Life Sciences Commons^™

Unveiling The Nexus: The Interdependence Of Animal Welfare, Environment & Sustainable Development, World Federation For Animals (Wfa)

Nexus – UNEP – Animal Welfare, Environment, Sustainable Development

On 2 March 2022, the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) adopted the Animal Welfare - Environment - Sustainable Development Nexus Resolution. In this resolution, UNEA acknowledged that "animal welfare can contribute to addressing environmental challenges". UNEA further acknowledged animal welfare's contribution to "promoting the One Health approach and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals." To understand these links, UNEA requested the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to analyse and produce a report for the next convening of UNEA on the nexus between animal welfare, the environment, and sustainable development. "Unveiling the Nexus: The interdependence of animal welfare, environment & sustainable development" illuminates the …

Diverse Forage Mixtures Effect On Herbage Yield, Sward Composition, And Dairy Cattle Performance, M. A. Sanderson, K. Soder, N. Brzezinski, S. Goslee, H. Skinner, M. Wachendorf, F. Taube, L. Muller

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Managing complex mixtures of plants to take advantage of spatial and temporal variability in land and climate may be one ecological approach to increase productivity of pastures. We tested the hypothesis that complex mixtures of forage species would yield more herbage and reduce weed competition compared with a simple grass-legume mixture in grazed pastures.

Additional Taxonomic Refinements Suggested By Genomic Analysis Of Butterflies, Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Jinhui Shen, Leina Song, Paul A. Opler, Nick V. Grishin

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Comparative analyses of genomic data reveal further insights into the phylogeny and taxonomic classification of butterflies presented here. As a result, 2 new subgenera and 2 new species of Hesperiidae are described: Borna Grishin, subgen. n. (type species Godmania borincona Watson, 1937) and Lilla Grishin, subgen. n. (type species Choranthus lilliae Bell, 1931) of Choranthus Scudder, 1872, Cecropterus (Murgaria) markwalkeri Grishin, sp. n. (type locality in Mexico: Sonora), and Hedone yunga Grishin, sp. n. (type locality in Bolivia: Yungas, La Paz). The lectotype is designated for Aethilla toxeus Plötz, 1882. The type locality of Dion uza (Hewitson, 1877) is likely …

Ancyronyx Jhoanae Sp. Nov. (Coleoptera: Elmidae), A New Spider Riffle Beetle Species From Luzon, Philippines, And New Records For A. Tamaraw Freitag, 2013, Christalle Beatriz N. Seno, Hendrik Freitag

Biology Faculty Publications

Ancyronyx jhoanae sp. nov., a new species of genus Ancyronyx Erichson, 1847 from Luzon is described using an integrative taxonomic approach. Illustrations of habitus and diagnostic characters are provided. Molecular analysis of a fragment of the COI 5’-end was employed to support the morphological species concept. Differences from closely related species based on molecular and morphological data are discussed. First records of A. tamaraw Freitag, 2013 from Luzon are reported.

Grasslands1 For Production And The Environment, David R. Kemp, David L. Michalk

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

1. To manage grasslands for production and enhanced environmental values requires a redefinition of the frameworks within which management decisions are made, and a tailoring of practices to suit the ways that farmers operate.
2. Improving the perenniality and permanence of grasslands usually leads to better environmental and production outcomes.
3. There is a case for a more conservative approach to utilising grasslands in order to sustain the functioning of local ecosystems and to improve water quality, nutrient and energy cycling and biodiversity.
4. A landscape rather than paddock focus is more appropriate for meeting current grassland management objectives. Grasslands can be triaged to …

Grassland In Ireland And The Uk, Myles Rath, S. Peel

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

1. Grassland is the dominant land use option in Ireland and the UK, and is characterised by a long growing season.
2. Dynamic, interactive systems of grassland management have been developed which combine high grass dry matter intakes with good sward quality. In the better grassland areas milk yields in excess of 7000 kg/cow are attainable with low levels of concentrate supplementation. In the times to come, measures to protect the environment will constrain stocking rates, and fertiliser and manure use on intensive grassland enterprises.
3. A high proportion of beef and sheep farms participate in voluntary, EU-funded agri- environmental schemes that promote …

