Digital Commons Network^™

Phenolic Levels Of Invasive Myriophyllum Spicatum And Native Elodea Canadensis At Different Temperatures, Tiffany Balling

Academic Festival

Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) is an invasive aquatic plant that may dominate lakes and waterways throughout the U.S. It is known to crowd out native plants and create dense mats that interfere with recreational activity. Milfoil also produces allelopathic chemicals, such as phenolics, that may give the invasive plant a competitive advantage over native species like Elodea canadensis. In a laboratory competition experiment, we tested the effects of competition and temperature on growth and phenolic levels in both Myriophyllum spicatum and Elodea canadensis. The experiment consisted of six replicates each of six treatments (M. spicatum alone, E. …

The Role Of Phenotypic Plasticity And Genetic Diversity In The Colonization Of Novel Environments, Kyle W. Wellband

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phenotypic plasticity and genetic diversity are theorized to contribute to species’ successful colonization and range expansion; however, there is a lack of consensus in the invasion biology literature about their role in predicting invasion success. Much of the existing empirical research suffers from a lack of knowledge regarding failed or unsuccessful invasions. This reflects the scientific community’s priority for understanding the worst invaders. To address these gaps in knowledge, I used a novel comparative approach of taxonomically and geographically paired invasive species, representing successful and less-successful invaders, to investigate the potential of phenotypic plasticity for gene transcription and genetic diversity …

Mechanical Harvesting Effectively Controls Young Typha Spp. Invasion And Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Data Enhances Post-Treatment Monitoring, Shane Lishawa, Brendan D. Carson, Jodi S. Brandt, Jason M. Tallant, Nicholas J. Reo, Dennis A. Albert, Andrew M. Monks, Joseph M. Lautenbach

School of Environmental Sustainability: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The ecological impacts of invasive plants increase dramatically with time since invasion. Targeting young populations for treatment is therefore an economically and ecologically effective management approach, especially when linked to post-treatment monitoring to evaluate the efficacy of management. However, collecting detailed field-based post-treatment data is prohibitively expensive, typically resulting in inadequate documentation of the ecological effects of invasive plant management. Alternative approaches, such as remote detection with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), provide an opportunity to advance the science and practice of restoration ecology. In this study, we sought to determine the plant community response to different mechanical removal treatments to …

Sea Change In Management Strategies: The Implications Of Global Climate Change On Policy Conceptions Of And Responses To Invasive Marine Species, Griffin J. Hunt

Senior Theses and Projects

The dispersal of the invasive red lionfish (Pterois volitans) across the Caribbean–Atlantic reverberates throughout the region’s public policy, conservation efforts, and economic concerns. Invasions by non–native species generally exhibit a wide range of negative effects on recipient ecosystems, and the lionfish case is no exception. Of central concern, this invasion has occurred at a rate, scale, and magnitude that precludes traditional management efforts. This paper assesses the diverse anthropogenic factors that contributed to the establishment of lionfish within the Caribbean–Atlantic, as well as the reasons for the species’ subsequent rapid dispersal throughout the region. This work investigates how …

Habitat Use And Behaviours Of Introduced Muscovy Ducks (Cairina Moschata) In Urban And Suburban Environments, Joni Downs, Rebecca Loraamm, James Howard Anderson Jr., Jacqueline Perry, Jessica Bullock

Suburban Sustainability

Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata) are native to South America, Central America, and Mexico. The species is commonly domesticated and raised for meat across the globe. Escaped or intentionally introduced populations have become established in many suburban areas, although they are little studied. A total of 642 individual time-activity budgets were collected for invasive Muscovy ducks in Tampa, Florida, USA, in order to quantify habitat use and behavioural patterns. Muscovy ducks utilized a variety of cover types, including open water, shoreline, grass, tree, shrub, and urban habitats. Muscovy ducks foraged by dabbling, gleaning, grazing, and probing, while occasionally obtaining, …

Biotic And Abiotic Factors Predicting The Global Distribution And Population Density Of An Invasive Large Mammal, Jesse S. Lewis, Mathew L. Farnsworth, Christopher L. Burdett, David M. Theobald, Miranda Gray, Ryan S. Miller

Other Publications in Wildlife Management

Biotic and abiotic factors are increasingly acknowledged to synergistically shape broad-scale species distributions. However, the relative importance of biotic and abiotic factors in predicting species distributions is unclear. In particular, biotic factors, such as predation and vegetation, including those resulting from anthropogenic land-use change, are underrepresented in species distribution modeling, but could improve model predictions. Using generalized linear models and model selection techniques, we used 129 estimates of population density of wild pigs (Sus scrofa) from 5 continents to evaluate the relative importance, magnitude, and direction of biotic and abiotic factors in predicting population density of an invasive large mammal …

Fungi Associated With Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus Cathartica) In Southern Ontario, Nimalka M. Weerasuriya

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) is a competitive Eurasian woody shrub currently invading North America. Buckthorn thickets reduce native diversity and may reduce mycorrhizal diversity through the release of allelochemicals. Two aspects of buckthorn’s invasional biology are explored: 1) identifying fungi associating with buckthorn, and 2) determining buckthorn’s allelochemical impacts on arbuscular mycorrhizae in forest soils and an open-greenhouse experiment.

