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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
651

Smörkullen- the forgotten cemetery : Dietary studies of a Roman Iron Age cemetery in Västra Tollstad parish, Östergötland

Lindberg, Tove January 2009 (has links)
This thesis deals with individuals buried at Smörkullen, Västra Tollstad parish, Östergötland, Sweden. The aim is to reconstruct the diet of the individuals through stable isotope analyses and then try to identify if social hierarchy correlates with the diet. To do this, 35 individuals were divided into different groups (males, females, high status graves, low status graves, young adults, adults, seniors and trepanned individuals) and then subjected to stable isotope analyses of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur. The results show that all individuals lived mainly on freshwater fish with a few exceptions that had a more mixed diet of terrestrial protein and freshwater fish. The sulphur analyses showed that one female (possibly two) has moved to the area sometime after the age of seven. Because of the homogenous diet of freshwater fish no social hierarchy based on diet could be established.
652

Hydrologic Controls on Salinity in Mangroves and Lagoons

Stringer, Christina Elaine 10 November 2010 (has links)
This dissertation explores the hydrologic controls on salinity within mangroves and lagoons at sites in Florida and Mexico. The main objective of this research is to better understand hydrologic controls on mangrove ecosystem structure and develop ideas that will be useful to land managers attempting to regulate and conserve these critical habitats. This study was conducted at sites in Ft. Pierce, FL and Costalegre on the central Pacific coast of Mexico. We examined controls on water levels and salinity in a mangrove on a carbonate barrier island along the Indian River Lagoon, east-central Florida. Spectral analysis of water levels showed that mangrove groundwater levels are not tidally influenced. Salinities vary spatially, with values of ~10 in upland environments to ~75 psu in irregularly-flushed mangroves. Water chemistry indicates that water salinities are largely controlled by enrichment due to evapotranspiration. An electrical resistivity survey showed that the freshwater lens is restricted to uplands and that hypersaline waters extend deeply below the mangrove. These results indicate that evapotranspiration lowers water levels in the mangrove, which causes Indian River Lagoon water to flow into the mangrove where it evapoconcentrates and descends, forming a thick layer of high-salinity water below the mangrove. Spatial variability of terrain conductivity in the Ft. Pierce mangrove varied under two hydrologic management regimes, breached rotational impoundment management and rotational impoundment management. The difference in coefficient of variation (CV) between the breached RIM and RIM data was calculated to examine spatial variability in both the shallow and deep layers. A null-hypothesis model was employed to examine the statistical significance of the CV results. The average water levels were -0.06 m amsl and 0.49 m amsl during the breached-RIM and RIM regimes, respectively. The average shallow (EM31) layer terrain conductivity shifted slightly from 1868 mS m -1 to 1825 mS m-1 after the alteration in management regime, yet the standard deviation of these averages decrease from 656 mS m-1 to 216 mS m-1. The average deep (EM34) layer terrain conductivities were 328 mS m-1 and 255 mS m-1 during the breached-RIM and RIM regimes, respectively. The temporal CVs were 0.23 and -0.04 for the shallow and deep layers, respectively. The null-hypothesis model for the shallow layer illustrates that the difference in spatial structure is statistically significant. The deep layer CV was not statistically significant. These results indicate that the transition from breached RIM to RIM resulted in changes to both the physical and chemical hydrologic character of the impoundment, especially in the shallow layer. The second study sites were three mangrove communities along the central Pacific Mexican coast. Salinities varied by water type, with values of ~9 in La Manzanilla, ~17 in La Vena, ~33 in Barra de Navidad, ~0.4 in the fresh waters, and ~34 in the seawater. Sodium and Chloride concentrations and isotopic signatures, as well as salinity, were used as tracers in mass-balance mixing models to quantify estimates of relative fresh-water and seawater contributions to each site. La Manzanilla, a basin mangrove, had mean fresh-water contribution estimates of 63-84%. La Vena, a riverine mangrove, had fresh-water estimates of 39-51%. Barra de Navidad, a fringe mangrove, had low fresh-water contributions of 0-5%. These results illustrates that the role groundwater plays in mangrove hydrodynamics is dependent on the site hydrogeomorphology.
653

The use of δ]¹³C values of leporid teeth as indicators of past vegetation / The use of [delta]¹³C values of leporid teeth as indicators of past vegetation

