Life Sciences Commons^™

Invasive Species In An Urban Flora: History And Current Status In Indianapolis, Indiana, Rebecca W. Dolan

Rebecca W. Dolan

Invasive plant species are widely appreciated to cause significant ecologic and economic damage in agricultural fields and in natural areas. The presence and impact of invasives in cities is less well documented. This paper characterizes invasive plants in Indianapolis, Indiana. Based on historical records and contemporary accounts, 69 of the 120 species on the official Indiana state list are reported for the city. Most of these plants are native to Asia or Eurasia, with escape from cultivation as the most common mode of introduction. Most have been in the flora of Indianapolis for some time. Eighty percent of Indianapolis’ invasive …

Taxonomic Revision Of Perdita Subgenus Heteroperdita Timberlake (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), With Descriptions Of Two Ant-Like Males, Zachary M. Portman, John L. Neff, Terry L. Griswold

Zachary Portman

Permian Scorpions From The Petrified Forest Of Chemnitz, Germany, Jason A. Dunlop, David A. Legg, Paul L. Selden, Victor Fet, Joerg W. Schneider, Ronny Rößler

Victor Fet

Background: Paleozoic scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones) have been widely documented from the Carboniferous Period; which hosts a remarkable assemblage of more than sixty species including both putative stem- and crown-group fossils. By contrast the succeeding Permian Period is almost completely devoid of records, which are currently restricted to a trace fossil from the early Permian of New Mexico, USA and some limb fragments from the late Permian of the Vologda Region, Russia. Results: ?Opsieobuthus tungeri sp. nov. from the Petrified Forest of Chemnitz, Germany represents the first complete body fossils of scorpions from the Permian. Explosive volcanism preserved these remarkable specimens …

Assessing Wetland Ecological Condition In The Cuyahoga River Watershed., Siobhan Fennessy, J. J. Mack, E. Deimeke, M. T. Sullivan, J. Bishop, M. Cohen, M. Micacchion, M. Knapp

Siobhan Fennessy

We used an assessment approach combining the USEPA EMAP probabilistic sampling design with existing Ohio wetland assessment tools, including the Ohio rapid assessment method (ORAM), the modified Penn State Stressor Checklist, the Vegetation IBI and the Amphibian IBI, along with a landscape analysis (the Landscape Development Intensity Index) to evaluate the ecological condition of wetlands in the 1,300 km2 Cuyahoga River watershed. Sample sites were selected using the Generalized Random Tesselation Stratified (GRTS) survey design, which provides a geospatially balanced, stratified random sample. The Ohio Wetland Inventory was used as the sample frame for the population of wetlands in the …

Standardized Monitoring Protocols And Performance Standards For Wetland Creation, Enhancement And Restoration, Siobhan Fennessy

Siobhan Fennessy

A condition-based approach to assessing functional replacement for wetland mitigation has been developed using a reference wetland data set of natural wetlands that includes data from the major wetland types that span a gradient of human disturbance. From this data set wetland program tools were developed 1) multimetric biological indices (IBIs) and hydrological and biogeochemical indicators; 2) a rapid (conditionbased) wetland assessment tool (Ohio Rapid Assessment Method for Wetlands); and 3) a wetland classification scheme based on landscape position and dominant vegetation that accounts for variability in ecosystem processes (functions) and ecological services (values) of different types of natural wetlands. …

Review Of: Wetlands- Nutrients, Metals, And Mass Cycling. Edited By J. Vymazal, Siobhan Fennessy

Siobhan Fennessy

No abstract provided.

Biogeochemical And Hydrological Investigations Of Natural And Mitigation Wetlands., Siobhan Fennessy

Siobhan Fennessy

We performed a comprehensive investigation of the biota (structure) and biogeochemical cycles (processes or functions) of a population of natural (n = 9) and mitigation wetlands (n = 10). Intensive data were collected on various wetland ecosystem components including: hydrology, soil and water chemistry, characteristics of the plant, macroinvertebrate and amphibian communities, biomass production, decomposition, and nutrient cycles. The goals of the project were as follows: 1) to demonstrate the efficacy of floral and faunal community-based indicators in order to assess the performance of mitigation wetlands, 2) determine the links between floral and faunal community structural attributes and ecosystem processes …

