Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Variation in sympatric and allopatric populations is believed to be a precursor to eventual speciation. The dispersion of genes from one gene pool into another is prevented by various processes, including the founder effect, sexual selection, ecological differences and random genetic divergence. Examining patterns of intraspecific variation in phenotypic and genotypic traits may thus provide valuable insights into the processes that govern species origination. Bladder grasshoppers (Orthoptera; Pneumoroidea) are an ideal model system to investigate patterns of geographic and ecological divergence due to their high host plant specificity, low dispersal and distinctive acoustic signals. This dissertation investigates intraspecific diversification in the bladder grasshopper Bullacris unicolor (Orthoptera: Pneumoroidea). Recent research on this species has shown significant intra- and inter-population variation in male advertisement calls and morphological characters. However, the exact cause of this variation has remained unclear. Furthermore, a previous study showed that the calls of B. unicolor from one particular population are highly differentiated from other populations, possibly due to the effects of anthropogenic noise. Here we aim to examine the drivers of diversity within Bullacris unicolor by embracing a multidisciplinary approach that encompasses the effects of environmental factors, genetics, anthropogenic noise and host plant associated divergence.

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The hybrids of three members of the viatica group of morabine grasshoppers from Kangaroo Island, South Australia, were studied. These members of the viatica group, which are primarily distinguished by their chromosome complements, have contiguous distributions. Grasshoppers collected from three narrow zones of overlap were studied cytologically. Breeding experiments were also conducted. The results of these studies indicate that a number of different factors contribute to the narrowness of the zones.

Syftet med denna rapport är att undersöka huruvida man med hjälp av visuell programmering kan skapa parametriskt modifierbara markobjekt till BIM-programmet Tekla Structures. Fördelar och nackdelar med ett sådant här tillvägagångssätt kommer därefter att analyseras och diskuteras, och de slutsatser som kan dras presenteras. Rapporten kommer att börja med att presenter en del teori kring den brokonstruktion som används i projektet samt de olika programvarorna som använts. Efter det kommer en genomgång av projektet och till sist kommer det färdiga markobjektet att gås igenom, och dess olika delar från den visuella programmeringen kommer visas och förklaras. Det resultat som arbetet kommit fram till är att markobjekt går att projektera på detta vis, men att vissa problem finns med att enkelt kunna utnyttja samma modell vid olika projekt då de flesta projekt är så individuella. / The purpose of this report is to investigate whether, by means of visual programming, you can create parametrically-modifiable terrain objects to the Tekla Structures BIM program. The pros and cons of such an approach will then be analyzed and discussed, and the conclusions that can be drawn are presented. The report will begin by presenting some theory about the type of bridge construction used in the project and the different software used. After that, a review of the project will come and finally, the completed terrain object will be reviewed, and its different parts from the visual programming will be displayed and explained. The result of the work is that terrain objects can be projected in this way, but some problems exist with the ability to easily use the same model for different projects, as most project are different and unique

Tallgrass prairie in North America has been severely degraded over the past century due to anthropogenic changes and is a subject of many restoration projects. Using these restoration projects, it is possible to examine potential drivers that influence community assembly. The environmental heterogeneity hypothesis provides a basis for enhanced diversity as function of resource partitioning and coexistence of potentially competing species. In essence, an area with higher levels of resource heterogeneity would be able to support a higher number of potentially competing species in contrast to an area with lower levels of resource heterogeneity (e.g. agricultural fields). The tallgrass prairie is naturally heterogeneous in abiotic resources such as soil depth and soil nitrogen, native prairie species both drive and exploit this heterogeneity and assemble a highly biodiverse community. Chapter 2 attempted to elucidate the effect of soil resource heterogeneity on plant community assembly, niche availability, and dimensionality. Chapter 3 attempted to examine the indirect influence of soil resources on aboveground Orthoptera herbivores. Both studies were conducted in a 16-year tallgrass prairie restoration experiment over a two-year period. There were no differences in plant community composition on a whole plot level. However, on a subplot level, shallow soil generally resulted in higher species richness and diversity. In contrast to previous studies, I found nitrogen addition increased forb richness and nitrogen reduction reduced forb diversity. As expected, the dominant grass Andropogon gerardii was positively influenced by high nitrogen regardless of soil depth. The multivariate analysis indicated the new species added to the experiment had unique trait spaces. Further analysis indicated niche availability and dimensionality were highest in treatments with nitrogen addition. This study suggests though fine scale spatial heterogeneity influences plant community composition, coarse scale spatial heterogeneity does not. This study also suggests that soil nitrogen may be a poor indicator of plant species diversity in the tallgrass prairie community. Orthoptera richness and biomass were higher in maximum heterogeneity treatments relative to control. The influence of high resource heterogeneity was highest on the richness of mixed-feeder grasshoppers and katydids. This effect, however, was inconsistent between years. Grass-feeder biomass was higher in the maximum heterogeneity treatment than control both years. This was attributed to nitrogen addition resulting in patches of higher quality forage in the maximum heterogeneity plots. Orthopterans are also influenced by the structural complexity of the plant community mediated by varying levels of soil resources. The maximum heterogeneity treatment contained higher variation in the cover and ANPP of a dominant grass, Andropogon gerardii. The positive relationship between plant richness and Orthoptera diversity suggests that maintaining plant richness in restored areas is important for maintaining diversity of higher trophic levels. The negative relationship between light interceptions and Orthoptera abundance suggests the dense vegetation from dominant tallgrass species may impede recruitment of some species. These results suggest suppression of dominant grasses can positively influence the plant community composition and Orthoptera herbivores. Understanding how soil resources influence plant community composition and higher trophic levels can aid our understanding of the community assembly process. Plant species benefited from higher variation in soil resources, particularly soil depth and soil nitrogen, while insect herbivores that depended on these plant species were also indirectly benefited. This study suggests soil heterogeneity is important for the assemblage of species on a multi-trophic level and this knowledge can assist land managers in restoration projects to achieve desired goals.

