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The Evolution Of Diet Breadth In Melissodes Bees (Apidae: Eucerini), Karen W. Wright

Biology ETDs

The relationship between phytophagous insects and their host plants has interested scientists since Darwinian times. Using modern phylogenetic inference, we are able to investigate these patterns using, not only the phylogenies of the insects, but the evolutionary relationships among the plants they feed on as well. The relationships between bees and the plants they pollinate were traditionally seen as mutualistic and were treated separately from the research investigating the antagonistic relationships between phytophagous insects and their host plants. However, recent phylogenetic studies have made great progress including bee-host relationships in with the larger body of work on phytophagous insects.

The …

Using Clay Models To Measure Seasonal Predation On Eastern Red-Backed Salamanders, Emma Perry

Honors Program Theses and Projects

One of the many gaps we have in our knowledge of salamanders is that of predation. Most studies suggest that salamanders are eaten mainly by birds and snakes, but there are still several unanswered questions: What other types of animals tend to prey on salamanders? Is there any difference in predator type during different times of the year? In order to answer these questions, I studied predation on one particular species of salamander, Plethodon cinereus (eastern red-backed salamander). Models of the two primary color morphs of P. cinereus (striped and unstriped) were created using impressionable clay to determine types and …

Checklist Of Zooplanktons In Different Rivers Of Bajwat Area, Zahid Bhatti, Muhammad Asif Gondal, Asad Ghufran, Andleeb Batool

Journal of Bioresource Management

Zooplanktons are important fish and waterfowl food. Limnological studies of Marala Wetlands, a complex created by three rivers, i.e., Jammu Tawi, Chenab and Manawar Tawi, entering Bajwat area located 25 km from North of Sialkot city from state of Jammu and Kashmir, were carried out between October, 2000 to September 2001. This survey was carried out to create a checklist of zooplanktons existing in the study site which would help in future studies relating to aquatic biodiversity and ecological studies of wetlands. A minimum of 25 species of zooplanktons were present in the wetland area, which can be included into …

Bryophyte Assemblages On American Hornbeam (Carpinus Caroliniana) And The Surrounding Arboreal Communities Within The Forest Of East Texas, Cassey Edwards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The bryophytes, the non-vascular plants, include the mosses (Bryophyta with approximately 13,000 species), the liverworts (Marchantiophyta with approximately 5,000 species), and the hornworts (Anthocerotophyta with approximately 150 species). Initial observations indicated that the midstory tree Carpinus caroliniana Walter (American hornbeam) has a bryophyte composition with an unusually high diversity of leafy liverworts. Voucher samples were taken from the four intercardinal directions (Northeast, Northwest, Southwest, and Southeast) from six Carpinus trees and their nearest neighbor that was neither Pinus nor another Carpinus at each of six sites across East Texas. Percent coverage, species richness, Shannon’s diversity and Pielou’s evenness were computed. …

Cold Acclimation Response Of Non-Native Italian Wall Lizard (Podarcis Siculus) Populations From New York And California, Daniel Haro

Master's Theses

Understanding how organisms respond to climatic variability and novel conditions is becoming an increasingly important task for ecologists. For ectotherms in the northern hemisphere, the response to cold is of special interest, considering that poleward range expansion events and increasing variability of temperatures during winter are already being observed as consequences of a warming planet. Though direction of change in physiological variables in response to cold is well studied in ectotherms, the extent to which traits can change and the rate at which they can change is not.

We compared the extent and rate of change in cold tolerance (CT …

Decadal Effects Of Thinning On Understory Light Environments And Plant Community Structure In A Subtropical Forest, Ho-Chen Tsai, Jyh-Min Chiang, Ryan Mcewan, Teng-Chiu Lin

Biology Faculty Publications

Canopy-opening disturbance such as thinning has immediate and substantive effects on understory microclimate and therefore the establishment and growth of understory plants. A large number of studies have reported the effects of thinning on tree growth, but few studies have examined long-term effects of thinning on understory light environments and species and functional diversity of understory plants. Even less is known whether the change in understory plant community structure observed following canopy disturbance is short-lived and would diminish as the canopy closes or a long lasting due to legacy effects. We examined the effects of an experimental removal of 25% …