Diversity And Variation In Nutritive Value Of Plants Growing On 2 Saline Sites In Southwestern Australia, H. C. Norman, R. A. Dynes, D. G. Masters

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

In south-western Australia 10% or 1.8 million ha of the farmed area is affected by dryland salinity and a further 6 million ha are at risk of salinity (NLWRA, 2001). Animal production from saltbush (Atriplex spp.)-based pasture systems represents the most likely large-scale opportunity for productive use of saline land in the short to medium term. Feeding saltbush-based pastures as a maintenance feed during the prolonged autumn feed gap typical in Mediterranean-type climates maximises their economic value. The aim of this study was to explore the diversity and nutritive value of plants that typically persist in saltbush-based saltland pastures.

Do Regional Dna Barcode Databases Lead To More Efficient Specimen Identification?, Michael Kerr, Steven D. Leavitt

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

DNA barcoding is a method for identifying specimens from specific regions of DNA. 1 Metabarcoding focuses on large, multi specimen scales. 2 These approaches rely on DNA databases for sequence identification, 2 but these databases often lack data from many species, 3 especially from poorly studied groups such as fungi 4 and lichens, which can lead to failure in specimen identification.

Thirteen New Species Of Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) From Texas, Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Nick V. Grishin

Insecta Mundi

Analyses of whole genomic shotgun datasets, COI barcodes, morphology, and historical literature suggest that the following 13 butterfly species from the family Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) in Texas, USA are distinct from their closest named relatives and therefore are described as new (type localities are given in parenthesis): Spicauda atelis Grishin, new species (Hidalgo Co., Mission), Urbanus (Urbanus) rickardi Grishin, new species (Hidalgo Co., nr. Madero), Urbanus (Urbanus) oplerorum Grishin, new spe­cies (Hidalgo Co., Mission/Madero), Telegonus tsongae Grishin, new species (Starr Co., Roma), Autochton caballo Grishin, new species (Hidalgo Co., 6 mi W of Hidalgo), Epargyreus fractigutta …

Harnessing Citizen Science And Collections Data For Invasive Plant Surveillance, Adin L. Ring

Library Map Prize

Our main source of information about the distribution of invasive plants in the United States comes from occurrence records in three categories: biological collections (physical plant specimens in museums), citizen science (opportunistic observations by untrained civilians), and invasion monitoring (structured observation by government or non-profit agencies). This study compiles a set of 3.1 million occurrence records of 3,578 introduced plant species in the continental United States, and infers spatial, temporal, and taxonomic biases by comparing the three categories of data. We find that citizen science contributes the largest bulk of records, and does better capturing visually conspicuous plants and very …

Comparison Of Groundwater Chemistry And Associated Biodiversity Of Sulfidic Karst Habitats In Southcentral Kentucky, Kendall Wheeler

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

In most ecosystems, primary production is conducted by plants or photosynthetic microbes; however, extremophilic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria can use hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S) as an electron donor to produce metabolic energy in a type of metabolism called chemoautotrophy. These ecosystems are a prominent feature of some karst landscapes, and two have been observed in the Mammoth Cave system, Sulphur River in Parker Cave and Marianne’s Pass in Mammoth Cave National Park respectively.

Sulfidic water is ubiquitous in southcentral Kentucky and is strongly associated with hydrocarbon deposits. This oil boom of the 1880s in this region predates most environmental regulation and records …

Comparing Pollinator Communities: Onu’S Swanberg Sanctuary V. Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Stephanie Clark

Pence-Boyce STEM Student Scholarship

Pollinators play a key role in both ecosystem diversity and agricultural productivity [1]. Declines for pollinators have been seen across the globe and have been linked to agriculture and urbanization [2]. Several species in Illinois have declined so severely, they are now endangered or of significant conservation concern [1]. Past ONU students have collected data on the bees in Northeast IL. However, there is no data for what species are at the Sanctuary. This study will provide baseline data for future studies and by comparing with Midewin, a mature restoration, we can gain an understanding of distinctiveness.

