Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Native birds'
To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Native birds.
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 50 dissertations / theses for your research on the topic 'Native birds.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse dissertations / theses on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Cassey, Phillip, and n/a. "Comparative Analyses of Successful Establishment Among Introduced Land Birds." Griffith University. Australian School of Environmental Studies, 2002. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20030915.094001.
Full textAbstract:
Humankind has redistributed a large number of species outside their native geographic ranges. Although the majority of introduction attempts fail to establish populations, the cumulative negative effect of successful non-native species has been and will continue to be large. Historical records of land bird introductions provide one of the richest sources of data for testing hypotheses regarding the factors that affect the successful establishment of non-native populations. However, despite comprehensive summaries of global avian introductions dating back two decades only very recent studies have examined the successful establishment of non-native bird species worldwide. It is clear that a non-random pattern exists in the types of land bird species that have been chosen by humans to be introduced outside their native range. Out of the 44 avian families from which species have been chosen for introduction almost 70% of introduction attempts have been from just five families (Phasianidae, Passeridae, Fringillidae, Columbidae, Psittacidae). Notably, these families include game species, insectivorous song birds, and species from the pet trade. It has been hypothesised that the fate of introduced species may be determined in part by heritable characteristics that are shared by closely related taxa. In my analyses, I have used current comparative methods to demonstrate that intrinsic eco-physiological characteristics are significant predictors of the worldwide success of introduced land bird species. The results of my analyses contribute to a greater ecological understanding of the traits that correlate with the successful establishment of non-native species. Notably, the three major conclusions that I have drawn from this thesis are: 1. Non-random patterns of successful establishment exist for introduced land bird taxa that have experienced a repeated number of introduction attempts. This result supports the idea that introduced species have an inherent likelihood of either succeeding or failing to establish non-native populations. 2. Eco-physiological traits are important correlates for determining the variability in introduction outcome for non-native land bird species. With reliable information on introduction attempts and taxa-specific traits predictive models are possible that quantify the outcome of repeated introduction attempts across non-native species. 3. Islands are not universally less resistant than mainland regions to the successful establishment of non-native species. This perception is a reflection of the greater number of introduction attempts to islands rather than an effect of biotic resistance. Any differences in the success of introduction attempts can be attributed largely to differences in the proportion of introductions that have been made across biogeographic regions. I have highlighted that data are accessible for global analyses of the variability in the successful establishment of non-native species. Although establishment success is not a deterministic process, the characteristics of an introduced species can influence the probability of its succeeding. I have shown that with adequate eco-physiological information, and for introduced land bird species at least, this probability can be predicted. These results refute previous suggestions that the stochastic component of species introductions will always overshadow any emerging patterns of successful establishment among non-native populations.
2
Safford, Roger. "Conservation of the forest-living native birds of Mauritius." Thesis, University of Kent, 1994. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.386987.
Full text
3
Morales, Susana Maria. "Effects of transplanting saguaros on native cavity nesting birds." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/278725.
Full textAbstract:
Expanding urbanization into undisturbed Sonoran Desert vegetation has led to public concern over the removal and destruction of large saguaro cacti (Carnegia gigantea). Development mitigation plans were established requiring transplantation, salvage and replacement of saguaros in certain development sites. However, no research has assessed whether native birds use transplanted saguaros at the same rate as non-transplanted cacti. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of saguaro transplantation on nest use. In Tucson, Arizona, 87 transplanted and 28 non-transplanted saguaros on a developed site and 26 non-transplanted saguaros on an undisturbed site were selected for observation of bird nesting activity during the breeding seasons of 1997 and 1998. Birds showed a preference for saguaros, transplanted or non-transplanted, which were surrounded by native vegetation and in areas with low human activity. I suggest that guidelines be revised for development mitigation standards and saguaro transplanting.
4
Gichohi, Nathan W. "Ecological impacts of biological invasions on native birds in Africa." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/4747.
Full textAbstract:
The impacts of biological invasions on native avian diversity have been the subject of many studies in Africa. However, a holistic synthesis of available information from different taxa and their impacts on native birds is lacking. From published information, I analysed the negative and positive effects of biological invaders on native African birds from five taxa: plants, invertebrates, fish, mammals and birds. In order to assess functional gains and losses, native birds were categorized into their functional guilds defined by their primary diet. I limited my scope to mainland Africa at the biome level. ArcView GIS 3.3 software was used to map locational data of impacts within the major biomes. The results indicate that a minimum of 572 native birds are negatively impacted by invasive species from the five taxa. This represents ca 29% of all the bird species in Africa. In contrast, only 191 species of native birds benefited from such invasions. Birds whose diet was primarily insects were disproportionally impacted. The majority of the impacts were caused by invasive plants. At the biome level, the greatest numbers of native birds impacted were in the Montane grassland and shrubland biome. It is predicted that native birds will continue to lose more than they gain from biological invasions in the continent.
5
Pedersen, Simen. "Effects of native and introduced cervids on small mammals and birds." Doctoral thesis, Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet, Institutt for biologi, 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:no:ntnu:diva-15935.
Full textAbstract:
Cervids are a widespread family of ungulates, native to the Americas, Europe and Asia and introduced to Australia. Densities of cervids have increased in North America, Europe and Japan during the last couple of decades, due to changes in land use, reduced hunting, lack of large carnivores and changes in management practices. Where they occur at high densities, native and introduced cervids may have profound effects on vegetation, causing knock-on effects on other taxa. Cervids are in some instances managed towards changing the local distribution through supplemental feeding. These supplemental feeding stations are causing localized areas of high cervid abundance in the landscape, and may have effects on plants and animal species. In this thesis I investigate how high cervid densities and the practice of supplemental feeding impact birds and small mammals through effects on; 1) food resources, and 2) habitat structure. Utilizing a simulated moose (Alces alces) browsing experiment, I tested how varying moose densities and varying site productivity affects vole preference for bilberry. I found that voles preferred unbrowsed bilberry at low productivity sites, while they preferred lightly browsed bilberry at high productivity sites, I was however unable to explain the preference pattern with the chemical composition of the bilberry. However, moose do impact vole food preferences and this could, depending on the productivity of the site, potentially affect food selection and population dynamics over large geographical areas. Moose browsing pressure and nutrient input gradually decline with distance from supplemental winter feeding stations. I utilized this gradient to test how moose activity affects reproduction in pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) and great tits (Parus major). The two species showed contrasting responses to moose feeding stations, great tits preferred to nest away from feeding stations where they showed higher feeding frequency and also produced more fledglings compared to close to feeding stations. Pied flycatchers on the other hand preferred to nest close to feeding stations where they had higher feeding frequency and fledgling mass was higher compared to further away. Hence, for both species moose browsing is affecting food availability that subsequently affects reproductive performance. Moose supplemental feeding stations also changed the habitat for small mammals from dwarf shrub dominated to grass and forb dominated. This did not have any effect on reproductive performance of the small mammals, but it did affect species composition along a gradient from the feeding stations. There was higher abundance of Microtus spp. and common shrews (Sorex araneus) close to feeding stations, while bank voles (Myodes glareoleus) had higher abundance away from feeding stations, the latter however was not statistically significant. Small mammals in Australian coastal heath were generally negatively associated with introduced rusa deer (Cervus timorensis), however one species responded positively to historical densities of rusa deer. It was however not possible to confirm these effects as being due to changes in habitat structure for the small mammals. However they may be explained by qualitative changes in the vegetation or alternatively by direct effects of deer through trampling or predation. Cervids and their management have an impact on other fauna, however the effects vary depending on small mammal and bird species. The effects of cervids also depend on the habitat requirements and foraging preferences of the small mammals and birds. Effects may be mediated through both food resources and habitat structure and are dependent on site productivity and cervid density.
6
Numata, Mihoko, and n/a. "Cytochrome P450 activity and pollutant exposure in New Zealand native birds." University of Otago. School of Pharmacy, 2006. http://adt.otago.ac.nz./public/adt-NZDU20070504.141101.