Wicks, Travis Zhi-Rong 15 November 2013 (has links)
Records of change of [delta]13C values in vertebrate teeth offer an opportunity to gain insight into changes in past vegetation. Increasingly, teeth from small mammals are used for such purposes, but because their teeth grow very rapidly, seasonal changes in vegetation potentially provide a large source of variability in carbon isotope composition, complicating interpretations of small mammal tooth isotope data. To investigate the controls of seasonality on the stable isotope composition of fossil teeth, we constructed a Monte-Carlo-based model to simulate the effects of changes in the seasonal pattern of diet in leporid lagomorphs (rabbits and hares) on the distribution of [delta]¹³C values in random populations of leporid teeth from the Edwards Plateau in central Texas. Changes in mean-state, seasonal vegetation range, and relative season length manifest themselves in predictable ways in the median, standard deviation, and skewness of simulated tooth [delta]¹³C populations, provided sufficient numbers of teeth are analyzed. This Monte Carlo model was applied to the interpretation of a 20,000 year record of leporid tooth [delta]¹³C values from Hall's Cave on the Edwards Plateau in central Texas. Variations in the [delta]¹³C values of teeth deposited at the same time (standard deviation = 1.69%) are larger than changes in the mean vegetation composition reconstructed from bulk organic carbon [delta]¹³C, indicating the influence of short-term variability, making it difficult to assess changes in mean C3/C4 vegetation from the tooth [delta]¹³C data. However, populations of teeth from different climate intervals (e.g., the late Glacial, Younger Dryas, and the Holocene) display changes in the shape of the tooth [delta]¹³C distributions. Interpretation of these changes as shifts in seasonal vegetation patterns that are based upon results from our model are consistent with hypothesized climatic changes. An increase in the standard deviation of the tooth population between the late Glacial and the Younger Dryas -- Holocene is consistent with an increase in seasonality. Furthermore, a shift to more C3-dominated vegetation in the tooth [delta]¹³C distribution during the Younger Dryas is accompanied by a more skewed population -- indicative of not only wetter conditions but an increase in the duration in the C3 growing season. However, late Holocene changes in vegetation are not clear in the tooth data, despite the evidence from bulk organic carbon [delta]¹³C values for an increase in % C3 vegetation of 57%. Small mammal teeth can potentially provide unique insights into climate and vegetation on seasonal and longer timescales that complement other data, but should be interpreted with a careful consideration of local conditions, taxon ecology and physiology, and the dominant timescales of isotope variability. / text
654

Gradients of time and complexity : understanding how riparian and instream ecosystems recover after stream restoration

Hasselquist, Eliza Maher January 2015 (has links)
Why evaluations of the ecological outcomes of stream and river restoration have largely reported inconclusive or negative results has been the subject of much debate over the last decade or more. Understanding the reasons behind the lack of positive results is important for bettering future restoration efforts and setting realistic expectations for restoration outcomes. This thesis explores possible explanations for why researchers have failed to find clear and predictable biotic responses to stream restoration: recovery time has been too short, that restoration of habitat complexity is not clearly linked to instream biodiversity, that one monitored organism group is not representative of the entire community, that restoration effort was not intense enough to restore the potential habitat complexity of a system, and that reach-scale restoration done in the presence of catchment-scale degradation obscures restoration results. The overarching goal of this thesis is to study the holistic effect of reach-scale restoration of historic reach-scale simplification, due to timber floating in northern Swedish streams, thus avoiding the added pressure of catchment-scale degradation typically found at most restoration sites (e.g., non-point-source pollution and impervious cover). Using this model system, I was able to show that it took 25 years for riparian plant species richness at restored sites to increase above that of channelized sites. Furthermore, it was clear that restoration of these streams caused a large and rapid change in N-processing in the riparian zone and this alteration persists for at least 25 years. Additionally, multiple metrics of geomorphic complexity were needed to explain some of the more subtle responses of organism groups. Macroinvertebrates, diatoms, and macrophytes did not respond concordantly and cannot serve as surrogates or indicators for each other. I found that older best practice methods of restoration rarely restored the large-scale features needed to bring the sites up to their potential complexity because these elements were destroyed or removed from the system. Advanced restoration techniques used in more recent restorations added big boulders and instream wood and increased complexity to a level that elicited a biological response. By combining surveys of multiple metrics of structure, diversity of multiple organism groups, and process in this thesis I was able to get a holistic view of the effects of restoration of streams after timber floating. We now know that it takes at least 25 years for riparian plants and N-cycling to recover, we understand that multiple metrics of geomorphic complexity should be measured to be able to explain biotic responses, and that restored complexity should better match the potential complexity of the site in order to elicit a biological response. Finally, we know that multiple organism groups need to be assessed when evaluating the response of biodiversity to restoration.
655

