Ecological genetics of Melaleuca quinquenervia (Myrtaceae): Population variation in Florida and its influence on performance of the biological control agent Oxyops vitiosa (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) Blake (Myrtaceae) was imported into Florida from Australia over a century ago as a landscape plant. A favorable climate and periodic wildfires helped M. quinquenervia thrive; it now occupies about 200,000 hectares in southern Florida. A biological control (i.e., biocontrol) program against M. quinquenervia has been initiated, but not all biocontrol releases are successful. Some scientists have argued that poor biocontrol agent success may relate to genetic differences among populations of invasive weeds. I tested this premise by determining (1) the number and origins of M. quinquenervia introductions into Florida, (2) whether multiple introduction events resulted in the partitioning of Florida's M. quinquenervia populations into discrete biotypes, and (3) whether Oxyops vitiosa, an Australia snout beetle imported to control this weed, might discriminate among putative M. quinquenervia biotypes. Careful scrutiny of early horticultural catalogs and USDA plant introduction records suggested at least six distinct introduction events. Allozyme analyses indicated that the pattern of these introductions, and the subsequent redistribution of progeny, has resulted in geographic structuring of the populations in southern Florida. For example, trees on Florida's Gulf Coast had a greater effective number of alleles and exhibited greater heterozygosity than trees on the Atlantic Coast. Essential oil yields from M. quinquenervia leaves followed a similar trend; Gulf Coast trees yielded nearly twice as much oil as Atlantic Coast trees when both were grown in a common garden. These differences were partially explained by the predominance of a chemical phenotype (chemotype) very rich in the sesquiterpene (E)-nerolidol in M. quinquenervia trees from the Gulf Coast, but rich in a mixture of the monoterpene 1,8-cineole and the sesquiterpene viridiflorol in trees from the Atlantic Coast. Performance of O. vitiosa differed dramatically in laboratory studies depending on the chemotype of the foliage they were fed. Larval survivorship was four-fold greater on the (E)-nerolidol chemotype. Growth was also greater, with adult O. vitiosa gaining nearly 50% more biomass on the (E)-nerolidol plants than on the second chemotype. The results of this study thus confirmed the premise that plant genotype can affect the population dynamics of insects released as weed biocontrols. ^

Organic matter dynamics in the Florida coastal Everglades: A molecular marker and isotopic approach

Everglades National Park (ENP) is about to undergo the world's largest wetland restoration with the aim of improving the quality, timing and distribution of water flow. The changes in water flow are hypothesized to alter the nutrient fluxes and organic matter (OM) dynamics within ENP, especially in the estuarine areas. This study used a multi-proxy approach of molecular markers and stable δ 13C isotope measurements, to determine the present day OM dynamics in ENP. ^ OM dynamics in wetland soils/sediments have proved to be difficult to understand using traditional geochemical approaches. These are often inadequate to describe the multitude of OM sources (e.g. higher land plant, emergent vegetation, submerged vegetation) to the soils/sediments and the complex diagenetic processes that can alter the OM characteristics. A multi-proxy approach, however, that incorporates both molecular level and bulk parameter information is ideal to comprehend complex OM dynamics in aquatic environments. Therefore, biomass-specific molecular markers or proxies can be useful in tracing the sources and processing of OM. This approach was used to examine the OM dynamics in the two major drainage basins, Shark River Slough and Taylor River Slough, of ENP. Freshwater to marine transects were sampled in both systems for soils/sediments and suspended particulate organic matter (SPOM) to be characterized through bulk OM analyses, lipid biomarker determinations (e.g. sterols, fatty acids, hydrocarbons and triterpenoids) and compound-specific stable carbon isotope (δ 13C) determinations. ^ One key accomplishment of the research was the assessment of a molecular marker proxy (Paq) to distinguish between emergent/higher plant vegetation from submerged vegetation within ENP. This proxy proved to be quite useful at tracing OM inputs to the soils/sediments of ENP. A second key accomplishment was the development of a 3-way model using vegetation specific molecular markers. This novel, descriptive model was successfully applied to the estuarine areas of Taylor and Shark River sloughs, providing clear evidence of mixing of freshwater, estuarine and marine derived OM in these areas. In addition, diagenetic transformations of OM in these estuaries were found to be quite different between Taylor and Shark Rivers, and are likely a result of OM quality and hydrological differences. ^

