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Becker Thesis - Nov30.pdf (2.92 MB)

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The influence of urbanization on arthropod water demand and lipid and protein consumption in mesic environments.

Becker, Jamie Erin
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1510869685967938

Abstract Details

2017, Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, Biological Sciences.
Water is vital for terrestrial life, but water sources are often scarce, and environmental conditions are often desiccating. For example, the urban heat island effect causes areas with high impervious surfaces to have much hotter and drier conditions than rural locations. In chapter one, I examined the frequency of water demand behavior across variable landscapes in mesic NW OH, along with the effects of environmental factors and taxonomic identity. Overall, water demand occurred 11% of the time, but some areas experienced it 53.8% of the time. Ants accounted for much of the response (38% overall, but 62.8% and 57.4% in both high-impervious surface sites). Water demand behavior increased when soil moisture declined, especially below 30%. These results suggest that invertebrates experience water demand in a cool mesic region, even those living outside of urban areas. Further, invertebrates inhabiting cooler sites were most susceptible to periodic droughts or sudden weather changes, which could be due to arthropods at those locations having fewer xeric-adapted traits. When water is scarce, arthropods can obtain water by metabolizing dry food. Because lipids provide twice as much metabolic water as other macromolecules, eating high-lipid foods can reduce the need to forage for moist food. In chapter two, I examined the effects that arthropod water demand and impervious surface have on macronutrient consumption within 32 sites across Toledo, OH. Two artificial diets high in lipid or protein were offered at six trees at each site, three of which had wet water pillows and three had dry pillows. Lipid demand (L:P) was positively associated with impervious surface (X2 = 8.36, df = 1, p < 0.01), and water pillows reduced the magnitude of this effect; this suggests that water balance likely played a role in driving lipid demand, matching predictions. Ants accounted for much of the response in high impervious surface areas. Because ants play key roles in food webs and ecosystems, increased demand for lipids with urbanization or climate change could have major consequences for urban food webs and ecosystem services. Future work should investigate how shifts in L:P preferences alter food webs.
Kevin McCluney (Advisor)
Karen Root (Committee Member)
Shannon Pelini (Committee Member)
67 p.
Animals; Biology; Ecology; Physiology
carbohydrate; city; feeding behavior; geometric framework; intake target; lipid; protein; urban; water ecology

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Becker, J. E. (2017). The influence of urbanization on arthropod water demand and lipid and protein consumption in mesic environments. [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1510869685967938

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Becker, Jamie. The influence of urbanization on arthropod water demand and lipid and protein consumption in mesic environments. . 2017. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1510869685967938.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Becker, Jamie. "The influence of urbanization on arthropod water demand and lipid and protein consumption in mesic environments. ." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1510869685967938

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1510869685967938
345
© 2017, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License The influence of urbanization on arthropod water demand and lipid and protein consumption in mesic environments. by Jamie Erin Becker is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.