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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Summer 2024 Research Proposal: Swanberg Sanctuary Prairie Plant Community Characterization And Management Testing, Jillian Becksfort Apr 2024

Summer 2024 Research Proposal: Swanberg Sanctuary Prairie Plant Community Characterization And Management Testing, Jillian Becksfort

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Prairie management is an involved process that is focused on maintaining existing grassland plant and animal communities. Invasive species and the spread of woody shrubs and trees presents a real threat to the existing prairie. Woody stems can affect resources such as water access and nutrient availability, which may cause changes to the prairie’s unique plant communities. Management techniques like burning and mowing are commonly used to prevent woody stems from causing changes to the prairie ecosystem. The Sanctuary was restored to natural prairie habitat in 2008 and a list of planted species is available. However, no plant surveys have …


Evolution In Segregating Genotype Mixtures Of Subterranean Clover, P.G. H. Nichols, P S. Cocks Mar 2024

Evolution In Segregating Genotype Mixtures Of Subterranean Clover, P.G. H. Nichols, P S. Cocks

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

A complex segregating mixture of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.), was sown in 1978 at Nabawa and Mt Barker, two contrasting sites in Western Australia. Seed harvested from both sites from 1980-1994 was grown out at Shenton Park in 1995, along with seed of the original mixture. Populations diverged markedly for mean days to first flowering (DFF) within three seasons. No further trends in mean DFF occurred in plants derived from the next 14 years, although standard deviation declined significantly in plants from Mt Barker. Between season differences in mean DFF were correlated with estimated growing season length at …


Automated Tree Mortality Detection Using Ubiquitously Available Public Data, Michael T. Huggins Mar 2024

Automated Tree Mortality Detection Using Ubiquitously Available Public Data, Michael T. Huggins

Master's Theses

Understanding the dynamic interplay between fire severity, topography, and tree mortality, is crucial for predicting future forest dynamics and enhancing resilience against climate change-induced wildfire regimes. This thesis develops a multi-sensor approach for automated estimation of tree mortality, then applies it to examine trends in tree mortality over a six-year period across a fire affected study site in the Trinity River basin in Northern California. The Random Forest model uses publicly available USGS 3D Elevation Program Lidar (3DEP) and NAIP imagery as inputs and is likely to be easily adaptable to other landscapes. The model had a Receiver Operating Characteristic …


Environmental Biology Masters Capstone, Antonio Gonzalez-Pita Jan 2024

Environmental Biology Masters Capstone, Antonio Gonzalez-Pita

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Human wildlife interactions (HWI) pose a complex challenge for wildlife managers. Human encroachment into wildlife habitat and the growing number of outdoor recreationists are increasing the frequency of contact and conflict, especially in regions such as the Front Range of Colorado. Geographic information systems (GIS), which use a combination of remote sensing and environmental survey data, allow for predictive spatial analyses of where human wildlife interactions are likely to occur. I used publicly reported observations of moose to create spatial predictive maps in a species distribution model framework. Slope and elevation were shown to be the strongest predictors of HWI, …


Habitat And Demography Of The Ozark Chinquapin (Castanea Ozarkensis) At Roaring River State Park In Barry County, Missouri, Danielle Evilsizor Dec 2023

Habitat And Demography Of The Ozark Chinquapin (Castanea Ozarkensis) At Roaring River State Park In Barry County, Missouri, Danielle Evilsizor

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

The Ozark chinquapin, Castanea ozarkensis Ashe, is a chestnut tree with a range concentrated in the Interior Highlands of North America. Like other North American members of Castanea, it was reduced from an overstory tree to an understory shrub by the invasive chestnut blight fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica [Murrill] M.E. Barr) during the early 20th century. However, relatively little is known about the habitat of this species or its health and reproductive capability post chestnut blight. Chapter one of this study analyzed the habitat of this species through a random forest species distribution model (SDM) to predict where …


Addressing Water Hyacinth (Pontederia Crassipes) Impacts On Aquatic Biota In Lake Okeechobee, Joseph Salerno Dec 2023

Addressing Water Hyacinth (Pontederia Crassipes) Impacts On Aquatic Biota In Lake Okeechobee, Joseph Salerno

