Life Sciences | Open Access Articles | Digital Commons Network™

Modeling Functional Redundancy In Microbial Community, Sandra Annie Tsiorintsoa

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Gene Drives And The Consequences Of Over-Suppression, Cole Butler

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Parameter Estimation Using Nudging On The Logistic Growth Equation, Susan Rogowski

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Spatial Patterning Of Predator-Prey Distributions Arising From Prey Defense, Evan C. Haskell, Jonathan Bell

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Bioeconomic Analysis In A Predator-Prey System With Harvesting: A Case Study In The Chesapeake Bay Fisheries, Iordanka Panayotova, Maila Hallare

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Effects Of Temperature Fluctuation On Interactions Between Generalist Insect Predators, Amanda N. Laubmeier, Nusrat Tabassum, Brigitte Tenhumberg

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Early Signs Of Regime Shift And Population Outbreak In A Two-Timescale Predator-Prey Model., Susmita Sadhu Dr.

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Go to article

The Interplay Between Costly Reproduction And Unpredictable Environments Shapes The Stability Of Cooperative Breeding, Glenn Steven Young

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Reconstructing The Ecological Relationships Of Late Cretaceous Antarctic Dinosaurs And How Functional Tooth Morphology Influenced These Relationships, Ian D. Broxson

2022 Symposium

The Sandwich Bluff Formation of the James Ross Basin of Antarctica has recently yielded a group of five late Cretaceous dinosaurs that lived contemporaneously with each other, a first for Antarctica. These five dinosaurs include fragmentary remains of two differently sized elasmarian ornithopods, a possible megaraptor, a hadrosaur, and a nodosaur. In this study we will construct a model of the ecological relationships of late Cretaceous Antarctica. Additionally, we will look at what specific factors allowed this group of four herbivores and a carnivore to coexist in a restricted locality and what niches were filled by each species. Methods to ...

Go to article

An Overview Of The Current Research On Epiphyte Ecology, Kelsey Inman-Carter

Honors Projects

Epiphytes are non-parasitic, photosynthetic organisms that depend on other photosynthetic host organisms for support. Epiphytes can be found both in aquatic and terrestrial habitats. The interactions between epiphytes and their hosts can vary based on both their habitat and the features of individual hosts. This review explores the many facets of epiphyte research, including: the diversity of epiphytes in aquatic and terrestrial habitats; the effects of host-epiphyte interactions on the hosts; and the abiotic and biotic interactions that together determine epiphyte community composition.

Go to article

Movement Patterns Of The Shovelnose Guitarfish (Pseudobatos Productus) And California Bat Ray (Myliobatis Californica) In The Southern California Bight, Annabel Gong

Theses

While the movement patterns of large elasmobranch species have been studied extensively, those of smaller, mesopredatory species remain understudied. The shovelnose guitarfish (Pseudobatos productus) and the California bat ray (Myliobatis californica) are among the least studied elasmobranchs in the Southern California Bight. This study quantified the broad- and fine-scale movement patterns of these species using passive acoustic telemetry. Twelve guitarfish were surgically implanted with coded acoustic transmitters at a known aggregation site off La Jolla (San Diego County), California, USA and tracked for 849.5 days each, on average. Six bat rays were also implanted here and tracked for 1143 ...

Go to article

Development And Validation Of An Edna Protocol For Monitoring Endemic Asian Spiny Frogs In The Himalayan Region Of Pakistan, Muhammad Saeed, Muhammad Rais, Ayesha Akram, Maggie R. Williams, Kenneth F. Kellner, Syed A. Hashsham, Drew R. Davis

Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Wildlife monitoring programs are instrumental for the assessment of species, habitat status, and for the management of factors affecting them. This is particularly important for species found in freshwater ecosystems, such as amphibians, as they have higher estimated extinction rates than terrestrial species. We developed and validated two species-specific environmental DNA (eDNA) protocols and applied them in the field to detect the Hazara Torrent Frog (Allopaa hazarensis) and Murree Hills Frog (Nanorana vicina). Additionally, we compared eDNA surveys with visual encounter surveys and estimated site occupancy. eDNA surveys resulted in higher occurrence probabilities for both A. hazarensis and N. vicina ...

