Life Sciences Commons^™

Biological Aspects Of Mountain Pine Beetle In Lodgepole Pine Stands Of Different Densities In Colorado, Usa, Jose Negron

USDA Forest Service / UNL Faculty Publications

Research Highlights: The biology of mountain pine beetle (MPB), Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, in Colorado’s lodgepole pine forests exhibits similarities and differences to other parts of its range. Brood emergence was not influenced by stand density nor related to tree diameter. The probability of individual tree attack is influenced by stocking and tree size. Findings have implications for understanding MPB as a disturbance agent and for developing management strategies. Background and Objectives: MPB causes extensive tree mortality of lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta Douglas ex Loudon, across the western US and Canada and is probably the most studied bark beetle in North …

Simulating Detection-Censored Movement Records For Home Range Analysis Planning, Lyndsie S. Wszola, Victoria L. Simonsen, Lucía Corral, Christopher J. Chizinski, Joseph J. Fontaine

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Home range estimation is an important analytical method in applied spatial ecology, yet best practices for addressing the effects of spatial variation in detection probability on home range estimates remain elusive. We introduce the R package “DiagnoseHR,” simulation tools for assessing how variation in detection probability arising from landscape, animal behavior, and methodological processes affects home range inference. We demonstrate the utility of simulation methods for home range analysis planning by comparing bias arising from three home range estimation methods under multiple detection scenarios. We simulated correlated random walks in three landscapes that varied in detection probability and constructed home …

Efficacy Of A T Cell-Biased Adenovirus Vector As A Zika Virus Vaccine, Brianna L. Bullard, Brigette N. Corder, Matthew J. Gorman, Michael S. Diamond, Eric A. Weaver

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a major public health concern due to the risk of congenital Zika syndrome in developing fetuses and Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults. Currently, there are no approved vaccines available to protect against infection. Adenoviruses are safe and highly immunogenic vaccine vectors capable of inducing lasting humoral and cellular immune responses. Here, we developed two Adenovirus (Ad) vectored Zika virus vaccines by inserting a ZIKV prM-E gene expression cassette into human Ad types 4 (Ad4-prM-E) and 5 (Ad5-prM-E). Immune correlates indicate that Ad5-prM-E vaccination induces both an anti-ZIKV antibody and T-cell responses whereas Ad4-prM-E vaccination only induces a …

Six Key Components Of A Farm Or Ranch Business Plan, Jay Parsons

Cornhusker Economics

Developing a good farm or ranch business plan can have many benefits. In an earlier Cornhusker Economics article, I outlined six good reasons to develop a business plan (Parsons 2015). It helps to get your business organized and moving in the right direction. It lets your lender know you have a plan to succeed, which opens up your access to capital. It also helps you organize your thoughts, clarifying the goals and objectives you wish to achieve. In summary, putting together a written business plan increases the likelihood of your business achieving success (Scarborough 2011).

The Beetle Chronicler, Chris Dunker, Kayla Wolf, Brett Ratcliffe

University of Nebraska State Museum: Entomology Papers

Longtime UNL entomologist names beetles for dragons

Gymnetis rhaegali, Gymnetis drogoni, Gymnetis viserioni, Ambyoproctus boondocksius, Cyclocephala nadanotherwon, Strategus longichomperus

University of Nebraska entomology professor Brett Ratcliffe, who also curates the Nebraska State Museum's beetle collection, shows elephant beetles, a member of the scarab beetle family, in his office in Nebraska Hall.

Unlike their namesakes, three species of scarab beetles newly described by University of Nebraska-Lincoln entomologist Brett Ratcliffe do not breathe fire. Or, at least, entomologists and field researchers haven't observed them doing so.