Full textAbstract:
Birds are potentially vulnerable to the toxicity of certain environmental pollutants due to limited detoxification capabilities of their liver microsomal cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. In wild birds, ethoxyresorufin O-deethylation (EROD) activity, a marker of CYP1A activity in mammals and domestic chickens, has been used as a biomarker of exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs). The aim of the present study was to investigate hepatic CYP activity as an indication of detoxification capacity in New Zealand birds. In addition to the use of conventional in vitro CYP activity assays, the applicability of a noninvasive CYP activity assay was tested using caffeine as the in vivo substrate.
The ontogeny of liver microsomal 3-hydroxylation of quinine, a marker of human CYP3A activity, was investigated in Adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) from Ross Island, Antarctica. The results indicate that chicks (2-4 weeks old) possess a CYP3A-like isoform(s) as active as but not identical to the CYP3A-like isoform(s) in adults. Total CYP content was low at 2 weeks of age and increased rapidly and linearly approaching adult levels by 4 weeks of age implying a rapid development of CYPs other than the CYP3A-like isoform(s).
The main study was conducted on adult (and some post-fledging immature) birds of two native species, the herbivorous paradise shelduck (Tadorna variegata) and the omnivorous southern black-backed gull (Larus dominicanus). Birds were shot for liver collection at three sites in the South Island of New Zealand; West Coast, Lake Waipori and Dunedin landfill, in 2001-2002. The results indicate that shelducks posssess multiple CYP isoforms that independently catalyse EROD, p-nitrophenol hydroxylation (p-NP) and erythromycin demethylation (EMD), markers of mammalian CYP1A, CYP2E and CYP3A activity, respectively. In contrast, gulls appear to possess a single isoform catalysing both EROD and p-NP but possess no isoform capable of catalysing EMD.
EROD activity was high in shelducks and gulls from the landfill site, although it was not significantly associated with liver concentrations of PCBs (0.079-6.2 and 8.2-310 ng/g in shelducks and gulls, respectively), PCDD/PCDFs, toxic equivalents (TEQs) and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) (0.85-317 and 44-4800 ng/g in shelducks and gulls, respectively) in either species. In shelduck livers from the landfill site, EROD was positively associated with Pb concentration but negatively associated with Hg concentration. Assessment of PCB congener patterns based on concentration ratios of individual congeners to the reference congener, 2,2�,4,4�,5,5�-hexachlorobiphenyl (IUPAC #153), indicate that the metabolism of 2,4,4�-trichlorobiphenyl (PCB#28) and 2,4,4�,5-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB#74) is inducible in shelducks but not in gulls. Hepatic reduced glutathione (GSH) content was higher in gulls than in shelducks suggesting greater resistance to oxidative stress in gulls.
The in vivo caffeine metabolism test as a noninvasive method to determine CYP1A activity in shelducks and gulls gave a positive outcome. The test was performed by administration of a single intraperitoneal dose of caffeine (1 mg/kg body weight) followed by blood collection at 2 and 4 h after caffeine administration for determination of the serum concentration ratio of the metabolite, paraxanthine, to caffeine (PX/CA) by HPLC. In both species, the PX/CA ratio was markedly increased by pretreatment with the model CYP1A inducer, β-naphthoflavone (BNF). BNF treatment also increased EROD activity determined after death (80-fold and 20-fold compared to controls in shelducks and gulls, respectively). However, sensitivity of the PX/CA ratio approach was lower in gulls than in shelducks due presumably to the formation of unidentified caffeine metabolites in gulls. Immunoblot analysis failed to reveal increased CYP protein levels caused by BNF treatment in shelducks and gulls due to poor cross-reactivity of avian proteins with polyclonal antibodies raised against mammalian CYPs.
EROD activity was also determined in livers of the piscivorous yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) (1 chick, 3 post-fledging immature, 1 adult) from Otago, South Island of New Zealand, and found to be below the limit of quantitation. The adult liver contained 18.5 ng/g of total PCBs suggesting that EROD in this species is insensitive to induction. Comparison of the PCB congener pattern based on [PCBx]/[PCB#153] between the penguin and its putative source of PCB exposure, New Zealand marine fish, indicates that CYPs in yellow-eyed penguins metabolise 2,2�,5,5�-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB#52) and 2,2�,4,5,5�-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB#101) as in many other avian species.
The findings of this study highlight substantial species differences in CYP activity in wild birds. Whether CYP expression in New Zealand birds is genetically distinct from birds in other parts of the world may warrant further investigation.
7
Whittaker, Kara Ayn. "Dispersal, habitat use, and survival of native forest songbirds in an urban landscape /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/5483.
Full text
8
Jackson, Sally Graves. "Relationships among Birds, Willows, and Native Ungulates in and around Northern Yellowstone National Park." DigitalCommons@USU, 1992. http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/263/.
Full text
9
Sullivan, Martin John Patrick. "Predicting the distribution and impacts of non-native birds in the Iberian Peninsula." Thesis, University of East Anglia, 2014. https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/48810/.
Full textAbstract:
Increasing numbers of species are being transported beyond their natural range boundaries by humans. These non-native species can have severe negative impacts on native biodiversity. In order to guide management of these species it is important to be able predict where non-native species will spread to, and what impact they will have. This thesis aims to improve our understanding in both these areas, using the expansion of non-native birds in the Iberian Peninsula as a study system. The number of non-native passerines in the Iberian Peninsula has increased in the late 20th century, with the common waxbill Estrilda astrild, yellow-crowned bishop Euplectes afer, red avadavat Amandava amandava and black-headed weaver Ploceus melanocephalus all established as breeding species since 1960. Methods to (1) account for dispersal limitation when modelling the distribution of spreading non-native species and (2) evaluate the likely transferability of native trained species distribution models were developed. The consistency of the species-environment relationship during expansion in the non-native range was also examined. The ability of vacant niches to facilitate the spread of non-native species was tested, and a framework for detecting the early impacts of non-native species was developed. Species distribution models of the potential distribution of non-native species are improved by incorporating dispersal. Dispersal is an important constraint on the distribution of non-native species, and interacts with environmental suitability to alter the species-environment relationship between the range-margin and the range core, and over time. Despite accounting for dispersal limitation in their evaluation, the performance of native-trained species distribution models was poor when most environmental conditions that were analogous to the species native range were within the species niche. Non-native birds in the Iberian Peninsula utilised similar resources to native seed-eating birds, but small differences in resource utilisation allowed them to exploit rice fields, where resources were under-exploited by native species. Non-native birds could also interact with native reedbed nesting passerines, and indeed aggression between black-headed weavers and native Acrocephalus warblers has been recorded. However, we did not find evidence for competition between these species at current population densities of black-headed weavers. Further work on non-native species needs to extend the hybrid dispersal-species distribution models developed here, and also to conduct more assessments of the impacts of non-native species in the early stages of their invasion.
10
Zajc, Elizabeth. "Modelling native bird diversity in the Greater Toronto Area." Thesis, University of Waterloo, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10012/974.
Full textAbstract:
Human-dominated landscapes often have habitat loss and fragmentation. These characteristics described at the landscape scale, called landscape elements, influence species diversity and distribution. These landscape elements include such descriptions as the amount of habitat in the landscape and the degree of fragmentation of the habitat. "Optimization of landscape pattern" studies which landscape elements will maximize species diversity and/or distribution. Some general conclusions have emerged from this research. For example, for some bird species the size of the habitat patch in which a species nests has been found to be more important than landscape variables. However, preliminary research suggested that landscape elements such as the matrix are important urban areas. My study addressed this problem by asking: which elements of the landscape are most important for predicting avian species richness and abundance in the Greater Toronto Area? A literature review revealed a number of variables that have been found to influence bird species diversity within a landscape: area of habitat in which the species nests, amount of habitat within the landscape, degree of fragmentation, vegetation characteristics of the habitat patch, and area within the landscape deemed urban in municipal land-use designations (amount of urbanization). From this literature, I formulated four hypotheses describing the most important variables for avian diversity: (1) the area of the habitat patch is most important, (2) only variables describing the habitat patch itself are important, (3) the area of the habitat patch is important, but landscape variables should also be considered and (4) urbanization is most important. These hypotheses were considered competing explanations of bird species diversity at the landscape scale. A database of breeding bird data and landscape information, in a geographic information system platform, was used to investigate the comparative strength of the competing hypotheses for the Greater Toronto Area. A mathematical expression with a Poisson model format was created to represent each hypothesis. The model selection technique based on Kullback-Leibler information using the Akaike Information Criterion was deemed most appropriate for the comparison of the models. Four separate Poisson model competitions were completed using two habitat types and two response variables: species richness and total abundance. In three of the four competitions, the best model included the habitat area and the amount of urbanization in the landscape. In the forth competition, this model was considered as strong as another model which included habitat area, amount of habitat in the landscape and degree of fragmentation. The results from the model competition support the hypothesis that habitat area is important, but landscape variables must also be considered to explain avian richness and total abundance. It appears that maintaining native bird biodiversity in the Greater Toronto Area should focus on preserving and possibly increasing habitat area and decreasing adjacent urbanization. Exploration of the best model in the forest analysis with the richness response variable found that a 10% increase in habitat area cause approximately a 10% increase in species richness, and a 10% increase in urban area caused approximately a 20% decrease in species richness. Consequently, current natural heritage planning in Ontario should consider urban development as an important negative effect on native birds.
