Department of Biology Graduate Theses
Recent Submissions
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Evolutionary Constraints: Phenology and elevational range limits in an annual plant
All species have limits to their geographic distributions and many range limits are stable over centuries, indicating a failure to adapt to conditions beyond the range edge. This simple observation contradicts copious ... -
Daphnia vertical position and implications for the impact of the invasive zooplankton predator, Bythotrephes longimanus, on plankton communities in south-central Ontario
Species diversity and identity play an important role in determining community structure and regulating ecosystem processes. However, species interactions are often characterized by the mean effect or response, often ... -
Assessing long-term environmental trends in Ontario lakes that support Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush)
Oxygenated habitats for Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) are projected to deteriorate with climate warming. However, a paucity of long-term limnological monitoring data impedes the ability to determine if concentrations ... -
Screening Assessments for Aquatic Invasive Species Using Species Distribution Models
Invasive species are a major cause of biodiversity loss in North American freshwaters. Once established, aquatic invasive species (AIS) can restructure food webs and change the abiotic or physical conditions of a water ... -
Coping with Thermal Challenges: Reaction Norms of Life History Traits of a Burying Beetles with Biparental Care
To succeed and thrive in different environments, individuals can express plastic phenotypes, including life history traits, to ensure some level of fitness across conditions. As such, the plasticity of traits is central ... -
Sedimentary Midges as Paleoindicators of Deep-water Oxygen Conditions Across a Broad Trophic Gradient in Boreal Lakes
Cultural eutrophication, the addition of excess nutrients to an aquatic system, is a significant water quality concern that often promotes excess algal growth and deep-water oxygen depletion. Deep-water oxygen also influences ... -
The Roles of the Neuropeptide Receptor NPR-14 in the Regulation of Sleep Behaviours in Caenorhabditis elegans
Most animals with a nervous system exhibit sleep behaviour(s) during their life cycle, which appears as a decreased level of physical activity and changes in metabolism. Even animals with a simple nervous system like ... -
Natural Movements of Smallmouth Bass and Their Response to Tournament Displacement Within the Eastern Basin of Lake Ontario
Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu) are one of the most popular species targeted by angling tournaments in North America, particularly in the Great Lakes region. Tournament anglers target the largest fish in these ... -
A glycoform of the purple acid phosphatase AtPAP26 interacts with a GNA-apple domain lectin (AtGAL1) in cell walls of phosphate-starved Arabidopsis thaliana
Purple acid phosphatases (PAPs) function in the acquisition and recycling of inorganic phosphate (Pi), a crucial but environmentally-limiting macronutrient for plant growth. Among 29 predicted PAPs of the model plant ... -
Analysis of E3 ligases and identification of ubiquitination sites regulating turnover of the plant immune signaling kinase BIK1
Plants possess sophisticated mechanisms for responding to the threat of pathogens. Microbial patterns such as bacterial flagellin are perceived by receptor complexes located at the plant plasma membrane. This perception ... -
Population decline in an avian aerial insectivore (Tachycineta bicolor) linked to climate change
Avian aerial insectivores, a taxonomically diverse guild of birds, are facing dire population declines. The primary commonality among these birds is that they forage on flying insects, suggesting that diet has exposed these ... -
Characterization of insulin signaling in a Caenorhabditis elegans Alzheimer’s disease model
Insulin is a key hormone in the regulation of blood glucose levels in many animals. Dysfunctional insulin signaling is one of the leading mechanisms of interest for the pathogenesis of diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). ... -
Examining the natural and disturbed behaviours of Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) using hydroacoustic surveys in Lake Ontario
In Lake Ontario, Alewife are the primary prey for salmonids, which provide a popular and socio-economically important recreational fishery. There is concern with regards to whether the Alewife population has the ability ... -
Seasonal activity, depth distribution, and microhabitat associations of resident yellow-phase American eels (Anguilla rostrata) in the upper St. Lawrence River
The American eel (Anguilla rostrata) is an endangered species that inhabits fresh, brackish, and oceanic waters. Eels are elusive; little is known about their seasonal movements, depth distribution, and microhabitat ... -
Assessing the chemical and biological recovery of Killarney Provincial Park lakes from historical acidification
Since the mid 1900s, acidification has impacted water quality and threatened the ecological integrity of thousands of lakes and streams across Eastern North America and Europe. After the implementation of industrial emission ... -
Analysis of Human Thyroid Cancer-1 and Annexin V as Pro-Survival cDNA Sequences in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae
Overexpressing a mouse Bax cDNA in yeast cells induces cell death. When heterologously expressed in yeast cells overexpression of a mouse cDNA encoding Bax, human Thyroid Cancer-1 (TC-1) or annexin V (ANXA5) suppresses ... -
Microalgae Cultivation on Wastewater and Genetic Modifications to Increase Triacylglycerol Production
Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms that can grow in a variety of environments. They have become a popular feedstock for the production of biofuels, high-value chemicals, and nutraceuticals. One of the main products ... -
The Effects of Diluted Bitumen on Developing Fathead Minnow (Pimephales Promelas)
Canada has experienced a significant increase in the transport of diluted bitumen (dilbit), a predominant oil sands product that is created by combining bitumen with diluents derived from oil-gas condensates and other ... -
Phenotypic Plasticity Drives Phenological Change in Mandt's Black Guillemot (Cepphus Grylle MandtII)
The ability of individuals to change breeding time is predicted to be an important aspect of adapting to climate change. Changes in breeding time could occur through either behavioural adjustment of breeding time or ... -
Cladoceran Responses to Environmental Change in High Elevation Andean Lakes
Andean lakes are hotspots of biodiversity and serve as critical freshwater resources for millions of people. However, little information is available regarding their ecological responses to anthropogenic climate change, ...
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