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Articles 1 - 15 of 15
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Effects Of Infection Of The Protist Parasite, Dermomycoides Sp., In Dusky Gopher Frog Tadpoles, Jaime Smith
Effects Of Infection Of The Protist Parasite, Dermomycoides Sp., In Dusky Gopher Frog Tadpoles, Jaime Smith
Master's Theses
Infections of the protist parasite, Dermomycoides sp. are thought to have caused several years of low recruitment in the dusky gopher frog (Rana sevosa) populations. I evaluated the effects of density of the infective zoospores, host developmental stage, and tadpoles' ability to acquire resistance to Dermomycoides sp. on dusky gopher frog tadpoles. Tadpoles were exposed to zoospore densities of 0, 250, 500, and 750 zoospores/µL at Gosner stage 25, and we found no significant differences among treatments in tadpole mortality. In evaluating susceptibility by development stage, I exposed R. sevosa to 50 zoospores/µL as eggs, embryos, hatchlings, and …
Diversity Patterns Associated With Varying Dispersal Capabilities As A Function Of Spatial And Local Environmental Variables In Small Wetlands In Forested Ecosystems, Brett M. Tornwall, Amber L. Pitt, Bryan L. Brown, Joanna Hawley-Howard, Robert F. Baldwin
Diversity Patterns Associated With Varying Dispersal Capabilities As A Function Of Spatial And Local Environmental Variables In Small Wetlands In Forested Ecosystems, Brett M. Tornwall, Amber L. Pitt, Bryan L. Brown, Joanna Hawley-Howard, Robert F. Baldwin
Faculty Scholarship
© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. The diversity of species on a landscape is a function of the relative contribution of diversity at local sites and species turnover between sites. Diversity partitioning refers to the relative contributions of alpha (local) and beta (species turnover) diversity to gamma (regional/landscape) diversity and can be influenced by the relationship between dispersal capability as well as spatial and local environmental variables. Ecological theory predicts that variation in the distribution of organisms that are strong dispersers will be less influenced by spatial properties such as topography and connectivity of a region and …
Back From The Brink?: Rebounding And Remnant Amphibian Populations In A Pathogen Enzootic Environment, Alexander D. Shepack
Back From The Brink?: Rebounding And Remnant Amphibian Populations In A Pathogen Enzootic Environment, Alexander D. Shepack
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The Anthropocene epoch has been marred by a global biodiversity crisis and the advent of Earth’s sixth mass extinction. Amphibians, the most threatened vertebrate taxa, have become the poster children for this sixth mass extinction. The pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis has been blamed for many of declines and extinctions seen in amphibians. The now panglobal Bd causes the disease chytridiomycosis in a large number of amphibian species and has been linked to population crashes in Central and South America, Australia, Europe, and the United States. Now enzootic around the world, amphibian populations continue to confront Bd in a long-term battle …
A Novel Bioaugmentation Technique Effectively Increases The Skin-Associated Microbial Diversity Of Captive Eastern Hellbenders, Erin K. Kenison, Obed Hernandez-Gomez, Rod N. Williams
A Novel Bioaugmentation Technique Effectively Increases The Skin-Associated Microbial Diversity Of Captive Eastern Hellbenders, Erin K. Kenison, Obed Hernandez-Gomez, Rod N. Williams
Natural Sciences and Mathematics | Faculty Scholarship
Captive environments are maintained in hygienic ways that lack free-flowing microbes found in animals’ natural environments. As a result, captive animals often have depauperate host-associated microbial communities compared to conspecifics in the wild and may have increased disease susceptibility and reduced immune function. Eastern hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) have suffered precipitous population declines over the past few decades. To bolster populations, eastern hellbenders are reared in captivity before being translocated to the wild. However, the absence of natural microbial reservoirs within the captive environment diminishes the diversity of skin-associated bacteria on hellbender skin and may negatively influence their ability to …
The Effect Of Intensified Illuminance And Artificial Light At Night On Fitness And Susceptibility To Abiotic And Biotic Stressors, Grascen Shidemantle
The Effect Of Intensified Illuminance And Artificial Light At Night On Fitness And Susceptibility To Abiotic And Biotic Stressors, Grascen Shidemantle
Biological Sciences Student Scholarship
