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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Factors Affecting The Distribution And Abundance Of Autumn Vagrant New World Warblers In Northwestern California And Southern Oregon, C. John Ralph, Jared D. Wolfe Dec 2018

Factors Affecting The Distribution And Abundance Of Autumn Vagrant New World Warblers In Northwestern California And Southern Oregon, C. John Ralph, Jared D. Wolfe

Michigan Tech Publications

Birds found outside their typical range, or vagrants, have fascinated naturalists for decades. Despite broad interest in vagrancy, few attempts have been made to statistically examine the explanatory variables potentially responsible for the phenomenon. In this study, we used multiple linear regression to model the occurrence of 28 rare warbler species (family Parulidae) in autumn in northern California and southern Oregon as a function of migration distance, continental population size, distance, and bearing to both closest breeding population and breeding population center. In addition to our predictive model, we used capture data from the California coast to 300 km inland …


Does Persistent Snowpack Inhibit Degradation Of Fecal Stress Indicators?, Grace Parikh, Christopher R. Webster, John A. Vucetich, John J. Durocher, Joseph K. Bump Dec 2018

Does Persistent Snowpack Inhibit Degradation Of Fecal Stress Indicators?, Grace Parikh, Christopher R. Webster, John A. Vucetich, John J. Durocher, Joseph K. Bump

Michigan Tech Publications

Physiological stress in wildlife can be a useful indicator of a population’s response to environmental factors. By using non-invasive endocrinological techniques, such as fecal sampling, potential confounding factors associated with the stress of capture can be avoided. A potential drawback of fecal sampling, however, is degradation of samples which may produce aberrant measurements of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites. In vertebrates, glucocorticoids, such as corticosterone, become elevated in response to stress. We sought to gauge the reliability of measurement of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites from white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fecal samples exposed to a temperate winter with substantial snow cover and …


Climate Change Adaptation Strategies And Approaches For Outdoor Recreation, Daniel O'Toole, Leslie A. Brandt, Maria K. Janowiak, Danielle Shannon, Patricia Leopold, Stephen D. Handler, Et Al. Dec 2018

Climate Change Adaptation Strategies And Approaches For Outdoor Recreation, Daniel O'Toole, Leslie A. Brandt, Maria K. Janowiak, Danielle Shannon, Patricia Leopold, Stephen D. Handler, Et Al.

Michigan Tech Publications

Climate change will alter opportunities and demand for outdoor recreation through altered winter weather conditions and season length, climate-driven changes in user preferences, and damage to recreational infrastructure, among other factors. To ensure that outdoor recreation remains sustainable in the face of these challenges, natural resource managers may need to adapt their recreation management. One of the major challenges of adapting recreation to climate change is translating broad concepts into specific, tangible actions. Using a combination of in-depth interviews of recreational managers and a review of peer-reviewed literature and government reports, we developed a synthesis of impacts, strategies, and approaches, …


Analysis Of Environment-Marker Associations In American Chestnut, Markus Müller, C. Dana Nelson, Oliver Gailing Nov 2018

Analysis Of Environment-Marker Associations In American Chestnut, Markus Müller, C. Dana Nelson, Oliver Gailing

Michigan Tech Publications

American chestnut (Castanea dentata Borkh.) was a dominant tree species in its native range in eastern North America until the accidentally introduced fungus Cryphonectria parasitica (Murr.) Barr, that causes chestnut blight, led to a collapse of the species. Different approaches (e.g., genetic engineering or conventional breeding) are being used to fight against chestnut blight and to reintroduce the species with resistant planting stock. Because of large climatic differences within the distribution area of American chestnut, successful reintroduction of the species requires knowledge and consideration of local adaptation to the prevailing environmental conditions. Previous studies revealed clear patterns of genetic diversity …


Compositional Response Of Amazon Forests To Climate Change, Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert, Timothy R. Baker, Kyle G. Dexter, Simon L. Lewis, Roel J.W. Brienen, Ted R. Feldpausch, Jhon Del Aguila-Pasquel, Et. Al. Nov 2018

Compositional Response Of Amazon Forests To Climate Change, Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert, Timothy R. Baker, Kyle G. Dexter, Simon L. Lewis, Roel J.W. Brienen, Ted R. Feldpausch, Jhon Del Aguila-Pasquel, Et. Al.

