Life Sciences Commons^™

Comparison Of Surface Polysaccharides Of R. Leguminosarum Anu57 (Exo-1), R. Leg. Anu57(Pbr1an) (Nod+, Nif-), And R. Leg. Anu57(Pjb5j1) (Nod+, Nif-), Frank G. Hustmyer

Masters Theses

Extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are suspected to be involved in the legume/Rhizobium symbiotic process. Polysaccharide compositions from the EPS, LPS, capsular polysaccharide (CPS), and small polysaccharide (SmPS) were compared between Rhizobium leguminosarum ANU57 (parent, Exo^-1) and two mutants R. leg. ANU57(pBR1AN) (nod⁺, nif^-) and R. leg. ANU57(pJB5J1) (nod⁺, nif^-) both containing a Sym (symbiotic) plasmid insertion. R. leg. ANU57(pBR1AN) and R. leg. ANU57(pJB5J1) are nod⁺ on clover and peas, respectively. The nod⁺ mutants produce larger amounts of EPS and decreased amounts of LPS compared to …

Juglans Cinerea: The American White Walnut, Dennis Robert Hattermann

Masters Theses

The American white walnut Juglans cinerea L. is a native North American tree in the Juglandaceae, or walnut family. It prefers rich, moist, rather neutral to slightly basic lowland soils. This is an in depth study of its taxonomy, morphology, anatomy, age, size, growth habit, distribution, ecology, propagation, economic importance, medicinal uses, toxicity, folklore, diseases and pests, and chemical constituents.

J. cinerea L. is monoecious and confined in its distribution to the eastern and central parts of North America. It can be easily identified by its large, pinnately compound leaves and ashy-gray bark with broad, flat plates and deep furrows. …

Woody Vegetation Of Baber Woods: Composition And Changes Since 1964, James Alvin Newman Jr.

Masters Theses

A comparative study of the woody vegetation changes at Baber Woods, Edgar County, Illinois, since 1964 was completed in 1983. This 51 acre woodlot is a remnant of a much larger forest which once occuppied the Shelbyville Moraine.

An inventory of the woody vegetation shows that the present stand consists of 109 stems per acre with a basal area of 113 sq. ft. per acre. In this survey, 33 woody species were found. Sugar maple had the highest Importance Value (IV) of all woody species present, having the highest density in both the 4-6 and 7-12 inch diameter classes, as …

Characterization Of The Lipopolysaccharides (Lps) From Four Transposon Generated Symbiotic Mutants Of Rhizobium Trifolii, Robert G. Shatters Jr.

Masters Theses

The LPSs from four symbiotic mutants of R. trifolii were isolated and characterized. The mutants were obtained from Dr. Barry Rolfe of The Australian National University. Three mutants have Tn5 insertions in the "nod" regions of the symbiotic plasmid. The fourth has a 30 kb deletion. This deletion includes the majority of the "nod" regions. All mutants fail to nodulate clover and fail to induce markedly curled root hairs, i.e. they are hac-nod-. The LPSs were purified as described by Carlson et al. 1978.⁷ The polysaccharide portion of the LPSs was purified by treating the LPSs in 1% HAc …

Operant Conditioning In The Psittacine, Amazona Amazonica, Gloria J. Nadolski

Masters Theses

Two Orange-winged Amazon Parrots, (Amazona amazonica) were subjected to operant conditioning involving three tests: two-choice spatial discrimination and reversal, three-choice color discrimination and reversal, and the oddity principle. Results of the habit reversal tests were compared to those of Gossett (1968) to determine the phylogenetic ranking of the learning capabilities of psittacines. In the first two habit reversal tests, the subjects completed twenty reversals using sunflower seeds as positive reinforcements. In the oddity principle test, the parrots completed the equivalent of 20 reversals, again using sunflower seeds. Criterion was met when they completed 8 consecutive correct choices with …

A Comparison Of The Temporal Spawning Distributions And Growth Rates Of Young-Of-The-Year Redear Sunfish (Lepomis Microlophus) And Bluegill (Lepomis Macrochirus) In Three Illinois Impoundments, Craig Douglas Schmittler

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare the temporal spawning distribution and growth rates of bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) and redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus) in Illinois impoundments. Otolith sagittae were used to age the fish and to determine the intervals of successful spawning for both species.