Speleothems from Warm Climates : Holocene Records from the Caribbean and Mediterranean Regions

Boyd, Meighan January 2015 (has links)
This thesis contributes to increased knowledge on Holocene climate and environmental variability from two complex and sparsely studied areas. Using a speleothem from Gasparee Cave, Trinidad, as a paleoclimate archive, the local expression of the 8.2 ka (thousand years before 1950) climate event and associated patterns of the inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and rainfall is provided. Subsequent speleothem studies using multi-proxy analysis of stalagmites from Kapsia Cave and Alepotrypa Cave, Greece, provide records of climate, vegetation and human induced changes in the cave environment during parts of the Holocene. The speleothems from the well-studied Neolithic habitation site, Alepotrypa Cave, have produced a climate and habitation record which covers the period of 6.3-1.0 ka. The cave was inhabited between 8.0-5.2 ka and was closed by a tectonic event, which has preserved the settlement. The stable oxygen record shows the first well-dated and robust expression of the 4.2 ka dry event in the Peloponnese, places the timing of the 3.2 ka dry event within an ongoing dry period, and shows a final dry event at 1.6 ka. The North Atlantic as well as more regional drivers, such as the North Sea Caspian Pattern Index is proposed to, in a complex interplay, govern many of the climate trends and events observed. Trace element variation after the site is abandoned indicate what is interpreted as two volcanic eruptions, the Minoan eruption of Thera (Santorini) around 3.6 ka and the 2.7 ka eruption of Somma (Vesuvius). Variations in trace elements during the habitation period show clear human influence, indicating an association with specific cave activities. One of the most interesting prospects for continued work on Alepotrypa Cave is this successful marriage of speleothem studies and archeology. A framework of dates which constrain some behavior of people living in the cave is only the beginning, and there is great potential to continue finding new clues in the speleothem data. / Denna avhandling bidrar till ökad kunskap om klimatets variationer och miljön i två geografiskt skilda områden på låga breddgrader och under tidsperioder inom den Holocena epoken. Genom att använda en droppsten (stalagmit) från Gasparee-grottan, Trinidad, som ett paleoklimatarkiv, har det bland annat varit möjligt att visa att Trinidad upplevde torrare förhållanden under den snabba klimatförändring som observerats ske för 8200 år sedan på många platser i världen. Denna torrare klimatsituation i Trinidad föreslås vara ett resultat av en sydlig förflyttning av den intertropiska konvergenszonen. Övriga stalagmiter som studerats för denna avhandling kommer från Kapsia-grottan och Alepotrypa-grottan som finns på Peloponnesos-halvön i Grekland. Resultaten därifrån speglar dels klimat- och vegetationsvariatoner och dels graden av mänsklig aktivitet, under tiden för ca 8000 år sedan till för 1000 år sedan. Alepotrypa-grottan är känd för att vara en av de större Neolitiska boplatserna i Grekland. Isotop- och spårämnesanalyser av stalagmiterna har bidragit med ny kunskap om tidpunkten för mänsklig aktivitet, hur människorna påverkade grott-miljön samt hur klimatet varierat efter det att grottan, genom en tektonisk händelse, stängdes för människans inverkan. Snabba klimatförändringar, för 4200 och 3200 år sedan, observerade i andra regioner, rekonstrueras här för första gången på Peloponnesos. En snabb förändring mot torrare förhållanden observeras även för 1600 år sedan. De klimatstyrande processerna föreslås vara en kombination av storskaliga processer som den nordatlantiska oscillationen och mer regionala processer som det så kallade North Sea Caspian Pattern Index. Variationer i spårämnen i stalagmiterna efter att Alepotrypa-grottan stängdes kan kopplas till två vulkaniska utbrott, nämligen det Minoiska utbrottet av Thera på ön Santorini kring 3600 år sedan och utbrottet av Somma (Vesuvius) kring 2700 år sedan. Spårämnesvariationer under bo-perioden ger tydliga indikationer på människans påverkan på grottmiljön och som delvis kan länkas till specifika aktiviteter, som eldning av dynga i grottan. Avhandlingen är ett resultat av en framgångsrik kombination av klimatstudier och arkeologisk kunskap och utgör ett viktigt underlag för fördjupat interdisciplinärt forskningssamarbete i Alepotrypa-grottan. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 1: Manuscript. Paper 4: Manuscript. Paper 5: Manuscript. Paper 6: Manuscript.</p>
656