Michigan Tech Publications

Most of the planet's diversity is concentrated in the tropics, which includes many regions undergoing rapid climate change. Yet, while climate-induced biodiversity changes are widely documented elsewhere, few studies have addressed this issue for lowland tropical ecosystems. Here we investigate whether the floristic and functional composition of intact lowland Amazonian forests have been changing by evaluating records from 106 long-term inventory plots spanning 30 years. We analyse three traits that have been hypothesized to respond to different environmental drivers (increase in moisture stress and atmospheric CO 2 concentrations): maximum tree size, biogeographic water-deficit affiliation and wood density. Tree communities have …


Manipulation Of Growth And Architectural Characteristics In Trees For Increased Woody Biomass Production, Victor B. Busov Oct 2018

Manipulation Of Growth And Architectural Characteristics In Trees For Increased Woody Biomass Production, Victor B. Busov

Michigan Tech Publications

Growth and architectural traits in trees are economically and environmentally important and thus of considerable importance to the improvement of forest and fruit trees. These traits are complex and result from the operation of a number of molecular mechanisms. This review will focus on the regulation of crown architecture, secondary woody growth and adventitious rooting. These traits and processes have significant impact on deployment, management, and productivity of tree crops. The majority of the described work comes from experiments in model plants, poplar, apple, peach, and plum because these species allow functional analysis of the involved genes and have significant …


A Genetic Network Mediating The Control Of Bud Break In Hybrid Aspen, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Jay P. Maurya, Abdul Azeez, Pal Miskolczi, Szymon Tylewicz, Katja Stojkovic, Nicolas Delhomme, Victor Busov, Rishikesh P. Bhalerao Oct 2018

A Genetic Network Mediating The Control Of Bud Break In Hybrid Aspen, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Jay P. Maurya, Abdul Azeez, Pal Miskolczi, Szymon Tylewicz, Katja Stojkovic, Nicolas Delhomme, Victor Busov, Rishikesh P. Bhalerao

Michigan Tech Publications

In boreal and temperate ecosystems, temperature signal regulates the reactivation of growth (bud break) in perennials in the spring. Molecular basis of temperature-mediated control of bud break is poorly understood. Here we identify a genetic network mediating the control of bud break in hybrid aspen. The key components of this network are transcription factor SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE-LIKE (SVL), closely related to Arabidopsis floral repressor SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE, and its downstream target TCP18, a tree homolog of a branching regulator in Arabidopsis. SVL and TCP18 are downregulated by low temperature. Genetic evidence demonstrates their role as negative regulators …


Vertical Foraging Shifts In Hawaiian Forest Birds In Response To Invasive Rat Removal, Erin E. Wilson Rankin, Jessie L. Knowlton, Daniel S. Gruner, David J. Flaspohler, Christian P. Giardina, Devin R. Leopold, Anna Buckardt, William C. Pitt, Tadashi Fukami Sep 2018

Vertical Foraging Shifts In Hawaiian Forest Birds In Response To Invasive Rat Removal, Erin E. Wilson Rankin, Jessie L. Knowlton, Daniel S. Gruner, David J. Flaspohler, Christian P. Giardina, Devin R. Leopold, Anna Buckardt, William C. Pitt, Tadashi Fukami

Michigan Tech Publications

Worldwide, native species increasingly contend with the interacting stressors of habitat fragmentation and invasive species, yet their combined effects have rarely been examined. Direct negative effects of invasive omnivores are well documented, but the indirect effects of resource competition or those caused by predator avoidance are unknown. Here we isolated and examined the independent and interactive effects of invasive omnivorous Black rats (Rattus rattus) and forest fragment size on the interactions between avian predators and their arthropod prey. Our study examines whether invasive omnivores and ecosystem fragment size impact: 1) the vertical distribution of arthropod species composition and …


Response Of Black Ash Wetland Gaseous Soil Carbon Fluxes To A Simulated Emerald Ash Borer Infestation, Matthew Van Grinsven, Joseph Shannon, Nicholas Bolton, Joshua Davis, Nam Jin Noh, Joseph Wagenbrenner, Et Al. Jun 2018

Response Of Black Ash Wetland Gaseous Soil Carbon Fluxes To A Simulated Emerald Ash Borer Infestation, Matthew Van Grinsven, Joseph Shannon, Nicholas Bolton, Joshua Davis, Nam Jin Noh, Joseph Wagenbrenner, Et Al.

