Life Sciences Commons^™

Tomoxia Bucephala A. Costa (Coleoptera: Mordellidae), A Palearctic Tumbling Flower Beetle Established In North America, R. F. C. Naczi, Robert A. Androw, John Rosenfeld

Insecta Mundi

Tomoxia bucephala A. Costa (Coleoptera: Mordellidae), a Palearctic tumbling flower beetle native to Europe, Asia, and northernmost Africa, is now known from North America. The first known occurrences were in 2015 in Essex and Union counties, New Jersey, U.S.A. and in 2019 in Passaic County, New Jersey, all in the New York City metropolitan area. An additional collection documents the species in 2016 from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The multiple occurrences, the large distance between those in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and multiple detections in natural areas indicate T. bucephala is established in North America and …

A Review Of Current Methods In Avian Dietary Analysis And Their Integrated Application To Characterize The Trophic Niche Of Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia Motacilla)., Brandon Hoenig

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Characterizing a species’ dietary composition presents an avenue to understand many facets of its ecological niche and can provide essential information for the species’ long-term conservation. To date, the vast majority of diet studies have relied on direct identification of prey during foraging observations or from diet samples to characterize the dietary habits of birds. However, advancements in laboratory-based approaches have revolutionized the field of trophic ecology by allowing researchers to indirectly infer dietary habits with higher resolution across greater time scales. Here, I apply two of these laboratory-based techniques, namely DNA metabarcoding and stable isotope analysis, to characterize the …

Who Pays To Clean Up What A Dying Industry Leaves Behind?, Audrey Carleton

Capstones

As the birthplace of oil and gas, Pennsylvania is home to the highest number of orphaned abandoned oil and gas wells in the country — an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 dot the Keystone State, all remnants of a dying industry. These wells emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and have, for decades, caused alarm to hundreds of residents, documents obtained in a months-long capstone investigation show. The state is currently plugging 10 to 12 abandoned wells per year, on average, out of hundreds of thousands, in part because it has not collected enough in cleanup funds from producers to fund …

West Chester Borough Urban Forest: An Environmental Benefit For All, Michael B. Dunn, Joan Welch

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

No abstract provided.

Lepidopteran Granivory Reduces Seed Counts In A Rare Species Of Riparian Scour Prairies, Cheyenne Moore, Angela J. Mcdonnell, Scott Schuette, Christopher T. Martine

Faculty Journal Articles

In Pennsylvania Baptisia australis var. australis is found along only four waterways: the Allegheny River, Youghiogheny River, Clarion River, and Red Bank Creek. Because of its limited distribution and small number of extant populations, the species is considered state-threatened in Pennsylvania. In addition, the riparian prairie habitat that Pennsylvania Baptisia australis var. australis is restricted to is also in decline and considered vulnerable. Because of these conservation concerns, insights into the natural history of the taxon in the state is valuable and will inform conservation efforts. Field surveys and fruit collections along the Allegheny River and herbarium collections were used …

Unconventional Gas Pipeline Right-Of-Way Influence On Wildlife, Samuel C. Knopka

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The development of horizontal drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale in 2004 resulted in rapid exploitation of the play in the Appalachian Basin. This “unconventional” gas well drilling accesses resources deeper beneath the surface and allows for multiple wells to be co-located on a single well pad. This results in fewer, but larger, well pads on the landscape than traditional vertical wells. Pipelines are required to transport the volumes of gas produced by unconventional wells to production facilities and market. The effects of gathering pipelines, which transport gas from well pads to larger transport pipelines, are poorly studied …

Sustainable Community In Literature And Lancaster County: Finding A Way Forward On Small Farms, Christine Bye

Honors Projects and Presentations: Undergraduate

"There are very few things that will motivate a thirteen-year-old child who has grown up comfortably and surrounded by supermarkets to pick green beans and to pick them joyfully. Dusty bean plants covered in yellow beetle larvae and located beneath a glaring sun do not exactly inspire an adolescent (or any sane person, really) to caper and sing. Neither do interestingly mottled rashes on the forearms - which appear after extensive rummaging through bean leaves - encourage the picker to return readily to the task. When my parents bought the family farm from my grandparents, they had some idea (as …