Conservation Easements: A Tool For Preserving Wildlife Habitat On Private Lands, Robin M. Rotman, Sarah A. Brown, Michael A. Powell, Sonja A. Wilhelm Stanis

Faculty Publications

Conservation easements are an essential tool for conserving private lands, and they have great potential for enhancing wildlife habitat and biodiversity. Private land conservation in the United States is likely to increase in the coming years, in light of Executive Order No. 14,008, issued by President Joseph Biden on January 27, 2021, which set a goal of conserving at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030 (Executive Office of the President 2021). There is, therefore, a need to evaluate the effect of conservation easements on wildlife habitat and biodiversity and to make recommendations for further enhancing the effectiveness …

Csi Botany: Dna Barcode “Fingerprints” Identify Cryptic Urban Flora, Luis R. Vega

Theses

As short genomic markers, DNA barcodes can play a role in conservation by identifying cryptic species and hybrids when morphological approaches fall short. Here we present our application of barcodes to the identities of two wetland taxa as part of an ongoing floristic inventory of Van Cortlandt Park (VCP), Bronx, NY. Previous barcode data by Marriott et al. (2018) identified the VCP lake water lily as the exotic Nymphaea alba, rather than the native N. odorata as historically described. In addition, cattails in the park were historically identified as the native Typha latifolia and the exotic T. angustifolia …

A Biodiversity Survey Of The Soil Crusts Of The Geographically Isolated San Nicholas Island, California, Usa And Description Of Species In Three Genera (Atlanticothix, Pycnacronema, Konicacronema) Previously Restricted To Brazil Using A Polyphasic Approach To Cyanobacterial Taxonomy, Brian Jusko

Masters Theses

San Nicholas Island, California, USA is a geographically-isolated island that experiences a semiarid climate and exhibits significant topographic and geologic diversity. Access to the island is restricted to the public and, as a result, only one previous study has been done on the algal biodiversity of its biological soil crusts. The previous study used morphology as the sole basis of species identification, and it was the aim of this study to corroborate and expand upon the results by including molecular data. Using 16S rRNA and 16S–23S ITS sequences and phylogenetic analyses, a diverse set of taxa were identified and are …

Hitting The Sweet Spot: Optimizing Camera Trapping Effort For Estimating Biodiversity In Coastal Environments, Ella Dipetto, Oleksii Dubovyk, Chi Wei, Angela Brierly, Eric Walters, Alex Teodorescu, Jillian Murphy

College of Sciences Posters

Wildlife trail cameras, or “camera traps”, have become an effective tool in ecological research and conservation management across a variety of ecosystems to monitor a wide range of taxa. Camera trapping allows for extended survey time in traditionally hard-to-survey environments and has greatly increased our ability to detect cryptic species. One question ecologists commonly face is how much sampling effort is required to accurately estimate community composition. Despite the abundant literature that uses camera trapping techniques, few studies have occurred in coastal saltmarsh ecosystems. These ecosystems are being lost at a rapid rate from land conversion, pollution, and other anthropogenic …

It Turned Into A Bioblitz: Urban Data Collection For Building Scientific Literacy And Environmental Connection, Kelly O'Donnell, Lisa Brundage

Publications and Research

In 2013, Macaulay Honors College redesigned its required science curriculum to focus on scientific literacy skills rather than content. Central to this shift was inclusion of a data collection event, a BioBlitz, to provide students with the basis for their own semester-long research projects. Students are teamed with naturalists in an urban green space to find as many species as they can in 24 h and to contribute to a global biodiversity database via the app iNaturalist. We have learned two important lessons: (1) developing an interdisciplinary curriculum with a high degree of experiential learning is more successful when both …

Bibliography, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Bibliography of publications by Charles H. Smith.

