Life Sciences Commons^™

Continuous Mowing Differentially Affects Floral Defenses In The Noxious And Invasive Weed Solanum Elaeagnifolium In Its Native Range, Alejandro Vasquez, Alexa Alaniz, Robert K. Dearth, Rupesh R. Kariyat

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

In weeds, disturbance has been found to affect life history traits and mediate trophic interactions. In urban landscapes, mowing is an important disturbance, and we previously showed that continuous mowing leads to enhanced fitness and defense traits in Solanum elaeagnifolium, Silverleaf Nightshade (SLN). However, most studies have been focused on foliar defenses, ignoring floral defenses. In this study we examined whether continuous mowing affected floral defenses in SLN using mowed and unmowed populations in South Texas, their native range. We found flowers of mowed SLN plants larger but lighter than unmowed plants. Additionally, flowers on plants that were mowed …

A Remote Sensing Approach To Assess The Historical Invasion Of Phragmites Australis In A Brackish Coastal Marsh, Jason S. Hagani, John Y. Takekawa, Steven C. Chappell, Richelle L. Tanner, Adrienne R. Ernst, Karin M. Kettenring

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction: Coastal estuarine wetlands provide important habitats for a variety of endemic flora and fauna but are particularly vulnerable to biological invasions. Regular monitoring of changes in these vulnerable wetlands has become increasingly important for effective management, especially considering threats from climate change effects and human disturbance. Historical analyzes of plant invasions may guide targeted management strategies to eradicate harmful species. Estimating the distribution of invasive species has never been more accessible with the improved availability of high-resolution data and innovations in remote sensing, estimating the distribution of invasive species has never been more accessible.

Methods: We assessed the spread …

Socio-Ecological Interactions Promote Outbreaks Of A Harmful Invasive Plant In An Urban Landscape, T. Trevor Caughlin, Matthew Clark, Louis W. Jochems, Nick Kolarik, Andrii Zaiats, Cody Hall, Jason M. Winiarski, Breanna F. Powers, Martha M. Brabec, Kelly Hopping

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

1. Urban landscapes often harbour organisms that harm people and threaten native biodiversity. These landscapes are characterized by differences in socioeconomic context, habitat suitability and patch connectedness. Identifying which spatial differences enable outbreaks of pests, pathogens and invasive species will improve targeted control efforts.

2. We tested hypotheses to explain the distribution and demography of puncturevine Tribulus terrestris, a human-dispersed invasive plant in Boise, a city in the western United States. We hypothesized an increase in puncturevine infestations near low-valued properties with a high proportion of bare ground, the species' preferred microhabitat, that are well connected on the urban road network. …

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Ecology Of Texas Zebra Mussels, Heather Arterburn

Biology Datasets

Data analyzing the zebra mussel population dynamics in three Texas reservoirs over a period of 3-5 years. Data includes shell length of adult and planktonic larvae samples collected monthly, growth rates, reproductive periods, and settlement patterns. Additionally, water quality parameters are included for correlational analysis.

Invasive Crayfish Faxonius Rusticus Do Not Prefer Pheromones Of Conspecifics, Michelle Yohe

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

The invasive crayfish Faxonius rusticus has invaded multiple watersheds throughout Pennsylvania and the country. Current trapping methods are time consuming, labor intensive, and ineffective. Because crustaceans produce and utilize pheromones to communicate social status and mating condition, baited pheromone traps might serve as an effective alternative to the current trapping methods. The aim of this study was to examine if F. rusticus can distinguish between pheromones produced by conspecifics during breeding and non-breeding seasons. Previous research in our lab showed that during the breeding season females prefer male pheromones, but that preference disappears during the non-breeding season. We collected pheromones …

Changes In The Zooplankton Community In Barren River Lake (South Central Ky) Between 2008 And 2020, Laurel Philpott

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Zooplankton are small aquatic animals that serve an important role in transferring energy from phytoplankton to higher trophic levels. The zooplankton community composition in Barren River Lake from 2008 and 2020 was compared. A field study was conducted to not only describe the seasonal population dynamics of zooplankton in Barren River Lake, but also to determine if an invasive zooplankton, Daphnia lumholtzi, was present. While D. lumholtzi was found throughout Barren River Lake in 2008, it was absent from both resampled sites in 2019 and 2020. This, along with erratic patterns of emergence in several other zooplankton species, indicates …

New Records Of Digenetic Trematodes Infecting Melanoides Tuberculata (O.F. Müller, 1774) In Florida, Usa, Lori R. Tolley-Jordan, Michael A. Chadwick, Jimmy K. Triplett

