Download or read book Evolutionary Genetics of Range Limits in an Endemic Salamander Ambystoma Barbouri written by Steven James Micheletti and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite decades of interest in range limits, the evolutionary and ecological processes that lead to geographic distributions of organisms lack empirical evidence. In this dissertation, I test major abiotic range limit hypotheses in the streamside salamander (Ambystoma barbouri) to provide empirical evidence for abiotic processes that lead to geographic distributions. A. barbouri is an ideal organism for testing range limit hypotheses due to its specialized distribution in the eastern United States that is not defined by any conspicuous barriers. Thus, this dissertation has three objectives which all seek to understand range limits; 1) determine genetic patterns across the distribution of A. barbouri and how they might influence the range, 2) identify resistant habitat across the distribution of A. barbouri which may prevent dispersal beyond the range, and 3) investigate patterns of local adaptation between edge and center populations to determine if edges are adapted to their local environments. In Chapter 1, I provided a test for the central-marginal hypothesis using genetic samples from three broad transects of A. barbouri which show that most edge populations are acting like sinks and may not have the genetic diversity and effective population sizes to adapt beyond the range edge. In Chapter 2, I utilized landscape genetic analyses to determine both regional and range-wide resistant habitat that becomes more common towards the edges of the distribution which can prevent further dispersal of A. barbouri. In Chapter 3, I used population genetic analyses to determine asymmetric gene flow from core populations to edge populations. I additionally performed a reciprocal transplant experiment to show that gene flow can inhibit local adaptation in edge populations. Finally, in Chapter 4, I performed genomic sequencing of populations across the distribution of A. barbouri to determine adaptive loci associated with different regions and identify adaptive genetic patterns from core to edge. Overall, this dissertation provides some of the first tests for abiotic range limit hypotheses in vertebrate systems and serves as a framework for understanding range limits in other organisms.
Download or read book Population Dynamics and Range Limits of a Montane Salamander written by Nicholas Caruso and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Understanding the abiotic and biotic factors that determine the limits to species' ranges is an essential goal in ecology, biogeography, evolutionary biology, and conservation biology. The abiotic environment, specifically climate, can influence amphibian life history in a variety of ways; populations in cooler temperatures tend to have shorter breeding seasons, fewer clutches, slower growth rates, but larger body size, older age at maturity, greater number of eggs within a clutch and larger eggs. However, for many salamander species the relationship between demographic vital rates (i.e., survival, growth, and reproduction) and climate is unknown. As future changes in climate will likely have a negative effect on many populations, especially salamanders within the southern Appalachians, understanding how the environment can influence life history and vital rates, and subsequently population growth, is crucial to predicting how future changes in climate will affect populations. This dissertation focuses on a montane endemic salamander, Plethodon montanus, to understand how vital rates vary along an elevational (climatic) gradient, the relative importance of the abiotic environment and local adaptation on vital rates, and lastly how the observed variation in vital rates ultimately affects population growth. These studies are important to understanding how future climate changes may affect montane salamanders, especially since environmental suitability is predicted to decrease throughout the southern Appalachians and notably at lower elevations for P. montanus. Survival and growth were both largely influenced by climate: populations at higher elevations had higher survival, larger asymptotic size, older individuals, and reached maturity at an older age compared to lower elevations. At lower elevations, survival of large females was the most important vital rate based on elasticity analyses and best predicted population growth rates, whereas the remaining vital rates showed little importance. However at higher elevations, while survival of large females had the highest elasticity, three vital rates corresponding to survival during earlier life stages had higher predictability of population growth. Moreover, higher elevations were marked by having vital rates with more evenly distributed importance as measured by elasticity compared to lower elevations, which likely put lower elevation habitats at a greater threat from environmental stochasticity as low elasticity evenness is associated with greater likelihood of declines from increased variation in the environment. This work addresses the role of the abiotic environment (e.g., elevation, climate) on life history and demographic vital rates. The future appears bleak for the focal species and likely other montane terrestrial plethodontids under projected changes in climate.
