No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Biology / Jack F. Cully, Jr. / Dispersal remains one of the most important, yet least understood, life history traits. As the vehicle of gene flow among populations, dispersal can both relieve inbreeding depression and prevent local adaptation. Regionally, dispersal can stabilize or destabilize metapopulations, given its critical roles in disease transmission among populations as well as recolonization following local extinction events. Furthermore, in light of climate change and increasing habitat loss and fragmentation, the ability to navigate through unfamiliar, unsuitable habitat between populations is essential to the long-term survival of a species across its range. In my dissertation, I present a multi-scale investigation of factors affecting gene flow and disease transmission among populations of a keystone species and an agricultural pest of the North American prairie: the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus). Black-tailed prairie dogs are social, ground-dwelling squirrels that live in spatially isolated populations called colonies. First, we conducted a landscape genetic analysis of black-tailed prairie dogs throughout a large portion of their current range. Our estimates of gene flow indicate that the genetic neighborhood size of both male and female prairie dogs reaches 40-60 km within short-grass prairie, whereas colonies within mixed-grass prairie are more isolated. At a broad scale, we observed isolation-by-distance among colonies and great influence of grassland productivity on genetic connectivity; however, neither distance nor landscape characteristics greatly explained observed genetic differentiation among colonies separated by < 50 km. Last, we investigated whether landscape features could predict disease transmission patterns of sylvatic plague among colonies in short-grass prairie and found evidence that pastures act as corridors for plague transmission. Our results indicate that black-tailed prairie dogs are more resilient to habitat loss and fragmentation than other obligate grassland species and likely capable of transmitting sylvatic plague over long distances. Taken together, these studies illustrate how a multi-scale approach can reveal complexities of dispersal dynamics that would otherwise remain undetected.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Göteborg University, 2003. / Added t.p. with thesis statement inserted. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Göteborg University, 2003. / Added t.p. with thesis statement inserted. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 165-[202]).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-149).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 182-196).

The study examines the development of wildlife conservation policy and practice in Kenya from 1895 to 1975. Started by the colonial state as part of its resource control programme, wildlife conservation in Kenya gradually became an important aspect of the country's economy chiefly because of its significance as the basis of a vibrant tourist industry. The conservation programme was also important to conservationists who viewed Kenya's wildlife as a heritage to humanity. Similarly, local communities, which were affected in various ways by wildlife conservation policies, had their own perceptions of the programme. All this led to the proliferation of groups whose interests were potentially conflicting. Wildlife conservation in Kenya during the period under examination was thus characterised by various struggles between interest groups such as conservationists, the state, and local communities. The struggles centred around such issues as the costs and benefits of conservation and were manifested through anti-conservation activities like the poaching of wild animals by dissatisfied groups. These struggles changed over time in line with social, economic, political, and ecological developments. International events/processes (such as the two world wars, economic booms/depressions, and decolonisation) triggered local processes which influenced conservationism either positively or negatively. Wildlife conservation in Kenya during the period under study was dynamic. The thesis challenges the myth of a monolithic 'colonial' wildlife policy often implied in many studies on the subject. The thesis also lays emphasis on the ecological basis of wildlife conservation while recognising the impact of social, political, and economic developments on the evolution of wildlife conservation policy and practice in Kenya. The country's 'geography' not only provided the foundation for conservation but also influenced the programme over time. Droughts, floods, army worm infestations, and other 'natural' occurrences interacted with social and economic changes, such as population growth and the development of capitalism, to shape conservation policy. The conservation programme was thus influenced by a complex interaction of a variety of factors.