Theses and Dissertations
This is a list of the most recent theses and dissertations from ECO students. If an error occurs on this page, simply reload the page to display items.
Master’s Theses
This list is automatically created through the UMass Scholarworks system. To have your publication included, submit it to Scholarworks.
Environmental Conservation:
- Mapping Sandbars in the Connecticut River Watershed through Aerial Images for Floodplain Conservation
Active geomorphic features of rivers like sandbars provide habitat for endangered and threatened riparian plant and animal species. However, human development has altered flow and sediment regimes, th … - Factors Influencing Shrubland Bird and Native Bee Communities in Forest Openings
Once prevalent on the landscape, early-successional habitats are now increasingly threatened in the northeastern United States. As a result, many species that rely on or require habitats dominated by … - Juvenile River Herring in Freshwater Lakes: Sampling Approaches for Evaluating Growth and Survival
River herring, collectively alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) and blueback herring (A. aestivalis), have experienced substantial population declines over the past five decades due in large part to overf … - DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS OF CLIMATE ON BIRD ABUNDANCE ALONG ELEVATION GRADIENTS IN THE NORTHERN APPALACHIANS
The stratification of bird species along elevational gradients is widely reported, with montane bird communities typically characterized by distinctive species occurring in relatively small and isolat … - Accounting For Biotic Variability In Streams With Low Levels of Impervious Cover: The Role of Reach- and Watershed-Scale Factors
As landscapes become increasingly urbanized, there is an associated increase in impervious cover. Impervious surfaces, such as roads, rooftops, and parking lots contribute to the physical, hydrologica … - Botswana’s Elephant-Back Safari Industry – Stress-Response in Working African Elephants and Analysis of their Post-Release Movements
Understanding how African elephants (Loxodonta africana) respond to human interactions in ecotourism operations is critical to safeguarding animal and human welfare and sustaining wildlife ecotourism … - A Mixed-methods Study on Female Landowner Estate Planning Objectives
The majority of the forested land in New England is owned by private landowners, a large number of whom are at or above retirement age. In the coming decades these landowners are going to be making de … - EVALUATION OF THE RECREATIONAL CATCH-AND-RELEASE FISHERY FOR GOLDEN DORADO SALMINUS BRASILIENSIS IN SALTA, ARGENTINA: IMPLICATIONS FOR CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT
Golden dorado (Salminus brasiliensis, Cuvier, 1816) is increasing in popularity as a target for recreational anglers practicing catch-and-release (C&R) in northern Argentina and bordering countrie … - Specific Phosphate Sorption Mechanisms of Unaltered and Altered Biochar
Biochar has been shown to act as an effective sorbent for many organic and inorganic contaminants (including phosphate) and can help to improve the quality of our fresh water resources by preventing e … - Factors Influencing Household Outdoor Residential Water Use Decisions in Suburban Boston (USA)
Water withdrawals for human use can reduce water in lakes and streams, with significant consequences for aquatic biota. Urbanization, particularly large lawn areas associated with low-density resident … - Trophic Relationships Among Caribou Calf Predators in Newfoundland
Using specially trained scat detection dogs we located fecal samples from black bear (Ursus americanus) and coyote (Canis latrans) throughout three study areas in Newfoundland, Canada, to describe the … - Invasive Species Occurrence Frequency is not a Suitable Proxy for Abundance in the Northeast
Spatial information about invasive species abundance is critical for estimating impact and understanding risk to ecosystems and economies. Unfortunately, at landscape and regional scales, most distrib … - The Life History Characteristics, Growth, and Mortality of Juvenile Alewife, Alosa pseudoharengus, in Coastal Massachusetts
Over the past two centuries, anadromous alewife populations have drastically declined due to damming, inadequate fish passage, overfishing in the ocean and freshwater, climate change, and reduction in … - Understory Plant Community Structure in Forests Invaded by Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
ABSTRACT UNDERSTORY PLANT COMMUNITY STRUCTURE IN FORESTS INVADED BY GARLIC MUSTARD (ALLIARIA PETIOLATA) MAY 2016 JASON ALLEN AYLWARD, B.S., PAUL SMITH’S COLLEGE M.S. UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERS … - Population Genetic Analysis of Atlantic Horseshoe Crabs (Limulus polyphemus) in Coastal Massachusetts.
