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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Assessment Of Invasive Gypsophila Paniculata Control Methods In The Northwest Michigan Dunes, Emma K. Rice Aug 2018

Assessment Of Invasive Gypsophila Paniculata Control Methods In The Northwest Michigan Dunes, Emma K. Rice

Masters Theses

Gypsophila paniculata is an invasive species in Michigan’s northern lower peninsula and a problem invasive in much of the northern United States and Canada. Gypsophila paniculata readily outcompetes native plants in sandy, well-drained soils due to its deep taproot, which allows access to scarce resources. It reproduces and disperses mainly by seed, but the phenology of seed maturation is poorly understood. Gypsophila paniculata is of particular concern in lakeshore dunes because the areas where it is most dense are also populated by several endemic and threatened species. Despite many years of intensive management, high densities of G. paniculata persist …


14-3-3 Protein Rad24 And Its Effect On Mid1 Localization And Contractile Acto- Myosin Ring Assembly During Cytokinesis In S. Pombe, Anissa P. Grawe Aug 2018

14-3-3 Protein Rad24 And Its Effect On Mid1 Localization And Contractile Acto- Myosin Ring Assembly During Cytokinesis In S. Pombe, Anissa P. Grawe

Masters Theses

In animal and yeast cells, cell division (cytokinesis) is facilitated by the formation of a contractile acto-myosin ring (CAR). Proper CAR formation and constriction is heavily reliant on the temporal regulation, phosphorylation, and localization of key proteins. In the fission yeast S. pombe, Mid1 is an important dimeric CAR scaffolding protein that connects the contractile apparatus to the plasma membrane at the right place and time during cytokinesis. Mid1 is confined to both the nucleus and protein assemblies called nodes during interphase, and transitions to the cell cortex at mitotic entry as nodes mature and coalesce into the CAR. Rad24 …


Investigating Erosion And Ecological Impacts To An Urban Coldwater Stream Using Multiple Techniques, Daniel T. L. Myers Aug 2018

Investigating Erosion And Ecological Impacts To An Urban Coldwater Stream Using Multiple Techniques, Daniel T. L. Myers

Masters Theses

Sediment pollution is a major cause of stream degradation. Our objectives were threefold. First, we assessed the impacts of environmental stressors on the structure of fish and macroinvertebrate communities across a gradient of agricultural to urban land cover in a coldwater tributary of the Grand River, Michigan, USA called Indian Mill Creek. We found that instream woody debris, streambed substrate, riffle and pool habitat variability, and riparian conditions affected aquatic macroinvertebrates along an agricultural to urban land cover gradient. We also found that variation in fish community assemblage was driven largely by stream flow and temperature regimes and could be …


Estimating Components Of Stream Metabolism Using The Free Water Dissolved Oxygen Method, Jay R. Zuidema Jr. Aug 2018

Estimating Components Of Stream Metabolism Using The Free Water Dissolved Oxygen Method, Jay R. Zuidema Jr.

Masters Theses

Stream ecosystem metabolism is commonly measured in stream ecology studies in order to understand the functioning of the stream ecosystem and as an indicator of stream health. One common method for gathering the time series data required to estimate stream metabolism is the free water dissolved oxygen method, which involves measuring dissolved oxygen in freely moving water. This is accomplished by taking measurements at a single location (one-station monitoring method) or at two locations (two-station monitoring method). In conjunction with these data, a process-based model of dissolved oxygen dynamics is used to estimate gross primary production, respiration, and net production. …


Genetic Structure Of Invasive Baby’S Breath (Gypsophila Paniculata) Populations In A Michigan Dune System, Hailee B. Leimbach-Maus Aug 2018

Genetic Structure Of Invasive Baby’S Breath (Gypsophila Paniculata) Populations In A Michigan Dune System, Hailee B. Leimbach-Maus

Masters Theses

Invasive species can reduce biodiversity of a system by outcompeting native species for resources, changing the physical characteristics of a habitat, and altering natural disturbance regimes. Coastal sand dune ecosystems are dynamic with elevated levels of disturbance, and as such they are highly susceptible to plant invasions. The topography, geographic distribution of preferred habitat, and disturbance regime in an ecosystem can influence where an invasive plant becomes established, its dispersal patterns, and how densely it grows. One such invasion that is of major concern to the Great Lakes dune systems is baby’s breath (Gypsophila paniculata). The invasion of …


Impacts Of Sediment Dredging On Phosphorus Dynamics In A Restored Riparian Wetland, Kimberly Oldenborg Aug 2018

Impacts Of Sediment Dredging On Phosphorus Dynamics In A Restored Riparian Wetland, Kimberly Oldenborg