11
Starling, Amanda. "Behavioural plasticity of life history traits in the New Zealand avifauna." Thesis, University of Canterbury. Biological Sciences, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/1327.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this research was to determine how predator control influences nest survival and changes in life history strategies of birds. All studies were conducted at two sites: one site had very little mammal control, while the other site is a 'mainland island' in which all introduced mammals were trapped or poisoned. Nest survival rates of introduced and native species were compared between the two sites by locating and monitoring nests of nine species. I found that mammalian predator control increased nest survival rates of both introduced and native species, but the incrase of nest survival was more pronounced in native species. The influence of predator control on the plasticity of life history strategies in introduced and native New Zealand birds was also examined. Some life history strategies (e.g. time spent incubating, frequency of visits to the nest) changed significantly in the area with predator control, while other life history traits (e.g. clutch size) did not vary between areas. I found that both introduced and native New Zealand birds changed a variety of life history traits and that the changes were likely a plastic response to the recent change in predator numbers. As it has been suggested that birds may become less responsive to mammals when predators are controlled, I tested the response of birds to a model of a feral cat. Birds in the predator control area were significantly less likely to recognise the cat model as a potential threat. This suggests the recognition of predators can be rapidly lost from a population. My research confirms that mammal control can increase nest success of native species, but reductions in predator numbers can also change a variety of life history traits and behaviours. As the removal of mammalian predators also appears to make birds less responsive to potential predators, it is important for continued mammalian control once management has begun. Otherwise, any reintroduction of predatory mammals into controlled sites would likely place such bird populations at greater risk as they would have behaviours suited to an environment with lowered nest predation risk.
12
Kerpez, Theodore A. "COMPETITION BETWEEN EUROPEAN STARLINGS AND NATIVE WOODPECKERS FOR NEST CAVITIES IN SAGUAROS (NORTHERN FLICKER, ARIZONA)." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/276704.
Full text
13
Hall, David Graham. "The ecology of black rats Rattus rattus on Mauritius and how their management affects native birds." Thesis, University of Bristol, 2003. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.414127.
Full text
14
Bibles, Brent Dean 1965. "Is there competition between exotic and native cavity-nesting birds in the Sonoran Desert: An experiment." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1992. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/278158.
Full textAbstract:
I examined the relationship between exotic and native cavity-nesting birds in the Sonoran desert near Tucson, Arizona during 1988 and 1989. I attempted to limit cavity availability in 1989 by plugging cavities that were unused, or used by exotics, in 1988 with rubber test tube stoppers. Numbers of nests of any species did not significantly change between 1988 and 1989. Control plots showed similar results. I found no significant negative correlations between number of nests of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) and any other cavity-nesting species. Of the cavity characteristics examined, species only differed in size of cavity openings. My data indicate that exotic and native cavity-nesting birds were not competing for nest cavities. An excess of available nest cavities is the probable reason for this lack of competition. Temporal differences in cavity use among species may have helped contribute to the abundance of cavities.
15
Greenfield, Cassandra Joyce. "Low Fruit Set, Pollen Limitation and the Roles of Birds and Insects in Pollination of Native New Zealand Plants." Thesis, University of Canterbury. Biological Sciences, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/5182.
Full textAbstract:
Pollination and fruit set of four species of native New Zealand flowering plant species were examined through two field seasons. Bird exclusion, pollinator exclusion, natural and supplemental pollination treatments were initiated on individuals of Cordyline australis (Cabbage tree), Phormium tenax (Flax), Kunzea ericoides (Kanuka), and Pseudopanax arboreus (Five-finger). The species differed in the self-compatibility as well as in their floral syndrome. No species showed any evidence of pollen limitation, and two species. K. ericoides and P. arboreus set fruit from more than 70% of their flowers. The response of fruit set to treatment in C. australis varied from season to season, with birds appearing important to pollination in the first but not the second field season, while birds were important in pollination across both seasons for P. tenax. K. ericoides was resilient to treatment, setting high fruit set in every treatment, compared to P. arboreus which set high fruit set when pollinators had access, but low when all pollinators were excluded. No trends relating to fruit set or PLI and self-compatibility or floral syndrome were found. That there was no evidence of pollen limitation for any species, despite variation in fruit set from some treatments, indicates that these species are performing well and not at risk of decreased population size due to pollen limitation.
16
Mack, Wyatt Mackenzie. "Grassland Birds Community Dynamics, Resource Selection, and Nest Survival on Mixed-Grass Prairie Grazed by Native Colonial and Domestic Herbivores." Thesis, North Dakota State University, 2017. https://hdl.handle.net/10365/28598.
Full textAbstract:
Investigators surveyed avian and vegetation composition on- and off- black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus; hereafter prairie dog) colonies to gain greater insight into community dynamics of grassland passerines. Few studies have investigated grassland bird community associations with prairie dogs, and of those limited studies aim to quantify nesting passerine habitat selection and nest success. The objective of this study was to identify community associations and factors that shape the community of grassland birds on grazed mixed-grass prairie, both on- and off-prairie dog colonies. Bird and vegetation communities, avian densities, nesting survival, and resource selection was investigated in relativity to a landscape occupied with prairie dogs. Individual species exhibited different selections in regards to different vegetation communities created by prairie dogs. This makes heterogeneity an important landscape component for maintaining diverse, robust bird and plant communities at the landscape scale.National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) (Grant 2011-68004-30052)
United State Department of Agriculture (USDA)
North Dakota State University (NDSU)
17
Wilkin-Slaney, Katherine. "Becoming - Pakeha questioning the use of native birds in representation as a means of exploring New Zealand post-settler identity in visual art : an exegesis submitted to Auckland University of Technology for the degree of Master of Art and Design, 2008 /." Click here to access this resource online, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10292/723.
Full textAbstract:
The depiction of birds by artists such as Don Binney, Bill Hammond, Michael Parekowhai and Grant Whibley has served as metaphors in the conceptual systems of post-settler New Zealanders’ expression of identity. This project investigated unease in New Zealand post-settler identity and its dislocation from the past by considering works depicting native birds. Is depicting native - rather than introduced birds, an incongruous and romantic settler iconography in identity, leading to a re-telling of our place in this land at the expense of not only the rightful indigenous place of Maori, but of our own cultural becoming? By exploring the painting of birds as metaphors of New Zealand post-settler identity, the project aimed to contribute to the complex issues surrounding the entwined and entangled post-settler relationships of both the past and present. This painting project investigated these issues through the medium of oil paint, culminating in a body of artwork presented in an exhibition with an accompanying exegesis representing 20% of the work.
18
MacFarlane, Archie. "Frugivorous mutualisms in a native New Zealand forest : the good the bad and the ugly." Thesis, University of Canterbury. Biological Sciences, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/7636.
Full textAbstract:
Widespread anthropogenic invasions have prompted concerns that naturalized organisms could threaten biodiversity. In particular, invasive weeds can negatively affect native biota through a variety of means, including disrupting mutualisms. This thesis was designed to observe and test dispersal mutualisms in a native forest during autumn when the majority of plant species are fruiting.