Development of a mathematical and computer model to assess water quality impacts of hazardous compounds from minor gasoline spills in the inter-tidal zone of the Miami River, Florida

The objective of this study was to develop a model to predict transport and fate of gasoline components of environmental concern in the Miami River by mathematically simulating the movement of dissolved benzene, toluene, xylene (BTX), and methyl-tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) occurring from minor gasoline spills in the inter-tidal zone of the river. Computer codes were based on mathematical algorithms that acknowledge the role of advective and dispersive physical phenomena along the river and prevailing phase transformations of BTX and MTBE. Phase transformations included volatilization and settling. ^ The model used a finite-difference scheme of steady-state conditions, with a set of numerical equations that was solved by two numerical methods: Gauss-Seidel and Jacobi iterations. A numerical validation process was conducted by comparing the results from both methods with analytical and numerical reference solutions. Since similar trends were achieved after the numerical validation process, it was concluded that the computer codes algorithmically were correct. The Gauss-Seidel iteration yielded at a faster convergence rate than the Jacobi iteration. Hence, the mathematical code was selected to further develop the computer program and software. The model was then analyzed for its sensitivity. It was found that the model was very sensitive to wind speed but not to sediment settling velocity. ^ A computer software was developed with the model code embedded. The software was provided with two major user-friendly visualized forms, one to interface with the database files and the other to execute and present the graphical and tabulated results. For all predicted concentrations of BTX and MTBE, the maximum concentrations were over an order of magnitude lower than current drinking water standards. It should be pointed out, however, that smaller concentrations than the latter reported standards and values, although not harmful to humans, may be very harmful to organisms of the trophic levels of the Miami River ecosystem and associated waters. This computer model can be used for the rapid assessment and management of the effects of minor gasoline spills on inter-tidal riverine water quality. ^

School desegregation in Broward County, Florida, 1970--1998: A historical study of power

This is a historical case study on school desegregation and power in Broward County, Florida from 1970 to 1998. The purpose of this study is to describe, explain and analyze types of power used by the School Board of Broward County, Florida and community activists, in their efforts to influence desegregation decisions from 1970 to 1998. In addition, this study explains who benefited and who won from the School Board's desegregation decisions and who governed those decisions? ^ A historical case study approach was used as the method for conducting this study. Data sources included 11 interviews of individuals who were involved in school desegregation issues as either School Board officials or community activists and 10 archival data sources. ^ The theoretical models of Russell, Galbraith, Wartenberg and Domhoff were used to determine the different types of power techniques used by School Board officials and community activists and to answer the questions: who benefited and who won from the School Board's desegregation decisions and who governed those policies and practices? ^ The primary beneficiaries of school desegregation policies and practices in Broward County were: white, affluent communities and the builders, developers, realtors and other businesses in the western suburban communities. All of the data sources indicated that the black community did not benefit from the School Board's desegregation policies. ^ The primary power techniques used by School Board officials to influence desegregation policies and practices was “power over opinions” and compensation. These power techniques were manifested by the School Board publicly disputing the allegations raised by community activists and by compensating those who supported and promoted the School Board's desegregation policies and practices. ^ The power techniques primarily used by community activists were coercive force and “power over opinions.” They effectively used these power techniques to change the School Board's policies and practices they felt were detrimental to black children and the black community. ^ Based on the analysis of the qualitative data, it can be concluded that black children did not benefit from school desegregation in Broward County, Florida and the community continues to suffer residual effects from past desegregation policies and practices. ^

The effect of a reform on a school organizational culture after receiving a failing Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test rating

The purpose of this research was to explore the effects of a reform that took place in an elementary school during 2000/2001 as a result of a failure rating on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test on the structure and the personnel of the organization. ^ The exploration took place over a period of 10 months starting in August 2000 until June 2001. It focused on the effect of the failure rating on the: (a) structure and operation of the school; (b) morale, beliefs, behaviors, and daily lives of teachers and the principal; and (c) the effect of the reform effort on the leadership style of the principal, whether she became a transactional or a transformative leader. ^ The researcher assumed the role of a participant observer. Data sources were her personal recollections of major events that took place during the year of the reform, interviews, observations, and school documents. The sample included 15 teachers present during the time of the reform. Ten taught second through fifth grade. The remaining five participants were the music teacher, the counselor, and the writing, reading and technology specialists. Together they represented the instructional team or represented special education areas. ^ The findings indicated that the reform effort had an effect on the structure and the operation of the school. The changes included reorganization of the physical set up, changes in curriculum and instruction, changes in the means of communication among the staff, and the addition of new staff members including an official agent of change. The reform had a greater effect on the daily lives of teachers and their morale than on their beliefs and behaviors. Teachers reported that during the effort their daily lives were stressful and their morale very low due to the enormous expectations that they had to meet. On the other hand, the reform effort had a positive effect on the daily life, morale, beliefs, and behaviors of the principal. It energized her. She spoke positively about the change. She functioned as an effective, positive, resilient transactional leader who did what was necessary in order to enable the teachers to cope with the complex situation. ^

