Recent improvements in genetic analyses have paved the way in using molecular data to answer questions regarding evolutionary history, genetic structure, and demography. Key deer are a federally endangered subspecies assumed to be genetically unique (based on one allozyme study), homogeneous, and have a female-biased population of approximately 900 deer. I used 985bp of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and 12 microsatellite loci to test two hypotheses: 1) if the Moser Channel is a barrier to gene flow, I should expect that Key deer are differentiated and have reduced diversity compared to mainland deer and (2) if isolation on islands leads to a higher probability of extinction, I should expect that Key deer exhibit a small population size and a high risk of extinction. My results indicate that Key deer are genetically isolated from mainland white-tailed deer and that there is a lack of genetic substructure between islands. While Key deer exhibit reduced levels of genetic diversity compared to their mainland counterparts, they contain enough diversity of which to uniquely identify individual deer. Based on genetic identification, I estimated a census size of around 1,000 individuals with a heavily skewed female-biased adult sex ratio. Furthermore, I combined genetic and contemporary demographic data to generate a species persistence model of the Key deer. Sensitivity tests within the population viability analysis brought to light the importance of fetal sex ratio and female survival as the primary factors at risk of driving the subspecies to extinction.

Submitted by Biblioteca de Pós-Graduação em Geoquímica BGQ (bgq@ndc.uff.br) on 2017-04-18T16:35:25Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Manuel_Fernando_Botero_2013.pdf: 3479801 bytes, checksum: bf039bb1ede70e046e8c2d699bf99bbd (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-04-18T16:35:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Manuel_Fernando_Botero_2013.pdf: 3479801 bytes, checksum: bf039bb1ede70e046e8c2d699bf99bbd (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal Nível Superior / Universidade Federal Fluminense. Instituto de Química. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geociências- Geoquímica, Niterói, RJ / Os oceanos exportam o CO2 atmosférico para o fundo na forma de carbono orgânico particulado (COP) através da sedimentação de partículas planctônicas: detrito, fitoplâncton e pelotas fecais (PF). Em Cabo frio, sudeste da costa Brasileira, os eventos de ressurgência da ACAS ricas em nutrientes possibilitam o aumento na produtividade de comunidades fito e zooplanctônicas, COP e PFs. As PFs exportam carbono (C) para o fundo marinho e seu aporte para o fluxo de COP é variável, afetado pela natureza da rede trófica e a remineralização na coluna de água. O estudo do fluxo de COP é realizado mediante armadilhas de sedimentação que coletam partículas em intervalos pré-programados na parte externa da plataforma continental de Cabo Frio. Um fator de interferência no cálculo de COP é o zooplâncton ou swimmer (SW) que entra ativamente nas armadilhas de sedimentos através da migração vertical, causando uma superestimação no fluxo de partículas. As coletas de SWs e PFs foram realizadas com duas armadilhas de sedimentação em 50 e 100 m de profundidade, equipadas com 13 garrafas coletoras. Os intervalos de coleta foram de 5-7 dias por garrafa durante outono e inverno de 2011 e verão 2012. O material coletado nas garrafas foi passado através de peneiras de 1 mm e 500 μm de malha para separar os SWs. As PFs foram triadas a partir de uma aliquota da amostra peneirada. Os SWs e PFs foram separados, classificados e seu teor de C foi analisado. O fluxo de COP foi entre 0,2 e 4,4 mg C m-2 dia-1 sendo superior durante o verão, épocas de maior produtividade primária, produto de uma maior intrusão da ACAS na camada fótica. Os SWs representaram 63-94 % do C coletado na armadilha e foram constituídos principalmente por copépodos e pterópodos. O fluxo da maioria dos grupos de SWs aumentou no verão, produto de uma maior disponibilidade de alimento e diminuíram com a profundidade. O fluxo de C de PFs representou uma média de 1,5 % do fluxo de COP na maioria dos intervalos o que sugere a predominância de processos de remineralização na coluna d‟água. As variáveis medidas, não explicam os aumentos de PF em dois intervalos do inverno (até 56 % do COP), portanto se verifica uma alta dinâmica física das massas d‟água no ponto de coleta do sistema de ressurgência de Cabo Frio. A alta presença de SWs e o baixo fluxo de PFs descrevem uma área de baixa produtividade e altos processos de remineralização / The oceans export atmospheric CO2 to deep in the form of particulate organic carbon (POC) through the sedimentation of planktonic particles: detritus, phytoplankton and fecal pellets (FP). At Cabo Frio, southeast of Brazil margin coast, upwelling events of rich nutrients waters from South Atlantic Central Water (SACW) allow an increase in productivity of phyto and zooplankton communities, POC and FPs. The FPs can export carbon (C) to depth and their contribution to the POC flux is variable and is affected by the configuration of the food chain and remineralization in the water column. The study of the POC flux its made by sedimentation traps, that collect particles in pre-programmed time intervals on the outer continental shelf of Cabo Frio. The swimmers (SW) are zooplankton that interference on POC flux calculation. The SWs enter actively into the sediment traps through vertical migration, causing an overestimation of particle flux. The sampling of FPs and SWs were performed with two sediment traps with 13 sampler bottles at 50 and 100 m depth. The sampling intervals were 5-7 days per bottle during fall and winter of 2011 and summer of 2012. The collected material in the bottles was sieved with 1 mm and 500 μm sieves to separate SWS. The FPs were picked from an aliquot of the sieved sample. SWs and PFs were separated, sorted and their C content was analyzed. The POC flux oscillated between 0.2 and 4,4 mg C m-2 day-1 being higher during the summer, this is a season with higher primary production due to a higher frequency of intrusions of SAWC in the photic layer. The SWs accounted for 63-94 % of C collected in the trap and were composed mainly of copepods and pteropods. The flux of most groups of SWs increased during summer product of mayor food availability and decrease with depth. The C flux of PFs represents an average of 1.5 % of COP in the most of intervals, which suggests predominance of remineralization processes in the water column. The measured variables did not explain the increase of FPs in two intervals of winter (45-56 % of POC), therefore there is a high physical dynamics of water masses at the collection point in the Cabo Frio upwelling system. The high presence of SWs and low flux of PFs and POC describes an area of with low productivity and high remineralization processes