Caddisflies (Trichoptera) were collected from over 500 different locations throughout the Interior Highlands (Ozark, Ouachita, Arbuckle, and Wichita Mountains) between March 1990 and March 1994. I systematically sampled representative lotic and lentic habitats in 131 natural watersheds that comprise the 17 different physiographic subregions of this area. From my examination of approximately 60,000 specimens, surveys of regional museum collections, and review of literature records, I document 229 species distributed in 16 families and 58 genera. Included in this total are 27 endemic species and 15 new regional records. Descriptions are provided for a species new to science (Cheumatopsyche robisoni), four larvae (Helicopsyche limnella, H. piroa, Marilia species A, Polycentropus crassicornis) and a female (Helicopsyche piroa). Hydropsyche reiseni Denning, previously known only from the Arbuckle Mountains, is reduced in synonymy with H. arinale Ross. Further, I provide illustrated family, generic, and selected species-level keys that reflect this regional biodiversity.

From August 1996 through September 1997 eleven fixed stations were sampled monthly in January, March , April , July, August, September, and November and fortnightly in May and June for the purposes of establishing baseline conditions present in Lake Texoma as related to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers chloride control activities in the upper Wichita River, Texas. Five reservoir zones were identified a priori using historical chloride concentration data and include the Red River Zone (RRZ), Red River Transition Zone (RRTZ), Main Lake Body (MLB), Washita River Transition Zone (WRTZ), and Washita River Zone (WRZ) in order of decreasing chloride concentration. The existence of the WRTZ is not supported here, however the Big Mineral Arm in the RRTZ was observed to be highly independent of the mixing patterns observed in the RRTZ and was treated post priori separately from the RRTZ. Spatial and temporal comparisons between reservoir zones were performed on seventeen (17) physicochemical parameters from each of the eleven sampling stations and phytoplankton count data from one sampling station within each reservoir zone and physicochemical parameters were observed to exhibit a fixed spatial gradient. Strong density gradients throughout the reservoir were observed to occur in conjunction with vertical stratification …

Exotic invasive aquatic weeds such as alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides) threaten native ecosystems by interfering with native plant communities, disrupting hydrology, and diminishing water quality. Development of new tools to combat invaders is important for the well being of these sensitive areas. Integrated pest management offers managers an approach that combines multiple control methods for better control than any one method used exclusively. In a greenhouse and field study, we tested the effects of selective herbicide application frequency, native competitor plant introduction, and their integration on alligator weed. In the greenhouse study, alligator weed shoot, root, and total biomass were reduced with one herbicide application, and further reduced with two. Alligator weed cumulative stem length and shoot/root ratio was only reduced after two applications. In the greenhouse, introduction of competitors did not affect alligator weed biomass, but did affect shoot/root ratio. The interaction of competitor introduction and herbicide did not significantly influence alligator weed growth in the greenhouse study. In the field, alligator weed cover was reduced after one herbicide application, but not significantly more after a second. Introduction of competitor species had no effect on alligator weed cover, nor did the interaction of competitor species and herbicide application. This …

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 data and meteorological factors. While breeding season call counts of male bobwhite have been used for >70 years to provide estimates of fall populations for hunting, most studies of call counts have focused on mathematics and statistical accuracy of the count, largely overlooking the influence of meteorological factors on call counts. Here, I present the results of >4,400 individual point counts and examine their relationship with meteorological variables recorded at each stop. Humidity was positively correlated with the number of birds recorded (ρ = 0.275, p < 0.001) and temperature was negatively correlated (ρ = -0.252, p < 0.001). The number of birds recorded was significantly higher in wet years than in drought years. There was no significant correlation between wind velocity and number of birds recorded. These results suggest that, while weather …

The genetic structure of 26 natural populations of three species (S. tridecemlineatus, S. mexicanus, and S. spilosoma) of the Ictidomys subgenus of ground squirrels was analyzed using chromosomal and electrophoretic techniques. Chromosomal variation was not observed in S. mexicanus, and only slight karyotypic variation was found in the other two species. Chromosomal evidence indicated hybridization between S. tridecemlineatus and S. mexicanus, placing these species within the classical definition of semispecies. Analysis of electrophoretic variation at 29 genetic loci indicated close genetic relationships between these species. Evolution in Ictidomys appears to be linked with Pleistocene events, and speciation appears to have occurred within the last 155,000 years.

The phylogenetics of eight species of the Peromyscus truei and P. boylii species groups from 15 populations were analyzed based on mitochondrial DNA sequence differentiation, using 13 hexanucleotide specific restriction enzymes. P. difficilis, P. nasutus, and P. attwateri were found to be members of the same clade. P. leucopus was not found to be closely related to any of the species of the boylii or truei species groups. Phylogenetic interpretations for the remaining species differed based on Wagner and Dollo parsimony analyses. P. true appears to be most closely related to P. gratus based on Wagner parsimony and the phenetic analysis, while the relationship of P. gratus to other species could not be resolved based on Dollo parsimony.

Gully erosion has been established as a major source of sediment pollution in the upper Trinity River watershed in north-central Texas. This fact, along with a lack of models appropriate for a large-area gully erosion analysis established a need for a gully erosion study in the upper Trinity basin. This thesis project attempted to address this need by deriving an index indicative of gully erosion risk using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) methodology. In context of previous field studies, the coarse spatial resolution of the input GIS data layers presented a challenge to prediction of gully prone areas. However, the remote sensing/GIS approach was found to provide useful reconnaissance information on gully risk over large areas.

