Functional diversity enhances detection of ecosystem stability and resolution of predator-prey interactions within a multitrophic community

Habitat fragmentation and loss are principal factors that contribute to the decline of biodiversity which in turn has a negative impact on ecosystem function. There has been growing interest in understanding diversity’s role in the mechanisms behind ecosystem resilience with much attention focusing on how functional diversity, or the range of species’ ecological roles in a community, impacts ecosystem function. Under the functional insurance hypothesis, stability in ecosystems is maintained by species that perform similar functions but have asynchronous responses to disturbance. There are three proposed stability mechanisms that operate through species’ asynchronous responses: cross-scale resilience, response diversity, and density compensation. My objective in this study was to examine change in functional diversity resulting from habitat fragmentation and detect ecological stability mechanisms in a multitrophic community consisting of longhorned beetles and their beetle predators. I also considered predator-prey interactions between beetles and their insectivore avian predators at the community level. To meet my objectives, I developed new functional traits to further capture beetle species’ functional roles and new methodology for examining change in functional diversity across trophic levels. I also expanded methodology to better detect one ecological stability mechanism, cross-scale resilience. Here, cross-scale resilience was operating if species with similar function also had different landscape response trends. I also determined a new way to assess predator-prey interactions in a multitrophic community with the use of avian visual perception of beetle prey visual contrasts. This approach allowed me to directly examine changes in avian predator and beetle prey abundance. I found that prey functional diversity was more negatively impacted than predator functional diversity by habitat fragmentation. I detected two ecological stability mechanisms, cross-scale resilience and response diversity, which may have provided the beetle community greater resilience to habitat fragmentation. With respect to the interactions between avian predators and beetle prey, variations in visual contrasts of beetles moderated the degree to which abundance of birds in some functional groups impacted beetle abundance. Also a “functional link” may also be important for providing a greater resolution between the relationships between predator and prey abundance. I suggest that future studies investigate how vision-mediated predator-prey interactions may simultaneously impact the functional diversity of these trophic levels. In addition, assessing three-dimensional surfaces of functional diversity could reveal best landscapes for promoting functional diversity of ecosystem service providers in local landscapes

Improving Overweight and Over-Dimensional Logistics and Truck Routing

In 2012, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) Division of Motor Carriers (DMC) issued 98,196 overweight or over-dimensional (OW/OD) permits. To determine whether a route can accommodate an OW/OD vehicle, analysts must have current and accurate data on construction schedules, road conditions, and detour routes, among other factors. This study documents processes used by DMC for permitting and routing OW/OD vehicles. It includes detailed flowcharts that capture each aspect analysts follow during the decision-making process. As part of this project, state transportation agency representatives from states bordering Kentucky (Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, and Missouri) were interviewed to identify potential best practices for permitting and routing OW/OD trucks. They collected information on how these states currently use Bentley SUPERLOAD software. Insights drawn from these interviews informed DMC’s implementation of Bentley SUPERLOAD Version 4. Following the adoption of Bentley SUPERLOAD Version 4, a number of issues were identified by DMC staff. Key problems included software bugs which require staff to intervene and then restart the permitting process, staff being unable to view the status of permits sent to KYTC’s Bridge Preservation section for review, and the distribution of automated notifications to carriers when restrictions are changed on their active permits, but which offer no details on how to amend the permit. A survey of transportation agency officials in states which have adopted Bentley SUPERLOAD Version 5 was developed and administered to determine if those problems have been resolved

Coordinating the Use and Location of Weigh-In-Motion Technology for Kentucky

Several agencies in the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet make use of data collected by weigh-in-motion (WIM) scales throughout the state. These scales are used to collect traffic counts, weigh vehicles, weigh individual axles, determine vehicle length, classify vehicles, and determine speed. The data is primarily used for planning, law enforcement related to commercial vehicles, and pavement design. This study details the applications of WIM data, and reviews existing literature on how WIM data is used and shared. The study provides survey feedback from other states, specifically about how they use WIM data. It details competing WIM technologies currently on the market, and provides measures of performance along with cost estimates. Details on current WIM locations throughout the state are provided, and plans for future WIM locations are also explained. Recommendations about how Kentucky can better utilize WIM technology and data are provided in the final chapter