Grnsight: A Web Application And Service For Visualizing Models Of Small- To Medium-Scale Gene Regulatory Networks, Kam D. Dahlquist, John David N. Dionisio, Ben G. Fitzpatrick, Nicole A. Anguiano, Anindita Varshneya, Britain J. Southwick, Mihir Samdarshi

John David N. Dionisio

GRNsight is a web application and service for visualizing models of gene regulatory networks (GRNs). A gene regulatory network (GRN) consists of genes, transcription factors, and the regulatory connections between them which govern the level of expression of mRNA and protein from genes. The original motivation came from our efforts to perform parameter estimation and forward simulation of the dynamics of a differential equations model of a small GRN with 21 nodes and 31 edges. We wanted a quick and easy way to visualize the weight parameters from the model which represent the direction and magnitude of the influence of …

The Structure Of The Littoral Invertebrate Communities Of The Kosciuszko Region Lakes, M. A. Hancock, B. V. Timms, Jason K. Morton, B. A. Renshaw

Jason Morton

The littoral macroinvertebrate assemblages of Lakes Albina, Blue, Club andCootapatamba in the Mt. Kosciuszko region were sampled by two methods: sweeps and cobble picks. Thirty-six species were collected with total abundance and species richness greatest in Lake Albina. Common species included themolluscs Pisidium kosciusko and Glacidorbis hedleyi, the crustaceans Metaphreatoicus australis and Neoniphragus n. sp., and an unidentified limnephidtrichoperan. Community structure was influenced by the nature of the substrate, with cobble sites having greater richness and abundance than boulder sites. The importance of the major taxonomic groups (crustaceans, insects and molluscs) varied with sampling method and among lakes. Crustaceans (isopods …

Correlation Analysis Of Enzyme Activities And Deconstruction Of Ammonia-Pretreated Switchgrass By Bacterial-Fungal Communities, Abhiney Jain, H. Sandra Pelle, J. Michael Henson

H. Sandra Pelle

The mixed microbial communities that occur naturally on lignocellulosic feedstocks can provide feedstock-specific enzyme mixtures to saccharify lignocelluloses. Bacterial-fungal communities were enriched from switchgrass bales to deconstruct ammonia-pretreated switchgrass (DSG). Correlation analysis was carried out to elucidate the relationship between microbial decomposition of DSG by these communities, enzymatic activities produced and enzymatic saccharification of DSG using these enzyme mixtures. Results of the analysis showed that β glucosidase activities and xylosidase activities limited the extent of microbial deconstruction and enzymatic saccharification of DSG. The results also underlined the importance of ligninase activity for the enzymatic saccharification of pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock. The …

Overlap In The Seasonal Infection Patterns Of Avian Malaria Parasites And West Nile Virus In Vectors And Hosts, Matthew C. I. Medeiros, Robert E. Ricklefs, Jeffrey D. Brawn, Marilyn O. Ruiz, Tony L. Goldberg, Gabriel L. Hamer

Robert Ricklefs

Sequence Annotation & Designing Gene-Specific Qpcr Primers (Computational), Ray A. Enke

Ray Enke Ph.D.

• Obtaining and annotating genomic DNA and mRNA sequence information
• Designing primers for quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis of a cDNA library

Qpcr Primer Standard Curve Assay (Wet Lab) + Kegg Pathway Analysis (Computational), Ray A. Enke

Ray Enke Ph.D.

• analyzing qPCR standard curve data to determine primer efficiency
• analyzing differential gene expression experimental qPCR data
• applying KEGG pathway analysis of selected candidates genes

Rapid Evolutionary Rates And Unique Genomic Signatures Discovered In The First Reference Genome For The Southern Ocean Salp, Salpa Thompsoni (Urochordata, Thaliacea)., Nathaniel K. Jue, Nathaniel K. Jue, Paola G. Batta-Lona, Paola G. Batta-Lona, Sarah Trusiak, Craig Obergfell, Ann Bucklin, Michael J. O’Neill, Rachel J. O’Neill

Nathaniel Jue

Moving From Pattern To Process: Coexistence Mechanisms Under Intermediate Disturbance Regimes, Katriona Shea, Stephen H. Roxburgh, Emily Rauschert