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Melanoides tuberculata is a well-known invasive, freshwater snail and intermediate host for many species of parasitic trematodes. Despite being well established in Florida’s freshwater systems, little work has been conducted to document the associated trematodes of the snails. Live snails were collected from 11 sites from 25 locations sampled across the state of Florida, USA of which individuals from six sites were found to be infected with trematodes. Gross morphological characters and phylogenetic analysis using 18S rRNA and ITS2 gene regions, were used to identify these trematode taxa. Snails infected with the gill flukes, Centrocestus formosanus and Haplorchis pumilio (Heterophyidae) …

Effects Of Elevated Temperature, Reduced Hydroperiod, And Invasive Bullfrog Larvae On Pacific Chorus Frog Larvae, Bailey R. Tasker, Karli Honebein, Allie M. Erickson, Julia E. Misslin, Paul Hurst, Sarah Cooney, Skylar Riley, Scott A. Griffith, Betsy A. Bancroft

Biology Faculty Scholarship

Climate change and invasive species threaten many ecosystems, including surface freshwater systems. Increasing temperatures and reduced hydroperiod due to climate change may promote the persistence of invasive species and facilitate new invasions due to potentially higher tolerance to environmental stress in successful invaders. Amphibians demonstrate high levels of plasticity in life history characteristics, particularly those species which inhabit both ephemeral and permanent water bodies. We tested the influence of two projected effects of climate change (increased temperature and reduced hydroperiod) on Pacific chorus frog (Pseudacris regilla) tadpoles alone and in combination with the presence of tadpoles of a …

Earthworm And Soil Data For Ottawa National Forest, Blair Orr

Michigan Tech Research Data

Two types of analysis were run.

I. Probability of finding L. terrestris in habitat types of the Ottawa National Forests.

Abstract: Parts of the Ottawa National Forest (ONF) provide suitable habitat for invasive earthworms. Extensive earthworm invasion is a relatively recent event on the ONF and this study captures the current state of the earthworm invasion through a four-stage invasive species distribution model (iSDM). The random distribution of earthworms indicates early colonization by earthworms which is moderated by habitat (forest type, soil group, and drainage class). CART modeling was used to determine probability of earthworm invasion. The CART model had …

Use Of Its‑1 To Identify Bactrocera Dorsalis And Bactrocera Occipitalis (Diptera: Tephritidae): A Case Study Using Flies Trapped In California From 2008 To 2018, Norman B. Barr, Martin Hauser, Jennifer Belcher, David Salinas, Erin Schuenzel, Peter Kerr, Stephen Gaimari

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Molecular methods are necessary to diagnose immature life stages of the agricultural pest fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), and are useful to corroborate identifications based on adults because morphological variation within the species can overlap with congeners. DNA sequencing of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS‑1) has been adopted by the International Plant Protection Convention as an internationally accepted method to distinguish between the 2 pestiferous fruit fly species Bactrocera dorsalis and Bactrocera carambolae (Drew & Hancock). Reported ITS‑1 sequences also are distinct and diagnostically informative to distinguish several other Bactrocera species related to B. dorsalis. In this …

Vignette 19: Invasive European Green Crab, Jeff Adams, Emily Grason, P. Sean Mcdonald, Allen Pleus, Jude Apple, Roger Fuller, Lucas Hart, Alexandra Simpson

Institute Publications

European green crab pose documented threats to cultured and wild shellfish, eelgrass, and shoreline habitats and ecosystems. Because they can prey on juvenile crabs and shellfish, dense populations of EGC in the Salish Sea region could put fisheries and aquaculture resources in peril. After Fisheries and Oceans Canada researchers reported an established EGC population in Sooke Basin, BC in 2012, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) worked with Washington Sea Grant (WSG) to secure Puget Sound Marine and Nearshore Grant Program funding and establish a volunteer-based early detection and monitoring program. WSG launched Crab Team in 2015 with …

Local Adaptation To Continuous Mowing Makes The Noxious Weed Solanum Elaeagnifolium A Superweed Candidate By Improving Fitness And Defense Traits, Jesus Chavana, Sukhman Singh, Alejandro Vazquez, Bradley O. Christoffersen, Alexis Racelis, Rupesh R. Kariyat

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The role of disturbance in accelerating weed growth is well understood. While most studies have focused on soil mediated disturbance, mowing can also impact weed traits. Using silverleaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium), a noxious and invasive weed, through a series of field, laboratory, and greenhouse experiments, we asked whether continuous mowing influences growth and plant defense traits, expressed via different avenues, and whether they cascade into offspring. We found that mowed plants produced significantly less number of fruits, and less number of total seeds per plant, but had higher seed mass, and germinated more and faster. When three herbivores …