Levels Of Autotrophy And Heterotrophy In Mesophotic Corals Near The End Photic Zone, Amy Carmignani, Veronica Z. Radice, Kathryn M. Mcmahon, Alex I. Holman, Karen Miller, Kliti Grice, Zoe Richards

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Mesophotic corals live at ~30-150 m depth and can sustain metabolic processes under light-limited conditions by enhancing autotrophy through specialized photoadaptations or increasing heterotrophic nutrient acquisition. These acclimatory processes are often species-specific, however mesophotic ecosystems are largely unexplored and acclimation limits for most species are unknown. This study examined mesophotic coral ecosystems using a remotely operated vehicle (Ashmore Reef, Western Australia at 40–75m depth) to investigate the trophic ecology of five species of scleractinian coral (from genera Leptoseris, Pachyseris, and Craterastrea) using stable isotope analyses (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) of host and symbiont tissues …

Biodiversity Of Philippine Marine Fishes: A Dna Barcode Reference Library Based On Voucher Specimens, Katherine E. Bemis, Matthew G. Girard, Mudjekeewis D. Santos, Kent E. Carpenter, Jonathan R. Deeds, Diane E. Pitassy, Nicko Amor L. Flores, Elizabeth S. Hunter, Amy C. Driskell, Kenneth S. Macdonald Iii, Lee A. Weigt, Jeffrey T. Williams

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Accurate identification of fishes is essential for understanding their biology and to ensure food safety for consumers. DNA barcoding is an important tool because it can verify identifications of both whole and processed fishes that have had key morphological characters removed (e.g., filets, fish meal); however, DNA reference libraries are incomplete, and public repositories for sequence data contain incorrectly identified sequences. During a nine-year sampling program in the Philippines, a global biodiversity hotspot for marine fishes, we developed a verified reference library of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences for 2,525 specimens representing 984 species. Specimens were primarily purchased …

Global Phylogenomic Assessment Of Leptoseris And Agaricia Reveals Substantial Undescibed Diversity At Mesophotic Depths, J. C. Gijsbers, N. Englebert, K. E. Prata, M. Pichon, Z. Dinesen, R. Brunner, G. Eyal, F. L. González-Zapata, S. E. Kahng, K. R. W. Latijnhouwers, P. Muir, V. Z. Radice, J. A. Sánchez, M. J. A. Vermeij, O. Hoegh-Guldberg, S. J. Jacobs, P. Bongaerts

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Mesophotic coral communities are increasingly gaining attention for the unique biological diversity they host, exemplified by the numerous mesophotic fish species that continue to be discovered. In contrast, many of the photosynthetic scleractinian corals observed at mesophotic depths are assumed to be depth-generalists, with very few species characterised as mesophotic-specialists. This presumed lack of a specialised community remains largely untested, as phylogenetic studies on corals have rarely included mesophotic samples and have long suffered from resolution issues associated with traditional sequence markers.

Results: Here, we used reduced-representation genome sequencing to conduct a phylogenomic assessment of the two dominant mesophotic …

Macrolichen Inventory Of The Horse Mountain Botanical Area, Six Rivers National Forest, California, Usa, Sarah Norvell Conway

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Macrolichen diversity and community composition was determined for an area of high botanical interest in the Coast Ranges of Northern California – the Horse Mountain Botanical Area (HMBA) in Six Rivers National Forest. The Coast Ranges have been suggested to have high epiphytic macrolichen diversity, yet detailed site-specific macrolichen surveys are lacking for the area. Here we present comprehensive data on macrolichens of the HMBA integrated with environmental metadata at the landscape level. Twenty 0.4 ha sampling plots were positioned across the varying habitats of the HMBA and macrolichens were intensively sampled from all substrata. Out of 888 total collections, …

