Thesis (M.S. - Hydrology and Water Resources)--University of Arizona. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 175-176).

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Bryn Mawr College, 1917. / Vita. "Reprinted from the Smith College studies in history 1917." Bibliography: p. [334]-338.

Biological and systematic study of the immature stages of the biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) has been infrequent, although the family is one of the largest in the order, with over 4,000 species worldwide, and is ubiquitous among aquatic/semiaquatic environments. An ecosystematic analysis is presented here of the Ceratopogonidae in Virginia and contiguous states based mainly on a diversified biological field survey, with particular attention to associating immature stages with adults, and acquisition of ecological data. I emphasized (a) extraction of larvae and pupae; (b) two methods of rearing, developed for this study: individual rearing(IR) with an agar-nematode technique, and collective rearing from the habitat substrate in rearing cartons(RC); and (c) field trapping of adults at the habitats. In Section I, a faunistic assessment - the first of its sort - is provided of the total Virginia-region ceratopogonid fauna, in all developmental stages, with a focus on <i>Culicoides</i>, including a comparative evaluation of the relative abundance of the ceratopogonid genera with respect to methods of collecting and extracting. High taxonomic richness of the ceratopogonid fauna in the Middle Atlantic states is reflected in the 150 described and 42 undescribed (new) species recovered. A detailed geographic checklist for the 222 species of Virginia and the five contiguous states is presented and interpreted. At least 54 Culicoides species are present in the Middle Atlantic u.s. About half of the larval species can be determined in Virginia. With the results of this study, 93% of breeding sites for the genus are known in Virginia, more than for any other state. Section II assembles and synopsizes data on the autecology, life history, habitat, morphology, systematics, as well as geographic and seasonal occurrence of 28 species (3 new) and 10 genera in two related tribes of predaceous biting midges, Heteromyiini and Sphaeromiini (subfamily Ceratopogoninae). Shorelines are the "archetypical arena" in which these larvae thrive, typically above and below the water line. Their habitats and substrates are characterized in detail. The greatest diversity of larvae in these tribes consistently occurs in and along mid-reach streams{Order: 3 to 5). Mechanisms of ecological partitioning by sympatric species, and the differential adaptive significance of larval, pupal and adult morphological characters are evaluated. Taxonomic and ecological diversity in these groups are clearly related. / Ph. D.

Numerous empirical studies outside of forestry have analyzed the role of price expectations in different decision processes. Empirical studies using price expectations in forestry research is a relatively new field of endeavor. Past studies have typically ignored or given cursory treatment to the role of price expectations. This study provides a review of studies in forestry that have attempted to incorporate price expectations into model formulations. Models are then developed to explain the short-run harvest, and long-run regeneration expenditure decisions by the non-industrial private forest owner, incorporating different distributed lag formulations to account for price expectations. The estimated models for the short-run harvest decision, using cross sectional non-aggregated data, indicates that price expectations play a significant role in this decision process. Therefore, price expectations should be incorporated in some form, (i.e. different forms of distributed lags), to properly specify models. Estimated models for the long-run regeneration expenditure decision indicates a weak link between economic variables and the regeneration decision. For both types of models, estimated coefficients for personal characteristics of landowners are in general considered insignificant, indicating the lack of influence that personal characteristics have on these decision processes / Master of Science