Atlantic horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) have endured decades of intense harvest pressure. Genetics studies have shown evidence of distinct sub-groups spanning the coast, although few fine-scale … - Factors Affecting Habitat Quality for Wintering Wood Thrushes in a Coffee Growing Region in Honduras
Amongst the diversity of taxa that occur in the Neotropics, 200 migratory bird species that breed in temperate North America can be found. Many of these populations have seen significant declines sinc … - Modeling Historical and Future Range of Variability Scenarios in the Yuba River Watershed, Tahoe National Forest, California
In California's northern Sierra Nevada mountains, the fire-dependent processes of forest ecosystems have been interrupted and altered by human land use and fire suppression. U.S. Forest Service p … - Niche-Based Modeling of Japanese Stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) Using Presence-Only Information
The Connecticut River watershed is experiencing a rapid invasion of aggressive non-native plant species, which threaten watershed function and structure. Volunteer-based monitoring programs such as th … - Generating Best Management Practices for Avian Conservation in a Land-Sparing Agriculture System, and the Habitat-Specific Survival of a Priority Migrant
A large amount of the world’s biodiversity is located in a disproportionately small amount of area, namely the tropics. Many of these areas are experiencing rapid landscape changes, mainly in the form … - Impacts of Land Cover and Climate Change on Water Resources in Suasco River Watershed
ABSTRACT IMPACTS OF LAND COVER AND CLIMATE CHANGE ON WATER RESOURCES IN SUASCO RIVER WATERSHED September 2015 AMMARA TALIB, BS., PUNJAB UNIVERSITY LAHORE MS., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Direc …
Forest Resources (before ECO grad program):
- Evaluating Federal Urban Forestry Performance Measures in Massachusetts (u.S.A.)
In 2006, the U.S. Forest Service implemented performance measures to evaluate urban forestry management in communities in each state. The Forest Service implemented these measures under its Community … - Reading in a Second Language Classroom: A Pedagogical Report on Sociocultural Strategies for Reading Texts in the Elementary French Classroom
This thesis focuses on reading in a second language (L2) classroom and specifically on Sociocultural strategies for reading texts in the elementary French classroom. This pedagogical report first outl … - A Survey of Tree Wardens to Assess Urban and Community Forestry Performance in Massachusetts (u.S.A.)
Abstract in process - Building Online Communities in Forestry: the Cases of Timberia.org and the Urban Ecology Collaborative
In recent years, a second generation of Web-based technologies have as “Web 2.0” At the core of Web 2.0 are web-based services, social networking and online collaborative functions. Forestry, like oth …
Wildlife & Fisheries (before ECO grad program):
- Ecological Consequences of Lost Anadromous Forage Fish in Freshwater Ecosystems
Beginning in the early 1600s, dam construction in New England obstructed anadromous fish access to spawning grounds during migration. As a result, anadromous forage fish populations have declined, whi … - Trends in Human-wildlife Interactions as Related to Land Use and Human Density in Massachusetts
We conducted a study of human-wildlife interactions in Massachusetts, USA between April 2010 and May 2012. Our objectives were to (1) compile and summarize public-generated reports on human-wildlife i … - Experimental Tests of Road Passage Systems for Reducing Road Mortalities of Freshwater Turtles
Roadways are a pervasive feature of northeastern landscapes and can be a significant source of mortality for turtles. Until recently, little has been known about the design requirements for successful … - Prairie Warbler Nest-site Selection, Nest Survival, and Demographic Response to Management in a Pitch Pine-Scrub Oak Barren
As shrubland bird populations decline, there is a critical need to understand the effects of habitat management. I studied a population of color-banded prairie warblers (Setophaga discolor) between 20 … - Salt Drive in the Beaver (Castor Canadensis): an Experimental Assessment with Field Feeding Trials
ABSTRACT SALT DRIVE IN THE BEAVER (Castor canadensis): AN EXPERIMENTAL ASSESSMENT WITH FIELD FEEDING TRIALS SEPTEMBER 2012 JENNIFER E. STRULES, B.M. BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC M.S., UNIVERSITY OF MASSAC … - Spatial Ecology of American Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus) in Chatham, Cape Cod, Ma: Implications for Conservation and Management
