spatial ecology between males and females, and may lead to fine-scale genetic structure among females and not males who spend a great deal of time searching for receptive females.

Hoverflies are important for their roles in ecological and environmental services, and are also charismatic species of conservation interest in their own right. Almost half of all hoverflies are saprophages, which are organisms that feed on dead or decaying organic matter, and these include saproxylic species that depend on deadwood. Deadwood and its associated community are a rich source of forest biodiversity and are fundamental to forest function, but due to poor management, many saproxylics are threatened or endangered, and techniques for conserving saproxylic species are poorly developed. In this thesis I study the ecology and conservation management of an endangered UK saproxylic fly, the Pine hoverfly, Blera fallax (Linnaeus) (Diptera, Syrphidae) and the dispersal ability of the similarly endangered Aspen hoverfly, Hammerschmidtia ferruginea (Fallén) (Diptera, Syrphidae). My main goals were to clarify methods to support their recovery in active programmes of species conservation in Scotland, UK. For B. fallax, this included experimenting with habitat creation techniques, investigating the best conditions for larval growth and assessing competition effects. In addition, I evaluated the genetic variability of the remaining population in Scotland by comparing it with one in Europe to determine whether genetic constraints may limit recovery. For H. ferruginea, I determined dispersal ability with field experiments involving mark and recapture techniques. By cutting holes at the surface of stumps of Pinus sylvestris, breeding habitat was created artificially for B. fallax at the remaining known locality for this species in the UK. Over 4 years, 81 % of holes were colonized by B. fallax, and by up to six other saproxylic syrphid species. The most successful holes were those cut into the heartwood, seeded with pine chips and sawdust and partially covered, as indicated by a combination of field occupancy monitoring and lab growth experiments. Observations of larval morphology and behaviour within rot holes revealed specializations that largely segregate the species in both time and space, and may mitigate interspecific competition between B. fallax and three more common syrphid species. I further demonstrated that B. fallax has a life history that features facultative semivoltine development, which may be a bet-hedging strategy to cope with fluctuating levels of larval food. Fifty B. fallax larvae were successfully reared and bred in captivity and from these, 430 descendent laboratory reared larvae and adults were released across three relocation sites. After initial success at the first re-location site when a new generation of larvae appeared in holes in 2010, a population crash at all sites occurred in the following year, possibly caused by adverse weather conditions. This disappointing result highlights the vulnerability of small populations to stochastic events, and means that survival of B. fallax may now depend on those larvae that are semivoltine, supplemented by animals currently being reared in captivity. My genetic analyses revealed similarly troubling information that highlights the precarious existence of B. fallax in Scotland: compared with a population in Sweden, Scottish B. fallax had significant less neutral genetic variation, and showed signs of a recent and severe bottleneck that reduced the effective population size to just 12 (CI: 0 - 266) individuals at some point in the last 200 years. Mindful of these challenges, I exploit my new data on the ecology and life history of B. fallax and combine it with techniques for captive rearing and for monitoring the genetic health of B. fallax into specific protocols and general prescriptions for the on-going recovery and management of this species. In order to assess the dispersal ability of H. ferruginea (and therefore its potential for recolonizing newly created habitat), in May to July over two years, adults were marked and released from a central point and subsequently monitored at the breeding site, decaying aspen wood Populus tremula, where adults tend to assemble for mating and oviposition. Adults were resighted visiting logs of decaying aspen set out at 1 km intervals along transects up to 7 km away. Up to 10 % of released individuals were resighted up to 5 km from the central release point. Most dispersing individuals (68 %) were resighted at 1 km, which I propose as the optimal distance for managing aspen for this species. Both of these hoverflies are case studies of techniques for recovering endangered saproxylic flies. Overall, my findings greatly increase fundamental knowledge of the ecology and natural history of these flies, and clarify some of the practical approaches that will be required in their conservation.

Invasive species such as quagga mussel (Dreisseina bugensis) alter native ecosystems around the world. This study uses genetic markers to examine historical lineages for quagga mussels in lakes (reservoirs) of the Colorado River System. Specimens were collected from Lake Mead, Lake Mohave, Lake Pleasant, Lake Havasu, Lower Otay Reservoir, Yuma Area, and two Central Arizona Project pumping stations. Objectives of this project were to perform analyses of genetic variability within populations and determine if relatedness among individuals could resolve whether they originate from a single, or multiple, invasion events and genetically distinguish the populations at each water body. Analyses examined the mitochondrial DNA COI region and eight microsatellite DNA markers. Three populations were characterized in the study area and compelling information gathered about gene flow between them. Results indicate that microsatellite markers are useful to track quagga mussel invasions and provide insights into migration patterns that would otherwise be missed.