Changing light conditions due to human activities represents an important emerging environmental concern. Although changes to natural light conditions can be independently detrimental, in nature, organisms commonly face multiple stressors. To understand the consequences of altered light conditions, we exposed a model amphibian (wood frog; Lithobates sylvaticus) to a control and two anthropogenic light conditions: intensified daytime illuminance and artificial light at night - ALAN (intensified daytime illuminance + extended photoperiod). We measured (1) metrics of fitness (hatching success as well as survival to, size at, and time to metamorphosis) (2) susceptibility (time to death) to a commonly cooccurring anthropogenic …
Effect Of Calcium Supplement On Eyesight Of Western Tiger Salamanders, Abigail Horner, Dennis Ferraro
Effect Of Calcium Supplement On Eyesight Of Western Tiger Salamanders, Abigail Horner, Dennis Ferraro
UCARE Research Products
There has been some discussion in herpetoculture about adding calcium supplements to the diets of salamanders. Adding calcium supplements to a salamander’s diet has been indicated to contribute to blindness. Calcium supplements are usually given to reptiles and amphibians to prevent dietary deficiencies, particularly metabolic bone disease. The link between lack of calcium and metabolic bone disease is well established in reptiles, but is lacking significant research with regards to amphibians. Within the eye of a salamander, there are calcium channels that mediate photosynthetic rods in the absence of light. With a calcium rich diet, it is believed that these …
The Metabolic Ecology Of Tropical Amphibians Across An Elevational Gradient In The Andes Of Southeastern Peru, Michael R. Britton
The Metabolic Ecology Of Tropical Amphibians Across An Elevational Gradient In The Andes Of Southeastern Peru, Michael R. Britton
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Metabolism is a fundamental biological process that determines the rate at which organisms process energy and materials, and determines the availability of resources for growth, maintenance and reproduction. Metabolic rates scale across levels of organization from cells to whole organisms and affect population, community, and ecosystem processes. Anthropogenic climate change and other environmental changes are predicted to have major impacts on the energetics of organisms that will be mediated through metabolic physiology. Tropical ectotherms, such as amphibians, may be among the most vulnerable to metabolic impacts of climate change as a result of being ectothermic, having high thermal sensitivity, and …
Impact Of Nacl Tolerance On The Stress Physiology And Fitness Of Larval Wood Frogs (Rana Sylvatica), Grascen Shidemantle, Nicholas Buss, Jessica Hua
Impact Of Nacl Tolerance On The Stress Physiology And Fitness Of Larval Wood Frogs (Rana Sylvatica), Grascen Shidemantle, Nicholas Buss, Jessica Hua
Biological Sciences Student Scholarship
No abstract provided.
Phenological Shifts In Amphibian Breeding Influences Offspring Size And Response To A Common Wetland Contaminant, Nicholas Buss, Lindsey Swierk, Jessica Hua
Phenological Shifts In Amphibian Breeding Influences Offspring Size And Response To A Common Wetland Contaminant, Nicholas Buss, Lindsey Swierk, Jessica Hua
Biological Sciences Student Scholarship
Increases in temperature variability associated with climate change has critical implications for the phenology of wildlife across the globe. Indeed, there have been many examples of warmer winter temperatures (i.e. “false springs”) inducing forward shifts in breeding phenology. Earlier breeding can put wildlife at risk of freeze events during reproduction or vulnerable early life stages. Furthermore, in addition to temperature shifts, wildlife populations commonly encounter a wide diversity of other stressors (e.g. pollutants). As global change is predicted to increase both temperature variability and instances of pollutant contamination, understanding interactions between these stressors will become increasingly important. Using 14 populations …
Salamander Stress And Duress: The Relationship Between Cort, Autotomy And Regeneration, And Exploratory Behaviour, Aaron M. Sullivan, Jacquelyn L. Lewis
Salamander Stress And Duress: The Relationship Between Cort, Autotomy And Regeneration, And Exploratory Behaviour, Aaron M. Sullivan, Jacquelyn L. Lewis
Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science
Responses to stress are generally mediated through the production of glucocorticoids by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (or -interrenal) axis. The prolonged production of stress hormones can contribute to delayed wound healing and growth, but little is known about their influence on regeneration following tail autotomy, or exploratory behaviour in autotomized individuals. Here we examined the relationship between stress, re-generation, and exploratory behaviour in Allegheny Mountain dusky salamanders (Desmognathus ochrophaeus) by manipulating corticosterone (CORT) levels via cutaneous patch. First, we measured tail regeneration in salamanders with elevated CORT for 13 weeks after the induction of tail autotomy. Test subjects received a weekly patch …