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The incursion of water hyacinth, Pontederia crassipes in Lake Okeechobee has resulted in management systems to be implemented to reduce the coverage of the invasive macrophyte. Its residence in the Lake Okeechobee ecosystem and the effects it has on organisms in the lake, whether it be positive or harmful is unknown. This study attempted to assess the potential effects that water hyacinth has on aquatic biota in Lake Okeechobee. Biotic data were collected on open water, water hyacinth covered, and native vegetation covered habitats via hook-and-line fishing, electrofishing, baited minnow traps, and the sampling of plant roots over a thirteen-month …


Patterns And Drivers Of Wiregrass Gap Longleaf Pine (Pinus Palustris Mill.) Woodland Succession As Part Of Restoration Efforts, Armin Weise Aug 2023

Patterns And Drivers Of Wiregrass Gap Longleaf Pine (Pinus Palustris Mill.) Woodland Succession As Part Of Restoration Efforts, Armin Weise

All Theses

Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) communities are widespread throughout the Southeastern United States with a dominant understory vegetation of wiregrass (Aristida spp.) in most of its range. A small area in central South Carolina that is naturally free of wiregrass is called the “Wiregrass Gap”. Here, the understory vegetation is dominated by bluestems grasses (Andropogon spp. and Schizachyrium spp.) which drive the disturbance regime of frequent low-intensity fire. The successful establishment of these grasses is key for longleaf pine woodland restoration efforts in this region, but few resources detail the ecological drivers at play that enable successful restoration in these longleaf …


Role Of The Grassland Society Of Bosnia And Herzegovina In Grassland Agriculture, S. Alibegovic-Gbic, M. Bezdrob Jul 2023

Role Of The Grassland Society Of Bosnia And Herzegovina In Grassland Agriculture, S. Alibegovic-Gbic, M. Bezdrob

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The biggest part of Bosnia and Herzegovina is covered with hilly and mountainous terrain, which, from the agricultural perspective, determines the manner of soil usage. Of all agricultural areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 55.49% are covered by grassland with that figure increasing to 79.14% in mountainous regions. Therefore, grassland agriculture and its cousin livestock production are the most significant part of the Bosnian economy. In the current situation natural grasslands are largely neglected and give a low yield of forage of low quality. Many areas are completely abandoned and have been gradually overgrown with weeds and bushes. Yet a special …


A Foundational Population Genetics Investigation Of The Sexual Systems Of Solanum (Solanaceae) In The Australian Monsoon Tropics Suggests Dioecious Taxa May Benefit From Increased Genetic Admixture Via Obligate Outcrossing, Jason T. Cantley, Ingrid E. Jordon-Thaden, Morgan Roche, Daniel S. Hayes, Stephamie Kate, Christopher T. Martine May 2023

A Foundational Population Genetics Investigation Of The Sexual Systems Of Solanum (Solanaceae) In The Australian Monsoon Tropics Suggests Dioecious Taxa May Benefit From Increased Genetic Admixture Via Obligate Outcrossing, Jason T. Cantley, Ingrid E. Jordon-Thaden, Morgan Roche, Daniel S. Hayes, Stephamie Kate, Christopher T. Martine

Faculty Journal Articles

Solanum section Leptostemonum is an ideal lineage to test the theoretical framework regarding proposed evolutionary benefits of outcrossing sexual systems in comparison to cosexuality. Theoretically, non-cosexual taxa should support more genetic diversity within populations, experience less inbreeding, and have less genetic structure due to a restricted ability to self-fertilize. However, many confounding factors present challenges for a confident inference that inherent differences in sexual systems influence observed genetic patterns among populations. This study provides a foundational baseline of the population genetics of several species of different sexual systems with the aim of generating hypotheses of any factor—including sexual system—that influences …


Eco-Interoception: What Plants, Fungi And Protista Have Taught My Body, Sara Riley Dotterer May 2023

Eco-Interoception: What Plants, Fungi And Protista Have Taught My Body, Sara Riley Dotterer

Art Theses and Dissertations

To me, ecology is the relational, full-body awareness that I am made up of and deeply connected to everything around me; and for better or worse, this is reciprocal. I form ecotones, an ecological transitional zone between two ecosystems, with the world around me. I use this ecotonal lens to blur binaries and dissolve boundaries between me and the world “outside my body.” During my Masters of Fine Arts at Southern Methodist University, I have continuously explored and represented the lives of various more-than-human species outside of my body, including plants, fungi and protista through an ecotonal lens. Although these …