In this thesis I examined whether the invasive plant barberry (Berberis glaucocarpa) was influencing the behaviour of a native frugivore bellbird (Anthornis melanura) and a range of dispersal related services in a native forest, Kowhai Bush near Kaikoura. To test these 18 banded bellbirds were followed through autumn 2011. These observe bellbirds were split between control and test bird. Barberry fruit was removed from the test bird territories. I recorded whether bellbirds changed their territory sizes, foraging and daily behaviours. During 52 hours of observations, bellbirds were never observed feeding on barberry fruit. No significant changes to bellbird behaviour or territories were observed after the removal of barberry fruit. Bellbird diet overall was dominated by invertebrates (83% of foraging observations), with smaller contributions from fruit (16%, nearly all on Coprosma robusta), nectar and honeydew. Since bellbirds did not eat barberry fruit, removal of this weed is unlikely to negatively affect bellbirds during autumn.
Which other bird species were dispersing barberry was recorded. I recorded 242 hours of videotape footage on 24 fruiting plants. A total of 101 foraging events were recorded of 4 different bird species: silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis) 42 visits, blackbirds (Turdus merula) 27 visits, song thrush (Turdus philomelos) 29, and starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) 3 visits. The species differed in the mean length of time they spent in plants, so the overall contribution to barberry fruit removal was 32.6% silvereyes, 24.3% blackbirds, 42.9% song thrush and 0.1% starlings.
To find out the relative contribution of exotic and native birds to dispersal of fruits in Kowhai Bush, I mist-netted 221 birds of 10 species and identified any seeds in the 183 faeces they deposited. A total of 21 plant species were observed fruiting in Kowhai Bush during this time. A total of 11 different plant species were identified from 1092 seeds. Birds were further observed feeding on 3 other plant species which were not observed in faecal samples. This left 7 plants with unobserved dispersal vectors. There were likely four main dispersers, bellbirds, silvereyes, song thrush and blackbirds and five minor, brown creeper (Mohoua novaeseelandiae), tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae), fantails (Rhipidura fuliginosa), dunnock (Prunella modularis) and starlings. However there was considerable variability between these bird species dispersal abilities. Introduced birds’ song thrush and blackbirds were observed dispersing naturalized plant seeds at higher than expected rates in comparison to native frugivores bellbirds and silvereyes. I also measured the gape sizes on mist netted birds and on samples of fruit from Kowhai Bush. Both silvereyes and bellbirds were found to be eating fruit larger than their gape, but despite this two native (Hedycarya arborea and Ripogonum scandens) and three exotic plants (Vitis vinifera, Taxus baccata and Crataegus monogyna) had large fruit that were probably mainly dispersed by song thrush and blackbirds. Hence, introduced birds were important seed dispersers for large fleshy fruited seeds in Kowhai Bush. Demonstrating that interactions among native and exotic flesh fruited plants and frugivores is important within forest communities.
19
Kangas, K. (Katja). "Recreation and tourism induced changes in northern boreal environments." Doctoral thesis, University of Oulu, 2009. http://urn.fi/urn:isbn:9789514292798.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract
The popularity of nature-based tourism has increased worldwide and peripheral areas with conservational value, like protected areas, are attractive destinations. The recreational use and construction of tourism facilities can cause environmental degradation and decrease the conservational and recreational value of areas if not well planned and managed. The aim of this thesis was to improve our knowledge of recreation and tourism induced changes in northern boreal environments. Direct and indirect impacts of recreation on vegetation and birds in protected areas were examined. Furthermore, the environmental impacts of ski resorts in terms of changes in vegetation and soil, threats from non-native species and water pollution were investigated.
In protected areas, the size of the disturbed areas around campsites was found to be mainly determined by the distance between the main tourism facilities (wilderness hut and campfire-site), and the mountain biotopes were more sensitive to disturbance than forests. Recreational use had induced changes also in the bird community. The occurrence and the composition of birds were affected, and the open nesters nesting on the ground were found to be the most sensitive.
The construction, revegetation and management practices of ski runs had increased the nutrient concentrations, pH and conductivity of the soil, and changed the original vegetation notably. Non-native seed mixture species, used in revegetating the ski runs, were found to be favoured by management practices (disturbance and peat addition) in an experimental study, but, eventually, were not able to be established themselves into study plots. Ski resorts’ construction and management have also affected the water quality. Concentrations of nutrients were higher in ski resort lakes in relation to reference lakes and were comparable to lakes polluted by agriculture and forestry.
The results of this theses give new information on tourism and recreation induced changes and are applicable for planning and management. Nature-based tourism and recreation can cause long-term changes in terrestrial and aquatic environments, which should be considered at all levels of planning and management. For sustainable tourism development, it is essential that impacts are regularly monitored and preventative means are developed and used to minimize environmental degradation.
20
Polak, Bobby J. "Influence of human recreational activities and vegetative characteristics on waterbird abundance /." View online, 2008. http://ecommons.txstate.edu/bioltad/7.
Full text
21
Kwok, Hon-kai. "Seasonality of forest birds in Hong Kong /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1996. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B18565177.
Full text
22
Munyenyembe, F. E., and n/a. "Bird density and species richness in suburban Canberra, Australia : relationships with street vegetation, age of suburb and distance from bird source areas of native vegetation." University of Canberra. Applied Science, 1985. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20061027.115542.
Full text
23
Warnick, Shae Lewis. "Aviary of the Reverend William J. Long." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2019. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/7133.
Full textAbstract:
Humans perceive the natural world in a subjective and sensual way, yet over time science has turned the study of nature into a progressively objective pursuit. The Aviary of the Reverend William J. Long is an installation of anthropomorphic bird dolls that examines the roles of science and sentiment in our interactions with the natural world.
24
McChesney, Stephen. "The benthic invertebrate community of the intertidal mudflat at the Mai Po Marshes Nature Reserve, with special reference to resources for migrant shorebirds /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1997. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B18061977.
Full text
25
Nikolakaki, Pantoula. "Landscape ecology as a framework for woodland creation in Sherwood Forest using geographic information systems." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.327621.
Full text
26
Guida, Michael. "Birds, bombs, silence : listening to nature during wartime and its aftermath in Britain, 1914-1945." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2018. http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/75136/.
Full text
27
Cozza, Nicola. "Singing like wood-birds : refugee camps and exile in the construction of the Saharawi nation." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2004. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:d9ee198d-3275-4d6e-ae7f-34eb9a2aa101.
Full text
28
Poole, Dana. "The Role of women in the native American civil rights movement /." View abstract, 1998. http://library.ctstateu.edu/ccsu%5Ftheses/1541.html.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.A.)--Central Connecticut State University, 1998.Thesis advisor: Dr. [Heather Munro] Prescott. " ... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History." Includes bibliographical references (leaves [97]-101).
29
Bingham, Christie. "Through an Open Window." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2015. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc799530/.
Full textAbstract:
The poems in this collection are elegiac; celebrations of losses and failures, tributes to the daily doldrums that are at the center of human experience. They threaten to expose the uncertainty that exists and refuses to exist in our everyday lives. They explore the otherness associated with the individual and often turn to the universal formulas of music and physics to make order of the world around them. Often times the Speaker finds that the seeming chaos manifests within her already orderly life, the daily routines of work and family. Poetic magic, so to speak, weds this ordered chaos to the laws of nature and its routines, especially birds, which makes a recurrent appearance throughout the manuscript.
30
Silva, Rui Manuel Roque da. "Using data from citizen-science to monitor bird invasions." Master's thesis, Universidade de Évora, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10174/23690.
