UNT Theses and Dissertations - 25 Matching Results

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Biodiversity of Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) of the South-Central Nearctic and Adjacent Neotropical Biotic Provinces

Description: The south-central United States serves as an important biogeographical link and dispersal corridor between Nearctic and Neotropical elements of western hemisphere odonate faunas. Its species are reasonably well known because of substantial collections, but there has been no concerted effort to document the extent of biodiversity and possible geographic affinities of dragonflies and damselflies of this region. The recent discoveries of Argia leonorae Garrison, Gomphus gonzalezi Dunkle and Erpeto… more
Date: May 1999
Creator: Abbott, John C.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
Partner: UNT Libraries
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The Biogeographic Distribution of Caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera) within the South-Central United States

Description: Through the use of natural history records, published literature, and personal sampling (2011-2016) a total of 454 caddisfly species represented by 24 families and 93 genera were documented from the south-central United States. Two Hydroptilidae species were collected during the 2011-2016 collection efforts that are new to the region: Hydroptilia scheringi and Mayatrichia tuscaloosa. Eightteen species are endemic and 30 are considered species of concern by either federal or state agencies. The … more
Date: May 2018
Creator: Perry, Heather Ann
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Biogeographic Relationships of Pocket Gophers (Geomys breviceps and Geomys bursarius) in the Southeastern Portion of Their Ranges

Description: This research utilized population genetic analyses (protein starch-gel electrophoresis and DNA sequencing of the cytochrome b mtDNA gene), host-parasite specificity (lice coevolution), remote sensing of satellite data, and geographic information systems (GIS) to characterize newly discovered populations of pocket gophers (genus: Geomys) in Arkansas. These populations are isolated and occur in seemingly unsuitable habitat in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. Analyses of electrophoretic and ectopa… more
Date: August 1998
Creator: Elrod, Douglas Allen
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Biological Nitrogen Fixation in Two Southwestern Reservoirs

Description: This investigation has determined the presence of biological nitrogen fixation in two reservoirs in the southwestern United States: Lake Arlington and Lake Ray Hubbard. Subsequent tests have gathered baseline data on the effects of various biological, chemical, and physical parameters on in situ nitrogen fixation in these reservoirs. Of specific importance is the relationship between nitrogen fixation arid occasional blooms of blue-green algae which produce such problems as testes and odors in … more
Date: August 1973
Creator: Lawley, Gary G.
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The Bobwhite Population Decline: Its History, Genetic Consequences, and Studies on Techniques for Locating and Assessing Current Populations

Description: The northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) population decline is a severe, rangewide phenomenon beginning >150 years ago and continuing today. In this investigation, I: 1. document the timeline of bobwhite population decline and unintended genetic consequences of attempted remedies, 2) develop a model useful for predicting possible locations of potentially sustainable bobwhite populations in semiarid rangeland in Texas and Oklahoma, and 3) examine the relationship between population monitoring… more
Date: May 2019
Creator: Whitt, Jeffrey Glen
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Carbon Flux in Reservoir Sediments

Description: The central objective of the study was to fractionate sedimenting organic materials according to their source (allochthonous or autochthonous) and ultimately to determine the degree of biodegradability of contributions from either source with particular reference to activities at the mud-water interface.
Date: May 1973
Creator: Newton, Charles Eugene
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Effects of Deepwater Horizon Crude Oil on Visual Function in Teleost Fishes

Description: The Deepwater Horizon oil spill released millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, impacting economically and ecologically important fishes. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in the oil have been shown to cause developmental impairments in early life stage fishes, such as morphological and behavioral changes related to eye formation and visual processing following PAH exposure. Prior research reported reduced eye growth in open water, pelagic species, as well as reduce… more
Date: August 2018
Creator: Magnuson, Jason T
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Fitness-Related Alterations in Blood Pressure Control: The Role of the Autonomic Nervous System

Description: Baroreflex function and cardiovascular responses to lower body negative pressure during selective autonomic blockade were evaluated in endurance exercise trained (ET) and untrained (UT) men. Baroreflex function was evaluated using a progressive intravenous infusion of phenylephrine HCL (PE) to a maximum of 0.12 mg/min. Heart rate, arterial blood pressure, cardiac output and forearm blood flow were measured at each infusion rate of PE. The reduction in forearm blood flow and concomitant rise in … more
Date: December 1986
Creator: Smith, Michael Lamar, 1957-
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Food, Feeding Selectivity, and Ecological Efficiencies of Fundulus notatus (Rafinesque) (Osteichthyes; Cyprinodontidae)

