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Population and community responses to anthropogenic environmental changes
dc.contributor.advisor | Foster, Bryan L | |
dc.contributor.author | Collins, Cathy Diane | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2010-06-09T04:18:33Z | |
dc.date.available | 2010-06-09T04:18:33Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2009-04-01 | |
dc.date.submitted | 2009 | |
dc.identifier.other | http://dissertations.umi.com/ku:10226 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/1808/6304 | |
dc.description.abstract | Humans are dramatically altering the planet. I use classic ecological theory, original conceptual models, and a novel analytical tool (Rank Occupancy-Abundance Profiles; ROAPs) to explore the effects anthropogenic changes have on plant communities and bird populations. Chapter one investigates the influence of nutrient deposition on native prairie grass communities. I show that soil phosphorus levels alter plant diversity by changing the degree to which mycorrhizae benefit plant species. Chapter two investigates plant extinctions in a fragmented landscape. Extinction rates of early-successional plant species on large versus small habitat patches vary according to species' life history traits. In Chapter three I quantify declines in North American bird species over the past 30 years. Nearly 20% of the 209 birds sampled are declining significantly; local densities tend to decline prior to occupancy. Results from this dissertation confirm that humans are dramatically altering the relative abundance of species--at local, landscape, and continental scales. | |
dc.format.extent | 143 pages | |
dc.language.iso | EN | |
dc.publisher | University of Kansas | |
dc.rights | This item is protected by copyright and unless otherwise specified the copyright of this thesis/dissertation is held by the author. | |
dc.subject | Biology | |
dc.subject | Ecology | |
dc.subject | Extinction | |
dc.subject | Global change | |
dc.subject | Habitat fragmentation | |
dc.subject | Mycorrhizal fungi | |
dc.subject | Prairie | |
dc.subject | Roap | |
dc.title | Population and community responses to anthropogenic environmental changes | |
dc.type | Dissertation | |
dc.contributor.cmtemember | Alexander, Helen M | |
dc.contributor.cmtemember | Billings, Sharon A | |
dc.contributor.cmtemember | Ward, Joy K | |
dc.contributor.cmtemember | Myers, Garth | |
dc.thesis.degreeDiscipline | Ecology & Evolutionary Biology | |
dc.thesis.degreeLevel | Ph.D. | |
kusw.oastatus | na | |
kusw.oapolicy | This item does not meet KU Open Access policy criteria. | |
kusw.bibid | 6857486 | |
dc.rights.accessrights | openAccess |