This collection contains theses and dissertations from the Department of Biology, collected from the Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Theses/Dissertations from 2020
Foliage Type Controls Mercury Input, Storage, and Release in the Boreal Forest, Madelaine J R Anderson
The effects of legacy sulphur deposition on methylmercury production in northern peatlands; geochemical and biological considerations, Jennifer L. Blythe
Heterozygosity: An Inconspicuous Meiosis-Linked Intrinsic Mutagen in Mice, Nicholas A. Boehler
Niche segregation among three sympatric species of swallows in southern Ontario, Kaelyn H. Bumelis
Yield improvement of a plant-made antibody against Enterohemorrhagic E. coli, Adam S. Chin-Fatt
microRNA156: A Short RNA with a Major Role in Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Alfalfa, Biruk Ayenew Feyissa
Chemical Communication in Songbirds, Leanne A. Grieves
Characterization of SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN LIKE (SPL), and its role in drought stress tolerance in Medicago sativa (alfalfa)., Alexandria K. Hanly
Soybean root exudates increase the physiological diversity of bacteria in cadmium-treated soil, Leily Kazemi Movahed
Differential effects of freezing on the drought tolerance of herbaceous plants at the species, community and ecosystem scales, Ricky S. Kong
Floral traits and carbon dynamics of cucumber in response to climate change, Sarah Josina McDonald
Effects of dietary thiaminase on reproductive traits in three populations of Atlantic salmon targeted for reintroduction into Lake Ontario, Kimberly T. Mitchell
Investigating the Role of Carbon Stress in the Mortality of Tamarack Seedlings Under a Warming Environment, Bridget K. Murphy
Correlations in movement behaviour over large and small geographic scales in song sparrows (Melospiza melodia), Christopher D. Posliff
Understanding the Role of Polyamine N-Acetyltransferase in the Fission Yeast Response to Perturbation of the Cytokinetic Machinery, Mythili Ravishankar
Express Yourself: Analysis of the mRNA Expression Patterns of the AROGENATE DEHYDRATASE Family in Arabidopsis thaliana, Jordan B. Van Brenk
Theses/Dissertations from 2019
Tracing Nutrient Sources to Lipid Production in Birds and Insects Using Stable Isotope (δ13C, δ2H) Tracers: Implications for Nutritional Physiology of Migratory Species, Libesha Anparasan
Thermal biology of temperate and high-latitude arachnids, Susan E. Anthony
Weathering the Storm: Physiological and Behavioural Responses of White-Throated Sparrows to Inclement Weather Cues, Andrea C. Boyer
Tetranychus urticae adaptation to tomato, Kristie A. Bruinsma
Arthropod Diversity in Contrasting Ontario Peatlands, Grace Carscallen
Low Birth Weight and Post-Natal Diet Induced Alterations in Skeletal Muscle Oxygen Consumption and Fiber Type Composition, Megan Cedrone
Comparison of Cyanobacteria Phenotypes with Distinctive Photosynthetic Pigment Compositions to Simulated Lake Browning, Camille Chemali
The fruitless gene influences female mate preference in Drosophila, Tabashir A. Chowdhury
Differential Vulnerability to Window Collision Mortality Among Migratory Songbird Species, Olivia M. Colling
Optimal algorithms for deriving estimates of phytoplankton biomass in lakes from LANDSAT satellite imagery, Michael A. Dallosch
Effects of elevated temperature and elevated CO2 on leaf carbon fluxes in boreal conifers: lab and field studies, Mirindi Eric Dusenge
RNA interference of worker sterility genes: Testing mechanisms of reproductive regulation in Apis mellifera, Anthony J. Gallo
Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics in Plants Grown at Low CO2 Conditions of the Past, Andre Galvao Duarte
Diet Composition and Mercury Exposure in Bank Swallows (Riparia riparia) Breeding at Lakeshore and Aggregate Pits, Corrine S. V. Génier
Engineering self-assembling proteins to produce a safe and effective vaccine for Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome, Ondre H. Harper
Evaluating restoration success by tracking the structural and functional recovery of restored, drained, and intact wetlands, Renee C. Howard
Cross-species utility of the Mouse Diversity Genotyping Array in assaying single nucleotide polymorphisms, Rachel Kelly
The Cost of Protection: Frost Avoidance and Competition in Herbaceous Plants, Frederick Curtis Lubbe
Above- and belowground community linkages in boreal peatlands and climate warming implications, Caitlyn Lyons
Contrasting non-breeding ecology of Swainson’s Thrush (Catharus ustulatus) in Andean forest and shade-grown coffee plantations, Sean McElaney
The Stability of Temperate Lakes Under the Changing Climate, Aleksey Paltsev
Uncovering a Mystery of the Isoflavonoid Metabolon: Identification and Characterization of the Arogenate Dehydratase Gene Family in Soybean, Kelsey Pannunzio
Quantitative proteome analysis of alfalfa in drought stress under the influence of miR156, Alpa Puri
The role of H3K4 methyltransferases in Drosophila memory, Nicholas Raun
Assessing the role of Drosophila melanogaster neuroligin 3 on social spacing and climbing behaviour, J. Wesley Robinson
The Lotus japonicus SHORT INTERNODES/STYLISH gene family and its role during root nodule development, Arina Shrestha
Major histocompatibility complex does not affect mating patterns in bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus), Lucas Silveira