Twenty-three fungi were found growing on buckthorn, including Armillaria mellea s.l., Hypoxylon fuscum, H. perforatum, Nectria cinnabarina, and Cylindrobasidium evolvens. Data from invaded and uninvaded sugar maple (Acer saccharum) soils revealed that arbuscular …

Biogeography Of A Plant Invasion: Genetic Variation And Plasticity In Latitudinal Clines For Traits Related To Herbivory, Ganesh P. Bhattarai, Laura A. Meyerson, Jack Anderson, David Cummings, Warwick J. Allen, James T. Cronin

Faculty Publications

© 2016 by the Ecological Society of America. The juxtaposition of plant-species invasions with latitudinal gradients in herbivore pressure is an important yet mostly unexplored issue in invasion biology. Latitudinal clines in defense and palatability to herbivores are expected to exist in native plant species but the evolution of these clines may lag behind for invasive plant species resulting in non-parallel latitudinal clines that may impact invasion success. Our study focused on a native and European invasive lineages of the common reed Phragmites australis in North America. Using native and invasive genotypes of P. australis collected across a 17° latitudinal …

Replacement Of Fishmeal With Processed Meal From Knife Fish Chitala Ornata In Diets Of Juvenile Nile Tilapia Oreochromis Niloticus, Janice A. Ragaza, Sherilyn T. Abarra, Stephanie F. Velasquez, Kristina Daniela D.C. Guzman, Jaime Lorenzo F. Felipe, Melchor Tayamen

Biology Faculty Publications

A 60-day feeding trial was conducted to assess the effects of processed meal from knife fish Chitala ornata (KFM) as fishmeal replacement in diets of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus juveniles. Five iso-nitrogenous (36.4% in dry matter) and isolipidic diets (8.6% in dry matter) with 0 (D1), 25 (D2), 50 (D3), 75 (D4) and 100% (D5) KFM inclusions were prepared. With a stocking density of 15 fish (0.59 ± 0.01 g) per tank, tilapia juveniles were distributed randomly in fifteen 30-L tanks. Results indicate a significant increase (P < 0.05) in the percent average weight gain, specific growth rate, and feed …

Reproductive Status Of Drosophila Suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) Females Influences Attraction To Fermentation-Based Baits And Ripe Fruits, Katharine A. Swoboda-Bhattarai, Douglas R. Mcphie, Hannah Burrack

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) is an invasive species that is a devastating pest of soft-skinned fruit crops. Although much effort has been directed toward developing traps and attractants to monitor for D. suzukii, current monitoring tools do not reliably predict fruit infestation. The objective of this study was to determine if D. suzukii females at different developmental stages are differentially attracted to monitoring traps with fermentation-based baits and ripe fruits. Females were collected on the surface of traps, within traps, and on ripe fruits during three experiments at field locations in North Carolina, USA, and were dissected to determine their reproductive …

Phenotypic Plasticity Of Native And Invasive Cool-Season Grasses In Response To Frequency Of Moisture Availability, Ming-Yu Stephens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phenotypic plasticity, the ability of an individual to alter its growth in response to environmental conditions, is an attribute that is considered a likely invader attribute, as it provides the opportunity to expand its ecological niche breadth. Adaptive phenotypic plasticity can affect not only the ability to establish in a new environment, but also the ability to outperform the existing vegetation over time. Bromus inermis (smooth brome) and Poa pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass) are invasive species in tall- and mixed-grass prairie ecosystems. The objectives of this two-part study were to quantify the adaptive plasticity of biomass accumulation and tiller production in …

The Effect Of Site Characteristics On The Reproductive Output Of Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus Ficaria), Justin P. Kermack

ETD Archive

Ranunculus ficaria L., an ephemeral perennial invasive plant brought over from Europe, is becoming widespread throughout the Northeastern United States. This herbaceous buttercup is able to create extensive dense mats that limit native species growth. Taking advantage of an early growing season and rapid reproduction rates, this species can create dense monocultures, which threatens native communities and ecosystems. Elimination of native spring ephemerals results in decreased biodiversity. A better understanding of how R. ficaria responds to site characteristics is needed to prioritize management efforts toward high-risk sites.