Full textAbstract:
As consequências ecológicas da introdução de espécies exóticas, é uma das questões de
conservação mais preocupantes mundialmente. A utilização de dados de ciência cidadã, tem sido
proposta como uma solução alternativa para analisar este problema. Assim, o nosso principal
objectivo foi avaliar a adequabilidade de dados de ciência cidadã para monitorizar as tendências
populacionais e de distribuição de espécies exóticas (Psittaciformes and Sturnidae) na região
urbana de Lisboa, utilizando três principais grupos de fontes de dados. Estes dados foram
validados, uma vez que foram recolhidos por colaboradores experientes, a quantidade de registos
foi considerável, e os padrões espácio-temporais relativamente homogéneos. Entre as oito
espécies mais registadas, o periquito-rabijunco e o mainá-de-crista, tiveram o maior aumento
populacional e de distribuição. Para o periquitão-de-cabeça-azul, foi igualmente registado um
aumento, mas menos marcado, enquanto as restantes espécies registadas ocasionalmente. Desta
forma, a ciência cidadã demonstrou ser uma ferramenta útil alternativa à ciência convencional; Abstract:
The ecological consequences from the introduction of non-native species are among the major conservation concerns worldwide. Using citizen-science data has been proposed as an alternative solution to asses this problem. Thus, our main goal was to evaluate the suitability of citizen-science data to monitor the population and distribution trend of non-native species (Psittaciformes and Sturnidae) in the urban region of Lisbon. The evaluation included three major groups of data sources. We validated the suitability of citizen-science data since the contributors' expertise is in general high, the amount of records is considerable, and the spatio-temporal patterns are relatively homogeneous. Among the eight most recorded species, the Ring-necked Parakeet and the Crested Myna showed a noticeable increase in population and distribution range. The Blue-crowned Parakeet also increased but less markedly, while for the remaining species there were only occasional records. Therefore, the citizen-science showed to be a valuable alternative to conventional science.
31
Lor, Socheata K. "Habitat use and home range of American bitterns (Botuarus lentiginosus) and monitoring of inconspicuous marsh birds in northwest Minnesota." Diss., Columbia, Mo. : University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10355/4705.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007.The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on February 15, 2008) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.
32
Vermeulen, Michael E. "The Influence of Neighborhood Landscape Characteristics on Native Bird Communities: Implications for Increasing Biodiversity in Our Yards." PDXScholar, 2019. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/5130.
Full textAbstract:
Avian communities, because of their potential high diversity, are ideal for studying the response to potential quantity of resources provided by local and regional habitat. Urban neighborhoods vary in types and magnitudes of anthropogenic stressors they experience, resulting in a continuum of anthropogenic disturbance, often referred to as a gradient of urbanization. The aim of this study was to investigate anthropogenic drivers of urban bird communities in three Portland, OR neighborhoods (Hillsdale, Lents, and Pearl). The three major questions of this study were: 1) What are the significant landscape traits that characterize the neighborhoods? 2) Is there evidence that the urban matrix may host similar avian community assemblages as neighborhood green space? And 3) Are landscape characteristics able to predict native bird communities, and if so, what scale is most explanatory?
Neighborhoods were sampled for three months (May - July, 2018) during the breeding season of local birds. Utilizing a community-based approach, parks (n = 17) and neighborhood residential areas (n = 34) were sampled using 50-meter point counts. Community attributes (richness, abundance, and diversity) were compared to landcover (percent canopy, herbaceous and grass, and impervious surface cover), anthropogenic factors (population density and building density), and front-yard vegetative characteristics. Neighborhoods differed in degree of urbanization, with Hilldale being the least urbanized, Lents intermediate, and Pearl the most urbanized. My study found that Portland's urban and suburban avian communities are dominated by relatively few species (13 account for ~98% of observations).
Differences between native avian community attributes were detected by neighborhood but avian communities did not respond strongly to gradient analysis or regression modeling with landcover characteristics. Within neighborhoods, habitat patches had differing levels of native bird diversity. Recreational parks, on average, tended to have lowest bird diversity when compared to residential sites and nature parks. Though few species were represented, avian guilds responded to urban gradients within neighborhoods. Foliage gleaners and insectivores were seen to decrease with increasing urbanization, whereas omnivorous birds increased. This shift in avian guild abundance indicates that species with more specialized traits did less well in more urban areas when compared to generalist species such as omnivores.
33
Maughan-Brown, Frances. "The Authority of the Lily and the Bird in Kierkegaard's Lily Discourses." Thesis, Boston College, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/2345/bc-ir:104816.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis advisor: Richard KearneyThis dissertation presents a systematic reading of the four discourses Kierkegaard wrote on Matthew 6:24-34, which I am calling the Lily Discourses (“What We Learn from the Lily in the Field and the Bird of the Air” (1847); “The Cares of the Pagans” (1848); “The Lily in the Field and the Bird of the Air” (1849); “Christ as Archi-Image” (1851)). Matthew instructs the reader to “consider the lilies,” and in reading this passage Kierkegaard presents the lilies as authoritative, rather than merely “figural” or “metaphoric”. The aim of this dissertation is to describe what Kierkegaard means by the authority of the lily and the bird. Since Kierkegaard engages with and in “figural” language in his pseudonymous as well as his signed texts, what he says about the lily and the bird in these four Discourses is significant for all of Kierkegaard’s work. In the first and the third Discourses Kierkegaard writes lyrically of the beauty of nature, but concludes with a brutal picture of nature’s death and decay. It is not nature, this dissertation argues, but the trace nature leaves in language, that Kierkegaard is investigating. Kierkegaard ends the first Discourse by invoking the positing power of language: he says, “Let the lily wither”. As if in response to the death at the end of the first Discourse, the second is written in praise “on the day all goes black.” If the first two Discourses describe the authority of the lily and the bird in terms of the performative – of positing and praise – the third Discourse describes this authority in terms of receptivity. The lily and the bird are obedient, Kierkegaard says there. He develops an account of obedience that is, on the one hand, required for reading the lily and the bird (for granting authority), and on the other, is the lesson taught by the lily and the bird. In the fourth Discourse Kierkegaard presents the archi-image (Forbillede, previously translated in English as “pattern” or “prototype”) and what corresponds to it: “imitation.” Only when we imitate, rather than ape mimetically or endlessly interpret, can the image (Billede) that we are responding to be the archi-image (Forbillede). The lily and the bird, the dissertation argues, have the authority of the archi-image only if we can read them in a certain way, that is, if our reading is non-mimetic imitation. For Kierkegaard imitation is an act, made by an individual person at a concrete time and place in history; it therefore commits the reader, in her full responsibility (including “social” or “political”) in the risk of reading. The dissertation has four chapters, each devoted to one of Kierkegaard’s Lily Discourses. Accordingly, Chapter One describes Kierkegaard’s account of the authority of the lily and the bird as positing, Chapter Two as praise, Chapter Three as obedience and Chapter Four as imitation
Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2015
Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Discipline: Philosophy
34
Kulwicki, James Howard. "The flower of birds and the dog of Pluto : observations of the North American natural world by the French Jesuit missionaries." Virtual Press, 2003. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1265459.
Full textAbstract:
While Thwaites' Jesuit Relations have been extensively used by historians interested in the interactions between Native Americans and the French Jesuit- missionaries, they have not been used to examine the Jesuits' descriptions of the North American natural world. These natural world descriptions are examined to see what influence factors contributed to the form of their accounts. Using two recent journal articles five factors - value, religion, society, personal experience and education - were selected to provide the structure of this study and to understand the impact of these factors upon the Jesuit natural world descriptions. Environmental history works have been consulted to provide information of the Jesuit mentality formed by these factors. Two factors, value and personal experience, provide the greatest influence, with education and society providing a lesser influence. Surprisingly, the influence of religion does not often explicitly appear in the Jesuit accounts.Department of History
35
Kasoar, Timothy. "Impacts of flood-mediated disturbance on species of High Nature Value farmland." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2019. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/287531.