Who’S Lurking In Your Lagoon? First Occurrence Of The Invasive Hydrozoan Moerisia Sp. (Cnidariahydrozoa) In New Jersey, Usa, Dena J. Restaino, Paul Bologna, John Gaynor, Gary A. Buchanan, Joseph J. Bilinski

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Coastal estuaries represent areas of high biological invasions by virtue of their economic importance as ports. We report on the first occurrence of the non-native hydrozoan Moerisia sp. in coastal New Jersey, USA. Through the use of artificial settling plates, several diminutive, unknown cnidarian polyps were isolated. Initial morphological assessment indicated that two of the unknown polyps were keyed to Moerisia. We then used universal cnidarian primers to amplify and sequence the 16S rDNA mitochondrial locus for molecular identification. Upon evaluation and editing of sequences, two of the unknown polyps were identified as belonging to a group of unresolved Moerisia …

A Comprehensive Synthesis Of Liana Removal Experiments In Tropical Forests, Sergio Estrada-Villegas, Stefan A. Schnitzer

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Lianas are a quintessential feature of tropical forests and are often perceived as being poorly studied. However, liana removal studies may be one of the most common experimental manipulations in tropical forest ecology. In this review, we synthesize data from 64 tropical liana removal experiments conducted over the past 90 yr. We explore the direction and magnitude of the effects of lianas on tree establishment, growth, survival, reproduction, biomass accretion, and plant and animal diversity in ecological and forestry studies. We discuss the geographical biases of liana removal studies and compare the various methods used to manipulate lianas. Overall, we …

Estimating Components Of Stream Metabolism Using The Free Water Dissolved Oxygen Method, Jay R. Zuidema Jr.

Masters Theses

Stream ecosystem metabolism is commonly measured in stream ecology studies in order to understand the functioning of the stream ecosystem and as an indicator of stream health. One common method for gathering the time series data required to estimate stream metabolism is the free water dissolved oxygen method, which involves measuring dissolved oxygen in freely moving water. This is accomplished by taking measurements at a single location (one-station monitoring method) or at two locations (two-station monitoring method). In conjunction with these data, a process-based model of dissolved oxygen dynamics is used to estimate gross primary production, respiration, and net production. …

Questing Activity Of Cattle Fever Tick Larvae, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) Microplus (Acari: Ixodidae): Environmental Influences And Implications For Control In South Texas, Brenda Leal

Theses and Dissertations

Questing ticks ascend stems, leaves, or rocks, extend their front legs, and wait poised for attachment to a passing host. Ixodid ticks have four developmental stages. Because ticks detach and molt between stages most ticks require three separate hosts to complete their lifecycle. Three-host ticks quest for a new host between each stage, whereas a few specialist tick species remain on and thus require only a single host. These one-host ticks only quest for hosts as larvae. As much as 90% of the life cycle may consist of questing when hosts are scarce. Most of the literature on questing relates …

Error Management Theory And The Adaptive Significance Of Transgenerational Maternal-Stress Effects On Offspring Phenotype, Michael J. Sheriff, Ben Dantzer, Oliver P. Love, John L. Orrock

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

It is well established that circulating maternal stress hormones (glucocorticoids, GCs) can alter offspring phenotype. There is also a growing body of empirical work, within ecology and evolution, indicating that maternal GCs link the environment experienced by the mother during gestation with changes in offspring phenotype. These changes are considered to be adaptive if the maternal environment matches the offspring's environment and maladaptive if it does not. While these ideas are conceptually sound, we lack a testable framework that can be used to investigate the fitness costs and benefits of altered offspring phenotypes across relevant future environments. We present error …

Error Management Theory And The Adaptive Significance Of Transgenerational Maternal-Stress Effects On Offspring Phenotype, Michael J. Sheriff, Ben Dantzer, Oliver P. Love, John L. Orrock

Integrative Biology Publications

It is well established that circulating maternal stress hormones (glucocorticoids, GCs) can alter offspring phenotype. There is also a growing body of empirical work, within ecology and evolution, indicating that maternal GCs link the environment experienced by the mother during gestation with changes in offspring phenotype. These changes are considered to be adaptive if the maternal environment matches the offspring's environment and maladaptive if it does not. While these ideas are conceptually sound, we lack a testable framework that can be used to investigate the fitness costs and benefits of altered offspring phenotypes across relevant future environments. We present error …

Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Arctic Nearshore Fish Community And Food Web Structures, Mark B. Barton

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Climate change and increasing anthropogenic activities are causing rapid changes to environmental and ecological processes in the Arctic Ocean. To better understand these changes, scientists have increased research efforts in these regions, but to date the number of studies on Arctic nearshore habitats are lacking. My dissertation responds to the paucity of information and investigates patterns in Arctic nearshore fish communities and food webs to gain insight to how these ecosystems may shift as these changes continue. I used multivariate statistical analysis to examine patterns in community structure and composition to determine that Arctic nearshore fish communities are largely driven …

Seed Bank And Seasonal Patterns Of The Eukaryotic Sar (Stramenopila, Alveolata And Rhizaria) Clade In A New England Vernal Pool, Chip Sisson, Bethaney Gulla-Devaney, Laura A. Katz, Jean-David Grattepanche

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Vernal pools are dynamic freshwater ecosystems that dry during the summer. These unique habitats are vital to a number of well-studied animal species but there is little documentation of the diversity of the SAR—Stramenopila, Alveolata and Rhizaria—clade in vernal pools. Here, we characterize the protist community over a portion of the hydroperiod as the vernal pool transitions from its winter stage through its drying out in late summer. Our study focuses on the SAR clade, which encompasses a broad range of morphological diversity and a variety of trophic modes within the microbial food web. Using high-throughput sequencing, we investigate the …

Nature Abounds: Term Paper, Ricky Verre

Honors Theses

Nature Abounds is a non-profit organization that is working internationally to spread the word about climate change and all of its effects that we are currently experiencing. Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time and any chance at reversing its erratic effects requires immediate action. Nature Abounds employs numerous programs that serve to increase the general public's knowledge of the climate related issues at hand, as well as to have a positive environmental impact in order to increase global environmental health. The organization has programs that focus on biodiversity, water quality monitoring, forest preservation, and …

The Adaptive Evolution Of Herbivory In Freshwater Systems, Jessica Lynn Sanchez Montelongo

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Herbivory is thought to be nutritionally inefficient relative to carnivory and omnivory. But, herbivory evolved from carnivory in many lineages, suggesting that there are advantages to eating plants. To understand the adaptive significance of the transition from carnivory to herbivory, I proposed five hypotheses for the adaptive evolution of herbivory and reviewed the current freshwater literature to identify conditions where eating plants might be adaptive over eating animals. I tested three of these ideas (Suboptimal Habitat, Heterotroph Facilitation, and Lipid Allocation) using the herbivorous Sailfin Molly (Poecilia latipinna)and identified each as a potential mechanism for the evolution of …

Fungal Endophytes In A Seed-Free Host: New Species That Demonstrate Unique Community Dynamics, Brett Steven Younginger

Dissertations and Theses

Fungal endophytes are highly diverse, cryptic plant endosymbionts that form asymptomatic infections within host tissue. They represent a large fraction of the millions of undescribed fungal taxa on our planet with some demonstrating mutualistic benefits to their hosts including herbivore and pathogen defense and abiotic stress tolerance. Other endophytes are latent saprotrophs or pathogens, awaiting host plant senescence to begin alternative stages of their life cycles. Most, however, are likely plant commensals with no observable benefits to their hosts while under study. Yet, when considering the context-dependence that may determine plant resistance to pathogen attack, the consortium of endophytes present …

Maternal Vitamin D Deficiency And Early Childhood Health Outcomes Including Autism Development, Kelsey L. Girardelli

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Many studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy is associated with a variety of adverse maternal and pediatric outcomes. Disease outcomes that have been observed in pregnant women who are vitamin D deficient include increased risk of C-section, preeclampsia, bacterial vaginosis, and gestational diabetes. In children born to deficient mothers, increased rates of childhood asthma, type 1 diabetes, low birthweight, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been observed. Although there is much evidence to support these correlations, much is yet to be understood regarding the etiology of these outcomes. This paper specifically examines the relationships between risk factors …

A Contribution Toward A Global Monograph Of Gyroporus: Taxonomy, Phylogeny, Biogeography, Naveed Davoodian

