Life Sciences Commons^™

Survey Of The Bolctes From Fish River Nature Preserve, Noah T. Nelson

Honors Theses

Boletes are a special kind of mushroom inside of the Kingdom Fungi that are distinguished from other mushrooms by their uniquely pored hymenium, as opposed to gills. Many boletes are ectomycorrhizal, meaning they are mutualists with vascular plants, and thus beneficial to the overall health of the terrestrial ecosystem. Some are well-known for their edibility and are of economic importance. In the United States 59 genus-level clades comprising 290 operational taxonomic units have been reported. The southeastern US and Gulf Coast regions however are less researched and recorded for their mushroom ecology. In Alabama, only 56 bolete species have been …

A Camera Trap Study Of Scavenger Species On The University Of Mississippi Campus, Lise Larsen

Honors Theses

This is a camera trap study to understand what kind of mammalian scavenger community we have on the University of Mississippi campus and where they are most prominent. Three motion-triggered cameras were used to survey ten buildings on campus over ten weeks. A low number of individuals were caught on camera during this study. There were limitations on this study such as a low number of cameras and a short span of time. More research needs to be done to understand the scavenger community on this campus.

Striped Blenny (Chasmodes Bosquianus) Presence And Behavior Between Sunrise And Sunset At Oyster Landing, South Carolina, Madeline Schuetze

Honors Theses

Lunar and diel cycles of fishes can help to interpret their behaviors during their reproductive season. Temperate estuaries are used by many benthic fishes for shelter and reproduction. This study examined the behavior and presence of striped blennies (Chasmodes bosquianus) during diel and lunar cycles. PVC pipe shelters were placed to mimic oyster shell nests, a natural habitat for blennies, and cameras were placed to monitor these shelters in April, May, and June 2022, during the striped blenny reproductive period. Video footage was reviewed and analyzed for the presence and behavior of both male and female blennies. Male presence …

Species Diversity Of Coleoptera Populations In An Urban Garden In Chattanooga, Tennessee, Mallory Anderson

Honors Theses

Insects are an essential part of the function of ecosystems. The majority of entomological faunistic research has been conducted primarily in rural areas due to high diversity, space for bulky traps, and less outside influence from human activities. However, the need for time-series insect biodiversity data, in rural areas and urban areas alike, is paramount in the wake of our current sixth mass extinction event. Previous research has shown that the greater Chattanooga area is comprised of a diverse population of insects in the Coleoptera (beetles) order, and as shown in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s (UTC) Insect Collection. …

Effect Of Temperature On The Microbiome Of A Laboratory-Reared Colony Of Haemaphysalis Longicornis Ticks, Brianna L. Mitchell

Honors Theses

Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks are invasive to the United States with potential to transmit several tick-borne pathogens that are native to the United States. Based on existing locations of H. longicornis in its native regions in Asia, as well as its invasive populations that are established in the United States, several geographic range prediction models have been produced to help understand future range expansion and distribution of this invasive tick in North America. Unfortunately, these models do not all agree and there is uncertainty associated with the potential geographic range expansion of H. longicornis ticks in North America. Climate can affect …

Analysis Of Ecological Tradeoffs Between Congeneric Shrimp In Coastal Mississippi Waters, Baylor K. Lynch

Honors Theses

Palaemonidae is an ecologically important and abundant family of shrimp that link the benthos to many estuarine food webs. Palaemon pugio and Palaemon vulgaris regularly co-occur along estuarine edge habitats despite previous studies suggesting different preferred sediment types and salinity regimes. The objective was to determine if competition is occurring between the congeners by comparing their relative abundance and assessing isotope niche space along an estuarine gradient. I seasonally sampled various edge habitats at four sites throughout Biloxi Bay, MS, using fyke nets fished over a tidal cycle from November 2020 to November 2021. Collected organisms were identified to the …

Hybrid Viability: An Analysis Of Drosophila Hybrid Competition And Mating Success Amongst Its Parental Species, Konrad Drzymalski

Honors Theses

The topic of hybrid offspring viability and mating preference between the two parental species of Drosophila athabasca (West Northern) and Drosophila mahican (Eastern A) is a still largely unexplored avenue of study. While the two aforementioned parental Drosophila species exist in distinct geographical regions across North America, they occupy a sympatric zone in the North East. Due to the absence of hybrid offspring in nature and the high levels of sexual isolation between these two parental species, it is necessary to establish if, and how hybrid offspring suffer in nature. By utilizing no choice mating systems involving audio playback of …

Density Dependent Growth Of Pseudomonas Fluorescens In The Presence And Absence Of C. Elegans Predation In Liquid Media, Jack Landmann

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to understand the predator-prey relationship between C. elegans worms and P. fluorescens bacteria in liquid media. We were aiming to create a predation model of the relationship between these two species.

