Restricted Theses and Dissertations
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Browsing Restricted Theses and Dissertations by Department "Biology"
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Item Embargo A comparison of the genomes of two species of Muntjac: the Indian Muntjac, Muntiacus muntjac vaginalis, and the Reaves Muntjac, Muntiacus reevesi(1979) Johnston, Frank E.; Church, Robert B.Item Embargo A functional anatomical study of lizard respiration(1975) Hadden, Heather Dawn; Rosenberg, Herbert I.Item Embargo A preliminary investigation of bottom fauna and invertebrate drift in an unregulated and regulated stream in Alberta(1970) Radford, Duane S.; Hartland-Rowe, Richard C.Item Embargo A preliminary study of behavioral adaptations of wintering Pronghorn antelope(1969) Bruns, Eldon H.; Geist, ValeriusItem Metadata only A study of the ecological effects of municipal sewage effluent on a swampland stream at Hay River, Northwest Territories(1974) Wright, Philemon Brooks; Hartland-Rowe, Richard C.Item Embargo A study of the structure-function relationships of pyruvate kinase in a mutant of Neurospora crassa(1980) Yeung, Michael Chunghow; Kapoor, ManjuItem Embargo A Survey of the metazoan parasites of Sebastes alutus Gilbert(1970) Sekerak, Aaron Daniel; Arai, Hisao P.Item Embargo Adaptations of aquatic microorganisms to the biodegradation of oil sands hydrocarbons of the Athabasca(1981) Wyndham, Robert Campbell; Costerton, J. William F.Microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi and yeast from sediments of the major rivers of the Athabasca oil sands formation were found to be capable of growth on Athabasca bitumen as sole source of carbon and energy. During bitumen biodegradation, which proceeds very slowly, the saturate and aromatic hydrocarbon fractions of the bitumen were depleted. At the sediment-water interface of these rivers an active, heterotrophic community of microorganisms was enumerated. Numbers by direct count and activity assessed by 14 C-glutamate heterotrophic potential were not greater in sediments containing eroded bituminous hydrocarbons than in control sediments from outside the oil sands formation. There was also no difference in the MPN of 14 C-hexadecane or 14 C-naphthalene degrading microorganisms in oil sands sediments relative to controls. Bitumen degrading microorganisms enumerated by plate count were enriched in bitumen-containing sediments, although there was a surprising general capability for growth on bituminous hydrocarbons at all sites. The rate of assimilation and respiration of 14 C-hexadecane and 14 C-naphthalene carried within bitumen adsorbed to silica gel was significantly greater at oil sands sites than at control sites. These results indicated an adaptation of microorganisms to the problems of colonization and mobilization of hydrocarbons in a bituminous hydrocarbon substrate. There were marked seasonal fluctuations in heterotrophic activity and hydrocarbon biodegradation potentials. There was also a dependence of hydrocarbon biodegradation determined with radiolabeled substrates and by mass loss on the availability of nutrient nitrogen and phosphorus. Trace organic additions did not alter the rate; however, glucose addition caused sparing of the hydrocarbon substrates. 14 C-Naphthalene was degraded at a greater rate in sediment samples and its biodegradation was less sensitive to nutrient limitations than 14 C-hexadecane. Embedding and transmission electron microscopy of bitumen surfaces colonized 1n situ indicated a polysaccharide mediated adhesion of microorganisms to the hydrocarbon surface. Other microorganisms were 1n direct contact with the bitumen with no extracellular polymer involved. Channeling within the substrate was one strategy used to increase the surface area available for colonization. Characterization of bitumen degrading isolates indicated Pseudomonas, Xanthomonas, Acinetobacter, Nocardia species and coryneforms were capable of growth on the saturate and aromatic components of bitumen. Most of these isolates were also able to grow on simple n-alkanes and this approach was taken in order to obtain cell yields sufficient for investigating possible oxygenases involved in bitumen biodegradation. Cytochrome P450, a known hydrocarbon oxidizing hemoprotein with a broad substrate specificity, was found in Acinetobacter species from sediments of the Athabasca. The implications of these findings for microorganisms involved in heavy oil biodegradation are discussed.Item Embargo Adaptive strategies in the behaviour of the red fox: Vulpes vulpes L.