Does excluding a top mesopredator induce a trophic cascade : effects and diet of an omnivorous predator in a restored prairie

Advisors: Holly P. Jones.Committee members: Nicholas Barber; Richard King.Includes illustrations.Includes bibliographical references.Predators can shape prey communities through consumptive and non-consumptive interactions. By inducing fear of predation, predators can cause changes to prey foraging behavior that can negatively impact prey reproduction and body-condition. Furthermore, both consumptive (density-mediated) and non-consumptive (trait-mediated) predator-prey interactions can cascade down the food web to have indirect impacts of vegetation (trophic cascade). As we continue to lose apex predators and undergo land change, understanding how the new top dogs shape prey communities and restorations is increasingly important. Through utilizing predator-exclosure fences, mark-recapture analysis, plant biomass and stable isotopes we evaluated the role of coyotes as top mesopredator in a restored grassland. Results indicate that coyotes do not have strong impacts on small mammal population dynamics or cause non-consumptive impacts to small mammal reproduction. In addition, they do not induce a trophic cascade in a restored prairie. However, coyotes appear to be having a positive impact on Peromyscus spp. body condition. I also found that coyotes eat C4 grasses in the highest proportion, although I suspect this to be driven by corn and corn product consumption, and that they have both individualistic and seasonal diets. The lack of an impact on prairie communities and a diet comprised largely of C4 grasses indicate that coyotes may not be filling the role of apex predator and exerting strong top-down control in restored prairie communities. However, given the short time frame of my study and small sample sizes I obtained, more research may be necessary to conclusively determine if coyotes function as an apex mesopredator in restored prairie systems.M.S. (Master of Science

Assessing changes to ecosystem structure and function following invasion by Spartina alterniflora and Phragmites australis: a meta-analysis [Supplemental Files]

Includes data and R codeBiological invasions resulting from anthropogenic activities are one of the greatest threats to maintaining ecosystem functioning and native biodiversity. Invasions are especially problematic when the invading species behaves as an ecosystem engineer that is capable of transforming ecosystem structure, function, and community dynamics. Of particular concern is the spread of emergent wetland grasses whose root systems alter hydrology and structural stability of soils, modify ecosystem functions, and change community dynamics and species richness. To address the threats posed to ecosystems across the globe, management practices focus on the control and removal of invasive grasses. However, it remains unclear how severely invasive grasses alter ecosystem functions and whether alterations persist after invasive grass removal, limiting our ability to determine if management practices are truly sufficient to fully restore ecosystems. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis to quantify ecological alterations and the efficacy of management following the invasion of Spartina alterniflora and Phragmites australis, two common and pervasive invaders in coastal wetlands. Our results indicate that S. alterniflora and P. australis significantly alter measures of ecosystem functioning and organismal abundance. Invaded ecosystems had significant elevations in abiotic carbon and nitrogen fixation and uptake in areas with invasive grasses, with differential photosynthetic pathways of these two grass species further explaining carbon fluxes. Moreover, evidence from our analyses indicates that management practices may not adequately promote recovery from invasion, but more data are needed to fully assess management efficacy. We call for future studies to conduct pairwise comparisons between uninvaded, invaded, and managed systems and provide research priorities

In Cyprus, 'midwifery is dying.'. a qualitative exploration of midwives' perceptions of their role as advocates for normal childbirth

Background: advocacy has been identified as vital for improving maternal and newborn health. In many countries, midwives struggle to advocate for women; in Cyprus, there has been no research into perceptions of advocacy amongst midwives. Aim: this study provides an exploration of the perceptions of midwives as client advocates for normal childbirth in Cyprus. Design: a qualitative approach was adopted, using participant observation and semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of twenty experienced midwives. A thematic approach was taken for the analysis. Findings: five main interconnected themes emerged, two of which, 'Lack of professional recognition' and 'Deficiencies in basic or continuing education' presented barriers to midwives' adoption of an advocacy role. Three themes reflected structural factors that also discouraged midwives from acting as advocates: these were 'physician dominance', 'medicalisation of childbirth' and 'lack of institutional support'. Conclusion: advocacy is a demanding and challenging role and midwives should be empowered to feel confident in undertaking this role through continuing professional education programmes and professional recognition. In order to be effective advocates, midwives needed to be recognised and valued by the public and by other health professionals as equal partners within the multidisciplinary team. However, midwives in Cyprus find themselves in difficult situations when advocating normal childbirth due to medical domination of the health services, medicalisation of childbirth and inadequate institutional support. Implications for practice: in this setting, midwives need to gain professional recognition, to have more effective basic and continuing education programmes and receive better support from managers and policy makers in order to become advocates for normal childbirth