Marine turtle reproductive success is strongly correlated with the stability and quality of the nesting environment. Because females show fidelity to key nesting beaches, the management and physical characteristics of these beaches directly affect future generations of marine turtles and may be essential for the recovery of these threatened and endangered species. The impacts of beach restoration on loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) and on green turtles (Chelonia mydas) were investigated. Previous studies concerning beach nourishment projects have focused on loggerhead turtles. I compared data between nourished and non-nourished areas and between loggerhead and green turtles. I found, at one season post-nourishment, negative effects on nesting success and no significant effect on reproductive success for both loggerheads and established the same relationships with green turtles. Physical attributes of the fill sand, which did not facilitate acute scarp formation or severe compaction, did not physically impede turtles in their attempts to nest. Instead, the decrease in nesting success was attributed to an absence of abiotic and or biotic factors that cue nesting behavior. The increase in loggerhead nesting success rates during the second season post-nourishment was attributed to the equilibration process of the seaward crest of the berm. After the beach was restored, both species of turtles placed nests significantly farther from the water in the nourished area than in the non-nourished area. Green turtles nested on or near the dune and loggerheads nested on the seaward crest of the berm. The tendency of loggerheads to nest closer to the water resulted in more loggerhead than green turtle nests being "washed out" by erosion during the equilibration process. There was a significant increase in hatching success only for loggerheads when wash outs were excluded, thus illustrating the importance of nest placement and the detrimental effects of the equilibration process to the reproductive success of loggerheads. A decrease in reproductive output occurred during the first season post-nourishment. The reduction in the estimated total number of hatchlings produced (reproductive output) was a consequence of decreased nesting success lowering nest numbers. This reduction demonstrates that, regardless of similar reproductive success rates, marine turtles incurred net losses during the first season following nourishment. These results further reveal the impacts of decreased nesting success and the importance of minimizing excessive non-nesting emergences associated with beach nourishment.

Successful recovery of the federally threatened southeastern beach mouse (Peromyscus polionotus niveiventris) depends in part on an understanding of their habitat requirements. I studied habitat use by beach mice at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida from March 2005 until March 2006. I livetrapped six grids, three on coastal dunes and three within scrub located inland from the coast. On each grid and trap station, I quantified the extent of bare ground, woody vegetation, non-woody vegetation, height of vegetation, and percentage of coarse sand in the surface soil. I assessed trap success relative to these habitat variables using linear and multiple regression, correlation, and ordination. Significantly higher numbers of mice were captured in the scrub habitat relative to the coastal habitat. Linear regression of trap success against the habitat variables did not reveal any significant relationships at the level of grids. A non-metric multidimensional scaling model was designed to capture the vegetation heterogeneity at the trapping sites and clarify the results. This methodology identified a predominantly dune and predominately scrub cluster of trap sites. A bubble plot showed higher densities of beach mice using the scrub habitat types. These results suggest beach mice are selecting for those habitat variables defined by the ordination: higher vegetation height, more woody vegetation types, less bare ground, and less heterogeneity.

In the present study, information concerning morphology, ecology, fertilization and larval development of three sympatric species of Eusonus is presented. Morphological similarities are reviewed in part I. These similarities correspond with significant lack of variation found in larval development (part IV). Despite these similarities, as well as the ability to cross fertilize their species, the ecological and reproductive isolating mechanisms presented in part II and II provide a positive indication of the existence of three biologically distinct species. A comparative discussion reviews the efficacy of morphological criteria in differentiating the three closely related Euzonus species.

No Abstract / Thesis / Bachelor of Arts (BA)

<p> The beach deposits at the head of the Lion's Head Peninsula are described and categorized according to the type, size and morphology of the rocks making up the deposit and their origins. This categorization emerges as a pattern of four zones along the l ength of the beach. </p> <p> The points at each end of the beach, which used to be in a much more defined bay, have been glacially eroded by re-entrants and undercut by postglacial lakes. Shales and dolomite from the escarpment make up this zone's deposits. </p> <p> Zone two is a dolomite cobble beach supplied by the escarpment's erosion from a blockaded late-glacial ice margin and the undercutting of postglacial lakes. </p> <p> Zone three is a mixture of the dolomite from the escarpment, lacustrine sand deposits, and glacial erratics. </p> <p> Zone four is made up of a distinct band of erratics deposited by the ice of the Georgian Bay lobe of the Late Wisconsin Glaciation. The Lion's Head promontory stood resistant to the flow of ice and caused it to deposit these large erratics which are still visible today. </p> / Thesis / Bachelor of Arts (BA)

