Education Commons^™

Distribution And Habitat Of The Southern Two-Lined Salamander, Eurycea Cirrigera, In Will County, Illinois: Implications For Population Management And Monitoring, David Mauger, Timothy Bell, Eric L. Peters

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

The southern two-lined salamander (Eurycea cirrigera) was found to occur at numerous localities within the Kankakee River State Park in Will County, Illinois. The species is restricted to small drainages within the Kankakee River valley that have flow consisting of groundwater that discharges at seeps or springs at or within the valley bluff. Cooler water temperatures and possibly other conditions that are associated with water derived from seep or spring sources may be important factors in determining salamander abundance. This is particularly relevant to larval habitat. These observations suggest that the spring or seep-fed larval habitat may be the primary …

Revitalization Of Ephemeral Pools As Frog Breeding Habitat In An Illinois Forest Preserve, Denins Nyberg, Irene Lerner

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Almost all land in the eastern United States that has been acquired to preserve nature was once in agricultural usage, and because of this, alterations of ephemeral pool hydrology are common in forest preserves and parks. These ephemeral pools are an important breeding resource for many amphibian species. We hypothesized that filling drainage ditches and recreating a more natural topography at eroded berms would enhance amphibian populations in the forest preserve. Restoration of the hydrology was begun by volunteers in 1993 and was associated with management to reduce non-native woody vegetation. Three ephemeral pools have had maximum water levels raised …

Statement Of The Position Of The Iowa Academy Of Science On The Validity Of Evolutionary Science And On The Status Of Creationism As A Scientific Explanation Of Natural Phenomena

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Current attempts to introduce "scientific creationism", "creationism", or the Judeo-Christian biblical account of creation, as well as to reframe the discussion around terms such as "abrupt appearance theory", "intelligent design theory", or other disguised forms of creationism into the science classroom along with or instead of evolutionary science are strongly opposed by The Iowa Academy of Science on the grounds that creationism, in whatever form, is a religious doctrine and not science.

Book Review: Wildflowers And Other Plants Of Iowa Wetlands, Paul Christiansen

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Wildflowers and Other Plants of Iowa Wetlands. Sylvan T. Runkeland Dean M. Roosa. 1999. Iowa State University Press. 372 pages. ISBN 0-8138-2174-6 pbk.

Runkel and Roosa have scored again with an impressive book on the plants of Iowa wetlands. The format is similar to their very successful Wildflowers of the Tallgrass Prairie (ISU Press, 1989) with full-page color illustrations of each species with the facing page giving nomenclatural data, range and habitat, leaf, flower and fruit characteristics. Information and interesting facts about the plant, including uses by aborigines and early settlers, follows.

Comparing Species Of Bees For Controlled Pollination Of Helianthus Petiolaris In Field Cages, R. L. Wilson, C. A. Abel, M. E. Brothers

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Honey bees, Apis mellifera, have been used for several years to pollinate caged plant species maintained at the USDA-ARS North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station (NCRPIS), Ames, Iowa. Because maintaining large numbers of honey bees is expensive and time consuming, we began looking in 1995 for other pollinator species that can be easily managed and less expensive to maintain than A. mellifera. One species we tested was the hornfaced bee, Osmia cornifrons, a solitary bee imported from Japan in the late 1970s. We also tested a mixture of native bumblebees, Bombus bimaculatus and B. impatiens, which are native to the …

The Status Of The Blacknose Shiner (Notropis Heterolepis) Tn Iowa: A Preliminary Survey, Neil P. Bernstein, Michael Getting, Timothy Kamp, Stevenson Christain, Ryan Smith, Joseph Steele, Steven Steele

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

During the last 45 years, the blacknose shiner (Notropis heterolepis) has been restricted to a three county area in northwestern Iowa. We surveyed locations where this siltation-intolerant species had been captured to update the status of the fish in the state. Streams were blocked with nets on both the upstream and downstream ends of sample areas, and fish were collected with a backpack electrofisher and seines. Lakes where the blacknose shiner had been found were also sampled. No blacknose shiners were found and several possible explanations are offered for their absence from historical sites.

Editorial Board & Iowa Academy Of Science Officers And Directors

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Back Cover

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Distribution And Abundance Of Three Freshwater Mussel Species (B1valv1a: U Ntontdae) Correlated With Physical Habitat Characteristics In An Iowa Reservoir, J. R. Straka, J. A. Downing

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

A rapid drawdown (weeks) of a reservoir allowed us to determine the combined influence of water depth, maximum effective fetch, bottom slope, and substrate characteristics on abundance of three species of freshwater mussels. The three principal mussel species were significantly (PPyganodon grandis(Say) was most abundant on deeper shelves (ca. 3 m depth, slope 1 km), and sediment organic matter content was moderate (Lampsilis siliquoidea(Barnes), however, was most abundant in shallow water (Potamilus alatus(Say) had a more cosmopolitan depth distribution, but was found only on bottoms with low slope (Pyganodon grandiswas found to be negatively affected by increasing substrate organic matter …

Population Size Estimates For The Endangered Iowa Pleistocene Snail, Discus Macclintocki Baker, Tama K. Anderson