Go to article

Ecological Stressors Impact Soil Biodiversity, Kaleb Frierson, John Carlile

Transformations: Presentation Slides

Soil biodiversity serves ecologically important roles like nutrient cycling and is used as an indicator of community disturbance. North American forests host a multitude of ecological stressors, including invasive plants, earth worms, and deer abundance. While relationships between deer and invasive species, as well as relationships between macroinvertebrates and worms have been heavily investigated, the effects of invasive plant species like Pale Swallowwort on soil biodiversity are unknown. To test our hypothesis that Pale Swallowwort affects soil biodiversity, we collected leaf litter from three state parks throughout Central New York at sites with and without the invasive plant. Samples were ...

Go to article

Socio-Economic Factors Of Environmental Problems, Manzura Kamalova, D. Shakenov

Karakalpak Scientific Journal

People consciously and intensively rebuild their nature according to their own needs, creating rural and urban areas in which they live. People care about the quality of life in the context of the unity of nature and culture. Social is a relatively new discipline that deals with urban space and environmental issues. One way to imagine what is beneficial to people is to find out what is economically best for the person. The article examines the economic factors that form the attitude towards social ecology in Kazakhstan. The article concludes that society should cooperate to achieve common things, both for ...

Go to article

Western Prairie Fringed Orchid Management, Ecology, And Decline At Mormon Island, Andrew J. Caven

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

The western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara Sheviak & M. L. Bowles; WPFO) was first detected in a vegetative state on Mormon Island in 1978 and identification was confirmed following a mass flowering event in 1982. From a high count of ~60 plants the WPFO slowly declined and has not been observed since 2000 despite flowering season surveys conducted in 15 of the last 20 years. We explore the natural history of the WPFO in the contexts of Mormon Island to establish potential causes for its apparent disappearance and evaluate the possibility it persists in some capacity. Our investigation of secondary data suggests the ...

Go to article

Political Ecology For Environmental And Life Sciences Maf-Saf 547, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Fire On Saipan, Cnmi, Ilan E. Bubb, Zachary B. Williams

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Sediment core studies from Saipan suggest that fires did not play a prominent role in the disturbance regime of the Mariana Islands and have increased in frequency since human settlement around 4,000 years ago. On Saipan fires are understood to interrupt the pattern of succession leading to the degradation of native limestone forests, the proliferation of grasslands and the eventual creation of badlands. Little baseline data regarding the spatial and temporal patterns of fire on Saipan exist to create effective Fire Management Plans. This project uses Landsat 8 images from April 2013 to July 2020 and the Normalized Burn ...

Go to article

Morphological Changes Of The Asian Shore Crab Across Latitudes, Ainslee Mcmullin, Blaine D. Griffen

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2022

The Asian shore crab, Hemigrapsus sanguineus , is an invasive species that has rapidly spread across the Eastern United States coastline. First observed in North America in 1988, its range currently extends from Maine to North Carolina. H. sanguineus has adapted very well to this region and has displaced several native species as the dominant crab in rocky intertidal habitats. Although the Asian shore crab’s biology and interactions with native species has been well studied, larger scale impacts (economic, potential further spread, community ecology, etc.) are under researched. We collected specimen samples of H. sanguineus throughout its entire East coast ...

Go to article

Fundulus Parasite Database, Derek Garvey, Christopher Blanar, David Kerstetter

Biology Faculty Datasets

Data gathered from field sampling and literature review of presence/absence and abundance data for all metazoan parasite taxa described in Fundulus spp. populations from sample locations along the Atlantic coasts of the USA and Canada.

Go to article

The Study Of Tree Biomass Calculation By Comparing Partial Harvest Method With The Allometric Equations Method, Kanlayarat Jantawong, Titinan Pothong

Journal of Bioresource Management

This study aimed to investigate the effective of partial harvest method used for tree biomass estimation. Such method was analyzed for the correlation in compare with invented allometric equations. The advantages and disadvantages of those methods were discussed. The significantly difference between estimation methods were analyzed. As a result, tree biomass calculated by the Brown’s allometric equation produced highest results, followed by the partial harvest method, Tsutsumi’s, Chave’s and Pothong’s equations respectively. The selected allometric equations showed the positive correlation with partial harvest method. The highest positive correlation was found between the partial harvest method and ...

