An estimated 90% of resident sculpin (Cottus asper and C. aleuticus) were impacted by a spill of 45,000 litres of sodium hydroxide, which occurred on the Cheakamus River, British Columbia on August 5, 2005. This study examined sculpin biology, life history, how sculpins are recovering from the impact, and whether they are re-entering the Cheakamus River from the adjacent Squamish and Mamquam Rivers. Sculpins were sampled in the three river systems via minnow trapping and electrofishing. Morphometric data were recorded and fin clips were taken as deoxyribonucleic acid vouchers to validate field species identification and to determine population distinctiveness among the three systems. Populations were not distinct, suggesting recolonization from other rivers is occurring. The data show sculpins will undergo seasonal downstream spawning migrations and also suggest sculpins are opportunistic habitat colonizers. This research bears useful implications for the adaptive management, recovery, and sustainability of sculpins in the Cheakamus River.

Orientador: Ariovalo Pereira da Cruz Neto / Banca: Wesley Rodrigues Silva / Banca: Marco Aurelio Ribeiro de Mello / Resumo: A restauração florestal é vista como importante forma de mitigação do processo histórico de perda de biodiversidade na Floresta Atlântica. Recentemente, houve um aumento no número de projetos de restauração ecológica com foco no estabelecimento de uma comunidade sustentável, impulsionada pela dinâmica sucessional. A avaliação do sucesso destes projetos depende de seu monitoramento através de indicadores que permitam analisar o reestabelecimento desta dinâmica. Este monitoramento ainda é uma prática recente, comumente relacionada a estudos sobre estrutura e composição da vegetação, e estudos que contemplem componentes da fauna ainda são escassos. Neste contexto, morcegos da família Phyllostomidae são excelentes modelos de estudo, pois apresentam características ecológicas que fazem deste grupo um potencial indicador da restauração de processos ecológicos em áreas em recuperação, especialmente nos estágios iniciais de sucessão. Visando suprir essa lacuna, no presente estudo, espécies deste grupo taxonômico foram escolhidas como modelos para se responder perguntas referentes aos efeitos da recuperação de uma área de floresta Atlântica que se encontra em processo de restauração ecológica. O projeto tem sete anos de idade, e foi desenvolvido no município de Mogi Guaçú/SP. No capítulo 1, através de caracterização temporal da assembléia de morcegos filostomídeos, abordamos a seguinte questão: está havendo recolonização da área por estas espécies? Com os resultados obtidos pudemos demonstrar que a as mudanças sucessionais observadas na vegetação da área recuperada após quatros da implantação do projeto resultaram em alterações na assembléia de morcegos filostomideos, sugerindo a recolonização da área. Por outro lado, concluímos que a assembléia estudada se apresentava uma estrutura em estágio intermediário entre assembléias... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Forest Restoration is seen as an important way to mitigate the historical process of biodiversity loss in the Atlantic Forest. Recently, there has been an increase in the development of Ecological Restoration projects focusing on the establishment of a selfsustainable community, driven by successional dynamics. Evaluation of the success of these projects depends on its monitoring through indicators that allow us to analyze the reestablishment of this dynamics. This is a recent practice, commonly related to studies of vegetation structure and composition, and studies that contemplate faunal components are scarce. In this context, Phyllostomidae bats are thougth to be excelent study models. Because of their ecological features they are potential indicators of the restoring of ecological processes in rehabilitated areas, particularly in the initial stages of succession. In order to fill this gap, in the present study, species from this taxonomic group were selected as models to answer questions related to the effects of the rehabilitation of an Atlantic Forest area that is in the process of ecological restoration. The restoration projetc is seven years old, and is located in the municipality of Mogi Guaçú, State of São Paulo. In Chapter 1, through a temporal characterization of the Phyllostomidae bat species assemblage, we adressed the following question: is there a recolonization of the area by species from this taxonomic group? With the obtained results, we showed that, after four years, the successional changes which the area has been submmited to resulted in changes in the Phyllostomidae bat assemblage, suggesting species recolonization of the area. On the other hand, we concluded that the studied assemblage presented a structure in an intermediate stage between degrated areas and native forest remnants. In Chapter 2, we present the use of foraging and roosting habitat... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:30:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-09-16Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:39:36Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 trevelin_lc_me_rcla.pdf: 747132 bytes, checksum: c85a03f1c487f9282bfe5ece3a4f967e (MD5) / A restauração florestal é vista como importante forma de mitigação do processo histórico de perda de biodiversidade na Floresta Atlântica. Recentemente, houve um aumento no número de projetos de restauração ecológica com foco no estabelecimento de uma comunidade sustentável, impulsionada pela dinâmica sucessional. A avaliação do sucesso destes projetos depende de seu monitoramento através de indicadores que permitam analisar o reestabelecimento desta dinâmica. Este monitoramento ainda é uma prática recente, comumente relacionada a estudos sobre estrutura e composição da vegetação, e estudos que contemplem componentes da fauna ainda são escassos. Neste contexto, morcegos da família Phyllostomidae são excelentes modelos de estudo, pois apresentam características ecológicas que fazem deste grupo um potencial indicador da restauração de processos ecológicos em áreas em recuperação, especialmente nos estágios iniciais de sucessão. Visando suprir essa lacuna, no presente estudo, espécies deste grupo taxonômico foram escolhidas como modelos para se responder perguntas referentes aos efeitos da recuperação de uma área de floresta Atlântica que se encontra em processo de restauração ecológica. O projeto tem sete anos de idade, e foi desenvolvido no município de Mogi Guaçú/SP. No capítulo 1, através de caracterização temporal da assembléia de morcegos filostomídeos, abordamos a seguinte questão: está havendo recolonização da área por estas espécies? Com os resultados obtidos pudemos demonstrar que a as mudanças sucessionais observadas na vegetação da área recuperada após quatros da implantação do projeto resultaram em alterações na assembléia de morcegos filostomideos, sugerindo a recolonização da área. Por outro lado, concluímos que a assembléia estudada se apresentava uma estrutura em estágio intermediário entre assembléias... / Forest Restoration is seen as an important way to mitigate the historical process of biodiversity loss in the Atlantic Forest. Recently, there has been an increase in the development of Ecological Restoration projects focusing on the establishment of a selfsustainable community, driven by successional dynamics. Evaluation of the success of these projects depends on its monitoring through indicators that allow us to analyze the reestablishment of this dynamics. This is a recent practice, commonly related to studies of vegetation structure and composition, and studies that contemplate faunal components are scarce. In this context, Phyllostomidae bats are thougth to be excelent study models. Because of their ecological features they are potential indicators of the restoring of ecological processes in rehabilitated areas, particularly in the initial stages of succession. In order to fill this gap, in the present study, species from this taxonomic group were selected as models to answer questions related to the effects of the rehabilitation of an Atlantic Forest area that is in the process of ecological restoration. The restoration projetc is seven years old, and is located in the municipality of Mogi Guaçú, State of São Paulo. In Chapter 1, through a temporal characterization of the Phyllostomidae bat species assemblage, we adressed the following question: is there a recolonization of the area by species from this taxonomic group? With the obtained results, we showed that, after four years, the successional changes which the area has been submmited to resulted in changes in the Phyllostomidae bat assemblage, suggesting species recolonization of the area. On the other hand, we concluded that the studied assemblage presented a structure in an intermediate stage between degrated areas and native forest remnants. In Chapter 2, we present the use of foraging and roosting habitat... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Understanding species’ distribution, density, and sources of bias in population estimates is critical for reliable conservation strategies. I assessed American black bear distribution, density, and abundance in southern Missouri. Using anecdotal occurrence data, I demonstrated support for a northward trend in extent of occurrences over time and a positive correlation between bear distribution and human–bear incidents. I also used GPS telemetry and camera traps to investigate detection biases in DNA hair snare methods and tested efficacy of two sampling designs for estimating density using spatial capture-recapture models. Results demonstrated that detection probability decreased following a negative asymptotic relationship with decreasing bear proximity to snares and that hair deposition rates decreased over time. Precision of estimates for low density populations with non-uniform distribution increased when using multiple arrays with intensive snare spacing. Optimizing the tradeoff among snare spacing, coverage, and sample size is important for estimating parameters with high precision.