Defining the role of floating periphyton mats in shaping food-web dynamics in the Florida Everglades

Expansive periphyton mats are a striking characteristic of the Florida Everglades. Floating periphyton mats are home to a diverse macroinvertebrate community dominated by chironomid and ceratopogonid larvae and amphipods that use the mat as both a food resource and refuge from predation. While this periphyton complex functions as a self-organizing system, it also serves as a base for trophic interactions with larger organisms. The purpose of my research was to quantify variation in the macroinvertebrate community inhabiting floating periphyton mats, describe the role of mats in shaping food-web dynamics, and describe how these trophic interactions change with eutrophication. ^ I characterized the macroinvertebrate community inhabiting periphyton through a wet-season by describing spatial variation on scales from 0.2 m to 3 km. Floating periphyton mats contained a diverse macroinvertebrate community, with greater taxonomic richness and higher densities of many taxa than adjacent microhabitats. Macroinvertebrate density increased through the wet season as periphyton mats developed. While some variation was noted among sites, spatial patterns were not observed on smaller scales. I also sampled ten sites representing gradients of hydroperiod and nutrient (P) levels. The density of macroinvertebrates inhabiting periphyton mats increased with increasing P availability; however, short-hydroperiod P-enriched sites had the highest macroinvertebrate density. This pattern suggests a synergistic interaction of top-down and bottom-up effects. In contrast, macroinvertebrate density was lower in benthic floc, where it was negatively correlated with hydroperiod. ^ I used two types of mesocosms (field cages and tanks) to manipulate large consumers (fish and grass shrimp) with inclusion/exclusion cages over an experimental P gradient. In most cases, periphyton mats served as an effective predation refuge. Macroinvertebrates were consumed more frequently in P-enriched treatments, where mats were also heavily grazed. Macroinvertebrate densities decreased with increasing P in benthic floc, but increased with enrichment in periphyton mats until levels were reached that caused disassociation of the mat. ^ This research documents several indirect trophic interactions that can occur in complex habitats, and emphasizes the need to characterize dynamics of all microhabitats to fully describe the dynamics of an ecosystem. ^

Effects of roadway geometric features on run-off road crashes on the Florida State Highway System

Run-off-road (ROR) crashes have increasingly become a serious concern for transportation officials in the State of Florida. These types of crashes have increased proportionally in recent years statewide and have been the focus of the Florida Department of Transportation. The goal of this research was to develop statistical models that can be used to investigate the possible causal relationships between roadway geometric features and ROR crashes on Florida's rural and urban principal arterials. ^ In this research, Zero-Inflated Poisson (ZIP) and Zero-Inflated Negative Binomial (ZINB) Regression models were used to better model the excessive number of roadway segments with no ROR crashes. Since Florida covers a diverse area and since there are sixty-seven counties, it was divided into four geographical regions to minimize possible unobserved heterogeneity. Three years of crash data (2000–2002) encompassing those for principal arterials on the Florida State Highway System were used. Several statistical models based on the ZIP and ZINB regression methods were fitted to predict the expected number of ROR crashes on urban and rural roads for each region. Each region was further divided into urban and rural areas, resulting in a total of eight crash models. A best-fit predictive model was identified for each of these eight models in terms of AIC values. The ZINB regression was found to be appropriate for seven of the eight models and the ZIP regression was found to be more appropriate for the remaining model. To achieve model convergence, some explanatory variables that were not statistically significant were included. Therefore, strong conclusions cannot be derived from some of these models. ^ Given the complex nature of crashes, recommendations for additional research are made. The interaction of weather and human condition would be quite valuable in discerning additional causal relationships for these types of crashes. Additionally, roadside data should be considered and incorporated into future research of ROR crashes. ^

