Theses and Dissertations

Ecological and Social Consequences of Collaborative Bison Reintroduction in the Western U.S.

This study focuses on evaluating the status and impact of collaborative conversation groups in the US

Genetic Structure and Hybridization of the Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates Pipiens) along the Mora watershed in northern New Mexico

Genetic Structure and Hybridization of the Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates Pipiens) along the Mora watershed in northern New Mexico

Livestock grazing limits beaver restoration in northern New Mexico

Despite intensive efforts to reintroduce beavers into areas where they are severely reduced in numbers or eliminated due to over-harvesting in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, beavers remain sparse or or missing from many stream reaches. In this study, beaver dams mostly occurred at sites that were not grazed or where there was some alternative grazing management, but were mostly absent at sites within Forest Service cattle allotments. Results indicated that cattle grazing influenced the relation between vegetation variables and beaver presence. We recommend that beaver restoration will require changes to current livestock management practices.

The Impacts of the Invasive American Bullfrog

The invasion of the American Bullfrog leads to the loss of native biodiversity and can eventually drive some species into extinction. The American Bullfrog were established in the RMNWR in Northern New Mexico during the last century.