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Gyroporus (Sclerodermatineae, Boletales, Agaricomycetes, Basidiomycota, Fungi) is a genus of ectomycorrhizal mushroom-forming fungi distributed throughout the world in suitable habitats. Previous attempts to untangle the diversity of this genus proved difficult due to the presence of semi-cryptic species and equivocal results from phylogenetic analysis of ribosomal RNA markers. To overcome these obstacles, a combined taxonomic and phylogenetic (emphasizing protein-coding genes) approach is used here to delimit species and elucidate geographic and evolutionary patterns of Gyroporus. Careful study of relevant literature and herbarium specimens was augmented by field work in North America, Australia, and East Asia for observation and collection …

Asymmetric Interference Competition Between Herbivorous Gastropods, Introduced Littorina Littorea And Indigenous L. Obtusata, Alysha B. Putnam, Paulette Peckol

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Competitive interactions may affect distribution and abundance of mobile organisms, such as the intertidal herbivorous gastropods Littorina littorea and L. obtusata, in areas of resource overlap. We examined intra- and interspecific competition between US New England populations by measuring effects of snail density and food availability on growth rates and abundances. We investigated mechanisms of interference, including resistance (phlorotannin) induction of fucoid algae, and impacts of snail presence, waterborne cues, and mucus on herbivory. L. obtusata density increased significantly within fucoid canopies following repeated (every 12 h for 3 d) removal of L. littorea at both study sites. In the …

Using D13c, D15n, And D2h To Better Understand The Ecology Of Green Sea Turtles, Laura Pagès Barceló

Biology ETDs

Many green sea turtle populations are slowly recuperating from a recent severe decline due to anthropogenic factors including human consumption and mortality related to the fishing industry. Despite being charismatic animals that have been extensively studied, there is still a limited understanding of their feeding strategies and diet plasticity. This research explores the use of hydrogen isotopes in marine ecosystems to better understand green sea turtle ecology. This study is presented in two chapters: I first examined the trophic discrimination factor (D²H_NET) for hydrogen isotope (d²H) as a tool to correct hydrogen isotope data …

Small Mammal Diversity, Rattlesnake Demographics, And Resource Utilization In The Great Basin: Implications For Management And Stable Isotope Proxies, Bryan T. Hamilton

Theses and Dissertations

Plant carbon isotopes were used to track assimilation of riparian resources by small mammals. Voles and shrews derived significant portions of their carbon from riparian vegetation. Deer and harvest mice were abundant in riparian habitat but assimilated little riparian vegetation indicating that the riparian corridor provided resources other than food. This is first use of stable carbon isotopes to trace riparian resources into a vertebrate community. Conifer encroachment in sagebrush ecosystems negatively affects many wildlife populations. Conifer removal is recommended across millions of hectares in the Great Basin. However the effects of conifer encroachment and conifer removal are unknown for …

Recovery Of Amphibian And Reptile Communities During Tropical Secondary Forest Succession, Michelle E. Thompson

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The extensive clearing and modification of natural systems from anthropogenic activities is a pressing global concern. Forest habitats and animal communities within forests are among the most highly impacted, globally. Forest destruction has been repeatedly documented as a driver of biodiversity loss. However, little is known about how animal communities respond when altered landscapes are abandoned and left to regenerate into secondary forests. It is thought that the regrowth of secondary forests may help reverse biodiversity loss by restoring habitats to similar conditions as prior to land conversion. Of the forest cover that remains, over half is secondary forest, and …

Killi-Data News (Spring), Tyrone Genade

Killifish Research Review

This is the start of Killi-Data News’ second year. In this first issue of the year we have the usual review of research pub- lications as well as input from Martin Reichard on his lab’s Nothobranchius research. Martin is responding to my reviews of his lab’s work in the previous edition. I am serious about making sure the content in this newsletter is reliable but I erred in the previous edition and Martin has written extensively to correct my mistake in the section “Erratum”. This reply is welcomed and owed to readers. I must confess that I don’t know everything …

