There are four distinct subpopulations of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in Florida as determined behaviorally by geographic fidelity, and genetically by mitochondrial haplotypes. The South Florida subpopulation consists of females nesting on the southeastern and southwestern coasts of Florida and their offspring. Previous research shows that west coast hatchlings exhibit higher levels of nocturnal swimming during the postfrenzy period than east coast hatchlings. This study attempted to determine how these differences in migratory behavior develop. A reciprocal translocation experiment was conducted to distinguish between environmental and genetic factors. No consistent differences in hatchling swimming behavior were seen based on geography. Movement of nests resulted in lower levels of nocturnal swimming behavior in hatchlings compared to hatchlings that emerged from natural nests, suggesting that the relocation of nests may not provide a natural incubation environment for developing hatchlings. / by Jeffrey Guertin. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are two sympatric species resident to the Bahamas. The visibility of the Bahamian water provided a unique opportunity to study spotted dolphin communication during aggression. This study’s main focus was to decipher any similarities or differences in the behaviors used by spotted dolphins during interspecific and intraspecific aggression. Both similarities and differences were discovered. Biting, following, and chasing behavioral events were used more during interspecific aggression, while the display behavioral class was used more than the contact behavioral class during intrabut not interspecific aggression. This study showed that spotted dolphins use more energy intensive and risky behaviors when fighting interspecifically. This could result from having to fight and defend females from a larger species, trying to avoid sexual harassment from bottlenose males, or needing to use behaviors that are more overt and easily understood during interspecies communication. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-04T18:51:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE_PORTUGUES_JOSE_CARLOS.pdf: 4654107 bytes, checksum: 9ffae601e2a71b27032455457d38fe96 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-04-01 / Predation, classically described as the negative effect of the predator on the density of their prey, will be examined for their effects on the behavior of prey,in the form of antipredator responses. Antipredator responses may arise on the morphology, physiology and/or the behavior of prey, by predation or by the mere presence of the predator, in this case called non-lethal predator. In this context we mainly examine the effect of predators on foraging and change of habitat of their prey, as a antipredator response. Through the diversity of models surveyed, we exam the dynamics as often they are analised, through indirect effects mediated by density, and exam the same dynamic added of the trait-mediated indirect effects,through behavioral modeling techniques. / A predação, classicamente descrita como sendo o efeito negativo do predador sobre a densidade de suas presas, será aqui analisada a respeito de seus efeitos sobre o comportamental da presa, na forma de resposta antipredatória. Respostas antipredatórias podem surgir sobre a morfologia, a fisiologia e/ou o comportamental da presa, pela predação ou pela mera presença do predador,nesse caso denominado de predador não letal. Nesse contexto examinamos principalmente o efeito do predador sobre o forrageamento e a mudança de habitat de suas presas, como forma de resposta antipredatória. Por meio dos diversos modelos pesquisados, buscamos avaliar as dinâmicas da forma usualmente analisada, através dos efeitos indiretos mediados pela densidade, e analisar essa mesma dinâmica adicionada dos efeitos indiretos mediados por traço, através da modelagem comportamental.