Comparative Study Of The Rates Of Dispersal Of Triadica Sebifera (Chinese Tallow) And Imperata Cylindrica (Japanese Blood Grass) In North America, Jamie W. Dinella, Meem Noshin Nawal Khan

Student Publications

Chinese Tallow (Triadica sebifera) and Japanese Blood Grass (Imperata cylindrica) are two invasive species that wreck havoc on their invaded areas by reducing the biodiversity of their new environments. We studied the rate of dispersal of these two species in North America to determine which species spreads faster. We hypothesized that Chinese Tallow spreads faster than Japanese Blood Grass since Chinese Tallow was introduced in North America long before Japanese Blood Grass and has a greater number of seed dispersal methods (e.g. wind, water, bird, etc.) than Japanese Blood Grass. To test our hypothesis, we collected the record of Chinese …

Density Dependence Mediates The Ecological Impact Of An Invasive Fish, Emma M. Deroy, Ryan Scott, Nigel E. Hussey, Hugh J. Macisaac

Integrative Biology Publications

Aim: The way in which habitat heterogeneity and predator density affect predator–prey dynamics, space use and prey risk are understudied aspects of foraging ecology, particularly for invasive species. Likewise, how an invasive species’ impact scales with its abundance is poorly understood. We used a model invasive species—lionfish (Pterois volitans)—to understand emergent multiple predator effects and influences of habitat heterogeneity on consumption rate and prey mortality risk. Location: Florida, USA. Methods: We considered effects of both predator and prey abundance on density-dependent impact. We used functional response methodology to quantify the per-capita effect of P. volitans, assessing concomitant influences of prey …

The More We Do, The Less We Gain? Balancing Effort And Efficacy In Managing The Solidago Gigantea Invasion, Dávid U. Nagy, Emily S.J. Rauschert, Tamás Henn, Kevin Cianfaglione, Szilvia Stranczinger, Robert W. Pal

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

Developing invasive plant management strategies is an important task in modern ecology, conservation biology and land management. Solidago gigantea is considered a problematic invader in Europe and Asia, where it forms dominant stands that can decrease species diversity. There is, therefore, an urgent need for effective management to reduce S. gigantea infestations and their negative impacts. We examined the efficacy of multiple approaches to S. gigantea management in Hungary. In our study, we evaluated the effect of several long-term management techniques such as grazing, mowing and periodic flooding on the invader's density as well as native community diversity. In addition, …

A Review Of Plant-Soil Feedbacks And Their Importance For Palouse Prairie Restoration And Management, Rachael Sv Pentico

2020 Symposium Posters

A plant-soil feedback (PSF) is the process in which plants alter both the biotic and abiotic characteristics of the soil they grow in. These changes in the soil composition alter which plants can grow and survive there in the future. Negative PSFs occur when plants struggle to grow in soil that was previously inhabited, due to a buildup of soil pathogens. Positive PSFs, however, provide benefits to the plants due to an abundance of soil microbes, such as AMF. Understanding the effects that PSFs have on plant communities and dynamics could be vital for restoring damaged ecosystems, like the Palouse …

Assessing The Influence Of Riparian Invasion By The Shrub Lonicera Maackii On Terrestrial Subsidies To Headwater Streams, Erin C. Rowekamp, Julia I. Chapman, Ryan Mcewan

Biology Faculty Publications

Invasion of Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) into riparian areas of headwater streams creates strong potential for alterations of terrestrial subsidies that may drive bottom-up effects on aquatic biota. In this study, we analyzed effects of L. maackii on terrestrial subsidies in stream sites that represented a gradient of invasion intensity in temperate deciduous forests of southwestern Ohio (USA). Leaf litter biomass, terrestrial and aquatic fine woody debris (0.5–9.9 cm diameter) volume and count, and terrestrial and aquatic coarse woody debris (>9.9 cm diameter) volume were analyzed. Based on previous research, we hypothesized that sites with a higher …

Using Unmanned Aircraft Systems To Identify Invasive Species, Tithe Ahmed

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Invasive species serve as a threat to native biodiversity and ecosystem sustainability. Combatting the spread of invasive species requires long-term physical and monetary commitments. In Balule Nature Reserve of Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa, Opuntia ficus-inidica (the common prickly pear) has been a relentless invader, displacing the local flora and fauna. The goal of this project is to battle invasive species such as prickly pear using efficient and inexpensive technology: unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) and multispectral sensors.