Masters Theses

Global reductions in biodiversity and water quality are having major consequences for ecosystem health and societal well-being. The restoration of riverine floodplains and wetlands provides an ideal opportunity to increase biodiversity and water quality because their hydrologic connectivity to adjacent streams and rivers promotes the formation of heterogeneous habitat while also facilitating their functioning as a nutrient sink, in general. However, many historic floodplains and riverine wetlands have been drained for the creation of agricultural land, resulting in an accumulation of nutrients in the soils. Therefore, restoration practices that hydrologically reconnect former agricultural land to an adjacent stream or river …


Effects Of Fire Season And Temperature On A Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea Stoebe) Infested Grassland, Zachery T. Pitman Aug 2018

Effects Of Fire Season And Temperature On A Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea Stoebe) Infested Grassland, Zachery T. Pitman

Masters Theses

Invasive species, including the non-native forb Centaurea stoebe (spotted knapweed), constitute an imminent threat to degraded and restored native prairies. Considering the major threat that C. stoebe poses to imperiled prairie ecosystems, I examined the effectiveness of fire as a control agent of C. stoebe and (±)-catechin. I conducted a 2-year experiment in part of a restored tallgrass prairie community at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute in Barry County, Michigan between May and August of 2016 and 2017. My experiment consisted of individually burning 60 1-m² plots with a propane torch to achieve high (316° C) and low (103° C) temperatures …


Occupancy And Detection Of Yellow Perch In Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands, Kaitlyn M. Dykstra Aug 2018

Occupancy And Detection Of Yellow Perch In Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands, Kaitlyn M. Dykstra

Masters Theses

Accurately estimating the distribution of a species is important for managing sustainable populations of fishes. The Yellow Perch Perca flavescens is an important sport fish in the Great Lakes region and one of the most abundant fishes in Great Lakes coastal wetlands, which they commonly use for spawning and nursery habitat. Many fisheries management decisions are based on results from sampling fish assemblages, but these methods rarely account for incomplete detection (i.e., presence of a species that is not detected by sampling), which could create biased results. We applied the method of occupancy modeling, which accounts for incomplete detection, to …


Environmental Factors Influencing Amphibian Community Assemblage In Dune Wetlands On The Lake Michigan Coast, Alex H. Jouney Aug 2018

Environmental Factors Influencing Amphibian Community Assemblage In Dune Wetlands On The Lake Michigan Coast, Alex H. Jouney

Masters Theses

Wetlands in dune landscapes provide important breeding habitat for amphibians along the Lake Michigan Coast. Unfortunately, these unique habitats and the corresponding amphibian metapopulations are understudied and threatened. We assessed amphibian species richness and terrestrial habitat type in 16 permanent and ephemeral wetlands along the coast of Lake Michigan in Grand Haven, MI. Wetland area, terrestrial habitat type, depth, hydroperiod, shade, and degree of isolation were measured from April to September of 2017. Nine species of amphibian were found; Green Frog (Rana clamitans melanota) and Spring Peepers (Pseudacris crucifer crucifer) were most abundant and Fowlers Toad …


Enhancement Of Fast Scan Cyclic Voltammetry Detection Of Dopamine With Tryptophan, Sarah E. Thompson Apr 2018

Enhancement Of Fast Scan Cyclic Voltammetry Detection Of Dopamine With Tryptophan, Sarah E. Thompson

Masters Theses

Dysregulation of dopamine release is a pathological effect of common neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Fast scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) has been used as an analytical tool to investigate the role of dopamine in these diseases, and in relation to drug addiction and reward behavior. Methods to improve the sensitivity of FSCV have involved modifying the surface of the carbon electrodes used for dopamine detection, altering the potential waveform, and changing the structure of the carbon sensor. Here, the amino acid tryptophan was investigated as a potential surface modification for increased dopamine detection. This study serves as …


Home-Range Dynamics And Resource Selection Of American Marten (Martes Americana) In Michigan’S Northern Lower Peninsula, Angela Kujawa Apr 2018

Home-Range Dynamics And Resource Selection Of American Marten (Martes Americana) In Michigan’S Northern Lower Peninsula, Angela Kujawa

Masters Theses

American marten (Martes americana) are typically associated with mature coniferous forests. Marten were extirpated from Michigan’s Lower Peninsula due to human impacts, such as fire, logging, and over-harvest. Little is known about the resource selection and distribution of marten in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula since their reintroduction in 1985-86. Resource selection functions are valuable tools to estimate the relative probability an animal will utilize an area and predict where they may occur. When creating a resource selection function, potential sources of variation in data collection methods and wildlife populations should be considered to ensure accurate results. We sought …