Information regarding spawning site fidelity and movement patterns of the American horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) is crucial for developing effective conservation and management strategies on the … - Science-Based Management of Shrubland Birds in Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest
- Diving Behavior and Identification of Sex of Breeding Atlantic Puffins (Fratercula arctica), and Nest-Site Characteristics of Alcids on Petit Manan Island, Maine
During 2008 – 2009, we quantified foraging behavior of adult Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica) by deploying time-depth recorders (TDRs) on 18 adults and collected morphological measurements from 4 … - An Investigation of Human-Error Rates in Wildlife Photographic Identification; Implications for the Use of Citizen Scientists
Rapid technological advancements in digital cameras and widespread public access to the internet have inspired many researchers to consider alternative methods for collecting, analyzing, and distribut … - Black Bear Movements and Caribou Calf Predation in Newfoundland
The population trajectory of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in Newfoundland is currently determined by low calf survival due to high predation rates during the first 6-8 weeks after part … - Reproductive maturation and diel reproductive periodicity in western Gulf of Maine haddock
A new macroscopic ovarian reproductive maturity index for haddock, Melanogrammus aeglefinus L, was developed to improve field collection of reproductive stage data. The index was tested, validated and … - Status, Movements, and Habitat Use of Moose in Massachusetts
Moose (Alces alces) have been re-established in much of the historic range in the northeastern United States. Recently the southern edge of the species ranges has been extended southward into southern … - Developing Standardized Metrics to Quantify the Temporal Distribution of Migrating Anadromous Herring: Comparing Adult Returns Across Coastal Rivers
Understanding, quantifying, and comparing the temporal distribution of anadromous fish spawning migrations is an important yet vexing problem for fisheries research, management, and conservation. Cent … - Factors Affecting Survival and Cause-specific Mortality of Saiga Calves (Saiga tatarica mongolica) in Mongolia
Factors affecting juvenile survival are poorly known in the world’s most northern antelope, the endangered saiga (Saiga tatarica), yet they are fundamental for understanding what drives population cha … - Managing Vegetation to Restore Tern Nesting Habitat in the Gulf of Maine
Following catastrophic exploitation throughout the North Atlantic, breeding seabird populations have begun to recover thanks to regulatory protection and restoration and management efforts. As bird po … - Habitat Use, Productivity, and Fruit Selection of Birds in Early-Successional Habitats in Western Massachusetts
Early-successional habitats have become rare in much of the eastern United States, largely due to landuse change, forest maturation and the disruption of natural disturbance regimes. In addition to pr … - Evaluating the Effectiveness of Road Passage Structures for Freshwater Turtles in Massachusetts
Roads are long linear features on the landscape that impact wildlife and their habitats. Among all forms of wildlife turtles are one of the most negatively affected by roads. Wildlife biologists and c … - Spatial Ecology of Eastern Coyotes (Canis latrans) in the Anthropogenic Landscape of Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Historically, coyotes were associated with the western United States. During their expansion eastward, coyotes have become more tolerant of humans and have been able to live in varying degrees of urba … - Behavior and Habitat Use of Roseate Terns (Sterna dougallii) Before and After Construction of an Erosion Control Revetment
An erosion control revetment was constructed at the Falkner Island Unit of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, Connecticut during the winter of 2000–2001. At the time, Falkner Island was … - Conservation Implications of a Marbled Salamander, Ambystoma opacum, Metapopulation Model
Amphibians are in decline globally and a significantly greater percentage of ambystomatid salamander species are in decline relative to other species; habitat loss contributes significantly to this de …
Dissertations
This list is automatically created through the UMass Scholarworks system. To have your publication included, submit it to Scholarworks.
