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Skip to Search Results- 1Bell, Wayne Ronald Victor
- 1Brookson, Cole B
- 1Brown, Charlotte
- 1Browne, Constance
- 1Cameron, Erin K
- 1Cristescu, Bogdan
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Fall 2013
Species invasions are increasing worldwide and are impacting populations, communities, and ecosystems. Non-native species that are ecosystem engineers, such as earthworms, may be particularly likely to have large impacts due to their ability to modify both biological and physical characteristics...
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Biological and environmental correlates of cougar (Puma concolor) survival in west central Alberta
DownloadSpring 2023
Large carnivores have a significant role in ecosystems and their role as apex predators can have cascading effects that influence ecosystem stability. Managing large carnivores requires an understanding of how they use the land and their vital rates, including survival. For cougars (Puma...
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Development of a GIS Water Table Visualization Tool (WTVT) for Determining Water Table Position in Heterogeneous Landscapes in the Boreal Plains Ecozone, Alberta
DownloadFall 2015
The Boreal Plain is currently undergoing an unprecedented rate of land use change from oil and gas extraction as well as forestry. This change needs to be managed responsibly to ensure the long term sustainability of the region, both ecologically and economically. As part of this understanding...
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Disentangling competitive processes to better understand their drivers and consequences in a native grassland community
DownloadSpring 2021
Competition is often highlighted as a major force influencing community structure. However, there are multiple facets of competition that may have independent and differential impacts, making the understanding of what drives competition and how it structures communities difficult. In this thesis,...
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Disentangling the relative effects of structural complexity and substrate composition on fish habitat selection in coral reef environments
DownloadFall 2021
Identifying features of biogenic habitats (i.e. made of living plants and animals) that attract and retain resident species is a key theme in ecology with important implications for habitat conservation and restoration. Using corals (class Anthozoa, phylum Cnidaria) —a group of foundational...
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Ecology and management of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and mule deer (O. hemionus) of east-central Alberta in relation to chronic wasting disease
DownloadFall 2010
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal pathogen affecting white-tailed and mule deer in east-central Alberta, and I addressed two current limitations of CWD management. First, to improve precision and accuracy of density estimates obtained from aerial surveys, I evaluated alternative survey...
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Fall 2023
Global melting of mountain glaciers is altering downstream ecosystems. As glaciers disappear, downstream water temperatures are rising while turbidity and nutrient concentrations decline. Here, knowledge gaps exist concerning how these abiotic changes will affect primary producers in glacial...
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Fall 2020
Threatened woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) have experienced large range recessions and population declines across much of Canada’s boreal forest in the last century and have become a major focus of conservation efforts in the region. Habitat management strategies for woodland caribou...
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Genetic diversity and selection in North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus): A Hamiltonian perspective into the processes and mechanisms of evolution
DownloadFall 2013
The theory of natural selection has advanced our understanding in every aspect of biological sciences, yet despite this seeming ubiquity, there remain some components that are not fully resolved. Natural selection predicts the “selfish” advancement of genes that are optimally suited for their...
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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...