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- Title
- DEMOGRAPHIC CONSEQUENCES OF MANAGING FOR FLORIDA SCRUB-JAYS (APHELOCOMA COERULESCENS) ON AN ISOLATED PRESERVE.
- Creator
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Lyon, Casey, Stout, I. Jack, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Many species naturally occupy discrete habitat patches within a mosaic of habitats that vary in quality. The Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) is endemic to Florida scrub, a habitat that is naturally patchy and greatly reduced in area over recent decades owing to development and urbanization. Because of this habitat loss, future management of Florida scrub-jays will focus on smaller, fragmented tracts of land. My study examines such a tract, Lyonia Preserve, southwest Volusia County...
Show moreMany species naturally occupy discrete habitat patches within a mosaic of habitats that vary in quality. The Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) is endemic to Florida scrub, a habitat that is naturally patchy and greatly reduced in area over recent decades owing to development and urbanization. Because of this habitat loss, future management of Florida scrub-jays will focus on smaller, fragmented tracts of land. My study examines such a tract, Lyonia Preserve, southwest Volusia County, FL. This preserve was unoccupied by scrub-jays prior to habitat restoration. The preserve is now frequently managed exclusively for scrub-jays as a habitat island surrounded by development. Management of the preserve includes roller chopping, root raking, timbering, and "oak stripping" where islands of oak patches are left intact while the rest of the area is roller chopped. I investigate what, if any, demographic consequences may be associated with the habitat management and the spatial setting of the preserve. I used population data collected in this area since 1992 to examine population growth and responses to habitat restoration within the preserve and habitat destruction outside the preserve. I mapped territories and measured survival and recruitment of scrub-jays, and dispersal into and out of the study area, for two and a half years. Since restoration, the population has shown logistic growth, with the area supporting higher than average densities of scrub-jay family groups. Observed density of the population and territory size varied between study years. Breeder survival values were positively related to territory size and significantly lower during periods of highest observed density. However, recruitment (yearling production) showed no relationship to territory size. Dispersal to isolated habitat patches was observed; likewise, several failed dispersal events were noted. No immigration into the study area was observed; however these data may be underrepresented since not all scrub-jays in and outside of the preserve were banded, and data collection was limited during the initial colonization period. High densities inside the preserve may therefore be both a result of frequent habitat management in the form of mechanical treatment as well as crowding of individuals due to outside habitat destruction. The results indicate that carrying capacity of habitat for scrub-jays may be raised by frequent, mechanical management; however, if the area is isolated, management may result in high densities and negative demographic consequences, e.g., reduced breeder survival. Negative effects of management may be avoided by subjecting smaller areas to mechanical treatment with increased time between treatments. Land managed for Florida scrub-jays should be contiguous or connected with other scrub habitats so that surplus birds from the managed areas have a refuge and do not contribute to increased densities. Regulatory officials should use caution when allowing for "take" of scrub-jay habitat as the effects may extend beyond the local habitat being destroyed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001769, ucf:47280
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001769
- Title
- TROPHIC STATUS OF A SMALL MAMMAL ASSEMBLAGE ON CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION WITH AN EMPHASIS ON PEROMYSCUS POLIONOTUS NIVEIVENTRIS (SOUTHEASTERN BEACH MOUSE).
- Creator
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Keserauskis, Megan, Stout, I. Jack, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Successful translocation of a listed species into an area of previous occupation requires knowledge of the habitat needs. The presence of the necessary food items is critical to the successful establishment of a new population; this information is unknown for Peromyscus polionotus niveiventris, the southeastern beach mouse, a threatened subspecies on the east coast of Florida. I used fecal and stable isotope analysis to determine the diet of this subspecies at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station...
Show moreSuccessful translocation of a listed species into an area of previous occupation requires knowledge of the habitat needs. The presence of the necessary food items is critical to the successful establishment of a new population; this information is unknown for Peromyscus polionotus niveiventris, the southeastern beach mouse, a threatened subspecies on the east coast of Florida. I used fecal and stable isotope analysis to determine the diet of this subspecies at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Brevard County, Florida, between the autumn of 2003 and the spring of 2005. Six trapping grids were established, three in the dune/swale and three in the coastal scrub communities. Fecal and hair samples were collected and analyzed. The diet varied in the amount of 13C consumed between habitats and in the amount of both 15N and 13C consumed among grids within a habitat. There was no significant interaction between habitat and sex in the amount of either 15N or 13C consumed, and sexes also did not differ significantly. Fecal analysis uncovered the dominance in the diet of C3 plants. My data refuted the current belief, that the southeastern beach mouse prefers beach grass seeds of C4 plants, which were consumed but not in the frequency or quantity expected. I also analyzed the diet of Peromyscus gossypinus, the cotton mouse, and Sigmodon hispidus, the hispid cotton rat, using the two techniques. Both species consumed a combination of plant and arthropod material. Their diets varied between dune/swale and coastal scrub habitats. All three species' diets were significantly different, with Peromyscus polionotus niveiventris and Peromyscus gossypinus being the most similar. Both consume a greater proportion of arthropod material compared to the hispid cotton rat. Interspecific competition between the southeastern beach mouse and the cotton mouse may occur in times of limited resources.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001756, ucf:47290
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001756
- Title
- RESPONSES OF SMALL RODENTS TO RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES OF FLORIDA SCRUB AT CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, FLORIDA.