Full textAbstract:
High Nature Value farmland (HNVf) refers to traditional agricultural landscapes which support high levels of biodiversity. HNVf is declining across Europe, through both intensification and abandonment, raising concerns about the conservation of species associated with it. One argument is that such HNV species are better described as being dependent on disturbance, and that management practices on HNVf mimics the effects of natural disturbance processes such as herbivory, fire, severe weather and flooding, which are often suppressed across much of Europe. If true, one innovative approach for conserving HNV species would be to restore natural disturbance processes, as advocated by the "rewilding" conservation movement. I set out to explore the feasibility of this approach, focusing on flooding. Restoration of flood regimes is receiving growing attention, not only for its biodiversity benefits but also to reduce the risk of flooding in downstream urban areas, improve water quality, and increase the amenity value of rivers. I carried out four linked studies. Each followed a broadly similar approach: I selected sampling locations both in floodplain areas and comparable surrounding farmland, I surveyed birds and butterflies as indicator taxa of biodiversity, I carried out habitat mapping, and I estimated disturbance through both field measurements and remotely sensed data. My first study was around the Pripyat river in Ukraine, which has a large floodplain that has had minimal human intervention. I found that several, but not all, HNV species had higher population densities in the floodplain than in the surrounding HNV farmland, and several more had approximately equal population densities in the two habitats. This suggested intact flood regimes can retain some species that are elsewhere restricted to HNVf. My second study was around the river Rhône, France, where a restoration project has increased flow in floodplain channels and improved their connectivity with the main channel. I compared restored and non-restored segments of floodplain channel, as well as farmland and other habitats. While I found significant differences in population densitiesbetween habitat types, few species showed significant differences between restored and non-restored segments, suggesting that restoration had only limited ecological impacts on the wider landscape. My third study investigated a more ambitious restoration project which has reconnected a large area of floodplain to the river Peene in Germany. I found many HNV species had equal or higher population densities in the restored floodplain than in the surrounding unrestored farmland. This demonstrates that it is possible to restore the effect of natural flood disturbance on habitats and species. However, not all HNV species benefitted from flood-disturbed habitats, so clearly other conservation interventions need to be considered. For the final study, pooling data from all three sites I looked for associations between species' traits and environmental variables. My aim was to identify traits which predict species' responses to the environment, and hence which species are most likely to benefit from restoration. However, I did not find any significant associations in my data. In conclusion, I demonstrated that flood-disturbed habitats are suitable for many species traditionally associated with HNV farmland, and further that restoring flood disturbance processes can recreate those habitats. As such, reconnecting rivers and restoring floodplains would be a useful conservation intervention for species threatened by the abandonment or intensification of HNV farmland in Europe. However, other species did not benefit, and require other conservation interventions, perhaps other forms of rewilding, or continued incentivisation of favourable farming practices.
36
Roberge, Jean-Michel. "Umbrella species as a conservation planning tool : an assessment using resident birds in hemiboreal and boreal forests /." Uppsala : Dept. of Conservation Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2006. http://epsilon.slu.se/200684.pdf.
Full text
37
Kreiser, Kilian. "SPAN (Special Protection Area Network) : A platform to protect bird protection areas." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Institutionen Designhögskolan, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-72662.
Full textAbstract:
Background The foundation for life on our planet are all the resources we can draw upon: sunlight, clean water, fresh air and many more. But one existential resource a lot of people are not aware of, is the rich variety of life forms on earth. Biodiversity surrounds us every day: It is in the clothes we wear, the food we eat and the medicine we take. It is also an important driver for tourism, economy and technology: Various technological innovations are directly inspired by nature.But biodiversity is degrading rapidly caused by the rising land consumption in many countries. In Germany, this pressure is exceedingly high: 70% of natural habitats are endangered, 40% of animal species are on the IUCN red list and every second bird species is threatened.Using scientific methods and inventive technology, SPAN helps to monitor bird protection areas in Germany and to collect data as a basis to enforce conservation supported by European legislation.Methods Involving all important stakeholders was inevitable to make sure the result will fit their needs. In meetings with coordinators of different existing caretaker networks in Berlin I learned about the organizational aspects and got an holistic perspective on the topic. The creation of blueprint drafts and stakeholder maps in an early phase was an effective way to figure out what kind of touchpoints are needed by which users.Voluntary caretakers who monitor protection areas are the primary users, so I conducted interviews with caretakers of other networks to learn everything about their monitoring work, their needs and experiences.An in-depth analysis and synthesis of my research findings led to the ideation phase where I explored in which ways I could involve, educate, bond and assist caretakers with diverse profiles. Getting their feedback on the ideas helped me to select the most promising concepts and consolidate the final result.
Result SPAN consists of a web-application and a smartphone app performing a wide range of functions for caretakers of protection areas. With their help they can retrieve information, network with other caretakers, conduct monitoring activities and submit reports about the condition of protection areas.With SPAN, caretakers can learn about habitats, species, and other caretakers who help with monitoring them. Together they can plan their activities and exchange information with the shared schedule and annotation tools.With the smartphone app, caretakers can take notes or retrieve location based information while being out in the field. Another mobile feature are customizable print-out forms making the caretakers independent from access to power or signal-coverage.Filled-in forms are digitalized and put into the database with the help of an image recognition scanning tool.With SPAN, caretakers can also lend unmanned photogrammetry vehicles to conduct aerial monitoring in a feasible and easy-to-use way.
SPAN - A platform to monitor bird protection areas.
38
McChesney, Stephen. "The benthic invertebrate community of the intertidal mudflat at the Mai Po Marshes Nature Reserve, with special reference to resources formigrant shorebirds." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1997. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31214435.
Full text
39
Dibert, Jennifer Lisa. "Creating Meaning for People Living with Dementia through Nature: Exploring the Process of Bird Tales." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1438280273.
Full text
40
MacNeil, Mavis O. "The Liminal Voices." Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1490635230545844.
Full text
41
Self, Joanna F. "Maternal depression and the nature of mother-toddler interaction : infant bids for engagement and maternal responsiveness /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/9162.
Full text
42
Riyahi, Sepand. "Local adaptation by birds to human-altered habitats: the great tit and the house sparrow as model species." Doctoral thesis, Universitat de Barcelona, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/456899.
Full textAbstract:
Human-altered environments have expanded rapidly in the past decades and made a huge impact on living organisms. Inhabiting in such a habitat can modify different traits in animals, allowing for a better adaptation to these human-altered environments. In the first part of this thesis I investigated patterns of recent (contemporary) adaptation to urban habitats, focusing on the role of behavioural, genetic and epigenetic variation in great tits. In the second part of the thesis I investigated patterns of adaptation to human-made habitats in a larger time-scale, focusing on the origin and expansion of the house sparrow, which has been for ages a human commensalism. I additionally checked the effect of methylation variation on the rapid expansion and high phenotypic variation of house sparrow in the Palearctic region. Regarding the great tit I found that urban-dwelling birds are more explorative in novel environments and bolder in front of new objects than forest individuals. I found several epigenetic modifications and genetic polymorphisms possibly related to novelty seeking behaviour in the great tits. Our results suggested that epigenetics adjustment can be different in the urban-dwelling great tits in comparison to the forest birds. Furthermore, we investigated the possible polymorphisms in the Melanocortin-1 gene in the great tit to relate it with the size of the black belly stripe, which had previously been found to differ between urban and forest individuals. However, results showed that there is no polymorphism in this gene in relation to the size of the black belly stripe. In relation to the house sparrow, we found that the commensalism of this species with humans has a single origin and probably initiated in the Middle East. Then, it expanded rapidly in the Palearctic region with the aid of agriculture and human civilizations expansion. In addition, we discovered that the genome-wide methylation pattern of house sparrows has a general stability within five subspecies in the Middle East but we found high level of variation at the individual level within populations which likely happened randomly rather than due to selection. Our results indicate that variation in DNA methylation does not strictly follow subspecies designations. We have detected correlation between methylation level and some morphological traits such as standardized bill length and we suggest that part of the high morphological variation in the native populations of the house sparrow is influenced by differentially methylated regions in specific loci throughout the genome. We also detected seven differentially methylated loci diverged by subspecies and also three loci differentiated by commensal or non-commensal status.
43
Matos, Tatiana Possati Vieira de. "Avaliação da conectividade de remanescentes de vegetação nativa em matriz agrícola, considerando os índices ecológicos para aves." Universidade Federal de São Carlos, 2015. https://repositorio.ufscar.br/handle/ufscar/8353.
