<p>An understanding of sensory ecology, how animals receive and respond to their environment, can be a powerful tool for the conservation of endangered species because it can allow us to assess the potential success of actions designed to mitigate particular threats. We have a general understanding of how sea turtles perceive and respond to certain visual, magnetic, and chemical cues, but we understand very little about how they perceive and respond to acoustic cues. This dissertation explores the acoustic ecology of sea turtles, focusing on their auditory capabilities, responses to acoustic stimuli and the implications of this knowledge for their conservation. I measured the underwater and aerial hearing sensitivities of juvenile green (Chelonia mydas), hatchling leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), and hatchling hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) sea turtles by recording auditory evoked potential responses to tonal stimuli. Green turtles detected tonal stimuli between 50 and 1,600 Hz underwater (maximum sensitivity: 200-400 Hz) and 50 and 800 Hz in air (maximum sensitivity: 300-400 Hz), leatherbacks detected tonal stimuli between 50 and 1,200 Hz underwater (maximum sensitivity: 100-400 Hz) and 50 and 1,600 Hz in air (maximum sensitivity: 50-400Hz), and hawksbills detected tonal stimuli between 50 and 1,600 Hz in both media (maximum sensitivity: 200-400 Hz). Sea turtles were more sensitive to aerial than underwater stimuli when audiograms were compared in terms of sound pressure, but they were more sensitive to underwater stimuli when audiograms were compared in terms of sound intensity. I also examined the behavioral responses of loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) to simulated low frequency acoustic deterrent devices (ADDs) and found that these turtles exhibited a mild, aversive response to these sounds. This finding indicates that low frequency tonal ADDs have the potential to warn sea turtles of the presence of fishing gear and suggest that field tests of ADDs are warranted. Finally, I conducted a comprehensive review of our knowledge of the acoustic ecology of sea turtles, examined the sources of marine anthropogenic sound sea turtles are able to detect, evaluated the potential physiological and behavioral effects of anthropogenic sound, identified data gaps, and made recommendations for future research.</p> / Dissertation

Urban areas contain multiple sources and sinks of carbon dioxide, yet spatial and temporal information explaining its variability, diurnal patterns, and effects from human activity are limited. The city of Atlanta, due to conflicting air masses, geographic location, and population growth, is as an excellent location to study carbon dioxide concentrations across its urban landscape. Mobile measurements of ambient CO2 concentrations were obtained at 1.5m above ground level along a transect in winter 2010 within the perimeter of Atlanta. Analyses of winter 2010 CO2 variability at GSU’s stationary CO2 monitor was also explored. The results showed that CO2 concentrations in Atlanta are highly variable. The GSU CO2 station showed that weekday CO2 concentrations to be significantly higher than weekends suggesting that anthropogenic emissions may be the cause.

Darbo tikslas: atlikti Neries upės ichtiofaunos rūšinės sudėties, gausumo ir pasiskirstymo analizę pagal turimas ataskaitas bei literatūros šaltinius. Darbo objektas: Neries upė. Darbo metodai: darbas atliktas panaudojant literatūroje skelbtas pagal temą metodikas bei atlikta turimų duomenų analizė. Kadangi ichtiofaunos (nektono) rūšinė sudėtis esminiai skiriasi ne tik sistematiniu požiūriu, bet ir fiziniais parametrais jie buvo tiriami pagal sekančias metodikas skirtas Neries upės ichtiofaunai. Detaliau buvo analizuojama vykstantys pokyčiai tarp atskirų hidrobiontų grupių. Darbo rezultatai: Upės nektoną dažniausiai sudaro žuvys. Jų įvairovė gana didelė. Dalis organizmų gyvena priekrantėse, kiti laikosi prie dugnų, dar kitos – vandens sluoksnyje. Neries upės nektoną sudaro lašišos, upėtakiai, šlakiai, salačiai ir kt. žuvys. Upių žuvingumą lemia natūralūs ir antropogeniniai veiksniai. Neries hidrobiontus labiausiai įtakoja vandens tarša, kuri yra ir organinė ir cheminė. / The aim of the thesis: to perform analysis of ichthyofauna of Neris river on the basis of existing sources of literature and scientific reports of the Institute of Ecology. The object of the thesis: Neris river. The work methods: the methods published in the literature, corresponding to the topic of the thesis, were applied in the work, and analysis of the existing data was performed. As species composition of ichthyofauna (nekton) differs essentially not only in the systematic respect, but also by physical parameters, they were investigated with application of the following parameters intended for ichthyofauna of Neris river. The changes occurring between different groups of hydrobionts were analysed in more detail. The results of the thesis: Nekton of the river consists mainly of fish. Their variety is rather large. Some organisms live in the littoral area, some at the bottom, others in the water layer. Nekton of Neris river consists of salmon, trout, sea trout, asp, etc.. Quantity of fish is determined by natural and anthropogenic factors. The hydrobionts of Neris river are mainly influenced by water pollution, both organic and chemical.