Nor do the scarabs have the thick, reptilian scales and leathery wings like the trio of …

Repeats Of Unusual Size In Plant Mitochondrial Genomes: Identification, Incidence And Evolution, Emily L. Wynn, Alan C. Christensen

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Plant mitochondrial genomes have excessive size relative to coding capacity, a low mutation rate in genes and a high rearrangement rate. They also have abundant non-tandem repeats often including pairs of large repeats which cause isomerization of the genome by recombination, and numerous repeats of up to several hundred base pairs that recombine only when the genome is stressed by DNA damaging agents or mutations in DNA repair pathway genes. Early work on mitochondrial genomes led to the suggestion that repeats in the size range from several hundred to a few thousand base pair are underrepresented. The repeats themselves are …

Methanogens: Pushing The Boundaries Of Biology, Nicole R. Buan

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Methanogens are anaerobic archaea that grow by producing methane gas. These microbes and their exotic metabolism have inspired decades of microbial physiology research that continues to push the boundary of what we know about how microbes conserve energy to grow. The study of methanogens has helped to elucidate the thermodynamic and bioenergetics basis of life, contributed our understanding of evolution and biodiversity, and has garnered an appreciation for the societal utility of studying trophic interactions between environmental microbes, as methanogens are important in microbial conversion of biogenic carbon into methane, a high-energy fuel. This review discusses the theoretical basis for …

Methanogens: Pushing The Boundaries Of Biology, Nicole R. Buan

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Methanogens are anaerobic archaea that grow by producing methane gas. These microbes and their exotic metabolism have inspired decades of microbial physiology research that continues to push the boundary of what we know about how microbes conserve energy to grow. The study of methanogens has helped to elucidate the thermodynamic and bioenergetics basis of life, contributed our understanding of evolution and biodiversity, and has garnered an appreciation for the societal utility of studying trophic interactions between environmental microbes, as methanogens are important in microbial conversion of biogenic carbon into methane, a high-energy fuel. This review discusses the theoretical basis for …

Comparing Strategies For Selection Of Low-Density Snps For Imputation-Mediated Genomic Prediction In U.S. Holsteins, Jun He, Jiaqi Xu, Xiao-Lin Wu, Stewart Bauck, Jungjae Lee, Gota Morota, Stephen D. Kachman, Matthew L. Spangler

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

SNP chips are commonly used for genotyping animals in genomic selection but strategies for selecting low-density (LD) SNPs for imputation-mediated genomic selection have not been addressed adequately. The main purpose of the present study was to compare the performance of eight LD (6K) SNP panels, each selected by a different strategy exploiting a combination of three major factors: evenly-spaced SNPs, increased minor allele frequencies, and SNP-trait associations either for single traits independently or for all the three traits jointly. The imputation accuracies from 6K to 80K SNP genotypes were between 96.2 and 98.2%. Genomic prediction accuracies obtained using imputed 80K …

Gene Flow Mediates The Role Of Sex Chromosome Meiotic Drive During Complex Speciation, Colin D. Meiklejohn, Emily L. Landeen, Kathleen E. Gordon, Thomas Rzatkiewicz, Sarah B. Kingan, Anthony J. Geneva, Jeffrey P. Vedanayagam, Christina A. Muirhead, Daniel Garrigan, Daven C. Presgraves, David L. Stern

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

During speciation, sex chromosomes often accumulate interspecific genetic incompatibilities faster than the rest of the genome. The drive theory posits that sex chromosomes are susceptible to recurrent bouts of meiotic drive and suppression, causing the evolutionary build- up of divergent cryptic sex-linked drive systems and, incidentally, genetic incompatibilities. To assess the role of drive during speciation, we combine high-resolution genetic mapping of X-linked hybrid male sterility with population genomics analyses of divergence and recent gene flow between the fruitfly species, Drosophila mauritiana and D. simulans. Our findings reveal a high density of genetic incompatibilities and a corresponding dearth of gene …

Jerome Powell Is Not The Bad Guy, Tim L. Meyer

Cornhusker Economics

One of the maxims often heard in economics, agriculture, and politics is that those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat it. At first glance, this is a pessimistic view of human behavior. However, I believe that in some part it is a reflection of the positive spirit exhibited by many Americans. While it is true some have not bothered to learn from history, others have simply emphasized the positive times while simultaneously limiting the memory of more challenging experiences.