Killi-Data News (Spring), Tyrone Genade

Killifish Research Review

This is the start of Killi-Data News’ second year. In this first issue of the year we have the usual review of research pub- lications as well as input from Martin Reichard on his lab’s Nothobranchius research. Martin is responding to my reviews of his lab’s work in the previous edition. I am serious about making sure the content in this newsletter is reliable but I erred in the previous edition and Martin has written extensively to correct my mistake in the section “Erratum”. This reply is welcomed and owed to readers. I must confess that I don’t know everything …

Ecomorphological Variation In Three Species Of Cybotoid Anoles, A. F. Kahrl, Brittney M. Ivanov, K. C. Wollenberg Valero, Michele A. Johnson

Biology Faculty Research

Caribbean Anolis lizards exhibit a complex suite of ecological, morphological, and behavioral traits that allow their specialization to particular microhabitats. These microhabitat specialists, called ecomorphs, have independently evolved on the four islands of the Greater Antilles, and diversification among anole ecomorphs has been the focus of many studies. Yet, habitat specialization has also occurred among species within the same ecomorph group. Here, we examined ecological, morphological, and behavioral divergence in three Hispaniolan trunk-ground species, the cybotoid anoles: Anolis cybotes, A. marcanoi, and A. longitibialis. We found differences in limb morphology, locomotor behavior, and perch use among the three cybotoid species …

Monitoring Of Dung Beetle (Scarabaeidae And Geotrupidae) Activity Along Maryland's Coastal Plain, Patrick Simons, Michael Molina, Mallory A. Hagadorn, Dana L. Price

Biology Faculty Publications

Our understanding of how human activities impact insect communities is limited. Dung beetles, well known for the ecosystem services they provide, are faced with many conservation threats, particularly from deforestation and agriculture. Here we used 200-m transects and human-dung—baited pitfall traps to examine dung beetle populations in 7 forests of Maryland's Coastal Plain. We set traps once a month, from May 2014 to April 2015, to determine species presence, abundance, range, and seasonality. We collected 6463 individuals representing 22 species; Janes Island State Park (JISP) had the highest abundance (2705 individuals) and Martinak State Park (MSP) had the highest species …

Population Dynamics Of Off-Host Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) Microplus (Acari: Ixodidae) Larvae In Response To Habitat And Seasonality In South Texas, Brenda Leal, Donald B. Thomas, Robert K. Dearth

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The cattle tick, Rhipicephalus microplus (Canestrini), is an economically destructive arthropod because of its ability to vector bovine babesiosis. It is known that cattle ticks can spend 80–90% of their lifecycle as questing larvae, yet the effect of climatic factors on their off-host behavior and survival is unclear. The goal of this study was to measure the effects of specific ecological factors on off-host questing larvae in nature. The study was conducted in a south Texas pasture over a two-year period, during which time larval populations were surveyed. Simultaneously, weather variables—precipitation, relative humidity, and ambient temperatures—were recorded. Larval survival rates …

Mode And Rate Of Evolution Of Haemosporidian Mitochondrial Genomes: Timing The Radiation Of Avian Parasites, Patricia Parker, M Pacheco, Nubia Matta, Gediminas Valkiūnas, Beatriz Mello, Craig Stanley, Miguel Lentino, Maria Garcia-Amado, Michael Cranfield, Sergei Pond, Ananias Escalante

Biology Department Faculty Works

Haemosporidians are a diverse group of vector-borne parasitic protozoa that includes the agents of human malaria; however, most of the described species are found in birds and reptiles. Although our understanding of these parasites’ diversity has expanded by analyses of their mitochondrial genes, there is limited information on these genes’ evolutionary rates. Here, 114 mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) were studied from species belonging to four genera: Leucocytozoon, Haemoproteus, Hepatocystis, and Plasmodium. Contrary to previous assertions, the mtDNA is phylogenetically informative. The inferred phylogeny showed that, like the genus Plasmodium, the Leucocytozoon and Haemoproteus genera are not monophyletic groups. Although sensitive to …

Mode And Rate Of Evolution Of Haemosporidian Mitochondrial Genomes: Timing The Radiation Of Avian Parasites, Patricia Parker, M Andreína Pacheco, Nubia E. Matta, Gediminas Valkiūnas, Beatriz Mello, Craig E. Stanley Jr, Miguel Lentino, Maria Alexandra Garcia-Amado, Michael Cranfield, Sergei L Kosakovsky Pond, Ananias A. Escalante

Patricia Parker