Digital Commons Network^™

Effect Of Sex On The Accumulation Of Hepatic Mercury In Mallards Wintering In Louisiana, Latorya E. Mason

Master's Theses

The increase in mercury production through anthropogenic activities has led to a global crisis of mercury pollution that poses a significant threat to the health of both humans and wildlife. Aquatic ecosystems are especially at risk due to the creation of methylmercury, a toxic form of mercury, by sulfate-reducing bacteria in anoxic sediments and soils. Methylmercury enters the food chain where it bioaccumulates in individual organisms and then biomagnified with increasing trophic level. Aquatic birds are useful bioindicators of many pollutants, including mercury, due to their abundance and position in the food chain. Previous studies have primarily focused on mercury …

Two New Species Of False Click Beetles (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae) From The Americas, Robert L. Otto

Insecta Mundi

Abstract

Identifications of recently collected Eucnemidae (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) borrowed from two collections have resulted in the discovery of two new species: Entomophthalmus abbreviatus Otto (Cuba) and Trigonopleurus cordobaalfaroi Otto (Guatemala and Louisiana, United States). Images of the two newly described species along with two New World Entomophthalmus Bonvouloir species for comparative purposes are included.

Resumen

Las identificaciones de Eucnemidae (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) recolectados recientemente tomados de dos colecciones han resultado en el descubrimiento de dos nuevas especies: Entomophthalmus abbreviatus Otto (Cuba) y Trigonopleurus cordobaalfaroi Otto (Guatemala y Louisiana, United States). Se incluyen imágenes de las dos especies recientemente descritas junto con …

Music Advocacy: The Cognitive Development, Behavioral And Emotional Management, And Academic Success That Music Education Provides Students In Louisiana’S Low Socioeconomic Elementary Schools, Cory D. Dugar

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There are many technological curricular activities in math and science classrooms, yet few are found in music classrooms. Although many elementary schools may be benefiting from advocacy for music and technology, many elementary schools in the state of Louisiana have lost funding for music programs. For the Louisiana Department of Education to act as an advocate for music education, there must be a thorough understanding of the benefits of music education. Extensive research is one way to suggest that elementary music classes can raise the cognitive capacity of elementary students and could be the catalyst for ensuring the upcoming generation’s …

Molecular Identification Of Oomycete Species Associated With Woody Plants In Louisiana And Survey Of Oomycete Species Associated With Live Oak Trees Planted On The Louisiana State University Campus, Hamilton Crockett

LSU Master's Theses

Three Oomycetes genera, Phytophthora, Phytopythium and Pythium, contain many important plant pathogens. Historically, Phytophthora infestans, responsible for the great Irish potato famine, and Phytophthora ramorum, causal agent of sudden oak death disease, are the two better-known high impact pathogens. The LSU AgCenter Plant Diagnostic Center (PDC) has been isolating putative Phytophthora and related species from combined root and soil samples collected from various woody ornamentals and trees for over a decade. In August of 2016, Louisiana received torrential rains, which resulted in historic flooding in several southern parishes. During subsequent years, the PDC staff isolated a …

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 Race To Fifty Feet: An Effort To Determine The Benefits Of Deepening The Mississippi River, Brian Miles

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This research examined the benefits and drawbacks of deepening the Lower Mississippi River to fifty feet. It established that the deepening of the Lower Mississippi River will impact not only the local area but also the inland regions that rely on the river systems and lower river ports for product movement. The perspectives of vessel operators, maritime industry experts and charterers are provided to offer insight. The sources for the research include educational literature, maritime research and interviews of industry experts. Based on this research, it is clear that this project will benefit many parties. The beneficiaries will include both …

Investigating Local Adaptation To Hypoxia Stress In The Eastern Oyster Through Comparative Transcriptomics, Heather Nichole Smith