Vulnerability Of High-Elevation Endemic Salamanders To Climate Change: A Case Study With The Cow Knob Salamander (Plethodon Punctatus), Carl D. Jacobsen, Donald J. Brown, William D. Flint, Thomas K. Pauley, Kurt A. Buhlmann, Joseph C. Mitchell
Vulnerability Of High-Elevation Endemic Salamanders To Climate Change: A Case Study With The Cow Knob Salamander (Plethodon Punctatus), Carl D. Jacobsen, Donald J. Brown, William D. Flint, Thomas K. Pauley, Kurt A. Buhlmann, Joseph C. Mitchell
Faculty & Staff Scholarship
Rapid contemporary climate change is a potential threat to long-term persistence of montane wildlife species because they often have narrow thermal tolerances and have limited potential to shift their distributions. The Appalachian Mountain region in the eastern United States is a global biodiversity hotspot for woodland salamanders (genus Plethodon), many of which are high-elevation endemic species. Robust assessments of the vulnerability of high-elevation endemic salamanders to climate change, including delineation of future potential climate refugia, are needed to guide climate change adaptations strategies. The Cow Knob Salamander (Plethodon punctatus) is a species of conservation concern found at …
Evaluation Of Created Wetlands As Amphibian Habitat On A Reforested Surface Mine, Michaela M. Lambert
Evaluation Of Created Wetlands As Amphibian Habitat On A Reforested Surface Mine, Michaela M. Lambert
Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources
Reclaimed mines often lack pre-mining habitat due to soil compaction and lack of natural features. If soils are de-compacted and natural features restored, new habitats can be created, such as wetlands for amphibians. It is important to understand which factors affect amphibian use of wetlands to estimate the efficacy of created wetlands as habitat. I sampled 40 wetlands among 4 ages (2, 4, 6, and 8 years) on a reforested surface mine to: 1) characterize differences in wetland habitat across age classes, 2) estimate amphibian occupancy, 3) investigate estimated abundance of 4 amphibian species (Lithobates sylvaticus, L. clamitans, Notophthalmus …
Toadal Isolation: Genetic Connectivity Of The Western Toad (Anaxyrus Boreas) Along I-90 In The Snoqualmie Pass Area Of Washington State, Anneliese Myers
Toadal Isolation: Genetic Connectivity Of The Western Toad (Anaxyrus Boreas) Along I-90 In The Snoqualmie Pass Area Of Washington State, Anneliese Myers
All Master's Theses
Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used to assess the genetic connectivity of western toad (Anaxyrus boreas) breeding populations along Interstate-90 near Snoqualmie Pass, WA. Sites north and south of the freeway were sampled during the breeding season of 2019. SNP loci were subsequently generated using the proprietary DArTseqTM (Canberra, ACT, Australia) method. A total of 15,468 SNPs were used to calculate pairwise FST values and three distinct breeding populations were identified, two north and one south of I-90. All pairwise FST values between these sites were low (0.02) but significantly different from 0. The lowest pairwise …
Effects Of Multiple Stressors: Hydroperiod, Introduced Bullfrogs, And Food Limitation On Northern Red-Legged Frogs (Rana Aurora), Lindsey L. Gordon
Effects Of Multiple Stressors: Hydroperiod, Introduced Bullfrogs, And Food Limitation On Northern Red-Legged Frogs (Rana Aurora), Lindsey L. Gordon
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
As human activities reach every corner of the globe, climate change, invasive species, habitat destruction, and other stressors causing species’ declines no longer act alone. Climate change has the potential to exacerbate (or mitigate) other stressors (e.g. invasive species or pathogens) affecting amphibian populations. I assessed the combined effects of increased pond drying rates (potential impact of climate change), invasive bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) presence, and food availability on northern red-legged frog (Rana aurora) survival and body size after metamorphosis by rearing tadpoles under incrementally shortened hydroperiods with and without the presence of invasive bullfrog tadpoles in …
Size-Assortative Mating In Explosively Breeding Species: A Case Study Of Adaptive Male Mate Choice In An Anuran, Lindsey Swierk
Size-Assortative Mating In Explosively Breeding Species: A Case Study Of Adaptive Male Mate Choice In An Anuran, Lindsey Swierk
Biological Sciences Faculty Scholarship
No abstract provided.