Native Americans in the Eastern Woodlands participated in extensive trade networks with their surrounding neighbors, beginning over 4,500 years ago. Lithics, perishable goods, exotics, and knowledge have crisscrossed the landscape throughout prehistory. By determining a general region from which copper artifacts originated and linking it with the location of their use and eventual discard, this research reveals "trade" patterns and thus advances our understanding of culture change in the Eastern Woodlands. This project focuses on evaluating the nature and extent of this interaction using copper artifacts from Early to Middle Woodland period sites within the Middle Atlantic region. These sites include Abbott Farm and Rosenkrans Ferry in New Jersey and Nassawango in Maryland. This study uses laser ablation multi-collector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry to examine trace-element concentrations of copper in artifacts and thus tests existing regional models of prehistoric exchange. By examining the elemental composition of copper this study was able to determine whether the artifacts from these sites were made on raw material from single or multiple geological sources, and where those sources might be located. The elemental study showed that geologic sources of copper represented by the artifacts found on a site could have come from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North Carolina and Canada. These geological sources are all located within the eastern United States. This helped to clarify how native peoples in the Middle Atlantic Region acquired copper and whether current reconstructions of ancient patterns of trade could account for the regional distribution of copper artifacts. A series of expectations based on interpretations of the chemical data were constructed to evaluate existing exchange models. Certain aspects of the exchange models did hold up in light of this study. A broad-based (down the line) exchange network was identified for the Early Woodland site examined in this study. Similarly, broad-based exchange networks were seen at Middle Woodland sites; with the addition of a more complex focused exchange network with copper coming from within the region. This means that prehistoric groups in this region, while they appear to exhibit signs of increased socio-cultural complexity, provide stronger evidence of a reciprocally shared ideology based on probable kin relations. Similarly, these results agree with previous copper sourcing studies carried out in the mid-continent. Identifying the provenance of artifacts used in exchange networks is important for understanding interactions among prehistoric groups and the impact of these networks on social organization. Furthermore, by combining geological, archaeological, and anthropological data this research elucidates processes of material resource acquisition and determines if they change through time. Research into the identification of raw material sources, the archaeological context of exotic artifacts, the movement of those artifacts between groups, and the significance or value attached to those artifacts through the act of exchange all contribute to an understanding of prehistoric behavioral and social processes. / Anthropology

Thesis (M.S.)--Rutgers University, 2007. / "Graduate Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering." Includes bibliographical references (p. 71-76).

There are four goals to this study. The first is to investigate the diet of prehistoric dogs (Canis familiaris) in the Northeast region of North America using stable isotope analysis. The second goal of this study is to generate independent data concerning the presence or absence of C4 resources, such as maize, in the diets of dogs. Third, this study investigates the use of dog bone as a proxy for human bone in studies assessing the presence of C4 resources at archaeological sites. The fourth goal of this study is to provide a check on existing interpretations of the material, macro- and micro-botanical records as it concerns the presence or absence of C4 resources at the sites involved in this study. Stable isotope analysis is a science that allows the measuring of the abundance ratio of two stable isotopes of a particular element. Stable isotope analysis can differentiate C4 and C3 plants, as well as terrestrial and marine resources in material such as bone where the chemistry of diet becomes recorded. Given the importance of C4 plants to many prehistoric populations, in the absence of direct evidence identifying their presence at archaeological sites, an alternate method for identification is needed. Maize played an important role in changing human behaviors during prehistory including: decisions to increase sedentism, abuse of power structures, and stratification of gender roles within human populations. Additionally, an overall decrease in health is seen in prehistoric populations who focused their subsistence practices on maize. Dogs were chosen as the focus of this study because related research suggests that their diet tends to mimic human diet. Prehistoric dogs were scavengers, but they were also intentionally fed companions. The suggestion that dog diet in some way mimics human diet means that stable isotope ratios from their bone will reflect the type of resources available for consumption by their human counterparts. As such, this investigation may also indirectly inform on the diets of the American Indian inhabitants of the settlements in which these dog remains originate. Thirty samples of dog bone, dating from the Early Ceramic Period, ca. 3000 B.P. to the Late Woodland and Early Historic Period, were obtained from museum and personal collections, and from ongoing archaeological excavations throughout the Northeast region of North America. Stable isotope analysis was conducted at Notre Dame's Center for Environmental Science and Technology. The results of this analysis indicates that these prehistoric dogs consumed the types of resources represented in the archaeological record with one important exception: consumption of C4 resources, possibly maize, was occurring at several sites where no other evidence of C4 exploitation exists. Of the dogs sampled ten were from pre-agricultural sites in Maine and their stable isotope ratios indicated a diet of marine and terrestrial resources. Nineteen dogs were excavated from components dating to the Late Woodland or Historic Period. During the Late Woodland and Historic Period the C4 plant maize was exploited by many human groups in the study region. Interpretation based on stable isotopes from bone collagen indicates that six of these dogs had isotopic signatures within the range of significant C4 resource consumption. Stable isotope ratios from the remaining dogs indicate a smaller contribution of C4 resources to diet. According to 13C ratios from carbonate three dogs, two from New Jersey (DB2, DB8) and one from Maryland (DB11), had a significant C4 plant component to their diet. The remaining Late Woodland and Historic period dogs most likely consumed minor amounts of C4 resources. In addition to identifying C4 resources in the diet of dogs, the value of assessing isotope data from both collagen and carbonate is investigated. The sample size for this study was small in comparison to the size of the region assessed. Despite the small sample size, this analysis contributes to our knowledge of past dog and human subsistence patterns. Our understanding of the utility of stable isotope studies of human companion species has also expanded. In addition to investigating the presence of C4 resources in the diet of prehistoric dogs, this research provides an alternate line of inquiry to re-assess current interpretations, especially in areas where direct evidence of isotopically identifiable C4 plants, such as maize are currently lacking. The results of this study are applicable first and foremost to the consumption patterns of the individual animals sampled. However, that these dogs were consuming particular resources provides at least a clue of what was under consideration by their human counterparts. / Anthropology

Horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) have been harvested along the east coast of the United States since the 1800s, however a Fishery Management Plan (FMP) was only recently created for this species. To date, there have not been any studies that have attempted to identify or quantify bycatch in the horseshoe crab trawl fishery. A horseshoe crab trawl survey was started in 2001 to collect data on the relative abundance, distribution, and population demographics of horseshoe crabs along the Atlantic coast of the United States. In the present study, species composition data were collected at sites sampled by the horseshoe crab trawl survey in 2005 and 2006. Seventy-six different taxa were identified as potential bycatch in the horseshoe crab trawl fishery. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMS) was used to cluster sites and identify the spatial distribution of taxa. Sites strongly clustered into distinct groups, suggesting that species composition changes spatially and seasonally. Species composition shifted between northern and southern sites. Location and bottom water temperature explain most of the variation in species composition. These results provide a list of species that are susceptible to this specific trawl gear and describe their distribution during fall months throughout the study area. Identifying these species and describing their distribution is a first step to understanding the ecosystem-level effects of the horseshoe crab trawl fishery. / Master of Science

This thesis covers more than thirty years of the author's research into the Paleoamerican period of the Middle Atlantic Region of North America, including the last 19+ years of focused work on the Cactus Hill site (44SX202) and replication of the Paleoamerican occupation discovered there. Using a landform and geology based predictive model derived from the Paleoamerican occupation at Cactus Hill, the author directed preliminary archaeological testing in three other areas of the same Nottoway River Valley, where Cactus Hill is located. These areas were the Barr site, located 11 miles (18 km.) downriver from Cactus Hill; the Chub Sandhill Natural Resource Conservation Area, located 19 miles (30 km.) downriver from Cactus Hill; and the Blueberry Hill site (44SX327), located approximately 1,000 feet (300 meters) east of Cactus Hill. The latter two produced OSL dated, pre-Younger-Dryas landforms, as predicted. The Rubis-Pearsall site (44SX360), located in the Chub Sandhill preserve also produced a buried Paleoamerican, Clovis age cultural level confirming the model. In addition to the OSL dates, Blueberry Hill also produced a distinct and apparently discrete activity surface with a possible pre-Clovis age Cactus Hill point at the same depth as the Paleoamerican levels at Cactus Hill and Rubis-Pearsall.