LSU Master's Theses

Climate change represents one of the most important challenges to biodiversity, therefore it is important to understand the mechanisms that allow species to respond to rapid environmental change. Here, we compared two populations of eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica, from the Gulf of Mexico to study the mechanisms underlying hypoxia tolerance. Using a common garden experiment and comparative transcriptomics, we identified sets of genes involved in the hypoxia response and found differences in both the timing and baseline expression of hypoxia-responsive genes between tolerant and sensitive populations, consistent with a scenario of local adaptation. These genes include the signaling transcription factor …

Effects Of Salinity On Eastern Oysters: Locating Lower-Salinity Tolerant Populations And Defining Resource Zones Suitable To Restoration, Fisheries, And Aquaculture., Lauren Swam

LSU Master's Theses

Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) provide valuable ecosystem services and support a productive commercial industry in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Declining abundance from water quality changes and other factors drives development of management and restoration strategies focused on a comprehensive, metapopulation approach. Identifying oyster resource zones based on water quality combined with selective breeding of oysters adapted to specific conditions provides strategies to support aquaculture development and ensure resilient oyster populations and high production. Using 2015-2019 satellite-derived continuous salinity and temperature data for coastal Louisiana, this work created maps defining oyster resource zones supportive of (1) broodstock sanctuary …

Examining The Sustainability Of Restored Sub-Tidal Oyster Reefs In Coastal Louisiana, Sarah C. Leblanc

LSU Master's Theses

Climate related alterations and anthropogenic disturbance threaten the ecological integrity and sustainability of coastal estuaries. Many activities seek to restore and sustain these at-risk areas with the goal of restoring systems to historic patterns of succession and community development; however long-term monitoring of restoration projects remains limited. Additionally, restoration efforts aim to achieve certain success thresholds, however, these thresholds are often vague, absent, or inconsistent, and receive little long-term analyses following restoration. A key coastal engineer, the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica), provides multiple ecosystem services, but recent population decline has prompted investment in restoration. Restoration activities include cultch …

Evaluation Of Food Safety Practices At Louisiana Summer Feeding Sites And Food Safety Communication Via Social Media During Crises, Peyton E. Haynes

LSU Master's Theses

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provided children under the age of 18 in low-income areas 145 million free meals in 2018 through summer feeding sites. Food safety issues arise for Louisiana feeding sites due to time-temperature controlled foods served, weather patterns in Louisiana, seasonal staff and short operation time, and lack of equipment. The purpose of this study was to assess food safety practices at Louisiana feeding sites through observational study with intention to compare food practices at institutional and noninstitutional sites. A rubric following USDA food safety guidelines based on categories: hot holding, …

Documentation Of Atlantic Tarpon (Megalops Atlanticus) Space Use And Move Persistence In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Facilitated By Angler Advocates, J. Marcus Drymon, Matthew B. Jargowsky, Michael A. Dance, Mitchell Lovell, Crystal L. Hightower, Amanda E. Jefferson, Andrea M. Kroetz, Sean P. Powers

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus, hereafter tarpon) are facing a multitude of stressors and are considered Vulnerable by the IUCN; however, significant gaps remain in our understanding of tarpon space use and movement. From 2018 to 2019, citizen scientists facilitated tagging of 23 tarpon with SPOT tags to examine space use and movement across the northern Gulf of Mexico. Movement-based kernel densities were used to estimate simplified biased random bridge-based utilization distributions and a joint move persistence model was used to estimate a behavioral index for each fish. Tarpon showed consistent east–west movement from the Alabama/Florida border to Louisiana, and utilization …

Isolation And Characterization Of Bacteria In A Toluene-Producing Enrichment Culture Derived From Contaminated Groundwater At A Louisiana Superfund Site, Madison Mikes

LSU Master's Theses

In an effort to better understand the role that various microbes may play in toluene production, bacteria from a toluene-producing enrichment culture derived from contaminated groundwater at a Superfund site were cultivated and isolated on low nutrient solid media. A total of 14 solid medium formulations containing varying pH ranges, carbon sources, solidifying agents, and incubation gas headspaces were used to obtain 278 isolates in pure culture. Isolated bacteria, identified using partial 16S rRNA gene sequences, were most closely related with the genera Anoxybacillus, Azospira, Bacillus, Bradyrhizobium, Cellulosimicrobium, Micrococcus, and Propionicimonas.