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Discus macclintocki Baker, the Iowa Pleistocene snail, is a federally endangered species found only on algific talus slopes in northeastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois. Population size estimates for fourteen D. macclintocki populations in Iowa and Illinois ranged from 182 to 22,125 individuals. Estimates from the program CAPTURE as well as Bayesian estimation procedures gave similar results, although the Bayesian method allowed estimation of populations that could not be estimated with CAPTURE due to small sample sizes. A comparison of two methods of sampling, visual counts of quadrats and cover boards, showed that using cover boards resulted in much higher probabilities …

Editorial Board & Iowa Academy Of Science Officers And Directors

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Morphological Abnormalities In Illinois Cricket Frogs, Acris Crepitans, 1968-71, Robert H. Gray

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Reports of malformed amphibians have been increasing, including external deformities such as missing or extra arms and legs, missing eyes and mandibles, and internal abnormalities involving the bladder, digestive system, and testes. Natural phenomena such as limb amputations during predation attempts by other animals, parasitism, xenobiotic chemicals (herbicides, insecticides, fertilizers and others), and UV-B or other radiation (either directly or indirectly by triggering production of toxicants from nontoxic chemicals) have all been linked to amphibian abnormalities. From 1968-71, I studied the natural history, effective breeding size, and seasonal, annual, and geographic variation in color morph frequencies of cricket frogs (Acris …

Field Investigations Of Malformed Frogs In Minnesota 1993-97, Judy C. Helgen, Mark C. Gernes, Susan M. Kersten, Joel W. Chirhart, Jeff T. Canfield, Dorothy Bowers, Jon Haferman, Robert G. Mckinnell, David M. Hoppe

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Reports of malformed frogs were made to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) from different parts of Minnesota in 1993, 1995, 1996, and 1997 and one, nine, 190, and 172 reports were received, respectively. MPCA field crews and Drs. Hoppe and McKinnell documented malformed frog locations starting in 1993. By 1997, MPCA field crews documented malformed frogs at 62 locations in Minnesota, in 29 of 87 counties. Most malformations were in young metamorphs of Rana pipiens but they were observed also in R. clamitans, R. septentrionalis, R. sylvatica, Bufo americanus, and Hyla spp. Frequencies of malformations varied by time of …

Effects Of Pcb 126 And Ammonia, Alone And In Combination, On Green Frog (Rana Clamitans) And Leopard Frog (R. Pipiens) Hatching Success, Development, And Metamorphosis, Mariana Beatriz Jofre, Michele L. Rosenshield, William H. Karasov

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

The Green Bay watershed in Wisconsin is polluted with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxin, heavy metals, ammonia, and over 100 organic contaminants. In this study we exposed embryos and larvae of two ranid species commonly occurring in the Green Bay ecosystem, the green frog (Rana clamitans) and the leopard frog (R. pipiens), to PCB 126 (3,3', 4,4', 5-Pentachlorobyphenil, nominal concentrations 0-50 μg/l, two control treatments: water plus 0.08% acetone as carrier for the PCB, water alone), unionized ammonia (0-2 mg/I), and mixtures of both contaminants. Exposure to PCB 126 did not cause significant mortality of embryos before hatching. However, exposure to …

The North American Reporting Center For Amphibian Malformations, Douglas H. Johnson, Suzanne C. Fowle, Jeffrey A. Jundt

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

The North American Reporting Center for Amphibian Malformations was established to provide a conduit of information about, and a systematic data base on, malformed amphibians. This article describes the Reporting Center and the variety of features available at its Web site, presents an example of a summary analysis that can be conducted with its data, discusses caveats about the data, and makes recommendations about systematic surveys to better understand patterns and trends in the incidence of malformed amphibians.

Demographic And Reproductive Characteristics Of A Southern Illinois Population Of The Crayfish Frog, Rana Areolata, Michael Redmer

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Demographic (snout-vent length, skeletochronologically estimated age) and reproductive (fecundity, ova size) characteristics were examined in Riina areolata from Williamson County, Illinois. Fifty-nine frogs (36 males, 23 females) were sampled from breeding choruses in March 1996. Hematoxylinophilic annular lines of arrested growth (LAG) were detected in the diaphyses of cross-sectioned phalanges of all sampled frogs. t-tests revealed that male age (mean = 3.53 yr) and female age (mean = 3.83 yr) were not significantly different, but male SVL (mean = 82.78 mm) was significantly smaller than that of females (mean = 89.61 mm). There were positive correlations between SVL and age …

Density-Dependent Effects On Microhabitat Selection And Activity Of Two Species Of Larval Ambystoma Salamanders, Jeanette M. Jaskula, Robert Brodman

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

To be able to distinguish unnatural amphibian declines from natural population fluctuations we need a better understanding of the mechanisms that affect amphibian community structure. Larval pond-breeding salamanders exhibit density-dependent effects on population parameters, but little is known of the effect of density on behaviors that mediate interactions. Two species, Amby1toma tigrinum (tiger salamander) and A. laterale (blue-spotted salamander), were evaluated in laboratory aquaria for intraspecific and interspecific interactions that affect microhabitat selection and activity. Microhabitat selection was studied by partitioning containers into microhabitats that either contained or lacked refuges, and movement was recorded over a hexagonal grid to determine …

Frog And Toad Population Monitoring In Michigan, Lori G. Sargent

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

A volunteer-based monitoring project for frog and toad populations in Michigan was initiated in 1996. The survey protocols developed by the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program (NAAMP) were used and modified to suit the needs of the Michigan project and because of the highly variable Michigan spring weather. The modifications include route establishment, recommended dates during which surveys are conducted, and a more specific definition of population indices. Development of the project included training workshops for volunteers.

