Life Sciences Commons^™

A Computational Profile Of Invasive Lionfish In Belize: A New Insight On A Destructive Species, Joshua E. Balan

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

Since their discovery in the region in 2009, invasive Indonesian-native lionfish have been taking over the Belize Barrier Reef. As a result, populations of local species have dwindled as they are either eaten or outcompeted by the invaders. This has led to devastating losses ecologically and economically; massive industries in the local nations, such as fisheries and tourism, have suffered greatly. Attempting to combat this, local organizations, from nonprofits to ecotourism companies, have been manually spear-hunting them on scuba dives to cull the population. One such company, Reef Conservation Institute (ReefCI), operating out of Tom Owens Caye outside of Placencia, …

A Coupled Model Of Population, Poaching, And Economic Dynamics To Assess Rhino Conservation Through Legal Trade, Henry Doyle, Kylie Champagne, Ditto Rajpal, Grace Seebeck, David J. Gerberry

Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics

Rhinoceros populations in Africa are in peril largely due to the high value of their horns and the poaching that ensues. The strategy of legalizing the international trade of rhino horn is receiving increased support among both the people and government officials in Africa. Many in the international conservation community remain opposed to the idea. The legalization strategy is straightforward in theory: legalizing the trade of rhino horn will introduce a large quantity of horn to the market, the increased supply will lead to lower prices for rhino horn, and lower prices will reduce the overall poaching pressure these animals …

Rhetorics Of Species Revivalism And Biotechnology – A Roundtable Dialogue, Eva Kasprzycka, Charlotte Wrigley, Adam Searle, Richard Twine

Animal Studies Journal

This informal dialogue contextualises and explores contemporary practices of nonhuman animal gene-modification in de-extinction projects. Looking at recent developments in biotechnology’s role in de-extinction sciences and industries, these interdisciplinary scholars scrutinise the neoliberal impetus driving ‘species revivalism’ in the wake of the Capitalocene. Critical examinations of species integrity, cryo-preservation, techno-optimism, rewilding initiatives and projects aimed at restoring extinct animals such as the woolly mammoth and bucardo are used to map some of the necessary restructuring of conservation policies and enterprises that could secure viably sustainable – and just – futures for nonhuman animals at risk of extinction. The authors question …

The Importance Of Understanding And Developing Identification Techniques In Wildlife Crime, Savannah Nguyen

D.U.Quark

Wildlife crime continues to grow annually and globally, impacting several species and ecosystems. New advancements of technologies and techniques can track criminals and aid the affected victims. Highlighting the complexity of conservation and the development of identification techniques helps tackle this widespread dilemma. New developing techniques in wildlife forensics can differentiate an animal between wild and poached to pave the way for further advancement in understanding wildlife crimes. Hence, though the wildlife forensics field is still new, emphasizing the need for intricate identification techniques can help save threatened species.

Investigating The Effects Of Climate Change On The Phenology Of Achillea Millefolium, Aquilegia Coerulea, And Penstemon Cyanocaulis, Hannah O’Toole, Kailey Hicks, Lisa Long, Jackson Garske, Anna Sher

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

As the effects of climate change are starting to unearth themselves, the impacts can be observed by tracking the patterns of cyclical natural phenomena also known as phenology, and monitoring how they have changed over time. These cycles are at the crux of making ecosystems viable for their local biodiversity, and understanding the ongoing change allows for further understanding of the ecosystem’s change over time. In this study, we look at the ordinal flowering dates of the Achillea millefolium, Aquilegia coerulea, and Penstemon cyanocaulis over the past century. Our data give insight into how warmer temperatures occurring earlier in …

The Pandemic, Climate Change And Farm Subsidies, Allen H. Olson, Edward J. Peterson

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Many people believe that once the COVID-19 pandemic has passed, life will return to the way it was. This belief is both unrealistic and dangerous. It is unrealistic because the virus will be around for years if not indefinitely. The timeframe for the worst of the pandemic will depend on our ability to administer effective vaccines worldwide and the public’s willingness to accept continued social distancing in the meantime. The damage done to public health, the economy and individuals is already substantial and will get worse. Recovery will be slow and incomplete. The belief that life will return to the …