There are over 3,700 active and decommissioned municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill sites located in Ontario (MOE, 1991). Under current legislation, these landfill sites must be rehabilitated to a defined end use when decommissioned. In Ontario, the primary prescribed end use of closed landfills is typically agriculture, and that end use can lead to food-consumer concerns, due to the perceived risk of potential contamination from legacy materials found in landfills. Converting these sites to produce biomass-energy crops instead of food crops could mitigate that concern and also help to avoid the current controversy with bioenergy-crop production on high-capability agricultural land. In this study, a 3.5-year field program with subsequent verification and analysis investigated and developed rehabilitation prescriptions using locally obtained topsoil and soil-forming materials (subsoil) to develop anthropogenic soil profiles on top of a sealed landfill cover (clay cap). These prescriptions provided crop productivity at least as good as, and generally better than, local agricultural soils. Mixed forages and biomass-specific crops (warm season grasses) were grown on these soils in replicated plot trials to evaluate the efficacy of a range of soil treatments. Following establishment of technical feasibility for site rehabilitation, economic modeling was conducted to determine the feasibility of using these anthropogenic soils for the production of forage crops, biofuel feedstock, and simple energy products at a scale consistent with typical landfill sites in Ontario. An economic model was developed to aid proponents in selecting appropriate rehabilitation methods and to assess potential bioenergy-crop outputs for their site. This study demonstrated that while it is technically feasible to rehabilitate these waste sites to produce agricultural crops and/or biofuel feedstock, the scale of typical landfill sites makes it very difficult to compete, from an economic perspective, with conventional energy sources. However, the diverted incoming materials, such as leaf and yard waste, compostable biosolids, and paper mill waste, can be used in the development of manufactured soil profiles for rehabilitation, significantly reducing rehabilitation costs and facilitating more cost-competitive production of agricultural and biomass feedstock crops. / Niagara Waste Systems Limited, a division of Walker Industries Holdings Limited, MITACS

Although macroalgae usually are inconspicuous on pristine coral reefs, they often thrive on reefs that are subjected to various types of anthropogenic disturbance. This thesis consists of five papers and investigates how biomass and composition of macroalgal communities on coral reefs are affected by regulating factors, such as nutrient availability, herbivory, substrate availability and hydrodynamic forces. In addition, ecological functions and potential impacts of both wild and farmed macroalgal communities are evaluated. Paper I describes a method for using macroalgal tissue nutrient concentrations as bioindicator for nutrient availability, with the possibility to map nutrient loading from larger coastal cities. Papers II and III are manipulative studies comparing top-down and bottom-up regulation of macroalgal communities, where herbivore consumption seems to be the main regulator of biomass whereas nutrient availability mainly influences community composition. Exclosure of large-bodied herbivores had a positive influence on algal biomass in both studies, and during different climatic periods. Paper III also includes the influence of hydrodynamic forces on algal community biomass and structure by comparing a reef crest and a back reef-habitat. Alterations of top-down and bottom-up regulation generally had a stronger effect within the protected back reef-habitat, suggesting that such environments may be more sensitive to anthropogenic influence. Paper IV confirms the general conclusions from papers II and III by studying macroalgal biomass and composition on reef sites with different environmental prerequisites. This study also supports the notion that herbivorous fish can suppress accumulation of macroalgal biomass if substrate availability is low, but not where coral cover is reduced and plenty of substrate is open to macroalgal colonization. The study also found a large temporal variation of macroalgal standing stock and associated nutrients at sites with low top-down regulation. Paper V evaluates potential impacts of seaweed farming on coral reefs and nutrients in the seascape by experimentally studying growth, survival and nutrient binding capacity of Eucheuma denticulatum. This study showed that seaweed farms counteract eutrophication through nutrient extraction and that the risk of farmed algae colonizing local reefs seems to be small as they were rapidly consumed. In conclusion, the studies in this thesis contribute to the understanding of macroalgal regulation and function in tropical seascapes, thereby adding to the knowledge base for coastal management. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 4: Manuscript. Paper 5: Manuscript.</p>