The Melanoplus scudderi species group, when erected by Blatchley, contained six species. The revision of the group presented here describes 21 new species and establishes the Melanoplus carnegiei group, all of which are associated with grasslands in the Southeast. Analysis of DNA barcoding data, suggest that the technique does not adequately delineate species based on the morphological concepts presented here, but did produce three broad mitochondrial DNA clades that correspond to the Apalachicola and Mississippi River discontinuity phylogeographic pattern displayed by several other organisms in the Southeastern United States. This pattern is attributed to vicariant events resulting from Pleistocene glaciation. A hypothetical evolutionary history of the Scudderi and Carnegiei groups is presented. Natural grasslands historically covered a significant portion of the southeastern United States. These grasslands contribute significantly to the biodiversity of the region with many endemic or rare species inhabiting them. Grasshoppers are important components of temperate grassland ecosystems, but no comprehensive review of the grasshopper fauna of southeastern grasslands had previously been conducted. Here a review of the regional fauna was conducted. In total, 211 grasshopper species have been documented in the Southeast, with 111 species (53%) being endemic to natural grasslands. Of particular note, 74 species (34% of the regional fauna) are endemic to the longleaf pine ecosystem. Many of the non-endemic grasshopper species inhabiting grasslands in the region are disjunct from larger populations west of the Mississippi River, presenting interesting biogeographic distributions. Additionally, a cluster analysis of grasshopper community composition from several types of grasslands in the region supports the faunal distinctiveness of the different types grasslands in the region.

This project aims to design a safe and healthy space for orphan girls in Iraq, considering their needs and culture. Moreover, to set a foundation for girls to grow and become confident young individuals. My approach to this project was working both in plan and perspective. From the first days of the project, I started drawing the qualities that I was looking for in the design in perspective. Moreover, this is an extensive project, on a 1400 square meter site, so one of the important aspects of the project was to have a language through the design that makes the project coherent. In this book final renders are presented along with the initial ideas and sketches. Iraq is chosen because "there are 11,000 children addicted to drugs in Baghdad, that many girls aged 12 to 16 years old have been victims of abuse, and that many girls aged 12 years and above have endured harassment." This project shows that a well-thought design can improve the lives of orphaned girls, and hopefully, the outcome will raise awareness for the education and well-being of orphaned girls in Iraq. / Master of Architecture / Life is not easy, even when you live in a healthy family. Now, imagine what it looks like when you are traumatized as a kid. Kids who lost their parents in the war or are traumatized by their own family have a blurry glass on their eyes; they are confused about their feelings and experiences and often have difficulties trusting others and making meaningful connections. Moreover, orphan kids who had observed severe scenes may have panic attacks. Traumatized kids have very specific needs that the architectural design of their environment should address.

If the products of individual craftsmen can be identified, patterns of organization, specialization, and exchange may be traceable. Following a description of Grasshopper Pueblo's lithic technology, experimental and archaeological data on individual knappers are combined to examine projectile point manufacture. At Grasshopper, points in burials formed sets, consistent and distinctive in form and in flake scar patterning. The sets appeared to be the work of different knappers. Major distinguishing attributes of sets were identified using discriminant analysis. Both attributes of form, which are partly under conscious control, and unconsciously varied attributes of flake scar patterning distinguished sets. The individualistic nature of variation in these attributes was tested using sets of replicated points by five modern knappers. The similarity in the behavior of the attributes supported the hypothesis that the burial sets can be attributed to different knappers. In addition to the burial sets, another burial with 128 points, and two rooms with point manufacturing debris were examined. It appeared that more than ten knappers had contributed to the one burial, and the two rooms represented different workshop situations. In Room 28 almost all the lithic material came from point manufacture, and the points were similar and probably made by one knapper. Room 246 had a variety of points, plus many other lithic items, and is best interpreted as a communal room where a number of men pursued craft activities. Point sets, workshops, and other information indicate that at Grasshopper many knappers were producing lithic tools at only a low level of specialization. Grasshopper's lithic crafts were probably similar in their organization to crafts in the historic Pueblos, with no centralization of production or distribution. Until we have more detailed information on other crafts, reconstructions of the prehistoric Pueblos as highly organized and specialized centers for production and distribution should be received with caution. Studies of individual variation are difficult and time-consuming, but even less sensitive artifacts such as stone tools show individual differences. If individual craftsmen can be traced, it is sometimes possible to see how they cooperated, specialized, and participated in the economic and social life of their communities.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--North Carolina State University, 2004. / Title from PDF title page (viewed Jan. 22, 2005). Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references.

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