Life Sciences Commons^™

Creation Of Forest Edges Has A Global Impact On Forest Vertebrates, M. Pfeifer, V. Lefebvre, C. A. Peres, C. Banks-Leite, O. R. Wearn, C. J. Marsh, S. Butchart, V. Arroyo-Rodriguez, J. Barlow, A. Cerezo, L. Cisneros, N. D'Cruze, D. Faria, A. Hadley, S. M. Harris, B. T. Klingbeil, U. Kormann, L. Lens, G. F. Medina-Rangel, J. C. Morante-Filho, P. Olivier, S. L. Peters, A. Pidgeon, D. B. Ribeiro, C. Scherber, L. Schneider-Maunoury, M. Struebig, N. Urbina-Cardona, J. I. Watling, M. R. Willig, E. M. Wood, R. M. Ewers

2017 Faculty Bibliography

Forest edges influence more than half of the world's forests and contribute to worldwide declines in biodiversity and ecosystem functions. However, predicting these declines is challenging in heterogeneous fragmented landscapes. Here we assembled a global dataset on species responses to fragmentation and developed a statistical approach for quantifying edge impacts in heterogeneous landscapes to quantify edge-determined changes in abundance of 1,673 vertebrate species. We show that the abundances of 85% of species are affected, either positively or negatively, by forest edges. Species that live in the centre of the forest (forest core), that were more likely to be listed as …

Assessment Of Intra And Interregional Genetic Variation In The Eastern Red-Backed Salamander, Plethodon Cinereus, Via Analysis Of Novel Microsatellite Markers, Alexander C. Cameron

Biology

The red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) has long-served as a model system in ecology, evolution, and behavior, and studies surveying molecular variation in this species have become increasingly common over the past decade. However, difficulties are commonly encountered when extending microsatellite markers to populations that are unstudied from a genetic perspective due to high levels of genetic differentiation across this species’ range. To ameliorate this issue, we used 454 pyrosequencing to identify hundreds of microsatellite loci. We then screened 40 of our top candidate loci in populations in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio—including an isolated island population ~ 4.5 km off the …

Phylogenetic Patterns Of Foliar Mineral Nutrient Accumulation Among Gypsophiles And Their Relatives In The Chihuahuan Desert, Clare Muller, Michael J. Moore, Zoe Feder, Helene Tiley, Rebecca E. Drenovsky

2017 Faculty Bibliography

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Gypsum endemism in plants (gypsophily) is common on gypsum outcrops worldwide, but little is known about the functional ecology of Chihuahuan Desert gypsophiles. We investigated whether leaf chemistry of gypsophile lineages from the northern Chihuahuan Desert are similar to leaves of related nonendemic (gypsovag) species relative to their soil chemistry. We expected widely distributed gypsophiles (hypothesized to be older lineages on gypsum) would have distinct leaf chemistry from narrowly distributed, relatively younger lineages endemic to gypsum and gypsovags, reflecting adaptation to gypsum.

METHODS: We collected leaves from 23 gypsophiles and related nonendemic taxa growing on nongypsum …

Highly Divergent 16s Rrna Sequences In Ribosomal Operons Of Scytonema Hyalinum (Cyanobacteria), Jeffrey R. Johansen, Jan Mares, Nicole Pietrasiak, Marketa Bohunicka, Jan Zima Jr., Lenka Stenclova, Tomas Hauer

2017 Faculty Bibliography

A highly divergent 16S rRNA gene was found in one of the five ribosomal operons present in a species complex currently circumscribed as Scytonema hyalinum (Nostocales, Cyanobacteria) using clone libraries. If 16S rRNA sequence macroheterogeneity among ribosomal operons due to insertions, deletions or truncation is excluded, the sequence heterogeneity observed in S. hyalinum was the highest observed in any prokaryotic species thus far (7.3± 9.0%). The secondary structure of the 16S rRNA molecules encoded by the two divergent operons was nearly identical, indicating possible functionality. The 23S rRNA gene was examined for a few strains in this complex, and it …