Michigan Tech Publications

The rapid and extensive expansion of emerald ash borer (EAB) in North America since 2002 may eliminate most existing ash stands, likely affecting critical ecosystem services associated with water and carbon cycling. To our knowledge, no studies have evaluated the coupled response of black ash (Fraxinus nigra Marsh.) wetland water tables, soil temperatures, and soil gas fluxes to an EAB infestation. Water table position, soil temperature, and soil CO2 and CH4 fluxes were monitored in nine depressional headwater black ash wetlands in northern Michigan. An EAB disturbance was simulated by girdling (girdle) or felling (ash-cut) all black ash …


Shrimp Ponds Lead To Massive Loss Of Soil Carbon And Greenhouse Gas Emissions In Northeastern Brazilian Mangroves, J. Boone Kauffman, Angelo F. Bernardino, Tiago O. Ferreira, Nicholas Bolton, Luiz Eduardo De O. Gomes, Gabriel Nuto Nobrega Jun 2018

Shrimp Ponds Lead To Massive Loss Of Soil Carbon And Greenhouse Gas Emissions In Northeastern Brazilian Mangroves, J. Boone Kauffman, Angelo F. Bernardino, Tiago O. Ferreira, Nicholas Bolton, Luiz Eduardo De O. Gomes, Gabriel Nuto Nobrega

Michigan Tech Publications

Mangroves of the semiarid Caatinga region of northeastern Brazil are being rapidly converted to shrimp pond aquaculture. To determine ecosystem carbon stocks and potential greenhouse gas emissions from this widespread land use, we measured carbon stocks of eight mangrove forests and three shrimp ponds in the Acaraú and Jaguaribe watersheds in Ceará state, Brazil. The shrimp ponds were paired with adjacent intact mangroves to ascertain carbon losses and potential emissions from land conversion. The mean total ecosystem carbon stock of mangroves in this semiarid tropical landscape was 413 ± 94 Mg C/ha. There were highly significant differences in the ecosystem …


Tgmi: An Efficient Algorithm For Identifying Pathway Regulators Through Evaluation Of Triple-Gene Mutual Interaction, Chathura J. Gunasekara, Kui Zhang, Wenping Deng, Laura E. Brown, Hairong Wei Jun 2018

Tgmi: An Efficient Algorithm For Identifying Pathway Regulators Through Evaluation Of Triple-Gene Mutual Interaction, Chathura J. Gunasekara, Kui Zhang, Wenping Deng, Laura E. Brown, Hairong Wei

Michigan Tech Publications

Despite their important roles, the regulators for most metabolic pathways and biological processes remain elusive. Presently, the methods for identifying metabolic pathway and biological process regulators are intensively sought after. We developed a novel algorithm called triple-gene mutual interaction (TGMI) for identifying these regulators using high-throughput gene expression data. It first calculated the regulatory interactions among triple gene blocks (two pathway genes and one transcription factor (TF)), using conditional mutual information, and then identifies significantly interacted triple genes using a newly identified novel mutual interaction measure (MIM), which was substantiated to reflect strengths of regulatory interactions within each triple gene …


Just Conservation: What Is It And Should We Pursue It?, John Vucetich, Dawn Burnham, Ewan A. Macdonald, Jeremy T. Bruskotter, Silvio Marchini, Alexandra Zimmermann, David W. Macdonald May 2018

Just Conservation: What Is It And Should We Pursue It?, John Vucetich, Dawn Burnham, Ewan A. Macdonald, Jeremy T. Bruskotter, Silvio Marchini, Alexandra Zimmermann, David W. Macdonald

Michigan Tech Publications

Efforts to realize conservation are often met with stakeholders contending that particular conservation actions are unfair for conflicting with their basic interests. A useful lens through which to view such conflict is social justice, which may be considered the fair treatment of others judged according three principles: equality, need, and desert (noun form of deserve). We formally demonstrate that (i) the subject of social justice (others) includes many non-human elements of nature and (ii) realizing conservation that is also socially just requires being guided by a non-anthropocentrism principle, whereby no human should infringe on the well-being of others any more …


Sustainable Forest Bioenergy Development Strategies In Indochina: Collaborative Effort To Establish Regional Policies, Victor J. Bruckman, Maliwan Haruthaithanasan, Raymond O. Miller, Toru Terada, Anna-Katharina Brenner, Florian Kraxner, David J. Flaspohler Apr 2018