The Effects Of Sample Storage Conditions On The Microbial Community Composition In Hydraulic Fracturing Produced Water, Daniel Lipus, Amit Vikram, Richard Hammack, Kyle Bibby, Djuna Gulliver

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

The petroleum industry has an increasing interest in understanding the microbial communities driving biofouling and biocorrosion in reservoirs, wells, and infrastructure. However, sampling of the relevant produced fluids from subsurface environments for microbiological analyses is often challenged by high liquid pressures, workplace regulations, operator liability concerns, and remote sampling locations. These challenges result in infrequent sampling opportunities and the need to store and preserve the collected samples for several days or weeks. Maintaining a representative microbial community structure from produced fluid samples throughout storage and handling is essential for accurate results of downstream microbial analyses. Currently, no sample handling or …

Molecular Machinery Of Auxin Synthesis,Secretion, And Perception In The Unicellular Chlorophyte Alga Chlorella Sorokiniana Utex 1230, Maya Khasin, Rebecca E. Cahoon, Kenneth Nickerson, Wayne R. Riekhof

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Indole-3-acetic acid is a ubiquitous small molecule found in all domains of life. It is the predominant and most active auxin in seed plants, where it coordinates a variety of complex growth and development processes. The potential origin of auxin signaling in algae remains a matter of some controversy. In order to clarify the evolutionary context of algal auxin signaling, we undertook a genomic survey to assess whether auxin acts as a signaling molecule in the emerging model chlorophyte Chlorella sorokiniana UTEX 1230. C. sorokiniana produces the auxin indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), which was present in both the cell pellet and …

Recoupling Fire And Grazing Reduces Wildland Fuel Loads On Rangelands, Heath D. Starns, Samuel D. Fuhlendore, R. Dwayne Elmore, Dirac L. Twidwell Jr, Eric T. Thacker, Torre J. Hovick, Barney Luttbeg

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Fire suppression and exclusion, the historically dominant paradigm of fire management, has resulted in major modifications of fire-dependent ecosystems worldwide. These changes are partially credited with a recent increase in wildfire number and extent, as well as more extreme fire behavior. Fire and herbivory historically interacted, and research has shown that the interaction creates a unique mosaic of vegetation heterogeneity that each disturbance alone does not create. Because fire and grazing have largely been decoupled in modern times, the degree to which the interaction affects fuels and fire regimes has not yet been quantified. We evaluated effects of fire-only and …

Impact Of Ethanol Process Changes On Distillers Grains For Beef Cattle, Shelby Garland

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Distillers grains plus solubles (DGS) have been widely utilized in beef cattle diets. Fractionation of the corn kernel pre- and post-fermentation has changed the composition of DGS and allowed for the production of other feed byproducts over time. The use of fractionated DGS and other feed byproducts from the ethanol industry has not been heavily researched in beef cattle diets. Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding high protein distillers grains (HiPro DDG) and corn bran plus solubles (Bran + Solubles) in beef cattle diets. Experiment 1 evaluated the effect of byproduct type on finishing performance and …

Relationships Among Biodiversity Dimensions Of Birds In Nebraska, Nadejda Mirochnitchenko

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Biological diversity, or biodiversity, is a multi-dimensional concept that can be decomposed to measure information about taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional variation within communities. Although the dimensions of biodiversity are interrelated, the assumption that measuring one dimension of diversity can inform about patterns in another dimension does not necessarily follow from theory or empirical study. The relationships among biodiversity dimensions is not well understood, nor how differences among dimensions could influence conservation decision making. Using the avian community as a study system, we explored the relationships of breadth metrics from the taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional dimensions among each other and across …

The Biological Significance And Utility Of Feeding By Dermestes Maculatus, Braymond Adams

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

With their efficient feeding habits and tolerance to very low moisture and humidity, beetles in the Family Dermestidae are especially adapted to variable environments and habitats. Dermestid cultures have been in use since 1922 in cleaning tissue and flesh from bones, and proven benefit in multiple fields, including zoology, ornithology, and forensics. Dermestid feeding behaviors when coupled with known life stage and insect succession information aids in providing significant entomological evidence. However, the feeding activities of insects, like those of vertebrate scavengers and predators, change remains and may leave artifacts that can be sometimes be difficult to assign to a …