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Jordens biologiska mångfald minskar i en allt snabbare takt, men mitt i denna ekologiska katastrof börjar arter på vissa håll att återkomma. De stora rovdjuren i Europa är ett sådant exempel. Från att ha varit försvunna från stora delar av sina utbredningsområden är de flesta populationer numera stabila eller ökande. I Skandinavien har lodjurspopulationen expanderat och efter närmare 100 års reproduktiv frånvaro förekommer åter föryngringar i Sydsverige. I Östergötland finns i dagsläget ca 50–55 individer och mycket tyder på att stammen kommer att fortsätta öka. Genom att sammanställa och analysera data från inventeringsrapporter, observationsloggar och avskjutningsstatistik har jag undersökt lodjurspopulationens utveckling i Östergötland och beräknat länets bärkraft för lo. Beräkningen av bärkraften har utgått från klövviltförekomsten samt mängden lämpligt habitat. Resultaten visar att Östergötland har gott om lämpligt habitat och en hög bytesdensitet, som är jämförbar med flera lodjurstäta områden i Europa. Givet dessa förutsättningar har Östergötland en bärkraft för lo som ligger långt över dagens populationsnivå. Uppskattningsvis kan Östergötland hålla mellan 80–140 självständiga individer. Detta skulle innebära en fördubbling av dagens antal och kunna leda till såväl positiva som negativa konsekvenser för samhället. Lodjur kan innebära ett hot mot tamboskap, men de senaste årens rapportering visar att angreppen orsakade av lodjur är begränsade. Även påverkan på klövviltstammarna är i dagsläget försumbar. På sikt skulle dock en större lodjurspopulation kunna reglera klövviltet och på så vis minska mängden trafikolyckor och skador på skog. / Global biological diversity is declining at rates comparable to historic mass extinction events. Despite this, some species are returning to their former ranges, an example being the great carnivores in Europe. After being driven to the verge of extinction, most of today’s populations have recovered to a stable level. The Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) has re-expanded its range in Scandinavia and, after almost 100 years, is once again reproducing in southern Sweden. There are currently about 50-55 individuals in Östergötland county, and many factors implies that their number will continue to grow. By collecting and analysing data from different governmental reports and other sources I have tried to cover the development of Östergötland’s lynx population and to calculate the carrying capacity. The calculations are based on ungulate densities and amount of suitable habitat. The results of the study show that Östergötland contains a large amount of connected woodland habitat and high densities of prey, comparable to regions in Europe with high occurrence of lynx. Given these circumstances Östergötland has the capacity to support approximately 80-140 independent individuals. These numbers are twice as large as today’s population level and if reached could lead to positive as well as negative consequences for society. The lynx is a known threat to livestock but reports from recent years suggests that lynx attacks on sheep in Östergötland are limited. The effects of the current lynx population on ungulate demographics are also negligible. Although, these effects might increase with a larger lynx population, leading to lower rates of vehicle collisions and less damage in the forestry sector.

Disturbances are ubiquitous features of most northern forest ecosystems. The subsequent response of plant assemblages on both short (resistance or not) and long term (recolonization or not) will depend on a number of factors operating at several spatial scales. In boreal forest ecosystems, bryophyte assemblages are a conspicuous and species rich group of plants for which these processes are poorly understood. Using a combination of experimental and observational approaches this thesis explores these questions for closed-canopy bryophyte assemblages in relation to a) microtopography (both for the initial and long-term response), b) environmental constrains during post-logging succession and c) disturbance type. My results clearly show that the shade and shelter provided by microtopographic surface structures can increase survival rates of bryophytes following clear-cut logging by decreasing mortality from microclimatic stress and mechanical disturbance. Following clear-cutting, the recovery of forest floor and dead wood living bryophytes seems to be a relatively steady and progressive process without any major bottleneck episodes in the young or semi-mature forest stages with much of the pre-disturbance composition recovered after 50 years. Although boulders were found to increase the initial survival on clear-cuts and hence increase disturbance resistance, we found no evidence that boulders influenced the subsequent recolonization process. Lastly, strong compositional dissimilarities were found in young forests (40 years) following clear-cut logging, wildfire and insect outbreak, indicating divergent trajectories to occur following different disturbances. Hence, early seral stages of forest ecosystems regenerating after natural disturbances seem to compliment young managed forests in maintaining landscape level diversity. / At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Submitted. Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 4: Manuscript.

