Due to the global loss of tidal marsh area, potential anthropogenic and natural disturbances to these systems, and coastal marshes’ affinity for trapping environmental pollutants, understanding how marsh birds inhabiting these ecosystems will adapt to these changes is paramount. To quantify future changes, I first needed to have something to compare against – baseline estimates. To this end, I performed distance sampling line transect surveys during the nonbreeding season to estimate species-specific population abundance, density, and habitat associations and captured two species of marsh bird, Clapper Rail (Rallus crepitans) and Seaside Sparrow (Ammospiza maritima), to estimate baseline ingestion of one such environmental pollutant – microplastics. By providing the first baseline population and density estimates for numerous nonbreeding marsh birds, my findings suggest that the tidal marshes of Mississippi provide critical habitat for many of these species. Additionally, I was able to document the first evidence of microplastic ingestion by resident tidal marsh birds.

The demographic development of the population in the city of Litoměřice in the years 1700-1799 Abstract The aim of Thesis is capturing the development of natural change in city of Litomerice and its suburbs in the 18th century and characterizing the basic demographic indicators. Absolute number of marriages, births and deaths was found by using Name excerpts from parish registers. Based on the aggregate method, the data was classified according to the needs analysis for individual years or decades. The development of natural change of Litoměřice was compared with the results of local probes in southern Bohemia, on the estate Stahlavy, in Usti nad Labem and in the cities of Frydek and Mistek. Comparator sites were chosen to represent different areas as well as geographically close or distant cities. Results of comparation confirmed the different demographic developments in urban and rural areas and showed the influence of geographical distance of each city. Keywords: development of natural change, 18th century, Litoměřice, the population estimates

Embora os cães sejam um dos animais de convívio mais estreito e harmonioso com o ser humano, quando esta referida população se encontra fora do controle, ela pode gerar agravos, tanto com relação à saúde humana e de outros animais quanto ao meio ambiente. Assim, estudos relacionados à estimativa de seu tamanho populacional e aos métodos de controle são importantes para o desenvolvimento de estratégias cada vez mais eficazes. Este estudo teve como objetivos principais avaliar a técnica de fotoidentificação para a espécie canina e apresentar uma proposta para aprimorar o método de captura-recaptura fotográfica. Para tanto, foram obtidas fotografias de cães a partir de duas fontes distintas, sendo uma a partir de cães internados no canil de adoção do Centro de Controle de Zoonoses (CCZ) grupo controle, padrão ouro e a outra de cães soltos nas ruas de Ibiúna/SP. Os cães do CCZ foram fotografados seguindo 4 tipos diferentes de protocolo, o que gerou 4 diferentes padrões de catálogos fotográficos. Esses 4 catálogos se diferenciaram entre si em termos de visualização do cão e de número de fotografias necessárias para apresentar cada animal (dependendo do catálogo, este poderia ser representado por uma a quatro fotografias). Em um segundo momento, foi realizado uma busca de cães livres nas ruas do bairro de Santa Lúcia (Ibiúna/SP) por três dias. Cada animal encontrado foi fotografado e estas foram classificadas conforme o padrão dos catálogos determinados para as fotografias dos cães do CCZ. Por fim, 103 voluntários observaram pares de conjunto de fotografias dos cães (tanto as do CCZ quanto as do bairro) por meio da Internet e apontaram quais deles correspondiam aos mesmos cães, na opinião deles. Além disso, seguindo o método clássico de captura-recaptura, foi estimado a população de cães nas ruas do bairro sob a ótica do pesquisador (isto é, de uma única pessoa). Entre os principais resultados, tomando as fotos obtidas do CCZ como padrão ouro, as probabilidades de se identificar e de se distinguir corretamente os cães por meio da fotografia (para o voluntário) foi de 95,0% e 99,8%, respectivamente, e o índice Kappa calculado para a concordância entre os resultados dos voluntários e do padrão ouro foi de 0,963. Com base no uso das probabilidades calculadas do padrão ouro, a estimativa da população canina livre passou por um ajuste e foi estimada em torno de 65 animais (I.C. 95% 64 a 67 animais). A estimativa das probabilidades de identificação foi interessante no sentido de ajustar o N calculado, tornando esta estimativa mais precisa / The dog is one of the most popular pet in the world. However, if this population is out of control, injuries against human beings, other animals and environment can occur. Therefore, studies related to dog population are important in order to optimize methods and strategies of control. The main objectives of this research are evaluating the photo-identification technique for dogs and presenting a suggestion to improve the photographic capturerecapture method. For this, pictures of dogs were acquired from two different sources. One of them was the Zoonosis Control Center (ZCC) gold standard and the other one were the free dogs from Ibiúna City streets. The dogs from ZCC were photographed following four protocols. Therefore, I obtained four photographic catalogs. The difference between these catalogs was the visualization of dog´s physical characterestics and the necessary number of pictures (one to four) to present each animal. Second, a survey of free dogs in the Ibiúna City had been carried out during three days. Each dog found in the streets was photographed and, after that, the pictures were classified according to the model of catalogs acquired from ZCC dogs pictures. Finally, 103 volunteers observed set of pairs of pictures (both ZCC and streets) by means of Internet and pointed which of them were from the same dogs. In addition, the dog population was estimated by following the classical capture-recapture method. Considering the results from the ZCC pictures observation, the correctly identifying and distinguishing dogs probabilities by means of pictures (for the volunteer) was 95,0% and 99,8%, respectively. In this case, the kappa value between these volunteers results and the gold standard was 0,963. Using the calculated probabilities from the gold standard, the estimated population (N) was adjusted to about 65 animals (C.I. 95% 64 to 67 animals). The estimation of the probabilities from the gold standard was interesting for adjusting the calculated (N) and improving the precision