Ranunculus ficaria abundance and reproductive output (seed, bulbil and tuber production rates) were …

Seed Production, Viability, And Reproductive Limits Of The Invasive Ailanthus Altissima (Tree-Of-Heaven) Within Invaded Environments†, Kristen L. Wickert, Eric S. Oneal, Donald D. Davis, Matthew T. Kasson

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The success of some invasive tree species is attributed, in part, to high fecundity in the form of sexual propagules. If invasive trees produce more seed annually than co-occurring native trees, they will have a greater ability to disperse and establish across the landscape. In this study, seed production of female Ailanthus trees was investigated to determine (1) reproductive age limits; (2) annual and cumulative seed output; and (3) seed viability. Existing data on Ailanthus seed production were combined with a novel dataset to compare variability in seed production and explore relationships with tree diameter and age. Results from this …

Comparison Of Burbot Populations Across Adjacent Native And Introduced Ranges, Annika W. Walters, Elizabeth G. Madenville, W. Carl Saunders, Paul C. Gerrity, Joseph A. Skorupski, Zack E. Underwood, Eric I. Gardunio

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduced species are a threat to biodiversity. Burbot, Lota lota, a fish native to the Wind River Drainage, Wyoming and a species of conservation concern, have been introduced into the nearby Green River Drainage, Wyoming, where they are having negative effects on native fish species. We compared these native and introduced burbot populations to evaluate potential mechanisms that could be leading to introduction success. We examined genetic ancestry, physical habitat characteristics, community composition, and burbot abundance, relative weight, and size structure between the native and introduced range to elucidate potential differences. The origin of introduced burbot in Flaming Gorge …

Describe If Commercial Low-Frequency Electrofishing Affects The Catch Of Blue Catfish Hoop-Net Fishery, George Trice Iv

Reports

The blue catfish Ictalurus furcatus was first introduced to Virginia tidal waters in the 1974 and currently inhabit all major Virginia tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay (Jenkins and Burkhead 1994, Schloesser et al. 2011). More recently blue catfish have spread to Maryland waters and are multiplying at an alarming rate. The James River tributary has the largest number of blue catfish (Schloesser et al. 2011) in Virginia. The amount of blue catfish inhabiting the James River in unknown but is likely to be over five million (Fabrizio et al. 2009, Greenlee 2011) and blue catfish are estimated to be over …

Effective Dose And Persistence Of Rhodamine-B In Wild Pig Vibrissae, Sarah C. Webster, Fred L. Cunningham, John C. Kilgo, Mark A. Vukovich, Olin E. Rhodes Jr., James C. Beasley

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

As a result of substantial ecological and economic damage attributed to wild pigs (Sus scrofa), there is international interest in using pharmaceutical baits to control populations. To assess the efficacy and specificity of baiting programs, chemical biomarkers can be used to evaluate uptake of pharmaceutical baits. Rhodamine B (RB) is known to be an effective biomarker in wild pigs. However, significant data gaps exist regarding the minimum effective dosage and persistence of RB in wild pigs. We used a controlled doubleblind study experiment conducted in spring of 2014 on the Savannah River Site, Aiken, South Carolina, USA, wherein …

Efficiency Of Different Spatial And Temporal Strategies For Reducing Vertebrate Pest Populations, Kim M. Pepin, Amy J. Davis, Kurt C. Vercauteren

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Understanding effectiveness of control strategies of pest species is fundamental for planning efficient and cost-effective management programs. In addition to culling rates, there are many potential factors that can determine efficiency of different management strategies, including demographic processes such as immigration rates, birth dynamics, and spatial ecology. We developed a stochastic, data-based simulation model of feral swine population dynamics which accounted for social dynamics in space. We tested the impacts of different spatio-temporal management strategies (i.e., culling rates, timing of culling during the year, spatial pattern of culling and strength of a barrier to immigration) on population response and efficiency. …

Detection And Persistence Of Environmental Dna From An Invasive, Terrestrial Mammal, Kelly E. Williams, Kathryn P. Huyvaert, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Amy J. Davis, Antoinette J. Piaggio

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive Sus scrofa, a species commonly referred to as wild pig or feral swine, is a destructive invasive species with a rapidly expanding distribution across the United States. We used artificial wallows and small waterers to determine the minimum amount of time needed for pig eDNA to accumulate in the water source to a detectable level. We removed water from the artificial wallows and tested eDNA detection over the course of 2 weeks to understand eDNA persistence. We show that our method is sensitive enough to detect very low quantities of eDNA shed by a terrestrial mammal that has …