A fauna edáfica em ecossistemas naturais é grande e variada, envolvendo em escala considerável os ácaros. Dentre os vários grupos de ácaros presentes no solo, destaca-se a Ordem Mesostigmata, por compreender um grande número de espécies, muitas das quais predadoras de outros artrópodes edáficos. Diversas pragas agrícolas, como espécies de ácaros, tripes e dípteros da família Sciaridae vivem no solo ou nele passam parte do seu ciclo. Tem-se verificado em outros países que algumas dessas pragas são atacadas e podem em certos casos ser controladas por predadores Mesostigmata. Entre os predadores mais estudados deste grupo estão os pertencentes à família Laelapidae. O Brasil tem sido citado como um país de "mega-diversidade" biológica. Compete aos pesquisadores despenderem esforços no sentido de detectar a possibilidade de uso prático desta diversidade. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram a elaboração de um catálogo com informações taxonômicas para espécies de Laelapidae pertencentes às subfamílias Hypoaspidinae e Melittiphinae que ocorrem no mundo, a identificação dos gêneros de ácaros Mesostigmata edáficos e das espécies de ácaros da família Laelapidae coletados em trabalhos anteriores e que permaneciam não identificados na coleção acarológica do Laboratório de Acarologia da Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz"-Universidade de São Paulo, a descrição de espécies novas de Laelapidae encontradas naquele material; a elaboração de chaves taxonômicas para auxiliar na distinção dos gêneros mencionados no catálogo elaborado e das espécies determinadas neste estudo, a avaliação preliminar do uso prático de predadores encontrados naturalmente no Estado de São Paulo para o controle de pragas edáficas e o desenvolvimento de um método para a produção massal de uma espécie daquele grupo. Foram realizadas buscas em bancos de dados para a detecção de bibliografia para a elaboração do catálogo, o qual é de grande utilidade para o desenvolvimento de trabalhos com a família Laelapidae, reunindo informações taxonômicas e referências a gêneros e espécies dispersos na literatura internacional. Esse catálogo contém informações sobre 792 espécies que constituem as subfamílias Hypoaspidinae e Melittiphinae. Com base nas características dos ácaros coletados e na literatura, foram elaboradas chaves taxonômicas, fundamentais para pesquisadores que trabalham com Mesostigmata de solo do Estado de São Paulo. Foram coletados ácaros predadores da família Laelapidae em áreas naturais para a realização de testes que indicaram seu potencial de uso em programas de controle biológico de pragas edáficas de várias culturas. Cosmolaelaps sp. n. e Stratiolaelaps scimitus (Womersley) mostraram um bom potencial como agentes de controle biológico sobre pragas de solo. Estimulados pelos resultados obtidos por pesquisadores em outros países com o uso de ácaros Laelapidae no controle de pragas edáficas, e em função da presente demanda de agricultores paulistas, desenvolveu-se também neste trabalho um método de criação massal de um daqueles predadores, Stratiolaelaps scimitus. / The edaphic fauna in natural ecosystems is large and diverse, involving the mites in large scale. Among the groups of soil mites, the Order Mesostigmata is of great importance, because it contains a large number of species, many of which are predators of other edaphic arthropods. Several agricultural pests, as mites, thrips and Sciaridae flies, live in the soil or spend part of their cycles in it. It has been verified in other countries that some of these pests are attacked and in some cases can be controlled by Mesostigmata predators. Some of the best studies predators of this group are species of Laelapidae. Brazil has been cited as a country of " biological megadiversity" . It is expected that the Brazil?s researchers dedicate efforts to detect the possible practical use of this diversity. The objectives of this work were the publication of a catalog with taxonomic information on the world species on the subfamilies Hypoaspidinae and Melittiphinae (Laelapidae), the identification of the genera of edaphic Mesostigmata and of the species of laelapids collected in previous works and remaining unidentified in the acarology collection of the Acarology Laboratory of Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz" -Universidade de São Paulo, the description of new species of Laelapidae found in that material, the construction of taxonomic keys to assist in the separation of the genera mentioned in the catalog and of the species determined in this study, the preliminary evaluation of the practical use of predators naturally occurring in the State of São Paulo for the control of edaphic pests and the development of the mass production of a species of that group. Literature searches were conducted to detect publications to be included in the catalog, which is of great importance for the development research on Laelapidae, for putting together taxonomic information and references on the genera and species of this family that is disperse in international literature. Based on the characteristics of the collected mites and literature information, taxonomic keys, fundamental tools for researchers that work with edaphic Mesostigmata of the State of São Paulo, were prepared. Laelapid species were collected in natural areas to test their potential use in programs of biological control of edaphic pests. Stimulated by the results of authors of other countries in relation to the use of laelapid mites in the control of edaphic pests, and because of the present demand of growers of the State of São Paulo, a method of mass production of those predators was also developed in this work.

