My dissertation focuses on the factors that influence variation in female reproductive success in plethodontid salamanders and in toads. Variation in reproductive success fuels evolutionary change. Although, females often have been overlooked in studies of reproductive success due to perceived lower levels of variation when compared to variation in male...
Mycobacterium avium is a ubiquitous environmental organism found in both water and soil. It can cause disease in patients with previous pulmonary conditions, as well as immunosupressed patients, with the most prevalent being AIDS patients. Studies have indicated that passage through amoeba, a common environmental protozoa, increases virulence of M....
With declining populations and low calf recruitment in northeastern Oregon, much interest has been generated to study the survival rates and causes of mortality of Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni). I investigated the causes of elk calf mortality and the effects of predation risk on birth-site selection by cow...
Featuring high waterfalls and forested cliffs, and displaying a remarkable transition between the Pacific and Interior west, the Columbia River Gorge reveals the grandeur of western landscapes. Yet the landscape that one sees today is an amalgamation of the Gorge's natural setting and its unique human history. Historical research on...