Summer To Autumn Population Of Wild Eumaeus Atala On The Ft. Lauderdale Campus Of Nova Southeastern University, Alexandra M. Lens

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

Eumaeus atala is an endangered tropical butterfly native to the Caribbean and some parts of Florida, USA. Following population reductions primarily due to habitat loss, E. atala populations are now increasing due to conservation efforts of its cycad host plants, especially Zamia integrifolia (coontie). The purpose of this study was to observe, document, and measure the population of wild E. atala on the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida campus of Nova Southeastern University where landscaping use of host plants supports a natural population of E. atala. Forty-four host plants located in two different sites were observed for 14 weeks. One site …

Spatial And Temporal Dynamics Of Human–Wildlife Conflicts In The Kenya Greater Tsavo Ecosystem, Joseph M. Mukeka, Joseph O. Ogutu, Erustus Kanga, Eivin Røskaft

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Biodiversity conservation in developing countries is faced with many and mounting challenges, including increasing human–wildlife conflicts (HWCs). In Africa and other developing countries, increasing HWCs, particularly those adjacent to protected areas, can adversely affect local stakeholder perceptions and support for conservation. We analyzed HWC reports for multiple wildlife species compiled >23 years (1995–2017) from the Greater Tsavo Ecosystem (GTE) in Kenya to determine HWC trends. The GTE is the largest protected area in Kenya, covering 22,681 km². Overall, 39,022 HWC incidents were reported in 6 GTE regions (i.e., Taveta, Mutomo, Kibwezi, Rombo, Galana, Bachuma). The 5 wildlife species …

Can Farmers And Bats Co-Exist? Farmer Attitudes, Knowledge, And Experiences With Bats In Belize, Hannah G. Shapiro, Adam S. Willcox, Mallory Tate, Emma V. Willcox

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Bats (Chiroptera) are often viewed negatively by the public. Negative public perceptions of bats may hinder efforts to conserve declining populations. In Belize, the presence of vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus and Diphylla ecaudata) exacerbates the potential for conflicts with humans because of the increased rabies transmission risks. To mitigate these risks, the Belize government provides farmers with assistance to trap and remove vampire bats. In June 2018, we surveyed farmers (n = 44) in and adjacent to the Vaca Forest Reserve in Belize to learn more about their attitudes, knowledge, and experiences with bats. This information may …

Land Conservation, Spring/Summer 2006, Issue 14

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.

Stream Restoration, Spring/Summer 2011, Issue 24

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.

Sustainable Behavior, Spring/Summer 2013, Issue 28

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.

Avian Jurisprudence And The Protection Of Migratory Birds In North America, Marshall A. Bowen

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract forthcoming

Processing Conservation Indicators With Open Source Tools: Lessons Learned From The Digital Observatory For Protected Areas, Lucy Bastin, Andrea Mandrici, Luca Battistella, Grégoire Dubois

Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial (FOSS4G) Conference Proceedings

The European Commission has a commitment to open data and the support of open source software and standards. We present lessons learnt while populating and supporting the web and map services that underly the Joint Research Centre's Digital Observatory for Protected Areas. Challenges include: large datasets with highly complex geometries; topological inconsistencies, compounded by reprojection for equal-area calculations; multiple different representations of the same geographical entities, for example coastlines; licensing requirement to continuously update indicators to respond to monthly changes in the authoritative data. In order to compute and publish an array of indicators, we used a range of open …

The Effectiveness Of The Colby College Electricity Competition On Promoting Electricity Conservation To Students, Jeff Vaz

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

This paper examines the effectiveness of the Colby College electricity reduction competition in altering students’ behavior to conserve electricity. The Colby College electricity reduction competition is an information-based policy that Colby implemented to promote the conservation of electricity, which are a major contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the United States. The study analyzes if different residence halls reduce electricity consumption by different amounts during the competition period. Results indicate that only 4 of 22 residence halls reduced electricity usage during competition periods in a statistically significant manner. The study concludes that the electricity competition at Colby College is …