Description: This study was made to further define the trophic dynamics of Fundulus notatus by determining its ration composition under natural conditions, measuring feeding selectivity under various laboratory conditions of prey-species composition and availability, and determining the efficiencies with which F. notatus utilizes ingested chironomid larvae.
Date: August 1970
Creator: Atmar, Gerald Legare
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The Influence of a Return of Native Grasslands upon the Ecology and Distribution of Small Rodents in Big Bend National Park

Description: In the southwestern United States there is a delicate balance between the existing grasslands and the rodent fauna. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the influence of secondary succession of native grasslands upon the ecology and distribution of small rodents. Two methods of determining the rodent species were plot quadrates and trap lines using Sherman live traps.
Date: August 1971
Creator: Baccus, John T.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Life Histories Behavior and Space Partitioning in Selected Species of Western North American Plecoptera

Description: Five species of stoneflies (Zapada haysi, Plumiperla diversa, Taenionema pacificum, Isoperla petersoni, Arcynopteryx compacta) from the North Slope and Interior of Alaska were examined for seasonal patterns of emergence of adults and growth of nymphs. Generally growth was retarded during the winter in this region, and all species except I. petersoni completed growth prior to January. The life cycles of six stonefly species (Prostoia besametsa, Triznaka signata, Sweltsa coloradensis. Isoperla fu… more
Date: August 1988
Creator: Hassage, Rodney Lynn, 1947-
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Life History Energetics of The Red-Eared Turtle, Pseudemys scripta in North Central Texas

Description: A population of the red-eared slider, Pseudemys scripta, in north central Texas was studied from 1975 to 1980. A life history energy budget was developed for a typical individual in the population and the population dynamics were estimated. A growth model relating growth rate to mean plastron length (PL) was developed from recapture data and used to 1) establish age classes and 2) age individuals. Growth rate was highly variable in both sexes. Females grew more rapidly than males and attained a… more
Date: December 1984
Creator: Glidewell, Jerry Ray, 1945-
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Microbiological Treatment of Wastewater from a Wood-Preserving Plant

Description: This research investigates interacting biological, chemical, and physical factors affecting the efficiency of microbiological wastewater treatment at the W. J. Smith Wood- Preserving Company in Denison, Texas. The treatment process consisted of collecting exhaust boiler water containing unidentified boiler treatment compounds, steam condensate contaminated with preservatives and wood extracts, plant process waters, and rainfall runoff from plant grounds. With a 5-minute residence time, wastewat… more
Date: August 1974
Creator: Ralston, James R.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Multivariate Analyses of Amphibian and Reptilian Distribution in Texas

Description: Presence-absence data for amphibians, chelonians, saurians, ophidians, and the terrestrial and aquatic ecological guilds of reptilians were analyzed using multivariate analyses. Geographically consistant distributional patterns were found for all faunal groupings. The correspondence between analyses of the different taxa and guilds was not perfect, but similarities were found. All analyses agreed on the presence of a distinctive region in east Texas. Most analyses also agreed on the presence of… more
Date: August 1988
Creator: Ward, Rocky
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Nesting Ecology of the Dickcissel (Spiza americana) on a Tallgrass Prairie Relict in North Central Texas

Description: Eighty-three species of vascular plants were inventoried on the prairie relict during peak dickcissel nesting. Based on foliar cover and occurrence frequency, the five dominant plants were heath aster (Aster ericoides), eastern gammagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), sensitive briar (Schrankia roemeriana) and meadow dropseed (Sporobolus asper). Sixty-one percent of dickcissel nests were constructed on or immediately next to three plant species: eastern gam… more
Date: May 1993
Creator: Steigman, Kenneth Lee
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Physiological Ecology, Population Genetic Responses and Assemblage Stability of Fishes in Two Southwestern Intermittent Stream Systems

Description: Six sites within the Denton and Hickory Creek watersheds were sampled over three years to assess the impact of seasonal intermittent stream conditions on the ichthyofauna. An integrated approach using field and laboratory techniques was employed to evaluate the responses of the fishes.
Date: December 1991
Creator: Rutledge, Charles Jerry, 1941-
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Partner: UNT Libraries
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The Population Genetic Structure of Quadrula aurea (Bivalvia: Unionidae), A Threatened Freshwater Mussel in Central Texas