Go to article

Interacting Effects Of Disease And Weather Variability On Rangeland Biodiversity Associated With Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys Ludovicianus) Colonies, Courtney J. Duchardt, J. D. Hennig, D. Pellatz

International Grassland Congress Proceedings

Rangeland ecosystems worldwide are experiencing novel pressures during the Anthropocene, including land conversion, disease dynamics, non-native species, and climate change. These issues can be compounded in rangelands occupied by burrowing rodents. Often considered keystone species important for maintaining rangeland biodiversity, these species often experience widespread control efforts because of their potential to reduce forage for livestock. We examined the effects of climatic variation and disease on bird communities associated with a North American burrowing rodent, the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus). Following an outbreak of sylvatic plague (Yersinia pestis) in the prairie dog population, we observed rapid shifts in taxa ...

Go to article

Why Sequence All Eukaryotes?, Mark Blaxter, John M. Archibald, Anna K. Childers, Jonathan A. Coddington, Keith A. Crandall, Federica Di Palma, Richard Durbin, Scott V. Edwards, Jennifer A.M. Graves, Kevin J. Hackett, Neil Hall, Erich D. Jarvis, Rebecca N. Johnson, Elinor K. Karlsson, W. John Kress, Shigehiro Kuraku, Mara K. N. Lawniczak, Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, Jose V. Lopez, Nancy A. Moran, Gene E. Robinson, Oliver A. Ryder, Beth Shapiro, Pamela S. Soltis, Tandy Warnow, Guojie Zhang, Harris A. Lewin

Biology Faculty Articles

Life on Earth has evolved from initial simplicity to the astounding complexity we experience today. Bacteria and archaea have largely excelled in metabolic diversification, but eukaryotes additionally display abundant morphological innovation. How have these innovations come about and what constraints are there on the origins of novelty and the continuing maintenance of biodiversity on Earth? The history of life and the code for the working parts of cells and systems are written in the genome. The Earth BioGenome Project has proposed that the genomes of all extant, named eukaryotes—about 2 million species—should be sequenced to high quality to ...

Go to article

Crassostrea Gigas Invasion In Southern California: Macrofaunal Diversity And Local Community Impacts Of Ecosystem Engineers On Estuarine Habitats, Noah Jansen-Yee

Theses

Many marine ecosystems are facing the growing threat of biological invasions. These invasions can have a variety of different impacts on ecosystems and their inhabitants. The Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, is currently in the relatively early stages of invasion in San Diego estuaries. Crassostrea gigas is a large, filter-feeding bivalve that forms dense oyster beds on hard substrate. These oysters are known to outcompete native counterparts and drastically alter habitats where they are present. Crassostrea gigas is an ecosystem engineer that, through shell creation and formation of a dense oyster matrix, impacts ecosystems in a variety of direct and indirect ...

Go to article

Kinorhynch Diversity In The Southern Gulf Of Mexico And A Description Of Dracoderes Chaac Sp. Nov., Stephen C. Landers, Kellan Hoffman, Nuria Sanchez, Martin Sorensen

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Sediment collections from the southern Gulf of Mexico between the Texas—Mexico border and the Yucatán Peninsula have resulted in many new kinorhynch species distribution records and the finding and taxonomic description of a new species, Dracoderes chaac sp. nov. This study focused on the non—echinoderid members of the Phylum Kinorhyncha, many of which are rare or restricted to only a few locations. A total of 136 specimens were identified from 24 sediment stations, distributed among the following species: Antygomonas gwenae, Campyloderes vanhoeffeni, Centroderes readae, Condyloderes flosfimbriatus, Co. rohalorum, Cristaphyes panamensis, Dracoderes chaac sp. nov., Leiocanthus corrugatus, L. langi ...