Are Biodiverse Communities More Resistant To Invasion? A Case Study With Marine Fouling Communities, Taylor Robert Bruntil

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The theory of biotic resistance predicts that more diverse communities should be less susceptible to invasion by novel species, but given the opposing results of multiple observational and experimental studies in marine systems, it is unclear how changes in environmental conditions can affect invasion success in communities that differ in diversity. I used marine fouling communities to test how the diversity of the species present in an initial community (hereafter termed “resident species”) affected the establishment and growth of all species not present in the initial communities (hereafter termed “novel species”) at two locations at the Eureka Public Marina, in …

Postmucilage Biodiversity Of Shallow Water Fish Assemblages: A Case Study In The Marmara Sea, Turkey, İsmai̇l Burak Daban, Yusuf Şen, Adnan Ayaz, Uğur Altinağaç, Alkan Özteki̇n, Uğur Özeki̇nci̇, Ali̇ İşmen, Fi̇kret Çakir, Ahsen Yüksek, Teki̇n Demi̇rkiran, Oğuzhan Ayaz, Gençtan Erman Uğur, Bumi̇nhan Burkay Selçuk

Turkish Journal of Zoology

A dense mucilage event occurred between November 2020 and August 2021 in the Marmara Sea, Turkey. In this study, the aim was to understand the effect of mucilage on coastal fish biodiversity. For this purpose, juvenile and small-sized adult fish species were sampled with an experimental beach seine at 12 equally-spaced stations around the Marmara Sea between November 2021 and April 2022. In total, 34 species belonging to 19 families were sampled. Approximately 70% of the total fish abundance were Atherina boyeri Risso, 1810, Chelon auratus (Risso, 1810) and Chelon saliens (Risso, 1810). Highest abundance was detected from S5 …

To Flee Or Not To Flee: How Range Dynamic Of Alpine Species Are Changing Through Time, Lian Noonan

WWU Graduate School Collection

In response to anthropogenic climate change, alpine floras in particular have been forecasted to shift their ranges upslope and north, yet recent analyses have shown otherwise. While a handful of floras have been found to track the trajectory of predictive models, most floristic elements have remained in their historical ranges despite a changing climate. Therefore, to improve the accuracy of models predicting range shifts, I address the following questions: (1) are mountain floras spatially structured through time; and (2) how are range dynamics of mountain floras changing through time. To address these questions, this study analyzed the herbarium records of …

Seagrass Posidonia Escarpments Support High Diversity And Biomass Of Rocky Reef Fishes, Oscar Serrano Gras, Karina Inostroza, Glenn Hyndes, Alan M. Friedlander, Eduard Serrano, Caitlin Rae, Enric Ballesteros

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Although seagrass meadows form a relatively homogenous habitat, escarpments, which form three-dimensional structures and originate from the erosion of seagrass peat, can provide important habitat for reef fishes. Here, we compare fish assemblages and habitat structural complexity among seagrass Posidonia australis escarpments and canopies, as well as limestone reef habitats, to understand the role of seagrass escarpments as reef fish habitat in Shark Bay, Western Australia. The total number of fish species, fish biomass, and top predator biomass were significantly higher in seagrass escarpments and reef habitats than in seagrass canopies due to lower habitat structural complexity and thus becoming …

Comparison Of Botanical Composition Methods And Change Over Time In Kentucky Pastures, Echo Elizabeth Gotsick

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Botanical composition of pastures has been measured with numerous methods over the last century, but there have been limited direct comparisons between methods. The objective of this study was to compare botanical composition methods, to determine the most accurate and efficient method, and to access pasture composition change over time. Six farms with two pastures each were monitored across the state of Kentucky. Sampling occurred fall 2020 through fall 2022, three times a year using the following methods: step point, visual estimation, occupancy grid, and point quadrat (used as a reference method). The occupancy grid showed the highest similarity to …