Heliconius butterflies exhibit Müllerian mimicry, in which two or more unpalatable species share a mutual advantage from having a common conspicuous colour pattern. These tropical butterflies have impressive visual signals, which are under conflicting selection pressures, as they are used in choosing potential mates and defending against visual predators through aposematic coloration. As both selection pressures are likely to be strong, different elements of the signal might be adapted for different receivers. Here, I combine sensory ecology with behavioural ecology to explain Heliconius colours signals of different co-mimic pairs. I explore how mimicry in Heliconius is perceived both from the perspective of predators and conspecifics, using visual abilities of both butterflies and birds. The different visual sensitivities of avian predators, H. erato females and males make them to perceive Heliconius coloration in different ways. My work suggests that having the ability to see in the ultra-violet light range enables higher discrimination between co-mimics both for birds and butterflies. Heliconius warning colours transmit a consistent signal across time of the day and habitat in a tropical forest for avian vision. In contrast through Heliconius vision there is evidence that patterns are more conspicuous in their own habitats. All these traits could facilitate communication between co-mimics and reduce the cost of confusion in courtship while still maintaining the advantages of Müllerian mimicry against predation. I conducted a field experiment to show that attack rates on a novel distasteful butterfly reduced over time, suggesting that Heliconius wing colouration can enhance aversion among predators. Finally, I have shown that Heliconius butterflies use leaf shape as a cue to approach their host plants, demonstrating the potential for Heliconius to drive negative frequency dependent selection on the leaf shape of their Passiflora host plants. Overall these results highlight ecological interactions between Heliconius butterflies, their predators and host plants.

Esta tese foca no papel dos misídeos em ecossistemas costeiros, considerando aspectos de sua distribuição, biologia e ecologia, tais como: distribuição zoogeográfica no Atlântico Sudoeste; dinâmica populacional dos misídeos no estuário de Cananéia, explorando sua distribuição espacial e temporal em relação às variáveis ambientais e abundância do zooplâncton; traços reprodutivos, produção anual e tolerância a gradientes de salinidade; taxas de alimentação, seletividade e respostas funcionais; predação inter- e intraespecífica; e predação sobre os misídeos. Atenção particular foi dada ao papel trófico dos misídeos no contexto da teoria da Biodiversidade e Funcionamento do Ecossistema em ecologia. Através de abordagens experimentais foram avaliados os efeitos da riqueza de espécies da comunidade de misídeos sobre sua seletividade alimentar e taxas de consumo. O efeito da riqueza de espécies da comunidade de predadores dos misídeos também foi considerado. Misídeos geralmente compõem a epifauna bêntica dominante em águas costeiras, tendo assim papel chave nas cadeias alimentares de regiões marinhas costeiras. No entanto, poucos estudos focaram esses organismos na América do Sul: apenas 31 de 1131 espécies de misídeos descritas no mundo foram registradas no Atlântico Sudoeste. No estuário de Cananéia, salinidade e temperatura foram parâmetros importantes na distribuição espacial e temporal dos misídeos. Maiores abundâncias e produção ocorreram na primavera, em decorrência de condições termohalinas mais favoráveis e a alta disponibilidade de alimento. Metamysidopsis elongata atlantica foi a espécie dominante numericamente, provavelmente por ser a única espécie de misídeo que consegue colonizar áreas de menor salinidade de forma efetiva, onde o alimento é mais abundante e as outras espécies de misídeos não ocorrem, evitando assim competição interespecífica e predação intraguilda. Metamysidopsis e. atlantica teve alta produção anual, fato que confirma a importância dos misídeos no fluxo de carbono em águas costeiras de regiões tropicas e subtropicais. Chlamydopleon dissimile, M. e. atlantica e Mysidopsis coelhoi tiveram comportamento alimentar oportunista sobre a comunidade de zooplâncton natural, mas houve evidência de que eles evitaram presas medindo entre 300 e 400 µm, compostas principalmente por Oithona spp. As taxas de ingestão tiveram um aumento não linear com o