Download or read book Phylogeography and Range Limit Evolution in the Cumberland Plateau Salamander Plethodon Kentucki written by Emily F. Watts and published by . This book was released on 2023 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gene flow and geography are critically influential factors in shaping the genetic history of a species. Gene flow can have beneficial effects on a population that may allow for new adaptations to occur, such as increasing genetic variation. However, gene flow may also result in negative consequences for populations if their fitness is decreased through the introduction of non-optimized traits or through selection resulting in a reduction of locally adapted individuals. Asymmetrical gene flow can even prevent local adaptation in edge populations when gene flow from central populations adapted to central conditions swamps locally adapted populations. This phenomenon can prevent a species from expanding its range, as it is unable to adapt to local conditions at the range edges. Thus, patterns of gene flow can determine the extent to which gene flow slows or promotes adaptation. Gene flow can also create problems for the inference of species relationships, because it is a source of gene tree-species tree discordance. While speciation is commonly modeled as a finite event, divergence is a process. Even after divergence, hybridization is common, and neglecting to account for it can lead to incorrect species tree inference. Nonetheless, the development of species tree inference methods that account for gene flow remains in its infancy. Even with the addition of more loci from genomic-scale data, gene flow misleads phylogenetic reconstruction. Thus, it is vital to account for gene flow with phylogenetic networks when inferring species relationships. This dissertation examines the role of gene flow in constraining adaptation in the Cumberland Plateau Salamander, Plethodon kentucki, a cryptic species with respect to the sympatric Northern Slimy Salamander, Plethodon glutinosus. After its description in 1983 by Highton and MacGregor using allozyme data, its taxonomic status was unclear, as the authors reported extreme levels of genetic differentiation for a single species with a narrow distribution, and follow-up studies found patterns of genetic variation that were discordant with the allozyme data. In chapter 1, I describe genetic variation within P. kentucki and conclude it is best recognized as a single species with substantial genetic structure within its limited distribution. In chapter 2, I describe the heterogeneity of the landscape within the range of P. kentucki. I also quantify the genetic connectivity across the range of P. kentucki and describe how the two interact to maintain the range of P. kentucki. I also test a novel theory about how different types of range edges impact adaptation at the periphery of a species’ range. This dissertation also examines the role of gene flow in confounding phylogenetic inference using two prominent phylogenetic network methods. In chapter 3, I use computer modeling to examine how these two methods perform under varying degrees of gene flow and population history, as well as how they perform under two different datasets. This dissertation explores the role of gene flow, or lack thereof, in maintaining species boundaries, inhibiting range expansion, and confounding the inference of species relationships.
Download or read book Reptile Biodiversity written by Roy W. McDiarmid and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2012-01-10 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Authoritative and comprehensive—provides an up-to-date description of the tool box of methods for inventorying and monitoring the diverse spectrum of reptiles. All biodiversity scientists will want to have it during project planning and as study progresses. A must for field biologists, conservation planners, and biodiversity managers.”—Jay M. Savage, San Diego State University “Kudos to the editors and contributors to this book. From the perspective of a non-ecologist such as myself, who only occasionally needs to intensively sample a particular site or habitat, the quality and clarity of this book has been well worth the wait.”—Jack W. Sites, Jr.
Download or read book Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico written by Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Committee on Standard English and Scientific Names and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Spatial Impacts of Climate Change written by Denis Mercier and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2021-05-11 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Climate change has been a central concern over recent years, with visible and highly publicized consequences such as melting Arctic ice and mountain glaciers, rising sea levels, and the submersion of low-lying coastal areas during mid-latitude and tropical cyclones. This book presents a review of the spatial impacts of contemporary climate change, with a focus on a systematic, multi-scalar approach. Beyond the facts – rises in temperature, changes in the spatial distribution of precipitation, melting of the marine and terrestrial cryosphere, changes in hydrological regimes at high and medium latitudes, etc. – it also analyzes the geopolitical consequences in the Arctic and Central Asia, changes to Mediterranean culture and to viticulture on a global scale, as well as impacts on the distribution of life, for example, in the Amazon rainforest, in large biomes on a global scale, and for birds.
