North American grassland bird populations are declining more rapidly than other groups of birds. A well-established method of quantifying and monitoring grassland bird populations is by locating active nests. Active nests are often difficult to locate in grassland swards due to the varying heights within the canopy that nests are established. Studies quantifying grassland bird populations have low statistical power due to low sample sizes and high disturbance. Advances in small, unmanned aerial systems and thermographic imaging technologies have potential to improve efficiency of locating nests throughout canopies. This study explored detection accuracy of using thermal imagery to identify simulated grassland bird nests located at different heights within monoculture tall-stature grass canopies. This methodology was tested in blind evaluations, using multiple evaluators. Results from this study suggest that surveying thermal images is a reliable method for detecting active nests at depths of up to 1 m into a grass canopy.

I studied the nest-site selection of the Acadian Flycatcher (Empidonax virescens) in the George Washington National Forest of southwestern Virginia from early May through July 1996 and 1997. Data were collected from nine 30 ha study plots. I measured habitat features at 37 Acadian Flycatcher nests and compared them to 30 nonuse sites randomly selected within the vegetation types associated with nests. Because Acadian Flycatchers have a strong riparian habitat association for nest-site selection, nonuse sites were established along riparian corridors not occupied by nesting flycatchers. Data also were collected to determine relationships between microhabitat characteristics and nesting success of the Acadian Flycatcher. Nest-sites were associated with a more mature or climax community, as evident from the high percentage (75%) of nests in eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), a climax community tree species and the greater basal area found at nest-sites over nonuse sites. Nest-sites also had lower small stem density and ground cover than nonuse sites. Nest-sites were always found near streams, although I found no conclusive evidence that any stream characteristic influenced nest-site selection. Habitat features did not differ between successful and depredated nests. Brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) was not a major factor in the reproductive success of Acadian Flycatchers (only a 2% parasitism rate); depredation accounted for the majority of nest failures. These results suggest that silviculture activities near riparian corridors could drastically reduce habitat availability and subsequently contribute to population declines of the Acadian Flycatcher. Future research should focus on determining the size of riparian buffer strips needed to retain this species along riparian corridors in the Appalachian Mountains. This strategy can be applied to the current downtown revitalization efforts by the City of Muncie. The ideas and general theories can also be applied by small Indiana towns which suffer from economic problems. A comprehensive plan that is tailored specifically for a downtown which account for the organization, design, economic, and promotion needs of downtown will set the course for successful commercial revitalization. / Department of Biology

Nest sites of reticulate sculpin (Cottus perplexus) were located in two stream reaches, one from a basalt basin and one from a sandstone basin. Stream reaches were similar in gradient, basin area, elevation, climate, and riparian vegetation but differed in biologic community structure and substrate characteristics. An electivity index was used to determine if selection for nest sites occurred and also to compare patterns of selection between habitat types and stream reaches. Eggs from nests were collected so comparisons in reproductive effort could be made between streams and habitat types. Cobble sized substrate was positively elected in all habitat units examined and moderate embeddedness (6-25%) was positively elected in all units but one. No nests were found on bedrock, wood, or fine sediment substrate. A small number of nests were found on both larger gravel and boulder size particles. Only two out of 471 nests located were associated with rocks which were embedded 51% or more. Reproductive effort on a per nest basis was greater in the basalt stream. Nest weights in the basalt stream exceeded nest weights in the sandstone stream by 90% (95% confidence interval 52-152%) on average and the number of eggs per nest was 39% (95% confidence interval 8-79%)greater in the basalt stream. Differences in reproductive effort per nest within an individual stream were not detected in comparisons among scour pools, riffles, high cobble density and low cobble density habitat units. Reproductive effort per nest varied through the sampling period with intermediate effort early, low effort in the mid portion and the highest effort late. This pattern was apparent in both streams but statistically significant in the sandstone stream only. Nest densities were similar at 0.16 nest/m�� and 0.17 nest/m�� for the basalt and sandstone streams respectively. Differences in nest densities within streams were not detected between scour pools and riffles in either stream or between high and low cobble density units in the basalt stream. A difference was detected between high and low cobble density units in the sandstone stream (p=0.02). Nest densities were greater on average in the tailout portions of pools as opposed to the head and body portions in both streams but statistically significant in the sandstone stream only (p=0.04). We speculate that because patterns of electivity were similar between streams and between different habitat types within a stream, all with different levels of habitat availability, that male fitness is tightly linked with habitat selection for nest sites. Our results would suggest that reticulate sculpin nest site selection and reproductive effort are not strongly influenced by habitat on a geomorphic channel unit scale. It may be more appropriate to delineate sculpin habitat by substrate patches within geomorphic habitat units. / Graduation date: 1998