aumento da concentração de alimento, sugerindo resposta funcional do tipo II para as três espécies de misídeos. Houve tanto efeitos positivos (complementaridade) quanto negativos da combinação de espécies sobre a resposta alimentar das mesmas. Interações negativas estiveram provavelmente ligadas à predação intraguilda, resultando na redução da predação dos misídeos sobre o zooplâncton. Um aumento no número de espécies de predadores de misídeos resultou em um aumento na predação de misídeos em relação ao desempenho médio das monoculturas de predadores, mas não em comparação ao predador mais efetivo. Efeitos positivos da diversidade de predadores aumentaram com a heterogeneidade espacial, pois esta permitiu que efeitos de complementaridade interespecífica entre os predadores fossem melhor expressados. Além disso, a morte de predadores foi reduzida nos tratamentos com maior heterogeneidade espacial, provavelmente porque esta amenizou a ocorrência de predação intraguilda e/ou interações comportamentais negativas entre os predadores. E por último, efeitos de cascata trófica não foram observados, provavelmente em decorrência dos misídeos serem onívoros generalistas. / This thesis focuses on the role of mysids in coastal ecosystems. It considers aspects of their distribution, biology, and ecology, such as: zoogeographical distribution in the Southwest Atlantic; their population dynamics in the Cananeia estuary, exploring spatial and temporal distribution in relation to environmental variables and zooplankton abundance; reproductive traits, annual production and tolerance to salinity gradients; feeding rates, selectivity, and functional responses; inter- and intraspecific predation; and the suppression of mysid abundance by predators. Particular attention was put to the trophic role of mysids in the context of the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning theory in ecology (BEF). Experimental approaches were employed to evaluate the effects of species richness of the mysid assemblage on their feeding selectivity and consumption fluxes. Also, the effect of species richness of the mysids predador assemblage was taken into account. Mysids are usually the dominant benthic epifauna in coastal waters, and thus they play a key role in marine coastal food webs. However, few studies focused on these organisms in the South American region: only 31 out of 1131 mysid species described worldwide have been registered in the Southwest Atlantic. In the Cananeia estuary, salinity and temperature were important factors influencing mysid spatio-temporal distribution. Higher abundance and production occurred in spring, when thermohaline conditions were more favorable and food availability was high. Metamysidopsis elongata atlantica was the numerically dominant species, probably because it is the single mysid species that effectively colonizes low salinity areas, where food is more abundant and other mysid species are absent, thus avoiding interspecific competition and intraguild predation. Metamysidopsis e. atlantica had high annual production values, confirming the importance of mysids in the carbon flux of tropical and subtropical coastal waters. Chlamydopleon dissimile, M. e. atlantica, and Mysidopsis coelhoi had opportunistic feeding behavior on the natural zooplankton assemblage, but there was evidence of avoidance of medium-size prey (300-400 µm), mostly comprised by Oithona spp. Ingestion rates showed a non-linear increase with increasing food concentrations, suggesting a type II functional response for the three mysid species. There were both positive (complementarity effect) and negative effects of species combinations on their feeding response. Negative interactions were probably linked to intraguild predation, resulting in a reduction of mysid predation over the zooplankton. An increase in the number of mysid predator species enhanced mysid suppression relative to the mean performance of predator monocultures, but not in comparison to the most effective predator. Positive effects of predator diversity increased with spatial heterogeneity, as it allowed interspecific complementarity effects between predators to be expressed. Moreover, mortality of predators was reduced in spatially heterogeneous treatments, most likely because it dampened intraguild predation and/or negative behavioral interactions between predators. Finally, trophic cascades were not observed, probably due to the omnivorous - generalist character of mysids.