A Multi-Taxon Analysis Of European Red Lists Reveal Major Threats To Biodiversity, Axel Hochkirch, Melanie Bilz, Catarina C. Ferreira, Anja Danielczak, David Allen, Ana Nieto, Carlo Rondinini, Kate Harding, Craig Hilton-Taylor, Caroline M. Pollock, Mary Seddon, Jean-Christophe Vié, Keith N. A. Alexander, Emily Beech, Manuel Biscoito, Yoan Braud, Ian J. Burfield, Filippo Maria Buzzetti, Marta Cálix, Kent E. Carpenter, Ning Labbish Chao, Dragan Chobanov, Maarten J. M. Christenhusz, Bruce B. Collette, Mia T. Comeros-Raynal, Neil Cox, Matthew Craig, Annabelle Cuttelod, William R. T. Darwall, Benoit Dodelin, Nicholas K. Dulvy, Eve Englefield, Michael F. Fay, Nicholas Fettes, Jörg Freyhof, Silvia García, Mariana García Criado, Michael Harvey, Nick Hodgetts, Christina Ieronymidou, Vincent J. Kalkman, Shelagh P. Kell, James Kemp, Sonia Khela, Richard V. Lansdown, Julia M. Lawson, Danna J. Leaman, Joana Magos Brehm, Nigel Maxted, Rebecca M. Miller, Eike Neubert, Baudewijn Odé, David Pollard, Riley Pollom, Rob Pople, Juan José Presa Asensio, Gina M. Ralph, Hassan Rankou, Malin Rivers, Stuart P. M. Roberts, Barry Russell, Alexander Sennikov, Fabien Soldati, Anna Staneva, Emilie Stump, Andy Symes, Dmitry Telnov, Helen Temple, Andrew Terry, Anastasiya Timoshyna, Chris Van Swaay, Henry Väre, Rachel H. L. Walls, Luc Willemse, Brett Wilson, Jemma Window, Emma G. E. Wright, Thomas Zuna-Kratky

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Biodiversity loss is a major global challenge and minimizing extinction rates is the goal of several multilateral environmental agreements. Policy decisions require comprehensive, spatially explicit information on species’ distributions and threats. We present an analysis of the conservation status of 14,669 European terrestrial, freshwater and marine species (ca. 10% of the continental fauna and flora), including all vertebrates and selected groups of invertebrates and plants. Our results reveal that 19% of European species are threatened with extinction, with higher extinction risks for plants (27%) and invertebrates (24%) compared to vertebrates (18%). These numbers exceed recent IPBES (Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity …

Cutaneous Microbiome Of Red Fox (Vulpes Vulpes) Infected With Sarcoptic Mange (Sarcoptes Scabiei), Jacqueline C. Robidoux

Honors Theses and Capstones

Sarcoptic mange is a parasitic skin disease that affects countless mammals worldwide, including red foxes (Vulpes vulpes). The symptoms, such as hair loss, crusting, and the number of mites, vary between individual foxes. Sarcoptic mange damages the skin barrier, which in turn disrupts the biodiversity of bacteria in the microbiome. It is unknown what the biodiversity of bacteria is at each stage of the disease. This experiment will compare the microbiomes of different samples with and without mange; in hopes to reveal a connection between the different severities of sarcoptic mange and the biodiversity of bacteria and fungi …

Fish Community Responses To Environmental And Anthropogenic Conditions In West Virginia, Katherine A. Adase

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

While Appalachia is among the oldest region in the world, Central West Virginia watersheds have been impacted by anthropogenic stressors, including extractive mining and timber harvest industries, as well as urban development and agriculture, damns, fracking, mining, and land cover use. This study aims to understand how natural environmental and human altered gradients impact affect diversity of fish communities in streams and rivers throughout Central Appalachia. The first chapter aims to provide insights into the impact of the 2016 low head dam removals on taxonomic and functional fish communities in the West Fork River, West Virginia and the potential benefits …