Year: 2019, 2019
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Three long-term mark and recapture/resight data sets of individually marked</p><p>Semipalmated Plovers (Charadrius semipalmatus) were analyzed using Cormack-Jolly-</p><p>Seber models. Data came from two breeding populations (Churchill, Manitoba, Canada,</p><p>n=982, and Egg Island, Alaska, USA, n=84) and one overwintering population</p><p>(… more Full Text: Risk of Mortality for the Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) Throughout Its Life Cycle 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 …
Year: 2019, 2019
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Range expansion by the bobcat (Lynx rufus) may be contributing to range contraction by the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis), but interactions between them are not well understood. To investigate the potential for competition, I conducted a literature review of hierarchical habitat selection by these two species. I determined that the lynx and the bobcat select different resources at the… more Full Text: Habitat selection by sympatric Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) and bobcat (Lynx rufus) 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: 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>Invasive species that alter habitats can have significant impacts on wildlife. The invasive graminoids Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud, hereafter Phragmites, and Typha × glauca Godr. are rapidly spreading into North American wetlands, replacing native vegetation. Invasive Phragmites is considered a potential threat to several species-at-risk (SAR), including some turtle… more Full Text: EFFECTS OF INVASIVE WETLAND MACROPHYTES ON HABITAT SELECTION BY TURTLES 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 Sciences TRENT …
Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Introgressive hybridization between northern (Glaucomys sabrinus) and southern flying squirrels (G. volans) has been observed in some areas of Canada and the USA. However, existing molecular markers lack the resolution to discriminate late-generation introgressants and describe the extent to which hybridization influences the Glaucomys gene pool. I report the first North American flying… more Full Text: De novo transcriptome assembly, functional annotation, and SNP discovery in North American flying squirrels (genus Glaucomys) A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of …
Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Wehtje, Morgan, Thesis advisor (ths): Bowman, Jeff, Thesis advisor (ths): Murray, Dennis, Degree committee member (dgc): Fortin, Marie Josee, Degree committee member (dgc): Wilson, Paul, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Range contractions and expansions are important ecological concepts for species management decisions. These decisions relate not only to rare and endangered species but to common and invasive species as well. The development of the broad spatiotemporal extent models that are helpful in examining range fluctuations can be challenging given the lack of data expansive enough to cover the… more Full Text: NEW INTERPRETATIONS FROM OLD DATA: CHANGES IN EXTENT OF OCCURRENCE AND AREA OF OCCUPANCY FOR CANADA LYNX AND SNOWSHOE HARE FROM FUR HARVEST AND MUSEUM RECORDS A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the …
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>To better understand species' resilience to climate change and implement solutions, we must conserve environments that maintain standing adaptive genetic variation and the potential generation of new beneficial alleles. Coding trinucleotide repeats (cTNRs) providing high-pace adaptive capabilities via high rates of mutation are ideal targets for mitigating the decline of species at… more Full Text: TIME TO ADAPT: CHARACTERIZING ADAPTIVE GENETIC VARIATION OF CANADA LYNX USING CODING TRINUCLEOTIDE REPEATS A dissertation submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in …
Year: 2017, 2017
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The release of domestic organisms to the wild is considered a threat to </p><p>biodiversity because the introduction of domestic genes through interbreeding can </p><p>negatively impact wild conspecifics via outbreeding and local extinction. In North </p><p>America, captive American mink (Neovison vison) are frequently escaping into the wild, </p… more Full Text: Functional Genetic Diversity in American Mink (Neovison vison) 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 UNIVERSITY …
Year: 2017, 2017
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Desantis, Lanna Marie, Thesis advisor (ths): Bowman, Jeff, Thesis advisor (ths): Burness, Gary, Degree committee member (dgc): Rafferty, Steven, Degree committee member (dgc): Wilson, Paul, Degree committee member (dgc): Boonstra, Rudy, Degree committee member (dgc): Vijayan, Mathilakath M, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Across vertebrate taxa, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (or the stress axis) is highly conserved, and is central to vertebrate survival because it allows appropriate responses to psychological stressors. Habitat shapes successful physiological and ecological strategies, and to appreciate how individual species respond to stressors in their environment, it is essential to have a… more Full Text: STRESS AXIS FUNCTION AND REGULATION IN NEW WORLD FLYING SQUIRRELS: AN ASSESSMENT OF ACUTE STRESS RESPONSE, NEGATIVE FEEDBACK, AND THE ROLE OF CORTICOSTEROID-BINDING GLOBULIN A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of …
Year: 2017, 2017
