Year: 2019, 2019
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This thesis focused on expanding knowledge of Hybomitra, Chrysops and Tabanus (Diptera: Tabanidae) distributions north of Lake Nipigon, Ontario, in a managed boreal forest. As land use and climate changes accelerate, there is increased pressure to increase knowledge from which to monitor changes. In 2011 and 2012, 8928 individuals representing, 44 species were captured using sweep… more Full Text: THE SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DISTRIBUTION OF TABANID (CHRYSOPS, HYBOMITRA AND TABANUS) SPECIES IN THE NAKINA DISTRICT OF NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of …
Year: 2019, 2019
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Upland Sandpipers (Bartramia longicauda), like many grassland birds, are undergoing population decline in parts of their range. Habitat fragmentation and change have been hypothesized as potential causes of decline. I used citizen-science occurrence data from Wildlife Preservation Canada's Adopt-A-Shrike Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) program in conjunction with validation… more Full Text: DETECTABILITY AND ITS ROLE IN UNDERSTANDING UPLAND SANDPIPER (Bartramia longicauda) OCCURRENCE IN THE FRAGMENTED LANDSCAPE OF SOUTHERN ONTARIO A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the …
Year: 2019, 2019
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Glucocorticoids (e.g., corticosterone (CORT)) are hypothesized to mediate decisions regarding reproductive investment during breeding, but the directionality of the relationship is not clear. The CORT-fitness hypothesis posits that high levels of CORT arise from challenging environmental conditions in which an individual will conserve resources for future reproduction or self-maintenance… more Full Text: THE ROLE OF CORTICOSTERONE IN REPRODUCTIVE EFFORT AND BREEDING SUCCESS IN TREE SWALLOWS A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and …
Year: 2019, 2019
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Recent declines in North American shorebird populations could be linked to habitat loss on the non-breeding grounds. Sea-level rise and increased frequency of coastal storms are causing significant erosion of barrier islands, thereby threatening shorebirds who rely on shoreline habitats for foraging. I conducted shorebird surveys on Bulls Island, South Carolina in the winters of 2018 and… more Full Text: SHOREBIRD HABITAT USE AND FORAGING ECOLOGY ON BULLS ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA DURING THE NON-BREEDING SEASON A Thesis Submitted to the Committee of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty …
Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): McClenaghan, Beverly, Thesis advisor (ths): Nol, Erica, Degree committee member (dgc): Nocera, Joseph J, Degree committee member (dgc): Beresford, David V, Degree committee member (dgc): Kerr, K, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) populations have declined in North America over the past 40 years and they are listed as Threatened in Ontario, Canada. Changes in the food supply have been hypothesized as a potential cause of this population decline. I used DNA barcoding to investigate the diet and food supply of Barn Swallows and to determine if the food supply affects their reproductive… more Full Text: USING DNA BARCODING TO INVESTIGATE THE DIET AND FOOD SUPPLY OF A DECLINING AERIAL INSECTIVORE, THE BARN SWALLOW (Hirundo rustica) A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master …
Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Pastures and hayfields provide surrogate habitat for many declining grassland birds. Understanding agricultural land use dynamics and habitat quality can impact conservation of grassland species. I investigated 1) patterns of land use change in protected and unprotected sites in relationship to Bobolink occurrence in Carden, Ontario, Canada and 2) whether continuous grazing at low… more Full Text: THE IMPACT OF AGRICULTURAL LAND USE ON BOBOLINK OCCURRENCE, ABUNDANCE, AND REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS IN AN ALVAR LANDSCAPE A Thesis Submitted to the Committee of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in …
Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Chimney swifts are listed as Threatened nationally and in many provinces within Canada due to rapid population declines. I examined large-scale spatial variation in the maximum size of chimney swift roosts at the northern edge of their range to identify where larger roosts occur. I used multi-sourced data collected across Ontario and Quebec between 1998 and 2013. I found that larger… more Full Text: HABITAT USE WITHIN AND AMONG ROOSTS OF CHIMNEY SWIFTS (Chaetura pelagica) A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and Science TRENT …
Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Numerous prey taxa employ defensive postures for protection against attack by predators. Defensive postures mitigate predation risk at various stages of the predator-prey sequence, including through crypsis, mimicry, thanatosis, aposematism, and deflection. In terrestrial salamanders, defensive postures may be aposematic, or deflect attacks away from vital body parts and towards the tail… more Full Text: ENDURING ATTACK: DEFENSIVE POSTURE IN TERRESTRIAL SALAMANDERS (GENUS: AMBYSTOMA) AND THEIR PREDATOR-PREY INTERACTIONS ON PELEE ISLAND, CANADA A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree …
Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Drivers of North American Barn Swallow population declines are not well understood, but foraging habitat loss is thought to be a contributing factor. Determining patterns of habitat use is challenging for swallows because they move rapidly but are too small to carry GPS tags. We showed that automated radio-telemetry could be used to track the movements of swallows with enough accuracy (… more Full Text: Using automated radio-telemetry to link food availability, reproductive success, and habitat use of Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica erythrogaster) A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the …
Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Resources and risk are in constant flux and an organism's ability to manage change may improve their likelihood of persistence. I examined intra-seasonal variation in nest-site selection and survival of a declining wetland bird, the Black Tern (Chlidonias niger surinamensis). I modelled nest site occupancy and survival of early and late-nesting birds as a function of static and… more Full Text: INTRA-SEASONAL VARIATION IN BLACK TERN NEST-SITE SELECTION AND SURVIVAL A thesis submitted to the Committee of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and Science Environmental …
Year: 2017, 2017
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Stopover ecology is a topic that surges in relevancy as choices made by migrants during stationary periods (stopover sites) may not only have important individuals' fitness consequences but also can affect population dynamics. I used MOTUS automated telemetry array to study fall stopover duration of Blackpoll Warbler (BLPW) and departure decisions of BLPW and Canada Warbler (CAWA)… more Full Text: STOPOVER MOVEMENT PATTERNS BY BLACKPOLL AND CANADA WARBLERS ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN CANADA DURING FALL MIGRATION: AN AUTOMATED RADIO-TELEMETRY STUDY A Thesis submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the …
Year: 2017, 2017
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>I examined Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) colony persistence and occupancy, in lakeshore, river and man-made aggregate pit habitat. Habitat persistence was highest on the lakeshore and lowest in aggregate pits, likely due to annual removal and relocation of aggregate resources. Bank Swallow colonies in aggregate pit sites were more likely to persist if a colony was larger or if burrows… more Full Text: BANK SWALLOW (RIPARIA RIPARIA) BREEDING IN AGGREGATE PITS AND NATURAL HABITATS A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and Science TRENT …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>A species of concern is caribou (Rangifer tarandus), a species in decline across most of the circumpolar North, including the island of Newfoundland. Resource exploitation across caribou ranges is projected to accelerate in the coming decades as oil extraction, roads, forest harvesting, and mining encroach upon their habitat. Hydroelectric corridors, in particular, are anticipated to… more Full Text: THE EFFECTS OF HYDROELECTRIC CORRIDORS ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF FEMALE CARIBOU (Rangifer tarandus) ON THE ISLAND OF NEWFOUNDLAND A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of …
Year: 2015, 2015