Go to article

Weaving Indigenous And Western Science Knowledges Through A Land-Based Field Course At Bkejwanong Territory (Laurentian Great Lakes), Clint Jacobs, Candy Donaldson, Jessica T. Ives, Katrina Keeshig, Catherine Febria

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

In response to a growing interest in building Indigenous-led educational experiences, we codeveloped a land-based field course that wove Indigenous ways of knowing together with Western ecological concepts. The spirit of the course was the one rooted in varied ways of knowing nature, on the land, the water, and the culture—to see the Great Lakes from an Anishinaabe perspective. Situated in the heart of the Laurentian Great Lakes Basin at Bkejwanong Territory (Walpole Island First Nation), in the Traditional Territory of the Three Fires Confederacy of First Nations (Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi) on Turtle Island (North America), this inaugural ...

Go to article

The Effects Of Average Annual Temperature On Flowering Times And Flower Count, Angela Copploe

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Over a course of 15 years, three different species of flowers were examined to see the relationship between the increase in average annual temperature, flowering time, and flower count.

Go to article

Understanding Caribou Population Cycles, Jack R. St. John

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

The complex population dynamics of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) were studied to determine the patterns of their population cycles and the processes driving them. It is well established, via previous archaeological research and Indigenous knowledge, that large migrating caribou herds found in and around the tundra at northern latitudes experience population boom and busts roughly every several decades. However, the processes driving the dynamics of these cycles are relatively unknown, which makes managing caribou herds for recreational and subsistence harvests difficult. It has been hypothesized that a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic factors shape these cycles, with density-dependence, predation, harvest, climate ...

Go to article

Ecological Changes Of The Lower Niobrara River Valley And Lewis And Clark Lake Delta From Past To Present, Madalyn Christine Bollig

Dissertations and Theses

Over half of the world’s large river systems are impacted by dams. These may prevent sediment flow downstream, resulting in accumulation in the upstream reservoir. On the Missouri River, deltas and associated backwater-affected areas occur in nine locations across six reservoirs. One of these, the Lewis and Clark Lake delta-backwater, is influenced by sediment inputs from both the Missouri River and the Niobrara River. While the extension of the prograding delta into the reservoir has been well documented, there has been little research on upstream (backwater) effects of the delta on the lower Niobrara River. This study examined ecological ...

Go to article

Analysis And Identification Of Lipolytic Bacterial Species For The Degradation Of Wastewater Lipids, Lindsay C. Smoak

Honors College Theses

The aim of this study was to isolate native bacterial strains from the wastewater treatment facilities of Statesboro, GA to identify their lipolytic activities. Obtained bacterial strains were further assessed via morphological and biochemical methods to determine their enzymatic capabilities. Use of the detergent Tween-20 in growth mediums was the first criteria to assess lipase activity, and these isolates were further investigated to quantitatively measure lipase presence and activity. Lipase protein was precipitated and dialyzed to perform a lipase activity assay, followed by Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate–Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) to confirm the presence of the lipolytic enzymes. Sanger sequencing ...

Go to article

Arctic Stream Characteristics And Diet Analysis Choice Impact Condition And Diet Estimates Of Ninespine Stickleback (Pungitius Pungitius), Adam Kuhrt

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) are ubiquitous in circumpolar freshwaters, but their ecological role is not well understood. Little research has been conducted on the influence of environmental variables on ninespine stickleback in stream environments, and while they are understood to be generalist feeders, their diet in stream environments is equally understudied. Determining diet is difficult due to biases inherent in all standard diet analysis methods. Morphological gut-content analysis (M-GCA), DNA metabarcoding of gut contents (D-GCA), and stable isotope analysis (SIA) are currently three of the most frequently conducted diet analyses; and while combinations of these methods are commonly used to ...