Eastern Red-Backed Salamanders Regulate Top-Down Effects In A Temperate Forest-Floor Community, Carl Anthony, Cari-Ann M. Hickerson, B. Michael Walton

2017 Faculty Bibliography

Understanding the role of species interactions as regulatory mechanisms for ecosystem processes presents a challenge to ecologists working in systems with high species diversity and habitat complexity. Recent studies suggest that interactions among intraguild predators, such as terrestrial salamanders and large arthropods, might be important for the regulation of detritivores, fungivores, and perhaps detritus within terrestrial webs. A key prediction is that interactions among predators weaken trophic cascades. Our research examined this prediction by removing predators for 4 yr from unfenced field plots to investigate the effects on litter arthropods, the microbial community, and rates of leaf litter decomposition. We …

Genetic Analysis Of Distinct Clades Of Plethodon Cinereus At A Secondary Contact Zone In Northeast Ohio, Brian Waldron

Masters Theses

Contact zones between species, subspecies, or incipient lineages offer important insights into the processes that maintain reproductive isolation. Plethodon cinereus, a highly abundant and wide-ranging terrestrial salamander found in the northeast United States and southeast Canada, provides an excellent model system for studying secondary contact zones. Using mtDNA, six distinct clades have been identified across the range of P. cinereus. Populations of two such clades, the Ohio (OH) clade, which dispersed through central Ohio following receding glaciers of the last glacial maximum, and the Pennsylvania (PA) clade, which dispersed through Pennsylvania and then west through northern Ohio, can be found …

Foliar Mineral Accumulation Patterns Of Gypsophiles And Their Relatives From The Usa And Spain, Clare Muller

Masters Theses

Gypsum endemism in plants (gypsophily) is common on gypsum outcrops worldwide, but little is known about the functional ecology of Chihuahuan Desert gypsophiles. We investigated whether leaf chemistry of gypsophile lineages from the northern Chihuahuan Desert are similar to leaves of related non-endemic (gypsovag) species relative to their soil chemistry. We expected widely-distributed gypsophiles, hypothesized to be older lineages on gypsum, would have distinct leaf chemistry from narrowly-distributed, relatively younger lineages endemic to gypsum and gypsovags, reflecting adaptation to gypsum. We collected leaves from 23 gypsophiles and related non-endemic taxa growing on non-gypsum soils. Soils and leaves were analyzed for …

The Influence Of Matrix Contrast On Species Richness In Fragmented Landscapes, Ian Reider

Masters Theses

Habitat destruction is the leading threat to biodiversity worldwide, causing once continuous landscapes to become fragmented and isolated and harming the persistence of biodiversity. Our goal was to determine how species richness in fragmented forest landscapes is influenced by the vegetation density of the surrounding matrix. We gathered existing studies of fragmented landscapes with Species Area Relationship (SAR) data and analyzed the landscape vegetation in each study site using satellite imagery in ArcGIS. We investigated to see how contrast between vegetation density in matrix versus forested habitat areas correlated to the strength of the SAR for the 45 study landscapes …

The Interacting Roles Of Climate, Soils, And Plant Production On Soil Microbial Communities At A Continental Scale, M. P. Waldrop, J. M. Holloway, D. B. Smith, M. B. Goldhaber, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, K. M. Scow, R. Dick, D. Howard, B. Wylie, J. B. Grace

2017 Faculty Bibliography

Soil microbial communities control critical ecosystem processes such as decomposition, nutrient cycling, and soil organic matter formation. Continental scale patterns in the composition and functioning of microbial communities are related to climatic, biotic, and edaphic factors such as temperature and precipitation, plant community composition, and soil carbon, nitrogen, and pH. Although these relationships have been well explored individually, the examination of the factors that may act directly on microbial communities vs. those that may act indirectly through other ecosystem properties has not been well developed. To further such understanding, we utilized structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate a set of …

Chemical Characterization Of The Adhesive Secretions Of The Salamander Plethodon Shermani (Caudata, Plethodontidae), Janek Von Byern, Ingo Grunwald, Max Kosok, Ralph Saporito, Ursula Dicke, Oliver Wetjen, Karsten Thiel, Kai Borcherding, Thomas Kowalik, Martina Marchetti-Deschmann

