Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:20:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseIFL.pdf: 1653270 bytes, checksum: d6ff79040f7d64a51144d511521bb5f0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-06-07 / Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos / This study evaluates the levels of variability, genetic structure, and phylogeographical patterns of wild populations of Jabiru Storks (Jabiru mycteria) and Wood Storks (Mycteria americana). These species belong to the family Ciconiidae and present similar morphology, distribution, and ecological requirements. However, the Jabiru Stork is resident and Wood Stork is migratory. Sequences of 549 base pairs (bp) of the first domain of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region (CRI) and 822 bp of ND2 gene (ND2), and four heterologous microsatellite loci were used in a survey covering the entire range of Jabiru Storks (72 specimens from Central America, northern and central South America). A lack of diversity was detected in both mtDNA fragments of Central American samples analyzed. The smaller population size of Central American Jabiru Storks population and its demographic decline were potentially responsible for the lower variability observed in this area. Significant genetic differentiation was detected among locations (CRI, Фst = 0.1767; ND2, Фst = 0.4442; microsatellites, Fst = 0.1044). The recent habitat fragmentation and the limited dispersal of Jabiru Storks were likely causes of the high level of differentiation that we detected. Samples of Wood Storks collected in eight Pantanal colonies (n = 48) and eight southeast United States (US) colonies (n = 40) were analyzed using CRI sequences (464bp). A lack of differentiation was detected among colonies in the Pantanal (Fst = -0.015) and also among those sampled in the US (Fst = -0.043), suggesting high levels of gene flow among colonies, or even recent colonization followed by expansion in those areas. A further comparison between Pantanal and US samples revealed significant genetic structure (Fst = 0.059), which indicates that gene flow is limited between these population units. The phylogeographical analysis suggested a historical relationship between Pantanal and US populations. We hypothesize that during the last glaciation maximum, birds moved to more climatically stable areas near the equatorial region, where higher levels of gene flow then occurred. Demographic expansions in the Pantanal region was evidenced in the mtDNA analysis of both species, and might be associated with the recent formation of this wetland areas following increased temperatures and humidity in the Holocene. / Este estudo estimou os níveis de variabilidade e estruturação genética e os padrões filogeográficos de populações naturais de tuiuiús (Jabiru mycteria) e de cabeças-secas (Mycteria americana), no continente americano. Ambas as espécies pertencem à família Ciconiidae, apresentam distribuição geográfica, morfologia e biologia similares, porém o tuiuiú é residente, enquanto que o cabeça-seca é migratório. Seqüências do DNA mitocondrial (DNAmit) do primeiro domínio da região controladora (CRI, 549 pb) e do gene ND2 (ND2, 822 pb) e quatro locos de microssatélites heterólogos foram utilizados nas análises das amostras de tuiuiús, coletadas nas áreas de reprodução na América Central, no norte e no centro da América do Sul (n = 72). Ausência de diversidade foi detectada nos fragmentos do DNAmit estudados nas amostras de tuiuiús coletadas na América Central. O tamanho populacional menor e o declínio demográfico ocorrido na América Central foram considerados para explicar o baixo nível de diversidade observado nessa população de tuiuiús. Foi observada diferenciação genética significativa entre as localidades amostradas (CRI, Фst = 0.1767; ND2, Фst = 0.4442; microssatélites, Fst = 0.1044). A recente fragmentação do habitat e a dispersão limitada dos tuiuiús entre as áreas amostradas foram discutidas como prováveis causas da alta diferenciação genética observada. Seqüências de 464 pb do CRI foram analisadas em amostras das colônias de cabeças-secas coletadas no Pantanal (n =48) e das colônias do sudeste dos Estados Unidos (EUA) (n = 40). Não foi observada diferenciação genética significativa entre as amostras regionais (Pantanal, Fst = -0.015; EUA, Fst = -0.043), sugerindo ocorrência de fluxo gênico intenso ou recente colonização com expansão dessas populações, no Pantanal e nos EUA. Subdivisão populacional significativa foi observada, entretanto, entre as amostras do Pantanal e a do sudeste dos EUA (Fst = 0.059), indicando que o fluxo contemporâneo entre essas populações é limitado. A análise filogeográfica sugeriu ocorrência níveis intensos de fluxo gênico histórico entre as populações do Pantanal e dos EUA. Esse fluxo pode ter sido favorecido quando mudanças climáticas ocorreram no último período glacial, forçando o deslocamento dessas aves para regiões climaticamente mais estáveis e aumentando a possibilidade de trocas gênicas entre elas. Resultados indicativos de expansão demográfica recente na região do Pantanal foram evidenciados pelas análises das seqüências de DNAmit em ambas espécies e podem estar associados à recente formação desta planície alagável.