Caught In A Net: Retention Efficiency Of Microplankton ≥10 And< 50 Μm Collected On Mesh Netting, Vanessa Molina, Stephanie H. Robbins-Wamsley, Scott C. Riley, Matthew R. First, Lisa A. Drake

U.S. Navy Research

Living organisms ≥10 μm and< 50 μm in ballast water discharged from ships are typically collected by filtering samples through a monofilament mesh net with pore openings sized to retain organisms ≥10 μm. This (or any) filtering method does not result in perfect size fractionation, and it can induce stress, mortality, and loss of organisms that, in turn, may underestimate the concentration of organisms within samples. To address this loss, the retention efficiency (RE) was determined for six filtration approaches using laboratory cultures of microalgae and ambient marine organisms. The approaches employed a membrane filter or mesh nettings of different compositions (nylon, stainless steel, polyester, and polycarbonate), nominal pore sizes (5, 7, and 10 μm), and filtering sequences (e.g., pre-filtering water through a coarse filter). Additionally, in trials with polycarbonate track etched (PCTE) membrane filters, water was amended with particulate material to increase turbidity. Organisms ≥10 μm were counted in the material retained on the filter (the filtrand), the material passing through the filter (the filtrate), and the …

Effective Dose And Persistence Of Rhodamine-B In Wild Pig Vibrissae, Sarah C. Webster, Fred L. Cunningham, John C. Kilgo, Mark A. Vukovich, Olin E. Rhodes Jr., James C. Beasley

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

As a result of substantial ecological and economic damage attributed to wild pigs (Sus scrofa), there is international interest in using pharmaceutical baits to control populations. To assess the efficacy and specificity of baiting programs, chemical biomarkers can be used to evaluate uptake of pharmaceutical baits. Rhodamine B (RB) is known to be an effective biomarker in wild pigs. However, significant data gaps exist regarding the minimum effective dosage and persistence of RB in wild pigs. We used a controlled doubleblind study experiment conducted in spring of 2014 on the Savannah River Site, Aiken, South Carolina, USA, wherein …

Assessing The Genetic Status And Factors Leading To The Decline Of The Roanoke Bass (Ambloplites Cavifrons), Jackman C. Eschenroeder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although numerous factors have led to the staggering declines in freshwater biodiversity throughout the United States and the world, habitat alteration and introduced species pose some of the greatest challenges to conservation efforts. Learning more about how these two factors lead to the decline of an endemic organism could help prevent the future loss of unique species and the premature conclusion of evolutionary trajectories. Roanoke bass (Ambloplites cavifrons) is a sport fish endemic to portions of the Roanoke, Chowan, Tar, and Neuse river basins of North Carolina and Virginia. This species has been in decline for many years, …

Spawning Site Selection And Fry Development Of Invasive Lake Trout In Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Lee Simard

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Since their discovery in Yellowstone Lake in 1994, Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) have been the object of an intensive gillnet suppression program due to their predation on native Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri). Managers are also interested in targeting early life stages to augment suppression. A benthic sled was used to sample for Lake Trout eggs at 24 locations, hypothesized to be spawning sites, that encompassed a range of depths, slopes, and substrate composition to determine the location and characteristics of spawning sites in Yellowstone Lake. Lake Trout eggs were collected at seven sites, five of which had not …

Optimal Approaches For Inline Sampling Of Organisms In Ballast Water: L-Shaped Vs. Straight Sample Probes, Timothy P. Wier, Cameron S. Moser, Jonathan F. Grant, Scott C. Riley, Stephanie H. Robbins-Wamsley, Matthew R. First, Lisa A. Drake

U.S. Navy Research

Both L-shaped (“L”) and straight (“Straight”) sample probes have been used to collect water samples from a main ballast line in land-based or shipboard verification testing of ballast water management systems (BWMS). A series of experiments was conducted to quantify and compare the sampling efficiencies of L and Straight sample probes. The findings from this research—that both L and Straight probes sample organisms with similar efficiencies— permit increased flexibility for positioning sample probes aboard ships.

A Non-Native Forest Invader Alters Forest Structure And The Associated Arthropod Community, Matthew B. Savage

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

The emerald ash borer (EAB, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) is a non-native wood boring beetle that is causing extensive ash (Fraxinus spp.) mortality in eastern North America, affecting both urban and wildland forests and drastically altering forest structure and composition. As EAB-induced ash mortality progresses, native arthropod associates of ash forests are impacted by the effects of rapid and broad scale tree mortality. These include loss of food source, increased canopy gap formation, alterations in litter inputs causing shifting temperature and moisture regimes on the forest floor, and significant accumulation of coarse woody debris.