Safety, Stephen M. Vantassel, Brenda K. Osthus

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

Wildlife damage management (WDM) is an exciting field with many opportunities to provide solutions to the complex issues involved in human-wildlife interactions. In addition, WDM wildlife control operators (WCO) face a variety of threats to their physical well-being. Injuries can result from misused (Figure 1), faulty, or poorly maintained equipment, inexperience, mishandled wildlife, harsh weather, and dangerous situations, such as electrical lines. The goals of this publication are to: * Develop an awareness of safety issues and adopt a mindset of “Safety First”, * Review the major safety threats that WCOs face, * Provide basic information for WCOs to protect …

Viral Prevalence Among Social Bees In Different Landscapes, Tugce Karacoban

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Honey bees and wild bees provide important pollination services to numerous crops and native plants. In recent years, declines in bee populations have highlighted the importance of the ecological services they provide and the need for more research into the reasons for their decline. Currently, many conservation efforts to mitigate bee losses include increasing forage and habitat, however, there is growing concern over the role interspecific pathogen transmission plays in bee decline. Viruses commonly found in honey bees may be transmitted and pose a threat to other bee species when bees come together at foraging sites. To elucidate the impact …

Implications Of Spatially Variable Costs And Habitat Conversion Risk In Landscape-Scale Conservation Planning, Max Post Van Der Burg, Neil Chartier, Ryan Drum

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

‘‘Strategic habitat conservation’’ refers to a process used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to develop cost-efficient strategies for conserving wildlife populations and their habitats. Strategic habitat conservation focuses on resolving uncertainties surrounding habitat conservation to meet specific wildlife population objectives (i.e., targets) and developing tools to guide where conservation actions should be focused on the landscape. Although there are examples of using optimization models to highlight where conservation should be delivered, such methods often do not explicitly account for spatial variation in the costs of conservation actions. Furthermore, many planning approaches assume that habitat protection is a preferred …

Soil Health Effects And Stakeholder Perceptions Of Manure And Woody Biomass Application To Cropland In Nebraska, Linda R. Schott

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Organic products that have historically been viewed as waste products may improve soil health by adding carbon (C) and nutrients to soil. Two such products are woodchips, generated from forest or rangeland management activities, and livestock manure. In Nebraska, eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana L.) is a native but invasive tree species inhibiting rangeland productivity. Livestock manure that is underutilized while inorganic fertilizers are imported for crop production presents a water quality risk by contributing to local- and regional-scale nutrient imbalances. Increasing the responsible use of livestock manure in crop fertility programs to improve sustainability of both livestock and crop farms …

Northern Saw-Whet Owl (Aegolius Acadicus) Nest Box Project: The First Seven Years, Wayne J. Mollhoff

Nebraska Bird Review

This report summarizes the first seven years of the nest box project for the Northern Saw-whet Owl in Nebraska. The project was initiated with several goals in mind: 1) to document breeding in Nebraska, 2) to get an idea of the breeding range of saw-whet owls, and 3) to establish their breeding phenology. The project started in 2012 with the placement of 29 boxes. Six boxes were added in 2015, four more in 2016, and eight in 2017.

This study, along with an ongoing study in South Dakota (Drilling 2015), makes it appear that we share an isolated breeding population. …

Sandhill Crane Activity In The Central Platte River Valley In Late May And Early June, Jenna M. Malzahn, Andrew J. Caven, Marin Dettweiler, Joshua D. Wiese

Nebraska Bird Review

In this report we discuss observations of Sandhill Cranes remaining in the Central Platte River Valley until early June 2018 and discuss potential explanations for this extended stay into the breeding season.

We detected two pairs of adult Sandhill Cranes in two different locations on 15 May 2018 (Table 1). We then detected three injured adult Sandhill Cranes in a third location on 16 May 2018 (Table 1). Two of the three Sandhill Cranes each had a missing leg and the third crane’s leg was broken above the tibiotarsal joint; however, all were still capable of foraging and flight. Later, …

Fall Field Report, August - November 2018, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

As far as birds go, this was a relatively quiet season, but, as usual, there was much of interest to chew on. Most important in any report are range changes, major changes in expected numbers or early and late dates, all of which relate directly to the status, positive or negative, of a given species.