2017 Faculty Bibliography

Salamanders have developed a wide variety of antipredator mechanisms, including tail autotomy, colour patterns, and noxious skin secretions. As an addition to these tactics, the red-legged salamander (Plethodon shermani) uses adhesive secretions as part of its defensive strategy. The high bonding strength, the fast-curing nature, and the composition of the biobased materials makes salamander adhesives interesting for practical applications in the medical sector. To understand the adhesive secretions of P. shermani, its components were chemically analysed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), amino acid analysis, and spectroscopy (ATR-IR, Raman). In addition, proteins were separated …

The Antipredator Behaviors Of Cryptic And Aposematic Anurans And Variability In Alkaloids, Conspicuousness, And Pattern Within Dendrobates Auratus (Dendrobatidae), Annelise Blanchette

Masters Theses

Crypsis and aposematism are common antipredator strategies that have evolved as defensive mechanisms to prevent predation. Prey that employ these defensive strategies also exhibit antipredator behaviors meant to avoid or deter predation. These behaviors include: (1) escape or immobility in the presence of an immediate predator or (2) exhibiting bold behavior by accepting the risk of potential predation in a novel environment in exchange for the benefits of foraging and mating opportunities. In this study, the escape and bold behaviors of cryptic members of Craugastor and the aposematic dendrobatid Dendrobates auratus were tested to compare these alternative antipredator strategies. Craugastor …

Mtorc1 Signaling Is Involved In Nephron Size Control In The Metanephric Kidney, Carolyn Stierhoff

Celebration of Scholarship 2012-2017

The nephron is the functional unit of the kidney that uses channels and transporters to regulate water concentration and recover essential biomolecules. Previous studies in mouse have shown that the proximal tubules, which are primarily responsible for biomolecule recovery, undergo a rapid burst of cell proliferation. Other studies suggest that the development and growth of proximal tubules in Xenopus is regulated by the developmental signaling pathway mTORC1. Here we now identified that various mTORC1 signaling molecules are expressed in mouse kidneys and that they follow a pattern that mimics the previously identified growth cycle. Additionally, comparing mouse kidneys lacking mTORC1 …

Effects Of Type 1 Interferon Deficiency On B-Cells In Lupus Prone Mice, Teddy Nemunaitis

Celebration of Scholarship 2012-2017

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the production of autoantibodies that target nuclear and cytoplasmic agents. Lupus manifests an array of symptoms and is estimated to affect more females than males. This study analyzed the effects of type 1 interferon deficiency on B-cells in lupus prone mice. Data indicates that specific B-cell IFNAR deficiency in lupus prone mice results in significantly lower spleen weight, splenocyte count, and anti-chromatin IgG levels. Funded by the Cleveland Clinic Summer Research Program.

A New Method For Extracting Alkaloid Defenses From Poison Frog Skins, Noemi Becza

Celebration of Scholarship 2012-2017

Poison frogs possess a diversity of skin alkaloids that serve as defense against predation and inhibit microbial infection. These alkaloid defenses are exclusively obtained from a diet of alkaloid-containing arthropods and differ significantly with species, geographic location, sex, size, and age. Previous research on the chemical ecology of these defenses has been largely dependent on sacrificing frogs to extract and chemically analyze alkaloids. Recently, a new non-destructive method of extracting alkaloids has been developed, using a Transcutaneous Amphibian Stimulator (TAS). This device delivers mild electrical pulses to the frog skin, causing it to release its alkaloids unharmed. The alkaloids can …

Finally, The Molecular Characterization Of Geitleria: Results In The Formation Of A Newly Described Nostocales (Cyanobacteria) Clade Geitleriaceae Fam. Prov., Sp. Prov, Jonathan Kilgore

Masters Theses

Geitleria was described from a limestone cave in Israel, and subsequently reported from caves of France, Romania, Spain, and Florida, Costa Rica, and Cook Islands. It is morphologically unusual in that it has true-branching, but no heterocytes. A morphologically distinct species of Geitleria was recently collected from a limestone cave in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, and is herein described as G. appalachiana sp. prov. Sequence data for 16S-rRNA and rpoC1 loci for the species were obtained from field material using single filament PCR. Phylogenetic evidence indicates that Geitleria does not belong to any family in the Nostocales containing …