18s-Nemabase: Curated 18s Rrna Database Of Nematode Sequences, Kaitlin Gattoni, Eli M. S. Gendron, Rebeca Sandoval- Ruiz, Abigail Borgemeier, J. Parr Mcqueen, Rachel M. Shepherd, Dieter Slos, Tom Powers, Dorota L. Porazinska Aug 2022

18s-Nemabase: Curated 18s Rrna Database Of Nematode Sequences, Kaitlin Gattoni, Eli M. S. Gendron, Rebeca Sandoval- Ruiz, Abigail Borgemeier, J. Parr Mcqueen, Rachel M. Shepherd, Dieter Slos, Tom Powers, Dorota L. Porazinska

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Nematodes are the most abundant and diverse animals on the planet but lack representation in biodiversity research. This presents a problem for studying nematode diversity, particularly when molecular tools (i.e., barcoding and metabarcoding) rely on well-populated and curated reference databases, which are absent for nematodes. To improve molecular identification and the assessment of nematode diversity, we created and curated an 18S rRNA database specific to nematodes (18S-NemaBase) using sequences sourced from the most recent publicly available 18S rRNA SILVA v138 database. As part of the curation process, taxonomic strings were standardized to contain a fixed number of taxonomic ranks relevant …


18s-Nemabase: Curated 18s Rrna Database Of Nematode Sequences, Kaitlin Gattoni, Eli M. S. Gendron, Rebeca Sandoval- Ruiz, Abigail Borgemeier, J. Parr Mcqueen, Rachel M. Shepherd, Dieter Slos, Tom Powers, Dorota L. Porazinska Aug 2022

18s-Nemabase: Curated 18s Rrna Database Of Nematode Sequences, Kaitlin Gattoni, Eli M. S. Gendron, Rebeca Sandoval- Ruiz, Abigail Borgemeier, J. Parr Mcqueen, Rachel M. Shepherd, Dieter Slos, Tom Powers, Dorota L. Porazinska

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Nematodes are the most abundant and diverse animals on the planet but lack representation in biodiversity research. This presents a problem for studying nematode diversity, particularly when molecular tools (i.e., barcoding and metabarcoding) rely on well-populated and curated reference databases, which are absent for nematodes. To improve molecular identification and the assessment of nematode diversity, we created and curated an 18S rRNA database specific to nematodes (18S-NemaBase) using sequences sourced from the most recent publicly available 18S rRNA SILVA v138 database. As part of the curation process, taxonomic strings were standardized to contain a fixed number of taxonomic ranks relevant …


Mp765: Creating The Orono Bog Boardwalk: A Facility For Education, Research, And Recreation, Ronald B. Davis Apr 2022

Mp765: Creating The Orono Bog Boardwalk: A Facility For Education, Research, And Recreation, Ronald B. Davis

Miscellaneous Publications

A memoir by Dr. Ronald Davis detailing the creation of the Orono Bog Boardwalk. The Orono Bog Boardwalk is a premier destination in the Bangor/Orono area for persons wishing to experience the beauty and fascinating plants and animals of a Maine bog. The 1-mile boardwalk loop trail begins at the forested wetland edge in the Bangor City Forest, and after 800 feet crosses the Orono town line into the portion of the Orono Bog owned by the University of Maine. Along the way the boardwalk passes through a wide range of changing vegetation and environments on its way to the …


Western Prairie Fringed Orchid Management, Ecology, And Decline At Mormon Island, Andrew J. Caven Mar 2022

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 …


Political Ecology For Environmental And Life Sciences Maf-Saf 547, Joanna Burkhardt Mar 2022

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

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.


