Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Geology

The shallow groundwater of the Sandhill Crane Wet Prairie in the Oak Openings Region of Northwest Ohio was modeled using the MODFLOW-NWT upstream weighting package (UPW) within the Aquaveo Groundwater Modeling System (GMS). The objective of this study was to characterize and better understand the hydrological response of a recently restored wet prairie in the Oak Openings at a high temporal resolution. Having a better understanding of the main processes driving the hydroperiods of wet prairies would help in determining the capacity of restored wet prairies for improving water quality and their response to climate change. Hourly water table elevations collected for a 10-month period: December 2019 - September 2020 were used to calibrate the model. The model also required hourly precipitation from Toledo Express Airport weather station, and estimation of evapotranspiration values. A 1-m DEM representing the top surface, hydrologic conditions, recharge rates, well locations and transient head boundaries was created using GMS. The conceptual model of the subsurface was developed using a combination of an electrical resistivity survey of a section of the wet prairie and interpolation of well log data from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) database. The model was calibrated using Parameter Estimation (PEST) with Singular Value Decomposition Assist (SVD-Assist) to best estimate the water table elevation collected in five monitoring wells installed in the study site. The simulated results tend to follow the overall trend of the observed water as determined by a statistical summary of the observed and simulated values for the calibration period. However, the model was not able to successfully simulate all the variability seen in the observed data set. MODFLOW was able to simulate the long-term trend of the data, but not its hourly peaks and valleys. Potential reasons for this limitation could be because of geological or hydrogeological characterization. It is (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Enrique Gomezdelcampo Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Ganming Liu Ph.D. (Committee Member); Kennedy Doro Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Geographic Information Science; Geology; Geophysics; Hydrology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Biological Sciences

Conflict with wildlife continues to escalate as human population increases and development expands. Understanding how vertebrates interact with the environment is a critical component to conservation ecology. Movement patterns reflect spatial and temporal changes associated with resource availability, life history stages, and habitat use. This study explored how vertebrate mortality could be used to understand the critical factors impacting the consequences of permeability, i.e., ability to move between patches on the landscape, in a mixed disturbance landscape. We assessed how spatial and temporal heterogeneity influenced terrestrial vertebrate mortality. In the biodiversity hotspot of the Oak Openings Region (OOR) of northwest Ohio, we surveyed repeatedly, across three years, approximately 50 kilometers of road segments. Vertebrate mortality locations (N=654) were related to road (e.g., traffic, road width), structural (e.g., canopy cover, soil average water capacity), compositional (e.g., landcover) and productivity (e.g., NDVI) measurements. We found vertebrate mortality locations were positively related to traffic, road width, canopy cover, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) but negatively related to landcover as it becomes more altered (i.e., natural to agricultural). Our consistent findings across years suggest that the spatial components were influencing mortality differences more than temporal differences, and intra-year differences do not impact mortality in a way that would steer long term mitigation of permeability issues. We developed spatially explicit models for predicting current vertebrate mortality probabilities across the entire OOR. Proportion of residential/mixed landcover area was the most influential variables of mortality occurrence probability. We found mortality was well predicted and the results of the same key variables were robust across taxa and years. The models developed can serve as an assessment tool for evaluating co (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Karen Root Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Timothy Schetter Ph.D. (Committee Member); Raymond Larsen Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jeffrey Miner Ph.D. (Committee Member); Erin Labbie Ph.D. (Other) Subjects: Biology; Conservation; Ecology; Wildlife Conservation; Wildlife Management

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 2023, Biological Sciences

North American canid species have experienced major shifts in distribution and abundance since European settlement. These changes are often attributed to anthropogenic landscape modifications and associated habitat loss and fragmentation. Here we determine the response of coyotes (Canis latrans) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) to the altered landscape within the Oak Openings Region of northwestern Ohio. We identify occurrence patterns of local canids and their correlation with both fine-scale habitat variables and landscape-scale landcover data. A rapid assessment survey was conducted using scent-baited camera traps to generate coarse canid occurrence maps and identify optimal sites for the long-term monitoring phase of the study. Non-baited camera trap arrays that comprised the long-term monitoring portion of the study revealed widespread sympatry of red foxes and coyotes across the study area. This is in striking contrast to previous research that observed strong patterns of spatial partitioning in other regions. Fine-scale habitat variables were weakly associated with occurrence of either species, with the only significant correlation a positive relationship between coyote occurrence and percent bare ground. Landscape-scale variables, in contrast, were more predictive of canid occurrence. Red foxes were negatively associated with sand barrens and upland prairies, both open habitats where coyotes are known to be dominant. Both species demonstrated a negative association with dense urban landcover, which contrasts with other studies that suggest positive associations for both species at different scales. These findings suggest that reducing or strategically locating unsuitable habitats, such as upland prairies and sand barrens, and promoting forested refugia may help to conserve local red fox populations despite widespread coyote occurrence.