The black bear (Ursus americanus) has returned to Kentucky and is now part of a reproducing population in the southeastern Cumberland Mountain region. The broad objective of this project was to examine the interactions between people and bears, with the ultimate goal of improving bear management in a way that addresses stakeholder concerns. Using interviews of regional stakeholders, participant observation, and media reports collected between summer 2003 and fall 2006, I investigated how the presence of black bears in Harlan and Letcher counties in Kentucky has had an impact on area residents. I complemented this information with observations of bear behavior and an analysis of bear capture and handling data collected within the study period. Artificial provisioning of bears was widespread and >60% of black bears captured were confirmed to use anthropogenic foods at least some of the time. I found a significant difference (P<0.0001) in the apparent physical condition of confirmed anthropogenic feeding bears and bears whose feeding behavior was unknown, and similar differences in physical condition between bears captured along traplines in Harlan and Letcher counties when compared to bears captured along traplines in Bell County (P<0.01). Mean litter size was 3.25 ± 0.11 (SE), significantly above average for eastern North America (P<0.05) although cub survival remains unknown. All documented mortality of adult bears was human-caused. Anthropogenic food sources may affect bear behavior, survival, reproduction, and physiology, as well as bring bears into close contact with humans. Artificial provisioning is currently an important part of bear-human interaction in eastern Kentucky, both facilitating bear tourism as well as precipitating nuisance problems. Cessation of provisioning could have important consequences for the developing tourism industry in the region and for the bears themselves. Both the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and many local people have an interest in conserving bears, but problems have arisen due to differing conceptions of appropriate or desirable management. A better understanding of the human dynamics and cooperation taking place in this situation could provide much-needed information both in Kentucky and in other localities where stakeholders are debating how to co-exist with wildlife.

Over 50% of the world’s human population resides in urban centres, and this is expected to increase as the global human population grows and people migrate from non-urban to urban centres. Concentrated in these urban areas are anthropogenic disturbances that impose additional challenges on wildlife compared to their non-urban counterparts. These challenges can be stress provoking. Through the release of corticosterone (CORT) reptiles can adapt to these stressors, physiologically and behaviourally, both in the short- and long-term. To investigate the relationships between stress activation and defensive tactics in wild urban Northwestern Gartersnakes (Thamnophis ordinoides) I conducted visual encounter surveys, along edge-focused transects, following a semi-constrained random sampling method. I sampled snakes at five sites, each with a different level of anthropogenic disturbance, in the Greater Victoria Area, BC. I sampled blood, observed anti-predator behaviour, and collected data on characteristics of snakes. The most disturbed site (with the most people, pets, and natural predators) also had the most snakes: those snakes also had highest H:L values (a proxy of CORT) in their blood compared to the other populations. Nevertheless, none of the snakes had H:L values that indicated chronic stress. Stress physiology was not correlated with anti-predator behaviour. More important to anti-predator behaviour was the size, sex/reproductive condition, and cloacal temperature of snakes. Although anthropogenic development can reduce habitat quality for some reptiles, Northwestern Gartersnakes coexist with recreationists at many sites in the District of Saanich. A multi-disciplinary approach is of paramount importance to understand the full effect of anthropogenic influences on wildlife. / Graduate / 0433 / 0329