Full textAbstract:
Submitted by Maria de Lourdes Mariano (lmariano@ufscar.br) on 2017-01-09T11:45:37Z
No. of bitstreams: 1
MATOS_Tatiana Possati Vieira_2015.pdf: 2425926 bytes, checksum: f13bd0d309eba8a0b1e1c7cb6d7eec9a (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Maria de Lourdes Mariano (lmariano@ufscar.br) on 2017-01-09T11:45:46Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 MATOS_Tatiana Possati Vieira_2015.pdf: 2425926 bytes, checksum: f13bd0d309eba8a0b1e1c7cb6d7eec9a (MD5)
Approved for entry into archive by Maria de Lourdes Mariano (lmariano@ufscar.br) on 2017-01-09T11:45:53Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 MATOS_Tatiana Possati Vieira_2015.pdf: 2425926 bytes, checksum: f13bd0d309eba8a0b1e1c7cb6d7eec9a (MD5)
Made available in DSpace on 2017-01-09T11:46:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MATOS_Tatiana Possati Vieira_2015.pdf: 2425926 bytes, checksum: f13bd0d309eba8a0b1e1c7cb6d7eec9a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-10-01
Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)
The replacement of natural cover, by other land-uses, associate with the forest fragmentation process can result in the decrease of forest connectivity in the landscapes. The diagnosis of landscape structure, through the landscape ecology metrics, intende to direct the restoration activities and the evaluation of forest connectivity. The study aimed at the evaluation of forest connectivity in the the National Forest (FLONA) Capão Bonito and its surrounding area, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. We produced a land-use/land-cover map, through supervised digital classification, and calculated the landscape metrics (patch and class level) for study area. Selected metrics (Area, ENN and Shape) were used in the production of sustainability index (SI). The forest patches were classified in levels of priority for forest restauration, through SI. In order to identify the forest connectivity was calculated the Integral Index Connectivity (IIC) and we realized the redundancy analysis (RDA), the non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and multiple regression. Detection was performed by the bird fixed points method and the composition of bird community was obtained through the abundance of species. The diversity index of Shannon Weaver (H ') and species richness was calculated. The land-use/land-cover map indicated that the landscape´s matrix is agriculture, with native forests occupying only 24.45%. The main focuses of forest restoration are the fragments associated with the highest values of SI, because they can guarantee the maintenance and/or the restoration of biodiversity. It was obtained that the IIC =1.000 m influenced in the variance of the birds community and, the shape metric was the main factor that influenced in the composition, richness and diversity of birds. We concluded that is possible to evaluate the connectivity axes using avufauna. The RDA permits the identification of maximum spread for birds. The shape of forest fragments is one of the main factors, influencing in bird community because it is relate with edge effect and forest landscape connectivity. The SI is a simple and effective method for express the priority patches for forest restoration.
Atualmente ocorre a substituição da cobertura natural por outros usos do solo e a fragmentação das áreas florestais, podendo diminuir a conectividade da paisagem. O diagnóstico da estrutura da paisagem, realizado pelas métricas de ecologia da paisagem, tem o objetivo de direcionar as ações de restauração e avaliação da conectividade florestal. O estudo teve por objetivo avaliar a conectividade entre os remanescentes florestais da Floresta Nacional (FLONA) de Capão Bonito e sua área de entorno, no estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Para caracterização da estrutura florestal da paisagem produziu-se o mapa de uso e cobertura do solo, por meio de uma classificação digital supervisionada. A partir deste mapa gerou-se métricas de ecologia da paisagem que, por sua vez, compuseram o índice de sustentabilidade (IS). Os remanescentes florestais foram classificados, a partir de IS, quanto a sua prioridade à restauração florestal. Para identificar a conectividade dos remanescentes florestais obteve-se o Índice Integral de Conectividade (IIC). Realizou-se a detecção das aves pelo método de pontos fixos e obteve-se a composição da comunidade por meio da abundância das espécies. Calculou-se o índice de diversidade de Shannon Weaver (H’) e a riqueza de espécies. Para a avaliação da conectividade florestal realizaram-se as análises de redundância (RDA), de escalonamento multidimensional não métrico (NMDS) e de regressão múltipla. O mapa de uso e cobertura do solo indicou que a paisagem é possui uma matriz predominantemente agrícola, com a floresta nativa representando apenas 24,45% da paisagem. Os principais focos da restauração florestal são os fragmentos com maiores valores de IS, visto que eles garantem a manutenção e/ou restauração da biodiversidade. Obteve-se que o valor de IIC 1.000m influencia na variância da comunidade de aves e a métrica shape mostrou-se como principal fator que influencia a composição, a riqueza e a diversidade das aves. Concluiu-se que é possível avaliar os eixos de conectividade usando dados da avifauna, a RDA permite identificar a máxima dispersão para as aves. A forma dos fragmentos florestais é um dos principais fatores que influenciam na comunidade de aves. O IS constituiu-se um método simples e eficaz que permite indicar os fragmentos prioritários a restauração florestal.
44
Gérard, Agathe. "Naïveté, nouveauté et indigénisation : vers une meilleure compréhension de l’impact des espèces animales invasives sur les faunes natives." Thesis, Aix-Marseille, 2015. http://www.theses.fr/2015AIXM4328/document.
Full textAbstract:
La naïveté, définie comme l’absence de reconnaissance d’un nouvel « ennemi » ou de réponses appropriées en raison d’un manque d’expérience, à été longtemps considérée comme une des caractéristiques des espèces insulaires natives, et comme un des principaux facteurs de leur sensibilité face à l’arrivée de prédateurs ou compétiteurs introduits, particulièrement en milieux insulaires. A travers l’analyse des réponses comportementales aux odeurs d’espèces invasives, nous avons étudié la naïveté de différents modèles biologiques d’espèces natives (squamates, oiseaux, mammifères), au niveau insulaire (Nouvelle-Calédonie) et continental (Mali). Ces expérimentations ont concerné différents types d’interactions (prédateurs invasifs vs proies natives, compétiteurs ou agresseurs invasifs vs compétiteurs natifs), avec une gamme d’espèces introduites depuis plusieurs dizaines, centaines, voire milliers d’années, ou face à des espèces non-encore introduites mais avec une forte probabilité d’introduction. La naïveté apparait comme un facteur complexe, présent chez des espèces natives insulaires et continentales, dépendant du couple d’espèces introduite/native considéré, et pouvant être perdu sous l’influence de différents facteurs liés à l’histoire de l’invasion et à l’intensité de l’impact de l’espèce introduite. Etudier les conséquences de la perte de naïveté, permet de mieux comprendre le rôle de la naïveté dans les processus de persistance, de déclin ou d’extinction d’espèces natives suite à l’arrivée de nouveaux « ennemis », et d’éclairer les stratégies de gestion destinées à limiter l’impact des espèces introduites et l’érosion mondiale de la biodiversitéThe introduction of alien predators are causing rapid extinctions or declines in many native prey species, and these impacts are generally attributed to prey naïveté, i.e. their failure to recognize a novel enemy and respond appropriately, due to a lack of experience, particularly on island ecosystems. Here, we tested behavioral responses of different native species towards invasive species odors for several biological models of native species (squamates, mammals, birds), on island (New Caledonia) and mainland (Mali) ecosystems. We tested different types of species interactions (invasive predators vs native prey, invasive competitors/aggressors vs native competitors), for species introduced since decades, centuries, millennium, or not yet introduced but with a high risk of introduction. Naïveté is a complex phenomenon, that occurs both for mainland and island native species, that varies among species probably as a consequence of time since introduction and of the intensity of the threat posed by invasive species. Studying the consequences of the loss of naïveté improve our understanding of the factors underpinning the persistence, declines or extinctions of native species after alien species introduction and provide insights for developing accurate management strategies of invasive species impacts and limiting the current biodiversity loss
45
Knight, Elisabeth D. "The Bird Woman Takes Her Stand : Gene Stratton Porter's Conservancy as seen in "A Girl of the Limberlost" and "The Harvester"." Ohio Dominican University / OhioLINK, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=odu1572903002523117.
Full text
46
Buurmans, Meghan. "Debating the ‘wild’ : What the Oostvaardersplassen can tell us about Dutch constructions of nature." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för arkeologi och antik historia, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-433469.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis discusses key conflicts in the Oostvaardersplassen. These conflicts include the contestation of the Oostvaardersplassen as wilderness, the debate on grazer mortality, and the debate on culling. Through Actor Network Theory, the actors involved in the Oostvaardersplassen are discussed. A number of documents are selected for the different actors to do a qualitative analysis of communication on the Oostvaardersplassen. The Oostvaardersplassen is a unique area, claimed from the sea and fully manmade, with a management philosophy with aspects from rewilding theories. Recurring themes in the actor documents are studied, such as the definitions of the terms ‘nature’ ‘wilderness’ and the use of interventions. In addition, the documents are analysed on their use of rhetoric tools and the way they discuss the general public in the Oostvaardersplassen debates. The nature of the Oostvaardersplassen as an experiment, the strong presence of emotions in the debates and the unclear definition of goals and purposes lead to a more fractured stage for the actors and the debate. While the Oostvaardersplassen is successful as an area for experimentation, learning, and as a nature reserve in the midst of the Netherlands, these concluding issues are an important consideration in making the Oostvaardersplassen’s debate less volatile.
