Bachelor of Arts (BA), Ohio University, 2024, Environmental Studies

Grassland birds have narrow habitat requirements that are influenced by food availability, habitat composition, and habitat structure. Because survival is influenced by habitat quality and availability, understanding habitat requirements is critical for conservation. I determined how Henslow's Sparrows (Centronyx henslowii) use grassland habitat in the breeding season. In the past 10 years, technology advancements have allowed researchers to study the habitat use and movement ecology of understudied birds, such as grassland birds. I deployed nanotags on 47 adult Henslow's Sparrows at two sites in southern Ohio to determine home range size and habitat use in relation to distance to edge and shrub, as well as the post-breeding dispersal and migratory timing. I predicted that Henslow's Sparrows would use core grassland habitat and avoid edge and shrubs. I found no difference in 95 % home range size between female (0.10 ± 0.03 ha) and male (0.32 ± 0.18 ha) Henslow's Sparrows. Henslow's Sparrows used shrubs when available and edge habitat as refugia after disturbance. I also found that Henslow's Sparrows use fields into August, past dates typically recommended for disturbance (e.g., mid to late July), which suggests the need to leave corridors and patches for refugia after management such as mowing or burning. I determined the fall migratory departure timing of 13 Henslow's Sparrows. I found that Henslow's Sparrows are at risk for entanglement which resulted in mortality of two birds. A third bird found entangled was found alive, entangled in vegetation, and was released after I removed the nanotag. I also found that 24 Henslow's Sparrows were able to remove nanotags and several damaged their nanotags. While I do not recommend the use of nanotags on this species in future studies, my study did result in determining fall migratory departure timing of Henslow's Sparrows in Ohio which was previously unknown.

Committee: Kelly Williams (Advisor) Subjects: Animals; Biology; Ecology; Environmental Studies; Organismal Biology; Wildlife Conservation; Wildlife Management; Zoology

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2020, Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology

This dissertation examines how an invasive woody plant, Lonicera maackii, temporally and spatially structures native bee communities of forest-edge habitat in agricultural landscapes. In Chapter 1, I measured bee species composition and pollination services ≤200 m from isolated forest patches in response to L. maackii flower removals. Removing flowers released a subset of small-bodied bees and increased pollination services after two years. Pollination services provisioned by large-bodied and generalist bee species (e.g. Bombus spp) increased when nearby plants were adjacent to intact L. maackii flowers. Findings suggest that L. maackii flowers suppress one component of the bee community and attract another to the forest patch that increases usage of the adjacent crop fields. In Chapter 2, I compared two components of the bee community and their responses to L. maackii density, floral resources of the forest patch, and the surrounding landscape. Bees sampled in pan traps were typically small, specialized, and responded to local patch features. Bees sampled in vane traps were larger in body size, social, and responded to landscape composition 3 km from the forest patch. These findings suggest that L. maackii floral resources support weaker foragers within the forest patch as well as larger bees that forage throughout the landscape. Both components of the bee community responded to tree community composition and were vertically stratified in the tree canopy. In Chapter 3, I measured bee diversity and community composition at different vertical strata in response to L. maackii density and flowering period as well as floral resource availability of woody plants. I found that L. maackii supports a component of the vertically stratified bee community which changes interactions with floral resources of the native woody vegetation at different vertical strata. Collectively, my studies demonstrate that L. maackii structures forest-edge bee communities through mechanisms invo (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Thomas Crist (Advisor); David Berg (Committee Member); Amelie Davis (Committee Member); David Gorchov (Committee Member); Jign Zhang (Committee Member) Subjects: Agriculture; Biology; Conservation; Ecology

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

MA, Kent State University, 2016, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Anthropology

Tropical rainforests are critical to continued human existence on Earth. Carbon sequestration, the global hydrological cycle, and medicinal plants are best provided by large tracts of intact rainforest. Unfortunately, forest loss is prevalent throughout the tropics, which house the world's most biodiverse ecosystems. I conducted an assessment of standing forest health and a primate census at the Piro Biological Station on the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica over a 6-week period in 2014. I characterized edge effects throughout the forest in relation to land cover types that border the forest edge, compared edge-to-interior forest at the site, and related these data to the distribution of four primate species (Ateles geoffroyi, Saimiri oerstedii, Alouatta palliata, and Cebus capucinus) found there. My results and satellite imagery suggest that this area is currently undergoing a period of forest regeneration. Likewise, a primate census revealed that Ateles geoffroyi, listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List, is abundant throughout the site, equally utilizing both edge and interior forest during the wet season. Since the nearby Corcovado National Park is known for its abundant Ateles geoffroyi population, this study reinforces the possibility of habitat corridors between Piro and Corcovado.

