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Articles 1 - 16 of 16
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Fern Community Reassembly In Secondary Forests Of Puerto Rico: Predictors, Complexity, And Niche Model Assessment, Thomas J. Schmidt
Fern Community Reassembly In Secondary Forests Of Puerto Rico: Predictors, Complexity, And Niche Model Assessment, Thomas J. Schmidt
Masters Theses
Approximately 94% of Puerto Rico’s forests were converted into agricultural systems by 1950. Since then, extensive abandonment of agricultural land has resulted in a considerable amount of forest regeneration throughout the main island. Ferns are a major non-woody component of oceanic, tropical island forests comprising up to seventy percent of the flora. Consequently, the composition and community structure of ferns may be indicative of the relative richness of these secondary forests. I used Maximum Entropy (Maxent), a widely-used mathematical tool for distinguishing suitable versus unsuitable fern niche space, along with ENMTools, a tool that assists Maxent with proper model selection, …
Genetic Structure Of Yellow Perch Populations In Coastal Areas Of Eastern Lake Michigan, Jessica N. Wesolek
Genetic Structure Of Yellow Perch Populations In Coastal Areas Of Eastern Lake Michigan, Jessica N. Wesolek
Masters Theses
Genetic population substructure is often overlooked because of discontinuities between management and actual population structure as in the case of yellow perch, an ecologically and economically important indigenous fish species in the Laurentian Great Lakes. A knowledge gaps pertaining to the natural history of yellow perch relates to the biological connectivity between nearshore Lake Michigan and drowned river mouth (DRM) lakes, where it remains unclear whether resident yellow perch from Lake Michigan use DRM lakes for spawning or whether DRM lakes contribute to nearshore yellow perch populations in Lake Michigan. I used DNA fingerprinting (genotyping) to explore biological connectivity between …
Structural Comparison Of Arctic Plant Communities Across The Landscape And With Experimental Warming In Northern Alaska, Jessica L. Gregory
Structural Comparison Of Arctic Plant Communities Across The Landscape And With Experimental Warming In Northern Alaska, Jessica L. Gregory
Masters Theses
Understanding vegetation change is central to forecasting the impacts of climate change. Percent cover, determined from a point frame method, is commonly used to monitor vegetation change. Cover is influenced by canopy structure which may change with the size (growth) or number (density) of individual plants. The overarching objective of this project was to document the relationship between vegetation cover and traits representing plant growth and density and determine if these relationships changed with warming. We used regressions and analysis of covariance to detect which of several traits was most strongly related to cover in vegetation at a wet and …
Characterization Of Histidine Decarboxylase In Drosophila Using An Internal Flag Epitope, Maxwell Mianecki
Characterization Of Histidine Decarboxylase In Drosophila Using An Internal Flag Epitope, Maxwell Mianecki
Masters Theses
Histamine is a neurotransmitter in arthropods and is responsible for synaptic transmission in vision, mechanosensation, temperature sensing and sleep cycle in Drosophila. Histamine is synthesized by the enzyme histidine decarboxylase (HDC). While histamine is detectable within tissues using current immunofluorescent labeling techniques, immunological approaches have not been successful for HDC itself, with both direct antibodies and terminal epitope tags determined to be ineffective. In order to avoid loss of the epitope tag through putative N-‐ and C-‐terminal proteolytic cleavage, known to occur for HDC in other organisms, an internal epitope tag that does not disrupt enzyme function was utilized. A …
Evaluation Of Natural Steelhead Recruitment In The Muskegon River, Michigan, Nicholas C. Albrecht
Evaluation Of Natural Steelhead Recruitment In The Muskegon River, Michigan, Nicholas C. Albrecht
Masters Theses
The lower Muskegon River is one of the most heavily fished rivers in the state of Michigan and is a valuable component of the multi-billion dollar sport fishery in the Great Lakes. Although significant stocking effort has been invested to maintain and improve the steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fishery in the Muskegon River, natural recruitment has been severely limited due to high summer water temperatures. The goal of this research project was to evaluate the success of a diffuser system installed in 2008 at Croton Dam to moderate high summer water temperatures in the lower Muskegon River. I estimated natural juvenile …
Genetic Health And Population Viability Of Reintroduced American Marten In Michigan, Tamara L. Hillman