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Mountain ranges are often thought to restrict movement of wildlife, yet previous studies evaluating the role of the Rocky Mountains as a dispersal barrier for Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) have been contradictory. Our study uses neutral microsatellite loci to evaluate the role of the Rocky Mountains as a barrier to gene flow for lynx. Although lynx exhibited low genetic differentiation,… more Full Text: ASSESSING CANADA LYNX DISPERSAL ACROSS AN ELEVATION BARRIER: GENETIC STRUCTURE IN LIGHT OF HABITAT HETEROGENEITY 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: 2017, 2017
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Biological differences between island and mainland conspecifics have been well studied, but few studies have addressed differences in stress physiology. Stressors, such as predation and competition for resources, cause the release of glucocorticoids (GCs). Characteristics of island wildlife, called "island syndrome", are attributed to low levels of predators and competitors. I… more Full Text: ISLAND SYNDROME AND STRESS PHYSIOLOGY OF MICE IN THE GENUS PEROMYSCUS 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
Name(s): Creator (cre): Otis, Josée-Anne, Thesis advisor (ths): Murray, Dennis, Degree committee member (dgc): Thornton, Daniel, Degree committee member (dgc): Bowman, Jeff, Degree committee member (dgc): Conolly, James, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Currently there are large areas of the North American landscape that are occupied by Canis spp. hybrids of several varieties, leading to the logical question as to the genetic structure and ecological function of Canis populations across the continent, and to what extent hybrids reflect contemporary landscapes. This study illustrated patterns of niche differentiation between parental… more Full Text: INVESTIGATING ECOLOGICAL NICHE DIFFERENTIATION AMONG WILD CANIDS EXPERIENCING HYBRIDIZATION IN EASTERN NORTH AMERICA A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Moose are an iconic species, known for their large size and impressive antlers. Eight subspecies are classified in circumpolar regions of the planet - four in North America. Two subspecies are similar in shape and size, the north-western moose (Alces alces andersoni) and the eastern moose (Alces alces americana). It was previously believed that these two subspecies meet in northern… more Full Text: PHYLOGEOGRAPHY AND GENETIC STRUCTURING OF MOOSE (ALCES ALCES) POPULATIONS IN ONTARIO, CANADA A Dissertation Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The recent northward expansion of the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) in response to climatic changes provides a natural experiment to explore potential adaptive genetic variation within the clock gene Per1 in Peromyscus undergoing latitudinal shifts, as well as, the possibility of hybridization and introgression related to novel secondary contact with its sister species the… more Full Text: Testing for Interspecific Hybridization and a Latitudinal Cline Within the Clock Gene Per1 of the Deer Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) and the White-Footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Fishers (Pekania pennanti) were extirpated from many parts of Ontario in the early 20th century, but as of the early 2000s the species had recolonized most of its historical range. While the primary population genetic structure of fishers in central and eastern Ontario has not changed drastically over the past ten years, we did find evidence of increased secondary structure and a… more Full Text: Genetic diversity and differentiation of Ontario’s recolonizing fishers (Pekania pennanti) 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: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Northern and southern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus and G. volans, respectively) are experiencing a climate change induced increase in range overlap, resulting in recent hybridization. We investigated the occurrence of heterospecific communal nesting, a potential facilitator of hybridization, and aimed to confirm the presence of torpor, a potential barrier to hybridization, in… more Full Text: Social thermoregulation and potential for heterothermy: seasonal energy conservation strategies in flying squirrels A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in …
Year: 2015, 2015
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Zigouris, Joanna, Thesis advisor (ths): Schaefer, James A, Thesis advisor (ths): Kyle, Christopher J, Degree committee member (dgc): Wilson, Paul J, Degree committee member (dgc): Bowman, Jeff, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Habitat loss and fragmentation can disrupt population connectivity, resulting in small, isolated populations and low genetic variability. Understanding connectivity patterns in space and time is critical in conservation and management planning, especially for wide-ranging species in northern latitudes where habitats are becoming increasingly fragmented. Wolverines (Gulo gulo) share… more Full Text: SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL GENETIC STRUCTURE OF WOLVERINE POPULATIONS A dissertation submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Arts and Science TRENT …
Year: 2015, 2015
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Road mortality is one of the leading causes of global population declines in reptiles and amphibians. Stemming losses from reptile and amphibian road mortality is a conservation priority and mitigation is a key recovery measure. I developed a model of road mortalities relative to non-‐mortalities, based on predictors varying across space (road surface type, traffic volume, speed limit,… more Full Text: FACTORS AFFECTING ROAD MORTALITY OF REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS ON THE BRUCE PENINSULA A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of …
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 …
