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Skip to Search Results- 1Annich, Natasha C
- 1Bell, Wayne Ronald Victor
- 1Brookson, Cole B
- 1Brown, Charlotte
- 1Browne, Constance
- 1Cameron, Erin K
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Spring 2013
Industrial development is transforming Alberta's landscapes, with largely unquantified effects on wildlife species. Open-pit mining is occurring on vast expanses, most notably for bitumen but also extensively for coal in a rich seam that traverses the province. Major concerns have developed over...
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Spring 2010
The western toad (Anaxyrus boreas, formerly Bufo boreas) is one of many amphibian species considered to be at risk of extinction (COSEWIC status is Special Concern). I examined habitat use patterns of the western toad using several methods to gain a better understanding of its habitat...
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Spring 2014
The worldwide biodiversity crisis has intensified the need to better understand how biodiversity and human disturbance are related. Yet this relationship lacks both consensus in theoretical expectations and consistency in observed empirical patterns. I present one of the largest extent studies...
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Influence of forest canopies on the deposition of methylmercury to boreal ecosystem watersheds
DownloadFall 2010
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a potent vertebrate neurotoxin and a contaminant of global concern. Increased anthropogenic emissions of mercury (Hg) to the atmosphere have led to increased bioaccumulation of MeHg in top predatory organisms such as fish, the consumption of which is the main exposure...
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Interactions between the forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria Hubner) and its natural enemies: the effects of forest composition and implications for outbreak spread
DownloadFall 2011
Forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria Hübner; FTC), a major defoliator of aspen trees, occupies both aspen and mixedwood forest stands in Alberta’s boreal forest. Forest stand composition could influence the spatial pattern of FTC outbreaks if mortality from natural enemies differs...
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Landscape Ecology of Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and White-tailed Deer (O. virginianus) with Implications for Chronic Wasting Disease
DownloadFall 2012
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal prion disease of cervids that continues to spread into new regions of Canada despite containment efforts. I examine the importance of landscape connectivity using circuit theory and source/sink habitats that are based on selection, survival and...
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Fall 2018
Terrestrial vegetation contributes strongly to dynamic biosphere-atmosphere exchanges of mass and energy, through activities such as photosynthesis, that help shape the Earth’s climate. The boreal forest is located in high latitudes and subject to large seasonal temperature fluctuations and a...
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Occupancy, Abundance, and Summer Ecology of the Western Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma mavortium Baird) in the Beaver Hills, Alberta
DownloadSpring 2016
The western tiger salamander (Ambystoma mavortium Baird) is a ‘species of special concern’ in the Canadian prairie provinces. Potential declines caused by habitat loss and fragmentation, emergent diseases, and fish stocking are reasons cited for this species conservation status. However, little...
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Fall 2017
Leafrollers moths are one of the most ecologically and economically important groups of herbivorous insects. These Lepidoptera are an ideal model for exploring the drivers that modulate the processes of diversification over time. This thesis analyzes the evolution of Choristoneura Lederer, a well...
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Spring 2013
The Rocky Mountain apollo butterfly, Parnassius smintheus, and its host-plant Sedum lanceolatum, are endemic to open alpine meadows threatened by the encroachment of trees. I explore variability in interactions between P. smintheus and S. lanceolatum relative to the treeline-delimited meadow...