- Creator
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Suazo, Alexis, Stout, I. Jack, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Proper habitat management is essential for the survival and reproduction of species, especially those listed under state or federal laws as endangered, threatened or of special concern, and those with small local populations. Land managers use a combination of mechanical cutting and prescribed burning to manage and restore degraded scrub habitat in east central Florida. This approach improves habitat for the endangered Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens), but little is known about its...
Show moreProper habitat management is essential for the survival and reproduction of species, especially those listed under state or federal laws as endangered, threatened or of special concern, and those with small local populations. Land managers use a combination of mechanical cutting and prescribed burning to manage and restore degraded scrub habitat in east central Florida. This approach improves habitat for the endangered Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens), but little is known about its effects on other taxa, especially the threatened southeastern beach mouse (Peromyscus polionotus niveiventris). This single species approach may not be beneficial to other taxa, and mechanical cutting and prescribed burning may have detrimental effects on P. p. niveiventris. To evaluate the effects of land management techniques on P. p. niveiventris, I live trapped populations at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station near Titusville, Florida during 2004-2005. I evaluated the relative abundance and related demographic parameters of small mammal populations trapped in compartments under different land management treatments, and investigated the relationship between Florida scrub-jay breeding groups using these compartments and abundance of southeastern beach mice. My results suggest that P. p. niveiventris responded positively to prescribed burning, while the cotton mouse (P. gossypinus) responded positively to the mechanical cutting. Reproduction and body mass of southeastern beach mice were similar across land management compartments. Abundance of Florida scrub-jay breeding groups and southeastern beach mice were positively correlated suggesting that both listed species benefited from the same land management activities. A mosaic of burned and cut patches should be maintained to support small mammal diversity. In addition, adaptive management should be used at CCAFS to understand how small mammals, particularly the southeastern beach mouse, respond to land management activities.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001521, ucf:47124
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001521
- Title
- LIFE HISTORY AND REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OF CLITORIA FRAGRANS RELATIVE TO FIRE HISTORY ON THE AVON PARK AIR FORCE RANGE.
- Creator
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Lewis, Michelle, Stout, I. Jack, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The southeastern coastal plain of the United States is a center of endemism for plants in temperate North America and second only to California among the states. In the southeast, Florida has the largest number of these endemic plants. The largest number of these Florida endemics can be found in the fire maintained scrub and sandhill communities located on sandy ridges in Central Florida. One such endemic is Clitoria fragrans, a rare perennial herb. C. fragrans reproduces via a mixed mating...
Show moreThe southeastern coastal plain of the United States is a center of endemism for plants in temperate North America and second only to California among the states. In the southeast, Florida has the largest number of these endemic plants. The largest number of these Florida endemics can be found in the fire maintained scrub and sandhill communities located on sandy ridges in Central Florida. One such endemic is Clitoria fragrans, a rare perennial herb. C. fragrans reproduces via a mixed mating system. It produces both open, chasmogamous flowers and closed, selfed, cleistogamous flowers. Little else is known about its biology. I monitored populations of C. fragrans from 2003-2005 on the Avon Park Air Force Range. I tracked plant density, finite rate of population increase, plant survivorship and reproduction relative to the time since fire and season of fire. I found that recently burned plots had a higher density of plants than those unburned for over 13 years. Unburned populations decreased in all years of the study. In all three years, the majority of flowers produced by Clitoria fragrans were cleistogamous. The production of chasmogamous flowers appears to be influenced by plant size and potentially fire. Unburned plots had less variation than recently burned plots for all independent variables.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001950, ucf:47459
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001950
- Title
- HABITAT USE AND SEASONAL ACTIVITY OF SELECTED SNAKES ON JOHN F. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLORIDA.
- Creator
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Dyer, Karen, Stout, I. Jack, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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An intensive, replicated monthly sampling of snake communities inhabiting four habitat types was conducted at John F. Kennedy Space Center, Brevard County, Florida from November 2002 through October 2003. Thirteen species (580 individuals plus 74 recaptures) plus one hybrid were captured. The three most commonly captured species, Coluber constrictor, Thamnophis sirtalis, and Thamnophis sauritus, combined made up 85% of the sample. These three species were active during every month of the year...