Resource Use By American Black Bears In Suburbia: A Landholder Step Selection Approach, Farshid S. Ahrestani, Mark A. Ternent, Matthew J. Lovallo, W. David Walter

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Range expansion of American black bears (Ursus americanus; bear) and residential development have increased the bear presence in suburbia. Suburban landscapes exhibiting patchworks of variable-sized parcels and habitats and owned by landowners with diverse values can create large areas of suitable habitats with limited public access. These landscapes may limit the effectiveness of hunting as a traditional bear population management tool. Managers require better information regarding landowner attitudes about hunting before implementing harvest regulations intended to mitigate conflicts in suburban areas. To address this need, in 2013, we surveyed landowners to identify properties that allowed bear hunting in 3 …

There Must Be Something In The Water: Understanding Pfas Contamination Of Groundwater As A National Security Issue, Kylie N. Ford

Student Theses 2015-Present

This report addresses the widespread pollution of domestic groundwater resources with Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) caused by firefighting activities performed at military installations across the United States. Two former military bases in Southeastern Pennsylvania are used as a single case study: the Naval Air Development Center (NADC) in Warminster and the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base (NASJRB) in Horsham. Chapter 1 gives a history of domestic military bases from the perspective of the infrastructure buildup and downsizing that occurred over the 20th Century, along with the environmental degradation revealed during brownfield redevelopment. The chapter then gives specifics about …

Comparison Of Periglacial Block Fields And Talus Slopes In South-Central Pennsylvania And Northern Maryland, Ilana B. Sobel, Abigail F. Rec, Sarah M. Principato

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Relict periglacial boulder fields, or block fields, are scattered across south-central Pennsylvania and northern Maryland (e.g. Potter and Moss, 1968; Denn et al 2018). This pilot study uses a combination of digital analyses using Google Earth Pro and fieldwork to investigate block fields at different scales. Fieldwork focused on two block fields, which were compared with fieldwork conducted on two talus slopes. The block fields studied were Raven Rock Hollow in Maryland and River of Rocks at Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania, and the talus slopes were located at Catoctin Mountain, Maryland and Waggoner’s Gap, Pennsylvania. The importance of geomorphic processes …

Migrant Farmworkers' Perceptions Of Pesticide Risk Exposure In Adams County, Pennsylvania: A Cultural Risk Assessment, Micaela S. G. Edelson, Salma Monani, Rutherford V. Platt

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Agricultural exceptionalism, a system in which regular labor laws and standards do not apply to farm labor, makes migrant farmworkers particularly vulnerable populations—economically, socially, and in terms of environmental health. To address inequities inherent in migrant farmworker margin­aliza­tion, studies advocate for actively engaging the migrant farmworker population in the conversation surrounding these issues. We conducted 40 semi­structured interviews with migrant farmworkers in Adams County, Pennsylvania, to understand pesti­cide risk exposure perceptions and practices. We employed the Health Belief Model as our cultural risk assessment frame, using it in combination with technical risk assessment, which uses government calculations (from the Environmental …

Use Of Soil Chemical Analysis To Detect Commercial Wildlife Game Baits, Aaron Haines, Angela Fetterolf, Meta Griffin, Tristan Conrad, Steven Kennedy

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Hunters and poachers often use commercially-available, nutrient-rich baits to attract wildlife game animals. We used atomic absorption spectroscopy and ion selective electrochemical analysis techniques to determine whether two common proprietary baits (Deer Cane and Acorn Rage) would leave detectable chemical signatures in soil (i.e., Na⁺, Cl^-, and Ca⁺²). Our goal was to evaluate low cost tests which could be replicated by wildlife conservation officers in the field. To complete the evaluation we randomly placed two commercial baits on 3 sites in The Millersville University Biological Preserve in Millersville, PA. We collected soils samples from …

Spatial Models To Account For Variation In Observer Effort In Bird Atlases, Andrew M. Wilson, Daniel W. Brauning, Caitlin Carey, Robert S. Mulvihill