Submitted by Fabio Sobreira Campos da Costa (fabio.sobreira@ufpe.br) on 2016-07-14T14:41:09Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Tese_Ana Paula MC Valença.pdf: 2664032 bytes, checksum: 5b5c31bf5f29946a540d84d29e519535 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-14T14:41:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Tese_Ana Paula MC Valença.pdf: 2664032 bytes, checksum: 5b5c31bf5f29946a540d84d29e519535 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-23 / FACEPE / A presente tese avaliou os possíveis impactos gerados pelos tapetes de alga na macrofauna estuarina. Em uma planície estuarina lamosa, situada no Complexo Estuarino do Canal de Santa Cruz, litoral norte de Pernambuco, foi registrada a ocorrência de tapetes de algas filamentosas em diferentes períodos (Setembro-2012, Setembro a Dezembro-2013 e Maio a Junho-2014). Através de estudos observacionais e manipulativos in situ foram testados: (I) o efeito do tapete algal na biogeoquímica sedimentar e na fauna, considerando a presença da alga e o seu estágio fisiológico; (II) a recolonização e a recuperação da macrofauna em sedimentos com remoção algal considerando os efeitos da compactação sedimentar gerada pelo tapete e do tamanho da área algal removida; a existência de efeitos (III) de barreira e (IV) de sazonalidade gerados pelo tapete algal e analisados sob a ótica da recolonização inicial. O estágio fisiológico da alga foi importante para a biogeoquímica sedimentar, enquanto que a presença do tapete algal se caracterizou como uma importante fonte de distúrbio para a fauna bêntica. A recolonização pela macrofauna nos sedimentos com remoção algal ocorreu de forma discreta e dependente da compactação sedimentar e do tamanho da área removida apenas para os parâmetros univariados. Além disso, não foi observada a recuperação das áreas experimentais até ao final do estudo (95 dias). A recolonização inicial (30 dias) não foi afetada pela presença do tapete algal circunvizinho às áreas experimentais. Embora tenha sido observado que a sazonalidade influencia no sedimento e na fauna, a análise da comunidade indicou uma tendência à convergência entre os tratamentos de remoção (AR) e sedimento natural (NA) independente da mesma. Além disso, foi observada uma relação entre o regime pluviométrico e o desenvolvimento do tapete algal. As consequências ecológicas do tapete algal, analisadas sob a recolonização a curto (30 dias) e médio prazo (95 dias), mostraram ser pouco previsíveis e extremamente influenciadas pela heterogeneidade ambiental. Além disso, a recuperação da comunidade em uma área afetada pelo desenvolvimento de tapete algal pode não apresentar a sequência sucessional observada em outros experimentos de colonização. Embora os estudos tenham sido conduzidos em um único local (na mesma planície estuarina), os resultados permitem uma melhor compreensão dos efeitos dos tapetes de algas na macrofauna bêntica estuarina. / This thesis assessed the possible impacts of algal mats on estuarine macrofauna. In an estuarine mudflat placed on Santa Cruz Channel Estuarine Complex, in the north coast of Pernambuco, the occurrence of filamentous mat-forming algae was registered at different periods (September-2012, September to December-2013 and May to June-2014). Observational and manipulative studies were conducted in situ and tested: (I) the effect of algal mats on sediment biogeochemistry and fauna, considering the presence of the algae and the physiological stage; (II) the recolonization and recovery of macrofauna in algal removal sediments relating to sediment compaction and the extension of algal removed (i.e. spatial scale); the existence of (III) boundaries and (IV) seasonal effects generated by the algal mat and analyzed using macrofauna recolonization data. The physiological stage affected significantly the sediment biogeochemistry and the presence of the algae was an important source of disturbance to benthic fauna. The recolonization of algal removal sediments varied regarding sediment compaction and spatial scale, but this was discrete and restricted to univariate measures. Besides, no recovery of any removal treatment was observed at the end of the experiment (95 days). Initial recolonization (30 days) was not affected by the surrounding algal mat found in the algal removal treatments. Although seasonal effects influence on sediment and fauna data, the analysis of benthic community showed a tendency of convergence between NA and AR treatments regardless of season. Moreover, it was possible to observe a relationship between rainfall seasonality and algal mat development. Ecological consequences of algal mats, analyzed through faunal recolonization within short- (30 days) and medium- (95 days) terms, showed to be less predictable and strongly influenced by environmental heterogeneity. Besides, community recovery in an area affected by algal coverage does not always include the successional sequence observed in other colonization experiments. Although the series of experiments have been conducted under one location (the same estuarine mudflat), the results provided strong insights on the effects of algal mats on tropical benthic macrofauna.

Surgical site infection is a major postoperative complication that causes patient suffering and is costly for society. The general aim of this thesis was to test and describe interventions performed by operating room (OR) nurses to prevent bacterial growth in surgical patients, with the intent to prevent surgical site infections (SSIs) whilst increase patients comfort. In studies I and II, 220 pacemaker patients were tested to compare pre-heated skin disinfection with room-temperature skin disinfection regard-ing bacterial growth, skin temperature and patient experience. Preheated skin disinfection was not less effective compared to room-temperature skin disinfection in reducing bacterial growth after skin disinfection and there were no differences regarding SSIs three month postoperatively. Preheated skin disinfection reduces skin heat loss and was perceived as more pleas-ant compared to room-temperature skin disinfection. In study III, 12 OR nurses were examined regarding bacterial growth on their hands and at the sterile glove cuff end after surgical hand disinfec-tion and again after wearing sterile surgical gloves during surgery. They were compared with a control group of 13 non-health care workers. OR nurses’ hands had higher amounts of bacterial growth at two of three culture sites after surgical hand disinfection compared with the control group, and the bacterial growth increased in both groups with time during surgery. There seems to be a risk of bacterial growth at the glove cuff end during surgery, involving the same type of bacteria as isolated from the hands. In study IV, 890 OR nurses answered an online questionnaire describ-ing OR nurses interventions guided by national guidelines to reduce SSIs, such as preparation of the patient skin, patient temperature, and OR ma-terials used. The proportion of the OR nurses who complied with the national guidelines preventive interventions was high: skin disinfection solution (93.5%), drapes (97.4%) and gowns (83.8%), and double gloves (73%). However, when guidelines were lacking the interventions differed.