Committee: Karen Root Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Matthew Cross Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jeffrey Miner Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Conservation; Ecology; Wildlife Conservation

Master of Science, University of Toledo, 2022, Geology

The current global climate shift and warmer temperatures threaten the continual use of water from the Lakes for drinking and recreational purposes. To address this challenge, groundwater in the region could serve as an alternative source of potable water; hence, the need to understand and manage it effectively. In this study, I present a framework for developing a conceptual hydrogeological model for the Stranahan Arboretum, Toledo, by combining geophysical, hydraulic, and geological datasets. Hydraulic parameters and leakage properties of the aquifer-aquitard system were evaluated through pumping tests, and the implication for inter-aquifer water exchange was discussed. Results of electrical resistivity, refraction seismic, and borehole data at Stranahan Arboretum show a four-layer hydrogeological model consisting of a carbonate bedrock (120 – 500 Ωm) aquifer at a depth ~12 – 16.5 m overlain by 2 – 5 m till (50 – 150 Ωm) acting as the confining unit, 3 – 10 m of glacial lacustrine rhythmically laminated silt and clay (20 – 80 Ωm) and capped by 1 – 2 m of littoral sand aquifer (170 – 350 Ωm). The rhythmites and till have been previously considered as a single layer. However, field evidence and geophysical results show that the rhythmites have more permeable horizontal laminae and hence conceptually differ from till, which acts as a confining unit to the carbonate bedrock aquifer. Similar geophysical results at two other sites serve as a basis for updating the conceptual hydrogeological model of the region. Estimates of hydraulic conductivity of the carbonate aquifer range between 7.76 x 10-6 and 1.88 x 10-3 m/s with a modal value in the order of 10-4 m/s. The transmissivity value is 1.11 x 10-4 – 4.71 x 10-2 m2/s based on a saturated thickness of 25 m. Storativity in the range of 6.91 x 10-5 – 2.19 x 101 was observed, with higher values estimated in the pumping well due to wellbore storage. The leakage coefficient or leakance show a wide range of magnitude (3.08 x (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kennedy Doro Dr (Committee Co-Chair); Timothy Fisher Dr (Committee Member); James Martin-Hayden Dr (Committee Co-Chair) Subjects: Geology; Geophysics; Hydrology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2018, Biological Sciences

The invasive emerald ash borer beetle (Agrilus planipennis, EAB) has caused significant ash tree (Fraxinus spp.) declines and forest changes, which include loss of canopy cover and increased numbers of invasive plant species (Hausman et al. 2010). My focus was to assess ash population dynamics and environmental factors that could play a role in ash survival. My research used a population viability analysis (PVA) approach that combined literature review, targeted field studies, and greenhouse experiments to examine green ash trees (F. pennsylvanica) in the post-EAB peak infestation (aftermath) forest. Aftermath forests dynamics between ash and EAB are likely different from the initial infestation. I developed historic and worst case stochastic stage based ash population models as part of a PVA; these scenarios reflect time periods before and after EAB invaded Northwest Ohio. The ash population growth rates were estimated as 0.76 and 1.03, respectively, in worst case versus historic scenarios. Results indicated that population changes were more sensitive to survival and growth of the smallest stage class in the worst case scenario, where ash populations became locally extinct within 41 years. I examined ash parameters with little known information, such as germination, seedling survival and their environmental conditions, and mature ash tree neighbors. My germination experiments from the lab and the field resulted in a very low germination rate from the local population. Seedling survival was high and they were affected by leaf litter, bare ground and dead coarse woody debris. The number of ash neighbors within 6 m was significantly lower for the healthiest ash canopy class compared to declining health classes (p = 0.02). I modeled changes that could occur to the green ash aftermath forest (2010-2017) by introducing EAB periodically as a catastrophe that lowered ash survival and simulated a slow ash survival recovery. Management scenarios included, 1) reduced EAB cata (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Karen Root Ph.D. (Advisor); Helen Michaels Ph.D. (Committee Member); Shanon Pelini Ph.D. (Committee Member); Kathleen Knight Ph.D. (Committee Member); Farida Selim (Other) Subjects: Biology