Climate Change and Dissolved Organic Matter in Subarctic Lakes: Relevance to Methylmercury Bioavailability, Kyra Lyn Simone
A role for Shh and Bmp4 in regulating the dorsal-ventral patterning of the developing pharyngeal region, Alex Szpak
Identifying Brachypodium distachyon proteins interacting with histone deacetylase BdHD1, Alberto Giovanni Torrez
Partial characterization of putative CYP86A genes from soybean, Trish Tully
The role of Xenopus laevis RECK in ECM remodeling and tissue patterning, Jessica Willson
Growth Characteristics and Lipid Metabolism of Cultured Migratory Bird Skeletal Muscle Cells, Kevin G. Young
Theses/Dissertations from 2018
The costs of fear: integrating fear effects on prey into population ecology, Marek Charles Allen
A comprehensive catalog of post-translational modifications of Drosophila melanogaster HOX protein, Sex combs reduced, Anirban Banerjee
Differential Spring Migration in the White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis), Andrew T. Beauchamp
RNAi Targeting of Manduca sexta Using Chloroplast-Encoded Long dsRNA, William Burke
Overwintering biology of the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), John Ciancio
The post-fledging survival and movements of juvenile Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica): an automated telemetry approach, Dean R. Evans
RNA Interference of MDR Genes in Leptinotarsa decemlineata and Trichoplusia ni by Ingestion of Double-Stranded RNA, Grant Favell
The Effect of Anoxia on Mitochondrial Function in a Hibernator (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus), Leah Hayward
Plant stimuli-responsive biodegradable polymers for the use in timed release fertilizer coatings, Spencer Heuchan
Developing a Sustainable Insect Pest Management System by Manipulating Plant Volatile Emissions, Scott R. Hughes
Creating Tools to Determine Whether Katanin 60 Affects Female Rejection of Males in Drosophila, Joshua R. Isaacson
Arabidopsis TT8 orthologue of pinto bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) regulates proanthocyanidin genes and seed coat darkening, Nishat Shayala Islam
Spatial and temporal patterns of neutral and adaptive genetic variation in the alpine butterfly, Parnassius smintheus, Maryam Jangjoo
Examining the Tissue-Level and Gross Phenotypic Effects of the Connexin43I130T/+ Mutation on the Developing Mouse Skull, Sommer G.E. Jarvis
Hitchhiker's guide to migration: effects of experimental parasitic infection and other immune challenges on migratory traits of sparrows, Tosha R. Kelly
Trophic and Competitive Interactions among Egg Parasitoids of Stink Bugs, Joanna K. Konopka
Landscape-level effects of agricultural intensification on the condition and diet of nestling Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica), Jackson W. Kusack
Top-down and bottom-up effects on Collembola communities in soil food webs, Jordan Kustec
Evaluating plant root uptake of dsRNA for application in pest management, Kaitlyn Ludba
Circannual Patterns of Adipose Tissue Characteristics in a Hibernator, the Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus), Amanda Maccannell
Production of a Candidate Recombinant Protein Vaccine for Mannheimia haemolytica in Lettuce and Tobacco Chloroplasts, Coby K. Martin
Characterizing the Role of the miR156-SPL Network in Heat Stress Response in Medicago sativa, Craig Matthews
Consequences of Environmental Mercury Exposure for Migratory Fitness and Survival of Passerine Birds, Yanju Ma
The effect of multiple environmental stressors on the growth and toxicity of the red tide alga Heterosigma akashiwo, Malihe Mehdizadeh Allaf
A Genetic Screen to Identify Fission Yeast Genes with Roles in Protecting Against Perturbation of the Actin Cytoskeleton, Dorota Michalski
Wildlife in a Premier African Protected Area do not Perceive Ecotourists as Predators, Badru Mugerwa
A bioinformatics analysis of contributors to false discovery for a mouse genotyping array, Nisha Patel
Phylogeny, Heat-Stress and Enzymatic Heat-Sensitivity in the Antarctic Psychrophile, Chlamydomonas sp. UWO 241, Marc Possmayer
Adaptation Mechanisms of Two-Spotted Spider Mite, Tetranychus Urticae, to Arabidopsis Indole Glucosinolates, Golnaz Salehipourshirazi
Growth and toxicity of geographically-distinct isolates of the fish-killing phytoflagellate, Heterosigma akashiwo, Veerta Singh
The Major Histocompatibility Complex in Song Sparrows: Immunity, Signals, and Mate Choice, Joel W.G. Slade
Brachypodium distachyon Histone Deacetylase BdHD1: A Positive Regulator in ABA Sensitivity and Drought Tolerance, Jingpu Song
Effects of Elevated Temperature, Elevated CO2 and Photoperiod on Conifer Carbon Fluxes, Joseph R. Stinziano
Soil Homogenization: Plant Species Diversity, Ecosystem Properties and Soil Freezing Effects During Tallgrass Prairie Restoration, Holly J. Stover
Nest Predation by brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater), David C. Swan
The effect of shelter availability on foraging in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), Christian A. Therrien
Maternal Effects and the Evolution of Chinook Salmon, Michael Thorn
Mechanisms Underlying Freeze Tolerance in the Spring Field Cricket, Gryllus veletis, Jantina Toxopeus
Suberin Biosynthesis and Deposition in the Wound-Healing Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Tuber Model, Kathlyn Natalie Woolfson