Embora os cães sejam um dos animais de convívio mais estreito e harmonioso com o ser humano, quando esta referida população se encontra fora do controle, ela pode gerar agravos, tanto com relação à saúde humana e de outros animais quanto ao meio ambiente. Assim, estudos relacionados à estimativa de seu tamanho populacional e aos métodos de controle são importantes para o desenvolvimento de estratégias cada vez mais eficazes. Este estudo teve como objetivos principais avaliar a técnica de fotoidentificação para a espécie canina e apresentar uma proposta para aprimorar o método de captura-recaptura fotográfica. Para tanto, foram obtidas fotografias de cães a partir de duas fontes distintas, sendo uma a partir de cães internados no canil de adoção do Centro de Controle de Zoonoses (CCZ) grupo controle, padrão ouro e a outra de cães soltos nas ruas de Ibiúna/SP. Os cães do CCZ foram fotografados seguindo 4 tipos diferentes de protocolo, o que gerou 4 diferentes padrões de catálogos fotográficos. Esses 4 catálogos se diferenciaram entre si em termos de visualização do cão e de número de fotografias necessárias para apresentar cada animal (dependendo do catálogo, este poderia ser representado por uma a quatro fotografias). Em um segundo momento, foi realizado uma busca de cães livres nas ruas do bairro de Santa Lúcia (Ibiúna/SP) por três dias. Cada animal encontrado foi fotografado e estas foram classificadas conforme o padrão dos catálogos determinados para as fotografias dos cães do CCZ. Por fim, 103 voluntários observaram pares de conjunto de fotografias dos cães (tanto as do CCZ quanto as do bairro) por meio da Internet e apontaram quais deles correspondiam aos mesmos cães, na opinião deles. Além disso, seguindo o método clássico de captura-recaptura, foi estimado a população de cães nas ruas do bairro sob a ótica do pesquisador (isto é, de uma única pessoa). Entre os principais resultados, tomando as fotos obtidas do CCZ como padrão ouro, as probabilidades de se identificar e de se distinguir corretamente os cães por meio da fotografia (para o voluntário) foi de 95,0% e 99,8%, respectivamente, e o índice Kappa calculado para a concordância entre os resultados dos voluntários e do padrão ouro foi de 0,963. Com base no uso das probabilidades calculadas do padrão ouro, a estimativa da população canina livre passou por um ajuste e foi estimada em torno de 65 animais (I.C. 95% 64 a 67 animais). A estimativa das probabilidades de identificação foi interessante no sentido de ajustar o N calculado, tornando esta estimativa mais precisa / The dog is one of the most popular pet in the world. However, if this population is out of control, injuries against human beings, other animals and environment can occur. Therefore, studies related to dog population are important in order to optimize methods and strategies of control. The main objectives of this research are evaluating the photo-identification technique for dogs and presenting a suggestion to improve the photographic capturerecapture method. For this, pictures of dogs were acquired from two different sources. One of them was the Zoonosis Control Center (ZCC) gold standard and the other one were the free dogs from Ibiúna City streets. The dogs from ZCC were photographed following four protocols. Therefore, I obtained four photographic catalogs. The difference between these catalogs was the visualization of dog´s physical characterestics and the necessary number of pictures (one to four) to present each animal. Second, a survey of free dogs in the Ibiúna City had been carried out during three days. Each dog found in the streets was photographed and, after that, the pictures were classified according to the model of catalogs acquired from ZCC dogs pictures. Finally, 103 volunteers observed set of pairs of pictures (both ZCC and streets) by means of Internet and pointed which of them were from the same dogs. In addition, the dog population was estimated by following the classical capture-recapture method. Considering the results from the ZCC pictures observation, the correctly identifying and distinguishing dogs probabilities by means of pictures (for the volunteer) was 95,0% and 99,8%, respectively. In this case, the kappa value between these volunteers results and the gold standard was 0,963. Using the calculated probabilities from the gold standard, the estimated population (N) was adjusted to about 65 animals (C.I. 95% 64 to 67 animals). The estimation of the probabilities from the gold standard was interesting for adjusting the calculated (N) and improving the precision