Further attempts …

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 …

Ecological Analyses Of Macroinvertebrates And Fish Species In Six Streams On A Louisiana Military Base From 2001 To 2019, Danielle Joerger

Biology Theses

An in-depth ecological analysis of how and why the aquatic community changes over time was conducted for 6 streams on the Fort Polk military base in Louisiana using data collected from 2001 to 2019. Fort Polk is a unique location as nineteen first-order streams are located on the premises belonging to three separate drainages. The primary goal was to determine whether temporal or between-drainage variation has a larger effect on community structure. To accomplish this the effects of disturbance on fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages was determined temporally and between drainages. Several hypotheses were drawn from this: 1) temporally, assemblages exhibit …

Exhibition "Louisiana's Natural Treasure: Margaret Stones, Botanical Artist", Leah Wood Jewett, John D. Miles, Christina Riquelmy

Special Collections

In 2020, LSU Libraries Special Collections presented the exhibition “Louisiana’s Natural Treasure: Margaret Stones, Botanical Artist” at Hill Memorial Library, featuring selected original watercolor paintings and archival materials related to the Native Flora of Louisiana project.

A native of Australia, Margaret Stones (1920-2018) achieved an acclaimed international career that spanned three continents. Commissioned by LSU and funded by private donations, more than 200 watercolor drawings of Louisiana plants produced by Stones during the 1970s and 1980s are among the most treasured holdings of LSU Libraries Special Collections.

The Native Flora of Louisiana project was grounded in a long historical tradition …

Apparent Resilience To Fire Of Native Bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) Communities From Upland Longleaf Pine Forests In Louisiana And Mississippi, Sara A. Simmons, Janice L. Bossart

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Controlled burning is an essential tool for restoration and management of Pinus palustris (Longleaf Pine) habitats, yet effects of controlled burning on insect species, including pollinators, are rarely considered in conservation planning. We used blue vane traps to sample native bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) at recently burned and unburned sites in 2 Longleaf Pine upland forests in Mississippi and Louisiana. Our objective was to quantify short-term effects of controlled burns given fire-return intervals of 1-2 years are now regularly employed to manage Longleaf Pine woodlands. We sampled during 2016 and 2017 and collected 1777 native bees, representing 43 species. Recent fire …

Intrusive Advising And Retention Practices In A College Of Agriculture: A Case Study Of First-Year Student Experiences, Amanda Martin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of first-year students who experienced intrusive advising and retention initiatives in the College of Agriculture at Louisiana State University (LSU). Research participants consisted of 20 first-year students enrolled in the college in the fall of 2018. One-on-one, face-to-face interviews with first-year students were conducted to gain insight and understand student experiences with intrusive advising and retention initiatives within the College of Agriculture. College student retention and factors that contribute to understanding retention have been extensively studied (Astin, 1993; Braxton, Hirschy, & McClendon, 2004; Habley, Bloom, & Robbins, 2012; …

Agricultural Education Teachers' Perceptions And Use Of Environmental Education In Louisiana Schools, Olivia M. Soler

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to describe the status of environmental education (EE) in Louisiana high school agriculture classrooms. A census of Louisiana Agriscience Teacher Association (LATA) members was conducted to understand their perceptions, attitudes, and barriers regarding EE implementation. Icek Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior was utilized as the theoretical framework. Data were collected through an online survey research method and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results suggest that most LATA members incorporate EE into their curriculum relatively sparingly, perceive EE to be beneficial for students, and are in need of funding to incorporate EE into their curriculum as …

Analysis Of Temperature And Salinity Effects On Growth And Mortality Of Oysters (Crassostrea Virginica) In Louisiana, Troy Sehlinger