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 2017, Biological Sciences

Bat species face multiple threats. One such threat, white-nose syndrome (WNS) has drastically reduced many bat populations. Also, habitat loss and fragmentation often forces bats to concentrate in remnant natural areas, or utilize habitats that are not as suitable. Both of these threats, while threaten bats in a general sense, also affect species differentially. The Oak Openings Region of Northwest Ohio is a biodiversity hotspot with a landscape composed of remnant natural areas within a matrix of agriculture and urban areas. This area, which provides crucial summer foraging habitat, has experienced declines in bat activity, shifts in bat assemblages, and some in diversity, in recent years, especially since WNS introduction. To study bats in this diverse landscape, we sampled bats acoustically from May – August 2016. We sampled mobile transects along roads along with stationary sites within the Oak Openings Preserve within the region. We identified calls to species and ran analyses investigating total bat activity, species-specific activity and presence, and bat diversity compared to. We compared bats to environmental, vegetation, road, and landcover parameters. Our results show that certain parameters influence bats as a whole, while others only affect one or a few species. We found that savanna stationary sites had more species-specific activity and bat diversity than forested sites (Rank Sums, p<0.05). Parameters that affected most bat species most prevalently were temperature and forest cover, both reflecting positive relationships with total bat activity and diversity (Chi-square; Rank Sums, p<0.05). When looking at species specific relationships, we focused on the least active species, as they may be more in need of management than more active species. Parameters that most influenced our least active species were humidity and open/savanna vs. forested sampling areas. Humidity had positive relationships with the likelihood of presence of our rarer species, whil (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Karen Root PhD (Advisor); Kevin McCluney PhD (Committee Member); Verner Bingman PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Animal Sciences; Animals; Biology; Conservation; Ecology; Environmental Management; Natural Resource Management; Organismal Biology; Wildlife Conservation; Wildlife Management; Zoology

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 2017, Biological Sciences

This study took place within the Oak Openings Region, a biodiversity hotspot in northwestern Ohio. The Oak Openings was created during the Cenozoic period, a time where glaciers continuously moved across Ohio, creating valleys and riverbeds. When the Wisconsin glaciers melted back from Ohio around 14,000 years ago, waters were released into multiple lakes with sandy beaches. Overtime, these sandy beaches started to became dunes inundated by rainwater that could not drain past the clayey till and bedrock ground layer. Water that would stand between the clay layer and sandy dunes provided moisture to eventually support oak savanna habitat. Between the sand ridges, rainwater would saturate the land, which created open areas of wet prairie (Higgins, 2003; Grigore, 2004). The combination of oak savanna habitat and open wet prairie gave this region the name of “Oak Openings” (Grigore, 2004). Today, the Oak Openings looks quite different as a result of the economic development and agricultural pursuits along the Toledo-Detroit corridor. This area is highly fragmented by roads, agricultural fields and urban/residential development. Roughly 45% of the Oak Openings Region contains urban and suburban development and roughly a quarter of the region has been converted to areas of agricultural production (Schetter and Root, 2011). However, there are still remnants of wild lands that exist west and south of the city of Toledo. This area is Ohio's largest single surficial sand covering which is 1-12 meters thick and consists of wet lowland and sand ridge terrain with elevations up to 210 meters above sea level. This region is approximately 8 kilometers wide and 32 kilometers long (Higgins, 2003; Figure 1) and contains oak savanna, oak woodland and wet prairie habitats on post glacial beach ridges and swales and covers 478 km2 (The Nature Conservancy, 2001; Grigore, 2004; Schetter and Root, 2011). The Oak Openings Region contains one third of all of Ohio's endangered plant commu (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Karen Root (Advisor); Raymond Larsen (Committee Member); Andrew Gregory (Committee Member) Subjects: Animal Sciences; Animals; Biology; Conservation; Ecology; Environmental Studies; Statistics; Wildlife Conservation; Wildlife Management; Zoology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2016, Biological Sciences

Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene c. carolina) have experienced range-wide declines as the result of extensive habitat loss, fragmentation, and alteration. The Oak Openings Region of northwestern Ohio is a biodiversity hotspot that exists in a highly fragmented landscape and provides a unique case study from which to examine the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on Eastern Box Turtles. In an effort to inform management and conservation efforts in the Oak Openings Region, I initiated a radio-telemetry project with the following objectives: 1) examine the spatial ecology of Eastern Box Turtles over several years to understand how they interact with their habitat in an area as unique as the Oak Openings Region, 2) develop predictive models depicting the temporal distributions of Eastern Box Turtles, 3) examine the impacts of one of the most common management tools in the Oak Openings Region, prescribed fire, on Eastern Box Turtles, and 4) evaluate pattern-recognition software as a low-cost alternative of identifying individual Eastern Box Turtles. Turtles at my study site exhibited larger home ranges than previously reported for this species as well as hierarchical habitat selection at multiple scales. Predicted distributions followed phenological shifts in habitat use and were influenced primarily by habitat type and canopy cover. Prescribed fires have the potential to have a devastating effect on box turtle populations, but management activities that take box turtle ecology into account will minimize these impacts while maintaining a critical disturbance regime. Computer-assisted photo-recognition has a great deal of potential as a supplemental method of identifying box turtles and provides a low-cost means of incorporating citizen science data into mark-recapture studies. My work suggests that conservation for Eastern Box Turtles in the Oak Openings Region should focus on maintenance and restoration of remaining box turtle habitat, connectivity between critical hab (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Karen Root Dr. (Advisor); Shannon Pelini Dr. (Committee Member); Jeff Miner Dr. (Committee Member); Enrique Gomezdelcampo Dr. (Committee Member); Salim Elwazani (Other) Subjects: Conservation; Ecology; Wildlife Conservation; Wildlife Management

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 2013, Biological Sciences

Species are threatened daily by human activities, the most devastating of which are habitat destruction and fragmentation, which can drastically decrease population size. One of the most severe consequences of these decreases in population sizes is the decrease in genetic diversity, which may affect fitness and reduce the adaptive potential of natural populations. These consequences, however, may not affect all species equally due to their past evolutionary history, migratory habits, and current demographic factors. This study focuses on the potential role of migratory habit on the maintenance of genetic diversity of avian species that live in a fragmented habitat. The mitochondrial control region sequences of six Passerine species that breed within the Oak Openings area of Northwest Ohio were compared based upon the species' migratory habit while controlling for the effects of phylogenetic history. Consistent with results from previous studies, species that migrate long distances showed higher levels of genetic diversity (higher numbers of haplotypes and average p-distance) than species that do not migrate. An analysis of variance based on within-population estimates of DNA sequence variation revealed a significant contribution of both phylogenetic history and migratory habit to species' genetic diversity. Overall, 50.72% of the total variation observed across multiple species could be explained by differences in migratory habit. These results emphasize the important role of migratory habit in determining overall levels of genetic diversity, an important consideration for the management and conservation of species that breed within fragmented habitats.

Committee: Juan Bouzat (Advisor); Gabriela Bidart-Bouzat (Committee Member); Scott Rogers (Committee Member) Subjects: Animals; Biology; Conservation; Genetics; Wildlife Conservation

Master of Arts, University of Toledo, 2006, Geography and Planning

The Midwest Oak Ecosystems Recovery Plan, establishes the need to identify current savanna land cover throughout its range including within the Oak Openings region of Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. Oak savanna is a transitional plant community falling within the continuum between forest and prairie. Transitional plant communities are more difficult to accurately identify using traditional crisp remote sensing classification techniques. The purpose of this study was to determine if a fuzzy classification approach would better identify savanna plant communities within this region than a traditional crisp classification. The area was classified using both techniques on a Landsat 7 ETM+ image from August 21, 2001. The resulting classifications had accuracies below the acceptable overall accuracy of 85%. The overall fuzzy classification accuracy ranged from 70-73%. The overall crisp classification accuracy was 62%. With such low accuracy results, an adequate comparison between the two methods could not be made, however they do show the fuzzy classification to be significantly more accurate than the crisp classification. More work will need to be done to improve both classifications before any conclusions can be drawn as to which method, fuzzy or crisp, will better identify savanna land cover within this region.