O controle biológico de pragas é um importante serviço ecossistêmico em áreas agrícolas e de pastagem, podendo trazer tanto benefícios econômicos quanto ambientais. Em áreas de pastagens tropicais, as a cigarrinhas-das-pastagens podem trazer prejuízos da ordem de US$ 800 milhões por ano, sendo assim uma praga de grande importância. Para entendermos os fatores que potencialmente regulam o controle biológico destas cigarrinhas no nível da paisagem, nós avaliamos, através de experimentos de predação, o efeito da quantidade de cobertura florestal, do tamanho do fragmento e da distância na matriz ao fragmento no processo de predação. Além disso, testamos o efeito de diferentes procedimentos metodológico na detecção de padrões de relação entre o potencial controle de pragas e a estrutura da paisagem. Trabalhamos com nove paisagens inseridas na região de Mata Atlântica, e para cada paisagem utilizamos três transectos de 100 m de cumprimento para dentro das pastagens, ortogonalmente dispostos a partir de uma borda florestal. A taxa de predação apresentou uma relação positiva com a cobertura florestal no raio de 400 m e com o tamanho do fragmento, e uma relação negativa com a distância ao fragmento florestal. Os padrões de predação variaram com o tipo de presa utilizado e com o tempo de exposição do experimento. O experimento do tipo sentinel prey (com presas reais que são pragas comuns na região - Deois flavopicta) evidenciou padrões fracos com a cobertura florestal no raio de 3 km, enquanto o experimento com \"dummy caterpillars\" (com presas artificiais em formato de lagartas) evidenciou padrões mais claros associados, principalmente, com a cobertura florestal no raio de 400 m e com o tamanho do fragmento. O efeito negativo da distância ao fragmento florestal só ficou claro com tempos de exposição mais longos (96 horas). O processo de predação na matriz é assim influenciado pela estrutura da paisagem, particularmente em escala mais locais (400 m), e os diferentes tipos de presas e tempos de exposição de experimentos de predação influenciam nos padrões ecológicos que emergem. Nosso trabalho evidência a importância do manejo da estrutura da paisagem em áreas agrícolas para otimizar o oferecimento do serviço de controle de pragas, bem como a necessidade de se utilizar mais de um tipo de experimento para avaliar o processo de predação / Biological pest control is an important ecosystem service in agricultural and pastures areas, and can bring both economic and environmental benefits. In areas of tropical pastures, spittlebugs can bring losses of several millions per year, thus being a pest of great importance. To understand the factors that potentially regulate the biological control of these froghoppers, we evaluated through predation experiments the effects of forest cover amount, fragment size and distance in the matrix to fragment on predation process. In addition, we tested the effect of different methodological procedures in the detection of relationships between pest control and landscape structure. We worked with nine landscapes inserted in the Atlantic Forest region, and for each landscape used three transects of 100 m length inside pastures, orthogonally arranged from the forest edge. Predation rate showed a positive relationship with forest cover within 400 m and with fragment size, and a negative relationship with distance from forest fragment. Predation patterns varied with the type of prey used and the exposure time of the experiment. The sentinel prey\'s experiment (with real preys that are common pests in the region - Deois flavopicta) showed weak patterns with forest cover in 3 km, while the dummy caterpillars experiment (with artificial prey on caterpillars\' shape) showed clearer patterns mainly associated with forest cover within 400 m, and with fragment size. The negative effect of distance from the forest fragment became clear only with longer exposure times (96 hours). The predation process in the matrix is thus influenced by the landscape structure, particularly in more local scale (400 m), and different types of prey and exposures times of predation experiments influence the ecological patterns that emerge. Our work highlights the importance of landscape management structure in agricultural areas to optimize the offering of pest control service, as well as the need to use more than one type of experiment to access predation process