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

To assess the importance of variation in observer effort between and within bird atlas projects and demonstrate the use of relatively simple conditional autoregressive (CAR) models for analyzing grid-based atlas data with varying effort. Pennsylvania and West Virginia, United States of America. We used varying proportions of randomly selected training data to assess whether variations in observer effort can be accounted for using CAR models and whether such models would still be useful for atlases with incomplete data. We then evaluated whether the application of these models influenced our assessment of distribution change between two atlas projects separated by twenty …

Assessing The Supply Of Provisioning And Cultural Ecosystem Services From Urban Forests: A Philadelphia Pilot Study, Jenna Q. Detweiler

Environment and Sustainability Summer Fellows

This study develops a methodology for assessing the urban provisioning and cultural ecosystem services created by woody species in urban forests. Drawing on this methodology, the research examines these dynamics through use of an urban forest inventory and survey data for the city of Philadelphia. Findings quantify the percentage of species and corresponding percent of the tree population that are likely to be harvested by urban foragers in the city.

First Record Of Agrilus Osburni Knull (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) In Two Northeastern States In North America, Lawrence Barringer

Insecta Mundi

Agrilus osburni Knull (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) is reported from Massachusetts and Pennsylvania for the first time, new state records. Nine male specimens were collected in Lindgren funnels from 2010 to 2016. These new records expand the known range of this species in northeastern North America.

A Mineralized Alga And Acritarch Dominated Microbiota From The Tully Formation (Givetian) Of Pennsylvania, Usa, John A. Chamberlain Jr., Rebecca B. Chamberlain, James O. Brown

Publications and Research

Sphaeromorphic algal cysts, most probably of the prasinophyte Tasmanites, and acanthomorphic acritarch vesicles, most probably Solisphaeridium, occur in a single 20 cm thick bed of micritic limestone in the lower part of the Middle Devonian (Givetian) Tully Formation near Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. Specimens are composed of authigenic calcite and pyrite crystals about 5–10 µm in length. Some specimens are completely calcitic; some contain both pyrite and calcite; and many are composed totally of pyrite. The microfossils are about 80 to 150 µm in diameter. Many show signs of originally containing a flexible wall composed of at least two layers. Some …

A Plan For Pollinator Landscape Management On The Ursinus Campus, Megan N. Hanscom

Environment and Sustainability Honors Papers

Due to increased pollinator decline over the past decade, colleges and universities are developing pollinator management plans to help combat pollinator loss. Pollinators, and more specifically bees, are vital members of local ecosystems and protection efforts are greatly needed. This plan was created to address the needs of Ursinus College pollinators using relevant suggestions from pollinator research and existing protection plans. This plan includes suggestions for increased pollinator habitat on campus, ways to reduce pollinator stressors, and ways that the Ursinus community can positively impact pollinator health.

Conservation Planning In A Changing World, Austin Walker Milt

Doctoral Dissertations

As a science and practice dedicated to preventing, stopping, and reversing negative effects on nature, conservation is constantly faced with new challenges. Combine this fact with the rise of large, freely available datasets and computational power, and the result is a need to advance the methods and conceptual approach to conservation planning. In my dissertation I present novel methods and address research questions that aim to keep conservation science and practice relevant and effective in a changing world. This picture of continual change is illustrated in Chapter 1, in which I explore how the ongoing collection of observations of rare …

"Nature Is Pushing One Way And People Are Pushing The Other": A Political Ecology Of Forest Transitions In Western Montgomery County, Pa, Megan Elizabeth Maccaroni

Environment and Sustainability Honors Papers

Forests in Southeastern Pennsylvania have been shaped by a number of anthropocentric factors over the past century, with many areas experiencing a recent trend towards forest recovery. Studies on forest dynamics have shown that most developed regions exhibit a forest transition, which begins when land is cleared for natural resource extraction (e.g., agriculture, forestry) during an early development stage. Then as a population grows and food production needs are met, rural peoples begin to migrate to the city, and a feeling of scarcity of trees develops that may lead to changes in land management attitudes, and many formerly deforested areas …

Promoting Amphibian Conservation Through The College Classroom: Detection Of Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis Among Local Amphibians, Julie Wunder, Noel Lampazzi, Kelsey Acre, Nicholas Bent, Sadie Canter, Alexandra Chapman, Margaret Davies, David Kashan, Jonathan Keiley, Rachel Macintyre, Tamara Milton, Kara Weichler, Matthew Wilson, Mizuki Takahashi