The diversity and abundance of the arthropod nest fauna of House Sparrows (Passer domesticus (L.)) and Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot)) in southern Quebec were studied. Over 90,000 arthropods were extracted from the nests, including at least 71 species (50 families) of insects and at least 11 species (8 families) of mites. There were no significant differences in the species richness or diversity of nest arthropods from year to year (1997--1998), or from nest to nest within either host species. There was no significant difference in the overall species richness or diversity between House Sparrows and Tree Swallows. Cluster analyses of species richness and three diversity indices for all nests showed no clustering according to bird species. However, there were some significant differences in the abundance and diversity of particular arthropod taxa between the two bird species, with different ectoparasitic and non-ectoparasitic species dominant in the nests of each host species.

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No description available.

Two species of large carpenter bees (genus Xylocopa) were studied in southern Arizona. Nesting preference of X. c. arizonensis in floral scapes of Agave palmeri was found to depend on floral scape age and status of the thermal microenvironment. Evidence suggests that females assess scape age with extreme accuracy and this ability enables them to avoid those scapes that are degraded by other biota. Females also preferentially used Agave scapes that were shaded from the afternoon sunlight. Male mating behavior and lek site selection of X. varipuncta was also investigated near a large nesting site in a topographically flat area. Behaviors analyzed indicate that males tend to display singly and that they disperse pheromonal signals. Lek site selection was in accord with that found at three other study sites and further demonstrated that males did not clump their territories near nest sites. Distribution of male territories therefore does not appear to correspond to female distributions in the environment.

Eighty-three species of vascular plants were inventoried on the prairie relict during peak dickcissel nesting. Based on foliar cover and occurrence frequency, the five dominant plants were heath aster (Aster ericoides), eastern gammagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), sensitive briar (Schrankia roemeriana) and meadow dropseed (Sporobolus asper). Sixty-one percent of dickcissel nests were constructed on or immediately next to three plant species: eastern gammagrass, sensitive briar and green milkweed.

South Florida's loggerhead (Caretta caretta), green (Chelonia mydas) and leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) sea turtles hatchling have environmentally determined sex. The in situ nest mean hatchling sex ratios (SR) were highly female-biased : loggerhead F=0.89) and green turtle F=0.81; leatherback's SR was nearly balanced (0.55F). Nest temperatures and SRs differed between leatherbacks and loggerhead and green turtles. The latter two did not differ. The loggerhead response parameters were estimated within biological limitations by both 50-65% of incubation and mean middle 1/3 temperature. The maximum middle 1/3 temperature was the best-fit predictor for green turtles. No best-fit sex ratio-temperature response could be identified for leatherbacks. Clutches incubating under natural conditions can vary greatly in SR ; TRT differences may account for differences among species' sex ratios. / by Micah Marie Rogers. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

The identification of resources animals select provides valuable insight into the factors that limit populations and control distributions. My objective in this thesis was to examine how the northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis atricapillus) selects resources during the nesting and fledging life-history stages. This work was conducted in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, from 1998 to 2006. Using Information-Theoretic techniques, I described the forest characteristics selected by goshawks when locating their nest sites within their breeding territories, and the forest characteristics selected by fledgling goshawks around the nest while they are still dependent on their parents for food. I found that goshawks select nesting sites with a relatively large amount of high canopy cover (>40%) forest within 200 m of the nest. The amount of high canopy cover forest remained higher than comparison points up to 1100 m from the nest, but goshawks also will select for forest openings relatively close to the nest (- 174 m). Fledgling goshawks selected for continuous areas of forest cover, particularly areas with higher amounts of forest between 40-80 years old within 525 m distance from the nest. Presumably, goshawks selected these younger stands in order to avoid predation. Fledglings also selected areas with more high canopy cover forest and areas without large amounts of recently-harvested forest (<10 years of age) stands within 525 m of the nest. Thus, the structural characteristics of forests required by goshawks for nesting are complex, and different competing characteristics are selected at different distances from the nest. Although goshawks do require mature forest stands with high canopy cover close to the nest, a greater diversity of forest types appears to be either tolerated or required as the distance from the nest increases. Additionally, limited evidence suggests that the movements of fledgling goshawks may be governed by a combination of forest structure and inter-familiar interactions.