Choi Mei Mei. / Thesis submitted in: December 2002. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 214-236). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgements --- p.vi / Table of Contents --- p.viii / List of Tables --- p.xi / List of Figures --- p.xii / Chapter Chapter One: --- General Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- Coral bleaching --- p.2 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- Predation of corals by corallivorous gastropods --- p.20 / Chapter 1.2 --- Introduction of Study Sites- Tung Ping Chau --- p.33 / Chapter 1.3 --- Objectives of the Study --- p.35 / Chapter 1.4 --- Structure of this Thesis --- p.36 / Chapter Chapter Two: --- "Coral Bleaching and Predation by Corallivorous Gastropods in the Coral Communities of A Ye Wan and A Ma Wan, Tung Ping Chau" --- p.40 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.40 / Chapter 2.2 --- Materials and Methods --- p.45 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Quantitative surveys --- p.45 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- "Quantifying the colour of corals, Porites lobata, in Tung Ping Chau" --- p.47 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Physical parameters --- p.49 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Data and statistical analysis --- p.49 / Chapter 2.3 --- Results --- p.50 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Live coral coverage in A Ye Wan and A Ma Wan --- p.50 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Proportion of Porites lobata paled --- p.52 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Changes in colour intensity of Porites lobata between seasons --- p.54 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- Density of corallivorous gastropods --- p.55 / Chapter 2.3.5 --- Percentage coverage of live and dead Acropora tumida --- p.55 / Chapter 2.3.6 --- Physical parameters --- p.57 / Chapter 2.4 --- Discussion --- p.59 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Live coral cover in A Ye Wan and A Ma Wan --- p.59 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Bleaching of Porites lobata in summer and winter --- p.61 / Chapter 2.4.3 --- Colour intensity of Porites lobata in different seasons --- p.67 / Chapter 2.4.4 --- Predation on corals by corallivorous gastropods --- p.69 / Chapter Chapter Three: --- "Study on Coral Bleaching, Pontes bbata, in Tung Ping Chau by using Permanent Quadrats" --- p.103 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.103 / Chapter 3.2 --- Materials and Methods --- p.104 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Study sites --- p.104 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Permanent quadrat monitoring --- p.105 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Corals sampling for zooxanthellae density and chlorophyll a concentration analysis --- p.106 / Chapter 3.2.3.1 --- Tissus collection --- p.106 / Chapter 3.2.3.2 --- Zooxanthellae counting --- p.107 / Chapter 3.2.3.3 --- Chlorophyll a determination --- p.107 / Chapter 3.2.3.4 --- Determination of coral surface area --- p.108 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- Data analysis --- p.108 / Chapter 3.3 --- Results --- p.109 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Monitoring of bleaching of porties lobata in permanent quadrat --- p.109 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Density of Zooxanthellae in Porites lobata --- p.111 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Concentration of Chlorophyll a in Porites lobata --- p.112 / Chapter 3.3.4 --- Chlorophyll a per zooxanthellae --- p.113 / Chapter 3.4 --- Discussion --- p.114 / Chapter Chapter Four --- Study of Predation on coral Acropora tumida by Corallivorous Gastropods in Tung Ping Chau --- p.138 / Chapter 4.1 --- General Introduction --- p.138 / Chapter 4.2 --- Materials and Methods --- p.140 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Study sites --- p.140 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Preliminary evaluation of corallivorous gastropods as the coal predator --- p.141 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Monthly monitoring of permanent quadrat --- p.142 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Data and statistical analysis --- p.144 / Chapter 4.3 --- Results --- p.145 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Species of corallivorous gastropods in Tung Ping Chau --- p.145 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Feeding behavior of corallivorous gastropods in Tung Ping Chau --- p.146 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Density of corallivorous gastropods --- p.147 / Chapter 4.3.3.1 --- Monthly change in density of corallivorous gastropods --- p.147 / Chapter 4.3.3.2 --- Correlation between gastropod density and temperature --- p.149 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- Cumulative percentage of area of feeding scar over time --- p.149 / Chapter 4.3.5 --- Monthly percentage change in the areas of feeding scar --- p.152 / Chapter 4.3.5.1 --- Monthly percentage change in the areas of feedling scar due to predation by Cronia margariticola and Drupella rugosa --- p.152 / Chapter 4.3.5.2 --- Correlation between gastropod density and monthly percentage change in area of scar --- p.153 / Chapter 4.3.5.3 --- Correlation between temperature and monthly percentage in area of the feeding scar --- p.154 / Chapter 4.3.6 --- Rate of predation --- p.154 / Chapter 4.3.6.1 --- Rate of predation by the corallivorous gastropods --- p.154 / Chapter 4.3.6.2 --- "Correlation between rate of predation, gastropod density and seawater temperature" --- p.155 / Chapter 4.3.7 --- Population size structure of the corallivorous gastropods --- p.156 / Chapter 4.3.7.1 --- Population size structure of Cronia margariticola --- p.156 / Chapter 4.3.7.2 --- Population size structure of Drupella rugosa --- p.158 / Chapter 4.4 --- Discussion --- p.159 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- Feeding behaviours of corallivorous gastropods --- p.159 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Density of corallivorous gastropods --- p.162 / Chapter 4.4.3 --- Cumulative percentage of area of feeding scar --- p.170 / Chapter 4.4.4 --- Monthly percentage change of area of feeding scar --- p.173 / Chapter 4.4.5 --- Rate of predation --- p.175 / Chapter 4.4.6 --- Size structure of population size --- p.178 / Chapter 4.4.7 --- Predatory pressure from corallivorous gastropods in Tung Ping Chau --- p.185 / Chapter Chapter Five --- Summary and Perspectives --- p.207 / References --- p.214

Worldwide, sea turtles are especially vulnerable immediately after emerging from nests. Many monitoring programs measure hatchling production from nest inventories. These inventories rarely account for mortality occurring post-emergence, leaving an incomplete estimate of hatchling production. This study addresses the nest-to-surf data gap for Florida’s east coast nesting assemblages of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). Five locations were surveyed during the 2016 nesting season by using infrared time-lapse imagery, night vision optics, and track maps. Over all beaches, 7.6% of the observed hatchlings did not survive to reach the water. Mortality sources varied by location. Observed predators included: foxes, bobcats, yellow-crowned night herons, ghost crabs, and gulls. Hatchling disorientation and misorientation occurred more frequently in urban areas than natural areas. Factors including number of hatchlings emerging, nest-to-surf distance, and urbanization may help managers estimate nest-to-surf mortality. This study will improve life history models that serve as foundations of conservation management. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

La flore adventice est à la base des chaînes trophiques dans les agroécosystèmes. Leur diminution dans les parcelles cultivées est une des causes de la baisse de la biodiversité. Par conséquent, des alternatives sont étudiées pour diminuer l’utilisation des herbicides dans le cadre du plan ECOPHYTO. Par exemple, la gestion de la flore adventice via les consommateurs de graines. En effet, les agroécosystèmes sont des milieux où des espèces granivores ont les capacités de consommer les graines d’adventices. Parmi les vertébrés, nous pouvons y trouver des oiseaux (alouette des champs) ainsi que des micromammifères (mulot). Parmi les invertébrés, les carabes sont identifiés comme principaux granivores dans les agroécosystèmes tempérés. L’objectif général de cette thèse est d’étudier les interactions entre carabes et graines d’adventices afin d’apporter des connaissances sur les interactions interspécifiques et d’identifier les traits physiologiques des espèces influençant la force des interactions entre les espèces. Un protocole a été établi afin de standardiser toutes les expériences et de garder comme variables uniquement l’espèce de graines et celle du carabe. Ensuite, nous avons étudié les interactions entre les graines d’adventices et les carabes selon deux axes de recherche. Le premier a permis de comparer les niveaux de consommation de la communauté de carabes sur une même espèce de graines. Nous avons pu ainsi