Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2024, Environment and Natural Resources

Millions of migratory birds are funneled through the Great Lakes Region annually and depend on the shoreline habitats for stopover and refueling. The Great Lakes Region also has a high capacity for offshore wind development. Environmental assessments of a proposed experimental six-turbine array located eight miles offshore from Cleveland, Ohio determined that the impact to migratory birds would be low citing that birds avoid crossing the lake, which contrasts previous individual bird tracking studies showing an estimated 70% of birds crossed Lake Erie after stopping over on the lakeshore. The high crossing rate of some species suggests the potential for increased risk of avian collisions with offshore structures if improperly placed. Collisions with anthropogenic structures such as buildings account for upwards of 988 million annual deaths in the United States. Comparatively, turbines account for lower levels of mortality in the U.S. (679 thousand birds), but these estimates likely underrepresent the total impact due to surveying difficulties and data restrictions for industry reports. Additionally, this number is likely to increase with expansion of wind energy in the United States making now a critical time to close knowledge gaps related to offshore wind impact and to ensure proper siting of turbines that minimizes the risk to migratory birds. Understanding lake-crossing behavior and shoreline usage of birds in the region is necessary for predicting risk. Using Lake Erie as the focus for this study, I sought to determine the prevalence of lake-crossing behavior for migratory songbirds by tracking the movement of individuals from inland stopover habitats and identifying high use areas along the shoreline. Using automated radio telemetry and the Motus Wildlife Tracking System, I deployed transmitters on 174 birds from a suite of study species including White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis), Swainson's thrush (Catharus ustulatus), Tennessee Warble (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Christopher Tonra (Advisor); Stephen Matthews (Advisor); Alia Dietsch (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Studies; Wildlife Conservation; Wildlife Management

Master of Science, University of Toledo, 2020, Biology (Ecology)

Many Neotropical migratory songbirds are experiencing significant population declines (Wilcove and Terborgh 1984, Robbins et al. 1989, Rosenberg et al. 2019), the majority of which remain critically under-studied, impeding informed, science-based conservation and management. To effectively implement conservation and management strategies, it is critical to understand population dynamics and demography, which are most informative when all stages of a species' life cycle are incorporated (Sillett and Holmes 2002, Anders and Marshall 2005, Streby and Andersen 2011, Peterson et al. 2016, Kramer et al. 2018). In migratory passerines, this means considering the full annual cycle, including periods that may be difficult to study (e.g., migration, the non-breeding season, and the post-fledging period; Sillett and Holmes 2002, Webster et al. 2002, Anders and Marshall 2005, Streby and Andersen 2011, Cox et al. 2014, Marra et al. 2015, Peterson et al. 2016, Kramer et al. 2018). Knowledge of annual cycle ecology is especially limited for female songbirds, desert-dwelling songbirds, and other western USA Nearctic-Neotropical migrants (McKinnon and Love 2018, Bennett et al. 2019, Hedley 2019), which have experienced community wide declines in the past century (Iknayan and Beissinger 2018). The Gray Vireo (Vireo vicinior) is a small (~11-14 g), under-studied migratory songbird that breeds primarily in pinon (Pinus spp.)-juniper (Juniperus spp.) savannas and structurally similar arid landscapes in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico (Barlow et al. 1999; but see Hargrove and Unitt 2017 for chaparral habitat associations of the likely-disjunct California population). Gray Vireos are currently listed as threatened in New Mexico (NMDGF 2018), as a species of Conservation Concern by US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS 2008), and as a Watch List Species by Partners in Flight (Rosenberg et al. 2016). These listings are likely due to a lack of demographical informatio (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Henry Streby (Committee Chair); Kathy Granillo (Committee Member); Brian Carpenter (Committee Member); Jeanine Refsnider-Streby (Committee Member); Eric Zeigler (Committee Member) Subjects: Animals; Biology; Conservation; Demography; Ecology; Fine Arts; Gender; Gender Studies; Organismal Biology; Wildlife Conservation; Wildlife Management; Zoology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2020, Biological Sciences