Genetic Health And Population Viability Of Reintroduced American Marten In Michigan, Tamara L. Hillman
Masters Theses
American marten (Martes americana) were extirpated from Michigan’s Lower Peninsula (LP) in 1911, and subsequently from the Upper Peninsula (UP) in 1939 due to habitat loss and unregulated trapping. The species was later reintroduced in the UP in the mid-1950s, and to the LP in the mid-1980s. Previous research has determined the small founding sizes used in the LP reintroductions have resulted in losses of genetic diversity, while research in the UP has produced discordant results concerning the effects of the reintroduction methods on genetic health and population structure. Since past research of marten in the LP, no …
Predictive Modeling Of Floral Species Richness In Michigan Prairie Fen Communities, Nichole R. Mason
Predictive Modeling Of Floral Species Richness In Michigan Prairie Fen Communities, Nichole R. Mason
Masters Theses
Prairie fens contain high levels of floral biodiversity, including 19 state threatened or endangered plant species, and are classified as rare and vulnerable communities by the Michigan Natural Features Inventory. The objective of this thesis was to develop multiple-regression (MR) models that reliably predict total, native, and invasive floral species richness for use by conservation organizations. Floral biodiversity surveys were conducted in eight southern Michigan prairie fens during the 2012 growing season. Simple linear regressions between fen size and biodiversity were used to optimize sampling strategy and effort (i.e., number of transects and plots per transect) in surveys conducted in …
Evidence For Transfer Of Membranes From Mesenchymal Stem Cells To Hl-1 Cardiac Cells, Robert Boomsma, David Geenen
Evidence For Transfer Of Membranes From Mesenchymal Stem Cells To Hl-1 Cardiac Cells, Robert Boomsma, David Geenen
Funded Articles
This study examined the interaction of mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) with cardiac HL-1 cells during coculture by fluorescent dye labeling and then flow cytometry. MSC were layered onto confluent HL-1 cell cultures in a 1 : 4 ratio. MSC gained gap junction permeant calcein from HL-1 cells after 4 hours which was partially reduced by oleamide. After 20 hours, 99% MSC gained calcein, unaffected by oleamide. Double-labeling HL-1 cells with calcein and the membrane dye DiO resulted in transfer of both calcein and DiO to MSC. When HL-1 cells were labeled with calcein and MSC with DiO, …
Resting Site Characteristics Of American Marten In The Northern Lower Peninsula Of Michigan, Robert L. Sanders
Resting Site Characteristics Of American Marten In The Northern Lower Peninsula Of Michigan, Robert L. Sanders
Masters Theses
American marten are usually associated with forests that are characteristically late successional, closed canopy, and diverse in structure; attributes that meet habitat requirements and provide resting site structures. Resting site structures are required habitat components that are used daily and provide protection from predation and inclement weather. I identified resting site characteristics of American marten in the Manistee National Forest in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula from May 2011 to December 2013. Twenty five marten (15 male and 10 female) were monitored using radio telemetry to identify what types of resting sites structures were used. I identified 522 unique resting site structures; …
Spatial And Temporal Variation Of Macroinvertebrate Communities In The Muskegon River And Bigelow Creek, Michigan, Travis Hauri Foster
Spatial And Temporal Variation Of Macroinvertebrate Communities In The Muskegon River And Bigelow Creek, Michigan, Travis Hauri Foster
Masters Theses
The first objective of this study was to determine the relationship between zebra mussel densities/biomass and benthic macroinvertebrate composition and density in the Muskegon River at a site near Croton Dam, Thirteen benthic quadrat samples were taken along a range of zebra mussel and macroinvertebrate densities at a single sample location. Turbellaria was the only taxa to have a significant positive relationship with zebra mussel density and biomass, Simuliidae had a positive, non-significant relationship with both. No macroinvertebrate taxa decreased because of zebra mussel density/biomasss. The other objectives of this study were to compare current macroinvertebrate communities in the Muskegon …
The Initial Effects Of Community Variables On Sand Prairie Restoration: Species Establishment And Community Responses, Robert Christopher Roos
The Initial Effects Of Community Variables On Sand Prairie Restoration: Species Establishment And Community Responses, Robert Christopher Roos
Masters Theses
