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A genetic approach to determine river otter abundance in Missouri
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2010)
's effects on sport fish populations have sparked controversy. The MDC responded by increasing efforts to monitor river otter populations, using latrine site counts to measure relative abundance across several rivers in Missouri. However, the actual number...
Resource selection by black-footed ferrets in relation to the spatial distribution of prairie dogs
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2007)
Once extinct in the wild, the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) is one of the rarest mammals in North America. Reintroductions of ferrets at 13 sites over 10 years have resulted in only 3 self-sustaining populations. Such results draw...
Space use and resource selection by Eastern spotted skunks in the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2007)
of western Arkansas. During two years of field work we collected locations at 28-hour intervals for 33 eastern spotted skunks. Using kernel-based utilization distributions and the volume of intersection index analysis, we found significant seasonal...
Use of main channel and shallow-water habitat by larval fishes in the lower Missouri River
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2006)
I developed a series of research objectives organized in a spatial hierarchy to characterize larval fish nursery habitat within the lower Missouri River. Native carpsucker spp./buffalo spp. (Carpiodes spp./Ictiobus spp.) and chub spp. (Macrhybopsis...
Evaluation and development of black-footed ferret resource selection models
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2009)
Resource selection function (RSF) and utilization function (RUF) models aid in evaluating habitat suitability and investigating hypothesized mechanisms of space use of wildlife. We monitored postbreeding resource selection ...
Occupancy modeling of forest carnivores in Missouri
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2008)
My research used infrared remote cameras, trackplate boxes, and scat transects to survey for carnivores at 53 sites throughout the southern forested region of Missouri. Cameras and track-plates both detected Eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius...
Effects of temperature, photoperiod, and substrate on the maturation and reproductive behavior of the Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka)
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2008)
The Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka) is a federally-listed endangered cyprinid species native to small headwater prairie streams in the mid-west of the United States. It generally spawns over and around sunfish (Lepomis ...
Intraguild interactions between native and domestic carnivores in central India
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2008)
I determined various factors affecting the resource selection and spatial ecology of the Indian fox Vulpes bengalensis, a small canid endemic to the Indian subcontinent. I collected radiotelemetry data from 32 Indian foxes ...
Experimentally assessing the influence of resource availability and social aggregation on the parasites of raccoons
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2009)
I investigated how experimental increases in social aggregation and resource availability affected ectoparasite prevalence and intensity (number of parasites on infested hosts only) and endoparasite species richness of raccoons. Twelve independent...
Assemblage structure and shallow-water habitat use by small-bodied fishes at lower Missouri River sandbars
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2007)
Populations of many native big-river fishes have declined since channelization and flow regulation contributed to losses of shallow-water habitat (SWH) on lower Missouri River (LMOR). Existing point and wing-dike sandbars represent a potentially...
Relation of Missouri river flows to sandbar morphology with implications for selected biota
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2006)
.e. an aquatic-terrestrial zone (ATTZ), within the main channel of the lower Missouri River. Predictive models of sandbar morphometry (area, wetted perimeter, elevation, and water-surface slope) were developed to determine how changes in discharge affect...
Response of raccoon spatial and social behavior to the presence of an experimentally clumped food resource
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2009)
In order to examine the effect of clumped resource patches on the transition from a solitary to a social or group-living lifestyle in a putativeIy solitary carnivore I contrasted raccoons inhabiting two adjacent sites on the University of Missouri...
Wildlife response to spatial and temporal changes in forest habitat
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2008)
by wildlife to vegetation change yet this assumed relationship is rarely evaluated. I developed habitat suitability models for 10 wildlife species and validated two of those models as predictors of demographic responses (e.g., territory density and nest...
An investigation of urban bat ecology in Baltimore, Maryland
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2019)
In North America, bats are a taxon of concern that play an important role in insect control, and their response to urbanization varies. I wanted to discover if evaluating environmental and socioeconomic variables present ...
Multi-scale factors influencing detection, site occupancy and resource use by foraging bats in the Ozark Highlands of Missouri
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2007)
Conservation of bat populations requires understanding the associations between bats and their use of resources. We used maximum likelihood to estimate probability of site occupancy using acoustic data for ten species of ...
Landscape and inchannel factors affecting the distribution and abundance of riverine smallmouth bass in Missouri
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2008)
I developed a series of spatially-nested research objectives to identify habitat elements related to the distribution and abundance of riverine smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu in Missouri. The range of smallmouth bass was identified using a few...
Ecology of mid-continent migratory shorebirds, performance of tracking devices, and modelling animal social structure and demography
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2022)
) developing and evaluating a modelling approach to combine social structure and survival information. In chapter 1, we found that winter and spring weather conditions influenced migration duration and number of stopovers in black-bellied plovers...
Establishing mostly-male bluegill groups and evaluating their growth benefits in indoor rearing systems
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2007)
Male bluegill have the greatest potential to reach food market size ([greater than or equal to] 0.5 lb.; 225g) within two growing seasons. However, establishment of monosex, juvenile bluegill groups does not currently ...
Enhancing bluegill production through least-cost diet development and novel rearing strategies
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2010)
Amidst growing demand for large, food-size bluegill Lepomis macrochirus, lack of an affordable, balanced diet and inadequate rearing technologies remain the major concerns of bluegill producers seeking to run profitable ...
Hydrology, vegetation and waterbird response to land management strategies in the San Luis Valley
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2006)
[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The distribution of wetlands in the San Luis Valley has been altered by human modifications that influence the timing, distribution and characteristics of wetland environments...