Download or read book Environmental Education Projects written by United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Office of Environmental Education and published by . This book was released on 1972 with total page 34 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Threatened Amphibians of the World written by S. N. Stuart and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 784 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Amphibians are facing an extinction crisis, but getting to the facts has been difficult. "Threatened Amphibians of the World" is a visual journey through the first-ever comprehensive assessment of the conservation status of the world's 6,000 known species of frogs, toads, salamanders, and caecilians. All 1,900 species known to be threatened with extinction are covered, including a description of threats to each species and an evaluation of conservation measures in place or needed. Each entry includes a photograph or illustration of the species where available, a distribution map, and detailed information on range, population and habitat and ecology. Introductory chapters present a detailed analysis of the results, complemented by a series of short essays written by many of the world's leading herpetologists. Appendices include annoted lists of lower risk species and a country-by-country listing of threatened amphibians."--pub. desc.
Download or read book Herpetology written by Laurie J. Vitt and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2012-12-02 with total page 544 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Herpetology has always been one of the most exciting disciplines of zoology. During the past few years the field has continued to grow, yet it has been plagued by scarcity of comprehensive, up-to-date textbooks containing the most important developments. This timely book fills that void. Through skillful synthesis, the author summarizes the diversity in the biology of living amphibians and reptiles and describes the breadth of current herpetological research. Topics covered include the evolution, classification, development, reproduction, population, and environmental issues surrounding the study of amphibians and reptiles. Designed as an advanced undergraduate textbook, Herpetology is a valuable resource for students, practitioners, and interested amateurs alike. Provides an incisive survey and much needed update of the field Emphasizes the biological diversity among amphibians and reptiles Details the most recent research findings, citing ke
Download or read book Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Volume 211 written by David M. Whitacre and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-02-03 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology attempts to provide concise, critical reviews of timely advances, philosophy and significant areas of accomplished or needed endeavor in the total field of xenobiotics, in any segment of the environment, as well as toxicological implications.
Download or read book Behavior of Lizards written by Vincent Bels and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2019-02-06 with total page 427 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Key features: Presents a contemporary snapshot of the mechanisms underlying the evolution and adaptation of behavior Explores how genetics, epigenetics, development, and environment shape behavior Discusses a broad range of behavioral repertoires and responses, including those related to thermoregulatory, foraging, predatory, displaying, social and escape strategies. Examines physiological and sensory mechanisms Covers the effects of various aspects of global change on behavior, with chapters that focus on the impacts of climate change on hydroregulatory behavior and behavioral responses to the effects of habitat alteration resulting from human-mediated change and colonization by invasive species. Lizards serve as focal organisms for many of biological questions related to evolution, ecology, physiology, and morphology. They are studied at multiple spatial and temporal scales, from the individual to the community level. This book, authored by expert contributors from around the world, explores behaviors underlying the evolution and adaptation of these organisms. It covers conceptual, empirical, and methodological approaches to the understanding of the role that natural and sexual selection play in molding the behavioral traits of lizards. This thorough, illustrated reference should stimulate discussion of the conceptual and methodological approaches for studying the behavioral traits of these fascinating and highly diverse vertebrates.