Politics and prayer in West Perrine, Florida: Civic social capital and the black church

This thesis traces the mechanisms and sources responsible for the generation of civic social capital (a set of shared norms and values that promote cooperation between groups, enabling them to participate in the political process) by black churches in West Perrine, Florida. Data for this thesis includes over fifty interviews and participant observations, archival records, newspaper articles, and scholarly journals. ^ Despite the institutional racism of the first half of the twentieth century, many blacks and whites in Perrine developed levels of trust significant enough to form an integrated local governing body, evidence of high levels of csc. At mid-century, when black and white interactions ceased, Perrine's csc decreased, leading to the deterioration of Perrine's social and physical conditions. Perrine's csc increased in the 1980s by way of broad-based coalitions as Perrine's churches invested their csc in an effort to eradicate crime, clean up its neighborhood, and win back its youth. ^

The drivers of perception: Identifying the driving factors of resident perceptions of municipal service quality in cities of South Florida

The idea of comparative performance assessment is crucial. Recent study findings show that in South Florida the use by most municipalities of external benchmarks for performance comparison is virtually non-existent. On one level this study sought to identify the factors impacting resident perceptions of municipal service quality. On a different and more practical level, this study sought to identify a core set of measures that could serve for multi jurisdictional comparisons of performance. ^ This study empirically tested three groups of hypotheses. Data were collected via custom designed survey instruments from multiple jurisdictions, representing diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, and across two counties. A second layer of analysis was conducted on municipal budget documents for the presence of performance measures. A third layer of analysis was conducted via face-to-face interviews with residents at the point of service delivery. Research questions were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistic methodologies. ^ Results of survey data yielded inconsistent findings. In absolute aggregated terms, the use of sociological determinants to guide inquiry failed to yield conclusive answers regarding the factors impacting resident perceptions of municipal service quality. At disaggregated community levels, however, definite differences emerged but these had weak predictive ability. More useful were the findings of performance measures reporting via municipal budget documents and analyses of interviews with residents at the point of service delivery. Regardless of socio-economic profile, neighborhood characteristics, level of civic engagement or type of community, the same aspects were important to citizens when making assessments of service quality. For parks and recreation, respondents most frequently cited maintenance, facility amenities, and program offerings as important while for garbage collection services timely and consistent service delivery mattered most. Surprisingly municipalities participating in the study track performance data on items indicated as important by citizen assessments but regular feed back from residents or reporting to the same is rarely done. ^ The implications of these findings suggest that endeavors, such as the one undertaken in this study, can assist in determining a core set of measures for cross jurisdictional comparisons of municipal service quality, improving municipal delivery of services, and to communicate with the public. ^

The cultural politics of Jamaican dancehall music in South Florida

For Jamaicans throughout the Diaspora, dancehall music has emerged as their most potent cultural symbol demarcating their place of origin and continued sense of national belonging. Due to its unapologetic nature and tendency to tackle divisive issues such as those involving race, class, and sex, dancehall has been unfairly branded as wholly misogynistic and violent. This dissertation attempts to counter some of these assertions by exploring the cultural politics of dancehall music in South Florida's Jamaican community. Information for this study was obtained using participant observation, formal, and informal interviews. Participant observation was conducted over a 2 year period at several dancehall clubs and events throughout South Florida. A total of 24 formal and 30 informal interviews were conducted with listeners of the music and business owners who are directly and indirectly involved with the promotion, production, and distribution of dancehall in South Florida. ^ Results show that dancehall enacts cultural politics in three primary ways in South Florida. First, the music serves as one of several types of materials used in the construction of a "Jamaican identity." This is achieved through the lyrical content of the music where social, economic and political issues affecting the island are often discussed and debated. Second, dancehall operates as a form of cultural politics through its nurturing of nationalistic sensibilities. Evidence of this is apparent in the controversy involving dancehall's homophobic stance. Third, dancehall affords Jamaicans in South Florida the ability to transplant and perpetuate the uptown versus downtown divide. ^ Far from being wholly misogynistic and violent, therefore, dancehall is an important tool that can be used to address a wide variety of issues within the local Jamaican context and throughout the Jamaican diaspora. ^

Effect of the Florida A+ Plan on curriculum and instruction in Title I public elementary schools