There is a strong conservation need to understand traits of native species that adapt to urban environments, but results have been equivocal. Wetland birds have shown a strong phylogenetic signal towards urban tolerance; however, these species have largely been ignored in urban studies. I used Wood Storks (Mycteria americana) to determine how a wetland species of conservation concern responded to human-induced landscape change in South Florida. Specifically, my study investigated 1) resource selection of storks in roadway corridors, 2) factors influencing stork prey biomass in roadside created wetlands, 3) dietary flexibility of storks in response to human-induced landscape change, and 4) the impact of urban food subsidies on natural food limitations and stork productivity. I found that storks preferred canals and roadway corridors within the urban landscape. At a finer scale, storks selected for more natural wetland vegetation even within the urban landscape cover type. These results suggest that roadway corridors even within a highly urbanized area may provide adequate foraging habitat for storks. Factors influencing stork prey biomass in roadside created wetlands varied depending on created wetland type. I found that landscape-level vegetation and the physical properties of a created wetland were more influential in permanently inundated created wetlands whereas local-scale vegetation and hydrologic conditions were most influential in ephemeral created wetlands. Storks also selected prey that were more similar to the larger-bodied fishes in created wetlands than the smaller fishes in natural wetlands. Urban nesting storks selected prey that were more characteristic of created wetlands whereas storks nesting in natural wetlands selected prey that was more characteristic of prey found in natural wetlands. These results suggested that storks may have behavioral plasticity in foraging habitat and prey selection to adapt to some degree of human-induced rapid environmental change. Additionally, storks nesting in both urban and natural wetlands had narrow diet breadths and high productivity during optimal natural wetland conditions; however, during suboptimal natural conditions, urban stork diet expanded to include anthropogenic items, leading to increased productivity. Overall, this research provides a mechanistic understanding of how a wetland species persists, and even thrives, in an urban environment. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2020. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:20:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 3280.pdf: 5102569 bytes, checksum: f511b08e43998ea79e0f9b0ac5ed969b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-08-06 / Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos / Population genetic parameters and genetic relatedness estimates were carried out for Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja), Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) and Great Egret (Ardea alba egretta) reproductive colonies in Amapa, Pantanal and Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil. Microsatellite genotypes were used to investigate kinship patterns between nestlings sampled inside the same nests, using a variety of analytical approaches. Unrelated nestling-pairs were observed in Roseate Spoonbill nests (6.12% of analyzed nests) and in Wood Stork nests (11.34%); half-siblings were present in Roseate Spoonbill nests as well (1.36%). Only full-siblings were detected inside Great Egret nests. Conspecific brood parasitism (CBP) and extra-pair paternity were proposed to account for the presence of unrelated nestmates and half-siblings, respectively, in Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork nests. Those results suggest the occurrence of a mating system different than genetic monogamy in natural populations of those waterbirds. Genetic relatedness was also investigated for adults and offspring, as well as for supposed siblings in Roseate Spoonbill families kept in three zoological facilities in the U.S. Paternity and maternity allocation analyses through maximum-likelihood revealed that errors were present in zoo‟s studbooks in relation to the familial records. We also identified mating between related individuals that were not detected previously by zookeepers. Population genetic parameters were also estimated and demographic processes were assessed for Great Egret reproductive colonies in the Pantanal and Rio Grande do Su, Brazil. Bayesian clustering analyses, assignment tests, analysis of molecular variance, F-statistics estimates, allelic frequency distribution and the G-W index revealed that: i) Pantanal reproductive colonies are genetically differentiated from Rio Grande do Sul colonies; ii) an IBD-like pattern alone cannot explain that differentiation; and iii) genetic signal of a reduction of population size was present for two colonies in the Pantanal and one in Rio Grande do Sul. Results were discussed considering a metapopulation dynamic and also considering that populations from both Brazilian regions represent distinct units and deserve to be treated separately when planning and carrying out conservation and management programs that aim to preserve the species‟ genetic diversity. / Estudos de genética de populações e de parentesco genético foram desenvolvidos em colhereiro (Platalea ajaja), cabeça-seca (Mycteria americana) e garça-branca-grande (Ardea alba egretta), de colônias reprodutivas do Amapá, Pantanal e Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brasil. Genótipos em locos de microssatélites foram utilizados para se investigar os padrões de relacionamento entre ninhegos amostrados dentro dos mesmos ninhos com diferentes metodologias de análise. Pares de ninhegos não-relacionados foram encontrados nos ninhos de colhereiro (6,12% dos pares analisados) e de cabeça-seca (11,34%); meio-irmãos foram observados nos ninhos de colhereiro (1,36%). Em garça branca grande foi detectada apenas a presença de irmãos-completos dentro dos ninhos. Parasitismo de ninho intraespecífico e paternidade extra-par podem explicar a presença de ninhegos não-relacionados e meio-irmãos nos ninhos de colhereiro e cabeça-seca, o que indica a presença de um sistema de acasalamento diferente da monogamia genética nas populações naturais dessas espécies. Relações de parentesco entre adultos e filhotes e entre supostos irmãos foram determinadas em famílias de colhereiro de três zoológicos dos EUA. Análises de atribuição de maternidade e paternidade por máxima verossimilhança revelaram erros nos registros dos zoológicos quanto às relações progenitor-progênie e identificaram acasalamentos entre indivíduos aparentados que não tinham sido registrados. Parâmetros genético-populacionais e processos demográficos foram investigados em populações de garça-branca-grande do Pantanal e do Rio Grande do Sul. Análises Bayesianas, testes de alocação de indivíduos, análises de variância molecular, estimativa de estatísticas F, exame da distribuição das freqüências alélicas e cálculo do índice de G-W permitiram identificar que: i) há diferenciação genética significativa entre colônias reprodutivas do Pantanal e do Rio Grande do Sul; ii) o padrão de isolamento pela distância não explica essa diferenciação; e iii) duas populações no Pantanal e uma população no RS apresentaram sinais genéticos de redução demográfica. Os resultados foram discutidos considerando que as populações de garça-branca-grande localizadas no Pantanal e no Rio Grande do Sul são unidades populacionais independentes e devem se tratar separadamente no planejamento e desenvolvimento de programas de manejo para a conservação da diversidade genética total da espécie.