Forest Diversity And Disturbance: Changing Influences And The Future Of Virginia’S Forests, Christine J. Small, James L. Chamberlain

Virginia Journal of Science

The Virginia landscape supports a remarkable diversity of forests, from maritime dune woodlands, swamp forests, and pine savannas of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, to post-agricultural pine-hardwood forests of the Piedmont, to mixed oak, mesophytic, northern hardwood, and high elevation spruce-fir forests across three mountain provinces in western parts of the state. Virginia’s forests also have been profoundly shaped by disturbance. Chestnut blight, hemlock woolly adelgid, emerald ash borer, and other pests have caused declines or functional extirpation of foundation species. Invasive plants like multiflora rose, Oriental bittersweet, and Japanese stiltgrass threaten both disturbed and intact forests. Oaks and other fire-dependent …

The Effects Of Land Conservation On Productivity, Robert Mccormick, Carolyn Fuwa

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

In this research the relationship between productivity of land conservation is analyzed using panel data of the GDP and acres conserved of all 50 U.S. states from 1998-2005. Two main theories of the conservation productivity relationship exist. The first maintains that conservation impedes productivity because it does not allow land cultivation. Conversely, the second theory maintains that land conservation has a positive effect on GDP due to the recreation and tourism it creates. Through the use of fixed effects and random effects regressions, the amount of land conserved per state is not a significant predictor of state GDP The GDP …

Management In A Neotropical Show Cave: Planning For Invertebrates Conservation, Thais Giovannini Pellegrini, Rodrigo Lopes Ferreira

International Journal of Speleology

Lapa Nova is a dolomitic cave about 4.5 km long located in northwestern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The cave experiences intense tourism, concentrated over a single period of the year, during the Feast of Our Lady of Lapa. In order to evaluate the impacts felt by the invertebrate community from this tourism, a new methodology was proposed. Four types of areas (intense visitation area, outlying visitation areas, moderate visitation areas and no-visitation areas) were sampled for invertebrates. There was one sampling prior and another on the last day of the 128^th feast, to evaluate the effects of visitation on …

An Overview And Management Plan Of Iowa's Non-Native, Invasive, Terrestrial Forbs, Deborah Q. Lewis, Richard O. Pope

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Non-native, invasive forb species have been a problem in Iowa since the earliest decades of Iowa's European settlement. The history of studies of Iowa's invasive plants began with L. H. Pammel, and these studies continue to present. Three tables cite the occurrence of many of these species in the state, with Table 1 listing 93 non-native forbs reported by Pammel, Table 2 citing ten invasive forbs of natural areas, and Table 3 adding 38 observed or potential aggressive species of Iowa's anthropogenic and natural areas.

There has been a divergence of interest and research in the management of invasive species …

More Than A Century Of Change In The Ames, Iowa Flora (1859-2000), William R. Norris, Mark P. Widrlechner, Deborah Q. Lewis, Jimmie D. Thompson, Richard O. Pope

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

We compared two floras compiled in Ames, Iowa: (1) an "historic" flora based on two published floras (1871, 1890) and on 1450 herbarium voucher specimens of plants collected in Ames between 1859 and 1899, and (2) a "current" flora compiled by us during recent fieldwork (1990-2000). Our goals were to determine 1) long-term changes in composition (i.e., the proportion of native species) over time, 2) long-term changes in the abundance of individual plant species over time, and 3) the extent of gains and losses of native and non-native plant species. We found that the proportion of native species declined over …

Lessons From An Inventory Of The Ames, Iowa, Flora (1859-2000), William R. Norris, Deborah Q. Lewis, Mark P. Widrlechner, Jimmie D. Thompson, Richard O. Pope

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

A botanical survey of the vascular flora of the "planning and zoning jurisdiction" of the city of Ames, Iowa (i.e., the area within a boundary 3.2 km beyond the current city limits) was compiled from 1990 to 2000. During this survey, 916 taxa (71 % native) were encountered within chis boundary. Literature reviews and a survey of Iowa State University's Ada Hayden Herbarium for specimens that had been collected in Ames since 1859 add 204 taxa to the flora. This total of 1,120 taxa exceeds the number of taxa known from any comparable area (including counties) in Iowa. We produced …