Using a 4-bandwidth Parrot Sequoia multispectral sensor in tandem with the DJI Phantom Pro 3^TM UAV, images of land …

Incorporating Physiology Into Species Distribution Models Moderates The Projected Impact Of Warming On Mediterranean Marine Species, Inbal Gamliel, Yehezkel Buba, Tamar Guy-Haim, Tal Garval, Demian A. Willette, Gil Rilov, Jonathan Belmaker

Biology Faculty Works

Species distribution models (SDMs) correlate species occurrences with environmental predictors, and can be used to forecast distributions under future climates. SDMs have been criticized for not explicitly including the physiological processes underlying the species response to the environment. Recently, new methods have been suggested to combine SDMs with physiological estimates of performance (physiology-SDMs). In this study, we compare SDM and physiology-SDM predictions for select marine species in the Mediterranean Sea, a region subjected to exceptionally rapid climate change. We focused on six species and created physiology-SDMs that incorporate physiological thermal performance curves from experimental data with species occurrence records. We …

Culturing Embryonic Cells From The Parthenogenetic Clonal Marble Crayfish Marmorkrebs Procambarus Virginalis Lyko, 2017 (Decapoda: Astacidea: Cambaridae), Heriberto Deleon Iii, Juan Garcia Jr., Dionn Carlo Silva, Oscar Quintanilla, Zen Faulkes, John M. Thomas Iii

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The parthenogenetic marbled crayfish, or Marmorkrebs (Procambarus virginalis Lyko 2017), is an emerging model organism. We describe a method to isolate cells from early-stage embryos and culture them in vitro. The identity of the cells was confirmed by sequencing the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. This technique can be applied for use in the manipulation of embryonic parthenogenetic crayfish cells.

Assessing The Efficacy Of Seedling Planting As A Forest Restoration Technique In Temperate Hardwood Forests Impacted By Invasive Species, Michaela J. Woods, Meredith Cobb, Katie Hickle

Biology Faculty Publications

The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire; EAB) is an invasive insect that causes mortality of trees in the genus Fraxinus, creating canopy gaps that may facilitate invasion by exotic plants. Planting native tree seedlings under EAB-infested Fraxinus may accelerate succession and preclude invasive plant expansion; however, the effectiveness of this approach has not been experimentally tested. We assessed understory seedling planting of Quercus rubra, Carya laciniosa, and Juglans cinerea in EAB-infested forests, where the invasive shrub Lonicera maackii (Amur honeysuckle) was removed. We tested whether the use of plastic tree shelters (“tree tubes”) or planting season (fall versus spring) …

Abundance And Community Composition Of Invasive Intertidal Watersipora On The San Francisco Bay Area Outer Coast, Kevin Myron, Meredtyh Duncan, Jaden Stone, C. Sarah Cohen

STAR Program Research Presentations

Invasive species can lead to serious ecological changes. The San Francisco Bay area is one of the most invaded areas in the world due to the commercial shipping industry and recreational water vessels. While the intertidal is not widely invaded, the harbors and docks are. One exception to this is the invasive, colonial filter-feeding bryozoan Watersipora, which has been found at various rocky outer coast sites. Further investigation into how the sites are invaded by this organism and their impact on native species must be carried out. In this project, at four intertidal sites around the SF Bay outflow, we …

Successfulness Of Live Capture Eradication Efforts Of The Golden Eagle On The Channel, Rana Haboush

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Study the eradication efforts of the Golden Eagle on the Channel Island Fox, and determine the successfulness of the eradication efforts implemented.

Invasion Genetics Of The Mummichog (Fundulus Heteroclitus): Recent Anthropogenic Introduction In Iberia, Teofilo Morim, Grant R. Bigg, Pedro M. Madeira, Jorge Palma, David D. Duvernell, Enric Gisbert, Regina L. Cunha, Rita Castilho

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Human activities such as trade and transport have increased considerably in the last decades, greatly facilitating the introduction and spread of non-native species at a global level. In the Iberian Peninsula, Fundulus heteroclitus, a small euryhaline coastal fish with short dispersal, was found for the first time in the mid-1970s. Since then, F. heteroclitus has undergone range expansions, colonizing the southern region of Portugal, southwestern coast of Spain and the Ebro Delta in the Mediterranean Sea. Cytochrome b sequences were used to elucidate the species invasion pathway in Iberia. Three Iberian locations (Faro, Cádiz and Ebro Delta) and 13 …

Infestation Of Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonerica Japonica) Shows Variation In Soil Microbial Community Composition And Species Diversity In Wvu Core Arboretum, Jackie Mullins