Emily Rauschert

Coexistence mechanisms that require environmental variation to operate contribute importantly to the maintenance of biodiversity. One famous hypothesis of diversity maintenance under disturbance is the intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH). The IDH proposes patterns of peaked diversity under intermediate disturbance regimes, based on a tension between competitively superior species and species which can rapidly colonize following disturbance. We review the literature, and describe recent research that suggests that more than one underlying mechanism can generate this unimodal diversity pattern in disturbed environments. Several exciting emerging research areas are identified, including interactions between disturbance types, operation of the IDH in multi-trophic systems, …

Primary Literature Across The Undergraduate Curriculum: Teaching Science Process Skills And Content, Emily S.J. Rauschert, Joseph Dauer, Jennifer L. Momsen, Ariana Sutton-Grier

Emily Rauschert

No abstract provided.

Slow Spread Of The Aggressive Invader, Microstegium Vimineum (Japanese Stiltgrass), Emily S.J. Rauschert, David A. Mortensen, Ottar N. Bjørnstad, Andrea N. Nord, Nora Peskin

Emily Rauschert

Microstegium vimineum (Japanese stiltgrass) is a non-native weed whose rapid invasion threatens native diversity and regeneration in forests. Using data from a 4 year experiment tracking new invasions in different habitats, we developed a spatial model of patch growth, using maximum likelihood techniques to estimate dispersal and population growth parameters. The patches expanded surprisingly slowly: in the final year, the majority of new seedlings were still within 1 m of the original patch. The influence of habitat was not as strong as anticipated, although patches created in roadside and wet meadow habitats tended to expand more rapidly and had greater …

Plant Community Associations Of Two Invasive Thistles, Emily S.J. Rauschert, Katriona Shea, Sarah Goslee

Emily Rauschert

In order to combat the growing problems associated with biological invasions, many researchers have focused on identifying which communities are most vulnerable to invasion by exotic species. However, once established, invasive species can significantly change the composition of the communities that they invade. The first step to disentangling the direction of causality is to discern whether a relationship with other vegetation exists at all. Carduus nutans and C. acanthoides are similar invasive thistles, which have caused substantial economic damage worldwide. We assessed the associations between the thistles and the standing flora in four sites in central Pennsylvania in which they …

Using Discussion To Promote Learning In Undergraduate Biology, Ariana E. Sutton-Grier, Emily S.J. Rauschert, Jennifer Momsen

Emily Rauschert

Summary and Comments from Workshop 40: “Looks Who's Talking! Using Discussion as an Effective Learning Tool” presented at the 100th Ecological Society of America Meeting

Japanese Stiltgrass: An Invasive Plant On The Move, Emily S.J. Rauschert, Andrea N. Nord

Emily Rauschert

No abstract provided.

A Unifying Gravity Framework For Dispersal, Eelke Jongejans, Olav Skarpaas, Matthew J. Ferrari, Eric S. Long, Joseph T. Dauer, Carrie M. Schwarz, Emily S.J. Rauschert, Randa Jabbour, David A. Mortensen, Scott A. Isard, David A. Lieb, Zeynep Sezen, Andrew G. Hulting, Katriona Shea

Emily Rauschert

Most organisms disperse at some life-history stage, but different research traditions to study dispersal have evolved in botany, zoology, and epidemiology. In this paper, we synthesize concepts, principles, patterns, and processes in dispersal across organisms. We suggest a consistent conceptual framework for dispersal, which utilizes generalized gravity models. This framework will facilitate communication among research traditions, guide the development of dispersal models for theoretical and applied ecology, and enable common representation across taxonomic groups, encapsulating processes at the source and destination of movement, as well as during the intervening relocation process, while allowing each of these stages in the dispersal …

Coexistence Patterns Of Two Invasive Thistle Species, Carduus Nutans And C. Acanthoides, At Three Spatial Scales, Emily S.J. Rauschert, Katriona Shea, Ottar N. Bjørnstad

Emily Rauschert

To better understand the competitive processes involved in invasion by congeners, we examine coexistence patterns of two invasive species, Carduus nutans and C. acanthoides, at three spatial scales. A roadside survey of 5 × 5 km blocks in a previously identified overlap zone provided information about the regional scale. At smaller scales, we surveyed four fields of natural co-occurrence, quantifying the spatial patterns at the field scale by randomly placed 1 × 1 m quadrats and at the smallest scale by detailing plant position within the quadrats. The patterns observed are strikingly different at the different scales. At the regional …