Best Practices In Endangered Species Recovery Planning: Lessons For The Conservation Of Maine’S Atlantic Salmon, Raymond J. O’Connor, Ray B. Owen, Judith Rhymer

Maine Policy Review

The call for federal listing of Atlantic salmon as endangered implies that such action will result in a recovery plan for the species that is superior to Maine ’s Atlantic Salmon Conservation Plan. In this article the authors compare the Maine plan against the findings of a recent review of Endangered Species Act recovery plans. The review, conducted by the Society for Conservation Biology in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, assessed the quality of a national sample of Endangered Species Act recovery plans with the intention of identifying “best practice.” By comparing the Maine plan to the …

A Municipal Inventory And Evaluation Of Natural Areas: History And Methodology, William R. Norris, Donald R. Farrar

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

An inventory of natural areas in the vicinity of Ames, Iowa was conducted (1990-1994) in response to conflicts arising when significant natural areas were encountered on lands approved for development by the City of Ames (Iowa) Planning Office. Methods for objective evaluation of woodland and prairie quality were developed for use during the inventory. The woodland method is based on four components: I) Diversity of expected species, H) Structure of canopy and understory layers, III) Fidelity of species to the habitat and IV) absence of Introduced Species. Rules are explicitly stated for the scoring of each component for both the …

Iowa's Declining Flora And Fauna: A Review Of Changes Since 1980 And An Outlook For The Future, Neil P. Bernstein

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

The status of Iowa's biodiversity was first summarized at a 1980 Iowa Academy of Science (IAS) symposium that was published in The Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science (Vol. 88, No. 1) in 1981. The 1980 symposium was updated in a recent IAS symposium, and the proceedings from this symposium are published, for the most part, in volume 105 of this journal. Most of the authors noted some positive trends, but, overall, species declines and habitat destruction remained a concern.

Resolving Technological Controversies In Regulatory Agencies, Sidney A. Shapiro

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Professor Shapiro notes that, e.g., advisory committees may increase technical accuracy at the price of delaying already slow rule making and urges Congress and the courts to provide agencies with broad procedural discretion.

The Greening Of Technology Transfer: A Conference Summary, William O. Hennessey

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Dr. Hennessey briefly reports on an international conference that explored the relationship between patent and other intellectual property laws and those designed to protect the environment and maintain biodiversity.

Floristic Composition And Conservation Status Of Fens In Iowa, John A. Pearson, Mark J. Leoschke

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Over 200 extant fens of varying condition were documented during an extensive inventory conducted in Iowa between 1986 and 1991. Approximately half of the extant fens support endangered, threatened, special concern, or other rare plant species. Approximately 25 fens are outstanding conservation prospects with intact vegetation, high species richness, and rare species. Nearly 40% of all potential fen sites have been destroyed by cultivation or damage; another 30% remain unknown due to lack of a field visit, but most appear on aerial photographs to be very small, disturbed fragments. In addition to their traditionally recognized range in northwest Iowa, fens …

The Greening Of Australia, Martine Scheltema

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Many urban Australians have little understanding of the problems of land degradation because it's an extremely slow process that doesn 't directly influence their day-to-day lives. Understandably, they would have trouble relating to sub-soil compaction, waterlogging, increased soil acidity and salinity. They also have trouble comprehending why fencing according to soil type is an important management tool for farmers, or what role contour banks, drainage systems, the addition of gypsum and planting trees have in reversing land degradation. But given that tree loss "has been at the core of almost every aspect of land degradation in Australia ", and that …

Ada Hayden: A Tribute, Duane Isely

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Dr. Ada Hayden was a member of the Iowa State College of Botany faculty, 1920-1950. Her floristic studies of the lake region in northern Iowa are possibly the most authoritative for any part of the state. Hayden was curator of the Iowa State herbarium, 1934-1950, and contributed immeasurably to its development. This research facility has recently been named the Ada Hayden Herbarium. In the sense that L. H. Pammel was father of the Iowa State park system, her bequest is the state preserves. After some 25 years as a conservation activist, she published descriptions of 22 prairie areas in ten …