Committee: Marilyn Norconk Dr. (Advisor); Mary Ann Raghanti Dr. (Committee Member); Christopher Vinyard Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Ecology; Environmental Studies; Physical Anthropology; Remote Sensing

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2006, Arts and Sciences : Biological Sciences

Although there is a great deal of literature detailing changes in the demography of small mammals at habitat edges, few studies measure spatial use, and even fewer agree on a definition of edge, or attempt to measure or control differences in edge habitat. The objective of this study was to determine whether space use by the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) varied in forest adjacent to agriculture along a habitat gradient from forest edge to forest interior. In this way edge was not artificially defined, but rather was linked to spatial changes exhibited by the white-footed mouse and to existing vegetation gradients along an edge-to-interior gradient. We also compared these results to those from artificially defined edges. Movement and vertical use by female P. leucopus increased along a gradient of changing edge-to-interior habitat variables while male movement did not change. Artificial definitions of edge yielded differing results emphasizing this method's measurement bias.

Committee: Dr. Guy Cameron (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2001, Plant Biology (Arts and Sciences)

Introduction of non-native species is the oldest form of human-induced global change. From the exchange of agricultural crops and domestic animals, to the accidental introduction of weeds and microbes, non-native species have been incorporated into the floras and faunas of all continents and most oceanic islands. These organisms can have marked effects on ecosystems. I wanted to address the following facets of non-native species invasion: (1) What characteristics of ecosystems make them more susceptible to non-native species invasion? and (2) What characteristics of the invader allow invasion? To address these questions, I used a gradient of anthropogenic disturbance common in southeastern Ohio forests: intact secondary forest, forest edge, and aggrading clear cuts. Paulownia tomentosa is a tree native to Asia and thought to have been introduced to North America in the 1840's. The species has naturalized throughout Appalachia. I studied the growth, allocation, establishment, and seed persistence across habitats. I also became interested in the basic ecology of P. tomentosa, particularly the ability of the species to resprout and phenotypic plasticity in naturalized populations. The most important factors in determining the invasive potential of P. tomentosa were disturbance and herbivory. Paulownia tomentosa is an early successional species that can grow rapidly under high light conditions. Seed ecology suggests that the species can form a persistent seed bank. However, light is required for germination and seeds responded positively to soil disturbance. Large gaps may be sufficient to allow seeds in the seed bank to germinate and grow to the canopy. However, the species is very susceptible to herbivory. Plants had to be protected from mammals in order to persist. Even though above- and below-ground competition affected plant growth and allocation, it did not affect the overall success of plants. Paulownia tomentosa can resprout at an early age and initially invests (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Brian McCarthy (Advisor) Subjects:

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2010, Antioch New England: Environmental Studies

Forest edges are associated with forest edge effects that result from changes in physical features of the habitat, predator species and number, and prominence of human activities and other disturbances that can have direct or indirect impact on the distribution, ecology, and fitness of forest plant and animal species. I conducted a literature review on edge effects on primate species and came up with a classification of primate species in three general categories " thriving, sensitive and resilient species to edge effects " based on behavioral and demographic responses.In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, edge effects followed non-monotonic patterns (wave-like) most likely due to the additive influence of edge effects, the history of logging in the area, and the persistent human activities and other disturbances. Such edge effects were more detectable in vegetation canopy cover and density and distribution of pioneer plant species whose dominance could increase or decrease up to 400 m from the park boundary towards the interior of the forest. Such distance, however, can vary considerably depending on variables examined. L'Hoest's monkeys living along the edge of the Bwindi forest did not appear to be more affected behaviorally by edge effects than an interior group. Both groups spent relatively equivalent amount of time on major behavioral activities such as feeding, travelling and resting. Socializing was significantly less in the edge group compared with the interior group and that is likely to have a detrimental effect on the edge group cohesion. A correlation was found between the abundance of plant food species and the amount of time l'Hoest's monkeys spent feeding on these plant food species along the forest boundary while monkeys of the interior group fed on different items regardless of their abundance. The edge group had also a larger home range than the interior group especially because they expanded it during crop raiding or feeding on native vegetation (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Beth Kaplin PhD (Committee Chair); Peter Palmiotto DF (Committee Member); Marina Cords PhD (Committee Member); Alastair McNeilage PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Science