Download or read book Extinction in Our Times written by James P. Collins and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2009-07-07 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For over 350 million years, thousands of species of amphibians have lived on earth, but since the 1990s they have been disappearing at an alarming rate, in many cases quite suddenly and mysteriously. What is causing these extinctions? What role do human actions play in them? What do they tell us about the overall state of biodiversity on the planet? In Extinction in Our Times, James Collins and Martha Crump explore these pressing questions and many others as they document the first modern extinction event across an entire vertebrate class, using global examples that range from the Sierra Nevada of California to the rainforests of Costa Rica and the Mediterranean coast of North Africa. Joining scientific rigor and vivid storytelling, this book is the first to use amphibian decline as a lens through which to see more clearly the larger story of climate change, conservation of biodiversity, and a host of profoundly important ecological, evolutionary, ethical, philosophical, and sociological issues.
Download or read book Amphibian conservation action plan proceedings IUCN SSC Amphibian Conservation Summit 2005 written by and published by IUCN. This book was released on 2007 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Staying with the Trouble written by Donna J. Haraway and published by Duke University Press. This book was released on 2016-08-25 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the midst of spiraling ecological devastation, multispecies feminist theorist Donna J. Haraway offers provocative new ways to reconfigure our relations to the earth and all its inhabitants. She eschews referring to our current epoch as the Anthropocene, preferring to conceptualize it as what she calls the Chthulucene, as it more aptly and fully describes our epoch as one in which the human and nonhuman are inextricably linked in tentacular practices. The Chthulucene, Haraway explains, requires sym-poiesis, or making-with, rather than auto-poiesis, or self-making. Learning to stay with the trouble of living and dying together on a damaged earth will prove more conducive to the kind of thinking that would provide the means to building more livable futures. Theoretically and methodologically driven by the signifier SF—string figures, science fact, science fiction, speculative feminism, speculative fabulation, so far—Staying with the Trouble further cements Haraway's reputation as one of the most daring and original thinkers of our time.
Download or read book AMPHIBIAN CONSERVATION written by Semlitsch R and published by Smithsonian. This book was released on 2003-06-17 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Leading amphibian biologist Semlitsch has assembled experts to tackle the timely issue of disappearing and deformed populations of amphibians. Every environmentalist will find this book an accessible and informative examination of what many scientists have called one of the major threats to the world's biodiversity.
Download or read book Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Invertebrate Larvae written by Tyler J. Carrier and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018 with total page 365 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "More than seventy percent of the earth's surface is covered by the ocean which is home to a staggering and sometimes overwhelming diversity of organisms, the majority of which reside in pelagic form. Marine invertebrate larvae are an integral component of this pelagic diversity and have stimulated the curiosity of researchers for centuries. This accessible, upper-level text provides an important and timely update on the topic of larval evolution and ecology, representing the first major synthesis of this interdisciplinary field for more than 20 years. The content is structured around four major areas: evolutionary origins and transitions in developmental mode; functional morphology and ecology of larval forms; larval transport, settlement, and metamorphosis; larval ecology in extreme and changing environments. This novel synthesis integrates traditional larval ecology with life history theory, evolutionary developmental biology, and modern genomics research to provide a research and teaching tool for decades to come." -- from the rear cover.
Download or read book Mader s Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery E Book written by Stephen J. Divers and published by Elsevier Health Sciences. This book was released on 2018-11-30 with total page 1793 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: **Selected for Doody’s Core Titles® 2024 in Veterinary Medicine** Known as "the bible" of herpetological medicine and surgery, Mader’s Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd Edition edited by Stephen Divers and Scott Stahl provides a complete veterinary reference for reptiles and amphibians, including specific sections on practice management and development; taxonomy, anatomy, physiology, behavior, stress and welfare; captive husbandry and management including nutrition, heating and lighting; infectious diseases and laboratory sciences; clinical techniques and procedures; sedation, anesthesia and analgesia; diagnostic imaging; endoscopy; medicine; surgery; therapy; differential diagnoses by clinical signs; specific disease/condition summaries; population health and public health; and legal topics. Well-organized and concise, this new edition covers just about everything related to reptiles and amphibians by utilizing an international array of contributing authors that were selected based on their recognized specialization and expertise, bringing a truly global perspective to this essential text!