Environmental Conservation:
- TRACKING MIGRATORY BIRD MOVEMENTS IN THE GULF OF MAINE WITH AUTOMATED RADIO TELEMETRY AND STABLE HYDROGEN ISOTOPE MARKERS
Coastal and offshore areas of the eastern United States provide valuable resources for both migratory songbirds and breeding seabirds, but face some of the most drastic rates of habitat alteration and … - BIOLOGY, MOLECULAR SYSTEMATICS, POPULATION DYNAMICS AND CONTROL OF A STEM GALL WASP, ZAPATELLA DAVISAE (HYMENOPTERA: CYNIPIDAE)
Gall wasps are phytophagous insects that often go unnoticed, however, when they are released from their natural enemies, they have the capacity to outbreak and cause extensive foliar damage. One such … - Integrated Urban Metabolism Analysis Tool (IUMAT)
A number of tools are available today for simulating different aspects of urban activity, but these efforts are fragmented and do not effectively reflect the interrelationships between very diverse gr … - Improving Conservation Efforts Through a Better Understanding of Forest Elephant Ecology, the Impacts of Threats on Elephants and Freshwater Fisheries in Northern Congo
IMPROVING CONSERVATION EFFORTS THROUGH A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF FOREST ELEPHANT ECOLOGY, THE IMPACTS OF THREATS ON ELEPHANTS AND FRESHWATER FISHERIES IN NORTHERN SEPTEMBER 2016 ROGER PATRICK BOUNDJA, … - A Period Examination Through Contemporary Energy Analysis of Kevin Roche’s Fine Arts Center at University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Studies of buildings belonging to a subset of Modernist architecture, Brutalism, have included discussions pertaining to social and architectural history, critical reception, tectonic form and geometr … - Evaluating Digital VHF Technology to Monitor Shorebird and Seabird Use of Offshore Wind Energy Areas in the Western North Atlantic
Information on offshore movements of high priority bird species is needed for monitoring and managing adverse effects of offshore wind energy development in the western North Atlantic Ocean. This info … - Regional Recruitment Dynamics and Seasonal Ecology of Juvenile Bluefish (Pomatomus Saltatrix)
Recruitment in fishes, defined as the survival of a cohort through the first year of life, can be highly variable and affected by small changes in biological and physical factors. Much of the historic … - Evaluating resistance surfaces for modeling wildlife movement and connectivity
The continued growth of human populations and associated development in many areas of the world is causing persistent fragmentation of natural habitats. In response, wildlife corridors are often promo … - Characterizing the urban human environment system in Boston, Massachusetts
Access to natural resources and restorative green space, especially in urban areas, has become critically important as an increasing number of people throughout the world move into cities. Stewardship … - The Effectiveness and Applicability of Amphibians as Indicator Species for Long-Term Monitoring of Ecological Changes in New England Forests
The objective of this study is to assess the potential of two amphibians species, Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus (Green)) and Eastern Red-spotted Newt (Notopthalmus viridescens viri … - INTEGRATED MODELING OF LAND USE AND CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON MULTISCALE ECOSYSTEMS OF CENTRAL AFRICAN WATERSHEDS
Assessment and management of ecosystem services demands diverse knowledge of the system components. Land use change occurring mainly through deforestation, expansion of agriculture and unregulated ext … - MOVEMENTS AND CONSERVATION OF THE MIGRATORY WHITE-EARED KOB (KOBUS KOB LEUCOTIS) IN SOUTH SUDAN
The annual movements of white-eared kob (Kobus kob leucotis), tiang (Damaliscus korrigum tiang), in eastern South Sudan was investigated to provided appropriate information for developing effective co … - ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE AND THE AGRO-PASTORALIST LIVELIHOOD IN THE ANDES OF PERU
This dissertation research focuses on a high elevation Andean social-ecological system. It examines system linkages between climate, grazing pasture (wetlands), and agro-pastoralist livelihood strateg … - Landscape predictors of current and future distribution of mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
Context: The impacts of ecological, anthropogenic and future climate change on the distribution of wild mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) are of ongoing concern. Knowing the factors that d … - Uncertainty in Climatic Change Impacts on Multiscale Watershed Systems
Uncertainty in climate change plays a major role in watershed systems. The increase in variability and intensity in temperature and precipitation affects hydrologic cycle in spatial and temporal dimen … - Ecohydrologic Impacts of Climate and Land Use Changes on Watershed Systems: A Multi-Scale Assessment for Policy