Many taxa suffer from habitat loss, spread of invasive species, and climate change; however, reptiles are especially vulnerable because they are constrained physiologically from their ectothermic nature in addition to global population declines. Like other taxa, reptilian basic ecology requirements are influenced by ecological neighborhoods, which shape the abundance of critical resources and their movement patterns. My goal was to better understand reptilian movement patterns across spatial and temporal scales to facilitate conservation efforts within Oak Openings Region (OOR), of northwestern Ohio and southeastern Michigan, using a combination of field surveys, remote sensing data and modeling. My research examined (1) climate change, (2) distribution patterns, (3) habitat use, and (4) movement patterns. At the regional scale, we found moderate increases in suitable habitat for box turtles within the future scenarios based on climatic suitability models. Individuals may be more displaced or vulnerable from temperature change during the driest quarter of the year. Dispersal is feasible; box turtles, based on tracking of individuals, can move large distances within their lifetime but the physical barriers, like roads, on the landscape may greatly hinder these movements. I modeled habitat suitability for a suite of reptiles based on occupancy data and climate, habitat, elevation, and structural features. Currently, suitable habitat was less than half the area within OOR and was more restricted for two species of concern. There is a need to examine the range of limitations, i.e., minimum and maximum models, when planning conservation efforts for a suite of species, especially emphasizing the protection of wet and dry forest. At the local scale, I found using radio telemetry that box turtles displayed typical average home range sizes; however, some were much larger than other studies. This is likely a difference in landscape heterogeneity where home range size increase (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Karen Root PhD (Advisor); Michael Decker PhD (Other); Kevin McCluney PhD (Committee Member); Helen Michaels PhD (Committee Member); Enrique Gomezdelcampo PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Conservation; Ecology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2019, Electrical and Computer Engineering

This dissertation presents a new technology for batteryless and wireless neurorecording system which can be applied clinically. Two clinical issues of this type of neural implant are the 1) multichannel operation and 2) high impedance and DC voltage offset from the brain electrode impedance. To resolve these two problems, one wireless multichannel system and one brain electrode interface impedance-matching system are proposed respectively. To achieve multichannel operation, one photo-activated multiplexer is employed in the implant circuit. The interrogator additionally sends an infrared control signal for channel selection. Experimental results show that the proposed neuropotential recorder exhibits 20 uVpp sensitivity at all eight channels. The system is also in compliance with the strictest Federal Communications Commission standards for patient safety. Notably, the proposed approach is scalable to a much higher number of channels. On the other hand, to mitigate the high impedance and DC voltage offset of the brain-electrode interface, one self-biasing PNP Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) is adopted in the brain circuits. This self-biasing PNP BJT increases the overall system's impedance and maintains the system sensitivity while the high impedance is present. Measurement results demonstrate that emulated neuropotentials as low as 200 uVpp can be detected at a 33 kOhms electrode impedance. Together, these proposed techniques would lead the wireless neuro recorders to be applicable in real, in-vivo clinical applications.

Committee: John L. Volakis (Advisor); Asimina Kiourti (Advisor); Liang Guo (Committee Member); Daniel Rivers (Committee Member) Subjects: Biomedical Engineering; Electrical Engineering; Electromagnetics

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2018, Biological Sciences (Arts and Sciences)

Roads are ubiquitous in the United States, and their ecological effects are conspicuous. Turtles are among the vertebrate taxa most affected by roads because of their low vagility and use of road and road-side habitats. In 2013, Wayne National Forest in southeastern Ohio was bisected by a new highway, affecting a road-naive population of eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina), a species of concern in Ohio and vulnerable throughout its range. The goal of this study was to evaluate ecological, physiological, and behavioral effects of proximity to this new road in this road-naive population of turtles. We used a control-impact study to evaluate potential ecological and physiological effects of proximity to roads, employing radio-telemetry to assess space use, movement behavior, and habitat selection. We used novel bioassay techniques to analyze indicators of chronic stress (across the prior several months) using corticosterone stored in nail keratin. Overall, we found no significant differences in home range sizes, habitat preferences, or corticosterone concentrations between road-side and control sites. While our work suggests that proximity to roads has limited indirect influence on the ecology and chronic stress responses of eastern box turtles, and that road-naive turtles demonstrated avoidance of a high-traffic highway, the road network likely continues to contribute to population declines through direct mortality, and further inquiry is needed to assess road effects, particularly in the areas of stress endocrinology and impacts on demography.