Comparing The Middle And C-Terminal Domains Of The Soxe Proteins, Abigail Beer

Senior Honors Projects

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and affects millions of adults in the United States. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that is characterized by irreversible loss of cartilage. Cartilage develops when stem cells differentiate into chondrocytes, the cells found in cartilage, through a process called chondrogenesis. Several proteins are needed for chondrogenesis, including the SOXE family of proteins. The SOXE proteins act as transcriptional activators and consist of three members: SOX8, SOX9, and SOX10. The three proteins share the same basic structure consisting of two transactivation domains. A transactivation domain is a region of a protein that …

Escape Behaviour Of Aposematic (Oophaga Pumilio) And Cryptic (Craugastor Sp.) Frogs In Response To Simulated Predator Approach, Ralph Saporito

2017 Faculty Bibliography

Crypsis and aposematism are common antipredator strategies that can each be coupled with behaviours that maximize predator deterrence or avoidance. Cryptic animals employ camouflage to conceal themselves within their environment and generally rely on immobility to avoid detection by predators. Alternatively, aposematic animals tend to rely on an association between conspicuous colouration and secondary defence to deter potential predators, and tend to exhibit slow movements in response to predators. The goal of the present study was to determine how cryptic Craugastorsp. and aposematic Oophaga pumilio respond to simulated human and bird model predators. Oophaga pumilio responded more often with movement …

Variable Alkaloid Defenses In The Dendrobatid Poison Frog Oophaga Pumilio Are Perceived As Differences In Palatability To Arthropods, Sarah Bolton, Kelsey Dickerson, Ralph Saporito

2017 Faculty Bibliography

Conspicuously colored dendrobatid frogs sequester alkaloid defenses from dietary arthropods, resulting in considerable alkaloid variation among populations; however, little is known about how variation is perceived as a defense against predators. Previous studies have found variable alkaloids in the dendrobatid Oophaga pumilio to be associated with differences in toxicity to laboratory mice, suggesting variable defenses are important. Arthropods are natural predators that use chemoreception to detect prey, including frogs, and may therefore perceive variation in alkaloid profiles as differences in palatability. The goal of the present study is to determine how arthropods respond to variable alkaloid defenses in O. pumilio. …

Competition From Bromus Tectorum Removes Differences Between Perennial Grasses In N Capture And Conservation Strategies, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, Jeffrey T. Walker, J. J. James

Biology

Background and aims

Competition from the annual grass Bromus tectorum threatens aridland perennial bunchgrass communities. Unlike annuals, perennials must allocate part of their first year nitrogen (N) budget to storage rather than growth, potentially placing them at a competitive disadvantage.

Methods

We evaluated N acquisition and conservation for two perennial bunchgrasses, Agropyron desertorum and Pseudoroegneria spicata, at the seedling stage to investigate potential trade-offs between storage and growth when grown with and without B. tectorum under two levels of soil N.

Results

Agropyron desertorum had higher growth rates, N uptake, and N productivity than P. spicata when grown without …

Variation In Cranial Morphology Of Polymorphic Populations Of The Eastern Red-Backed Salamander, Plethodon Cinereus, Marissa Ganzfried

Masters Theses

Differences in cranial morphology among species of plethodontid salamanders have been linked to variations in diet and behavior. Individuals that consume smaller prey have larger jaw to posterior-cranium ratios. Elongation and expansion of the jaw, coupled with expansion of the posterior of the cranium (defined as robustness) are positively associated with individuals that exhibit increased levels of aggression. The bulk of previous research has focused on the effects of interspecific competition on cranial morphology; however, polymorphic populations of the Eastern Red-backed Salamander, Plethodon cinereus, represent a unique opportunity to examine the role of cranial morphology in ecological divergence among individuals …

Behavioral Interactions Between Terrestrial Salamanders And Spiders: Competition Or Intraguild Predation? Behavioral Interactions Between Terrestrial Salamanders And Spiders: Competition Or Intraguild Predation?, Carl Anthony, Cari-Ann M. Hickerson, Anna M. Figura

