Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Extremely active dust sources within selected areas of Iceland that are comprised of particles supplied from both glacio-fluvial outwash systems and volcanic eruptions (Bullard et al., 2016; Gassó et al., 2018). The supply of sediments, sparsity of vegetation, high frequency of surface winds, and lack of adequate gravel pavement to reduce sand drifting are believed to influence the… more Full Text: Icelandic Dust Entrainment, Emission & Deposition 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 UNIVERSITY …
Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Species ranges are changing and the rate at which the climate is warming is faster than anything previously seen in the past, consequently species will need to adapt quickly, track the climate or perish. Cold adapted terrestrial species are the most vulnerable, because they are limited by the availability of land at the cold edge of their range. This means that many alpine, boreal and… more Full Text: Range dynamics of two closely related felids 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 University Peterborough, …
Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Munro, Keith, Thesis advisor (ths): Patterson, Brent R, Thesis advisor (ths): Pond, Bruce A, Degree committee member (dgc): Schaefer, James, Degree committee member (dgc): Bowman, Jeff, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>The primary method used to maintain white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations at densities that are ecologically, economically, socially, and culturally sustainable is hunter harvest. This method considers only the removal of animals from the population (the direct effect) and does not conventionally consider the costs imposed on deer as they adopt hunter avoidance… more Full Text: White-Tailed Fear: The Human-Created Landscape of Fear and its Effect on WhiteTailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) Behaviour. A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of …
Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Microcontaminants originating from wastewater effluent and run-off from agricultural lands may be present in the sources of drinking water for rural and Indigenous communities in mixed-use watersheds. In this study, a convergent parallel mixed-methods design was applied to assess measured and perceived risks of contamination in the sources of drinking water for two communities; the Six… more Full Text: ASSESSING MEASURED AND PERCEIVED RISKS TO DRINKING WATER SOURCES: COMPARATIVE CASE STUDIES IN SMALL, RURAL COMMUNITIES A thesis submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of …
Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): MacDonald, Amelia J., Thesis advisor (ths): Nol, Erica, Thesis advisor (ths): Smith, Paul A, Degree committee member (dgc): Murray, Dennis, Degree committee member (dgc): Bowman, Jeff, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Many shorebirds rely on small numbers of staging sites during long annual migrations. Numerous species are declining and understanding the importance of staging sites is critical to successful conservation. We surveyed endangered rufa Red Knots staging in James Bay, Ontario during southbound migration from 2009 to 2018. We used an integrated population model to estimate passage… more Full Text: Passage population size, demography, and timing of migration of Red Knots (Calidris canutus rufa) staging in southwestern James Bay A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master …
Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>In the Wabigoon/English River system, mercury concentrations downstream from Dryden, ON, where there was a former chlor-alkali plant, remain elevated in sediments and biota. Understanding the current extent and severity of mercury contamination downstream from the former chlor-alkali plant is of great interest in furthering the clean-up of mercury within the traditional territory of… more Full Text: Tracking Mercury and Mercury Stable Isotopes Throughout the Wabigoon/English River System: A Preliminary Assessment A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in …
Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Mackellar, Hannah, Thesis advisor (ths): Nol, Erica, Thesis advisor (ths): Brown, Glen, Degree committee member (dgc): Burness, Gary, Degree committee member (dgc): Smith, Paul, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Understanding breeding and migration habits of Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) in the Hudson Bay Lowlands is important for the conservation of this population. I monitored Whimbrel at two breeding sites: the Churchill region of Manitoba and Burntpoint, Ontario. Annual average nest initiation timing was highly variable and successful nests were initiated significantly earlier than those that… more Full Text: BREEDING PHENOLOGY AND MIGRATION HABITS OF WHIMBREL (Numenius phaeopus) IN THE HUDSON BAY LOWLANDS, 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 …
Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Thawing permafrost due to increasingly warm temperatures in northern subarctic regions is releasing mercury. The consequent formation of thaw ponds in the peatland palsa valley of the Sasapimakwananisikw (SAS) river in Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik, Québec may provide a pool for MMHg formation and a potential risk to aquatic and human life, if these ponds facilitate MMHg export through… more Full Text: ASSESSING LIMNOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SUBARCTIC QUÉBEC THAW PONDS AND MERCURY METHYLATION AND METHYLMERCURY DEMETHYLATION WITHIN THEIR SEDIMENTS A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the …
Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This thesis investigated the role of the neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis protein, Cln5, during autophagy. This was accomplished by performing well-established assays in a Dictyostelium cln5 knockout model (cln5-). In this study, cln5- cells displayed a reduced maximum cell density during growth and impaired cell proliferation in autophagy-stimulating media. cln5- cells had an increased… more Full Text: The role of Cln5 in autophagy, using a Dictyostelium discoideum model of Batten disease A Thesis Submitted to the Committee of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and Science …
Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) are declining across Ontario in both numbers and distribution, prompting concern for their future. Here, conventional, emerging, and predictive tools were combined to document brook trout occupation across seasons using streams in Haliburton County, ON as model systems. By using the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry's (OMNRFs)… more Full Text: Assessing Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) Seasonal Occupancy in Haliburton County, ON Using Environmental DNA A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment for the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in …
Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Natural populations are often difficult and costly to study, due to the plethora of confounding processes and variables present. This is of particular importance when dealing with managed species. Ungulates, for example, act as both consumers and prey sources; they also provide economic benefit through harvest, and as such, are of high ecological and economic value. I addressed… more Full Text: POPULATION GENETICS AND GUT MICROBIOME COMPOSITION REVEAL SUBDIVISIONS AND SPACE USE IN A GENERALIST AND SPECIALIST UNGULATE A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of …
Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>I examined how shorebirds respond to environmental change at a key subarctic migratory bird stopover site, the southwestern coast of James Bay, Ontario, Canada. First, I investigated if the morphology of sandpipers using James Bay during southbound migration has changed compared to 40 years prior. I found shorter, more convex and maneuverable wings for sandpipers in the present-day… more Full Text: Shorebird Stopover Ecology and Environmental Change at James Bay, Ontario, Canada A thesis 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 …
Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The rapid expansion of the worldwide population has caused an urgent need for the development of new, more environment-conscious, food sources. In this context, algae, such as Euglena, are of interest thanks to their capacity to naturally produce essential nutrients such as proteins and oils commonly found in animals and plant sources. While these processes are currently being… more Full Text: The Effects of Recycled Media on Culture Growth and Hormone Profiles in Heterotrophic Euglena gracilis A Thesis Submitted to the Committee of Graduate Studies In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science In the Faculty of …
Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The ability of animal populations to compensate for harvest mortality provides the basis for sustainable harvesting. Coyote populations are resilient to exploitation, but the underlying mechanisms of compensation and how they inter-relate are not fully understood. Moreover, deficiencies in the quality and quantity of information about eastern coyotes preclude effective management. I… more Full Text: POPULATION DYNAMICS OF EASTERN COYOTES IN SOUTHEASTERN ONTARIO 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: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Detecting relevant and meaningful patterns from the complex, interconnected network of relationships between organisms and their environment is a primary objective of ecology. Ecological patterns occur across multiple scales of space and time. In this dissertation, I examine aspects of environmental structure that influence a species' distribution and are expressed in that species… more Full Text: ENVIRONMENTAL STRUCTURE, MORPHOLOGY, AND SPATIAL ECOLOGY OF THE FIVE-LINED SKINK (PLESTIODON FASCIATUS) AT HIGH LATITUDE RANGE LIMITS A dissertation submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of …
Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The forestry sector has a well-developed history of using remote sensing to identify structural characteristics of forests and to detect and attribute changes that occur in forested landscapes. Monitoring the recovery of disturbed forests is an important factor in long term forest management. However, forest that is recovered spectrally may not be recovered when considered in terms of a… more Full Text: Interpretation of forest harvest recovery using field-based and spectral metrics in a Landsat time series in Northwestern Ontario A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of …
Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Rising populations of Lesser Snow and Ross' geese (hereafter collectively referred to as light geese) breeding in the North American Arctic have caused significant environmental change that may be affecting some populations of nesting shorebirds, which in contrast to geese, have declined dramatically. In this thesis I examine the indirect effects of light geese on sympatric-nesting… more Full Text: Indirect Effects of Hyperabundant Geese on Sympatric-Nesting Shorebirds 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 …
Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Irvine, Courtney Christine, Thesis advisor (ths): Patterson, Brent R, Degree committee member (dgc): Cherry, Seth G, Degree committee member (dgc): Pond, Bruce A, Degree committee member (dgc): Schaefer, James A, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>I investigated if spatio-temporal behaviour of grey wolves (Canis lupus) determined via GPS collar locations could be used to discriminate predation events generally, and among prey species, in Prince Albert National Park during winter, 2013-2017. I used characteristics of spatio-temporal GPS clusters to develop a predictive mixed-effect logistic regression model of which spatial… more Full Text: DISCRIMINATING GREY WOLF (CANIS LUPUS) PREDATION EVENTS IN A MULTI-PREY SYSTEM IN CENTRAL SASKATCHEWAN 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: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Fromberger, Monica Ann, Thesis advisor (ths): Nol, Erica, Thesis advisor (ths): Campomizzi, Andrew, Degree committee member (dgc): Schaefer, Jim, Degree committee member (dgc): Nocera, Joe, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Populations of grassland birds, including the Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), are experiencing steep declines due to losses of breeding habitat, land use changes, and agricultural practices. Understanding the variables affecting reproductive success can aid conservation of grassland species. I investigated 1) whether artificial nest experiments accurately estimate the impacts of cattle… more Full Text: THE EFFECTS OF LOCAL, LANDSCAPE, AND TEMPORAL VARIABLES ON BOBOLINK NEST SURVIVAL IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO 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 …