observer que la masse corporelle des carabes n’était pas en relation avec la variation des niveaux de consommation. Mais le ratio entre la longueur des mandibules et la largeur du labrum (force mandibulaire) a un effet significatif lorsque seules les espèces consommant plus de cinq graines sont prises en compte. Pour le deuxième axe, nous avons mesuré la consommation des carabes sur 42 espèces de graines pour identifier les capacités de consommation et explorer la stratégie d’alimentation selon deux caractéristiques : la masse des graines (taille) et leur concentration lipidique. Les graines de faibles masses avec un taux lipidique élevé sont mangées en plus grand nombre. Enfin, nous avons déterminé les types de réponse fonctionnelle pour évaluer le potentiel de régulation de 4 espèces de carabes sur deux espèces de graines d’adventices. Pour chaque espèce (mâle et femelle) nous avons trouvé une réponse fonctionnelle de type II, sauf pour les femelles de P.rufipes. Cependant nos résultats doivent être interprétés avec précaution car en milieu naturel d’autres facteurs interviennent dans les interactions, telle que la présence de proies alternatives ou d’autres prédateurs. En conclusion, nous montrons que les interactions entre les graines d’adventices et les carabes sont nombreuses et complexes. Les caractéristiques physiologiques intervenant dans les interactions sont très nombreuses et très variables selon les espèces. Des études supplémentaires sont nécessaires pour évaluer l’intérêt agronomique des carabes dans la gestion des adventices. / Weed flora limits crop yields therefore herbicides inputs are important in order to manage weeds. Weeds are at the bottom of the trophic pyramid in agroecosystems, and this explains partly the decrease of biodiversity. Alternatives to manage weeds are studied to reduce negative effect of herbicides on the environment in order to preserve biodiversity. For example, weeds could be managed with granivorous species. Indeed, weed seeds are the origin of the weed community, thus seed consumption could limit weed abundance in cultivated fields. In agroecosystems, several taxa are known to be granivorous such as vertebrates (birds and rodents) and invertebrates (ground beetles). Ground beetles are considered as the main granivorous taxa in agroecosystems and are abundant in temperate agroecosystems. The main goal of this PhD was to study trophic interactions between communities, weed seed and ground beetles, with a prey-predator system in order to estimate the role of ground beetles through their seed consumption in weed seeds management. First, we established a protocol with standardize steps in order to restrain variables to weed seed species at ground beetles’ species. A similar protocol has been adapted to replicate experimentation with the same individuals to measure consumption at different weed seed densities. We then studied interactions between weed seeds and ground beetles with two research axes. We first explored interspecific variation of consumption on the same weed seeds species, Viola arvensis, by ground beetles. Body mass and ratios between mandible length and labrum width had no relation with seed consumption by ground beetles. Thus, other factors were suggested to explain consumption variation such as gut symbionts of ground beetles or preferences for specific weed seed species. Secondly, we measured consumption of 42 weed seed species by four ground beetles to identify abilities in weed seed consumption for these beetles and to explore feeding strategy according to two seed characteristics, seed mass (size) and seed lipid content. Generalism degrees are different according to ground beetles’ species and seem affected by physiological characteristics in both communities. Finally, to assess the potential in weed seed management of ground beetles we determined functional response to four ground beetles on two weed seeds species. We determined type II response for all species (male and female) tested, except for females of P.rufipes. Our results should be interpreted cautiously as, under natural conditions, generalist predators meet many alternatives prey and it could influence functional response type. We showed that there are many complex interactions between weed seed and ground beetles communities, especially due to a wide range of diversity in physiological characteristics in both communities. The potential of ground beetles to regulate seeds must be more precisely explored to evaluate their agronomic interest in weed management.