We established a sand prairie restoration experiment in northern Lower Michigan’s pine-oak barrens to analyze the effect of different community variables (vegetative cover, species richness, biomass, diversity, and floristic quality) when comparing: (1) how our restoration efforts (seeded treatments) compare to natural community succession (control plots), (2) how different seeding treatments affect these community variables, specifically when evaluating (2a) the effect of grass seeding densities; and (2b) the effect of different forb guilds (early flowering, late flowering, and legumes) during the initial two growing seasons of restoration establishment. In general, a comparison between seeded treatments and non-seeded control treatments indicates …
Genetic Analysis Of Ancient Human Remains From The Early Bronze Age Cultures Of The North Pontic Steppe Region, Jeff Pashnick
Genetic Analysis Of Ancient Human Remains From The Early Bronze Age Cultures Of The North Pontic Steppe Region, Jeff Pashnick
Masters Theses
During the Neolithic transition into the Early Bronze Age (EBA) in the North Pontic steppe region (NPR), people, cultures, and technologies were rapidly changing. Farming was on the decline and Indo-European languages were spreading through the region along with pastoralist way of life. In this study we used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotyping to study the people living in the NPR during these times. Additionally, we used next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies in attempts to develop novel methods to assess the degradation of ancient DNA (aDNA). We extracted ancient mtDNA from remains of 11 individuals belonging to late Neolithic and EBA populations …
Historical Demography And Dispersal Patterns In The Eastern Pipistrelle Bat (Perimyotis Subflavus), Alynn M. Martin
Historical Demography And Dispersal Patterns In The Eastern Pipistrelle Bat (Perimyotis Subflavus), Alynn M. Martin
Masters Theses
The recent emergence of threats to North American bat conservation has prompted increased population genetics research on high risk species. The eastern pipistrelle bat is affected by both white-nose syndrome and wind turbine mortality. However, little work has been done regarding the population structure and effective population size of this species. Using the HVI region of the mitochondria and eight microsatellite loci, I analyzed male and female structure across the sample range of P. subflavus and estimated the effective population size of their populations. Pairwise FST values indicate that there is one panmictic population based on microsatellite data, while …
Wetland Sediment Nutrient Flux In Response To Proposed Hydrologic Reconnection And Climate Warming, James T. Smit
Wetland Sediment Nutrient Flux In Response To Proposed Hydrologic Reconnection And Climate Warming, James T. Smit
Masters Theses
Wetland restoration and creation are common practices, but wetlands restored or created on former agricultural land may act as a source of nutrients, rather than as a sink. I studied P sediment-water exchange in two flooded celery fields (west and east), which are designated for wetland restoration, in order to assess the effects that hydrologic reconnection of the area to an adjacent creek would have on P dynamics. We also examined the influence of climate change, specifically warming temperatures, by conducting the sediment-water exchange experiments at ambient and plus 2°C temperature conditions. Lab-based sediment core incubations revealed that TP release …
Native Plant Establishment Success Influenced By Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea Stoebe) Control Method, Laurelin M. Martin, Neil W. Macdonald, Tami E. Brown
Native Plant Establishment Success Influenced By Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea Stoebe) Control Method, Laurelin M. Martin, Neil W. Macdonald, Tami E. Brown
Funded Articles
Invasive species frequently need to be controlled as part of efforts to reestablish native species on degraded sites. While the effectiveness of differing control methods are often reported, the impacts these methods have on the establishment of a native plant community are often unknown. To determine methods that effectively reduce spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe) while enhancing native species establishment, we tested 12 treatment combinations consisting of an initial site preparation (mowing, mowing + clopyralid, or mowing + glyphosate), in factorial combination with annual adult knapweed hand pulling and/or burning. We established 48 plots and applied site preparation treatments …
Native Warm-Season Grasses Resist Spotted Knapweed Resurgence, Neil W. Macdonald, William J. Bottema
Native Warm-Season Grasses Resist Spotted Knapweed Resurgence, Neil W. Macdonald, William J. Bottema
Peer Reviewed Publications
No abstract provided.