Life Sciences Commons^™

Connecting Through Consilience: Ecology, Society, Culture And Technology, Ruth Mirams, Alexander Hayes

Alexander Hayes Mr.

Amongst linguistic, cultural and geographic diversity, humanity is characterised by inquisitiveness, communication and a deep desire to connect with each other. Despite our advanced intelligence and technological capacity, we are creatures of nature - a species which occupies a habitat, depends on consumable resources and fragile in many ways. As a species, we currently face challenges including overpopulation, diminishing resources and habitat degradation. In essence, we are exhausting the resources we depend on. [1] Resource depletion, disruption, famine, growth and sustainability are all observable in other species and natural systems. Human societies and systems can be described through the same …

The Orientation Of Strophomenid Brachiopods On Soft Substrates, Roy Plotnick, Benjamin Dattilo, Daniel Piquard, Jennifer Bauer, Joshua Corrie

Benjamin F. Dattilo

Strophomenid brachiopods have long been interpreted as ‘‘snowshoe’’ strategists, with their flattened concavoconvex valves providing resistance to foundering in very soft sediments. There has been a sharp difference of opinion in whether the shells were oriented with their convex or their concave surface in contact with the sediment. This study, along with independent evidence from sedimentology, ichnology, and morphology, indicates that the strophomenids lived with their shells concave down (convex up). Experiments indicate the force required to push shells into soft cohesive muds is much greater for the convex up than for the convex down orientation. Forces also increase with …

Willingness To Pay For Flood And Ecological Risk Reduction In An Urban Watershed, David Clark, Diane Novotny, Robert Griffin, Douglas Booth, Alena Bartosova, M Hutchinson

Robert Griffin

Urban watershed managers frequently must address alternative policy goals; flood control and ecological risk reduction. This study combines hydrologic models of flood control and biotic models of ecologic risk with economic models of willingness-to-pay and psychological models of risk processing and planned behavior to evaluate these two alternative policy objectives. The findings reveal that flood risk exposure, especially for those individuals who would remain outside the 100 year flood plain if the project were enacted, does influence the financial support that local residents would be willing to make to a flood control project. Other important determinants include demographic factors such …

The Cannibalistic Snail Agaronia Propatula Is Reluctant To Feed On Autotomized ‘Tails’ Of Conspecifics, Ariel Z. Cyrus, Winfried S. Peters

Winfried S. Peters

The First Molecular Phylogeny Of Buthidae (Scorpiones), Victor Fet, Benjamin Gantenbein, Alexander Gromov, Graeme Lowe, Wilson Lourenço

Victor Fet

The first partial phylogeny of family Buthidae (17 genera) is presented, based on molecular data (16S rRNA mitochondrial DNA). The strong support for a monophyletic Old World group of 13 genera (mainly Palearctic desert forms) is demonstrated, while representative genera from Madagascar (Grosphus) and Southeast Asia (Lychas) group outside, as well as New World genera Centruroides and Rhopalurus. A very strong support is observed for the first time for three groups of Old World genera: (a) Compsobuthus, Mesobuthus, Liobuthus, Kraepelinia; (b) Hottentotta, Buthacus; (c) Orthochirus, Anomalobuthus. Phylogenetic hypotheses are discussed.

Etudes On Iurids, V. Further Revision Of Iurus Thorell, 1876 (Scorpiones: Iuridae), With A Description Of A New Genus And Two New Species, Michael Soleglad, Victor Fet, František Kovařík, Ersen Yağmur

Victor Fet

Iurus populations from the Aegean area are studied, including the Greek islands of Crete, Karpathos, Kythira, Rhodes, and Samos. A new genus, Protoiurus gen. nov., and two new species, Protoiurus rhodiensis sp. nov. and P. stathiae sp. nov., are described. The two genera, Iurus and Protoiurus, are diagnosed by their hemispermatophore structure; a cladistic analysis based on this structure is presented. Genus Iurus Thorell, 1876 includes three species: I. dekanum, I. dufoureius, and I. kinzelbachi; genus Protoiurus includes five species: P. asiaticus comb. nov., P. kadleci comb. nov., P. kraepelini comb. nov., P. rhodiensis sp. nov., and P. stathiae sp. …

The Cretaceous Scorpion Genus, Archaeobuthus, Revisited (Scorpiones: Archaeobuthidae), Chris Baptista, Jorge Santiago-Blay, Victor Fet, Michael Soleglad

Victor Fet

No abstract provided.

Determining Winter Flounder Spawning Sites In Two Connecticut Estuaries, Eric Schultz, Jose Pereira, Peter Auster

Jose J Pereira

Winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) come inshore during the late winter and early spring to lay their eggs in shallow bays and estuaries along the coast. Unlike most fish eggs, which are buoyant, these eggs are demersal and sink to the seafloor. This makes them vulnerable to burial from various types of natural and human caused disturbances (e.g., storms, mobile fishing gear, maintenance dredging). Our objective was to map spawning areas in two harbors and search for generalities among these sites that would allow us to predict where winter flounder might spawn in other areas. This would allow managers to avoid …

Species Distribution Modelling Using Bioclimatic Variables To Determine The Impacts Of A Changing Climate On The Western Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus Occidentals; Pseudocheiridae), Shaun Molloy, Robert Davis, Eddie Van Etten

Shaun W Molloy Dr

The ngwayir (western ringtail possum Pseudocheirus occidentalis) is an arboreal species endemic to south-western Australia. The range and population of this species have been significantly reduced through multiple anthropogenic impacts. Classified as vulnerable, the ngwayir is highly susceptible to extremes of temperature and reduced water intake. Ngwayir distribution was determined using three different species distribution models using ngwayir presence records related to a set of 19 bioclimatic variables derived fromhistorical climate data, overlaid with 2050 climate change scenarios.MaxEnt was used to identify core habitat and demonstrate how this habitat may be impacted. A supplementary modelling exercise was also conducted to …

Habitat Characteristics Of Mexican Spotted Owls (Strix Occidentalis Lucida) In The Canyonlands Of Southern Utah, Leah Lewis

Leah R Lewis

I studied the habitat characteristics of Mexican Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis lucida), a federally threatened species, in the canyonlands region of southern Utah. Vegetative and geologic features were measured within 10m wide belt plots at each current or historic nest/roost site. Based on our findings, past research, and species life history characteristics, I constructed a species distribution model (SDM) predicting Mexican Spotted Owl distribution in Utah for the Colorado Plateau region. The SDM was generated using the following inputs as important habitat variables: elevation, aspect, surface ratio, curvature, slope, geology, and vegetation. Program R was used for model development and …