Maintaining flows and quality of water resources is critical to support ecosystem services and consumptive needs. Understanding impacts of changes in climate and land use on ecohydrologic processes in … - Fisher Population Ecology on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation, Northwestern California
I studied aspects of fisher (Martes pennanti) population ecology on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation in northern California to fill critical information gaps relative to timber management and its e … - Finding Blame for Environmental Outcomes: A Cognitive Style Approach to Understanding Stakeholder Attributions, Attitudes, and Values
This study sought to connect two bodies of knowledge–integrative complexity and attribution theory. Integrative complexity is a term that indicates the simplicity vs. complexity of a person's me …
Forest Resources (before ECO grad program):
- Materiality and Location: A Geographic Study of Log Home Manufacturing
The dissertation presents a material-geographic analysis of the materiality of log home manufacturing and may be the first quantitative application of ‘new materiality’ concepts. It tests the thesis t … - Fire Regime Dynamics Following the Mid-Holocene Hemlock Decline in Eastern North America
Approximately 5,000 years ago, eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) experienced a sudden, rapid, range-wide decline most probably due to pest, disease, or climate change. An aphid-like defoliating insec … - Fire regime dynamics following the mid-Holocene hemlock decline in eastern North America
Approximately 5,000 years ago, eastern hemlock ( Tsuga canadensis) experienced a sudden, rapid, range-wide decline most probably due to pest, disease, or climate change. An aphid-like defoliating inse … - Landscape Ecology Of Large Fires In Southwestern Forests, USA
The recent increase in large fires in southwestern forests has prompted concern regarding their ecological consequences. Recognizing the importance of spatial patterns in influencing successional proc … - Politics and policy processes in federal urban forest policy formation and change
This study examined the politics and policy processes that led to the formation and change of federal urban forest policy in the United States. Using the Three Streams Framework and Punctuated Equilib … - Structural attributes, disturbance dynamics, and ecosystem properties of old-growth forests in western Massachusetts
Natural disturbance patterns, forest structural attributes, patterns of nitrogen availability, and the abundance and composition of understory vegetation were studied in eighteen old-growth stands in … - The effects of multiple resources on forest regeneration: Microsite variation and seedling response
Forest gaps play a major role in forest dynamics because increased resource availability favors plant species that differ from those in undisturbed forest. This dissertation investigates the spatial h …
Wildlife & Fisheries (before ECO grad program):
- Spatial Ecology of Black Bears (Ursus americanus) in Newfoundland, Canada
Although black bears (Ursus americanus) are among the most studied mammals in the world, little is known about their ecology in Newfoundland, Canada. I investigated the spatial ecology of black bears … - Distribution and Population Dynamics of Ungulates in the Mongolian Gobi
The Mongolian Gobi is one of the most spectacular and important regions in Central Asia, comprising the largest area of intact grassland in the world. In recent years, a growing human population, expa … - The effect of thermoregulation and roads on the movements and habitat selection of moose in Massachusetts
Massachusetts, U.S.A. is located along the southern boundary of the geographic range of moose (Alces alces) in North America. This is an atypical environment for moose, because of its extremely high l … - Complex Effects of Ungulate Browsers on Tree Recruitment and Herbaceous Layers in New England Temperate Forests
Browsing by ungulates is a leading biotic disturbance in northern forest ecosystems and an important determinant of habitat, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. A large body of work has revealed tha … - Roosting, Site Fidelity, and Food Sources of Urban Gulls In Massachusetts: Implications For Protecting Public Water Supplies
Anyone who has spent time in coastal New England has seen gulls flying overhead and heard their familiar sound; gulls may be one of the most recognizable birds in the world. There are over 50 species … - The Ecology and Conservation of the Eastern Spadefoot (Scaphiopus holbrookii) in the Province Lands of Cape Cod National Seashore, U.S.A.