Sustainable Forest Bioenergy Development Strategies In Indochina: Collaborative Effort To Establish Regional Policies, Victor J. Bruckman, Maliwan Haruthaithanasan, Raymond O. Miller, Toru Terada, Anna-Katharina Brenner, Florian Kraxner, David J. Flaspohler

Michigan Tech Publications

We conducted a feasibility study in Indochina (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam) with the aim of promoting biomass and bioenergy markets, technology transfer, rural development, and income generation. Policy development is guided by the International Union of Forest Research Institutions (IUFRO) Task Force “Sustainable Forest Bioenergy Network”. In this paper, we highlight the achievements up to now and present results of a multi-stakeholder questionnaire in combination with a quantitative analysis of the National Bioenergy Development Plans (NBDPs). We found a gap between official documents and working group assessments. NBDPs are focused on the market development, technology transfer, and funding …


Spatiotemporal Variation Of Nutrient Concentrations In The Upper Shule River Basin, The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China, Hongzheng Pu, Yongjian Ding, Tianding Han, Fengjing Liu Mar 2018

Spatiotemporal Variation Of Nutrient Concentrations In The Upper Shule River Basin, The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China, Hongzheng Pu, Yongjian Ding, Tianding Han, Fengjing Liu

Michigan Tech Publications

This study aimed to understand the spatiotemporal variation of nutrient concentrations in stream water, using analyses of total nitrogen (TN), NO3-N, NH4+-N and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations from April to October in 2016 in the upper Shule River basin in the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN; NO3-N + NH4+-N) concentrations in both groundwater and stream water were the predominant form of TN, accounting for about 88%. Median concentrations in stream water were 815 μg L−1 for TN, 459 μg L−1 for …


Water Level Controls On Sap Flux Of Canopy Species In Black Ash Wetlands, Joseph Shannon, Matthew Van Grinsven, Joshua Davis, Nicholas Bolton, Nam Jin Noh, Thomas Pypker, Randall K Kolka Mar 2018

Water Level Controls On Sap Flux Of Canopy Species In Black Ash Wetlands, Joseph Shannon, Matthew Van Grinsven, Joshua Davis, Nicholas Bolton, Nam Jin Noh, Thomas Pypker, Randall K Kolka

Michigan Tech Publications

Black ash (Fraxinus nigra Marsh.) exhibits canopy dominance in regularly inundated wetlands, suggesting advantageous adaptation. Black ash mortality due to emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) will alter canopy composition and site hydrology. Retention of these forested wetlands requires understanding black ash’s ecohydrologic role. Our study examined the response of sap flux to water level and atmospheric drivers in three codominant species: black ash, red maple (Acer rubrum L.), and yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.), in depressional wetlands in western Michigan, USA. The influence of water level on sap flux rates and response to vapor pressure deficit (VPD) was tested …


Methods To Improve Survival And Growth Of Planted Alternative Species Seedlings In Black Ash Ecosystems Threatened By Emerald Ash Borer, Nicholas Bolton, Joseph Shannon, Joshua Davis, Matthew J. Van Grinsven, Nam Jin Noh, Shon Schooler, Randall K Kolka, Thomas Pypker, Joseph Wagenbrenner Mar 2018

Methods To Improve Survival And Growth Of Planted Alternative Species Seedlings In Black Ash Ecosystems Threatened By Emerald Ash Borer, Nicholas Bolton, Joseph Shannon, Joshua Davis, Matthew J. Van Grinsven, Nam Jin Noh, Shon Schooler, Randall K Kolka, Thomas Pypker, Joseph Wagenbrenner

Michigan Tech Publications

Emerald ash borer (EAB) continues to spread across North America, infesting native ash trees and changing the forested landscape. Black ash wetland forests are severely affected by EAB. As black ash wetland forests provide integral ecosystem services, alternative approaches to maintain forest cover on the landscape are needed. We implemented simulated EAB infestations in depressional black ash wetlands in the Ottawa National Forest in Michigan to mimic the short-term and long-term effects of EAB. These wetlands were planted with 10 alternative tree species in 2013. Based on initial results in the Michigan sites, a riparian corridor in the Superior Municipal …


Infrared Heater System For Warming Tropical Forest Understory Plants And Soils, Bruce Kimball, Auro M. Alonso-Rodriguez, Molly A. Cavaleri, Sasha Reed, Grizelle Gonzalez, Tana E. Wood Feb 2018