Tidal marsh and its bird community across the northern Gulf of Mexico are subject to numerous disturbances such as oil spills, hurricanes, habitat loss from land use change, and high relative sea level rise rates looming in the future. Baseline population data and landscape associations are greatly needed to assess the current distribution and the future impact of perturbations on marsh birds across the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Using a standardized sampling design and point count survey protocol, we determined the abundance and population size of Clapper Rails, Common/Purple Gallinules, Least Bitterns, Marsh Wrens, Seaside Sparrows, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Common Yellowthroats across the Mississippi Gulf Coast. With abundance models for each species in 2021 and 2022, we further investigated the impact of important fine and broad scale landscape variables that affected species-specific abundance across variable marsh complexes. Finally, we generated species distribution maps based on our spatially-explicit baseline population estimates.

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) commonly consume row crops, with yield losses often attributed to their browsing. Deer density and field morphology may predict yield losses within local areas. We sought to 1) determine the effects of deer browsing on corn and soybean yields and investigate if deer density or field morphology correlated to yield loss in western Kentucky, and 2) compare pellet-based distance sampling to game camera surveys to determine if a distance sampling technique could accurately estimate deer density during the growing season. Overall, deer reduced corn and soybean yields on one-half of surveyed properties. Deer density did not influence yield losses in either crop; however, field morphology correlated with soybean yield losses. Pellet-based distance sampling provided statistically similar estimates as our game camera survey technique; however, at the individual farm level distance sampling estimates proved unreliable. Inaccurate model parameter (i.e., defecation rates) and inability to detect pellet groups in dense vegetation complicated the reliability of distance sampling models. Overall, yield losses from deer occur in western Kentucky and may be a localized event. Finally, game camera surveys should be used over pellet-based distance sampling during the growing season until detection issues and inaccurate model parameters are solved.

Following the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragments in wastewater in March 2020, the use of wastewater-based epidemiology is rapidly emerging as a non-invasive approach to assessing community wide COVID-19 prevalence. Wastewater-based epidemiology is promoted as a complement to clinical testing in terms of improving public health authorities’ preparedness and supporting them in taking required interventions to protect the public health.  To utilize the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater in a public health context and evaluate trends in viral prevalence on a community level, robust data interpretation is required. This master's thesis work examines what is currently known about the factors that influence the concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, as well as the impact of alternative normalization approaches on the relationship between viral wastewater data and clinical case numbers. The work is divided into two parts where this report provides a state-of-the-art review as well as an overview of key findings in the accompanied scientific paper.  The study involved collection of wastewater samples from two different sized wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Luleå municipality, between January and March 2021.  Concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA were quantified in each sample as well as concentrations of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV). Average daily WWTP flow and environmental data (precipitation and temperature) were continuously measured over the sampling period. The population size was estimated based on mass loads of TN and TP and literature values of the domestic contribution of these parameters to the sewer system. The viral wastewater data was normalized using the estimations of population size, census data, WWTP flow and PMMoV. The impact of the alternative normalization approaches was evaluated using statistical analyses to explore the relationship to clinical case numbers.  The result showed that the strength of the correlation between the different normalization approaches and clinical case data differed between the WWTPs. However, within each WWTP the differences in correlation between the different normalization approaches and clinical cases were not significant. Moreover, normalization using WWTP flow (i.e., viral loads) showed a stronger correlation to clinical cases compared to population and PMMoV normalized viral loads. However, when comparing wastewater data between the two catchment areas, the normalization approaches utilizing population (either census or TN and TP estimated population) or PMMoV better reflect the number of clinical cases. Additionally, according to time-shifted analysis, wastewater data of SARS-CoV-2 RNA predated an increase in clinical cases by 0-2 and 5-8 days, respectively, for the larger and smaller WWTPs.