(1976) Henry, John David; Herrero, Stephen M.Item Embargo Adventitious root initiation in Pinus radiata D. Don: developmental and physiological studies in hypocotyl cuttings(1975) Smith, Dale R.; Thorpe, Trevor A.Item Embargo Agar degradation by Pseudomonas agaoltica sp. n.(1978) Walker, Peter William; Din, George A.Item Embargo Ammonification and nitrofication in an arctic soil(1978) Harrington, Neil V.; Parkinson, DennisItem Embargo An autecological investigation of Dryas Drummondii Richards(1978) Wilson, Lloyd Marion; Holman, Jere R.Item Embargo An ecological model of Aedes vexans populations in southern Alberta(1978) Slater, Jonathan David; Pritchard, GordonItem Embargo An Ecological study of factors affecting the microdistribution of ephemeroptera and other benthic macroinvertebrates in Bragg Creek, Alberta(1985) Scott, Greg, 1952-; Davies, Ronald W.Item Embargo An ecological study of Hirudinoide native to Alberta(1974) Everett, Roger Paul; Davies, Ronald W.Item Embargo An ecological study of seven streams in Yoho and Banff National Parks: with special reference to the life histories and community compositions of the benthic insect fauna(1976) Robinson, David J.; Hartland-Rowe, Richard C.Item Embargo An ecological study of three sub-alpine streams in Alberta(1977) Mutch, Robert Alexander; Davies, Ronald W.A preliminary investigation of the ecology of three subalpine streams, Twin Creek, Cabin Creek and Middle Fork Creek, situated on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, Alberta was carried out during the period June 1974-March 1976. · The annual (1975) average number of invertebrates per square metre was 3,003 and 1,459 in Twin Creek and Cabin Creek respectively . The annual (1975) average standing crop (wet weight) of invertebrates was 9.17 g m- 2 and 3.01 g m-2 in Twin Creek and Cabin Creek respectively. There was a greater diversity (H') of invertebrates in Twin Creek than in Cabin Creek. Oreogeton sp. (Diptera: Empididae) was the most abundant organism in Cabin Creek, whereas Nemoura columbiana (Plecoptera: Filipalpia) was the most abundant invertebrate in Twin Creek. Harvesting of 50% of the for est in Cabin Creek watershed in September 1974 had no obvious effect on the benthic invertebrate community of Cabin Creek. In 1975 adults of 24 species of Plecoptera, 15 species of Trichoptera and 6 species of Ephemeroptera were coll ected within the Ma n~ot Basin watershed. The Plecoptera exhibited a di stinct seasonal succession of emergence from February to October, the Trichoptera were found flying from May to October, while the Ephemeroptera emerged during the months July to October . During the fall and winter of 1975, the breakdown of willow leaves (Salix gZauca x myrtiZZifoZia) in Twin Creek and Cabin Creek was investigated. The fall/winter decay coefficient (k/day-1 ) was 0.0216 and 0.0036 in Twin Creek and Cabin Creek respectively. Both microbial decomposition and invertebrate feeding on the leaves was significantly greater in Twin Creek than in Cabin Creek. It was estimated that invertebrate feeding accounted for 45% of the dry weight lost from the leaves in Twin Creek and nymphs of the stonefly Nemoura coZumbiana played a major role in the breakdown of leaf material in this creek. The low concentration of dissolved orthophosphate may be a factor limiting the decomposition process in Cabin Creek. From August 1975 to October 1976 the periphyton biomass in Twin Creek, Middle Fork Creek and Cabin Creek was determined using the chlorophyll 'a' technique. The mean annual biomass of chlorophyll 'a' was 0.033 g ~-2 ,o~023 g m:2 and 0.007gm-2 in Twin Creek, Middle Fork Creek and Cabin Creek respectively. In Twin Creek and Middle Fork Creek the biomass of chlorophyll 'a' exhibited distinct maxima in June and November/December. Experiments indicated that the calcareous substrate of Cabin Creek may , in part, be responsible for the low p 0 - i phyton biomass in this creek.Item Embargo An Ecological study on the Encytraeidae of coniferous forest soil in the Kananaskis region(1971) Skydt, Paul Erik; Cragg, James B.Item Embargo An evaluation of the summer range of Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis Shaw) on Ram Mountain, Alberta(1975) Johnson, John Derek; Bird, Charles D.