Readear sunfish initiated spawning slightly before or a the same time as bluegill; however, bluegill spawned for twice as long as redear sunfish in all study impoundments. The earliest spawned fish of both species showed the fastest growth and the earliest spawned redear sunfish grew faster than did the earliest …

Vegetation Changes In Four Study Areas At Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Kathryn Ann Kerr

Masters Theses

The sampling transects at Indiana Dunes were established to show the pre-burn condition of the vetetation and to monitor the long term effects of burning. However, one year of monitoring showed changes in vetetation that further substantiate the need for the burning program.

Miller Woods (Transect A) has burned frequently in recent years. The one year without fire showed little change in the herbaceous layer. The few notable herbaceous changes might indicate a transition to a more mesic community, but should be viewed skeptically because of the wet season in 1982.

Nearly half of the small shrub species at Miller …

Observations On Relationships Between Limb Measurements And Mode Of Locomotion In Malaysian Turtles, Duayne Nyckel

Masters Theses

Twelve Genera (spanning three Families) of Malaysian Turtles were studied to determine whether bone lengths could be correlated to mode of locomotion. Ulna, humerus, tibia, femur, coracoid (among others) were measured and results were presented graphically. Five of the genera were observed singly in a large aquarium. Data were recorded on the amount of time each spent in different locomotor modes. Both limb length data and aquarium observations suggest that turtles can be grouped into three main locomotor habits (i.e. terrestrial walking, bottomwalking, and swimming). The terrestrial group includes the genera, Geochelone, Kinixys, and Gopherus. Bottomwalkers include …

Operant Conditioning In The Water Snake (Nerodia Sipedon), Angela R. Deitz

Masters Theses

Six subjects of Nerodia sipedon were tested for runway acquisition. Five of six subjects met criterion for runway learning, demonstrating a significant decrease over the 25 day testing period in mean latency and running times. Four subjects completed 170 trials in a T-maze to test two-choice discrimination and reversal learning. All subjects met criterion for the initial discrimination and one reversal while two subjects completed four reversals and one subject met criterion for six reversals. Results are similar or superior to those previously reported for reptiles and other non-human vertebrates.

Avoidance Learning And Memory In Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Salmoides) Fed Bufo Tadpoles, Randy John Gawlik

Masters Theses

Tadpoles of the American toad (Bufo americanus) have been shown to be distasteful to largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) predators who learn, on the short term, to avoid them. How long bass retain this learned avoidance of Bufo larvae is unknown so an experimental design was constructed in an attempt to answer this question.

Largemouth bass were divided into four treatment groups. Two groups were initially fed exclusively larvae of Bufo americanus (one group was fed large tadpoles, the other group fed small larvae). Similarily, the other two groups were initially fed spring peeper (Hyla crucifer …

A Study Of Cladonia Cryptochlorophaea And Morphologically Similar Species In Illinois, Indiana, And Wisconsin, Scott S. Wilcer

Masters Theses

Collections of Cladonias with cup-shaped podetia were made in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin in order to determine the distribution of an atranorin-containing variant of Cladonia cryptochlorophaea, which was discovered in 1982 in Coles County, Illinois by Cheryl Cunningham. A second objective was a distributional study of the Cladonias having cup-shaped podetia in the same three state area.

A total of 591 specimens were collected from the three states. The collection areas for Illinois were: Jackson Hollow in Pope County, Giant City State Park and Touch of Nature Interpretive Center in Jackson and Williamson Counties, Starved Rock State Park in …

Use Of Skelettochronology In Age Determination Of American Toads (Bufo Americanus) From East Central Illinois, Philip M. Acker

Masters Theses

A skelettochronological technique was applied to the phalanges of the American toad, Bufo americanus, from east central, IL. In hematoxylin-stained cross-sections of the phalanges, suspected year rings are formed which can be used to age individuals. This method allows for aging without destructive sampling of toad populations.

A majority of the male toads from two choruses were estimated to be 2 or 3 years old, while most of the females from the same two sites were in the 3 or 4 year age class. Females were larger than males in the 3 and 4 year age classes, and overall, …

Seasonal Lekking Behavior Of The Greater Prairie-Chicken In Illinois, Scott A. Simpson

Masters Theses

Spring behavior of prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus cupido) has been studied extensively, however there is little information on fall-winter lekking activity. Greater prairie-chickens were observed weekly on a lek from 25 September 1982 to 23 June 1983 during morning and evening hours in Jasper County, Illinois. The peak number of prairie-chicken males on the lek occurred in February although hen attendance did not occur until 10 March 1983. All spring lekking activities were higher compared to that of the fall-winter period. Fall-winter lek activity was aggression which centered on probably brief, less intense male aggression which probably establishes or maintains …