| dc.contributor.author | McLean, Kyle Ian | |
| dc.description.abstract | Global climate change has been linked to changing many ecosystem processes. Early
literature on climate change and biological systems predominately focused on individual species
responses to temperature gradients. However, altered precipitation patterns can impact the ionic
concentrations of aquatic habitats and thus affect the structure of entire communities.
Understanding indirect effects of climate change, will be important to predict how whole systems
have and will continue to change. Prairie pothole wetlands are well suited to study these
processes. Prairie pothole wetlands are typically closed systems with natural hydrological
fluctuations that have molded plant and wildlife communities adapted to these changing
environments. However, a 20-year wet climate cycle has increased the permanency of many
waterbodies facilitating colonization of various fish species, including the fathead minnow
(Pimphales promelas). Thus, it is important to understand the environmental and biological
aspects of prairie pothole wetlands facilitate fish presence under current and projected climate
cycles. | en_US |
| dc.publisher | North Dakota State University | en_US |
| dc.rights | NDSU Policy 190.6.2 | |
| dc.title | The "Fathead Minnow Factory": Exploring How a Changing Climate Has Influenced Fish and Salamander Communities in the Prairie Pothole Region | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2018-03-20T18:33:02Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2018-03-20T18:33:02Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2015 | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10365/27826 | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | United States Geological Survey Climate and Land-use Change Mission Area | en_US |
| ndsu.degree | Master of Science (MS) | |
| ndsu.college | Graduate and Interdisciplinary Studies | |
| ndsu.department | Biological Sciences | |
| ndsu.program | Environmental and Conservation Science | |
| ndsu.advisor | Stockwell, Craig | |