No abstract provided. / Thesis / Bachelor of Arts (BA)

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In the eutrophicated Baltic, algal blooms with toxin-producing algae and plant overgrowth is a large threat to the marine environment, humans and animals. The use of external nutrient inputs into agriculture, such as mineral fertilizers (NPK), is reaching the Baltic through runoff which causes a constant, linear nutrient flow from land to the sea, which is one of the main contributors to accelerated eutrophication. Beach-cast is rich in nutrients and plant promoting substances and was widely used as fertilizer on Gotland before the introduction of NPK. Nowadays large amounts of beach-cast are washed up on the shores of Gotland and most of it is not used. Using beach-cast as fertilizer could contribute to a decrease in external nutrient input into the Baltic and increase a circular flow of nutrients. This study was a part of a broader project operated by KTH with the purpose of evaluating beach-cast as a potential bioresource. The aim of this study was to examine the effects on nutritional content and crop size from the usage of composted beach-cast as fertilizer in comparison with the NPK fertilizer in outdoor cultivation of radish and carrots on Gotland. After the crops were cultivated and harvested, the mass of the root and haulm of the carrot and radishes was determined along with quantification of the content of carbohydrates, pigments, main vitamins and fatty acids. The result revealed a significant increase in 1) mass for three out of four (for all but the carrot root which borderlines the limit of 95% significance), 2) mass ratio between root/blast for the radish, 3) concentration of beta-carotene, vitamin A and fatty acids for the carrot root and 4) concentration of chlorophyll for both haulm. Other observed differences, although not statistically significant, was an increased carrot root mass, increased in concentration of anthocyanin for radish, unchanged mass ratio between carrot root/blast, increase B3 vitamin concentration for all crops, increased concentration of carbohydrates for carrots and decreased concentration for radish, decrease in fatty acids for carrot haulm and radish root and haulm and finally a decrease in vitamin C for all crops. The use of beach-cast as fertilizer has shown to induce growth of the crops, and the majority of the quality parameters were in the same range or exceeded in comparison with the crops cultivated with NPK. A complementary use of beach-cast fertilizer could thus prove beneficial for farmers and at the same time decrease the external nutrient input to the Baltic. / Algblomning och giftalger i övergödda Östersjön är ett stort hot för den marina miljön, människor och djur. Extern input av näringsämnen till lantbruket, i form av exempelvis mineralgödsel (NPK), når Östersjön via avrinning och orsakar en konstant, linjär näringstillförsel från land till hav, vilket är en av de huvudsakliga orsakerna till ökad övergödning. Det näringsrika släket innehåller växtbefrämjande ämnen och spelade en viktig roll i jordbruket på Gotland innan mineralgödsel introducerades. Idag spolas stora mängder släke upp på stränderna och det mesta läggs på hög utan att användas. Användning av släke som gödsel kan bidra till en minskning i extern input av näringsämnen till Östersjön och istället öka det cirkulära näringsflödet. Denna studie var en del av ett större projekt, drivet av KTH, vars syfte var att utvärdera släke som en potentiell bioresurs. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka den effekt släkegödsling hade på rädisor och morötter för dess storlek och näringshalt, i jämförelse med NPK, i frilandsodling på Gotland. Efter att grödorna odlats och skördats bestämdes massan och mängden kolhydrater, pigment, huvudsakliga vitaminer och fettsyror för rot och blast för båda grödor. Resultatet visade en signifikant ökning i 1) massa i tre av fyra fall (alla utom för morötterna som låg precis under gränsen för 95% statistisk signifikans), 2) förhållandet i massa mellan rot/blast för rädisorna, 3) betakarotenkoncentration vitamin A och fettsyror för morötterna och 4) klorofyllkoncentration i blasterna för båda grödorna. Övriga observerade skillnader, utan statistiskt signifikans, var en ökning i massa för morötterna, ökad koncentration av anthocyanin i rädisorna, ökad koncentration av kolhydrater för morötter inklusive blast, minskad koncentration av kolhydrater för rädisor inklusive blast och slutligen en minskning i vitamin C koncentration för samtliga fyra fall. Användning av släke i form av gödsel gav grödorna en ökad massa och majoriteten av kvalitetsparametrarna överskreds eller var inom samma spann i jämförelse med grödor odlade med NPK. Användning av släke som komplement till mineralgödsel kan därför vara förmånligt för odlare, och bidrar samtidigt till en minskad extern input av näringsämnen till Östersjön.