Committee: Viorel Popescu (Advisor) Subjects: Animal Sciences; Animals; Biology; Conservation; Ecology; Endocrinology; Wildlife Conservation; Wildlife Management

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2015, Environment and Natural Resources

Billions of migratory songbirds worldwide make energetically costly migrations between breeding and overwintering areas. Their small body size, and limited fuel storage capacity, requires that these migrants make punctuated stops along their migratory route to rest and refuel. With timing of arrival on the breeding grounds directly influencing reproductive success, migratory birds exhibit a suite of behaviors during stopover that are thought to minimize the overall time spent on migration. These behaviors and the needs of migrants to rest and refuel, make the distribution and quality of stopover habitats a critical concern for bird conservation. Both endogenous (sex, age, energetic condition) and exogenous factors (habitat quality, food, geographical location) have been shown to influence stopover behaviors. I sought to identify the primary drivers of stopover departure decisions and their effect on movement behavior for two migratory passerines, the American redstart Setophaga ruticilla and the yellow-rumped (myrtle) warbler Setophaga coronata coronata within the western Lake Erie basin of the United States (Ohio, Michigan) and Canada (southern Ontario). Experimental manipulation of condition revealed that condition had a strong negative influence on stopover duration and a positive relationship to movement rates of these two migrant species. A broader sample of 124 radio-marked birds demonstrated that stopover departure was influenced by condition and age, with adult (after-second-year) birds exhibiting greater daily probability of departure than juveniles (second-year) birds. Weather conditions also had a significant influence on stopover duration with increasing tailwinds being associated with a greater daily probability of departure. Interestingly, wind was also an important driver of landscape level movement patterns. Individuals that departed with favorable tailwinds took a more direct route across the lake, which likely increased energetic and temporal e (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Stephen Matthews Ph.D (Advisor); Paul Rodewald Ph.D (Advisor); Robert Gates Ph.D (Committee Chair); Philip Taylor Ph.D (Committee Chair) Subjects: Biology; Ecology

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2011, Environment and Natural Resources

Despite a long history of research and accumulated knowledge of factors affecting population growth rates, conservation efforts aimed at reversing population declines of northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) have been largely ineffective. Bobwhite population decline and range contraction across the Midwest was driven primarily by changes in land-use practices related to large-scale intensive agriculture, urbanization, and forest succession. Although changes in agricultural landscapes have contributed substantially to the decline, such landscapes remain the only area where active management may improve population growth rates. To understand the ecology of bobwhites in agricultural landscapes in Ohio, I used radio-telemetry to investigate survival and habitat use during the non-breeding season (October–March) on 4 private land study sites in southwestern Ohio during 2009-2011. Known-fates survival estimates were low in both years (S2009-2010=0.05, 95% CI=0.03, 0.11, S2010-2011=0.12, 95% CI=0.07, 0.20) and lowest weekly survival coincided with periods of prolonged snow cover. Compositional analysis revealed that coveys used habitat non-randomly at 3 scales; positioning of home ranges within study areas (Λ = 0.320, P < 0.001), positioning of core areas within home range (Λ = 0.599, P = 0.002), and point locations within home ranges (Λ = 0.058, P = 0.002). Early successional woody vegetation (e.g. fencerows and ditches) was the most preferred habitat type at all scales. Differences in selection among study sites revealed that home ranges were preferentially established in areas with grassland cover on 2 agricultural study sites, but not at the site with the greatest amount of grassland cover. Bobwhites mostly used habitat edges such that interior portions of grass and crop fields were used less as they increased in area. Thus small fields with high edge to interior ratios are most advantageous. I tested the influence of habitat use on individual survival by comparing (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Robert Gates PhD (Advisor); Amanda Rodewald PhD (Committee Member); Stanley Gehrt PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Ecology; Natural Resource Management; Wildlife Conservation; Wildlife Management