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Salinity (S) and temperature (T) control every facet of the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) life cycle, principally reproduction, development, growth, and mortality. Previous studies conducted in in the Breton Sound (BR) and Barataria (BA) estuaries have reported differences in growth and mortality rates between the basins. In the present study, environmental conditions were synchronized to compare growth and mortality rates between basins at similar combinations of T and S. Results indicate that when T and S are the same (synchronized), seasonal oyster growth and mortality rates differ between BR and BA. Seasonal analyses revealed that as salinities increased …

Exploring Alternative Giant Salvinia (Salvinia Molesta D.S. Mitchell) Management Strategies, Bradley T. Sartain

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Dense infestations of the free-floating aquatic fern giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta D.S. Mitchell) have been expanding across the southeastern United States for over two decades. Although herbicide programs have provided relief to giant salvinia infested areas, morphology and growth characteristics make management difficult. A series of mesocosm trials were conducted to explore alternative management strategies for giant salvinia. Evaluation of non-registered aquatic herbicides showed that rates of sulfometuron and metsulfuron controlled giant salvinia and provided a 98 to 100% biomass reduction. An outdoor mesocosm trial evaluated potential glyphosate resistance in giant salvinia in select water bodies throughout Louisiana. Differences …

Evaluation Of Growth Characteristics, Yield, Marketability And Nitrate Levels Of Lettuce (Lactuca Sativa L) Cultivars Produced In South Louisiana, William D. Afton

LSU Master's Theses

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is an important leafy vegetable crop grown in worldwide food systems with the United States ranking second behind China in total production. In 2009 the USDA Food Economic Research Service reported 1,057,715 hectares of lettuce grown in the world. Lettuce is a common market crop grown across the United States. Nitrate (NO^3-) accumulation in lettuce and other leafy vegetables has been found to be a potential health threat and when consumed by humans, potentially causing methaemoglobinaemia and other diseases. There are four main types of lettuce and numerous cultivars within each type. Fresh …

Patterns In Abundance Of Louisiana’S Avifauna Revealed By The Louisiana Bird Atlas Project, Matthew L. Brady

LSU Master's Theses

The Louisiana Bird Atlas Project is a multi-year citizen science effort designed to quantify bird distribution and abundance for all species regularly occurring in the state of Louisiana during two time periods: summer and winter. Data were collected by volunteers in a citizen science framework across eight years, from 2007 to 2014. A total of 351 species was recorded (254 during the Summer Bird Atlas and 315 during the Winter Bird Atlas). Maps showing distribution and relative abundance for each species were generated within a Geographical Information System, and were accompanied by short descriptions of status, distribution, abundance, and other …

Impact Of Pre-Bloom Square Loss On Yield And Lint Quality In Louisiana Cotton Cropping Systems, Cory L. Cole

LSU Master's Theses

During the 2016 growing season, research was conducted at three locations in the state of Louisiana to evaluate the impact of pre-bloom square loss on cotton lint yield and fiber quality. Two cotton varieties, Phytogen 499 WRF and Phytogen 222 WRF were chosen up which to imitate early season square loss due to tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois) and/or cotton fleahopper, Pseudatomoscelis seriatus (Reuter) feeding or unfavorable weather conditions. Thirty plants within each plot were selected and squares were counted. Squares were assigned numbers, and numbers were then randomized using a computerized number generator. To simulate intervals …

Influence Of Environmental Conditions And Inundation History On Bacterial Diversity Of Salt Marsh Soils In Southern Louisiana, Brandon M. Bagley

Masters Theses

Diversity patterns and controls on bacterial community composition were investigated from coastal salt marsh soils in southern Louisiana (USA) from 2012 – 2014. These salt marshes are part of an extensive coastal landscape that is experiencing land loss due to subsidence, sea-level rise, and anthropogenic activities, including from the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. Prior to the oil spill, microbiology research focused predominately on biogeochemical roles and not on taxonomic representation in the soils or on understanding the significance of taxonomic diversity at the microbial level to marsh food webs or ecosystem dynamics. The purpose of …

Microbial Ecology Of Waterborne Pathogens In Sus Scofra And Odocoileus Virginianus In The Jackson Bienville Wildlife Management Area, Jaymes Hunter Collins

Doctoral Dissertations

Previous studies have demonstrated that feral swine (Sus scofra ) are significant reservoirs for a number of pathogens that present a potential threat to wildlife and humans. Despite this, few studies have gone beyond quantifying the incidence of these pathogens to further probe their ecology within a specific habitat or ecosystem.

