Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Increases in flooding due to anthropogenic influences such as climate change and reservoir creation will undoubtedly impact aquatic ecosystems, affecting physical, chemical, and biological processes. We used two approaches to study these impacts: a whole-ecosystem reservoir flooding experiment and a systematic literature review. In the whole-ecosystem experiment, we analyzed the impact… more Full Text: EFFECTS OF FLOODING ON NUTRIENT BUDGETS AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES A Thesis 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 TRENT UNIVERSITY Peterborough, …
Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Leaf litter decomposition represents a major pathway for nutrient cycling and carbon flow in aquatic ecosystems, and macroinvertebrates play an important role in the processing of this material. To assess the causes of variable leaf breakdown and nutrient fluxes, I measured decomposition rates and the nutrient release ratios of decomposing leaf material across a broad latitudinal… more Full Text: AQUATIC INVERTEBRATE STUDIES FROM TWO PERSPECTIVES: FUNCTION (SHREDDERS) AND DISTRIBUTION (DYTISCIDAE) 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 …
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: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This study seeks to clarify the way in which the differing canopy characteristics among tree species influence the partitioning of precipitation, and therefore the source of water available for plant water uptake, in the Plastic Lake catchment near Dorset, ON. Three dominant tree species were compared: red oak (Quercus rubra), eastern white pine (Pinus strobus), and eastern hemlock (… more Full Text: THE INFLUENCE OF CANOPY WATER PARTITIONING ON THE ISOTOPIC SIGNATURE OF PLANT WATER IN A MIXED NORTHERN FOREST 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: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>According to the Invasional Meltdown Hypothesis (IMH), invasive species may interact in their introduced range and facilitate future invasions. This study investigated the possibility that Alliaria petiolata, an invasive allelopathic herbaceous plant in Ontario, is facilitating invasions by additional alien species. Two allelopathic focal species were chosen for this study: the native… more Full Text: Tests of the Invasional Meltdown Hypothesis in invasive herbaceous plant species in southern Ontario 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 …
Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Ustilago maydis is a biotrophic fungal plant pathogen that causes 'common smut of corn' disease. During infection, U. maydis develops a metabolic dependency on its host, relying on uptake of the carbon molecules provided within Zea mays tissues. The research presented indicated a requirement for metabolism of the pentose sugar D-xylose through functional investigation of a U.… more Full Text: FUNCTIONAL INVESTIGATION OF A Ustilago maydis XYLOSE METABOLISM GENE AND ITS ANTISENSE TRANSCRIPTS 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 …
Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>North American freshwater fishes are declining rapidly due to habitat fragmentation, degradation, and loss. In some cases, translocations can be used to reverse local extirpations by releasing species in suitable habitats that are no longer naturally accessible. Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) experienced historical overharvest across their distribution, leading to endangered… more Full Text: Assessment of an adult lake sturgeon translocation (Acipenser fulvescens) reintroduction effort in a fragmented river system 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
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
Name(s): Creator (cre): Preston, Colette Alexia, Thesis advisor (ths): McKenna Neuman, Cheryl, Degree committee member (dgc): Boulton, Wayne, Degree committee member (dgc): Buttle, James, Degree committee member (dgc): Eimers, Catherine, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>A series of experiments was designed to assess the relative efficacy of various dust suppressants to suppress PM10 emissions from nepheline syenite tailings. The experiments were conducted in the Trent University Environmental Wind Tunnel, Peterborough, Ontario, and on the tailings ponds at the Unimin Ltd Nephton mine near Havelock, Ontario. Treated surfaces were subjected to particle-… more Full Text: A wind tunnel and field evaluation of the efficacy of various dust suppressants 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>The network composition hypothesis (NCH) suggests that i) large confluence symmetry ratios (drainage area of the tributary relative to the mainstem) and ii) landscape differences (differences in landscape characteristics between the mainstem and tributary drainages) lead to greater ecological changes below confluences. As a test of the NCH, 34 confluences were sampled in southern Ontario… more Full Text: DISCONTINUITIES IN STREAM NETWORKS: THE EFFECTS OF TRIBUTARY SIZE AND TYPE ON BENTHIC INVERTEBRATE COMMUNITIES DOWNSTREAM FROM CONFLUENCES A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of …