Resumo: O gênero Burkholderia compreende um grupo de bactérias muito diversificado, ocupando vários nichos ecológicos e possui espécies que causam doenças, mas outras espécies apresentam habilidades importantes para os ramos da agricultura, biotecnologia e do ambiente, como a biodegradação. Essas bactérias são morfologicamente semelhantes e o gênero está dividido em dezessete genomovars, onde espécies semelhantes geneticamente são agrupadas, formando o Complexo Burkholderia cepacia (CBC). Por meio de estudos moleculares do gene 16S rRNA e do gene recA foi possível fazer a classificação adequada em espécies dos 450 isolados obtidos da Terra Preta Antropogênica (TPA) e adjacentes, em quatro sítios (TPA Caldeirão Cultivado; TPA Caldeirão Capoeira; TPA Hatahara e TPA Mina-I), foram obtidos 177 isolados do gênero Burkholderia. Desses isolados, pela análise do gene 16S rRNA foi possível classificar 157 isolados ao nível de espécie e pela análise do gene recA somente 105 isolados foram classificados neste mesmo nível. Esses isolados foram utilizados no teste de biodegradação dos hidrocarbonetos. Os hidrocarbonetos poliaromáticos (HPAs) são compostos orgânicos resultantes da combustão incompleta da matéria orgânica e dos derivados de petróleo, são pouco solúveis em água e muito tóxicos para as células, por isso, não são metabolizados por muitos micro-organismos e acabam contaminando e inviabilizando os ambientes. Nos testes de biodegradação os substratos utilizados foram o naftaleno, o fenantreno e o diesel, juntamente com o indicador redox 2,6- diclorofenol-indofenol (DCPIP), que sofre descoloração (de azul para incolor) quando as células utilizam os substratos como fonte de carbono para o crescimento celular, gerando elétrons que vão reduzir o indicador. Pela análise do teste, 19 isolados degradaram o naftaleno, 16 degradaram... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The genus Burkholderia comprises a very diverse group of bacteria occupying various ecological niches and has species that cause disease, but other species have important skills to the branches of agriculture, biotechnology and the environment, as biodegradation. These bacteria are morphologically similar genus and is divided into seventeen genomovars, where genetically similar species are grouped together, forming the Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC). Through molecular studies of 16S rRNA and recA gene was possible to make the appropriate classification of species in 450 isolates of Terra Preta Antropogênica (TPA) and adjacent at four sites (TPA Caldeirão Cultivado; TPA Caldeirão Capoeira; TPA Hatahara e TPA Mina-I) were obtained 177 isolates of the genus Burkholderia. These isolates by 16S rRNA gene analysis was possible to classify 157 isolates to species level and the recA gene analysis only 105 isolates were classified in the same level. These isolates were used to test the biodegradation of hydrocarbons. Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are organic compounds resulting from incomplete combustion of organic matter and petroleum derivatives, are not very soluble in water and very toxic to cells, therefore, are not metabolized by many microorganisms to contaminate and render environments. In biodegradation tests the substrates used were naphthalene, phenanthrene and the diesel, along with the redox indicator 2,6- dichlorophenol-indophenol (DCPIP), who suffers discoloration (blue to colorless) when cells use the substrates as a source of carbon for cell growth, generating electrons that will reduce the indicator. By analysis of the test, 19 isolates degraded naphthalene, phenanthrene degraded the 16 and 126 degraded diesel, generating a total of 132 isolates of the genus Burkholderia that have the ability to degrade at least... (Complete abstract click eletronic access below) / Orientador: Dejanira de Franceschi de Angelis / Coorientador: Siu Mui Tsai / Banca: Margarete de Fátima Costa / Banca: Eleonora Cano Carmona / Mestre