Faculty Journal Articles

Many global amphibian declines have been linked to the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). The knowledge on Bd distribution provides a fundamental basis for amphibian conservation planning. Yet, such Bd distribution information is currently insufficient, in particular at a regional scale. The college classroom provides an excellent opportunity to expand the knowledge of Bd distribution. Here we provide an example of such research projects to detect Bd prevalence among local amphibians in a college course setting and present the results of work conducted in central Pennsylvania, USA. We collected toe clips and conducted PCR assays of six species, …

Forage News [2010-10], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Grazing Conference Returning to Kentucky
• KFGC Update
• Pennsylvania to Celebrate Forage Anniversary
• A Novel Endophyte Tall Fescue has been Developed by the University of Kentucky for the Upper Fescue Belt
• Benefits of Rotational Grazing
• Cultivar Preference of Lambs Grazing Forage Chicory in Ohio
• Effects of a Freeze on Forages
• Nitrate Poisoning: A Concern with Dry Weather

Raccoon (Procyon Lotor) Movements And Dispersal Associated With Ridges And Valleys Of Pennsylvania: Implications For Rabies Management, Robert B. Puskas, Justin W. Fischer, Craig B. Swope, Mike R. Dunbar, Robert G. Mclean, J. Jeffrey Root

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The raccoon (Procyon lotor) continues to be a prominent terrestrial rabies reservoir in the eastern United States. Describing the dispersal and movements of these animals and determining geographic features that are natural hindrances or corridors to movements could be used to assist oral rabies vaccination efforts. The landscape of the ridge-and-valley system in Pennsylvania exhibits characteristics of both natural potential hindrances and travel corridors to the movements of wildlife. The movements of 49 raccoons were monitored throughout a ridge and two adjacent valley sites to assess their movements related to these landscape features. Results suggest that few raccoons …

Road-Killed Bats, Highway Design, And The Commuting Ecology Of Bats, Amy L. Russell, Calvin M. Butchkoski, Leslie Saidak, Gary F. Mccracken

Amy L. Russell

Forage News [2008-01], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Heart of America Grazing Conference to be Held in Missouri
• Forage Producers to be Featured at KCA
• Plan to Attend the AFGC/SRM Forage Conference in Louisville January 26-31
• 2007 Variety Test Reports
• Clearing Up the Confusion Between Eating Meat, Cancer, and Obesity
• Teff Looks Good in Pennsylvania Trials
• Kentucky Facts
• Effect of Hay Feeding Methods on Cow Performance, Hay Waste, and Wintering Cost
• Kentucky's Agricultural Economy
• Upcoming Events

Purple Loosestrife On The Susquehanna River’S West Branch: Distribution And Environmental Correlates, E. Ketterer, Warren Abrahamson

Warren G. Abrahamson, II

No abstract provided.

Community Forests: A Perspective, Robert Mccullough

Community-Owned Forests: Possibilities, Experiences, and Lessons Learned (June 16-19)

22 pages.

"Robert McCullough teaches in the University of Vermont Graduate Program in Historic Preservation. He wrote The Landscape of Community: Communal Forests in New England."

Classification And Successional Changes Of Mixed-Oak Forests At The Mohn Mill Area, Pennsylvania, Warren G. Abrahamson Ii, A.C. Gohn

Warren G. Abrahamson, II

No abstract provided.

Forest Composition, Spatial Pattern, And Size Structure Of The Snyder-Middleswarth Natural Area Old-Growth, Snyder County, Pennsylvania, P.P. Zawadzkas, Warren G. Abrahamson Ii

Warren G. Abrahamson, II

No abstract provided.

Montandon Marsh: A Vegetation Description Of A Potentially Endangered Wetland, E. Hochman, W. Abrahamson, J. Clark

Warren G. Abrahamson, II

No abstract provided.

Pygmy Shrew, Microsorex Hoyi, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Includes the description, range, habitat, life history and ecology, basis of classification, and recommendations of/for the pygmy shrew (Microsorex hoyi) in Pennsylvania, USA.