Herpetofaunal Abundance And Distribution In Northern Minnesota: Contributions Of Ecological Land Units And Assessment Of Sampling Methodology, Gabrielle Yaunches, S. R. Winterstein, H. Campa Iii, B. J. Kernohan, J. B. Haufler

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Herpetofaunal species distributions need to be understood and mapped using landscape descriptions that incorporate important habitat features and ecological processes. An ecosystem management effort in northern Minnesota is characterizing a landscape as a coarse filter for ecological communities. The coarse filter approach involves looking at communities in different successional stages and habitat types in a region (Haufler et al. 1996). Documenting distributions and abundances of herpetofauna using this coarse filter approach will allow data about these species to be incorporated in landscape planning efforts.

Conclusions Drawn From The Malformity And Disease Session, Midwest Declining Amphibians Conference, 1998, Michael J. Lannoo

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

While the general problem of amphibian declines is well known, no issue recently has engendered as much concern by the public as amphibian malformities (Ouellet et al. 1996, Tietge 1996, Gray 1998, Helgen et al. 1998a and 1998b, D. Johnson 1998, T. Johnson 1998, Meteyer and Converse 1998). As a result, Gary Casper, Chris Phillips and I decided to assemble this symposium. The session was open to anyone who wished to participate. Nineteen papers were presented (there was one cancellation) and a panel discussion followed. I will organize this summary of, and conclusions drawn from, our symposium into two sections: …

Back Cover

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Iowa's Geological Past: Three Billion Years Of Change, Raymond R. Anderson

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Iowa's Geological Past: Three Billion Years of Change. Wayne Anderson, 1998. University of Iowa Press, Iowa City IA. xii + 424 pages. ISBN 0-87745-639-9, ISBN 0-87745-640-2 (pbk.).

Wayne Anderson, born in geode country in southeast Iowa, earned his Bachelors, Masters, and Ph.D. at the University of Iowa (writing a thesis and dissertation on Iowa geologic topics). He will complete a 37-year career teaching geology at the University of Northern Iowa with his retirement in the Spring of 2000. His research activities and the work of his students have added greatly to our understanding of the geology of eastern Iowa. In …

Cover - Table Of Contents

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Corn (Zea Mays L.) Yield Response To Nitrogen Fertilizer In Conventional And Alternative Rotations, M. M. Harbur, M. Ghaffarzadeh, R. M. Cruse

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Nitrogen (N) fertilization recommendations are not available for corn in rotation with small grains or forages despite the possibility that the N response may differ from that of more conventional corn-soybean rotations. Rotations of corn with soybean (CS), corn with soybean and oat (CSO) and corn with soybean and an oat/berseem clover intercrop (CSOB) were established in 1991 and studied from 1993 through 1998 to determine the optimal N fertilization level for corn produced in each rotation. Corn in each rotation received NH4N03 applied at the rates of 0, 56, 112, or 168 kg N ha^-1. Significant differences …

Checklist Of Instructions For Authors

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Limits To Ice Thickness In Iowa During The Late Wisconsinan, Eric C. Brevik

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Minimum and maximum limits to Des Moines Lobe ice thickness in Iowa during the Late Wisconsinan glaciation are calculated. These limits are based on minimum and maximum ice thickness calculations for the Des Moines Lobe in eastern North Dakota using crustal depression indicated by Lake Agassiz strandlines. Minimum and maximum basal shear stresses for the Des Moines Lobe are calculated by projecting a flow line from the terminus of the Des Moines Lobe back up-ice to the study site in northeastern North Dakota. Ice thickness in Iowa is then calculated with a method that uses the basal shear stress values. …

Back Cover

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Cover - Investigating Amphibian Declines: Proceedings Of The 1998 Declining Amphibians Conference

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Interactive Effects Of Anthropogenic, Environmental, And Biotic Stressors On Multiple Endpoints In Hyla Chrysoscelis, Carol A. Britson, Stephen T. Threlkeld

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Multiple stressors have been proposed as causative agents for declining populations and increased incidence of malformations in amphibians although few studies have examined possible interactions among these stressors. We measured interactive effects of UV radiation, three chemicals, and interspecific competition (with Rana 1phenocephala) on multiple endpoints in Hyla chrysoscelis using a center point- and chemical-free control-enhanced 2⁴ factorial design. UV radiation was transmitted or filtered using OP-4 or OP-3 acrylite filters installed above 72, 500-liter mesocosms on 16 May 1997. Methyl mercury, chlorpyrifos, and atrazine were applied at levels of 0, 10, 50, and 100 % of 400 ppb, …