Influence Of Microsite Disturbance On The Establishment Of Two Congeneric Invasive Thistles, Emily S.J. Rauschert, Katriona Shea

Emily Rauschert

The successful establishment of invasive species has been shown to depend on aspects of the invaded community, such as gap characteristics. Biotic resistance may be particularly critical for stopping invaders at early life history stages, but new species can often invade following disturbances, which may create microsites with very different characteristics than are usually present. We examine the response of two invasive thistle species, Carduus nutans L. and C. acanthoides L., to three different microsite characteristics: disturbance type, size, and water availability. The two species initially responded differently to the type of disturbance: C. acanthoides had higher emergence and survival …

Invasional Interference Due To Similar Inter- And Intraspecific Competition Between Invaders May Affect Management, Emily S.J. Rauschert, Katriona Shea

Emily Rauschert

As the number of biological invasions increases, the potential for invader– invader interactions also rises. The effect of multiple invaders can be superadditive (invasional meltdown), additive, or subadditive (invasional interference); which of these situations occurs has critical implications for prioritization of management efforts. Carduus nutans and C. acanthoides, two congeneric invasive weeds, have a striking, segregated distribution in central Pennsylvania, USA. Possible hypotheses for this pattern include invasion history and chance, direct competition, or negative interactions mediated by other species, such as shared pollinators. To explore the role of resource competition in generating this pattern, we conducted three related experiments …

Beyond Bivariate Correlations: Three-Block Partial Least Squares Illustrated With Vegetation, Soil, And Topography, Daehyun Kim, Thomas J. Dewitt, César S. B. Costa, John A. Kupfer, Ryan W. Mcewan, J. Anthony Stallins

Ryan McEwan

Ecologists, particularly those engaged in biogeomorphic studies, often seek to connect data from three or more domains. Using three-block partial least squares regression, we present a procedure to quantify and define bi-variance and tri-variance of data blocks related to plant communities, their soil parameters, and topography. Bi-variance indicates the total amount of covariation between these three domains taken in pairs, whereas tri-variance refers to the common variance shared by all domains. We characterized relationships among three domains (plant communities, soil properties, topography) for a salt marsh, four coastal dunes, and two temperate forests spanning several regions in the world. We …

Complete Genome Sequence Of Spiroplasma Turonicum Tab4ct, A Bacterium Isolated From Horse Flies (Haematopota Sp.), Wen-Sui Lo, Gail E. Gasparich, Chih-Horng Kuo

Gail Gasparich

Parallel Mutations Result In A Wide Range Of Cooperation And Community Consequences In A Two-Species Bacterial Consortium, Sarah M. Douglas, Lon M. Chubiz, William R. Harcombe, F. Marty Ytreberg, Christopher J. Marx

Lon Chubiz

Supporting Biomedical Research In The Era Of Omics And Precision Medicine, Rolando Garcia-Milian, Denise Hersey, Nathan Rupp

Rolando Garcia-Milian

Ecophysiology Of Leaf Trichomes, Christopher P. Bickford

Christopher P Bickford

This review examines how leaf trichomes influence leaf physiological responses to abiotic environmental drivers. Leaf trichomes are known to modulate leaf traits, particularly radiation absorptance, but studies in recent decades have demonstrated that trichomes have a more expansive role in the plant–environment interaction. Although best known as light reflectors, dense trichome canopies modulate leaf heat balance and photon interception, and consequently affect gas exchange traits. Analysis of published studies shows that dense pubescence generally increases reflectance of visible light and near-infrared and infrared radiation. Reflective trichomes are also protective, reducing photoinhibition and UV-B related damage to leaf photochemistry. Little support …

App Regulates Microglial Phenotype In A Mouse Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, Gunjan D. Manocha, Angela M. Floden, Keiko Rausch, Joshua A. Kulas, Brett A. Mcgregor, Lalida Rojanathammanee, Kelley R. Puig, Kendra L. Puig, Sanjib Karki, Michael R. Nichols, Diane C. Darland, James E. Porter, Colin K. Combs

Michael Nichols