47
Doody, Brendan J. "Riccarton Bush and the natural and social realities of native trees in Christchurch, New Zealand." Lincoln University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/865.
Full textAbstract:
Urbanization has destroyed and fragmented previously large areas of natural habitat. Small remnants that still exist in numerous cities will be unable to sustain many viable wild plant populations if they do not expand into the surrounding urban matrix. Residential gardens surrounding such remnants, and which form a significant component of urban green space in many cities, could play a role in redressing this problem. Riccarton Bush, a 7.8 hectare forest remnant, and its surrounding suburban residential area, in Christchurch, New Zealand, is a good example. Over 125 years the reported number of native vascular plants in the bush has declined by a third. My study was an attempt to understand: 1) the ecological, social and cultural factors influencing the dispersal and regeneration of 12 native bird-dispersed woody species from Riccarton Bush, into surrounding residential properties; and 2) the potential role residential properties could play in the future of the bush. To examine these diverse factors I adopted an interdisciplinary research approach combining methodologies, concepts and theories from ecology and the social sciences. In a broader context my work was an attempt to demonstrate how urban ecology can further develop and strengthen by adopting and integrating new methodologies, theories and concepts. The ecological component involved recording individuals of the study species found on 90 randomly selected properties within a 1.4 km radius of the bush. Soil samples were also collected from 31 of those properties and placed in a glasshouse and the study species that germinated were recorded. Results showed some species, particularly kahikatea (Dacrycarpus dacrydioides), the most abundant species in the bush, are being dispersed and establishing on properties predominantly within 250 m of the forest margin. These juveniles are not reaching maturity as most gardeners tend to remove all non-planted woody species. Qualitative interviews with 16 residents and a quantitative survey of the residents of 85 of the properties provided insights into the social context which these natural processes were operating. Using notions of place and performance I argue that gardens are continuously created and recreated by humans and non-humans. Residents attempt to create and maintain a garden that fulfils their individual and familial needs and desires (e.g., aesthetics, leisure and privacy), and public responsibilities such as ensuring they have a ‘neat’ and ‘tidy’ garden. This involves selecting plants for colour, shape and the care they require, and encouraging certain performances (e.g., flowering) while controlling other undesirable plants and performances (e.g. growth, spread and shading). While people make connections between native plants, belonging and identity; the ‘scientific’ demarcation between native and exotic species often becomes obscured as the garden is co-created by people and plants. Some plants become more significant than others but usually this is attributable to their performances rather than whether they are native or exotic. Residential gardens have the potential to play a major role in the conservation of species restricted to urban remnants. My research suggests that although the potential exists for woody species restricted to Riccarton Bush to naturally regenerate in nearby gardens, this will not happen without human intervention. Plants will need to be eco-sourced and propagated to avoid detrimental impacts on the genetic health of remnant populations, and then actively planted in gardens. The success of such planting initiatives will be increased by providing residents with information about the plants that are suitable for their performative needs and desires (e.g., the size, colour, and maintenance requirements of plants) and, most importantly, control over the location of plantings. In concluding, I argue that by adopting new concepts, theories and methodologies, the productivity, creativity and relevance of urban ecology can be significantly enhanced.
48
Seis, Katja [Verfasser], and Albert [Akademischer Betreuer] Reif. "Resilience of native vegetation and bird species to smallholder land use impacts in the Valdivian Coastal Range (Chile) = Resilienz der natürlichen Vegetation und Vogelarten gegenüber Einflüssen von kleinbäuerlicher Landnutzung in der Valdivianischen Küstenkordillere (Chile)." Freiburg : Universität, 2014. http://d-nb.info/112348533X/34.
Full text
49
Monteiro, Lúcia Maria Oliveira. "Modelação e parametrização de índices de importância ecológica (IIE): um contributo para gestão e conservação da natureza." Master's thesis, Universidade de Évora, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10174/16080.
Full textAbstract:
Modelação e parametrização de Índices de Importância Ecológica (IIE): um contributo para gestão e conservação da natureza
Uma das principais estratégias necessárias para reduzir a perda de biodiversidade é a criação e gestão adequada de áreas protegidas bem como a definição de prioridades de conservação através da valorização das espécies. O objetivo deste trabalho foi cartografar a importância ecológica avifaunística no território continental, avaliando o grau de correspondência entre as áreas de maior importância ecológica e as áreas classificadas como Zona de Proteção Especial (ZPE). Para o efeito, calculou-se a importância ecológica das espécies de aves nidificantes em Portugal Continental através de quatro índices diferentes. Verificou-se que os quatro índices calculados responderam de formas diferentes na hierarquização das espécies. Qualquer priorização de espécies depende muito da disponibilidade e qualidade dos dados. As três ZPE estudadas apresentaram delimitações congruentes com as áreas de valores elevados de cada índice e pode-se afirmar que há uma tendência global para que estes valores se tornem progressivamente mais baixos para locais mais distantes das ZPE; ABSTRACT: Modelling and parameterization of Ecological Importance Index (EII): a contribution to management and nature conservation
One of the most important strategies needful to reduce the loss of biodiversity is the creation and proper management of protected environmental areas and the definition of conservation priorities through the appreciation of the species. The objective of this work was mapping the ecological importance of avifauna in the mainland, evaluating the degree of equivalence between the areas of greatest ecological importance and areas classified as ZPE. For both, we evaluated the ecological importance of the species of breeding birds in mainland of Portugal through four different indexes. We verified that the four indexes evaluated showed different relevances in the hierarchy of species. Any prioritization of species depends much of the way that qualifies and systematizes of data. The three ZPE studied had boundaries congruent with areas of high values of each index and showed that there is a global trend for these values become progressively lower as moving away from ZPE.
50
Broshot, Nancy Ellen. "The Effects of Urbanization and Human Disturbance Upon Plant Community Structure and Bird Species Richness, Diversity, and Abundance in a Natural Forested Area (Forest Park) in Portland, Oregon." PDXScholar, 1999. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/3962.
Full textAbstract:
The effects of urbanization and continual human disturbance on the plant and avian communities of Forest Park and forested lands surrounding Portland, Oregon, were studied. I examined characteristics of plant and avian communities at 25 sites, 24 which were in Forest Park and surrounding areas and one which was in the Ancient Forest Preserve (old-growth stand) northwest of Forest Park. Data were analyzed using multiple regression, ANOV A, and Bonferonni/Dunn. Seven variables were selected representing different urbanization gradients. An additional covariable coded for the old-growth stand, allowing it to be used as a control.
Many tree variables, especially those related to shade-tolerant species, were positively correlated with both the distance from downtown Portland and the number of houses in the surrounding area, and negatively correlated with the distance from the nearest forest edge; however, many shrub and herbaceous variables were negatively correlated with the distance from downtown Portland. Species diversity for herbaceous and shrub species was greater at more urban sites, but diversity of trees was lower at more urban sites. There were significantly more non-native species of plants in the city section. I found significantly fewer saplings and small trees, especially shade-tolerant species, in the section of Forest Park closest to downtown Portland, although tree mortality was positively correlated with distance from Portland.
Summer bird data revealed significant increases in the abundances of urban and edge species at more urban sites, with concomitant reductions in forest species. There were significantly more ground gleaning birds and short distance migratory species. I also found a significantly greater abundance of birds in the old-growth stand during the winter. This increase was positively correlated with the depth of snow in the nearby Cascade Mountains.
My results indicate that Forest Park is apparently progressing in a normal successional pattern with the exception of the city section. The reduction in shade tolerant saplings and small trees in the city section suggest that rate of succession has been slower at more urban sites. Avian data suggest that urbanization affects bird species abundance and guild composition in the more urban areas.