Life Sciences Commons^™

Evaluation And Application Of Crispr-Cas12a-Based Systems For Amphibian Detection From Dietary And Environmental Dna, Macie Chess

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current methods for monitoring biodiversity are hindered by detection efficiencies or rely on expensive laboratory equipment. The goal of this study was to evaluate the application of a CRISPR-Cas12a-based system for the species-specific detection of amphibians from dietary and environmental DNA samples. A Cas-12a-based platform was designed and analyzed for the fluorescent detection of three salamander species; Desmognathus fuscus, D. ochropheaus, and Erycia bislineata. This system was applied to the identification of salamander DNA extracted from the fecal sacs of nestling Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia monticola), amplified with PCR primers targeting the CYT B mtDNA gene, and compared to DNA metabarcoding. …

Applying Conservation Genomic Techniques To Guide Management Of The Reticulated Flatwoods Salamander (Ambystoma Bishopi), Miranda Gaupp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Reticulated flatwoods salamander (Ambystoma bishopi) is a federally endangered amphibian endemic to the longleaf-pine ecosystem of the southeastern U.S. This study used analyses of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data, collected from 2,255 unique individuals across 5 breeding seasons, spread across the known extant range of A. bishopi, to characterize the genetic diversity and demographics of populations, genetic relationships among populations, and patterns and spatial extents of gene flow, and to evaluate potential effects of management on A. bishopi’s resiliency. Population structure was strongly hierarchical, with individual breeding ponds (n = 38) acting as semi-connected subpopulations …

Biodiversity And Evolution In The Guiana Shield, South America, Andrew Michael Snyder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The neotropics are characterized as the most species rich region in the world. Unfortunately, the region's unparalleled biodiversity has not protected it from ongoing threats such as agriculture, mining, logging, oil extraction, and climate change. I studied the biodiversity and evolution of the herpetofauna of South America in order to investigate the influence of historical geological and climatological events in shaping extant neotropical diversity, particularly the Guiana shield. For my research, I set out to explore the processes involved in shaping the remarkable extant diversity using anuran amphibians as models. With my dissertation, I provide a comprehensive review of the …

Stress, Sexual Signaling, And Alternative Mating Tactics In Male Green Treefrogs, Hyla Cinerea, Sarah Crocker-Buta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how the endocrine stress response mediates the expression of courtship signals and alternative mating tactics in male green treefrogs, Hyla cinerea. Males of this species produce acoustic signals that stimulate production of the stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) in vocal competitors, suggesting a role of CORT in intrasexual competition. I predicted that modulation of CORT level during intraspecific contests plays a pivotal role in regulating the expression of male courtship signals and behavior. Consistent with this prediction, CORT administration to calling males, simulating CORT production during male vocal contests, decreased attractiveness by compromising energetic investment in vocalization, increasing …

Forest Succession And Amphibian Migrations: Implications For Landscape Connectivity, Viorel Dan Popescu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Conservation of forest-dependent amphibians is dependent on finding a balance between timber management and species’ habitat requirements. Accurate predictions of the response of amphibian communities to disturbance rely on a good understanding of the scales at which ecological processes affect distribution and abundance through space and time. I investigated the response of 14 species to four different forestry treatments (partial harvest, clearcut with coarse woody debris [CWD] removed, clearcut with CWD retained, and uncut control) over a six-year period, using 2.1-ha experimental treatments. Forest amphibians showed a strong negative response to complete canopy removal at a broad spatial scale, but …

Amphibian Habitat Usage Of Two Restored Bogs In Shady Valley, Johnson County, Tennessee., Amy P. Lucas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adjacent terrestrial habitat surrounding wetlands are critical for the survival and success of many species that use them. The primary purpose of this study was to determine amphibian movement from adjacent habitats into Orchard Bog, a restored bog located in Shady Valley, Johnson County, Tennessee. In addition, a secondary bog, Quarry Bog, was also studied determining baseline presence/absence data

A total of 16 species from six families were observed throughout the study sites. Seven species of anurans, Bufonidae, Hylidae, and Ranidae and nine species of caudates in the families Plethodontidae, Ambystomatidae and Salamandridae were identified. Fourteen of the 16 species …

Limnological And Landscape Factors Affecting Use Of Manufactured Ponds By The Invasive Cuban Treefrog (Osteopilus Septentrionalis), Terina Nusinov

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Exotic amphibians are often detrimental to native biotas. In Florida, the exotic Cuban Treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis) eats native frogs and may outcompete them for resources. Cuban Treefrogs thrive in disturbed areas and around buildings, and often breed in manufactured wetlands such as retention ponds and borrow pits. This study identified limnological, landscape, and biotic characteristics that discouraged pond use by Cuban Treefrogs and promoted use by native amphibian species. I sampled natural and manufactured ponds in Orange County, Florida, for one year, using standard methods to estimate the species richness and relative abundance of amphibians and their potential fish and …

Hydroperiod Of Wetlands And Reproduction In Wood Frogs (Rana Sylvatica) And Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma Maculatum), Mary Beth Kolozsvary

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many amphibians rely on wetlands for reproduction and the differential distribution of amphibian species along a gradient of wetland permanence is striking, yet not absolute. Wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) and spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) are thought to rely on seasonal wetlands for greatest breeding success, but there is little documentation of their reliance on these or other habitats. In my first chapter, I studied these species in wetlands across a hydrologic gradient from seasonal wetlands of short flood duration to permanently flooded sites. My results indicate that wood frogs have greatest reproductive effort and success in …

Survey And Comparison Of Amphibian Assemblages In Two Physiographic Regions Of Northeast Tennessee., Marquette Elaine Crockett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Declines in amphibian populations have prompted study of their ecology and distribution. The purpose of this study was to survey two sites located within different physiographic and one herpetofaunal region of Northeast Tennessee, comparing species composition and activity. The first, Henderson Wetland, is in the Appalachian Ridge and Valley physiographic region. The second, John's Bog, is in the Blue Ridge. Survey methods included random walks, aural surveys, and point source collections during a 16-month period (February 1999 to May 2000).

Nine caudate (Plethodontidae) and one anuran species (Ranidae) were found in John's Bog. Seven caudate (Ambystomatidae, Plethodontidae, Salamandridae) and five …

Distribution Of The Herpetofauna Of Kentucky., Symoine Kamin Laufe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although the herpetofauna of Kentucky is extensive and varied. it has received much less attention than that of most other states. Many herpetologists have reported on various phases of the state's amphibians and reptiles, but for the most part these reports are discrete, either pertaining to a collection, or a generic or specific study. Hence, there is no single adequate work which aptly describes the herpetology of Kentucky as a whole. When one realizes the keystone position of Kentucky in relation to northern and southern forms, the need of a zoogeographical summary of the state becomes even more apparent. Therefore, …