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: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Threats such as climate change and increased anthropogenic activity such as shipping, are expected to negatively affect the Arctic. Lack of data on Arctic systems restricts our current understanding of these sensitive systems and limits our ability to predict future impacts. Lakes and ponds are a major feature of the Arctic landscape and are recognized as 'sentinels of change… more Full Text: Hydrochemistry and critical loads of acidity for lakes and ponds in the Canadian Arctic 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 …
Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Aeolian transport of sand particles is an important geomorphic process that occurs over a significant portion of the earth's land surface. Wind tunnel simulations have been used for more than 75 years to advance the understanding of this process; however, there are still several principles that lack validation from direct sampling of the sand particles in flight. Neither the three-… more Full Text: A wind tunnel based investigation of threedimensional grain scale saltation and boundary-layer stress partitioning using Particle Tracking Velocimetry A Dissertation Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements …
Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Hunting represents the principal tool for managing populations of migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus), but harvest may be affected by landscape features that govern animal distribution and hunter access. Such effects are unclear. I capitalized on an existing dataset of 21 355 caribou harvest records, 1980 – 2009, to determine the influence of landscape features on caribou harvest… more Full Text: THE INFLUENCE OF LANDSCAPE FEATURES ON THE HARVEST OF 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 Science in the …
Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The growth of immature insects that develop on human remains can be used to estimate a post-mortem interval (PMI). PMI estimate confidence is negatively affected by: larval killing and preservation methods altering their size, limited morphological parameters to assess larval growth and therefore age, and few available alternate species development data. I compared live specimens to… more Full Text: ENHANCING POST-MORTEM INTERVAL ESTIMATES: REFINEMENTS OF TECHNICAL, MORPHOMETRICAL, AND SPECIES CONSIDERATIONS WITHIN FORENSIC ENTOMOLOGY A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of …
Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The Athabasca Oil Sands in Alberta, Canada is one of the largest point sources emitters of NOx in Canada and there</p><p>are concerns that elevated nitrogen (N) deposition will lead to widespread eutrophication impacts, including altered</p><p>species composition, similar to what has occurred in several parts of Europe. Atmospheric deposition rates as high as</… more Full Text: Nitrogen Retention of Terricolous Lichens in a Jack Pine Forest in Northern Alberta A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on the Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and …
Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The Kentucky coffee tree (Gymnocladus dioicus) is an endangered tree species native to the American Midwest and Southwestern Ontario. Significant habitat loss and fragmentation due to agricultural, industrial and urban development has caused gradual decline across its native range. The aims of this study were to investigate: (1) patterns of genetic diversity and, (2) genetic… more Full Text: POPULATION GENETICS AND SCARIFICATION REQUIREMENTS OF GYMNOCLADUS DIOICUS 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>Microalgae are a promising source of valuable compounds relevant to biofuels, biomaterials, nutraceuticals as well as animal and human nutriment. Unfortunately, low cell density and slow growth result in reduced economic feasibility. Heterotrophic cell culturing using an organic carbon source in lieu of light has proven to be an effective alternative to photobioreactors; however, further… more Full Text: MAE EFFE …
Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The potential impacts of domestic wastewater (DWW) on the source of drinking water for the M'Chigeeng First Nation were monitored as part of the development of a Source Water Protection plan. During a period of continuous overflow of the Gaaming Wastewater Lagoon serving the community, the chemical tracers, caffeine and sucralose were tracked in West Bay with Passive Organic… more Full Text: PROTECTING SOURCES OF DRINKING WATER FOR THE M’CHIGEENG FIRST NATION, MANITOULIN ISLAND, ONTARIO 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 …