The eastern spadefoot (Scaphiopus holbrookii) is an ephemeral wetland breeding amphibian that ranges from southern Florida north and westward to southeastern Missouri and northward along the Atlantic … - Ecology and Conservation of the Montane Forest Avian Community in Northeastern North America
Montane forests provide habitat for unique assemblages of flora and fauna that contribute significantly to a region’s biodiversity. Previous work indicates that montane forest ecosystems are exceeding … - Distributions of Large Mammal Assemblages in Thailand with a Focus on Dhole (Cuon alpinus) Conservation
Biodiversity monitoring and predictions of species occurrence are essential to develop outcome-oriented conservation management plans for endangered species and assess their success over time. To asse … - Fisher population ecology on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation, northwestern California
I studied aspects of fisher (Martes pennanti) population ecology on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation in northern California to fill critical information gaps relative to timber management and its e … - Beaver dams maintain native fish biodiversity via altered habitat heterogeneity in a coastal stream network: Evaluating gear, quantifying fish assemblages, and testing ecological hypotheses
Understanding the relationship between heterogeneity, biodiversity and ecosystem function is an active focus of ecological research that has direct applications to the formulation of sustainable, scie … - Flagship Species, Tourism, and Support for Rubondo Island National Park, Tanzania
Two major goals of managers of Rubondo Island National Park (Rubondo), Tanzania are to increase the number of international visitors to the Park (and thereby increase revenue generated) and to increas … - The Phylogeography of Marstonia Lustrica: Understanding the Relationship Between Glaciation and the Evolution and Distribution of a Rare Snail
Marstonia lustrica is a poorly understood aquatic snail, relatively rare throughout its range and listed in the State of Massachusetts as Endangered (MNHESP 2010, Hershler et. al 1987). It is the nort … - Ecology and Conservation of Sumatran Elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus) in Sumatra, Indonesia
Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus) populations continue to decline due to habitat loss, poaching and conflict with humans. In Sumatra, elephant populations are fragmented into small isolat … - Avian Ecology and Conservation in Tropical Agricultural Landscapes with Emphasis on Vermivora Chrysoptera
The world's biodiversity is concentrated in tropical ecosystems, yet tropical forests are being converted for agriculture at a rapid rate. I evaluated the potential of an alternative coffee produ … - Finding blame for environmental outcomes: A cognitive style approach to understanding stakeholder attributions, attitudes, and values
This study sought to connect two bodies of knowledge—integrative complexity and attribution theory. Integrative complexity is a term that indicates the simplicity vs. complexity of a person's men … - Growth of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) in Freshwater
Growth plays a key role in regulating ecological and population dynamics. Life history characteristics such as age at maturity, fecundity and age and size at migration are tightly linked to growth rat … - Identifying Critical Fish Habitat and Long-term Trends in Fish Abundances in the Hudson River Estuary
The Hudson River estuary (HRE) is a well monitored aquatic resource and much secondary data exist for this system. We developed two objectives based on accessible HRE aquatic data. The first objective … - Evaluation of Disturbance Factors and Their Effect on Breeding Common Loons at Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge, New Hampshire and Maine
Virtually any person exposed to American movies or television has likely heard the call of a common loon (Gavia immer). Its use as a sound prop has become ubiquitous in any scene related to the outdoo … - Spatial ecology of eastern box turtles (Terrapene c. carolina) in central Massachusetts
Eastern box turtles are declining throughout their range as a result of habitat loss and fragmentation, associated road mortality, collection for the pet trade, and other localized threats such as inc … - Vulnerability of longfin inshore squid (Loligo pealeii) to predation: The influence of relative prey size and behavior
Cephalopods provide forage to a wide range of predators in marine food-webs. Despite their ecological importance, a basic understanding of the mechanisms controlling predation risk and demand is lacki …
Page updated: September 30, 2015