Processes of Magma-crust Interaction : Insights from Geochemistry and Experimental Petrology

Deegan, Frances M January 2010 (has links)
This work focuses on crustal interaction in magmatic systems, drawing on experimental petrology and elemental and isotope geochemistry. Various magma-chamber processes such as magma-mixing, fractional crystallisation and magma-crust interaction are explored throughout the papers comprising the thesis. Emphasis is placed on gaining insights into the extent of crustal contamination in ocean island magmas from the Canary Islands and the processes of magma-crust interaction observed both in nature and in experiments. This research underscores that the compositions of ocean island magmas, even primitive types which are classically used as probes of the mantle, are susceptible to modification by crustal contamination. The principal mechanisms of contamination identified from work on both Tenerife and Gran Canaria (Canary Islands) are assimilation and partial melting of the pre-existing island edifice and intercalated sediments by newly arriving magma (i.e. “island recycling”). The information that we can gain from studying solidified magma and entrained crustal xenoliths concerning the rates and mechanisms of crustal assimilation is, however, limited. To address this shortcoming, a series of time-variable crustal carbonate assimilation experiments were carried out at magmatic pressure and temperature using natural materials from Merapi volcano, Indonesia. A temporally constrained reaction series of carbonate assimilation in magma has hence been constructed. The experiments were analysed using in-situ techniques to observe the progressive textural, elemental, and isotopic evolution of magma-carbonate interaction. Crucially, carbonate assimilation was found to liberate voluminous crustally-derived CO2 on a timescale of only seconds to minutes in the experiments. This points to the role of rapid crustal degassing in volcanic volatile budgets, and, pertinently, in magnifying hazardous volcanic behaviour. This thesis, therefore, delivers detailed insights into the processes of magma-crust interaction from experiments and geochemistry. The outcomes confirm that crustal processes are significant factors in both, i) ocean island magma genesis, and ii) magma differentiation towards compositions with greater explosive potential which can, in turn, manifest as hazardous volcanism. / Felaktigt tryckt som Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Science and Technology 707
657

Ecological determinants of social systems: Comparative and experimental feeding ecology of two mouse lemur species (<i>Microcebus berthae, M. murinus</i>) / Ökologische Determinanten von Sozialsystemen: vergleichende und experimentelle Nahrungsökologie von zwei Mausmaki-Arten (<i>Microcebus berthae, M. murinus</i>)

Dammhahn, Melanie 14 July 2008 (has links)
No description available.
658

Changes in trophic structure of decomposer communities with land use in Central European temperate forests

Klarner, Bernhard 20 January 2014 (has links)
No description available.
659

Bioaccumulation du méthylmercure chez les invertébrés aquatiques aux latitudes tempérées et polaires : rôle des facteurs écologiques, biologiques et géochimiques

Chételat, John January 2009 (has links)
Thèse numérisée par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal
660

The ecology of Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) and interactions with seabirds, seals, and whales in the Canadian Arctic

Matley, Jordan January 2012 (has links)
This thesis investigates the foraging of Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) and its predators during the summer in the Canadian Arctic. Findings included the identification of Arctic cod, ringed seal (Pusa hispida), beluga (Delphinapterus leucas), and narwhal (Monodon monoceros) diet shifts in response to seasonal prey availability; calculation of isotopic diet-tissue discrimination factors for Arctic cod, ringed seals, and whales based on local tissue and stomach content sampling; and determination of predatory cues to optimize foraging, such as the presence of schools. Additionally, I quantified seabird feeding and interspecific interactions such kleptoparasitism and found that black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) and northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) captured cod directly but lost many to parasitic jaegers (Stercorarius parasiticus) and glaucous gulls (Larus hyperboreus). Finally, I determined that schools of cod were important prey sources for northern fulmars, glaucous gulls, and whales however non-schooling cod were a significant source for black-legged kittiwakes and ringed seals.

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