2017 Faculty Bibliography

Several studies suggest that small terrestrial salamanders are important regulators of leaf litter arthropod communities, and likely contribute to ecosystem processes such as decomposition and nutrient cycling. Despite the recognition that salamanders have the potential to strongly affect ecosystem function through both direct and indirect pathways, little is known regarding the nature of interactions between small vertebrates and the large, predatory arthropods with which they share both microhabitat and prey. Our study was designed to explore interactions between Eastern Red-backed Salamanders, Plethodon cinereus, and spiders in the genus Wadotes in an eastern North American temperate forest ecosystem. We were particularly …

Differences In Prey Availability Within The Territories Of Striped And Unstriped Eastern Red-Backed Salamanders (Plethodon Cinereus), Carl Anthony, Cari-Ann M. Hickerson, K. Jaworski*, M. Messner**

2017 Faculty Bibliography

No abstract provided.

A Revision Of The Genus Geitlerinema And A Description Of The Genus Anagnostidinema Gen. Nov. (Oscillatoriophycidae, Cyanobacteria), Jeffrey R. Johansen, Otakar Strunecký, Markéta Bohunická, Kateřina Čapková Čapková, Lenka Raabová, Petr Dvořák, Jiří Komárek

2017 Faculty Bibliography

The simple filamentous cyanobacterial genus Geitlerinema is heterogeneous. At least two distinct phylogenetic clades can be derived from the set of most common freshwater Geitlerinema species. Our revision is based on the original description of the type species G. splendidum aka Oscillatoria spendida and on molecular sequencing of morphologically relevant strains. The revised Geitlerinema contains only one species according to morphological similarity with its original description. Consequently, the majority of other freshwater species inferred from molecular sequencing of 16S rRNA gene and 16S–23S ITS analysis (related both genetically and morphologically to G. pseudacutissimum) must be classified as a special taxon …

Komarekiella Atlantica Gen. Et Sp. Nov. (Nostocaceae, Cyanobacteria): A New Subaerial Taxon From The Atlantic Rainforest And Kauai, Hawaii, Jeffrey R. Johansen, Guilherme Scotta Hentschke, Nicole Pietrasiak, Janaina Rigonato, Marli F. Fiore, Célia Leite Sant’Anna

2017 Faculty Bibliography

Six strains of Cyanobacteria sampled in the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest and one strain from Kauai, Hawaii, were studied using morphological and molecular approaches, including 16S rRNA gene phylogenies and 16S–23S ITS secondary structures, and are herein described as Komarekilla atlantica gen. et sp. nov.. Morphologically they are similar to Nostoc, Desmonostoc, Halotia, and Mojavia and indistinguishable from Chlorogloeopsis. The parsimony and Bayesian phylogenies of the 16S rDNA show that these strains are close to nostocacean strains, in strongly supported clades and separated from all other genera. The secondary structures of the 16S–23S ITS were very consistent between strains of K. …

Deimatic Behaviour Exhibited By The Green And Black Poison Frog (Dendrobates Auratus) After Exposure From A Cover Object, Ralph Saporito

2017 Faculty Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Cyanomargarita Gen. Nov. (Nostocales, Cyanobacteria): Convergent Evolution Resulting In, Jeffrey R. Johansen, Sergei Shalygin, Regina Shalygina, Nicole Pietrasiak

2017 Faculty Bibliography

Two populations of Rivularia‐like cyanobacteria were isolated from ecologically distinct and biogeographically distant sites. One population was from an unpolluted stream in the Kola Peninsula of Russia, whereas the other was from a wet wall in the Grand Staircase‐Escalante National Monument, a desert park‐land in Utah. Though both were virtually indistinguishable from Rivularia in field and cultured material, they were both phylogenetically distant from Rivularia and the Rivulariaceae based on both 16S rRNA and rbcLX phylogenies. We here name the new cryptic genus Cyanomargarita gen. nov., with type species C. melechinii sp. nov., and additional species C. calcarea …