This study was performed through three experiments. Using 96-well plates, we were able to measure the change in optical density (OD) of these wells and calculate the growth rate. This growth rate was then graphed and analyzed. The first experiment contained P. fluorescens and KB liquid media, this study demonstrated that the bacterial population has a carrying capacity. We were also able to …

Genetic Diversity & Connectivity Of Chasmanthium Latifolium (Poaceae) In Pennsylvania & The Effect On Conservation Status Of A Rare Species, Jonathan D. Hayes

Honors Theses

Chasmanthium latifolium (Michx.) Yates (Poaceae) is a loosely colonial, rhizomatous, perennial grass species that lives in riparian habitats, making it fittingly referred to as river oats. Native to the southern Midwest and the eastern half of the United States, C. latifolium reaches the northeastern edge of its range in Pennsylvania. Within Pennsylvania, eleven extant C. latifolium populations are found along four waterways: the Monongahela River, the Susquehanna River, and two tributaries to the Susquehanna River. This limited state distribution exhibits an east-west disjunct distribution, where western populations are largely separated from eastern populations with one centrally located population. Between the …

Population Genetics Of A Recent Range Expansion By The Southern Pine Beetle, Dendroctonus Frontalis, Into The Northeastern United States, Megan Stubbs

Honors Theses

Population genetics as a field of study aims to determine the genetic variation among individuals in a population, and differences among populations. Certain population genetic analyses can provide such information and be used to better understand the biological aspects to a species’ expansion beyond its native range. The southern pine beetle (SPB), Dendroctonus frontalis, has become an invasive pest to pine forests in northeastern United States with its recent range expansion. Nine microsatellite loci were first developed and then used in analyses. To determine what the genetic variation is among individuals in SPB populations across its entire range, including …

Patterns Of Genomic Introgression In Topminnow Hybrid Zones, Amanda F. Ray

Honors Theses

Hybridization and introgression are two important evolutionary mechanisms that can increase genetic diversity. Interesting introgression patterns can form when parental species have genes that confer some adaptive benefit to the organism. The Fundulus notatus species complex contains species with various identifying characterisics. Fundulus notatus, the blackstripe topminnow, and Fundulus olivaceus, the blackspotted topminnow, are closely related and occupy many of the same rivers in their preferred niches. These two species often hybridize and form hybrid zones where their niches overlap. We studied two hybrid zones located in the Tombigbee River and Spring River. Within each hybrid zone, we …

Tracking The Endangered Northern Black Racer, Coluber Constrictor Constrictor, In Maine To Determine Areas Of Conservation Importance, Josiah Johnson

Honors Theses

The Black Racer (Coluber constrictor) is a large-bodied snake species found across North America. One subspecies, the Northern Black Racer (C. constrictor constrictor) is listed as endangered in Maine because of its restricted range in York County. Racers have generally been found to prefer open habitats and ecotones, but the specific habitat preferences of racers in Maine is unknown, hindering efforts to preserve habitat for racer conservation. To address this knowledge gap, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) has an ongoing project tracking black racer movements in Sanford and Kennebunk, Maine, and I had the opportunity to …

Biological Soil Crusts In A Northeastern Pine Barren: Composition And Ecological Effects, Jessica Gilbert

Honors Theses

Biological soil crusts (BSCs), otherwise known as cryptogamic soil crusts, biocrusts, or cyanobacterial crusts, are soil aggregations hosting diverse biotic communities. They are composed of cyanobacteria and algae, and generally have a covering of moss and/or lichen. BSCs are typically found in arid to semi-arid regions throughout the world, and are integral soil stabilizers, moisture retainers, and nitrogen fixers in these communities. Along with these factors, BSCs are able to impact germination and establishment of plants, either as an accompanying influence, or direct result of those listed above. BSCs have yet to be formally described in the inland northeastern United …

Genetic Estimates Of The Number Of Breeding Adults In Alligator Gar From The Choke Canyon Reservoir, Texas, E. Blayne Newsome

Honors Theses

Alligator gar were historically found across the coastal drainages of the Gulf of Mexico and up into the Mississippi River basin. However, their populations are experiencing decline in many portions of their range. Texas seems to have large populations of alligator gar, but state resource officers are seeking to better understand its biology so as to provide appropriate management recommendations to maintain the recreational fishery. In this study, I used genetic techniques to examine a cohort of 144 juvenile alligator gar collected in 2016 in the Choke Canyon Reservoir. By estimating the effective number of breeders and number of spawning …

Assessing Genetic Differentiation Among Populations Of The Invasive Plant Impatiens Glandulifera In Maine, Jordan R. Schoonover

Honors Theses

The annual herbaceous plant Impatiens glandulifera Royle is native to the Himalayas and is a significant invasive species in Europe. In the past century, it was introduced to the United States, where it has become established in 12 states. This study evaluated genetic differentiation among four Maine populations, to address a theory that posits hybridization of distinct lineages as a trigger for invasiveness. Regions of microsatellite repeats were evaluated at two polymorphic loci for 41 plants sampled from the four populations. A striking finding was that the observed heterozygosity was substantially higher than the heterozygosity expected from random combination of …

Extinct And Extirpated Birds And Mammals Of Arkansas, Nora Smith

Honors Theses

Arkansas was purchased from France as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Parts of it were explored by the Dunbar and Hunter expedition in 1804-05. ln 1819, it was detached from the Missouri Territory and made a separate territory. By 1821, the capital moved to Little Rock, and on June 15, 1836, Arkansas became the 25th state of the United States of America. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission was established on March 11, 1915, and the first "real" law pertaining to game hunting was passed. The commission started to establish game refuges in 1929, and by 1960, it …

The Pollination Biology And Mating System Of A Peripheral Population Of Witheringia Solanacea (Solanaceae), Timothy Miller

Honors Theses

Pollinator visitation rates over the life of a flower are determined by pollinator abundance and floral longevity. If flowers are not visited frequently enough, pollen limitation may occur, favoring the evolution of self-compatibility (SC). In plant species with varying SC levels, central populations often are self-incompatible (SI) and peripheral populations are SC. Witheringia solanacea (Solanaceae) is a species that follows this trend with the exception of one population in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, which is peripheral yet SI. I investigated this population using multiple techniques including floral bagging, pollinator observations, microsatellite analysis, and floral longevity manipulations. My results confirmed …