Evolutionary ecology of seaweed strength and flexibility
department or school: Science, Faculty of
department or school: Zoology, Department of
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCV
creator: Glenn, Kyle William
issued: 2013-04-20T09:13:33Z
issued: 2013
related degree: Doctor of Philosophy - PhD
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: An organism’s success is largely dependent upon its ability to function and survive within the physical constraints of its environment. The wave-swept shoreline is one of the most mechanically challenging environments on Earth, with passing waves imposing hydrodynamic forces comparable to those in a hurricane every 5-10 seconds. Nonetheless, the wave-swept intertidal hosts an exquisite diversity of plants and animals. I used field and laboratory techniques to examine morphological and material adaptations of seaweeds to life in high-energy environments. In Chapter 2, I experimentally manipulated size and shape of 16 species of foliose red algae and showed that variation in tissue material and structural properties explain differences in hydrodynamic performance among species- thinner, more flexible tissues allow blades to reconfigure in flow and reduce drag. Because material and structural properties may shift through an organism’s lifespan, I then investigated how reproduction and aging impact seaweed mechanical traits. In Chapter 3, I documented the mechanical costs associated with reproduction in the winged kelp, Alaria marginata, and found that shifts in other structural and material traits compensated for the increased drag associated with reproductive blades. In Chapter 4, a survey of 27 species of foliose algae showed that aging affected material properties of all species similarly. However, the implications of aging tissues on mechanical design varied with the growth form of the species: apically growing red algae have their oldest (stiffest) tissue attaching their blades to the substrate, while kelps, whose blades grow basally, are supported by their newest (most flexible) tissue. Finally, in Chapter 5, I tested for intraspecific variation in mechanical traits and found that variation among individuals (Egregia menziesii) at an exposed site accurately predicted survivorship during winter storms. Individuals with weaker fronds were more likely to survive bec…
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/44342
note: Evolutionary Ecology of Seaweed Strength and Flexibility by Kyle William Glenn B.Sc., The University of South Florida 2007 M.Sc., California State University Monterey Bay 2009 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in The Faculty of Graduate Studies (Zoology) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) April 2013 c© Kyle William Glenn 2013 Abstract An organism’s success is largely dependent upon its ability to function and survive within the physical constraints of its environment. The wave-swept shoreline is one of the most mechanically challenging environments on Earth, with passing waves imposing hydrodynamic forces comparable to those in a hurricane every 5-10 seconds. Nonetheless, the wave-swept intertidal hosts an exquisite diversity of plants and animals. I used field and laboratory techniques to examine morphological and material adaptations of seaweeds to life in high-energy environments. In Chapter 2, I experimentally ma- nipulated size and shape of 16 species of foliose red algae and showed that variation in tissue material and structural properties explain differences in hydrodynamic performance among species- thinner, more flexible tissues al- low blades to reconfigure in flow and reduce drag. Because material and structural properties may shift through an organism’s lifespan, I then in- vestigated how reproduction and aging impact seaweed mechanical traits. In Chapter 3, I documented the mechanical costs associated with repro- duction in the winged kelp, Alaria marginata, and found that shifts in other structural and material traits compensated for the increased drag associated with reproductive blades. In Chapter 4, a survey of 27 species of foliose al- gae showed that aging affected material properties of all species similarly. ii However, the implications of aging tissues on mechanical design varied with the growth form of the species: apically growing red algae have their oldest (stif…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
date issued: 2013-05
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0073669
language: eng
degree discipline: Zoology
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
rights URI: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
scholar level: Graduate
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/44342