The purpose of this research was to study the effect of the Florida A+ Plan accountability program on curriculum and instruction in four Title I public elementary schools in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools system. It focused on the experiences of the school principals and the classroom teachers of the four schools as they related to curriculum and instruction. The study included an analysis of the school improvement plans in curriculum and instruction for each school during the school years 1998-2004. ^ The study was conducted in the format of interviews with the school principals and principal selected classroom teachers who taught third, fourth, or fifth grade during the first six years of the Florida A+ Plan. The analysis of the school improvement plans focused on the implementation of curriculum and instruction for each of the four schools. It focused on the goals and measurable objectives selected by each school to improve its instructional program in the academic subjects of reading, mathematics, writing, and science. ^ The findings indicated that under the pressure to improve their school grade on the Florida A+ Plan, each of the target schools, based on individual needs assessments, and restructured their instructional program each school year as documented in their school improvement plans. They altered their programs by analyzing student performance data to realign curriculum and instruction. The analysis of the interviews with the principals and the teachers showed that each school year they restructured their program to align it with the FCAT content. This realigning was a collaborative effort on the part of the administration and the instructional staff. ^

Origin, transport and fate of organic matter in Florida Bay: A biomarker record of historical environmental changes

The Everglades are undergoing the world largest wetland restoration project with the aim of returning this system to hydrological conditions in place prior to anthropogenic modifications. Therefore, it is essential to know what these pristine conditions were. In this work, molecular marker (biomarker) distributions and carbon stable isotopic signatures in sediment samples were employed to assess historical environmental changes in Florida Bay over approximately the last 4000 years. Two biomarkers of terrestrial plants, particularly for mangroves (taraxerol and C29 n-alkane), combined with two seagrass proxies (the Paq and the C25/C 27 n-alkan-2-one ratio) revealed a sedimentary environmental shift from freshwater marshes to mangrove swamps and then to seagrass dominated marine ecosystems, likely as a result of sea-level rise in Florida Bay since the Holocene. The maximum values for the Paq and the C 25/C27 n-alkan-2-ones occurred during the 20th century, suggesting that the greatest abundance of seagrass cover is a recent rather than a historical, long-term phenomenon. The greater oscillation in frequency and amplitude for the biomarkers after 1900 potentially reflects an ecosystem under increasing anthropogenic stress. Several algal biomarkers such as C20 highly branched isoprenoids (HBIs), C 25 HBIs and dinosterol indicative of cyanobacteria, diatom and dinoflagellate organic matter inputs respectively, increased dramatically in the latter part of the 20th century and were attributed to recent anthropogenic changes in Florida Bay. ^ The highlight of this work is the development of HBIs as paleo-proxies. As biomarkers of diatoms, the C25 HBIs in the core from the central bay displayed the highest concentration at mid depth, reflecting strong historical inputs of diatom-derived sedimentary OM during that period. In fact, the depth profile of C25 HBIs coincided quite well with historical variations in diatom abundance and variations in diatom species composition in central Florida Bay based on the results of fossil diatom species analysis by microscopy. This study provides evidence that some C25 HBIs can be applied as biomarkers for certain diatom inputs in paleoenvironmental studies. The sources of C20 and C30 HBIs and their potential applicability as paleo-proxies were also investigated and their sources assessed based on their δ13C distributions. ^

Assessing the sources, quantities, and trends on human waste contamination along protected south Florida ecosystem: A chemical tracer based study