I assessed the sub-canopy …

Determining The Reproductive Patterns Of The Titan Acorn Barnacle (Megabalanus Coccopoma) In Its Introduced Range, Isabel L. Moran Ms.

Honors College Theses

Invasive species are a significant conservation concern given their contribution to native species decline. The barnacle, Megabalanus coccopoma, is a common invasive species in tropical and subtropical regions of both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Little is known about the life history and ecology of M. coccopoma, and data on reproductive biology could provide valuable insight into its propensity to establish introduced populations. Most species of barnacle (including M. coccopoma) are hermaphroditic, but self-fertilization is rare in species studied to date. A recent genetic study of introduced M. coccopoma populations in the southeastern US showed high levels of …

Floristic Inventory Of Woollen’S Gardens Nature Preserve, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, Usa, With Quantitative Vegetation Sampling Of Permanent Plots In 2003 And 2016, Rebecca W. Dolan, Marcia E. Moore

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Urban forest fragments face challenges to habitat quality due to small size, isolation from larger natural areas, and close association with anthropogenic disturbance. Monitoring changes in vegetation can inform management practices targeted at preserving biodiversity in the face of these threats. Woollen’s Gardens is a high-quality mesic upland forest preserve in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, with a beechmaple older-growth forest and a significant display of showy spring wildflowers. The entire preserve was inventoried and quantitative vegetation analysis along seven 100 m transects was conducted in 2003 and again in 2016 to track changes. Data from both years document …

Incorporating Basic And Applied Approaches To Evaluate The Effects Of Invasive Asian Carp On Native Fishes: A Necessary First Step For Integrated Pest Management, Quinton E. Phelps, Sara J. Tripp, Kyle R. Bales, Daniel James, Robert A. Hrabik, David P. Herzog

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Numerous studies throughout North America allege deleterious associations among invasive Asian Carp and native fishes; however, no empirical evidence on a system-wide scale exists. We used Mississippi River Basin fish community data collected by the Long Term Resource Monitoring program and the Missouri Department of Conservation to evaluate possible interaction between Asian Carp and native fishes. Results from two decades of long-term monitoring throughout much of the Mississippi River suggest that Silver Carp relative abundance has increased while relative abundance (Bigmouth Buffalo [F 3, 8240 = 6.44, P0.05). To this end, this study provides evidence that Silver Carp are likely …

Abundance, Growth, And Predation By Non-Native Brown Trout In The Trinity River, Ca, Justin S. Alvarez

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Brown Trout were introduced to the Trinity River in Northern California in the 1890’s. Since 1932, Brown Trout have sustained their population without additional stocking. Over the last 15 years, fisheries managers have been concerned that predation by piscivorous Brown Trout may impede efforts to restore native salmonids, in particular endangered Coho Salmon. I investigated predation by Brown Trout on native fish in the 64 km of the main stem Trinity River below Lewiston Dam. Using a bioenergetics approach parameterized with field measurements of Brown Trout abundance and growth, I estimated the amount of energy needed to sustain the 2015 …

Continued Spread Of The Seagrass Halophila Stipulacea In The Caribbean: Documentation In Puerto Rico And The British Virgin Islands, Hector Ruiz, David L. Ballantine, Jorge Sabater

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The geographical spread of Halophila stipulacea in the Caribbean since its first documentation in Grenada in 2001 has been impressive, as it has since been reported from most of the Caribbean. We now document its presence in the northern Caribbean at Culebra Island and in the Atlantic at a site between Humacao and Vieques Island, Puerto Rico. We further report the seagrass from Road Harbour, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Spread of the invasive seagrass Halophila stipulacea is probably largely driven by Caribbean current patterns from its likely point of introduction in the southeast of the Caribbean basin. Continued spread into …

Preparing For Offshore Renewable Energy Development In The Mediterranean, Laura Bray

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

The development of offshore wind farms and marine renewable energy devices in the Mediterranean is central to both national, and international, energy strategies for countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. The ecological impacts of marine renewable energy development in the Mediterranean region, although essential for policy makers, are as yet unknown. The Northern Adriatic is identified as a plausible site for offshore wind farm development. Using the wider region (Adriatic and Northern Ionian) as a case study, this thesis examines the likely impact to the marine environment if an offshore wind farm is established. Site suitability, based on wind speed, bathymetry, …