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 Jan 2022

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

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

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 …


Responses Of Arthropods To Fire And How Pollinators And Pollination Services Are Affected By Fire Severity, Blyssalyn V. Bieber Jan 2022

Responses Of Arthropods To Fire And How Pollinators And Pollination Services Are Affected By Fire Severity, Blyssalyn V. Bieber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fires impact ecosystems globally and due to climate change, there are shifts in fire regimes that impact ecological communities which provide essential ecosystem services. Focusing on arthropods, fire can influence this ubiquitous animal group in various way. We performed a comprehensive meta-analysis evaluating how fires impact differing arthropod functional groups. We found that overall, fire negatively effects community level responses for most functional groups with herbivores as the only exception showing some positive effects of fire. We also studied mixed-severity fires that burned >20 years ago and compared floral visitor communities across fire severities. We implemented a pollinator exclusion experiment …


Gaia Contributions To Agroecology By James Lovelock (1919-2022), Steve Gliessman, Charles A. Francis Jan 2022

Gaia Contributions To Agroecology By James Lovelock (1919-2022), Steve Gliessman, Charles A. Francis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

In writing about the history of agroecology we too often ignore the valuable contributions of British scientist James Lovelock who recently died on his 103rd birthday. A prolific inventor and influential theorist, Lovelock is best known for the Gaia hypothesis first proposed during his innovative work in the 1960s with the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration. He suggested that ‘the biosphere has a regulatory effect on the Earth’s environment that acts to sustain life’ as written in Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth (Lovelock 1979). Lovelock further proposed that humans have strongly impacted the planet’s capacity …


The Effects Of Average Annual Temperature On Flowering Times And Flower Count, Angela Copploe Jan 2022

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.


Drought Tolerance In Native And Invasive Populations Of The Centaurea Jacea Hybrid Complex, Zoe Portlas Jan 2022

Drought Tolerance In Native And Invasive Populations Of The Centaurea Jacea Hybrid Complex, Zoe Portlas

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Introduced plants face many ecological and evolutionary challenges when establishing in a new range, such as strong abiotic stressors and potentially novel selective environments. One such abiotic stress is water availability, which is a strong selective force shaping physiological and phenological traits that enable plants to tolerate or avoid drought stress. Despite the challenges of establishing in a new range, thousands of species have become invasive in recent centuries. Two hypotheses that may explain how a species is able to withstand stress in its introduced range are preadaptation, which posits that species are adapted to similar environments in their native …


Himalayan Rangelands Ecology And Animal Production Influenced By Changing Social And Economic Culture In Northern Areas Of Pakistan, Syed Hassan Raza Jul 2021

Himalayan Rangelands Ecology And Animal Production Influenced By Changing Social And Economic Culture In Northern Areas Of Pakistan, Syed Hassan Raza

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.


How Weeds Affect Insects In Mango Cultivation Of South Florida, Blaire Kleiman Jul 2021

How Weeds Affect Insects In Mango Cultivation Of South Florida, Blaire Kleiman

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The use of weeds as insectary plants is an emerging management tactic by agroecologists and entomologists to sustain beneficial insect species. Fallow lands have always been used by insects and are an important part of their diet in fragmented ecosystems. Weeds provide floral resources to beneficial insects such as pollinators, parasitoids, and predators and resources to keep them within a field in between crop flowering. Using weeds as a tool in tropical fruit production reliant on pollination like Mango (Mangifera indica) allows farmers to reduce herbicide use, increases the biodiversity of both plants and insects, and increases pollination of crops …


Invasion Ecology And Response To Fire Of The Nonnative Fern Lygodium Microphyllum In The South Florida Everglades, Nicole Sebesta Apr 2021

Invasion Ecology And Response To Fire Of The Nonnative Fern Lygodium Microphyllum In The South Florida Everglades, Nicole Sebesta

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lygodium microphyllum (Old World Climbing Fern (OWCF)) is a climbing fern native to tropical and subtropical regions of Australia, Asia, and Africa. First introduced to Florida as an ornamental in the 1960s, the fern has become a serious invasive in numerous Florida habitats, severely degrading native herbaceous and woody vegetation and altering fire behavior. One area with the greatest increase in OWCF cover is the sawgrass marsh of southern Everglades National Park (ENP), where prescribed fire is used for both maintenance of sawgrass marshes and management of OWCF infestations. However, the efficacy of OWCF control using fire in this habitat …


Abundance, Distribution, And Growth Characteristics Of Three Keystone Vachellia Trees In Gebel Elba National Park, South-Eastern Egypt, Ahmed M. Abbas, Mohammed Al-Kahtani, Stephen J. Novak, Wagdi Saber Soliman Jan 2021

Abundance, Distribution, And Growth Characteristics Of Three Keystone Vachellia Trees In Gebel Elba National Park, South-Eastern Egypt, Ahmed M. Abbas, Mohammed Al-Kahtani, Stephen J. Novak, Wagdi Saber Soliman

