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Aphid Herbivory On Industrial Hemp, Cannabis Sativa L., And The Impact Of Plant-Soil Feedbacks On Hemp Performance In Louisiana, Alex Leede
LSU Master's Theses
Industrial hemp, Cannabis sativa L., is defined as having less than 0.3% delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol by dry weight. It can be grown for fiber, food, oil, and cannabinoids. As a newly legalized crop, little research exists regarding the cultivation or pest management practices in Louisiana. The versatility of industrial hemp may allow for substantial future production in Louisiana. This project set out to understand the impact of previous crops on hemp performance and soil microbial communities. Soybean, Glycine max L. (Merr), grain sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, and sweetpotato, Ipomeae batatas (L.) Lam, were selected as soil conditioning crops because they are …
The Collection Of Baseline Data On Insect And Plant Communities Across Multiple Salinity Zones Within Louisiana's Tidal Marshes, Benjamin G. Aker
The Collection Of Baseline Data On Insect And Plant Communities Across Multiple Salinity Zones Within Louisiana's Tidal Marshes, Benjamin G. Aker
LSU Master's Theses
Tidally influenced coastal marshes provide numerous important ecosystem services, but these habitats are experiencing extreme habitat loss. Louisiana’s coastal marshes in particular are vulnerable to land loss resulting from both anthropogenic and natural causes, but especially to subsidence and relative sea-level rise. In response, the Louisiana Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority has outlined and is currently implementing the largest ever attempt at habitat restoration. A major component of this habitat restoration attempt is the use of freshwater and sediment diversions to increase the input of low salinity water, sediment, and nutrients needed to slow marsh loss and build land. Coastal …
Characterization Of The Subcortical Interactions Between Larvae Of The Southern Pine Sawyer Monochamus Titillator (F.) And The Larvae Of The Southern Pine Beetle Guild Using Molecular Gut Analyses, Erich N. Schoeller
LSU Master's Theses
The southern pine beetle guild (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) is arguably the most destructive group of forest pests in the Southeastern United States. Laboratory assays suggest that larvae of wood borer associates from the genus Monochamus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) may be facultative intraguild predators of southern pine beetle guild. In this study the dynamics of the subcortical interactions between M. titillator (F.) and members of the southern pine beetle guild were examined using PCR-based molecular gut content analyses. Species-specific PCR primer sets were developed to work under multiplex PCR conditions to detect DNA of members of southern pine beetle guild in the …
The Integration Of Mosquito Avian Host Preference With West Nile Virus Activity In Wild Bird And Mosquito Populations In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Jessica Erin Brauch
The Integration Of Mosquito Avian Host Preference With West Nile Virus Activity In Wild Bird And Mosquito Populations In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Jessica Erin Brauch
LSU Master's Theses
West Nile virus (WNV) infection rates in wild birds and mosquitoes, and the blood-feeding patterns of mosquitoes were examined at two study sites in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to identify the potential avian reservoir hosts and mosquito vectors of West Nile virus (WNV). Blood samples from a total of 2,442 wild birds in the orders Passeriformes, Piciformes and Columbiformes were collected from May 2006 to April 2008 and tested for the presence of WNV RNA using RT-PCR and antibodies to WNV using an epitope-blocking ELISA. WNV was detected in 3.77% of wild bird blood samples and antibodies to WNV were detected …
Seasonal Abundance And Detection Of West Nile Virus In Ceratopogonids (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) In East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, Isidra Joselina Sabio
Seasonal Abundance And Detection Of West Nile Virus In Ceratopogonids (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) In East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, Isidra Joselina Sabio
LSU Master's Theses
The seasonal abundance and species composition of ceratopogonids (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in East Baton Rouge parish was described from light trap collections at 15 sites. A total of 4,968 collections were processed, and 48,667 ceratopogonids were collected from 20 November, 2002 through 25 November, 2004. Three genera of ceratopogonids (Forcipomyia Meigen, Atrichopogon Kieffer, and Culicoides Latrielle) and a total of 18 species of the genus Culicoides were identified. Ceratopogonids had distinctive spring and fall population peaks. Ceratopogonids were collected in every month during the study, with the exception of February 2004. These results suggest that certain species of Culicoides may …
Species Diversity And Biogeography Of Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) In Louisiana With Notes On Their Ecology, Shawn T. Dash
Species Diversity And Biogeography Of Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) In Louisiana With Notes On Their Ecology, Shawn T. Dash
LSU Master's Theses
Over three decades have passed since the completion of Moser and Blum's (1960) treatment of the ants of Louisiana. This research represents a significant contribution to and update of their work. I report the first-ever comprehensive assessment of the Louisiana Formicid fauna. More than 100 species from 38 genera and eight subfamilies are covered. This faunistic survey gives valuable data of biodiversity and macro/microhabitat selection of ant species. Included are keys to all subfamilies, genera, and species with illustrations photographs, and a regional map for each species.
Litter And Ground Dwelling Spiders Of Mixed Mesophytic Forest In Southeast Louisiana, Joyce Fassbender
Litter And Ground Dwelling Spiders Of Mixed Mesophytic Forest In Southeast Louisiana, Joyce Fassbender
LSU Master's Theses
During Pleistocene glaciation much of the southeastern United States was covered with mixed mesophytic hardwood forest. These forests are composed predominantly of magnolia, holly, and beech with a mixture of other tree species, such as oak and hickory, and a distinct understory. Remnants of mixed mesophytic hardwood forests occur in the southern United States and are important refugia for disjunct and habitat-restricted species. In Louisiana, the mixed mesophytic forest habitat is found mostly in West Feliciana Parish, particularly in the area around St. Francisville. I chose two sites to conduct a study of spider diversity in litter habitats of disturbed …