Waterfowl in general were only average in numbers; new high counts are rare these days compared with numbers 20 or so years ago. Two winter finches, Common Redpoll and Red Crossbill, that normally arrive in late fall, were virtually unreported. Notable range expansions are under …

2018 Fall Banding Migration Summary, Chadron State Park, Chris Murray

Nebraska Bird Review

In order to better understand wild birds and their migration, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies conducted bird monitoring for the 11th straight year at our fall migration banding station in Chadron State Park within the Pine Ridge Region of Nebraska. Operated in collaboration with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, this station is open to the public and visited by school groups to serve as an outdoor classroom. Among our goals are to enhance the public’s appreciation of birds as well as their understanding of threats to bird survival and the role of science in bird conservation. Serving as an …

The Nebraska Bird Review, Volume 86 December 2018 Number 4

Nebraska Bird Review

Fall Field Report, August - November 2018, by W. Ross Silcock …146-167

Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadius) Nest Box Project: The First Seven Years, by Wayne J. Mollhoff …168-174

Sandhill Crane Activity in the Central Platte River Valley in Late May and Early June, by Jenna Malzahn, Andrew J. Caven, Marin Dettweiler, Joshua D. Wiese .... 175-180

2018 Fall Banding Migration Summary, Chadron State Park, by Chris Murray …181-185

Ainsworth Fall Field Days, Sept. 14-16, 2018, by Janis Paseka …186-190

Index to Volume 86 …191-206

Subscription and Organization Information … 207

Prairie Reconstruction Unpredictability And Complexity: What Is The Rate Of Reconstruction Failures?, Jack E. Norland, Cami Dixon, Diane Larson, Kristine Askerooth, Benjamin A. Geaumont

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The outcomes of prairie reconstructions are subject to both unpredictability and complexity. Prairie, tallgrass, and mixed grass reconstruction is defined as the planting of a native herbaceous seed mixture composed of multiple prairie species (10 or more) in an area where the land has been heavily cultivated or anthropogenically disturbed. Because of the unpredictability and complexity inherent in reconstructions, some outcomes end up being failures dominated by exotic species. We propose that these failures follow a fat-tailed distribution as found in other complex systems. Fat-tailed distributions follow the Pareto principle, where 80% of the time reconstructions work as expected but …

Timber Talk, Vol. 56, No. 4, December 2018

Timber Talk: Nebraska Forest Industry Newsletter

In This Issue:

Lumber Market Reports

Hardwood Lumber Prices

NOTE FROM EDITOR: Transitioning to Electronic Delivery Only

NDA Expands EAB Quarantine

Forest Products Grants Available

Wildfires and Communities in Nebraska

Forest Industry Spotlight: “Good Neighbor Authority” in Nebraska

Trading Post

Timber Sales

Preparing An Effective Poster Presentation, Christopher N. Jacques

The Prairie Naturalist

Greetings GPNSS members! By the time you read this editorial, many of have been experiencing the fury unleashed by ‘Old Man Winter’ and may find yourself counting the days until warmer spring temperatures return once again to the Great Plains. Until then, just a couple more months of bitter cold temperatures, strong winds, and blowing and drifting snow. But not to worry, winter also provides the cold weather enthusiasts among us a chance to enjoy a range of outdoor recreational opportunities, a chance to reflect on the previous year in review, exciting professional and personal opportunities ushered in by the …

Red-Bellied Snake (Storeria Occipitomaculata) Copulation In South Dakota, Drew R. Davis

The Prairie Naturalist

Storeria occipitomaculata is a small, terrestrial species of snake that occurs across much of eastern North America (Ernst and Barbour 1989, Ernst 2002, Ernst and Ernst 2003). Due to this widespread distribution, S. occipitomaculata faces varied climates that likely result in regional differences in reproductive phenology. Much of what is known about the reproductive ecology of S. occipitomaculata has been documented from the southeastern portion of its range in North America (South Carolina: Semlitsch and Moran 1984, North Carolina: Willson and Dorcas 2004), though Blanchard (1937) studied a population from northern Michigan. The exact reproductive timing in this species has …