Overall, the objective of this study was to characterize three potential reservoirs in a feral swine infested habitat; two ungulates, and one aquatic reservoir. Our study area was the Jackson-Bienville Wildlife Management Area (J-B WMA). We chose four waterborne bacteria: Brucella spp., Leptospira interrogans, Salmonella enterica, and Helicobacter …

Protocol And Results From The First Season Of Captive-Rearing Whooping Cranes For A Non-Migratory Release In Louisiana, Glenn H. Olsen, Jane N. Chandler

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The principal historic range of the whooping crane (Grus americana) consisted of the tall grass prairies and wetlands of southwest Louisiana, Texas, and parts of Mexico (Allen 1952). Whooping cranes migrated there from Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Dakotas, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and breeding grounds of the remnant flock in and near Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada.

Ant Diversity And Community Structure In Coastal Dunes And Wetlands, Xuan Chen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

How do many species live in a certain place? How does species composition changes among habitats? And what mechanisms decide species distribution? These are fundamental questions in community ecology. I first investigated ant diversity in two coastal ecosystems (dunes and wetlands) in the northern Gulf of Mexico, and then used the distribution patterns to infer assembly processes that structure ant communities in coastal areas. Specifically, the following hypotheses are tested: (1) coastal systems support lower ant diversity due to the unsuitable environment; (2) species living near the seashore are a subset of those exist near inland; (3) deterministic processes are …

Pathogenic Enteric Viruses In Louisiana Oysters And Environmental Waters, Naim Montazeri Djouybari

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Norovirus (NoV) and pathogenic enteroviruses are the major causes of gastroenteritis in humans worldwide, and are usually transmitted through direct or indirect exposure to raw or partially treated sewage. Filter-feeding shellfish concentrate virus particles from the water and transmit them to humans. The occurrence of norovirus GI and GII and fecal indicators in Louisiana eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) and harvest water were investigated on a biweekly basis for almost one year. Only one oyster sample was positive for NoV GII at 3.5 log10 genomic copies/g digestive tissues. A stool specimen obtained from an infected individual associated with a norovirus outbreak …

Population Dynamics And Genetic Structure Of Louisiana Black Bears In The Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley Of Louisiana, Jared Scott Laufenberg

Doctoral Dissertations

In 1992, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service granted the Louisiana black bear threatened status under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, listing loss and fragmentation of habitat as the primary threats. The 1995 Recovery Plan outlines recovery goals designed to meet the objective of reducing threats to the Louisiana black bear metapopulation and supporting habitat. To meet that objective, the Recovery Plan requires 1) at least 2 viable subpopulations, 1 each in the Tensas and Atchafalaya River Basins, 2) movement corridors between the 2 viable subpopulations, and 3) long-term protection of the habitat supporting each viable subpopulation and interconnecting corridors …

The Importance Of Pulsed Physical Events For Sustainability Of Louisiana Coastal Forested Wetlands, William Conner, J W. Day Jr, G P. Shaffer

William Conner

A number of freshwater diversions from the Mississippi River into Louisiana’s coastal wetlands are currently in operation or in the planning stage. These diversions have multiple objectives including maintaining a desirable salinity gradient, restoring deteriorating wetlands, and enhancing fisheries. The extensive freshwater forested wetlands surrounding the western end of Lake Pontchartrain receive little or no sediment input and are currently deteriorating due to continuous flooding. Diverting nutrient-rich water through wetlands can lead to substantial nutrient removal and to enhanced accretion. The objective of this paper is to compare the impacts on freshwater wetland ecology, accretion, and water quality of several …