Studier har visat att fåglar påverkas av ökade ljudnivåer och ljudfrekvenser (Kociolek et. Al. 2011). Olika fågelarter skiljer sig i känslighet vid störning av ljud. Vissa arter kan anpassa sig och förändra sin kommunikation till den nya ljudsituationen. Andra kan påverkas i sin fortplantning då lätet är en väsentlig del av partnerkommunikationen. Vidare kan vissa fågelarter behöva flytta till ett annat habitat på grund av att de inte kunnat anpassa sig (Gill et. Al. 1999, Helldin 2004). Fågelinventeringar för nybyggnation av motorväg E6 Tanumshede, Norra Bohuslän redovisar antalet fåglar innan och efter motorvägens öppnande den 7 juli 2015. Hypotesen att ljudnivåer skiljer sig i nivå med avstånd från motorvägen och jämfört med referensskog bekräftades. Däremot visar analyser med en ANOVA inte på att antalet fåglar är påverkat av en högre ljudnivå. En del fågelarter uppvisar en signifikant ökning eller minskning i antal, vid analys av dessa fåglars kommunikationsfrekvenser kunde ingen signifikant skillnad ses. Det har inte funnits tillräckligt underlag för att göra en bedömning av mer sällsynta arter som eventuellt skulle vara mer påverkade av en förändrad ljudbild. / Studies have shown that birds are affected by increased noise levels and changes in sound frequencies (Kociolek et al. 2011). Different bird species differ in their sensitivity to noise disturbance. Some species can adapt and change their communication to the new sound situation, whereas others may be affected in their reproduction because sound in an essential part of partner communication. Furthermore, some species may need to move to another habitat because they could not adapt to the new sound situation (Gill et al. 1999, Helldin 2004). Birds inventories for the new motorway construction, E6 Tanumshede North Bohuslän, report the numbers and species of birds before and after the opening of the motorway on July 7, 2015. The hypothesis that noise levels differ at the distance from the highway and compared to reference forests were confirmed. On the other hand, analyses with an ANOVA do not indicate that the number of birds is affected by a higher noise level. Some bird species showed a significant increase in numbers after roadwork, whereas others decreased. No significant difference could be seen in the analysis of these birds’ communication sound frequencies. There has been insufficient support to make an assessment of more rare species that might be more affected by a changing noise levels.

The acoustic sense is vital to all life processes for whales. It defines their ‘active space’, and the extent and nature of interactions with their surroundings. Yet, we are still learning the basics of most species’ acoustic behaviours and vocal repertoires. The ecology of gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) is well known, however vocal behaviours are not well described outside of breeding lagoons. Bottom-stationed acoustic monitoring devices were deployed in Clayoquot Sound, west coast Vancouver Island to explore acoustics use outside of these areas. During migration the use of low frequency moan calls are prevalent, perhaps for group cohesion, with lead whales guiding followers. During the summer more inter-group calls (knocks, upsweeps) are employed. Here I explored the use of ‘motherese’ calls between cow-calf pairs, and how this may mirror the weaning process. Photoperiod, increased ambient noise, threat perception, and vessel and aircraft presence elicited acoustic responses. Calling was also altered by social, behavioural, and physiological state. These results begin to show gray whales to be acoustically sensitive, with highly nuanced vocalising behaviours. Acoustic methods afford monitoring at times and in places that would otherwise be impossible, and lends themselves to the study of rare or cryptic species. Ocean gliders with passive acoustic capacity were used to explore deep-coastal and shelf-break waters for large whale species. Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) were common on the shelf, whereas calls from fin (Balaenoptera physalus), blue (Balaenoptera musculus), sperm (Physeter macrocephalus), and possibly sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis) were heard in more offshore locations. Concurrent habitat data steams help establish area use and importance to these species. The surveys focus on submarine canyons that are thought to aggregate prey. Calls denote whale presence, whereas call type may suggest behaviour and habitat use. Calls described for feeding and breeding were heard for fin and blue whales, with distinct temporal distribution. Acoustic techniques complement other ecological methods and can fill existing knowledge gaps in whale life histories. It can also help quantify the effect of human activities on whale populations and ocean soundscapes. These findings will inform management actions. I provide examples of management links to acoustic-ecological research. / Graduate