Description: The anthropogenic alteration of riverine ecosystems has led to declines in the abundance and diversity of freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionoida) worldwide. Central Texas is home to a diverse freshwater mussel fauna including three candidates for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act. Surveys conducted over the last few decades suggest many of the endemic freshwater mussel species in Texas exist in small isolated populations that may be vulnerable to the deleterious effects of genet… more
Date: May 2018
Creator: Mabe, Jeffrey A.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Responses of Selected Texas Fishes to Abiotic Factors, and an Evaluation of the Mechanisms Controlling Thermal Tolerance of the Sheepshead Minnow

Description: Low oxygen tolerances of ten fishes were estimated using an original nitrogen cascade design, and reciprocally transformed to express responses as ventilated volume necessary to satisfy minimal oxygen demand (L·mg O2^-1). Values ranged from 0.52 to 5.64 L·mg^-1 and were partitioned into three statistically distinct groups. Eight stream fishes showed moderately high tolerances reflecting metabolic adaptations associated with stream intermittency. Juvenile longear sunfish and two mollies comprise… more
Date: May 1994
Creator: Bennett, Wayne A. (Wayne Arden)
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Partner: UNT Libraries
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Spatial and Temporal Influences of Water Quality on Zooplankton in Lake Texoma

Description: Seventy-one aquatic species including the copepodids and nauplii were identified from Lake Texoma from August 1996 to September 1997. Zooplankton community structure, abundance and spatial and temporal distributions were compared among five lake zones delineated a priori based on chloride concentration. The zones, in order of decreasing chloride concentration, are the Red River zone (RRZ), Red river Transition zone (RRTZ), Main Lake zone (MLZ), Washita River Transition zone (WRTZ) and Washita … more
Date: May 2000
Creator: Franks, Jessica L.
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Stock and Species Identification of Selected Marine Fishes and Shellfishes Using Allozyme Analysis and Isoelectric Focusing: Implications for Texas Fisheries Management

Description: Allozyme frequencies and general protein patterns were surveyed among selected Texas marine fishes and shellfishes to illustrate the application of biochemical genetic techniques to stock and species identification in fisheries management.
Date: May 1992
Creator: King, Timothy L. (Timothy Lee)
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The Stoneflies (Plecoptera) of the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains

Description: Collections of stoneflies (Plecoptera) were made at 603 stream sites from Nov. 1983 - May 1988 in the Ozark-Ouachita Mountain region, in relation to physiographic and vegetational characteristics. Examination of approximately 9000 vials from these collections, supplemented with material from major museums and other collectors, revealed 88 stonefly species in 8 families and 24 genera. Pearson's measure of association (R) showed there was a significant association between species present and eac… more
Date: December 1989
Creator: Poulton, Barry C. (Barry Charles)
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Systematics of Coccidian Parasites (Apicomplexa) from Amphibians and Reptiles in Northcentral Texas

Description: Between February 1986 and October 1988, 863 amphibians and reptiles were collected in northcentral Texas and examined for coccidial parasites. Thirteen percent of amphibians <26% salamanders, 11% frogs and toads) and 28% of reptiles (54% turtles, 25% snakes) harbored 20 previously described and 16 new species of coccidia; overall prevalence of infection was 176/863 < 20%). Sixteen Ambvstoma texanum were infected with Eimeria ambystomae which represents new host and geographic locality records f… more
Date: December 1989
Creator: McAllister, Chris Thomas
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Partner: UNT Libraries
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Temporal and Spatial Comparisons of Ambient Toxicity of the Trinity River in Relationship to an Effluent

Description: A toxicological study was initiated because of concerns about allegations that the Texas Water Commission that effluent from the Dallas Central Wastewater Treatment Plant, which discharges into the Trinity River, was affecting downstream water quality. Monthly, flow-weighted composite effluent samples were collected. Grab samples were also collected upstream and downstream from the effluent from April 1989 to August 1991. Toxicity tests were conducted on these samples using Ceriodaphnia dubia a… more
Date: December 1993
Creator: Hall, David B., 1958-
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Toxicological Characterization of Trinity River Sediments

Description: Sediments in the Trinity River were chemically, physically and biologically characterized and assessed for toxicity. Laboratory bioassays were conducted to identify sediments which induced toxic responses in test organisms and to document these responses through time. Metal and organic contaminant concentrations in bottom sediments were measured. Relationships between these concentrations and biological responses observed in laboratory bioassays were determined. Toxicity identification / reduct… more
Date: December 1989
Creator: Hall, Jerry F. (Jerry Fowler)
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
Partner: UNT Libraries
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