The global effort to rehabilitate and restore destroyed mangrove forests is unable to keep up with the high mangrove deforestation rates which exceed the average pace of global deforestation by three to five times. Our knowledge of the underlying processes of mangrove forest regeneration is too limited in order to find suitable techniques for the restoration of degraded mangrove areas. The general objective of my dissertation was to improve mangrove restoration by understanding regeneration processes and local plant-plant interaction in a regenerating Avicennia germinans forest. The study was conducted in a high-shore mangrove forest area on the Ajuruteua peninsula, State of Para, Northern Brazil. The dwarf forest consisting of shrub-like trees is recovering from a stand-replacing event caused by a road construction in 1974 which interrupted the tidal inundation of the study area. Consequently, infrequent inundation and high porewater salinity limit tree growth and canopy closure. All trees and seedlings were stem-mapped in six 20 m x 20 m plots which were located along a tree density gradient. Moreover, height, crown extent, basal stem diameter of trees were measured. The area of herbaceous ground vegetation and wood debris were mapped as well. The mapped spatial distribution of trees, seedlings and covariates was studied using point pattern analysis and point process models, such as Gibbs and Thomas point process, in order to infer underlying ecological processes, such as seed dispersal, seedling establishment, tree recruitment and tree interaction. In the first study (chapter 2), I analyzed the influence of abiotic and biotic factors on the seedling establishment and tree recruitment of A. germinans during the recolonization of severely degraded mangrove sites using point process modeling. Most seedlings established adjacent to adult trees especially under their crown cover. Moreover, seedling density was higher within patches of the herbaceous salt-marsh plants Blutaparon portulacoides and Sesuvium portulacastrum than in uncovered areas. The higher density of recruited A. germinans trees in herb patches indicated that ground vegetation did not negatively influence tree development of A. germinans. In addition, tree recruitment occurred in clusters. Coarse wood debris had no apparent effect on either life stage. These results confirm that salt-marsh vegetation acts as the starting point for mangrove recolonization and indicate that the positive interaction among trees accelerates forest regeneration. In the second study (chapter 3), I analyzed how intraspecific interaction among A. germinans trees determines their growth and size under harsh environmental conditions. Interaction among a higher number of neighboring trees was positively related to the development of a focal tree. However, tree height, internode length and basal stem diameter were only positively associated in low-density forest stands (1.2 trees m-2) and not in forest stands of higher tree density (2.7 trees m-2). These results indicated a shift from facilitation, i.e. a positive effect of tree interaction, towards a balance between facilitation and competition. In the third study (chapter 4), I used point process modeling and the individual-based model mesoFON to disentangle the impact of regeneration and interaction processes on the spatial distribution of seedlings and trees. In this infrequently inundated area, propagules of A. germinans are only dispersed at a maximum distance of 3 m from their parent tree. Furthermore, there is no evidence that the following seedling establishment is influenced by trees. I was able to differentiate positive and negative tree interactions simulated by the mangrove model mesoFON regardless of dispersal processes based on static tree size information using the mark-correlation function. The results of this dissertation suggest that mangrove forest regeneration in degraded areas is a result of facilitative and not competitive interactions among mangrove trees, seedling and herbaceous vegetation. This has important implications for the restoration of degraded mangrove forest. Degraded mangrove areas are usually restored by planting a high number of evenly spaced seedlings. However, high costs constrain this approach to small areas. Assisting natural regeneration could be a less costly alternative. Herbaceous vegetation plays a crucial role in forest recolonization by entrapping propagules and possibly ameliorating harsh environmental conditions. So far only competition among mangrove trees has been considered during restoration. However, facilitative tree interactions could be utilized by planting seedling clusters in order to assist natural regeneration instead of planting seedlings evenly-spaced over large areas. This dissertation also showed that point pattern analysis and point process modeling can enable forest ecologists to describe the spatial distribution of trees as well as to infer underlying ecological processes.