Broad whitefish, Coregonus nasus, is an important subsistence fish species in Arctic North America, yet virtually nothing is known regarding the genetic population structure of Nearctic populations of this species. In this thesis, microsatellite DNA variation was assayed among 1213 broad whitefish from 47 localities throughout North America, with emphasis on the Mackenzie River system, Northwest Territories. Specifically, I examined geographic variation in allele frequencies to assess how historical factors (Pleistocene glaciations) have shaped the current structuring of genetic variability and population differentiation. Microsatellite data was also used to resolve the relative contributions of broad whitefish populations to subsistence fisheries in the Mackenzie River system. Overall, broad whitefish exhibit relatively high intrapopulation microsatellite variation (average 12.29 alleles/locus, average HE = 0.58) and there were declines in these measures of genetic diversity with distance from putative refugia suggesting historical factors, namely post-glacial dispersal, have influenced current microsatellite variation. Interpopulation divergence was low (overall FST = 0.07), but the main regions assayed in this study (Russia, Alaska, Mackenzie River and Travaillant Lake systems) are genetically differentiated. Strong isolation-by-distance among samples was resolved when including only those populations occupying former Beringia, but not when assaying those at the periphery of the range in the Mackenzie River system, suggesting that broad whitefish in the Mackenzie system have not occupied the region long enough since their invasion post-glacially to have approached equilibrium between gene flow and drift. Mixture analysis indicated that most fish from the lower Mackenzie River subsistence fishery originated from the Peel River, highlighting the importance of this tributary. Additionally the mixture analysis provides evidence for a putative riverine life history form in the Mackenzie River. My results indicate that glaciation and post-glacial colonization have been important in shaping the current genetic population structure of North American broad whitefish. They also illustrate the utility of microsatellite DNA to delineate population structure and patterns of genetic diversity in recently founded populations in addition to resolving contributions to fisheries. My data also support the hypothesis that there are several designatable units of conservation among broad whitefish populations and that management strategies should be implemented accordingly.

This thesis describes technologies developed for nanosatellites at the Space Flight Laboratory. A critical ground station component, the Terminal Node Controller, was upgraded in order to support Generic Nanosatellite Bus and future missions. Sun sensor requirements and operation were reviewed, followed by details of the author's work in executing the acceptance testing on these parts, including thermal shock testing, thermal functional testing, calibration, system level testing and on orbit commissioning. A new calibration test process was developed, along with supporting structure and software to ease the testing process, producing accurate calibration parameters and expected performance results for the sensors. A thermal qualification campaign was completed, demonstrating that sun sensors are capable of functioning with negligible performance degradation after exposure to extreme temperatures. A process for installing the sun sensor pin hole was developed using photolithography. Finally, power subsystem analysis for the NEMO-AM mission is presented.

Šio darbo metu naudojant 5 mikrosatelitinius DNR žymenis buvo bandoma išsiaiškinti, ar į Lietuvą natūraliai atplaukiantys upiniai unguriai skiriasi nuo į Lietuvą introdukuotų upinių ungurių genetiškai. Vietines Anguilla anguilla populiacijas atstovavo Baltijos jūros ir Kuršių marių imtys, o introdukuotas – Dringio ir Siesarčio ežerų imtys. Tikrinama buvo, tiek izoliacijos dėl atstumo (IBD), tiek laikinės izoliacijos (IBT), įtaka A. anguilla genetinei diferenciacijai. Nors genetinė diferenciacija tarp didžiosios dalies lyginamų imčių buvo maža (FST = 0,0042) ir nepatikima (p > 0,05), tačiau remdamiesi gautais tyrimo rezultatais negalime patvirtinti panmiksinės hipotezės A. anguilla rūšyje, kadangi mažos (FST = 0,0143) ir patikimos (p = 0,0018) genetinės diferenciacijos nustatymas tarp Siesarčio ežero introdukuotų upinių ungurių leidžia teigti, kad genetinė diferenciacija Anguilla anguilla rūšyje egzistuoja. / In order to find out whether native and introduced Anguilla anguilla populations differ one from another genetically I have used 5 microsatellite markers and compared 2 native between 2 introduced European eel samples. Native A. anguilla samples were taken from Baltic sea and Curonian lagoon, while introduced samples were taken from Dringis and Siesartis lakes. During this work I tried to find out not only IBD, but also IBT impact to A. anguilla genetic differentiation. Experiment results do not reject panmixia hypothesis in European eel, because there are small (FST = 0,0042) and not significant (p > 0,05) genetic differentiation among all samples used in this experiment. However, there is no enough data to say that A. anguilla genetic differentiation does not exist at all, because there is small (FST = 0,0143) and significant (p = 0,0018) genetic differentiation among lake Siesartis samples.

I describe temporal changes in the genetic composition of a small anadromous Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) population from South Newfoundland, an area where salmon populations are considered as Threatened (COSEWIC 2010). I examined the genetic variability (13 microsatellite loci) in 869 out-migrating smolt and post-spawning kelt samples, collected from 1985 to 2011 for a total of 22 annual collections and a 30 year span of assigned cohorts. I estimated the annual effective number of breeders (Nb) and the generational effective population size (Ne) through genetic methods and demographically using the anadromous sex ratio. Comparisons between genetic and demographic estimates show that the anadromous spawners inadequately explain the observed Ne estimates, suggesting that mature male parr are significantly increasing Nb and Ne over the study period. Spawning as parr appears to be a viable and important strategy in the near absence of anadromous males.