Master of Science, John Carroll University, 2010, Biology

Understanding roosting behavior and habitat use of bats is an important component when unraveling life histories and their ecology. Ohio remains under-represented in published information of bats compared to surrounding states. This large scale survey in 2002–2003 and Myotis septentrionalis radio telemetry study in 2005 is one of the few conducted within the state and is the first in Ohio's North-Central region. It is also the first study conducted where net sites were chosen randomly and spatially distributed to adequately survey bat populations within Cuyahoga Valley National Park and Cleveland Metroparks. This survey documented seven species (n = 668), with the most abundant species being Eptesicus fuscus (n = 250) and Myotis septentrionalis (n = 210), which was unexpected. Whereas habitat preference is known for many bat species, there was an unexpected and significant stratum preference depending on sex for Eptesicus fuscus, Myotis septentrionalis and M. lucifugus, which has not been previously published. Male E. fuscus preferred either Upland Near Stream or Upland habitats, whereas females strongly preferred Floodplain (p < 0.0001). Myotis septentrionalis demonstrated a significant preference for stratum type between sexes, as females preferred Upland, whereas males preferred Upland Near Stream habitats (p = 0.01). Lastly, M. lucifugus females preferred Floodplain, whereas males preferred Upland (p = 0.001). There was a temporal trend for increased capture rates throughout the summer, as more Lasiurus borealis were captured in August (n = 33) than May–July combined (n = 27). The skewed sex ratio of more males than females in L. borealis and the temporal increase in number of captures is an indicator that there is an influx of male L. borealis into the population. A total of eight lactating female Myotis septentrionalis were radio tracked to 21 roost trees. Myotis septentrionalis primarily roosted in dead trees (snags), as 19 of the 21 trees (90%) were dead, (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Christopher Sheil (Advisor); Carl Anthony (Committee Member); Jeff Johansen (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Ecology

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2013, Environment and Natural Resources

Northern bobwhites are a popular upland game bird species with economic and social importance. Despite nearly a century of research, population declines continue at state and national scales. Precipitous population declines and range-contractions in the Midwest have been caused by land-use changes and suppression of natural disturbance regimes. Reproduction that meets or exceeds annual mortality is essential to sustain viable populations and poor reproductive success is also implicated in declines of grassland bird populations. This study fills an information gap in knowledge of spring dispersal, breeding ecology and behavior, and breeding vital rates of Midwestern bobwhites near the northern limit of their range. It is unclear if recovery of Midwestern bobwhite populations is limited by spring dispersal capabilities and/or breeding vital rates. Radio-telemetry was used to investigate breeding vital rates during 2010 and 2011 on 4 private-lands study sites in southwest Ohio. Bobwhites were outfitted with radio-transmitters with an 8-hr mortality sensor and tracked daily with homing to within ≤20m. Spring dispersal and breeding season vital rates were evaluated and compared to other bobwhite populations to identify potential population-limiting factors associated with spring dispersal and reproduction. Vital rates that met or exceeded range-wide means included spring dispersal distance (1.54 km), nesting effort (re-nest = 26%, double clutch = 65%), male incubation (43% of nests), clutch size (14.4 eggs), egg success (96.9%), and nesting phenology. The mean hatch date for first nest attempts was 1 July, 21 July for male incubated nests, 28 July for renests, 31 July for backdated fall-juveniles, and 24 Aug for double clutches. Breeding season (Apr-Sep) survival (28%) and nest success (27.9%) were lower in southwestern Ohio compared to range-wide averages. Relatively low nest success and breeding season survival indicates that reproduction may limit population growth i (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Robert Gates PhD (Advisor); Paul Rodewald PhD (Committee Member); Elizabeth Marschall PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Animals; Ecology; Natural Resource Management; Wildlife Conservation; Wildlife Management