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study was conducted to evaluate the abundance and distribution pattern of three keystone Vachellia taxa in wadi Khoda and wadi Rahaba, Gebel Elba National Park, a protected area in south-eastern Egypt. These taxa included Vachellia tortilis subsp. tortilis, Vachellia tortilis subsp. raddiana, and Vachellia ehrenbergiana. In wadi Khoda, only two of these taxa were detected (V. tortilis subsp. raddiana and V. tortilis subsp. tortilis), while all three taxa were encountered in wadi Rahaba. The density of trees in wadi Khoda was 34.3 plant ha−1 compared to 26.3 plant ha−1 in …


Analysis Of The Variables Affecting Plant Species Richness In Deserts, Eli R. Kallison, Ellen Thompson, Maddison Keen, Rusty Newman Oct 2020

Analysis Of The Variables Affecting Plant Species Richness In Deserts, Eli R. Kallison, Ellen Thompson, Maddison Keen, Rusty Newman

IdeaFest: Interdisciplinary Journal of Creative Works and Research from Cal Poly Humboldt

There are many hypotheses that attempt to explain patterns of species diversity in different environments. Deserts are a great place to study changes in species richness because they are relatively nutrient bare and exhibit low precipitation. This barebones environment means that slight shifts in climate and geography may lead to clear changes in species richness. We investigate how temperature, precipitation, water and light availability, latitude, elevation and other variables affect plant species richness in 20 deserts.


Procedures For Estimation Of The Livestock Ecological Footprint In Us Drylands, Robert A. Washington‐Allen, John E. Mitchell Sep 2020

Procedures For Estimation Of The Livestock Ecological Footprint In Us Drylands, Robert A. Washington‐Allen, John E. Mitchell

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.


Congruence And Temporal Variation Of Floral Visitation And Pollen Transport Networks In Southern Appalachia, Daniel A. Barker Aug 2020

Congruence And Temporal Variation Of Floral Visitation And Pollen Transport Networks In Southern Appalachia, Daniel A. Barker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Observation of floral visitation is an accepted method to describe plant-pollinator interactions despite potential biases. Collecting pollen from pollinators offers new insights on the structure and function of plant-pollinator communities. Furthermore, the strength and frequency of plant-pollinator interactions can vary across temporal scales. However, within-season and within-day (morning vs. evening) variation in plant-pollinator networks has been little studied. By evaluating variation in network structure across these biologically relevant time scales, we will gain a better understanding of the factors that shape plant-pollinator communities. The objectives of this study are to 1) Compare the structure of plant-pollinator networks built on floral …


Floodplain Forest Regeneration Dynamics In The Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley, Whitney Anne Kroschel Jul 2020

Floodplain Forest Regeneration Dynamics In The Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley, Whitney Anne Kroschel

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Floodplain forest species diversity is driven, in part, by variation in disturbance regime. Flood patterns create heterogeneity in microsite quality from small differences in elevation across a floodplain which, in turn, influence flood timing and duration. Differences in species’ regeneration niches in relation to hydrologic patterns can account for long-term coexistence of various species. In the past century floodplain forests have exhibited a wide range of changes in stand development and species composition as a result of altered hydrology in rivers and floodplains. I evaluated the role of regeneration in floodplain forest systems of the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley …


Analyzing Thermal Gradients Using Terrestrial Laser Scanning In Scrub Oak Habitats, Alyssa Silbey Jun 2020

Analyzing Thermal Gradients Using Terrestrial Laser Scanning In Scrub Oak Habitats, Alyssa Silbey

Honors Theses

Thermal microclimates are an important component of natural ecosystems because they provide appropriate niche space for many organisms; however, they are not widely studied because of their small scale. Likewise, variation in these microclimates may significantly impact animal thermoregulation and plant physiological processes and be especially important in the face of climate change. The goal of this study is to determine how the size and structure of Quercus ilicifolia shrubs influences ground temperature gradients. We hypothesized that differences in leaf cover and leaf area index (LAI) would cause temperature under shrubs to cool relative to the ambient temperature, and that …


Sustainability And Optimization Of Rangeland Uses: Issues Of Perspective And Scale, T. L. Thurow May 2020

Sustainability And Optimization Of Rangeland Uses: Issues Of Perspective And Scale, T. L. Thurow

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.