Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 2007, Biological Sciences

Lupinus perennis(Fabaceae) is an indicator species for savanna and barrens habitat throughout the Great Lakes region and northeastern United States. It is also the sole larval food source for the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly ( Lycaeides melissa samuelis) and an important food source for other threatened butterfly species. Although butterfly recovery programs include restoration of existing lupine populations and establishment of new ones, the determination of the optimum conditions and method of lupine repopulation has received little attention. This study compared the survival, growth and reproduction of L. perennisfor two growing seasons after planting. Seed and greenhouse grown transplants from four population sources were planted across naturally occurring gradients of light, soil moisture, pH, phosphorous, and soil surface materials along field transects in a savanna restoration. Estimates of labor required in the production, planting and aftercare of both greenhouse plants and seeds were also compared. Both population source and substrate type significantly influenced seedling emergence, while survival decreased with increased light levels, herbivory, and disturbance. As expected, transplants had significantly greater survival than seedlings, but were also affected by initial size, population source, herbivory and disturbance. Seedling size was influenced by population source, light, and soil pH, while transplant size varied only with population and light. Only 1% of seedlings flowered in the second season, compared to 25% of transplants. Only population source had a significant effect on seed production by the transplants. Although approximately 9.5 times more labor was required for transplants, they outperformed the seedlings in survival, size and potential fecundity in the first two seasons. Optimal planting locations and the relative merits of establishing populations of L. perennis within butterfly habitat regeneration projects are discussed (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Helen Michaels (Advisor) Subjects: Biology, Ecology

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 2006, Biological Sciences

The effects of management on threatened and endangered species are difficult to discern, and yet, are vitally important for implementing adaptive management. The federally endangered Karner blue butterfly (Karner blue), Lycaeides melissa samuelis, inhabits oak savanna or pine barrens, is a specialist on its host-plant, wild blue lupine, Lupinus perennis, and has two broods per year. The Karner blue was reintroduced into the globally rare black oak/lupine savannas of Ohio, USA in 1998. Current management practices involve burning 1/3, mowing 1/3, and leaving 1/3 of the lupine stems unmanaged at each site. Prescribed burning generally kills any Karner blue eggs present, so a trade-off exists between burning to maintain the habitat and Karner blue mortality. The objective of my research was to quantify the effects of this management strategy on the Karner blue. In the first part of my study, I examined several environmental factors, which influenced the nutritional quality (nitrogen and water content) of lupine to the Karner blue. My results showed management did not affect lupine nutrition for either brood. For the second brood, I found that vegetation density best predicted lupine nutritional quality, but canopy cover and aspect had an impact as well. Relatively lower host-plant nitrogen during the second brood was accompanied by a higher adult foraging rate, which suggests a trade-off of nutritional resources during these different life stages. For the second part of my study, I used surveys and behavior observations to quantify how the Karner blue responded to management treatments. Second brood females and males were more abundant in burned management units, and behavior observations revealed Karner blues avoided ovipositing in unmanaged management units. These management units were unburned for at least four years and were often characterized by a high leaf litter depth (>3.5 cm). Recolonizations of Karner blues from source populations within 120 meters was rapid (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Karen Root (Advisor) Subjects: Biology, Ecology