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 distinctive regions in south Texas, the Trans-Pecos, the Edwards Plateau, and north-west Texas. There is strong correspondence between interpretations of the analyses based on the amphibian, saurian, ophidian, and terrestrial reptilian distributions, and the biotic provinces produced by earlier, subjective analyses. The Edwards Plateau and a region on the western periphery of east Texas were found to be transitional between other, more faunally distinctive areas for most fauna! groups. Detailed examination of these regions suggested they are best described as clinal in nature. The environmental variables which were most effective in explaining patterns in the distribution of the various taxa and guilds were related to precipitation. However, variations in temperature and physiography were also important predictors of distribution for several of the groups. The distributions of soil and vegetation associations were …

Investigations of cholinergic and adrenergic tone on heart rate (fH) and mean arterial pressure (Pm) during embryonic development have been conducted on numerous avian species. While these investigations have documented that adrenergic tone, a continuous stimulation, on fH and Pm is vital to embryonic development in the birds studied to date, development of cholinergic tone on fH has been shown to vary even within species. Further, past studies have been bias to focus primarily on precocial species while altricial species remain poorly understood in this context. The goal of this investigation was to investigate the role of cholinergic and adrenergic tone on fH and Pm of an altricial species, the neotropic cormorant (P. brasilianus) to address this bias. The embryonic neotropic cormorant possesses B-and-a adrenergic tone on fH and Pm at 70% and 90% incubation while cholinergic tone on fH occurs at 90% incubation. This pattern of control is similar to that previously reported for several species of precocial birds suggesting the development of tonic cardiovascular regulation may be conserved across avian taxa.

The genetic structure of 49 natural populations of four species (P. attwateri, P. boylii, P. pectoralis, and P. polius) of the Peromyscus boylii species group was analyzed through application of chromosomal and electrophoretic techniques. Chromosomal variation within and among populations of the boylii species group was analyzed from 178 specimens. Electrophoretic techniques were utilized for the demonstration of variation in enzymes and other proteins encoded by structural loci and applied to the study of the evolution of the boylii species group by estimation of levels of genetic heterozygosity within populations, estimation of degree of genetic similarity between conspecific populations and between species, and determination of patterns of geographic variation in allelic frequencies and levels of heterozygosity. Six distinct chromosomal patterns were observed among the populations of the four species of the boylii species group. All specimens had a diploid number of 48 and the major difference in chromosomal morphology was in the number of pairs of large to medium biarmed autosomes. Little or no chromosomal variation was observed in three species (attwateri, pectoralis and polius), but considerable chromosomal variation occurred among populations of P. boylii. Generally, the chromosomal variation in P. bylii was between allopatric populations, with each chromosomal pattern …

Increasingly higher numbers of people are moving into urbanizing environments, yet our understanding of ecosystem consequences of rapid urbanization is still in its infancy. In this dissertation, I assessed dynamics of residential landscapes during suburban succession and consequences for ecosystem functioning. First, I used a space-for-time approach to quantify more than a century of suburban succession in the Dallas – Fort Worth metroplex (DFW). Attributes of residential landscape plant diversity and habitat complexity were quantified for 232 individual properties nested within 14 neighborhoods constructed between 1906 and 2020. Suburban succession progressed from simple turf lawns with limited habitat complexity to landscapes dominated by deciduous trees and high habitat complexity, but homeowner decisions related to landscape management affect the rate of that transition and the number of plants and taxa present. Next, I used the novel spatial construct of "neighborhoodsheds" to test for effects of suburban succession on carbon export, and found that the proportion of carbon derived from C3 vs. C4 plants was affected by neighborhood plant community structure (i.e. greater proportion of trees and shrubs primarily in later stages of suburban succession). Finally, I conducted a mesocosm experiment to test effects of changes in allochthonous inputs during suburban succession …

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 majority of each of these groups is Hydroptilidae, or microcaddisflies. Trichoptera community structure, by minimum number of species, was analysed in conjunction with large-scale geographical factors to determine which factor illustrated caddisfly community structure across the region. Physiographic provinces compared to other geographic factors analyzed best-represented caddisfly communities with a minimum of 10 or more species. Statistically, Hydrologic Unit Code 4 (HUC 4) was the most significant geographical factor but low number of samples representing this variable rendered it less representative of caddisfly community structure for the study area.

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 each of the tested variables.

In order to assess the enhancement of seedling survival and growth during drought conditions, five-hundred bare-root seedlings each of Shumard oak (Quercus shumardii Buckl.) and green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.) were planted each with four soil amendments at a Wildlife Management Area in Lewisville, Texas. The treatments were a mycorrhizal inoculant, mulch fabric, and two superabsorbent gels (TerraSorb® and DRiWATER®). Survival and growth measurements were assessed periodically for two years. Research was conducted on vegetation, soil, and site history for baseline data. Both superabsorbent gels gave significant results for Shumard oak survival, and one increased green ash diameter. For overall growth, significant results were found among DRiWATER®, mycorrhizae, and mulch treatments.