Infrared Heater System For Warming Tropical Forest Understory Plants And Soils, Bruce Kimball, Auro M. Alonso-Rodriguez, Molly A. Cavaleri, Sasha Reed, Grizelle Gonzalez, Tana E. Wood

Michigan Tech Publications

The response of tropical forests to global warming is one of the largest uncertainties in predicting the future carbon balance of Earth. To determine the likely effects of elevated temperatures on tropical forest understory plants and soils, as well as other ecosystems, an infrared (IR) heater system was developed to provide in situ warming for the Tropical Responses to Altered Climate Experiment (TRACE) in the Luquillo Experimental Forest in Puerto Rico. Three replicate heated 4‐m‐diameter plots were warmed to maintain a 4°C increase in understory vegetation compared to three unheated control plots, as sensed by IR thermometers. The equipment was …


Growth Performance, Organ-Level Ionic Relations And Organic Osmoregulation Of Elaeagnus Angustifolia In Response To Salt Stress, Zhengxiang Liu, Jiangfeng Zhu, Xiuyan Yang, Haiwen Wu, Qi Wei, Hairong Wei, Huaxin Zhang Jan 2018

Growth Performance, Organ-Level Ionic Relations And Organic Osmoregulation Of Elaeagnus Angustifolia In Response To Salt Stress, Zhengxiang Liu, Jiangfeng Zhu, Xiuyan Yang, Haiwen Wu, Qi Wei, Hairong Wei, Huaxin Zhang

Michigan Tech Publications

Elaeagnus angustifolia is one of the most extensively afforested tree species in environment-harsh regions of northern China. Despite its exceptional tolerance to saline soil, the intrinsic adaptive physiology has not been revealed. In this study, we investigated the growth, organ-level ionic relations and organic osmoregulation of the seedlings hydroponically treated with 0, 100 and 200 mM NaCl for 30 days. We found that the growth characteristics and the whole-plant dry weight were not obviously stunted, but instead, were even slightly stimulated by the treatment of 100 mM NaCl. In contrast, these traits were significantly inhibited by 200 mM NaCl treatment. …


Temperate And Tropical Forest Canopies Are Already Functioning Beyond Their Thermal Thresholds For Photosynthesis, Alida C. Mau, Sasha C. Reed, Tana E. Wood, Molly A. Cavaleri Jan 2018

Temperate And Tropical Forest Canopies Are Already Functioning Beyond Their Thermal Thresholds For Photosynthesis, Alida C. Mau, Sasha C. Reed, Tana E. Wood, Molly A. Cavaleri

Michigan Tech Publications

Tropical tree species have evolved under very narrow temperature ranges compared to temperate forest species. Studies suggest that tropical trees may be more vulnerable to continued warming compared to temperate species, as tropical trees have shown declines in growth and photosynthesis at elevated temperatures. However, regional and global vegetation models lack the data needed to accurately represent such physiological responses to increased temperatures, especially for tropical forests. To address this need, we compared instantaneous photosynthetic temperature responses of mature canopy foliage, leaf temperatures, and air temperatures across vertical canopy gradients in three forest types: tropical wet, tropical moist, and temperate …


The Effect Of Poplar Psngs1.2 Overexpression On Growth, Secondary Cell Wall, And Fiber Characteristics In Tobacco, Tingting Lu, Lulu Liu, Minjing Wei, Yingying Liu, Zianshang Qu, Chuanping Yang, Hairong Wei, Zhigang Wei Jan 2018

The Effect Of Poplar Psngs1.2 Overexpression On Growth, Secondary Cell Wall, And Fiber Characteristics In Tobacco, Tingting Lu, Lulu Liu, Minjing Wei, Yingying Liu, Zianshang Qu, Chuanping Yang, Hairong Wei, Zhigang Wei

Michigan Tech Publications

The glutamine synthetase (GS1) is a key enzyme that catalyzes the reaction of glutamate and ammonia to produce glutamine in the nitrogen (N) metabolism. Previous studies on GS1s in several plant species suggest that overexpression of GS1s can enhance N utilization, accelerate plant vegetative growth, and change wood formation. In this study, we isolated a GS1 gene, termed PsnGS1.2, from Populus simonii × Populus nigra. This gene was expressed at a higher level in roots, and relatively lower but detectable levels in xylem, leaves and phloem of P. simonii × P. nigra. The protein encoded by PsnGS1.2 is …