Show moreAn intensive, replicated monthly sampling of snake communities inhabiting four habitat types was conducted at John F. Kennedy Space Center, Brevard County, Florida from November 2002 through October 2003. Thirteen species (580 individuals plus 74 recaptures) plus one hybrid were captured. The three most commonly captured species, Coluber constrictor, Thamnophis sirtalis, and Thamnophis sauritus, combined made up 85% of the sample. These three species were active during every month of the year, but showed modal activity patterns typical of Temperate Zone snakes. Monthly snake captures were correlated with monthly captures of potential prey species and with mean monthly temperature. Species richness in the four habitat types varied from nine to 12. Drift fences in ruderal habitats had the highest species richness, while fences in swales captured the greatest number of individuals. The most dissimilar habitat pair was scrub and swale, while the most similar pair was ruderal and hammock. Box traps proved more effective for targeting the largest snake species, while funnel and box traps were equally effective for targeting other species.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2004
- Identifier
- CFE0000237, ucf:46264
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000237
- Title
- HABITAT USE BY THE SOUTHEASTERN BEACH MOUSE (PEROMYSCUS POLIONOTUS NIVEIVENTRIS) AT CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, FLORIDA.
- Creator
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Simmons, Kathryn, Stout, I. Jack, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Successful recovery of the federally threatened southeastern beach mouse (Peromyscus polionotus niveiventris) depends in part on an understanding of their habitat requirements. I studied habitat use by beach mice at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida from March 2005 until March 2006. I livetrapped six grids, three on coastal dunes and three within scrub located inland from the coast. On each grid and trap station, I quantified the extent of bare ground, woody vegetation, non-woody...
Show moreSuccessful recovery of the federally threatened southeastern beach mouse (Peromyscus polionotus niveiventris) depends in part on an understanding of their habitat requirements. I studied habitat use by beach mice at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida from March 2005 until March 2006. I livetrapped six grids, three on coastal dunes and three within scrub located inland from the coast. On each grid and trap station, I quantified the extent of bare ground, woody vegetation, non-woody vegetation, height of vegetation, and percentage of coarse sand in the surface soil. I assessed trap success relative to these habitat variables using linear and multiple regression, correlation, and ordination. Significantly higher numbers of mice were captured in the scrub habitat relative to the coastal habitat. Linear regression of trap success against the habitat variables did not reveal any significant relationships at the level of grids. A non-metric multidimensional scaling model was designed to capture the vegetation heterogeneity at the trapping sites and clarify the results. This methodology identified a predominantly dune and predominately scrub cluster of trap sites. A bubble plot showed higher densities of beach mice using the scrub habitat types. These results suggest beach mice are selecting for those habitat variables defined by the ordination: higher vegetation height, more woody vegetation types, less bare ground, and less heterogeneity.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- CFE0002605, ucf:48271
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002605
- Title
- Comparative Histology of the Respiratory Tract of Normal Persmyscus Floridanus and P. Gossypinus and Effects of Exposure to Solid Rocket Motor Fuel Exhaust on P. Gossypinus.
- Creator
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Bitner, Terry L., Stout, I. Jack, Natural Sciences
- Abstract / Description
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Florida Technological University College of Natural Sciences Thesis; Microscopic examination of the tracheal dimensions of normal Florida mice (Peromyscus floridanus) and cotton mice (P. gossypinus) showed no significant differences between the two species, but external examination showed the tracheal length of the Florida mouse to be longer than that of the cotton mouse. Microscopic examination of the intrapulmonary apparatus (bronchioles, alveolar ducts, atria, and alveoli) of normal...
Show moreFlorida Technological University College of Natural Sciences Thesis; Microscopic examination of the tracheal dimensions of normal Florida mice (Peromyscus floridanus) and cotton mice (P. gossypinus) showed no significant differences between the two species, but external examination showed the tracheal length of the Florida mouse to be longer than that of the cotton mouse. Microscopic examination of the intrapulmonary apparatus (bronchioles, alveolar ducts, atria, and alveoli) of normal Florida and cotton mice showed no significant differences in measurements between the two species. Cotton mice were exposed to exhaust gases produced by the burning of solid rocket motor (SRM) fuel. Mice exposed once for a duration of 10 min demonstrated an LD50 of 52 to 56 ppm HCl/g body weight and an LD50 of 169 to 173 mg Al2O3/m3/g body weight. These LD50 values suggested that SRM exhaust components may have a synergistic lethal effect when compared to the effects of individual components of the exhaust. Cotton mice exposed to the exhaust exhibited external signs of respiratory distress and dyspnea. Those mice that received lethal exposures showed internal signs of early inflammatory reactions. However, the most likely cause of death was a sudden shift in blood pH.
Show less - Date Issued
- 1977
- Identifier
- CFR0011601, ucf:53040
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFR0011601