Undergraduate Student Research

Invasive species are found to cause alteration of biodiversity, competition with native species, and other environment and ecological changes across the globe. Also, invasive species have economic implications. When specifically talking about invasive plant species, an important influence is soil microbes that can altered or are altered after growth of invasive plant species. One invasive plant, Lonerica japonica, is extensively spread across the globe but has had little research done, specifically in if it alters the microbes of the soil. Having L. japonica readily available in the West Virginia University Core Arboretum, soil samples were collected from sites of …

Metagenomic Sequencing Identifies Highly Diverse Assemblages Of Dinoflagellate Cysts In Sediments From Ships' Ballast Tanks, Lixia Shang, Zhangxi Hu, Yunyan Deng, Yuyang Liu, Xinyu Zhai, Zhaoyang Chai, Xiaohan Liu, Zifeng Zhan, Fred C. Dobbs, Ying Zhong Tang

OES Faculty Publications

Ships' ballast tanks have long been known as vectors for the introduction of organisms. We applied next-generation sequencing to detect dinoflagellates (mainly as cysts) in 32 ballast tank sediments collected during 2001-2003 from ships entering the Great Lakes or Chesapeake Bay and subsequently archived. Seventy-three dinoflagellates were fully identified to species level by this metagenomic approach and single-cell polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based sequencing, including 19 toxic species, 36 harmful algal bloom (HAB) forming species, 22 previously unreported as producing cysts, and 55 reported from ballast tank sediments for the first time (including 13 freshwater species), plus 545 operational taxonomic units …

Geographic Variation In Larval Metabolic Rate Between Northern And Southern Populations Of The Invasive Gypsy Moth, Carolyn May, Noah Hillerbrand, Lily M. Thompson, Trevor M. Faske, Eloy Martinez, Dylan Perry, Salvatore J. Agosta, Kristine L. Grayson

Biology Faculty Publications

Thermal regimes can diverge considerably across the geographic range of a species, and accordingly, populations can vary in their response to changing environmental conditions. Both local adaptation and acclimatization are important mechanisms for ectotherms to maintain homeostasis as environments become thermally stressful, which organisms often experience at their geographic range limits. The spatial spread of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) after introduction to North America provides an exemplary system for studying population variation in physiological traits given the gradient of climates encompassed by its current invasive range. This study quantifies differences in resting metabolic rate (RMR) across …

Invasive Aquatic Pets: Failed Policies Increase Risks Of Harmful Invasions, Jiří Patoka, André Lincoln Barroso Magalhães, Antonín Kouba, Zen Faulkes, Rikho Jerikho, Jean Ricardo Simões Vitule

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Businesses in the pet trade collect and transport many aquatic species around the globe, and some of these individuals are released into new habitats. Some jurisdictions have introduced laws intended to regulate this trade, but these regulations have rarely had the desired effects. Laws regarding pets and the pet trade are often poorly communicated, poorly enforced, and not aligned with hobbyists’ beliefs. Consequently, some laws may increase the number of unwanted introductions instead of decreasing them. A significant change in approach is needed, involving far greater communication with scientists, administrations, politicians, the pet industry, and pet owners, promoting euthanasia of …

Restoration Of Native-Dominated Plant Communities On A Centaurea Stoebe L.-Infested Site, Neil W. Macdonald, Kaitlyn M. Dykstra, Laurelin M. Martin

Funded Articles

Questions: Restoring native-dominated plant communities often requires controlling invasive species, reintroducing native species, and implementing continued management practices. Can single herbicide applications to control Centaurea stoebe L. encourage establishment of seeded native species more effectively than a single mowing? Can annual hand pulling to control C. stoebe favor the persistence of seeded native species? Can mid-spring burning reduce C. stoebe and increase native forbs and grasses? After eight years, will the restored plant communities differ from those in untreated areas?

Location: Bass River Recreation Area, Ottawa County, MI, USA.

Methods: We studied the effects of site preparation (mowing, clopyralid, glyphosate), …

The Roles Of Inter- And Intra-Sexual Selection In Behavioral Isolation Between Native And Invasive Pupfishes, Cory Becher, Jennifer M. Gumm

Faculty Publications

Male-male competition and female mate choice may both play important roles in driving and maintaining reproductive isolation between species. When previously allopatric species come into secondary contact with each other due to introductions, they provide an opportunity to evaluate the identity and strength of reproductive isolating mechanisms. If reproductive isolation is not maintained, hybridization may occur. We examined how reproductive isolating mechanisms mediate hybridization between endemic populations of the Red River pupfish Cyprinodon rubrofluviatilis and the recently introduced sheepshead minnow C. variegatus. In lab-based dominance trials, males of both species won the same number of competitions. However, male C. rubrofluviatilis …