Go to article

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Modeling Functional Redundancy In Microbial Community, Sandra Annie Tsiorintsoa

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

Gene Drives And The Consequences Of Over-Suppression, Cole Butler

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

Parameter Estimation Using Nudging On The Logistic Growth Equation, Susan Rogowski

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

Spatial Patterning Of Predator-Prey Distributions Arising From Prey Defense, Evan C. Haskell, Jonathan Bell

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

Bioeconomic Analysis In A Predator-Prey System With Harvesting: A Case Study In The Chesapeake Bay Fisheries, Iordanka Panayotova, Maila Hallare

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

Effects Of Temperature Fluctuation On Interactions Between Generalist Insect Predators, Amanda N. Laubmeier, Nusrat Tabassum, Brigitte Tenhumberg

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

Early Signs Of Regime Shift And Population Outbreak In A Two-Timescale Predator-Prey Model., Susmita Sadhu Dr.

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

The Interplay Between Costly Reproduction And Unpredictable Environments Shapes The Stability Of Cooperative Breeding, Glenn Steven Young

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

Reconstructing The Ecological Relationships Of Late Cretaceous Antarctic Dinosaurs And How Functional Tooth Morphology Influenced These Relationships, Ian D. Broxson

2022 Symposium

An Overview Of The Current Research On Epiphyte Ecology, Kelsey Inman-Carter

Honors Projects

Movement Patterns Of The Shovelnose Guitarfish (Pseudobatos Productus) And California Bat Ray (Myliobatis Californica) In The Southern California Bight, Annabel Gong

Theses

Development And Validation Of An Edna Protocol For Monitoring Endemic Asian Spiny Frogs In The Himalayan Region Of Pakistan, Muhammad Saeed, Muhammad Rais, Ayesha Akram, Maggie R. Williams, Kenneth F. Kellner, Syed A. Hashsham, Drew R. Davis

Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Ecological Stressors Impact Soil Biodiversity, Kaleb Frierson, John Carlile

Transformations: Presentation Slides

Socio-Economic Factors Of Environmental Problems, Manzura Kamalova, D. Shakenov

Karakalpak Scientific Journal

Western Prairie Fringed Orchid Management, Ecology, And Decline At Mormon Island, Andrew J. Caven

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Political Ecology For Environmental And Life Sciences Maf-Saf 547, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Fire On Saipan, Cnmi, Ilan E. Bubb, Zachary B. Williams

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Morphological Changes Of The Asian Shore Crab Across Latitudes, Ainslee Mcmullin, Blaine D. Griffen

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2022

Fundulus Parasite Database, Derek Garvey, Christopher Blanar, David Kerstetter

Biology Faculty Datasets

The Study Of Tree Biomass Calculation By Comparing Partial Harvest Method With The Allometric Equations Method, Kanlayarat Jantawong, Titinan Pothong

Journal of Bioresource Management

Interacting Effects Of Disease And Weather Variability On Rangeland Biodiversity Associated With Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys Ludovicianus) Colonies, Courtney J. Duchardt, J. D. Hennig, D. Pellatz

International Grassland Congress Proceedings

Biology Faculty Articles

Crassostrea Gigas Invasion In Southern California: Macrofaunal Diversity And Local Community Impacts Of Ecosystem Engineers On Estuarine Habitats, Noah Jansen-Yee

Theses

Kinorhynch Diversity In The Southern Gulf Of Mexico And A Description Of Dracoderes Chaac Sp. Nov., Stephen C. Landers, Kellan Hoffman, Nuria Sanchez, Martin Sorensen

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Weaving Indigenous And Western Science Knowledges Through A Land-Based Field Course At Bkejwanong Territory (Laurentian Great Lakes), Clint Jacobs, Candy Donaldson, Jessica T. Ives, Katrina Keeshig, Catherine Febria

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

The Effects Of Average Annual Temperature On Flowering Times And Flower Count, Angela Copploe

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Understanding Caribou Population Cycles, Jack R. St. John

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Ecological Changes Of The Lower Niobrara River Valley And Lewis And Clark Lake Delta From Past To Present, Madalyn Christine Bollig

Dissertations and Theses

Analysis And Identification Of Lipolytic Bacterial Species For The Degradation Of Wastewater Lipids, Lindsay C. Smoak

Honors College Theses

Arctic Stream Characteristics And Diet Analysis Choice Impact Condition And Diet Estimates Of Ninespine Stickleback (Pungitius Pungitius), Adam Kuhrt

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)