Committee: Kevin Czajkowski (Advisor) Subjects: Geography; Remote Sensing

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2012, Biological Sciences

The Oak Openings Region of Northwest Ohio is unique in terms of the flora and fauna that exists within a relatively fragmented area. It contains more rare and endangered plant species than any other area of its size in Ohio and much is known about a number of terrestrial and aquatic animals in the area as well. One group of animals that has not been studied is that of the order Chiroptera, bats. Bats are threatened on many fronts, from the effects of human persecution, to habitat loss, to the recent effects of a deadly fungus, White Nose Syndrome. The Oak Openings is an ideal area to study this group of animals because of its unique composition that includes many natural areas, including that of oak savannas, within an urban/suburban/agricultural matrix. My research objectives included 1) developing a spatially explicit habitat model of bat presence within protected areas of the oak openings region 2) determine the relative difference in activity and presence between forest and savanna sites within the oak openings region and 3) determine the knowledge and attitudes people of the area hold in regards to bats and then develop educational opportunities to increase knowledge and attitudes about bats. Ecological knowledge regarding bats within protected areas, and potential habitat needs, is lacking so I began by acoustically surveying for bats using the Anabat bat detector to determine bat presence within protected areas. I then developed Maxent species distribution models for each of seven species of bats. These models were then tested using citizen science collected data. Models for all seven species performed well when tested with this data, demonstrating the use of Maxent modeling and citizen science collected data for refinement and testing of data sets. With these models I was able to determine areas of potential importance both within and outside of current protected areas as well as critical habitat characteristics for bat presence. Second, I again used Anaba (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Karen Root (Advisor); Helen Michaels (Committee Member); Karen Sirum (Committee Member); Moira van Staaden (Committee Member); Enrique Gomezdelcampo (Other) Subjects: Conservation; Ecology

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 2011, Biological Sciences

Oak savanna is a globally imperiled plant community characterized by scattered oak trees and an herbaceous ground layer. The Oak Openings Region in northwest Ohio was once dominated by oak savanna however, since European settlement the amount of oak savanna has been significantly reduced. Despite the large reduction in area, what remains continues to support high levels of biodiversity including several rare butterfly species such as the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis). To improve butterfly conservation efforts, this study sought to characterize and compare oak savanna sites, determine how butterflies utilize nectar resources, and assess the effects of land management practices in the Oak Openings Region. We conducted vegetation surveys at four oak savanna sites. Transects were established at each site and a quadrat frame was placed every 10 m along the transects. At each quadrat we recorded several factors known to be important to butterflies, such as flowering plant density, canopy cover, vegetation height etc. We also conducted opportunistic behavioral observations of butterflies, recording behavior at 10 minute intervals. Lastly, we obtained land management records from local agencies. Sites varied greatly with respect to the measured factors. Flowering plant densities were low compared to a previous study used to evaluate potential reintroduction sites for the Karner blue butterfly in northwest Ohio. Across sites, butterflies most often fed from butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) and scaly blazing star (Liatris squarrosa), but these species were not always the most abundant, indicating a possible preference. All sites were actively managed, however, no significant relationships were found between management practices and the measured factors or species richness. Based on our knowledge of quality butterfly habitat, the “Bowl” site at Meilke Road Savanna Wildlife Area was the most suitable site for butterflies overall. Man (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Karen V. Root PhD (Advisor); Helen J. Michaels PhD (Committee Member); Jeffrey G. Miner PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Ecology

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 2013, Biological Sciences

The Oak Openings Region of Northwest Ohio is important because this area is home to more rare plant and animal species than any other similarly sized area in Ohio. Increasing our knowledge about bats, a vulnerable taxon, in this diverse region is critical due to a decline in bat populations caused by habitat loss and fragmentation, wind energy, and White-nose Syndrome. To address this need my thesis research was focused on: 1) comparing the effectiveness of bat acoustic identification programs; 2) monitoring habitat utilization; and 3) assessing how bats perceive owls. I acoustically surveyed for bats using an Anabat detector to determine the presence of bat species within a protected area of the Oak Openings Region. I identified the files to species then compared my identification to those of two identification programs. Each program was consistent in its identification and they performed similarly. The identification programs are effective in speeding up analysis, but can produce false positives for the endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis). Therefore, files should be double checked by an expert before identification is made final. For the second aspect of my research, I utilized the files I recorded with the Anabat system and analyzed the type of habitat (open or forest) in which each species was most often recorded. Overall bat activity was greatest in open sites, but this varied by species. Additionally, I conducted a few surveys from sunset to sunrise to monitor changes in activity levels during the night as well as potential habitat changes throughout the night. Lastly, I used Anabat detectors to record the amount of bat activity in responses to owl calls. Little research has been done on this interaction and it is thought that foraging bats compose a small portion of owl's diets. From this study, I found bat activity to be unchanged by any of owl species calls or a treatment of ambient nocturnal noise, suggesting that bat activity is not alter (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Karen Root (Advisor); Daniel Wiegmann (Committee Member); Verner Bingman (Committee Member) Subjects: Conservation; Ecology