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Around the world, many populations of migratory shorebirds appear to be declining. Conservation strategies to reverse declining trends rely on, among other information, a firm understanding of breeding ground population dynamics. From 2010 to 2014, I studied a breeding population of Dunlin (Calidris alpina hudsonia) near Churchill, Manitoba using mark-recapture methods. I found that… more Full Text: SEXUAL DIMORPHISM AND POPULATION DYNAMICS OF SUB-ARCTIC BREEDING DUNLIN (Calidris alpina hudsonia) NEAR CHURCHILL, MANITOBA, CANADA A Thesis submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master …
Year: 2015, 2015
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>I determined the direct influence of single-tree selection harvesting on the daily nest survival rates and nest success of 5 focal bird species within a monotypic red pine (Pinus resinosa) plantation on the western edge of the Oak Ridges Moraine in southern Ontario, Canada. I located and monitored 290 nests during the 2012 and 2013 breeding season. I used the logistic-exposure method to… more Full Text: INCIDENTAL TAKE AND POPULATION DYNAMICS OF NESTING BIRDS IN A RED PINE (Pinus resinosa) PLANTATION IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO UNDER SINGLE-TREE SELECTION HARVESTING A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the …
Year: 2015, 2015
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The breeding phenology of American Woodcocks (Scolopax minor) was evaluated in Ontario, Canada to determine if changes in dates of courtship activity have introduced negative bias into the American Woodcock Singing-ground Survey (SGS). Long-term woodcock phenology and climate data for Ontario were analysed using linear regression to determine if woodcock breeding phenology has changed… more Full Text: EVALUATING THE AMERICAN WOODCOCK SINGING-GROUND SURVEY PROTOCOL IN ONTARIO USING ACOUSTIC MONITORING DEVICES A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the …
Year: 2015, 2015
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Pacific Rim National Park Reserve's 16 km of coastal beaches attract many thousands of people and shorebirds every year. To identify locations where shorebirds concentrate and determine the impact of human activity and habitat characteristics on shorebirds, I conducted shorebird and visitor surveys at 20 beach sectors during fall migration in 2011 to 2013 and spring migration in… more Full Text: HUMAN ACTIVITY AND HABITAT CHARACTERISTICS INFLUENCE SHOREBIRD HABITAT USE AND BEHAVIOUR AT A VANCOUVER ISLAND MIGRATORY STOPOVER SITE A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of …
Year: 2014, 2014
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Lin, Shang-Yao Peter, Thesis advisor (ths): Dorken, Marcel E, Thesis advisor (ths): Nol, Erica, Degree committee member (dgc): Crins, William J, Degree committee member (dgc): Freeland, Joanna R, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Sexual reproduction in flowering plants depends on investment in reproduction, the mode of pollen transfer, the availabilities of nutrient resources and potential mates, and the spatial scales over which these processes take place. In this thesis, I studied the general reproductive biology of Shepherdia canadensis (L.) Nutt. (Elaeagnaceae) and the suite of pollinators that visit the… more Full Text: Spatial dynamics of pollination in dioecious Shepherdia canadensis in Yukon, Canada A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and Science …
Year: 2014, 2014
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>I investigated the impact of beef-cattle farm management on the reproductive success of Bobolink (<italic>Dolichonyx oryzivorus</italic>) and Eastern Meadowlark (<italic>Sturnella magna</italic>) within Eastern Ontario. I monitored rotational grazing management regimes and hay cut dates while assessing breeding phenology and reproductive success of Bobolinks and… more Full Text: THE EFFECTS OF ROTATIONAL GRAZING AND HAY MANAGEMENT ON THE REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS OF BOBOLINK AND EASTERN MEADOWLARK IN EASTERN ONTARIO A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of …
Year: 2014, 2014
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>I used a GIS raster layer of an area in the Churchill, Manitoba region to investigate the effect of breeding habitat on demography and density of Whimbrel from 2010 through 2013. Program MARK was used to quantify adult and daily nest survival. Apparent annual survival of 0.73 ± 0.06 SE (95% CI = 0.60-0.83) did not significantly differ between sexes or habitats and was lower than expected… more Full Text: DEMOGRAPHY OF A BREEDING POPULATION OF WHIMBREL (Numenius phaeopus) NEAR CHURCHILL, MANITOBA, CANADA A Thesis submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of …