The common occurrence of human derived contaminants like pharmaceuticals, steroids and hormones in surface waters has raised the awareness of the role played by the release of treated or untreated sewage in the water quality along sensitive coastal ecosystems. South Florida is home to many important protected environments ranging from wetlands to coral reefs which are in close proximity to large metropolitan cities. Since large portions of South Florida and most of the Florida Keys population are not served by modern sewage treatment plants and rely heavily on the use of inefficient septic systems; a comprehensive survey of selected human waste contamination markers is needed in these areas to assess water quality with respect to non-traditional micro-constituents. ^ This study reports the development and application of new sensitive and selective analytical methods for the fast screening of multiple wastewater tracers, classified as Emergent Pollutants of Concern (EPOC). Novel methods for the trace analysis of non-traditional markers of human-specific contamination such as aminopropanone were developed and used to assess the potential of non-traditional markers as wastewater tracers. ^ During our investigation, surface water samples collected from near shore environments along the South Florida were analyzed for fifteen hormones and steroids, and five commonly detected pharmaceuticals. The compounds most frequently detected were: coprostanol, cholesterol, estrone, β-estradiol, caffeine, triclosan and DEET. Concentrations of caffeine, bisphenol A and DEET were usually higher and more prevalent than the hormonal steroids. In general, it was found that common pharmaceuticals and steroids are widely present in major coastal environments in South Florida. It is also evident that aquatic bodies in heavily urbanized sectors such as the Miami River and Key Largo Harbor contain higher concentrations of several compounds while relatively open bay waters and agricultural areas show reduced chemical signatures. Concentrations of hormones in the Little Venice area of Marathon Key were above the Lowest Observable Effect Levels (LOELs) for several species, indicating that biological resources in this area are at risk. Water quality issues in some of these coastal water environments go beyond eutrophication, thus EPOC should be the target goal for future mitigation projects. ^

Coral disease dynamics and environmental drivers in the northern Florida Keys and Lee Stocking Island, Bahamas

Coral reefs are experiencing declines worldwide and recently coral diseases have been identified as significant contributors to coral mortality. However, little is known regarding the factors that drive coral disease distributions and dynamics. Current knowledge of the organisms that cause coral diseases is also limited, with pathogens having been identified for only 5 of the 21 described coral diseases. The study presented here describes coral disease dynamics in terms of occurrence, prevalence, spatial distribution, and host species susceptibility from 2002--2004 on reefs of the Northern Florida Keys (NFK) and Lee Stocking Island (LSI) in the Bahamas' Exuma chain. In addition, this research investigated the influence of temperature, sediment, and nutrient availability on coral disease prevalence and severity. Finally, microbial communities associated with a polymicrobial disease, black band, were examined to address spatial and temporal variability. ^ Four scleractinian diseases were observed in repeated surveys conducted during June-August of each year: black band disease (BBD), white plague type 2 (WP), dark spots syndrome (DSS), and yellow band disease-(YBD). Coral disease prevalence was generally low in both the NFK and LSI as compared to epizootic levels reported previously in the NFK and other regions of the Caribbean. Disease prevalence and species susceptibility varied spatially and temporally. Massive framework species, including Siderastrea siderea, Colpophyllia natans, and Montastraea annularis, along with relatively smaller colonies of Meandrina meandrites and Dichocoenia stokesi, were most susceptible to disease. Temperature, sedimentation, and dissolved inorganic nitrogen were positively correlated with BBD infections. Furthermore, experimental nutrient enrichment exacerbated coral tissue loss to BBD both in situ and in vivo. Profiling of BBD microbial communities using length heterogeneity PCR revealed variation over space and time, with significantly distinct bacterial assemblages in the NFK, LSI, and US Virgin Islands. ^ This study contributes to knowledge of the relationship between coral diseases and the environment, and facilitates predictions regarding potential changes in coral reef communities under differing environmental conditions. Additionally, this research provides further understanding of coral disease dynamics at both the host and microbial pathogen levels.^

State legislative term limits and the law of unintended consequences: An examination of member behavior, power structures, and legislative organization in Florida

The implementation of term limits on state legislators has provided a wealth of data for study. Florida, the second largest state in the Union with term limits, has not been comprehensively studied. This research examines the effects of term limits on electoral competition, member composition, legislator career paths, legislative leadership, and intra- and inter-governmental influences on Florida's legislature. This study looks at the Florida legislature from 1992 when term limits were enacted through 2004, three electoral cycles in which term limits have been in effect. This study uses both quantitative and qualitative data where appropriate. Electoral data is used to assess electoral and demographic effects, as well as member career trajectories. Interview data with current and former legislators, lobbyists, and executive branch officials is used to analyze both changes in legislative organization and intra- and inter-governmental influences on the legislative process. Term limits has only created greater competition when a legislative seat opens and has actually created a greater advantage for incumbents. Women and minorities have only made minimal gains in winning seats post-term limits. Newly elected legislators are not political novices with a vast majority having previous elective experience. Leadership is more centralized under term limits and the Senate has gained an advantage over the more inexperienced House. Lastly, the influence of staff, lobbyists, and most importantly, the governor has greatly increased under term limits. This research finds that term limits have not produced the consequences that proponents had envisioned.^